John Gray - Alter Ego
I want you to do me a favor, I want you to go to Luke chapter 17 tonight, Luke chapter 17. These first couple weeks of January, we've been talking about not only the miracles of God and the expectation that we have that God is going to perform it, we've also been praising like God's going to do it. But I believe that if we are going to see the blessing and benefit of God in a real and tangible way, we need to grab some principles that will put us in position to be ready and able to receive what God has.
It's one thing to say, God, I believe it, come on, bring it. But if you're not prepared to receive it then when it gets here, you don't have any place for it. And so, I want you to make sure that you're spiritually and emotionally prepared to receive the blessing of God. Can you really stand to be blessed? I know Bishop Jakes preached that thing before but that's the thought that I want to kinda have in your head that God does want to get blessing to you but there is a responsibility on the part of you and i.
Tonight I want to talk about that. Luke chapter 17, reading from the new King James version, starting at the 11th verse. Luke 17 and 11, it says, "Now it happened as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as he entered a certain village, there met him 10 men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, 'Jesus, master, have mercy on us!' so when he saw them, he said to them, 'go, show your selves to the priests.' and so it was that as the went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down on his fact at his feet, giving him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
So Jesus answered and said, 'were there not 10 cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God expect this foreigner?' and he said to him, 'arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well'". What we see here is an irreversible, and at this point, incurable disease. Apparently there were some Jews among them because Jesus made a distinction that the only one that came back to give praise was a foreigner. Let me freeze real quick and tell you that in this season, I do believe that miracles are going to break out in the lives of believers but I also further believe that we're gonna see greater miracles in the live unbelievers because that's going to give them the faith to trust Jesus with their soul.
Think about it, we're already in relationship with him, we know him, we know what are promises are. How much will a miracle do for somebody who's on the edge or who's on the fence? I know some family members, who aren't going to church regularly but I'm gonna start speaking their name and asking God to do miracles in their life. Because one miracle in the life of a broken person can turn everything around.
Do you anybody that needs a miracle, not just you, but somebody in your life? Let's believe for those who don't even know to believe, now that is a level of Christianity that is, I believe, pleasing to God, when we're not so internally focused and selfish that we want all the miracles for myself. God, bless me with everything and whatever they asking for, give me that too. And I want everything on my roll, everybody, I want all of it, Jesus. No, no, God, give me what has my name on it but them everybody else, bless them too and I'm not gonna be jealous, I'm not gonna be mad. I'm gonna celebrate the breakthrough that other people are getting because I don't know how long they've been waiting on that.
A lot of times we've been in church and somebody'll get a breakthrough or a spiritual awakening and they'll start worshiping and shouting and other people look at them, what in the world, why they doing that? Well, you don't know what they're going through. And maybe we don't want to be so quick to judge. Because some of those tears have been 10 years in the making. There are people who are believing God for miracles in here and I believe that in the next two weeks, God is gonna do the very thing that you said. I believe God is going to heal diseases, I believe he's going to restore marriages, I believe he's gonna give clarity and focus in areas that you and I have waiting for, some of us for many years. And I'm not gonna give a casual praise when it happens.
The Bible says when this foreigner saw he was healed, he turned around and with a loud voice glorified God. I want you to know, some of ya'll are gonna be in a public place when you get your miracle, it's gonna come in a text, it's gonna be in the car, you're gonna have your window down. You might be at the office and get an email, oh, I dare you, right there, where you are, to just act like you just got your miracle. Just scare everybody in the cubical, oh glory! They gonna peaking up, what is wrong with you jamela? He just did it! What's funny is that nobody had to teach him how to pray. He didn't grow up in a culture that was even looking for a Jewish Messiah, but when he got healed, he immediately knew what to do.
I want you to know your miracle is gonna unlock something that was in there the whole time. It says, fell down on his face, at his feet, giving him thanks and he was a Samaritan. The other ones got their miracle and took off. And that's cool, until Jesus was like, I thought it was 10 of ya'll, that was a test, I wanted to see if ya'll understood that the alter you were going to is really secondary. Because all of that actually points back to me. It was a Samaritan, a foreigner, a broken person, a non-religious person, a person that used to be in the clubs, a person that used to be stuck in alcohol abuse, a person who was Messing around in multiple relationships unable to get free. And it was that person who realized something has changed in me and I need to go let him know what he did and how much I appreciate it.
Even if nobody else goes back, I'll go back. If no one else praises, I will praise. If no one else lifts their hands, I'll lift my hands. Even if people think I'm crazy, it doesn't matter right now 'cause I've just been set free. I know I'm supposed to go to the priest and offer an offering at the alter but I'm gonna lay down that process and give Jesus my praise. The other men took off, probably feeling good, little bit of pride. I see it, I knew I was gonna be healed. And so I want to talk to you from the subject, altar ego. A-l-t-a-r ego, altar ego. I believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I believe it is the power of God unto salvation.
And I believe as preachers and as leaders in the body of Christ, we should make it abundantly clear that we stand on the word and the word alone that the Bible is the inherent authority of heaven and Jesus is the Word of God revealed in 66 books. I still believe it. And I believe that the Bible makes it clear that when you hear the Gospel and respond to it, there has to be something on the inside that shifts. I believe it is a dishonorable and incomplete Gospel that tells you that you can get saved but nothing will change.
When you accept Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, things will begin to change. If you position yourself in a church that is teaching the word, if you begin to get a good rooting structure, stay a little while, that's why pastor Joel and Victoria say give us a year of your life, you'll never be the same. It takes a while to get your roots down, don't beat yourself up if you're newly saved and you're still walking through things and you still have some sin. Let me tell you something, Jesus knew what you and I would struggle with when he allowed his blood to be shed on our behalf.
So don't let people beat you up and you don't beat you up, welcome home. Come on in here and get free, come on in here and praise God, come on in here and worship, come on in here and high five somebody, come on in here with your cigarettes in your purse, come on in here with weed in your pocket. At least you in here, there is no judgment here. Sometimes we want to beat people up for the things we see but there are many of us who have things people can't see and there's not difference, there is no sin scale, it all would get us cut off from God and so we need to lay down our ego and stop judging one another and let's all thank God. Because without the blood of Jesus, we'd all be lost. When I feel the Holy Ghost.
What's interesting is that there are times, once you get saved, sometime religious people want to see you change overnight. You ever, you know, maybe some of you have been a victim of that. You tell some of your family, yo, I went to that church with that smiling preach, you know, you know, with the nice hair and he's just always smiling, blinking, you know. Yeah, pastor Joel, down, yeah, I went, I was listening to him, man. Man, went on, gave me life to Jesus. You gave your life to Jesus? Yeah, man, I got saved, last night. Apparently that's how you do it, I wouldn't know. That ain't never been my struggle. But I don't judge you if that was your struggle.
Some of ya'll like, you did that too well, I got family, I got family. What's funny is that people think you supposed to know all the Bible overnight. Religious people will have you beating yourself up because you haven't changed at the pace of their will. But your salvation is a personal walk, and God has said he is going to will and do for his good pleasure. And so when you get saved, you lay down your right to self definition and God becomes to form a new man out of the old man and there are times when the old man and the new man will war against one another.
And it will look like you're going crazy, God I love you, she is fine. God I bless, would you look at her walk, Jesus, just watch her, look at her walk, Jesus, help me. I love you God, woo! It's a war. Don't act like you don't see that, you see that, I see it! I see you, boo. I don't even see her, I don't even know her. My wife's like, mm-hmm, amen. Wait 'til after church. What's her name, nobody, nobody! There's a war. You ever wanted to do right but wrong was sitting right there? And the enemy wants you to do one of two things, he either wants you to be defeated in the midst of your process or make you think that this a natural part of what's gonna always exist.
Well, I've always done this, so even though I'm saved, I can still do this. Mm, I don't believe I read that in the Gospel, I believe that the Holy Spirit can change your nature. I believe that he can change your habits, I believe that he can change your appetite, I believe he can change the things in your life that the enemy whispers and say, well, little, it's okay, God understands. No, if you're struggling with an addiction, yes, God understands but he loves you enough to allow the blood of Jesus to be applied to that area and by the power of the cross you can be delivered from that addiction and you won't have to go back to it.
I believe that, I believe that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think, does anybody else believe that God is able to do it? There's also a part of us that really kind of wants to help God save us. Like God, I'm giving you this, this and this. Now, I'm gonna hold onto these two, for right now, like a year. I'm gonna give you that, you can have my money, you can have the job. Now, on the relationships, I need to work that out because I just feel like I know a little bit more than you do, even though you know everything and you made the other person, I'm gonna go ahead and I'm gonna just walk with this for a couple more years. It's not good for me but just let me walk that out.
And so there are times when our ego will not allow us to take it to the alter. Alter ego. And so, God is looking for people that will finish the process and walk this thing out so that you can be complete. Note the man who four friends brought to Jesus, he was paralyzed, they tore the roof off. You've maybe heard the story, they laid him down at Jesus' feet. The moment they laid him down, the floor became an alter. Whatever you bring to Jesus, I need you to know, you're bringing it, not only to his presence but to the ultimate offer. They sacrificed, not only their time but they sacrificed what people would think about them. They sacrificed their comfort and they brought it to the alter because their friend was paralyzed.
And what did Jesus do? Jesus said, son, your sins are forgiven. Now, here's what's deep. Most people think that the next thing was the miracle 'cause after that, there was some religious people there. Huh, who do they think he is, forgiving sins? And Jesus said, what's easier, to forgive him of his sins or to tell him to rise and take up his bed and walk? Both of them are equally impossible, I did the necessary thing first. Listen, I was talking to pastor rich wilkerson and he blessed me with this insight, he said some people get saved but things don't change right away but it doesn't mean that their salvation is not valid.
The man was still paralyzed but the thing that got him there had already been taken care of. You can be saved and stuck. Has anybody ever been saved and stuck? I want to talk to anybody real enough in here 'cause sometimes we're not allowed to be honest. Can I be honest, brother, I've been saved and stuck. I love God, but then there was something in my ego, something in my character that was deficient and it was stuck. I was paralyzed in my old nature, paralyzed in my old mindset, paralyzed in the way I saw life, paralyzed at my perception, colored my reality. But when Jesus came in, he set me free, forgives me of my sins and out of his love, he does not let me walk until I understand what he did on the inside.
So I just want to give some words of encouragement to anybody in here that's saved and stuck. Jesus handled your sin first because he wanted to deal with the inside. Religion is cosmetic, it deals with the outside. Relationship is intimate, he deals with the inside. Jesus said, even if I healed your external, if I don't deal with your internal, you'll be paralyzed again. So he needed to have a moment where he brought is ego to the alter. It's kind of embarrassing when you, people think you just need to get free from being paralyzed and Jesus like, your sins are forgiven.
You got to tell my business in front of all these people? I'm already paralyzed, you just gonna put my business out there in front of all the, the roof is off, you just gonna do that? Yep! Because Jesus wants to remove the root of pride. Because pride makes us think we do God a favor when we come here. Pride will get you to say, I'm sure God's glad to see me. He is glad to see you but you and I should be more glad that he's willing to see us, and love us, and forgive us, and cleanse us. We gotta lay down our alter ego.
This man who was a Samaritan was desperate and he didn't have any hope except for Jesus. While everybody else was taking off, running in one direction, he ran in the other. It's time for you to stop following the crowd and go after the king. I don't know who this is for but no matter what other folk are doing, you need to run after Jesus. I know you don't know all the scripture, I know you're not familiar with everything in the Bible but you know enough to know this ain't right and I don't have to keep doing this, I'm gonna take this to Jesus, I'm gonna bring that to the alter.
I don't have the strength to handle this, I don't have the strength to get through this. I don't have the mechanisms yet and the tools yet to be able to handle that, I gotta bring that to Jesus. I'm gonna lay down my pride and my ego and I'm gonna lay my fear of being judged and mocked and I'm gonna bring my broken self to Jesus because I need more than an external manifestation, I need an internal representation. I need to change from the inside out. God's requirement for sin was paid by Jesus. But our response to this truth should have impact on the things we do and the manner in which we do them.
When you get saved, your character should got three amens and one, that's good, you're like this, I don't, what you mean? Maybe if you've been struggling with the same thing 40 years after you got saved, maybe we should reassess what salvation really means. Because salvation is not for you to still have the same sin and be crutched up for the rest of your life. He said, whom the son sets free, is free indeed. So at some point, there oughta be some signs that you are making measurable steps. Keep in mind that this sermon is a shift from our first two weeks which were celebration, tonight is introspection. Because every real alter has a full length mirror. What I mean is this. It's real easy for us to see the sins of other people and the shortcomings of other people. You need to get to the alter. You need, you need Jesus.
What's funny is you might be right and it might be true, but as soon as you say it, ask the Lord to show you, you. Somebody say alter ego. The fight between the old man and the new man. That's no easy thing. That thing's a beast. Anybody who's ever wanted to serve God knows what I'm talking about. This is not some, this ain't kindergarten. This is like college level calculus type attack. You need the Holy Spirit. And I want you to know that the Holy Spirit comes in to dwell on the inside and begins to move things around.
Telling you, the most dangerous prayer is Jesus, I make you my Lord. 'Cause we say Lord and Savior, but let's break that down. Savior is what he did for your soul, Lord is what he does with you in the earth. When you make him Lord, now your will is laid down in exchange for his. When he becomes Lord, everything shifts. Lord, our will for God's. Our appetite's laid down for his appetite. Our perspective submitted to his vision. When Jesus becomes Lord, now things begin to change. What we struggle with is that we want to feel like changing. But true change is not always what you feel. Does anybody understand what I'm talking about?
We are creatures of habit. And we need the Holy Spirit to shift us radically from the thing that we thought was okay to the thing that actually is right. We need the Holy Spirit whispering on the inside, working on the inside, removing the nature of our flesh, so that we can get the heart of God and the will of God as our main attraction. This is the regenerating power of Jesus Christ and that does not come with religion. It comes with an encounter. This man who was leprose, leprosy was a wasting disease. It's a corrosive disease. But there are people like you and i, right here, right now, that have spiritual leprosy. Places that are corrupted and corrosive. Things that if we don't deal with them, they will hinder God's ability to get his best to us. One of those places is the place of offense.
How many of us have ever been offended? Like some of y'all didn't raise your hands like no, everybody's been nice to me my whole life. I'd like to see some hands. How many people have ever been offended? Somebody said something, or they even started it with hey, no offense. All that means is whatever's about to be said is gonna hurt your feelings. Hey, no offense, that outfit is a mess. Hey, no offense, you need to take that back. Hey, no offense, ain't no way that's gonna happen for you. But no offense. I'm offended.
Here's the thing. We've got to trust God to get us free from things that would cause him to not be able to get blessing to us. Here's the prayer. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and? Forgive us our? As we freeze. Ooh. No, Jesus. I want them to suffer! Forgive me, but hold they sins against them. Who do they think they are? They know what they said, they know what they did. I know what your word says, but I just feel like they need to go head and struggle for a little while.
Alter ego. It's right there in the middle of the prayer. Because the next thing is and lead us not into... Temptation. The temptation is to hold onto offense. When people hurt us. You ever heard, well look, I can forgive but I won't. How many people have ever said that? I forgive you, I don't trust you. Let me see your phone. No, no, I forgive you. Let me see your phone. What's your passcode? I done messed up somebody's relationship tonight. Dang man, why you do that? She'll be in the car like you gonna do what he said?
You know what causes us to live in offense? Ego. Ego. How dare you offend me? I'm above being offended. Who you think you are? You know who I am? I'm so and so. But if ego gets in the way, and I got this one from pastor Carl lyntz, ego is just a synonym or an acronym for edging God out. That's all ego is because the fight in your regenerative man is for the seat of your will. The Holy Spirit sits on the throne of your will. Jesus, you are Lord. The Holy Spirit immediately comes in and sits on the throne of your will. But right over in the corner is your old nature saying that chair sure does look nice. I been in charge this whole time.
Now I got to forgive people I can't stand. Now I got to love people that I don't wanna even like. Now I've got to change the way I deal with people. Why? Because God is really big on people. So much so that he let his son die for them like he let them die for you. And if you allow your ego to get in the way and walk in offense with your brothers and sisters, watch what Jesus says. He says if there is an offense between you and someone else, go to them first before you bring your gift to the alter. This is very deep. What he saying? Even if you touch, I tithe. Look, I wrote you a check. I don't want your check. I want your heart. Your money is corroded because your ego is in the way and you won't go seek forgiveness from the person that offended you or a person you offended.
God says if you have an issue with your brother or your sister, go to them, get it right with them. And then bring me your offering. Because your offering is external. Forgiveness is... alter ego. Is anybody getting something good from this? The alter, write these things down, got a couple things I wanna give you. The alter is a place of sacrifice. A place of humility. A place of awareness. A place of worship. And I want you to guard against offense. Because in this season, I believe the one thing that the enemy will use to stop the free flow of the miracles that are designed to come to you is you walking in offense. How would it be the character of God to give you heaven's best when you're acting like earth's worse? People who aren't saved hold onto grudges.
As we develop and as we mature, we need to go 'head and make some of those uncomfortable phone calls and be like hey, uncle, I just want you to know I was hurt by something you said some years ago and I've held onto that thing all these years. I wanna let you know tonight, I forgive you. And please forgive me for holding onto it. It's time to let it go. It's time for us to heal. It's time for us to love again. Some of you need to make a phone call tonight to your brother or to your sister and say we need to squash this beef. Life is too short, nothing is promised. Let's get this thing right right now so that you can live free and I can live free.
If you have been offended, see, 'cause here's the thing. It feels good to hold onto it. I deserve to be angry. Let me tell you how significant it is to release people from offense. If you go to Luke, Luke, Luke, I am your father. Believe it's in Luke 23, where Jesus is on the cross. And it says they just brought him to Calvary. Please tell me there's a Luke 23 'cause something's Messing with my little notes. Okay, here we go, thank you Jesus. All right. Okay, here it is. There it is, yeah, Luke 23, verse 33. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified him. And the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. And Jesus said what? Father, forgive them, for they do not know.
He couldn't even complete his assignment until he let go of offense. I got one wow, the rest in here like I don't understand. If I was Jesus, which there's a reason why I'm not, but if I was him, I'd have been like you see what they doing, don't you? They, I'm innocent. I didn't do it. They killing me. Handle it, God. Kill them, Jesus. Because your flesh wants the people who hurt you to suffer. And God says that is not my character. Jesus couldn't even die 'till he released people who had offended him. Part of the cross was not complete until he made sure that the people who were even at that point still hurting him were released from the obligation of their sin. If Jesus had to do that in order to complete his assignment, what do you think that means for you and I?
There are some people you need to get it right with. There are some people you need to make some phone calls to. I know you want your miracle, it's gonna make you mad. But your miracle is on the other side of I'm sorry. Your miracle is on the other side of forgive me. Your miracle is on the other side of I forgive you. Let me help you to understand how real this thing is. The devil stops by my house about four o'clock every Wednesday before I have to preach. Either one of my kids has some ridiculous blowup ministry from the vegetables they ate, or something goes down and there's a little bit of spirited dialogue between my wife and I over something small. A wedge issue. It starts small.
Where are ladies? Any ladies in here that wear a wedge heel? Go ahead and just throw it up here, would you sis? Just bam. That was good, that was close. Bam, thank you. A wedge starts small and gets bigger. The enemy starts with a small thing and he wants it to expand to become so big that now there is a gulf between two people that God wanted right here. Many of us are stuck in offense on wedge issues. It's not even something big, but because we allowed it to get bigger, now it looks like God can't repair it. But that is the power of the cross because the cross breaks the chain of offense and says to you and I, if Jesus can forgive me of my sin, I can forgive you of what you did to me. Can I get a good amen in this church hour?
I need to give you these three things because I wanna talk about three types of alters. One minute, watch this. Three type of alters, write these down. There's the alter of Noah, the alter of Abraham and the alter of David. Three distinct alters. Watch out for the wedge issues because if you let them get too big, you'll sit in offense. So I just wanna say aventure, if there's ever been a time where I have offended you, either by my words or my actions, forgive me and I'll hold you harmless from anything that I may have held onto offense because the enemy wants to break us but he will fail and has failed. I speak life to you. Me and you are one. And the enemy wants to divide, but he will fail.
So instead of me preaching to them, I'ma go ahead and do it in front of them to show them that you need to do it. So any words that I use that hurt you, forgive me, 'cause you belong to me. And I'm daddy. You understand what I'm. Feel the Holy Ghost. I got a mohawk. Very quickly, the alter of Noah, you'll find it in Genesis 8:20. I want you to go study this. Who will go study these things? Thank you. Genesis 8:20, the alter of Noah. That was an alter that broke curses. I want you to know that there's an alter that you can make in your home that'll break curses in your house. Things that the enemy has set up, places of offense, place of hostility.
Noah offered a scent. The Bible says God says it was a soothing aroma. And in response to what Noah offered, God said I'm not gonna curse the earth anymore. As long as the earth remains. Seed time and harvest, summer and winter. I'm not gonna curse the earth. And I'm not gonna deal with man the way I dealt with him before. One man's alter could bring blessings to the entire world. Do you know that your alter could change your entire family? Hallelujah. There's an alter of Noah. I feel the Holy Ghost in here. I'm sorry, don't judge me, but I feel a breakthrough in here because we need to get this thing right. I don't want a miracle if my character hasn't changed. Then I'll think I deserved it. My ego.
The alter of Abraham, the alter of Abraham you find in Genesis 22. You've heard the story. God said I want you to sacrifice Isaac. Everybody's got an issac. Something that they find valuable, something that defines them. And God said I want you to sacrifice it on an alter of burnt offering. He said I want you to burn it up. Abraham took two of his young men and his son. They get to the edge of the mountain. He says to them, y'all stay here. Me and the lad are going up and we are going to worship and we will return.
The alter of Abraham is an alter of obedience and faith. I need you to understand that God is gonna ask you to do some things that won't make sense. And you're gonna have to trust his character over your own understanding. We know how it turned out. Isaac was like I see we bout to sacrifice something but I don't see what it is. Abraham, it's cool, just lay down. Huh? Aw daddy, you crazy. Why you putting these ropes around me? Stop playing. Here's what's funny. And I've heard it before. As he was going up one side of the mountain with his son, the ram was coming up the other side. The ram would have stayed at the base of the mountain if Abraham hadn't moved. But as he made a step, the sacrifice made a step. And as he made another step, the sacrifice made another step.
So I need you to understand that you not gonna see the answer 'till you make a step. I need you to start moving in obedience. And when you get to the place of impossible, God's gonna bring the. The last thing, the last thing. The alter of David. We find one of those in second Samuel 24. Near the end of David's life he got caught up in pride. He wanted to number Israel, a census. He wanted to see how much he had accomplished. How many mighty men he had. He wanted to kind of boast for a minute and it displeased God. Because God said after all these years, you gonna sit here and act like you did this?
And so a plague hit the land. And David had to go to a threshing floor and buy a threshing floor and he had to offer a sacrifice in order for the plague to cease. I want you to know that there is an alter that will break pride. God was dealing with David's pride. And David's not the only person that has pride. I got pride. I got places where I think I have a right to be offended. It's time to let that stuff go. It's time for us to mature in Christ. And grow up and lay down our anger and our hostility. And love one another. That's why our country is divided now. Pride, anger, hostility. But I believe that if we get the alter of Noah and the alter of Abraham and the alter of David, we can break curses.
We can walk in faith and we can break pride. Does anybody believe that tonight? Next week we gonna break every chain. Now I'ma tell you, tonight, I taught. I can't promise that next week. Next week, I'm probably gonna shout. Bring your shouting shoes. Bring your shouting wedges, sis. And I need you to invite 65 people. And put them all in your car. If you're a brother, you know how to do that. We stuff the car, we know how to do that. My Mexican family, y'all do, too. We know how we roll. Be 36 of y'all in the drive through at Whataburger. Let me get that number one. What you want, Ese? Have you been blessed tonight? Let me pray for you. Let me pray for you. Just one moment.
Father, in this atmosphere, thank you for your word. Thank you for principles that will put us in position to be blessed. And I thank you that your word does the work on our behalf. Holy Spirit, we make you Lord. Sit on the seat of our will. We lay down the right to be offended because offense is corrosive and acidic. And it will taint anything that touches it. Offense makes us lepers. So God, remove the leprosy of offense so that we not only can walk free outside, but be whole on the inside. It wasn't until he came back and gave praise, laid down his ego and laid at the alter of the feet of Jesus that the Bible says he was made well. So your skin could clear up and you still not be whole until you lay down your ego. So we thank you for that tonight in Jesus' name, amen.