On The Road to Recovery

0:14 Genesis 35, 19 to 21. once you found it once you say i got it I want you to read silently as I read out loud. So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Bethlehem. Over her tomb, Jacob set up a pillar. And to this day, that pillar marks Rachel's tomb.

0:52 Israel moved on again and pitched his tent. you may be seated so Rachel died and was buried on the way to Bethlehem over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar and to this day that pillar marks Rachel's tomb it is that next clause that I want to hang my hat on Israel moved on again I want to preach today using as a subject I'm on the road to recovery.

1:28 Would you look at the person beside you and tell them, I need you to pray for me because I'm on the road to recovery. On the road to recovery. my wife if you ask her is probably fluent in all five love languages but the one that she speaks most fluently is quality time and so I try to be intentional about curating experiences that would be meaningful for her and as a consequence for us however there's one thing assuredly i pledge that i probably will never do for my wife and that is plan a picnic I don't want to sit in the grass.

2:33 She don't like being in the heat. And neither one of us want to deal with bees. Interestingly enough, honeybees can only sting once. They typically die after they sting because their stingers are barbed. And the stingers get stuck in the victim's skin. So when they attempt to fly away, it tears their abdomen. leading to their fatality.

3:17 Even knowing that it still brings us no comfort, that it only has one sting. Honeybees have nothing on 1 Corinthians 15 and 55. Oh, death, where is thy sting? Because the reality of death assuredly stings more than once.

3:46 After death, you can feel the sting in the holidays. You can feel the sting in random moments in your day, sitting in your car, driving, listening to music. The pain that death brings can be more torturous than PTSD.

4:14 I don't know whether you ever paid attention to it or not, but Genesis 35 almost reads like tales from the crib. Because in one chapter, hear this, new birth, in one chapter, there are three different deaths in one chapter. In verse 8, Deborah, the nurse to the family, dies. In verse 19, Rachel dies after giving birth. And then in verse 27, Isaac, the patriarch to the family, passes away. All of this is in one chapter. it's entirely too much for one family to endure the emotions that they must have been experiencing have to be unfathomable it's closely akin to what uh what family two rolls over from you are aching in this moment but haven't had the space to scream out loud But if you dropped a microphone into their subconscious, you would hear booming.

5:36 Our family can't take another funeral. That's where your family is. If that's where you are, I want you to shout it out loud so God can hear you say it after me. Our family can't take another funeral. we've had too many trips to the cemetery there are times when you have to take on the audacity of hezekiah who received a message from the lord that he was going to die but he pushed against the prophecy and reminded the most high how he served him and how he loved him and do you know god heard that cry and rewarded him with 15 more years of life. Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, you have to stop discounting the authority you have over mortality.

6:41 You need to petition heaven on behalf of your parent, on behalf of your aunt, on behalf of your sibling, even on behalf of yourself. God, I can't take another death. you know how firsthand how a casket can contaminate a family. I declare those of you who are standing proxy for somebody in your family who is contending with something terminal, would you lift up that hand right where you are? I don't care if it is a parent, if it is a sibling, it's a child, it's an offspring. If God would answer the prayer of Hezekiah, what happened to your faith that you have lowered it of such that you don't believe that God can extend life I declare over those of you with lifted hands I don't know how many of you have this level of faith in you but I declare they shall not die but they shall live to see the glory of the Lord. Those of you who still have confidence in the King of Kings, I want you to celebrate them even now.

7:58 The nail that drives a lot of family into discombobulation is when a grandmother dies. When a mother dies. In Genesis 35, Rachel is gasping while contracting. I want you to hear this. She lost her life trying to deliver her son.

8:33 It takes a toll on mothers who are pushing to get their child delivered. I thought some mothers would say something right through there. Rachel is dying. Hear this. Trying to deliver her son. Trying to deliver her child. I'm not talking to infants. I'm talking to some children of a mother that's living. You are too old to be goofy. ain't nobody got time to be chasing behind you your mother up all hours of the night nervous every time the phone rings in shock trauma anytime there's a knock on the door you are loaning getting loans from your mother out of her retirement she's watching her grands like she running a daycare and because she won't tell you I'll tell you you killing your mama sit down somewhere and get delivered the natural cycle of life is children are supposed to live long enough to take care of their mothers so that the mothers do not die trying to take care of grown children, add years to your mama's life by being responsible, by being disciplined, by being focused, by having some savings and having some purpose and knowing your assignment, you are taking years off of your life because she's having to nurse a grown Negro.

10:24 If you are not careful, regret will appear like Phantom of the Opera. Don't act like you want to jump in the casket when you were the one that pushed her in it. You up crying, mama, don't leave me. But you were too busy to take her to the doctor, too busy to go to the store, too busy to make a phone call. Y'all ain't saying nothing to me. Many families will become intoxicated on a cocktail of sadness, guilt, anger, fear, confusion, relief, or in extreme cases, the dark liquor of questioning God. Job reminded us the Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the name of the Lord she belonged to God first and just loaned her to you don't you take God's timing for granted if your mother is still alive you don't know how blessed you are because there's some people in this room that would change places with you for one day to just have a phone call, to have a conversation, to have dinner, just to sit in her presence, to know that they are available.

12:09 If you got a phone and you can call your mama or your father right now, you are blessed and you ought to thank God for that blessing and don't take God's grace for granted. The loss of a mother eternally impacts your life. I want to say it to you. There is no getting over it.

12:41 You just got to live through it. One day at a time, sweet Jesus. That's all I'm asking for you. The mother usually is the central support system of the family, and her absence leaves an irreplaceable void that makes the family structure fragile. Your mother played the role as advisor, as counselor, as confidant, as cheerleader, as intercessor, and encourager. nobody can take all of those positions at once that's why you got to have a relationship with god for yourself to say there's not a friend like the lowly jesus no not one y'all got to give me a moment i know this ain't for everybody but those of you who have had your mother transition from earth to heaven and you thank God just for the memory of who she is and watch to your life will you thank God for her right now I can't believe y'all ain't saying nothing.

13:57 the death of your mother will bring you closer to God or further away. I just said something. I said the death of your mother will bring you closer to God or pull you further away from her. If you had an intimate relationship with God, it'll bring you closer than you ever been. You don't even realize that you're praying while you're thinking, praying while you're talking, praying while it is that you're functioning, because you had to take on the mantle of praying. There are those of you that know you ain't got to launch an investigation. Somebody prayed for me. I know exactly who it was, and I give God glory for it. When a mother or grandmother transitions, it impacts the family, especially if there were pre-existing tension. If the strife was already there, it's going to amplify.

15:05 If y'all already had arguments, it's going to go into overdrive. But I came today. I don't even know what you thought today was going to happen. I came today to tell you that this is the hour with your siblings. Y'all got to bury the hatchet. You got to cremate the conflict. You got to funeralize the feud. Put a tombstone on the tiff. Life is too short. And tomorrow is not promised. I believe that God can heal people of cancer. I think God can restore people from strokes. I think God can rebuild essential organs in your body. But I also, God can restore whatever wedges have taken place between you and your siblings. No weapon formed against your family shall be able to prosper.

16:09 y'all been singing this means war but you don't even understand the enemy been having a field day on your family but i came to put a stick in the ground to let the enemy know he ain't gonna tear this family apart if god be for us who can be against us some of y'all don't shout because you ain't lived through it but those of you that been in warfare in your family the last 5 years, the last 10 years, the last 12 years, the last 17 years, the last 23 years, God said back up and watch me work I'm getting ready to touch their heart and touch their mind and touch their spirit and touch your assignment may be seated he's gonna heal it he's gonna fix it he's gonna adjust it hallelujah you may be seated thank you holy God hallelujah bless your holy name I feel something get ready to shift right through here bless your holy name I need you to grab that neighbor's hand real quick I'm trying not to go too far I got miles to go but I need you to grab that neighbor's hand and tell your neighbor God is about to pull your family back together hallelujah I feel something right through there I said God is about to bring your family back together the people you don't get along with the people you don't speak to the people you've been distant from the people you didn't have animosity again the people that have been jealous of you and in competition with you god is about to bring your family back together

18:16 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I feel a yoke about to be broken because of emotion and because of pride and because of ego. You haven't been able to say it out loud, but God says, I'm tearing it up. I want you out loud. Would you just declare so heaven can hear you? I miss my sister. Come on, open it up. I miss my brother. I miss the way that we used to be. I miss the way that we used to share and confide and dream and build. God said, do you trust me for it? Watch me restore the broken places. The only thing, you may be seated, the only thing harder than losing your mother,

19:21 the only thing harder than losing your grandmother, and only maybe seven of you will be able to relate, only thing harder than losing your mother, losing your grandmother, is losing your child. 50,000 kids die in America every year. 50,000. This week, 196 children died in Gaza.

19:55 The strife of the family of the two children lost in Minneapolis this week at the beginning of the school year, in a Catholic school. Hear this? While they're in morning prayer. Parents who have lost their children are prone to blame themselves, become distant, withdrawn, turn to alcohol, drugs, food, will sometimes separate from their spouse because they can't handle it. Can't move forward. Can't move on. Every day is an obituary.

20:45 They have to live through the dreams of what my child could have been. They could have accomplished. What they could have achieved and not knowing is there anything I could have shielded them from? I could have protected them from. Is there any way I could have prevented it? Ephesians 4 and 26 says, be angry, but sin not. Don't you let these church people get in your head to tell you, get over it. You still shouldn't be crying, still shouldn't be wounded. You have the right to grieve a lost child. when God lost his only begotten son he crashed out didn't let the sun shine didn't let the birds sing tore the veil in the temple from top to bottom the flowers refused to bloom the wind refused to blow the stars refused to sparkle the dogs refused to bark and you telling me to get over it the devil is alive Ha!

22:01 God is about to perform open heart surgery. There are parents in this room who have lost your child. I want you to stand right where you are. You lost your child. I want you to stand. Lost him to sickness. Lost him to violence. Lost him to addiction. Lost him to circumstances. God says I'm getting ready to restore your soul your cup is getting ready to run over It is outside of the natural cycle of life. It is outside of the natural cycle of life for parents to have to bury their children. It's unnatural. And when things happen that are unnatural, it requires the supernatural.

22:59 I'm tired of us being phony and being plastic and being on the periphery when there are folk who are dealing with real life issues. I want you, if there's somebody standing around you, would you just extend your hand around them? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. hallelujah you got the right to cry you got the right to weep you have the right to mourn hallelujah weeping may endure for a night but my question is how long is the night and when is the joy coming I need God to do a speedy work there are people who are standing who lost a newborn that never left out the hospital there are people who are standing that lost a 17 year old somebody is standing that got lost a 34 year old and I declare and decree unto you something that is hard for you to digest the joy of the Lord is my strength and the strength of the Lord is my joy.

24:27 He may not come when you want him to come, but he is an on-time God. I need you to do me a favor. If they're standing near you, would you just overwhelm them with an embrace in this moment? Come on, hug them for me. God has not forgotten. God has not forgotten Hallelujah. God has not forgotten. God has not forgotten don't you rob people of their ability to grieve don't rob people of their capacity to mourn hallelujah he may not come when you want him to come but he's an on time God hallelujah I know I got a lot of praises but I need some worshippers right through here open heart surgery is happening in this room today there's a whole lot of blood on the floor come on if I got any worshippers would you just lift up your hand Lord if I ever needed you before I sure do need you right now hallelujah no man takes my life I lay it down and if I lay it down I got the power to pick it back up again Hallelujah In three days I rebuild this temple This battle is not yours This battle is the Lord's Hallelujah You may be seated in the presence of the Lord My time is almost up.

26:21 I'm going to say something and I need you to hear me. How are you allowed with sacred text today? Oh, death, where is your sting? And I'll tell you, death stings. God knows it stings. It stings at inopportune moments. moments that you can't see, that you can't project, that you can't schedule, but death will sting.

26:53 I want to lay my hat on the back end of the verse. Death, you may sting, but you ain't going to have victory. I want you to lift up both of those hands. I don't know what family I am speaking to, but by the power of a resurrected Savior, I declare over every lifted hand that death will not have victory over your family. God, I can't hear nobody. whatever death thought it was going to do to your family it expires at 12 noon. You are about to get your family back. It's been a rough road but death will not have the final say.

27:52 Those of you that believe by the grace of God your family is going to be triumphant over the spirit of death. I need to hear the sound of a lamentation. Those of you that will not let death have the final say. Hallelujah! Hallelujah. You may be seated. you may be seated death won't have the final say over your family I just said something that bears repeating I said death will not have the final say over your family who does death think that they are that they thought that it was going to visit one member of the family and dismantle all of us the devil is alive hallelujah his grace is still sufficient his mercy will endure for all generation i came to tell that no good devil you don't have authority over the johnsons you you ain't got authority over the smiths you you ain't got family of authority over the tailors over the brown jelly saying nothing over the williams our family is gonna come through this death when Rachel died when Rachel died they were on their way to Bethlehem but the Bible says in verse 21 and Israel moved on hallelujah said we can't stop here we got to keep moving I need you to pull on that neighbor

29:58 they uncomfortable by it they don't even want you touching them pull on them and tell them this is your sign look at them tell them this is your sign that after today you are healed enough to start moving on you can't stay at the cemetery it's time for you to get to your placing God it's time for you to fulfill your assignment it's time for you to accomplish your goal it's time for you to walk in your anointing it's time for you to move on Time for you to move on. And in order for you to move on, you have to do three things.

30:53 In order for you to move on, you have to do three things. The first one, I want you to write it down, please. In order for you to move on, you've got to do three things. The first thing that you've got to do is acknowledge the loss. stop acting like it didn't impact you like it wasn't important that it wasn't devastating that it didn't knock the wind out of you acknowledge the loss acknowledge the loss in the family acknowledge the loss in your own life acknowledge the loss, here it is of having that voice, of having that shoulder, of having that consistency. Acknowledge the loss.

31:47 Number two, I want you to write it down and I'm finished, is don't lose your light. Don't lose your light. Because you are Christian, you understand at the marrow of our bone, is life after death. You can't stop living because somebody lost their life. This little light of mine,

32:18 I'm going to let it shine. Everywhere I go, I'm going to let it shine. Those of y'all who was in the angel choir, hide it under a bushel? No. I got to let it shine. And people who can't handle my light, I'm going to then turn on the high beams. Come on, y'all ain't saying nothing. If you couldn't handle who I was before, you're going to be sick of me when you see me healed, when you see me restored, when you see me in my whole place. number three write this down live your best life live your best life you are not called to the cemetery you are called to make an impact the enemy has been trying to dull your senses so that you will lose your emotions and lose your passion and lose your heart.

33:24 Those who are grieving and unhealed, their favorite word is whatever. Their favorite phrase is it is what it is. You are going to have to take the bull by the horns and let the enemy know though he slay me. Come on, I can't hear nobody. yet will I trust him. Your family is going to be so shocked on how you pulled yourself together because the last time they saw you, you were crumbling over and losing yourself. But when they see you the next time, they're going to understand this joy that I have. The world didn't give it and the world can't take it away. the bible said that not only did Israel move on watch this but the whole family had to move on with him your family may be stagnant because you are stuck but once you clear your head and wipe the tears from your face tell your family get it together we get ready to go to a place that the enemy never expected, never dreamed, and never thought of.

34:44 Look at the person beside you. Tell them I'm better now. Hallelujah. Tell them the road's been rough, and the going's been tough, and the hills have been hard to climb. But I started out a long time ago, and there is no doubt in my mind. I decided to make Jesus my chore. I know some of y'all are grieving, but those of y'all that are healing, I need you to announce to your role. I'm on the road to recovery. Lace up your boots. Put on your backpack. Let's ride. Let's get to where God is. Get ready to go. Come on, find your praise partner. and tell your neighbor we can't die here. We done come too far to wave the white flag.

35:43 But if I got one prayer left, I got to give God glory. Why, Pastor? Because I should have been dead, sleeping in my grave. But he woke me up this morning, and I got to give him a prayer. I got to give him a holler. I might as well tell you something let everything that has breath praise the Lord y'all didn't hear what I just said if you don't want to be alive then you ain't got a praise but if you got breath in your body you ought to be shout right now I'm alive today because he kept me For every mountain he brought me over For every valley he brought me through I gotta praise him Because when I think of the goodness of Jesus And all he's done for me My soul cries out Hallelujah If you could have died Shout right now If you almost died Shout right now If you ever had surgery Shout right now If you survived a car accident Shout right now Shout right now

37:19 Come on, give him glory. To the utmost, Jesus saves. To the utmost, Jesus saves. Pull on that neighbor Tell him I'm on the road to recovery I don't have it all together But I'm on the road I had some good days And I had some bad days But when I think things over, my good days, they outweigh my bad days. And I won't complain.

38:17 Look at me. I'm a testimony. I didn't make it on my own. But he prays the blood that gives me strength from day to day. You don't ever Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah. Lift up that hand for me. Softly musicians, I didn't mean to go that far. Lift up that hand. Thank you. That hand is lifted.

39:40 I'm going to pray for you. Being on the road to recovery. And life for me ain't been no crystal stair. Boards torn up. No carpet on the floor. But eyes still climbing. I want that hand lifted. A year ago this time, a year ago this time I was in the hospital room with my mother. Last stages of cancer. My father's in the room and doctor's in the room. My wedding is scheduled for November. It's August.

40:33 And I said to the doctor standing next to my mother, should I just move the wedding to Baltimore? My mother's losing weight. Patches of hair's falling out. My mother sat up in the bed and said, don't move no wedding here. I'll be there in Atlanta.

41:00 I'm coming. And one month before my wedding, my mother transitioned, never able to see her son restored. and I wrestled in my head because my mother had prayed for so many people to be healed see so many people get their strength restored my mother devout intercessor didn't get her prayer answered come on I'm talking to some real ones right now Well, you got to grapple with God. of all the mothers that you got to take how you going to take mine come on I can't hear nobody in here faithfully served you live for you didn't let a day go by without calling your name and I have to be very careful I hope you can hear my voice I have to be very careful as many of us have to do to make sure we don't make our mothers an idol.

42:17 grandmother and idol, spouse and idol that you put them above God who are you to tell God what to do to pick the timing of God but you got to trust him I sat in my wedding and saw an empty chair on the front row knowing my mother wasn't there and to stop me right in my boots. because it's a critical moment where there should be joy but it's laced in sorrow and after it is that I got past the empty chair God shifted my neck and let me see an intercessor come down the aisle Thank you.

43:20 You don't know who God are planning your life. In strategic moments of your life, when you need God to stand up, God will send strategic people. Come on, y'all ain't saying nothing to me. He'll plant people in your space. They may look nothing like who it is that you were connected to. They don't sound nothing like them, God will plant people just to reassure and to affirm you that you're not in it by yourself.

43:59 Transparently this ain't this was not formulated to be a shouting sermon but more of a sobering one. One of the afflictions of being a shepherd, one of the afflictions of being a shepherd is you bear the weight of your sheep. and all week long you've been on my chest from those of you who are grappling with trying to get through death wherever it is that you are in this room and you you got to get back on the road to recovery and you're not sure how to do it would you just extend that right hand i want to pray for you I know this is an unorthodox way to close out family month and close out this series but it dawned on me that death is the unaddressed issue isn't it amazing we only hear about death on mother's day only hear about it on the funeral only hear about it during their birthday but on this the last sunday in august god had to send you a smoke signal to let you know that it is now time to move on lift that hand high I want to pray for you God, I pray that you will bathe every lifted hand with good memories.

45:38 I pray that you'll put a restraining order on regret. I pray that you'll give them a peace that passes all understanding. You'll give them a joy that is unspeakable. I pray dear Lord that you'll heal whatever is going on in their bloodline I pray that the steps to reconciliation begin in this season thank you dear Lord that the enemy will not be able to use death to divide this family any further and those of you who trust God with life after death would you give God glory right there if you trust him Come on, I can't hear you. I said, if you trust him. I hope you are energized that you don't need an energy drink.

46:36 What you just heard should have you off and running, chasing your dreams, pursuing your purpose, and answering your call. If this was a blessing, share it with somebody else. Don't be selfish. This is what God gave you so that you can be a blessing to somebody who needs it worse.