Noon Day Bible Study · Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant

11:15 Thank you, Tiffany. We missed you, but you left us in good hands last week. Thank you so very much. Let's bow our heads for a moment of prayer. Lord, thank you for another day's journey. Thank you that last night, wasn't I last night? thank you dear lord for the air we breathe for the activity of our limbs thank you for a reasonable portion of health and strength god thank you that your grace is always sufficient and your mercy endures for all generations bless my life bless my body bless my family bless my future in jesus name amen come on clap your hands would you do it Bless the Lord.

12:05 Good afternoon, everybody. Y'all are making my heart happy, glad with all of these you voted stickers. Thank you so very much. Amen. Those of you who have not done so, please do your earnest best when you leave out on today to go vote. Your vote is your voice. We owe it to you. This generation does. you are the most consistent voting block of our community and I am so grateful for your labor of love and for your legacy of excellence and the heart of gratitude is extended. Before I go a step further, please, I have funeral announcements that I have to make. I want to extend condolences to all of you who are Falcons fans. Please. we are praying for you in this season of grieving that God will be with you and your family in this trying time know that we are always here for you it is not just in a funeral on Sunday night but amen I know I live here let brotherly love continue thank you amen and y'all still got the jerseys on I mean y'all are committed to the end amen would you join me in Joel chapter 2 Joel chapter 2 amen it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood amen Joel chapter 2 Verse 25.

13:54 Joel chapter 2 verse 25. Once you found it, won't you say, I got it. Amen. Let's read together. And I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten, the canker worm and the caterpillar and the palmer worm, my great army, which I sent amongst you. Let's read it again one more time, please. I will repay you for the years. The locusts have eaten. The great locusts and the young locusts. The other locusts and the locusts swarms. My great army. Amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. And I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten. I want to preach today using as a subject, that's why I don't like picnics.

14:54 that's why I don't like picnics in all of my years of being a pastor I have never held a church picnic and the reasons are very yet explicit historians have on record that many 19th century extrajudicial lynchings of black people were held by white mobs in festive picnic atmospheres. They gathered, they ate food, sang songs, prayed prayers, read scripture, and the main event of entertainment was usually a black man swinging from a branch. For this reason, I shuddered when I learned last week that Secretary of Defense Hexeth just announced that beginning in 2027, America will live stream firing squad executions beginning February of 2027.

16:13 starting with a gentleman by the name of Nadal Hassan who is, hear this, wheelchair bound. This will be the first live stream execution in American history and I'm afraid it's going to enlarge the appetite for the desecration of the lives of the most vulnerable. You would be naive to believe that the depraved in this nation will not be throwing watch parties, feasting while being entertained while others suffer. Those with a moral compass will lose their appetite, but those who are empty of empathy will consume a seven-course meal.

17:10 maybe that's why he said he prepares a table in the presence of my enemies but i wanted you to see he never said your enemies would eat he just said that there would be a table in front of them and they're gonna have to watch you eat the other reason i don't go to picnics is i don't like having to deal with bugs Let's go. they make my skin crawl I don't have the energy to be swatting them away from my face while I'm trying to eat ribs I'm not just talking about flies and gnats and lightning bugs I'm more concerned with all of the insects that are crawling around in Joel chapter 2 It describes in one verse four different kinds of insects that are unleashed to attack you, to annoy you, and ultimately to annihilate you.

18:23 The Lord names all four. Locust, canker worm, caterpillar, and the palmer worm. They stand, seniors, as a metaphor of the oppositional armies that are stationed around your assignment and are flying over your destiny. Before I begin to homiletically fumigate them, I want you to go to Joel chapter 1, verse number 4. our text is Joel chapter 2 verse 25 but I wanted you to see Joel chapter 1 verse number 4 that which the palmer worm has left the locust has eaten and that which the locust has left the canker worm has eaten and that which the canker worm has left the caterpillar has eaten their eyes are bigger than their stomach these insects are because none of them can finish the meal.

19:31 So what you will see progressively in the text is how each insect becomes larger than the last one but none of them can finish. What I wanted to say to your enemies is your enemies thought they could finish you but they're not big enough. As soon as they get close to coming to the end, God has got to remove them out of the way. But the bad news is that when he moves them away, here comes another attack. Here comes another issue. Here comes another obstacle. The first insect that I wanted to expose is the palmer worm. this insect hear this the palmer worm I want you to hear this attacks the root attacks the root of the plant the root of the fruit the palmer worm's focus is always at the starting point when you plant a seed it is the palmer worm who attacks the tender shoots before they can even grow.

20:52 This is, I need you to hear this, this is the demonic spirit of premature destruction. Palmer worms attack new ideas, new endeavors, new relationships. It attacks things before they get a chance to get started. So it is the spirit of a palmer worm. I need you to hear this. It is the spirit of the palmer worm that wanted to kill Moses while he was a baby. It is the spirit of a palmer worm that wanted to get rid of Jesus before he is ever delivered. The enemy always wants to attack beginnings so that you'll never know the middle and never live to see the end. The enemy, therefore, always focuses on childhood, your beginning. If you've ever gone to therapy, ever seen a therapist, ever seen a psychologist, session one, lesson one is they want to know what happened in your childhood because they understand that whatever happened in your formative years will stalk you into your adult years.

22:10 all of what it is that you are today in some measure points back to what you went through in your childhood your satanic attacks do not wait until you're mature it waits until you are still evolving as a consequence we look at shadrach meshach and abendigo theologians historians they all agree that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were between 13 and 16 years of age. And yet they sent the mightiest men to bind them up. Why? Because the enemy never fights you on your present. He only fights you on your potential. You ought to be thankful under God that you survived some stuff in your formative years that some of your playmates were never able to cope through and never able to adjust.

23:06 Psalm 11 and 3. Psalm 11 and 3 says, if the foundation be cut off, what can the righteous do? The enemy is trying to cut off your grandchildren in this season before they ever get a chance. That's why you got to pray for them daily. You got to pray for them nightly that they're going to be able to navigate everything through elementary school, through middle school, Through high school, what your children don't even understand is what you couldn't get through to them. You want to make sure your grandchildren have a firm foundation and a strong setting. I cry out unto God on behalf of your grandchildren that wherever they are right now, All the principalities of the dark world will not have authority on your grandchildren's maturation and their development. Let every place that the sole of their foot shall tread upon.

24:08 That God will put a hedge fence of protection around them. God, I plead the blood over their teacher, over their coaches, over every person in their life. put a hedge fence of protection so that nothing will separate them from the church nothing will separate them from their prayer life nothing will separate them from have a relationship with you everything i went through let me go through it so my grandchildren will never have to live through that kind of agony and stress and depression if you believe it i'd say to just wave your hand right there that God is covering them at the foundation. I got to say this to you. I don't have much time. I don't even know if I'm going to get through this sermon. I may have to come back and get it Sunday, but I got to tell you, I found out something. I found out something, Yami, that messed me up. The only thing that kills, the only thing that kills the palmer worm, y'all ain't going to believe it. Check it when you got time. The only thing that kills palmer worms is oil. God help me in here. I thought y'all came to have church today. When palmer worms come in contact with oil they die on the spot. They can't crawl off. They can't run off.

25:35 Here it is because the oil blinds them. The oil ties up their legs and they can't move from the oil the prophet came to the woman's house and said do you have anything she said the only thing i got is oil maybe y'all forgot she got two children in the house the reason why she had to put oil around the house is because she raising them boys by herself and she wanted to make sure that the enemy doesn't come in y'all better make sure with all the stuff y'all packing up in case of a crisis make sure you got some oil at the house. When them babies come for Thanksgiving and Christmas, line all of them up and put oil on their head so that their cup will run over.

26:26 Palmer worms die in the presence of oil. Second type of locust, hear this, is swarming locusts. swarming locusts swarming locusts is a metaphor for multiplied attack palmer worms here it is go to the root but locusts I need you to hear this palmer worms aim at the root but locusts only aim for visible fruit alright it is only going after what is seen. Only going after what is shown. Can I say it another way? It will only attack, y'all not going to like it, what you are proud of.

27:19 It only attacks what you show off. It only attacks the picture you show the most. And locusts never come alone. Locusts always come with an army. I need you to know how powerful you are. You are so powerful. You are so powerful that people are not strong enough to defeat you. So they try to get other people not to like you.

27:54 They got to figure out how to grow an army against you because they know they don't have enough influence or strength to bring you down. The locusts are unrelenting in their attack. Job got one bad messenger. And as soon as he got the bad news, there's another knock on the door with another message of bad news. You got to be careful when you got to deal with attack after attack, let down after let down, disappointment after disappointment. In Greek mythology, they had something called the Lernian Hindra. The Lernian Hindra, here it is, is a multi-headed serpent. And what they discovered in Greek mythology is if you cut off the head of the serpent, two more would grow in its place. Have you ever been at a place where you felt like you can't catch a break?

28:49 You can't buy your bow. Come on in here. You got to understand Psalm 34, 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. If you're only dealing with one attack, you ain't got that much on you. But if you got to deal with a whole lot of stuff at the exact same time, take heart. I'm still in Psalm 34, 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous. He is where you shout. But the Lord delivers them, not from one of them, not from two of them, but from all of them. You want to know why you ought to be shouting today? God is going to give you victory over every single thing you're dealing with at the exact same time. Genesis chapter 48, verse number 14. Genesis chapter 48 and verse 14 show that the father did not lay hands on one of the sons, but on both of them.

29:51 Many trials bring many doors. Did y'all hear what I just said? Many trials bring many doors. Now, for the palmer worm, oil will kill it. But for locusts, oil won't work. for the palmer worm oil will kill it but for locusts it won't work pastor how do I kill the locusts I'm glad you asked it's only one way to do it the only way to do it is to crush its head I'm in Genesis chapter 3 I'm in Genesis chapter 3 verse number 15 that tells us to crush the head of the serpent See, some of you keep trying to be friends with what you're supposed to destroy. Hallelujah.

30:46 David never laid hands on Goliath. He had to crush his head. When he pulled out the five smooth stones, he didn't aim at his kneecaps. He didn't try to step on his toes. He said, I got to crush his head. Crushing the head means I've got to destroy a mindset. I got to destroy a level of thinking. when you going into the enemy's camp you got to go right for the brain of the matter and say what made you think you could destroy somebody as anointed at me how did you get it in your mind you were gonna break me because you don't like me and you didn't speak to me what were you thinking that because one door was closed God wasn't gonna open up a whole different elevator shaft I give glory unto God that today I came to crush the head of the serpent to let him know that no weapon formed against me shall be able to prosper. The third is the canker worm.

31:56 Here it is. And the canker worm is a serious case. It's a serious case. Hear this, because the canker worm translates to mean slow devourer. It is slow devourer. You got to be careful for the canker worm because it's quiet.

32:18 The canker worm, hear this, is subtle. And unlike locusts, you can't hear it coming. it's dangerous a canker worm is like a nail in your tie you can drive a couple of miles get past a couple of exits but sooner or later you're going to feel that the balance is off all of a sudden people are going to be pulling up beside you telling you roll down your window something is wrong with that back tie And lo and behold, it was a nail that was unattended to. You got to be careful of that canker worm. Why? Because it is slow. It is methodical. But it is intentional.

33:12 And so slowly with the canker worm, slowly your marriage is falling apart. No fight. no big blow up no argument slowly now you falling asleep on the couch watching TV day in the bed waiting on you you get there after a while slowly falling apart you used to talk to that youngest child once a week now 10 days have passed you leaving a message and gotta wait for a return phone call slowly falling apart. You thought you were good and safe with your retirement savings.

34:03 Slowly. You starting to see you been loaning the grown children all that money. Having to make repairs on the house. Cars falling apart. Going on trips that you hadn't even scheduled. You don't even know where you got this Amazon addiction? Slowly. Just bat at me twice.

34:29 It is a problem, ladies and gentlemen, because here's the thing about canker worms, is canker worms only eat off of fruit at its prime. it only wants the fruit that is ripe. It only wants it when it's at its peak. Isn't it amazing how the enemy has allowed you to get comfortable in retirement and now you're under attack? This ain't the season I should be fighting. this is not the season I should have questions about God this is not the season I should be second guessing my faith this is not the season I should have to be fighting to have a relationship with the ones I raised Thank you.

35:30 only waits for the prime only waits till everything is finished your joy your passion your devotion slowly eroding and you don't even notice it at first you remember when you used to do devotions at the dining room table remember you had that highlighter on the nightstand right next to your bed you remember when you just listened to gospel music you remember when you used to watch tbn all day slowly slowly you done gone from day star to netflix it didn't happen all at once slowly you had am station you could go straight to the to the gospel radio say now that you got Alexa play Bobby Womack Alexa play the four tops you your own DJ now it has happened slowly when did you become that cynical about church now you don't like the choir you don't like the lights you don't like everything that loud you don't like being around all these people you've been here the whole time now you annoyed the music ain't got louder the lights ain't got brighter the sermon ain't got louder but now I guess I'll go for communion I guess I'll go Tuesday for noonday I'm gonna go if you going, you sure you going you're only laughing because it's true the canker worm never happens overnight it only happens over time

37:37 the canker worm here it is doesn't work from oil can't kill it from oil you can't even kill it from stepping on its head because it has a different wiring. The canker worm, if you step on its head, its body still lives. the only way you can kill off the canker worm is you have to kill it while it's pregnant because the canker worm has generational distractions it carries something beyond itself and much of the spiritual warfare of your children is what you didn't kill in your prime and what scares you is you see in your child what you didn't address.

38:43 So part of your guilt offering is giving them money in their dysfunction. Your guilt offering is turning a blinded eye. Your guilt offering is getting involved in grown folk married people's business. So now your child's spouse is having to raise what you left incomplete.

39:10 What have you left for the enemy to reproduce that you wouldn't buy? Now you can tell the addiction owner just because you were strong enough to get out of alcohol. But now you see it in your child. They're not doing alcohol. They're doing marijuana. And now your protest is only one. Just don't bring it around here. I don't care that you're high. I don't care that you're drunk. Just don't do it in front of me. I can handle it in an alley in a bar in a club but with all this gospel music I got with candles that are scented my shows that are lined up I don't want to have to deliver the brokenness I reared so only come around me sober even though I know you're broken even though I know you're dysfunctional even though I know you're unhappy even though I know you're not a good spouse I've seen all of it but the canker worm is winning because the canker worm always exposes secrets God help me to preach it right something incredible has got to happen that the generational curse has got to stop with me because I've transferred the gene I should do altar call right there.

40:49 the last is a caterpillar. And it is the most dastardly of all of them. And it's the reason why I needed you in this room today. It's because the caterpillar is not like the palmer worm because the palmer worm goes to the root. it is not like the locust because it only goes for the fruit that is visible it is not like the canker worm because it is not slow the only reason I have you in this room today at 12 noon is I needed you to be on full alert of the caterpillar because the caterpillar only goes after that which is mature more.

41:40 the caterpillar only comes after what is seasoned. The caterpillar never attacks at the beginning. It always waits to the end. It is, watch this, what clinicians will call near success syndrome. That's the caterpillar. Near success syndrome. it attacks just when you think you've won. it attacks when you ready to raise up your hand. I made it. I did it. We got it. Here comes the caterpillar.

42:25 Caterpillars wait until you get right to the edge of success because if you lose then, you are a prime candidate for hopelessness. You done lost your money. You still believe you can rebuild it? you have resigned to being angry you resigned to be upset look at you how'd you become just an angry old woman how'd you just become a bitter old man? Because the caterpillar waited till you got to the end to so rob you of joy that your only anticipation is death.

43:16 The caterpillar only has one job. Separate you from the leaf. if I can separate you from what you feed off of you'll never survive Pastor Bryant you got to answer this for me because I can't figure it out why is the caterpillar so bent why is the caterpillar so bent on killing me off on frustrating me when I get to the end you already know the answer no theology is necessary no bible college is necessary you already know this the caterpillar resents you because when the caterpillar evolves, it dies.

44:05 The caterpillar gets to become a butterfly. God, y'all ain't saying nothing to me. His name got to change. He gets to add wings to his life. And you get to change and keep your same name. How dare you? the caterpillar is upset because it knows in a few days it'll be in a cocoon and you get to change without changing your identity the enemy hates you so much because every day you wake up you get an opportunity to change and you ain't got to be wrapped in nothing the enemy wishes you would just stay the old you but by virtue of the fact that you got up this morning you are not who you were in september whoever it is they're trying to limit who you were they don't know the old you so the enemy tries to play you and thinks the stuff you used to get upset over and stressed over, we're still going to impact you now. They don't understand things I used to do. I don't do no more places. I used to go. I don't go anymore. Thank God that when it is that God calls me as I get my wing.

45:37 God's promise to the children of God. I hope you'll tell your children for me. They won't listen to me. Maybe they'll listen to you. God's promise over your life. The reason why you are here on this Tuesday afternoon is God says my promise of restoration is not money. the promise of restoration is not money y'all didn't hear that the promise of restoration is not houses i hope five of y'all to help me close this sermon the promise of restoration is time hallelujah priest jamal i'm doing the best i can the locusts didn't just eat your harvest they ate your time and the lord said if you can hear my voice what i am giving you back in this season of your life is