7:00 PM "Increase Our Faith" Dr. Marcus D. Cosby, Monday, April 14th, 2025

41:09 God for each one of you, not the least of whom is the woman of God who in, what was it, three minutes just told us all about John chapter 9. Thank you, ma'am. Dr. Brianna Parker is a blessing. Thank you. I just cleared my throat in three minutes, and you gave us all that good information. I thank God for you. The pool ain't the problem.

41:38 Yeah. I'm going to say it in a few different places, and I'm going to give you credit twice. The third time is the charm. That's mine. That's mine. I had a revelation from the Lord that the pool ain't the problem. I can't wait to preach it. I'm going to preach it with everything I got. Yes, I am. I'm going to preach it. I'm going to holler. I'm going to dance. I'm going to run like Rem Sharp. I'm going to run all over the place. I'm going to do everything. Do everything. There's so many friends and loved ones who are in this place tonight. I'm an original. My origin is Chicago, so I'm home. And I'm glad to be back at home. Yeah.

42:21 Yeah. I spent a whole lot of Sunday nights right here in this room in the 1980s. And they put me out of Chicago around 91. And I'm just glad to be back, glad to be in the service. But I see my in-laws are here, and I'm grateful for their presence tonight. My brother and sister Kane from Emmanuel Baptist Church.

42:43 Yeah. And their new pastor is here. Their new pastor is here, Dr. Eddie Williams. God bless you, sir. Where you've at us? I know Pastor's going to introduce later on, but thank God for the new pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church. I've had you standing too long. I apologize. But let me go to the word of God. There is a word from the Lord tonight. And if you have your Bibles, I invite your attention to the New Testament gospel as recorded by the writer Luke. The New Testament gospel is recorded by the writer Luke at chapter 17. The New Testament gospel. Thank you, Anton Cooks. You're just a blessing. Thank you, man. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I got tired watching you cooks, but I appreciate you. Thank you so much. I didn't want to get up and come up here. I was tired. God bless you, man. Thank you so much. New Testament gospel is recorded by the writer Luke at chapter 17, beginning at verse 5. I'm reading tonight from the New International Version of the Holy Word of God.

43:39 If you haven't, this is what it says. The apostles said to the Lord, increase our faith. That's enough. Amen. Praise God for his holy word. You may be seated. You may be seated in the presence of our good and gracious God. the apostles said to the Lord, increase our faith.

44:11 That's what I want to talk about tonight. For the time that this hour is shared together tonight, I want to talk from the subject, increase our faith. truth be told every one of us in church tonight needs to make the same request of the Lord that the apostles made that day all of us need the Lord to increase our faith no matter your church position or your church tradition all of us need the Lord to increase our faith. It doesn't matter that you've been saved for an extended period of time or you just walked in here yesterday and found out that there was a man named Jesus. All of us need the Lord to increase our faith.

45:07 It doesn't matter whether you found Luke real fast or you're still looking for it right now. All of us need the Lord to increase our faith. It's somewhat reminiscent of that father in Mark chapter 9 that brought his demon-possessed son to the Lord Jesus. After having brought him to the disciples, the disciples couldn't do anything about it. Jesus, after descending the Mount of Transfiguration, asked that father, do you believe I can do this? And that father said, Lord, I believe, but I need you to help my unbelief. Yeah. And if we'll be honest tonight, every one of us in this room deals with that bipolar reality, don't we? That every one of us has some modicum, some level of belief.

46:05 But if the wrong thing creeps up in our situation, we have to ask the Lord to help our unbelief. Oh, no, you're real strong over here. with this stuff. But let this stuff over here start bothering you. And you'll be like, Lord, please increase my faith. Help my unbelief. I grew up at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 8301 South Damon Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60620. Where the Reverend Dr. L.K. Curry was my pastor. And when I grew up at Emmanuel, our order of worship dictated that we sang four hymns every Sunday. We didn't start church like we started at Wheeler Avenue where I serve. We start with praise and worship and all. No, that's not how we started church. We started church with hymns. We sang hymns all service long. And we sang all the verses of every hymn we sang.

47:01 Pastor Curry said, if the songwriter didn't want you to sing every verse, the songwriter wouldn't have written every verse. And so we had to sing all the verses. And I learned all those hymns back in the day and they run in my mind every now and then. And one is creeping up on me right now, Pastor Shar. It goes a little something like this. Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, just to rest upon his promise, just to know thus saith the Lord. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him, how I've proved him o'er and o'er. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus. Here it is. Oh, for grace to trust him more. I wonder if there's anybody in church tonight who still needs the grace to trust God more. Is there anybody who'll be honest, even with the spiritual people on both sides of you, and you'll testify, I still need the grace of God to trust him in areas where I'm still a little shaky, in areas where I have not completely surrendered to him.

48:08 Oh, for grace to trust him more. I'm intrigued by Luke chapter 17. Brother pastor because it seems to me that the Lord Jesus is getting his disciples ready to take what has been his three-year ministry and turn it into a worldwide movement. When we find Jesus tonight in chapter 17, it's really backing up from what we celebrated yesterday. Yesterday, we celebrated the triumphal entry of the Lord Jesus into the holy city of Jerusalem. But this text tonight reminds us that as Jesus is headed toward Jerusalem, he begins to impart to these disciples some information that will help them take his ministry and turn it into a movement. Please don't miss it, child of God. He's about to convey to these ragtag disciples some information that will help them be more than they could have ever been without him.

49:08 He wants them to understand that if they're going to represent him on the other side of Calvary, they're going to need some information that will assist them in the process. And so when you look at Luke chapter 17 and 18, I see a few snapshots that help us to have an increased faith. But you got to see what the Lord Jesus does at the beginning of chapter 17. He begins to teach his disciples what could arguably be called one of the most difficult lessons in discipleship. When he's teaching them in chapter 17, he gives them information on what could arguably be the most difficult lesson in discipleship. He teaches them about forgiveness. Yeah, he teaches them about forgiveness. I had three amens, one person clapped, because you likewise understand that's probably one of the most difficult lessons in discipleship.

50:10 Come on, you can be honest tonight and testify. You love the Lord, but some of your haters, well, is there anybody in here tonight who can testify that sometimes forgiveness is one of the most difficult lessons in discipleship? Well, listen, it's going to get a little rougher for the next 35 seconds because what Jesus does is tell these disciples, hey, hey, listen, brethren, if anyone offends you, your sister, your brother, they offend you, they sin against you seven times in one day. Your responsibility when they ask for forgiveness is to forgive them every time. yep three amens over there and one person repeated every time over here i want to give it to us again jesus says if a sister or brother sins against you seven times in one day and they repent asking for your forgiveness jesus says you're supposed to forgive and i'm loving preaching to y'all right now because this is the beautiful sight because y'all like i understand if jesus has said seven times in a lifetime i get it if jesus has said seven times in a year maybe seven times during holy week but seven times in a day can i find five honest people in here who know good and well you to have some trouble with that too i need four people in here who can testify i don't know mr Jesus you don't know some of the people in my life Jesus says if they ask for your forgiveness seven times in one day, your responsibility is to forgive.

51:58 That's chapter 17, verse 4. Chapter 17, verse 5, the apostle said to the Lord, increase our faith. If we're going to do that, we're going to need you to increase our faith. If we're going to do all that, you're going to have to hook a brother up. I need somebody in here who can testify. If I'm going to have to do all that, you're going to have to increase my faith. Yeah, that's what's going on in this powerful passage of Scripture. And for the next two chapters, chapters 17 and 18, Dr. Reginald Williams, you find out that the Lord Jesus gives to them portraits in faith that will help them to carry his ministry on and make it into a movement. I said he's going to give them snapshots. Y'all got a little time. I want you to see these snapshots of faith that Jesus gives in chapters 17 and 18. As a matter of fact, while they're going along, while they're making their trek to the holy city of Jerusalem, your Bible says at verse 11 of chapter 17 that there come 10 men making their way to Jesus.

53:06 10 men are on their way to Jesus to be sure they are outcasts. They're not just regular men. They are outcasts because your Bible declares they have what is known as leprosy. These brothers have leprosy. It is a horrific skin disease manifested by white patches all over one's body. As the disease progresses, appendages fall from the body. As the disease continues, your voice can get muted, flow so low that you can barely be heard above a whisper. This disease is so significant that by Levitical law, you're supposed to be cast aside. You are becoming the pariah of society. You are supposed to be colonized, ostracized. Nobody is supposed to be bothered with you. I don't know if you heard, but there are 10 men who come to Jesus, and these men have leprosy. This white disease, this skin disease that is manifested by white patches all over their bodies allows them to be drained of their energy, depleted of their vitality.

54:12 It's a rough skin disease. But they heard that there was a man named Jesus who was passing through town. And I want to investigate these brothers because they seem to suggest to us that there will be some days in each one of our lives when you and I need to have faith despite the severity of our predicament. Are you listening to me on a Monday night? I said you and I need to have faith. Somebody shout faith. Despite the severity of our predicament. Had you heard? They've got leprosy, church, and that skin disease is manifested by these white patches all over their bodies. Their voices are being muted. The appendages may be falling from their hands and their feet. And it's so bad they're not even supposed to be in the populace of the community. They are outcasts. They're not supposed to be.

55:05 Levitical law declares that they can't be around everybody else, but they heard that Jesus was passing through town. And when they heard that Jesus was passing through town, they raised their collective ten voices, and they said, Jesus, Master, have pity on us, have mercy on us. They said, Jesus, Master, we need you to have mercy on us. I like it, church family. They came to Jesus. And if you know anything about the old school, you know old school saints say that mercy suits my case. They knew they needed from Jesus what only Jesus could provide. And they said, Lord, we need you to have mercy on us. And the Bible says that Jesus looked at these 10 men and said, go show yourselves to the priest. Hold up, wait a minute, flag on the plate.

55:58 Hold on, Mr. Jesus, how you going to tell us to go show ourselves to the priest? We've heard about you. We heard that you do those Jesus-y things. And when you do those Jesus-y things, healing comes into people's lives. We thought for sure you'd say, be thou clean. We thought for sure you'd say, go wash in the pool of Siloam. We thought we'd see some lightning and some thunder would be rolling. We thought we'd hear bells and whistles. Why you gonna tell us to just go show ourselves to the priests? And I want to suggest on this first night of Jesus week that there are times in every one of our lives when the Lord wants to know, are you willing to walk on a word?

56:41 Yeah, yeah. We're going to be in here all this week. Y'all going to hear more word than you heard in a long time. And the question is, are you just going to let that word sit in your notepad and not do anything with it after the benediction? or you're going to have greater faith next week because you heard some word this week. Last time I checked your Bible, faith comes by hearing. Lord, I feel your presence and hearing by the word of God. Can I find seven people in here who can testify? If you get some word in you, it'll literally transform your life for the rest of your life. If you get some word in you, it'll change the trajectory of your life and you'll find yourself in spaces and places you never even imagined. I need five people in here who still believe that his word never returns to him void. But when he sends it out, it accomplishes everything he intended it to accomplish. Is there anybody in here who still believes the word of God?

57:40 The Bible says that we walk by faith and not by sight. And is there anybody in here who says, I don't see it all the time, but I'm learning to walk on the word. And without hesitation, without discussion, without delay or deliberation, your Bible says they start walking to the priest. They know Levitical law says that the priest has to readmit them into the community. And so they go walking to the priest. But you can be blessed by this next part of the story. Because the Bible says that while they're walking, Once again... Something starts happening. Yeah. While they're walking, they found their strength coming back. While they're walking, they got a little pep put back in their step.

58:37 While they're walking, let me clear my throat. While they're walking. While they're walking, they feel that their body is being restored. White patches are being removed. And somebody in here ought to testify that you don't even remember exactly when God did it. But while you were walking, he began to turn some things around. While you were walking, he began to reveal his will in your life. While you were trying to figure it out. He had already worked it out. And so they now feel in their bodies that they are cleansed. And watch what the Bible says. The Bible says that one of those ten men who happens to be a Samaritan, a double outcast, he's not just a leper. He's a Samaritan leper.

59:34 This Samaritan goes back to Jesus. He said, y'all can keep going that way if you want to. I'm going back to Mr. Jesus because Mr. Jesus just did something for me that nobody else could do. And your Bible says when he got back to Jesus, he fell down at his feet, started hollering out with a loud voice praising God. And he looked up at Jesus and said, Lord, I just want to thank you. And I wonder if there's anybody in here who's seen the Lord make a way out of no way, who's watched God move mountains and watched God ensure your progress and productivity. And on a Monday night, you're not too ashamed to open up your mouth and tell your Jesus thank you. Is there anybody in here who's seen him pay some bills and seen him heal some bodies and seen him take care of your children and seen him fix your family and seen him regulate your mind and put your broken pieces back together again? I need 25 folk in each section to open up your mouth and tell your Jesus thank you.

1:00:37 For every mountain you brought me over. For every valley you've seen me through. For every blessing somebody ought to shout hallelujah. For this I give you praise. Ain't nobody ever told you you won't have some severe predicaments. Some circumstances are going to be difficult. Ain't nobody ever told you you were just going to glide to glory. there will be some severe predicaments in this here life and the question is can you have faith despite the severity of your predicament jesus asked that man didn't i cleanse 10 where are the other nine that man said hey mr jesus i can't account for nobody but me and god deliver us from why i'm trying to be in everybody else's business stop trying to figure out why everybody else ain't praising God. If God has blessed you, I need you to be a committee of one and tell your God.

1:01:37 Thank you. Well, I got to keep going. Got to keep going. Can I keep going? Seems to me that once you leave chapter 17 to make your way to chapter 18, there's another snapshot in this business called faith. Because if you go to chapter 18, you'll find out that Jesus opens chapter 18, at least Luke does, by telling the story of Jesus, telling a parable to the disciples. And the parable starts off like this. men and women ought always pray and not faint. Don't give up. Don't lose heart. Don't throw in the towel. He says we ought to always pray and not faint. Here it is. Here it is. And you and I have to have faith, not just despite the severity of our predicament, but may I suggest in the second place that you and I need to have faith, watch, that is displayed in the strength of our perseverance. Yeah, that you and I need to have faith. Somebody say faith. That is displayed in the strength of our perseverance. Remember, they're going to take his ministry, turn it into a movement, but they need to know a few things on the way to Jerusalem. And he wants them to understand if you're going to have the kind of strength, the kind of fortitude, the kind of tenacity, even perseverance that I have, you can't do this just being a nice guy. You're going to have to have a prayer life that enables you to talk to God and refuse to relent.

1:03:14 Men and women ought always pray and not faint. Don't give up. Don't throw in the towel. Don't lose heart and soul too. To emphasize the point, Dr. Sharp, he gives to them a parable about a sister. Yeah, he talks about a sister who is a widow to be sure. And this widow has an adversary from whom she can get no justice. Watch your Bible. Your Bible says there's a sister who is a widow and this widow has an adversary. And that adversary keeps perturbing her to the point that she can get no justice from him. This is bad. She can't get any relief from her adversary. So she decides to go to the judge to get relief from the Old Testament. They knew that the widows especially could go to the judges of their day and get some relief from the adversaries who were getting on their nerves. And so here goes sister woman going to the judge.

1:04:16 Here's the only problem with it. The only problem is your Bible says he's an unjust judge. your bible says he doesn't care about god or anybody else dr williams it's a unique thing he doesn't care about god or anybody else he's an unjust judge he's got unjust practices unjust policies unjust procedures he is an unjust judge he doesn't care about god or anybody else sounds like 45 247 he doesn't care about god or anybody else it doesn't matter what it is he's gonna lie to get himself out of it because he doesn't care about God or anybody else. If you get into a jam, you better hope you got an exit strategy because he doesn't care about God or anybody else. If you say he did it, he'll lie and say he didn't do it. How you know he lying, Cosby? Because he talking. Every time he's talking, he's lying. That's what your president does at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Always lying whenever he's talking. He'll lie, there'll lie. Everywhere, Well, lie, lie, 1600 got some lies.

1:05:20 E-I-E-I-O. Look at how he treats immigrants. He doesn't care about God or anybody else. Look at how he treats the poor. He doesn't care about God or anybody else. Look at how he treats black people. He doesn't care about God or anybody else. He's trying to erase your history from the history books your children and grandchildren will learn from. Because he doesn't care about God or anybody else. egomaniacal narcissistic maniac he doesn't care about God or anybody else The only problem is this judge, unjust judge in Luke 18 had run up against a sister.

1:06:11 And you know she's a sister. Because she refuses to be ignored. Your Bible says she kept on coming back. That old unjust judge acting like he didn't want to be bothered with her. And she just kept on coming back. She kept on making her requests. She kept on saying, you know she's a sister. Can't you see her with that hand strategically placed on her hip? Can't you see her rolling her eyes and rocking her neck and sucking her teeth and then pointing her finger in his face? You ain't going to ignore me, Mr. Judge. You better act like you see me. You better act like you hear me. Don't you be acting like you don't know what I'm saying. You know what I'm talking. Is there a sister in this house who refuses to be ignored? Can I find five folk in here who say, I wish you would. And the Bible says that she refused to give up. And I want to suggest you and I got to have faith that is displayed in the strength of our persistence.

1:07:21 Everything ain't going to happen to you with ease. you know everything not gonna be served to you on a silver platter with a silver spoon some stuff you got to endure hardness like a good soldier of jesus christ some stuff you gotta take a licking and uh come on old school and help me i need somebody in here who understand that you had to endure sometimes you had to persist sometimes don't forget the point jesus says If you sure enough got faith, we'll know it by the way you keep on praying, even when you feel like ain't nothing happening. I need to find the prayer warriors in the room tonight because there's some people on your row right now who will tell you that prayer still works. There's somebody in here who will testify that prayer still changes things. I need some real prayer warriors in here who can testify to somebody that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous still avails much. Is there anybody who's ever had a talk with Jesus?

1:08:23 You told him all about your trouble. He heard your faintest cry. He answered by and by. You felt a little prayer wheel turning. You knew some fire was burning. Because just a little talk with Jesus makes everything all right. this ain't the time for giving up this ain't the time for quitting it's not the time for throwing in the towel it looks bad but we gonna keep on going because we serve a God who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think anybody ever seen and answer your prayer anybody ever watched him make a way out of no way Anybody ever seen him turn things around for you? I need some prayer warriors to say I refuse to give up I refuse to stop praying I refuse to relive last time I checked your Bible the Bible said if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray seek my face, turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven forgive their sin and heal their land I know the land is sick right now but our God is still sovereign And I need some people who still believe that he answers prayer to testify.

1:09:53 Neither trouble nor Trump will last always. So I'm going to keep on praying until times get better. I want to suggest that you and I need to have faith despite the severity of our predicament. Listen here, man. Hey, hey! You got to have faith despite the severity of your predicament. You got to have faith that is displayed in the strength of our persistence. I'm almost done here. Clock on the wall says it's ticking rain, but I got a little more to preach for you. If you got a little bit more time, I got one more thing.

1:10:44 I'm going to use about 10 minutes to tell you about it. And I'm going to shout for about three because that's what I do. If you don't like shouting at 10 minutes, just slip up your Baptist finger and tip out one of these doors because I'm going to holler before this night is over. I don't even apologize for it no more. I'm going to holler. Hey! Just making sure it was there. Just making sure it was there. Glory to the God of our salvation I'm almost done but can I give you one last thing Here it is I want to submit that you and I need to have faith Watch this That is determined to see God's power and you and I have to have faith that is determined to see God's power I know we walk by faith and not by sight but I didn't say every now and then I said I didn't say I want to see something am I by myself in this room I want to see God make a way I want to see God pay some more bills I want to see him show his miraculous power in my life I need somebody who needs the Lord to show you something before April is over To open up your mouth and say God I want to see something I'm in your Bible.

1:12:20 I'm in your Bible. It ain't made nothing up yet. It's still in your Bible. I'm just moving down to the end of chapter 18. By the time you get down to the end of chapter 18, Jesus has said about this overlooked woman that he's not seen this kind of, he's got to have that kind of faith to believe God. After he said about that Samaritan outcast, that's the kind of faith I need to see. I ain't seen that nowhere in Israel. By the time you get to the end of chapter 18, Your Bible says that there's now a crowd surrounding Jesus. I don't know if you heard, but they're headed to Jerusalem. Had you heard? They're going to the Passover because Passover is where all the Jewish feasts are celebrated. The Passover is one of the Jewish feasts where all the Jews would gather and celebrate the deliverance of God. How the Lord allowed the death angel to pass over the homes that had the blood of the lamb sprinkled on their doorposts. All right. I just gave Christians a shouting phrase right there. Every time you hear the blood, that ought to make you get happy. That's not even what I'm talking about.

1:13:14 But when I say the blood, yeah, especially this week, you get Pentecostal this week. The blood, the blood, the blood, the blood, the blood. The blood, the blood, the blood, the blood, the blood. Okay, okay. All right. I'm in your Bible. The Bible says he's headed to Jerusalem. While passing through Jericho with this great crowd of people, all these Jews, the pious pilgrims, are headed to the holy city of Jerusalem. While he's on his way, your Bible says that there's a brother sitting by the side of the road. He's by the highway side begging. Luke doesn't give him a name but you know Mark says he's Bartimaeus that's really not a name because bar the prefix b-a-r means son of so he's son of Timaeus we really don't know his name we just know him by his deficiency this is one who is oppressed we had the outcast we got to overlook now we got one who is oppressed and he is oppressed because of his deficiency child of God, isn't it a horrible thing to only be known by what's wrong with you?

1:14:21 And we got to be careful, church people, that we don't always label people by their condition, by their deficiency. I need six people in here who can testify. I'm more than what's wrong with me. Don't get it twisted. You may see one thing, but there's more to me than meets the eye. I need to find somebody in here who can thank God that even if you're deficient in a couple areas, he'll make you proficient in others. he can't see he can't see um but he can hear and he like those lepers heard that jesus was passing by and when he heard that jesus was passing by he said let me seize this moment i gotta make sure that i can get to that man named jesus because he's able to do something about the lack in my life and your bible says that he said Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me. Yeah, I like it.

1:15:15 It sounds good to me. Only problem is your Bible says that those who were leading the crowd tried to shut him up. They said, hush up, be quiet, sit down. It don't take all that. I know you've never heard that at fellowship, but there are some churches where they'll try to shut you up, hush you up, and sit you down when you make too much noise. if in some churches you had stood up the whole sermon, they'd have come and got you by now because they'll put some people in a space where they are relegated to their oppressed condition. But the Bible says that when that man got told to be quiet, you know what he did? Come on and help me preach. He got louder.

1:15:58 Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Oh, child of God, there's somebody in this house tonight who needs something from the Lord that nobody on your road can give you. There's somebody in this church house tonight that needs something from the Lord that nobody in your family can provide. And I wish you'd start acting like you could get your attention of Jesus and begin to open up your mouth no matter who's on the other side of you. and shout Jesus son of David have mercy on me and the Bible says that Jesus stood still hush somebody's calling my name I like your church family he stood still the Bible says that the leaders those who were leading the crowd were trying to shut them down if I had time I'd talk about how some leaders are always trying to hush up folk who ain't yet in the crowd.

1:17:07 If I had time, I won't have time, but I always talk about those who already got theirs who are trying to keep other folk from getting what they already have. Don't have time to talk about that. But the Bible says that that man hollered out for Jesus. And when he did, Jesus stood still. And he said, he said, Jesus said, what you want? Well, that's not exactly what it says. I know your Bible doesn't say that. I told y'all I'm from 83rd Damon. That's the hood, y'all. That's how we talk in the hood. I know your King James version says, what wilt thou that I should do unto thee? But ain't nobody in this room talk like that all your life long. I need somebody who can testify that hood folk like me. Say, what you want? Come on, 45th place in Princeton Avenue. Don't act like this, the suburbs. Somebody holler, what you want? Jesus says what you want I got you Jesus said what you want what do you want why you making all this noise because if you're going to make some noise there ought to be something behind your noise we don't make noise just for noise sake we make noise for a reason we make a joyful noise unto the Lord when we praise him and when we need him when we petition him we make our request known unto him he says if you want me to do something verbalize it and I came tonight to tell somebody you can't be all ashamed of what you need from the Lord and holding it into yourself. You better ask the Lord exactly for what you need. Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others thou art calling, do not That's where we got that song, y'all. That's where we got that song.

1:18:46 What do you want? He said, Lord, I want to see. Makes sense to me. he's a blind man he wants to see but look a little closer my Greek scholars over here will tell you that if you read this in the original Greek it does not say Lord I want to see it says Lord I want to see again I like this crowd. Y'all catch on real fast. Lord, I want to see again. It literally suggests that he once was able to see somewhere along the line he lost what he once had. And now he's asking the Lord to restore what got taken away from him somewhere along the line. And you want to know why some people holler every time they come in church? Because they're just looking for some restoration. They're just looking for God to restore some of the stuff they once had. I need to find some people in here who can testify. I ain't just hollering to be seen.

1:19:39 I'm not just hollering to be heard. I don't care about you that much. I need something from that man named Jesus. And I want him to make sure that before he gets to Jerusalem, he restores my sight. anybody ever seen him restore i came tonight to announce to the fellowship church he's still a god of restoration anybody ever seen him restore won't he restore your finances won't he restore your health i'm a witness won't he restore your family won't he restore your peace won't he restore your sanity won't he restore your joy the bible says he'll restore the years that the locusts have destroyed. The Bible says he restoreth my soul.

1:20:28 Keeps me alive. Keeps me going when I feel like giving up. And the Bible says that man said I want to see again. And Jesus in his inimitable way restored the sight of that blind man. I like it. That's good all by itself. But I like what happens next? Because the Bible says as soon as he got his sight, brother man start praising God.

1:21:02 That's 12, 15. No, no, don't start now. You should have shouted when I first said it. and as soon as he got his sight back he started praising god makes sense to me because when god does something for you that you couldn't do for yourself your immediate response ought to be to praise his name and you ain't gotta wait till you get the fellowship to praise him you ought to bless him where he blessed you if he blessed you on the job, bless him back. If he bless you on the bus, bless him back. If he bless you on the damn ride, keep one hand on the wheel and bless him back. he ain't took away your good sense make sure you bless him and so he started praising God and he started praising God I like that he started praising God somebody in here who's seen the Lord restore something in the recent past I need you to show some sign right now I like it I like it you've seen him restore some things you thought you'd never get back but then God said here it is somebody found out he's the lifter of your head somebody found out he'll give ease to a troubled mind somebody found out he will restore your joy and that man started praising God but what I like about it pastor he when he started praising God everybody else started praising God you got it everybody else everybody else started praising God I like that this ain't no fun unless the homies can have some everybody started praising God I like that every time you see somebody praising God at fellowship ain't time to look over there and say I wonder what she going through I wonder what's happening at the house no it ain't time to do that if he's praising God you ought to praise God with him I heard you Dr. Brianna you said that everything everybody in the room

1:23:07 ought to praise God. Oh, magnify. That's what you're saying. The Lord with me. Let's exhort his name together. And I like that, church family, because every time you show up in fellowship, you ought to leave out of here knowing that you left everything on the field. You started praising God so much that as soon as you get home, get your piece of chicken, you fall out and start snoring for the rest of your day night because you're so tired. I need somebody in here. As praise ever warn you out. everybody started praising God and I like that brothers and sisters but I like it even more because they're not praising God for what God did for them they're praising God for what God did for him E flat please and I don't want to bother anybody tonight but is there anybody in fellowship tonight who can help me close this little message and find somebody on your roof and tell them for the rest of this man's message.

1:24:08 I'm not praising God for what he's done for me. I'm praising God for what he's done for you. I'm praising God that you still standing. I'm praising God that you didn't lose it all. I'm praising God that you still in your right mind. I'm praising God that you still got a reasonable portion of health and strength. Is there anybody in the building tonight who can help me praise God For somebody on your road. Don't fool me now, will you?