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A Burning Stick Snatched From the Fire | Steve Gaines.
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In this powerful episode of Bellevue For Humanity, Pastor Steve Gaines dives deep into the profound message behind "A Burning Stick Snatched From the Fire." Exploring the transformative grace of God, this sermon illuminates how no life is beyond redemption, no matter how close to the flames it may seem.
Join us as we reflect on faith, moral restoration, and God’s unending mercy in the face of modern-day spiritual challenges. Whether you are seeking hope, spiritual renewal, or a deeper understanding of divine grace, this episode offers uplifting wisdom to guide your daily walk.
Key Highlights:
Understanding divine redemption and spiritual deliverance.
Overcoming despair through God's unmerited grace.
Practical insights for faith, morality, and Christian living.
Tune in and be inspired to embrace the new life offered to every soul pulled from the fire!
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Transcript
Introduction to Zechariah 3
00:00:00
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All right, turn to Zechariah chapter 3. You didn't see that one coming, did you? Yeah. You say, where is it? It's in the Bible. It's in the Old Testament.
00:00:14
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Haggai, Zechariah, and the last book, Malachi. So it's almost at the end of the Old Testament. And if it's not in your Bible, get a new Bible, all right? Zechariah chapter 3, the first 10 verses.
Firewood Metaphor and Sin Removal
00:00:30
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At our house in Cordova, Don and I have an outdoor fireplace. It has a gas starter and we burn real wood in it.
00:00:45
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And I love a slow burning fire. I like to hear the wood pop. I like to see the flames dance and I like to see the smoke rise.
00:00:57
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Did you know that in the Old Testament, there's a man who was referred to as a piece of firewood. How would you like to be called a piece of firewood?
00:01:11
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Well, I hope that after today you'll want to be called a piece of firewood. The man's name was Yeshua. In the New American Standard, it's Joshua.
00:01:25
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And, uh,
00:01:28
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Yeshua in the New Living Translation. Let me read to you from Zechariah 3, verses 1 and following. Then the angel showed me Yeshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, the accuser, Satan. How many you know that is? Well, if you don't know, you better find out real quick.
00:01:56
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He was there at the right angel's right hand making accusations against Yeshua. Here you have the devil speaking against the man of God.
00:02:10
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And the Lord said to Satan, i the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you.
00:02:24
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This man... is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire. Yeshua's clothing was filthy.
00:02:39
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As he stood there before the angel, so the angel said to the other standing there, take off his filthy clothes. Turning to Yeshua, he said, see, I've taken away all your sins. His clothes represented his sinful clothes.
00:02:55
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nature and the sinful deeds he has committed. You say he was a preacher. Yeah. We all sin, don't we? Yeah.
00:03:06
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I've taken away your sins. Now I'm giving you these fine new clothes. Then I said they should also place a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean priestly turban on his head, dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by. He was a Jewish high priest.
00:03:30
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Yeshua was. Somehow he had strayed away from the Lord.
00:03:37
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And we're all sinners. So don't let that freak you out. But in spite of his sins, the Lord still wanted to
God's Unconditional Love and Forgiveness
00:03:46
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use him. Aren't you glad?
00:03:48
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I've heard people say, God can't hit a straight lick with a crooked stick. That's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard in my life. Because all he's got are crooked sticks.
00:04:02
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Look at your neighbor and say, hello, crooked stick. Go ahead.
00:04:07
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Now, don't enjoy that too much, all right?
00:04:11
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Or you'll be a crooked stick.
00:04:18
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He had strayed. But in spite of his s sin, the Lord said, i love you and I'll still use you.
00:04:30
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The devil accused Yeshua about his sin. God came to his defense. I, the Lord, reject your accusation, Satan. Yes, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you.
00:04:45
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This man is like a burning stick. that has been snatched from the fire. We're all like le Yeshua. The devil has tempted us, we've given in, we feel dirty, we feel we feel discouraged at times, afraid, and Satan shows up.
00:05:05
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You know what he's like? He's like a crow. I hate crows.
00:05:12
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They flock to roadkill, did you know that? There's a lot of people that flock to roadkill. They just like garbage about other people. You get around somebody that starts gossiping, you better get away because as soon as you leave, they're going to gossiping about you.
00:05:31
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The devil condemns. He accuses. He floods your minds with thoughts of fear, discouragement, despair. But I bring you good news today.
00:05:43
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I bring you great news today. Weary child of God, there is hope for your future.
00:05:53
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Aren't you glad there's hope for our future?
00:05:57
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You may have stopped pursuing God, but God has not stopped pursuing you. You can't hide from God, and he's got a brand new batch of mercies made fresh for you every morning.
00:06:14
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Let's talk about Burning sticks snatched from the fire. Zechariah 3 tells us, number one, God loves every sinner.
00:06:27
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Number two, God can forgive any sinner. Number three, God has a future for every forgiven sinner.
00:06:36
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First of all, God loves every sinner, which is another way of saying God loves everybody. God loves every sinner. Look at verses one and two. Then the angel showed me Yeshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of the Lord. Zechariah has this vision.
00:06:54
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He sees the well-known Jewish high priest, Yeshua. And he was standing in front of the angel of the Lord in this vision.
00:07:06
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He had sinned and the devil was accusing him before God. The accuser, it says, Satan was there at the angel's right hand making accusations against Yeshua.
00:07:21
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Several times in the Bible, the devil is referred to as the accuser of the brethren. He hates Jesus and he hates anybody that Jesus has saved. And Satan was the original sinner, rebelled against God.
00:07:37
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And he accuses human sinners for being rebellious like him. But the Lord would have none of it. The Lord said to Satan, I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you.
00:07:53
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Then the Lord described Yeshua precisely. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire. That's the way God saw this Jewish priest.
00:08:08
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The fire of hell had ravaged his soul. And the Lord went beyond Yeshua's faults. He looked at his needs and said, I'm going to forgive you.
00:08:22
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He forgave his failures, gave him grace. The devil beat him up, but God built him up. And that's the way God does us because God loves every sinner.
00:08:35
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While Jesus was on earth, he didn't rebuke blatant sinners. He rebuked self-righteous religious people. Jesus fellowshiped with anyone.
00:08:50
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He'd fellowship with biblical scholars. He'd fellowship with prostitutes. He'd fellowship with priests. He fellowshiped with lepers.
00:09:02
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He fellowshiped with tax collectors and smelly fishermen. He called the righteous and the unrighteous. And he called them all to repentance.
00:09:17
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I think about Zacchaeus, a greedy tax collector. I'm going home with you, Zacchaeus, today, and you'll never be the same. Mary Magdalene, a woman who had seven demons, now had the one that cast all those demons out.
00:09:36
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An unknown woman, we don't know even know who it was, who was caught in adultery. He said, neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more.
00:09:48
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Paul, who his Latin name was Paul, his Jewish name was saul I hear people say, when he got saved, he turned to Paul. Don't ever say that. That's not true.
00:10:02
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No offense. Paul was his Roman name. Saul was his Jewish name. And so wherever he was, he went by whatever they wanted to call him, at either one.
00:10:13
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But he murdered Christians before he got saved. And he lamented over that for the rest of his life because he got saved. The Jewish religious leaders hated him for it.
00:10:26
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The Bible says in Mark chapter 2, they hated Jesus. But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees saw Jesus eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, why does he eat with such scum?
00:10:41
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I want to tell you something.
00:10:44
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There is no scum in Memphis. There are people who are going to go to heaven or hell. And we need to love everybody. I don't care what they have done.
00:10:56
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If they're in what side of the bar prison bar their own, I don't care about any of that. I don't care what color their skin is. We need to love everybody so we can win those people to Jesus Christ.
00:11:15
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Nobody's scum. When Jesus heard this, he said, healthy people don't need a doctor. Sick people do. Don't you love Jesus? Just either steps in there and you're wrong.
00:11:32
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If you're healthy, you don't go to the doctor. These people need a doctor. I'm being their doctor to their soul. I've come to call not those who think they're righteous, but those who know They are sinners. God loves every sinner.
Power of Jesus' Sacrifice
00:11:51
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You say, preacher, but I've been a liar for a long time. God can straighten you up. He can get you to tell the truth, clean you up.
00:12:02
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You say, I've been an alcoholic. I've been in all kinds of programs and everything else. I'm all for programs, anything that'll help you. But I'm telling you, I know people that have been on drugs and alcohol, and through Jesus Christ, they found victory, and they got straightened out by Jesus.
00:12:23
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You say, I've got a bad temper. Jesus can settle it down. He can spank your bottom, too. He can settle you down. He'll liberate you from any bondage you've got. I've always said, if Humpty Dumpty could have found Jesus,
00:12:44
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He could have been put back together again. Amen.
00:12:48
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Amen. Let's pray for Humpty.
00:12:56
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I remember the day
00:13:01
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Jesus snatched me out of the fiery clay. Myry clay. He snatched me out of the fire like a burning stick. God loves every sinner. Second thing is God can forgive any sinner.
00:13:16
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Some of y'all don't believe that.
00:13:19
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Some of y'all think, well, he's sinned too much.
00:13:23
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Well, she's sinned too much. I'm glad God doesn't think that. Look at verse three, Yeshua's clothing was filthy. And here's a preacher that's in sin. sin
00:13:38
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As he stood there before the angel
00:13:42
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He was filthy before the angel of the Lord. I believe the angel of the Lord is the pre-incarnate Jesus.
00:13:49
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You can believe differently. That's fine. He was supposed to bring the people's sins to the Lord, this Yeshua was, but he couldn't because he had his own sins. He was filthy.
00:14:02
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And his sin endangered him and all the people. So the angel, the Bible says, said to the other standing there, take off his filthy clothes. Turning to Yeshua, he said, see, I have taken away your sins. See, right there.
00:14:15
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the The clothes were symbolic of his sin. When he took off those sinful clothes, that was just a picture of him having his sins forgiven.
00:14:27
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That's what it says right there. I have taken away your sins. Now I'm giving you new fine clothes. Man, when I got saved, I got new fine clothes. Amen? ah Didn't pay a penny for it.
00:14:41
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It was paid for by the blood of Jesus at Calvary.
00:14:47
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Then he cleansed him and he covered his head. Then I said they should also place a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean priestly turban on his head, dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.
00:15:06
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John Newton was born in 1725. twenty five in London. I'm going to read this to you. it's a It's too beautiful. ah It's one of the greatest descriptions of his salvation.
00:15:24
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If you don't know who this is, you will before I get through. He was born in 1725 in London. His mother, who was a godly woman who taught him to pray as a child, died when he was only seven years old.
00:15:39
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He had only two years at school, and at the age of 11, his father, who was a sea captain, took him to sea for the first time. His seafaring life included being wrecked, becoming the captain of a slave trade ship, and also a slave himself to a black woman on the Guinea coast.
00:16:01
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He was rescued by a friend of his father, who was a ship's captain as well. Newton lit a fire of driftwood on the shore to attract the attention of any passing ship in the providence of God. This friend of his father, who was searching for him, sent a long boat ashore to investigate, and John was rescued.
00:16:22
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He was on this ship returning across the Atlantic when it encountered a great storm. which was threatening to engulf it.
00:16:33
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This took place on March the 10th, 1748. Says Newton, the 10th of March is a day which to me will always be remembered.
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I've never allowed it to pass unnoticed since the year 1748. For on that day, the Lord came from on high and delivered me out of deep waters. The storm was terrific.
00:16:58
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When the ship went plunging down into the trough of the sea, few on board expected her to come up again. The hold was rapidly filling with water.
00:17:10
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Newton hurried to his place at the pumps. He said to the captain, if this will do, the Lord have mercy on us. His own words startled him. Mercy, he said to himself in astonishment. Mercy, mercy, what mercy can there be for me?
00:17:27
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This was the first desire I'd breathed for mercy for many years. About six in the evening, the hold was free from water, and then came a gleam of hope.
00:17:39
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I thought I saw the hand of God displayed in our favor. I began to pray. I could not utter the prayer of faith. I could not draw near to a reconciled God and call him Father. My prayer for mercy was like the cry of the ravens, which yet the Lord does not disdain to hear.
00:17:57
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In the gospel, says Newton, I saw at least a peradventure of hope, but on every side I was surrounded with black, unfathomable despair.
00:18:09
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On the peradventure of hope, Newton staked everything. He sought mercy, and he found it. He got saved. He called upon the Lord. Amazing grace.
00:18:21
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How sweet the sound has saved a wretch like me. John Newton wrote those words.
00:18:30
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I once was lost, but now I'm found.
00:18:35
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I was blind, but now I see.
00:18:43
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You've heard me say before, I got saved on Tuesday, February the 10th, 1976, at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Sharon, Tennessee.
00:18:58
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Amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
00:19:11
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John Newton said, I'm just a great sinner, but Jesus is a great Savior. And I'm here to tell you, God can forgive any sin you have committed.
00:19:29
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God can forgive any sin you have committed.
00:19:36
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Any sin. The devil is a liar, but Jesus died on the cross for every sin.
00:19:48
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He paid the penalty. And if you'll ask God to forgive you, he's ready. He's waiting on you. and he will forgive you if you'll just ask him.
00:20:03
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You say, that's it? Yes, just ask him, and he will forgive you. 1 John 1, 7, but if we confess, if we're living in the light, rather, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other. This is 1 John 1, 7.
00:20:24
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And the blood of Jesus, his son, cleanses us from How much sin? Say that loud. All. You know what I'm about to say. You've heard me preach for 20 years.
00:20:34
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All means all, and that's all all means. Amen. Amen. God can forgive any sin any sinner and any sin.
00:20:47
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God loves every sinner. God can forgive any sinner. And then here's the beautiful part.
00:20:55
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God has a future for every forgiven sinner.
Forgiveness and a Hopeful Future
00:21:01
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Every forgiven sinner. He doesn't just forgive our sins. He gives us a future and a hope.
00:21:12
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A future and a hope. He cleanses people. And he calls them to serve. Look at verse 6. Then the angel of the Lord spoke very solemnly to Yeshua and said, this is what the Lord of heaven's army says. If you follow my ways and carefully serve me, then you will be given authority over my temple and its courtyards. I will let you walk among those others standing there.
00:21:38
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Yeshua, you messed up. But I've cleaned you up because you fessed up. And I'm going to use you.
00:21:48
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Don't worry about whether or not you deserve it. I don't use anybody that deserves it, God says. There's not one person that deserves to be used by God. Can I just tell you, every one of us deserves to go to hell.
00:22:06
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Every preacher that preaches out of this pulpit deserves to go to hell. Every singer that sings deserves to go to hell. Every person in the pew say, I don't like that.
00:22:21
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Well, na-na-na boo-boo, I can't help it, it's the truth.
00:22:27
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I'm just telling you.
00:22:33
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But aren't you glad God can pull a burning stick out of the fire? Amen. Let's give him glory and praise, amen. Listen.
00:22:47
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Then the angel prophesied regarding the Messiah. Listen to me, oh Yeshua, the high priest, all you other priests, you are symbols of things to come. Soon I'm going to bring my servant the branch. Oh, there's Jesus right there.
00:23:04
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Hallelujah.
00:23:06
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Now look at the jewel I've set before Yeshua. A single stone with seven facets, I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven's armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.
00:23:20
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And on that day, says the Lord of Heaven's armies, each of you will invite your neighbor to sit with you peacefully under your own grapevine and fig tree. Oh, the branch is coming. The Messiah is coming.
00:23:34
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I'm going straighten everything out. There's a future for forgiven sinners.
00:23:43
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Beth-el is a Hebrew word that means the house of God. Beth is Hebrew or house.
00:23:56
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Now you've maybe heard Bethlehem. That's the house of baked bread. And aren't you glad for the bread of life that came from Bethlehem? Well, Beth-el means house of God and Beth-el music.
00:24:11
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puts out some of the greatest music I've ever heard in my life.
00:24:16
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He said, well, I don't agree with what some of them believe. Well, so what?
00:24:23
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They love the Lord. And they may not agree with you on everything either. And guess what? When get to heaven, they might be right and you might be wrong.
00:24:34
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Oh, let me get off of that quick. Okay.
00:24:38
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I love their song, Made For More. Every time I hear it, I get teary-eyed.
00:24:49
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I know who you who I am because I know who you are. The cross of salvation was only the start. Now I am chosen, free, and forgiven.
00:25:03
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I have a future.
00:25:07
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And it's worth the living.
00:25:12
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Because I wasn't made to be tending a grave. I was called by name, born and raised back to life again. I was made for more. So why should I make a bed in my shame? Yeshua, get out of that shame.
00:25:27
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You're burning stick snatched from the fire. Why should i make a bed? Why should I lay down in my shame let the devil beat the tar out of me? Why should I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know I am yours. I was made for more.
00:25:47
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Is that not a description of what God does for somebody when we get saved? I tell you there's so many people nowadays that are so religious and they got all the answers.
00:25:59
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I don't even know all the questions, much less all the answers. But I know this. God can pull you out of the miry clay, set your feet on a rock, put a new song in your heart, a song praise to your God, and you can be forgiven of any sin that's out there.
00:26:18
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Let's give God praise for that.
00:26:27
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You say, well, some sinners are worse than others. Well,
00:26:32
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God has a future for every forgiven sinner.
Humility, Sin, and Repentance
00:26:36
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Romans 3 says, as the scriptures say, no one is righteous, not even one. And that includes you.
00:26:46
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You okay?
00:26:49
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Well, I'm better than so-and-so. Yeah, you always pick out the sorriest one when you do that.
00:26:56
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Anybody could be better than that person, but anyway, yeah.
00:27:01
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No one's righteous, not even one. No one is truly wise. No one is seeking God. All have turned away. All have become useless. No one does good. Not a single one. There's not a person in Memphis, Tennessee that is without sin.
00:27:17
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Not one. You think about that the next time you get ready to criticize somebody for messing up. You think about it.
00:27:28
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Get off your high horse. And quit beating yourself up.
00:27:35
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Repent of your sin. if you mess up again, confess again. Repent again.
00:27:44
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Can't get saved again, but you can stay close to God by asking him to keep you clean. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Romans 8, 1.
00:27:57
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Would you read it with me, please? Can we get that on the screen? There you go. Read it with me. So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to jesus Christ Jesus.
00:28:08
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How many of you glad for that? Amen.
00:28:19
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I think about standing before God.
00:28:24
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I got one hope.
00:28:28
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not pastoring Bellevue for 20 years, with all due respect, that won't get you into heaven.
00:28:36
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Not being in the ministry, pastoring 42 years, that won't get you into heaven.
00:28:43
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Not being married to Donna for 45 years, that won't get you into heaven.
00:28:50
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Not memorizing scripture, not any of that stuff, not degrees and all that stuff.
00:28:58
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There's only one thing that'll get you into heaven.
00:29:01
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And when I stand before God, I'm sure it's gonna be a mixed bag.
00:29:12
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I'm gonna be so grateful for his mercy,
00:29:16
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but I believe somehow we're gonna know about all the things we've done, thought, hello.
00:29:27
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Don't tell me you don't have bad thoughts when you drive in Memphis.
00:29:32
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Amen. Anybody have a bad thought driving in Memphis?
00:29:41
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But God hears all that. God knows what you think, what you say, what you do. Even when you do it in the dark, he knows it all.
00:29:53
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And he writes it all down.
00:29:59
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And when I get to heaven, stand before God, I don't know if he'll say this or not, but if he says, Gaines,
00:30:11
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why should I let you come into my heaven?
00:30:21
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going say, Lord, I was a burning stick.
00:30:28
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But Jesus snatched me out of the fire.
00:30:32
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Amen. Amen. I probably ought to land the plane, but I've one more thing to say.
00:30:51
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What are you going do? Fire me? Yeah.
00:31:02
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Maybe you could, I don't know.
00:31:07
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Years ago, this tickles me what I'm about to say. I thought I'd say something funny before I quit.
00:31:15
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I was invited somewhere to preach. don't even know where it was.
00:31:20
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And the guy said, how do you want me to introduce you?
00:31:25
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Do you have a resume?
00:31:30
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I said, no, I don't.
00:31:36
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Well, do you want us to call you Dr. Gaines, Reverend Gaines? you want to mention any of your degrees in the churches where you've served? you want to mention your family? I thought about, I really did, thought about Zechariah 3.
00:31:50
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ah said I said, I'll tell you what to do.
00:31:56
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Just tell them, tonight, Steve Gaines will preach God's Word to this audience of burning sticks snatched from the fire.
00:32:09
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Steve Gaines was a burning stick that Jesus snatched from the fire. All of Steve's family members are burning sticks snatched from the fire.
00:32:23
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Everybody in his church that's saved is a burning stick snatched from the fire. So after here all we after we hear these burning sticks snatched from the fire sing the special music,
00:32:39
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Burning stick Steve will preach the word of God.
00:32:49
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Oh, man. I said,
00:32:55
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just say something like that.
Conclusion: Humility and Significance of Jesus
00:33:01
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Of course, he didn't do it.
00:33:09
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And I know that's all I am. That's all any Christian is. I don't wanna be ugly to you, but in a sense, we're a big deal because God came for us, but really, look at me.
00:33:24
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It's okay for God to think we're a big deal, but don't you think ever that you're a big deal. I'm not a big deal.
00:33:34
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With all due respect, no pastor's a big deal.
00:33:40
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No politician's a big deal.
00:33:44
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No gazillionaire, billionaire, millionaire, whatever is is a big deal.
00:33:51
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There's only one big deal.
00:33:55
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Jesus Christ. Can we give him glory? Amen. Don't stop. Don't stop. Don't stop.
00:34:07
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Give him glory.
00:34:21
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Amen.
00:34:33
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How many of you remember the day that he snatched you out of the fire? Amen. remember that. i was 18 years old.
00:34:44
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No telling the world where I'd be if he hadn't snatched me out of the fire.