http://www.tdjakes.org/echurch/   Bishop T. D. Jakes/ Potter’s House.

Sermon Title: “I am not in this thing by myself”

Acts 26:19-26 (KJV)

There are moments in our lives that we feel completely alone.. We feel as though no one knows what we are going through…

There are people that feel feelings of abandonment.. There are people that live in nursing home and people that suffer from emptiness.  It is possible to feel alone and not live alone..  It’s because of the challenges that face you make you feel like you are all by yourself.. It’s not that you don’t’ have anyone to talk to, but it’s more if you can trust them…

Sometimes you have discuss things that is so deep and so complicated..  Please know that God sent me to you to preach “I am not in this thing by myself..”  God has a strategy…

How many people know that you did not make it here by yourself?..

Apostle Paul was on a downward slide.. He was met with an warm atmosphere..  He was sleeping with the criminals in prison… Paul was a  Roman citizen and was a man of distinguished intelligence, and he is now having to sleep with the lowest of low, and he finds himself as an inmate…   If you always been down, you handle being down a little bit better…

When you have always been loved, you can handle being  u p  it a little bit better… etc…

I never thought when I met King Agrippa, I would not be in chains.. You never imagine yourself in a state like that..  Never thought I would have these certain circumstances in my life.. Have anyone ever had a never thought moment..

It appears that King Agrippa has Paul’s life in his hands… I don’t’ mind us being equals… If one of us is going to be in control, I prefer it be me… I’d rather drive than be driven.. I rather for you to need me for me to need you.. There is something vulnerable about needing someone else…  Paul’s life was now in the hands of King Agrippa… King Agrippa’s grandfather sent the decree to have baby Jesus killed.. His grandfather had John the Baptist’s grandfather killed over a dance.. His father had the first Christian disciple killed…   When Paul comes before him, he said he was going to represent himself… They say that a person that represents themselves is unwise… He said I think myself happy to stand before you.. .You learn to confront the issue… When you live, you find out things don’t away if you don’t’ confront the issue…

Paul said, “I was glad to confront this issue…” He was so committed to what he believed in, he killed Christians and signed decrees to shut them down…  He said there would have been a time when he sat where King Agrippa sat..  Do not think I am a person that is operating on my accord… I was on my way to Damascus but something happened while I was on the road..

If you were prosecuted as being a Christian, would there be enough evidence… If you were being tried by the people you work with, would there be enough evidence to prove that you are a Christian?

I heard someone calling me… Paul, Paul… I said he went blind on inside and could see on the outside.. I know people just want to get in your business, but I want to know have you been changed.. How ar you different now than you use to be… Can you show me what you don’t do what you use to do.. Or did you add some Christian jargon to keep you on the road…  He turned me around… I am not what I was.. I want to know if there’s anyone in here that has changed by their behavior, or did you just put a fresh coat of paint on who you use to be..  Paul told Agrippa, I know I have been changed.. He had a change in his behavior and he use to laugh at church folks that shouted like you guys.. .Until something hit me from the crown of my head… I wonder if you are a real Christian…  That’s probably why your trials don’t go so good because you trials have no evidence…  Paul says. I know that I have been changed..

You can see it my walk… I don’t hang at strip clubs non more.. .I am not running in alleys at night.. .  I know I have been changed.. You want God when you are in a trial.. God says give me some evidence, and I will give you the victory..

Slap someone and say: “I know I’ve been changed” Devil you can’t take what I do know to change what I know!!  I know I’ve been changed!!! There is a shout in this place..

I need you to help me preach this thing this morning…  Touch 7 people and say: You got to have some evidence… .If  you have to go through some transformation with some evidence.. You need some evidence!!!  I feel my old school stuff coming… Shout Hallelujah!!!

You can’t take away from me what I know God did in my life… I know I am not what I was.. Nowhere close!!! He said I became a Christian..  A blood washed spirit Christian… Is anybody proud to be one of them today… I got saved with no advantage… I become a Christian on my way to killing Christians.. All of My Jewish’s friends rejected me.. The Apostle’s were scared to take me in… Because of my past, I was not accepted in my future, and my future is sometimes effected by my pass…

He said Agrippa; I was knocked off my feet… They put me in prison, but at Midnight an earthquake came and shook up the prison.. I’ve been through all of this because I was a Christian.. The Christians did not even know if they could trust me.. None of the people I helped stood up for me.. .Don’t think you are in this thing by yourself.. .God helped me!!! God helped me!!

Let me talk to the choir… God helped me… When my husband left me.. God helped me!!!  When I was in a crisis.. God helped me!!!  Let me talk to some people that realize that they did not make it by themselves… God helped me!!!  You don’t’ like me or my suit.. Talk to God about it.. You don’t’ like my house or my car.. Talk to God about it….  Excuse me while us crazy folks give God some Praise!!!

You got 10 seconds left to thank God for everything he brought you through..  Every witch that tried to hex you… .Tell yourself that God brought you through…

Having receiving help from Good, I realized that I am not in this by myself… You are not in the house by yourself… You do not deal with life by yourself.. Stop saying that!! Hallelujah!!!

I know I got to close.. . A lot times, when you see my enemies there are some things you need to know.. I am not in this thing by myself… I have power over the enemy.. Power over my problems.. You should praise him for opening up doors for you…  Tell you neighbor,  “don’t bother me, I am not by myself…” Give God a  praise!!!

As I close, You better praise him… .As you run, you better understand that you are not running by yourself!!!

I said , give him a  praise!!!  You are not in this thang by myself!!!!

I am not raising these kids by myself.. I am not rebuilding my life by myself.. I am not facing being a mother or father by myself.. I am not building this business by myself.. I did not start this church by myself…

When I first came to Dallas, some preachers started passing a petition around trying to run me out of Dallas because they were afraid of me taking their members…The people asked him what was he going to do?. He said nothing, because you do not fight the frivolous.. 16 years later, I’m still here!!!  I was 16 years old when I stared preaching, and Pastoring at 18, I knew Jesus but I did not know the people.. You don’t have to be popular to be powerful..

I started going to dinner with people that hated me, and I withstood their hatred…  Some people will understand you later.. I had a handful of people doing what 1,000 people should have been doing.. All I knew, I was not in this thing by myself…  Whatever life hands you.. Whether it’s getting old, or teaching yourself how to be a mother, father, a wife… Whatever you do, keep you integrity.. Pull together your evidence that you are God’s child.. You may be facing cancer, but let them know you are God’s child and you are not facing it by yourself…

I know everyone is facing something… Now if you are as healthy as an Olympian or as beautify as ever you still have problems..  Just remember that I have helped you lived to get this far.. Whatever is before me, I will face it with dignity and class because I realize that I am not in this thing by myself…. When God does something in your life it will not be in no corner… Paul said God did not do it in a corner, but he loved me openly…If I were you, I would start pulling my evidence together.. I would make sure I was better than a person that just went to church… You can go down a dry devil and come up a wet devil…

You will have to deal with a lot of stuff, but I want the devil to know that though the storms keep on raging in my life, and sometimes it’s hard to tell my days from night.. But still there’s hope that lies from within.. If the storms don’t cease and if the winds keeps on blowing in my life, my soul has been anchored.. My soul.. My soul has been anchored… You may see me cry sometimes.. You may see me stumble sometimes, but you will never see me quit.. My soul!!! I will fight the good fight of faith.. Do you understand what I am telling you?   Whatever life throw at you, stand up to that thang… Look it right in the face and say:  “you are not in this by yourself…”  I did not come this far to die.. Your peace calls election sure.. You just have to be sure!!!  This is not just based on performance.. This is a position you hold as Christian.. If you can hold on to your faith in God, and not lose faith in yourself… Because Paul says, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me… I can do!!! I can do it!!!!

If you are in this room, and you know calculus, and smart as ever, etc… If you don’t know Jesus, you don’t know anything (nothing)… People that you thought would never walk away walk way…  He is your rock.. What do you mean rock?  He is your stable place.. He will be with you when you are pretty and with you when you have part of your face burned off..  Church folks will leave you before Jesus.. You know the world will leave you.. Your friend will leave you… If everybody leave you and you got Jesus, you can make it!!!

This is why I had you saying that… Push against shove.. Don’t you come up by yourself… You are not in it by yourself… I don’t’ want you to come down this aisle because you are looking good, or have on shoes with red bottoms that you had to paint yourself  (lol).. Right now, I want you to head to this alter and give your life to Christ.. When Paul got thought talking to King Agrippa, he said, you almost convinced me… Almost is not good enough..  Almost persuaded does not count… Almost converted does not count…  Do not go home with almost.. Walk away and come to Jesus.. You better step pass almost… Almost won’t do it..

My soul has been anchored in the Lord…

I am not trying to get you ready for church, I’m trying to get you ready for heaven…

If there is somebody in this room that says I am a Christian but I need a place to be fed.. Come and be a part of Potter’s House.. Come on right now~!!!  There is no typical Potter’s House Members.. We come from every walk of life… We don’t come to this church because it’s in our neighborhood.. We come because it feeds us…

Bishop T.D. Jakes, Potter’s House  / Dallas Texas

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