John Gray - The Missing Link
I can not go home the way I came in. Hi Phil, I see my brother there. A few other people, I'll say it again, I know that sometimes we get used to church. But my prayer is that you don't get used to tonight. I don't want you to think you know what's about to happen in the next 25, 30 minutes. In fact, we'll just go ahead and shift now. I'm going to say it again, I don't want to go home the same way I came in. I need God to do something. I'm desperate, time desperate man. I don't have any religion for you. I don't have any catchy slogans. I need Jesus. Been some places that I've been in bondage to for too long.
The last time I saw myself as beautiful or handsome or any of that, I was probably seven or eight years old. You all laughing I'm so serious. That ain't funny, no I'm playing. To the... He was taller. The cycle started with wrong words from people. How many people know the wrong word at the right time can mess you up? If they catch you in that vulnerable moment, you'll believe the lie over the truth of God. How many places of addiction are represented in here, right now? How many of us have been told to mask who we actually are because God wouldn't receive us if we came to him in truth? Those chains end tonight. I wish I could sing it. But when you have somebody who's won Grammys, and God has given it to, there's nobody else to sing it like my sister from Jesup, Georgia by way of Atlanta. Let's break these chains. Tasha come on.
So, for those who may not come from this type of expression, we want to honor you and let me translate for you what she just said. "Jesus did it. Jesus did it. Jesus did it. Jesus did it". I don't want to scare people by yelling. But you can't say Jesus did it with a soft tone. Jesus did it. You got to go "Jesus did it". You have exactly 13 seconds to make a sound that lets heaven know you mean business. Five, four, three, two, one. "Oh Jesus did it. Jesus did it. Yes he did". His name has all power. His name is unmistakable. His name reigns in heaven. It in reigns the earth, and it reigns under the earth. His name is Jesus. He is our Savior. He is our king. He is our shepherd. He is our provider. He is our protector, and he is worthy of the praise of his people. And he is worthy of the applause of his church. And he is worthy of every hallelujah that we can muster. And he's worthy of everything we can give him. He is Jesus. They are gone now and you all stop. Father in this atmosphere, break every chain. In Jesus name, amen.
You may be seated. "Jesus did it, oh yes he did". 1st Timothy chapter two. I'm going to try to give you some principles to give you some foundation on top of what just happened because some of you are like, I didn't even know I could do what I just did, I don't. I'm more reserved than this usually and all of a sudden, I'm like "Jesus did it". Scared your neighbor, I'm sorry, that never happens. I don't even, I'm sorry it happened again. Let me tell you about my Jesus. The Bible says in 1st Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Jesus Christ, who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. For which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, I'm speaking the truth in Christ and not lying a teacher of the gentiles and faith and true, for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus".
And that means there is someone connecting us, to our Heavenly Father. We cannot overstate the power and the authority found in Jesus Christ. I need you to understand, I'm going to say the name of Jesus a lot tonight. Because the church needs to understand the power that we have is not the power of an academic Jesus, or an institutional Jesus, or a baptist Jesus, or a methodist Jesus or a denominational Jesus. But we have by the authority of the holy scripture, access to the authentic Jesus, and that Jesus is the one that devils are afraid of. That is the Jesus that cancer cannot stand. That is the Jesus that heals paralyzed bodies. That is the Jesus that speaks to dead people and they get up.
Does anybody want to encounter that Jesus? For many of us, who have traveled through the road of religion in search of Jesus, we've probably encountered more things that would push us away than pull us towards him. Religion is the man made construct that wants you to think that you need them in order to get to him. But relationship says, oh, I know him for myself, I'm good. Now I appreciate leadership and I honor authority. And we need sound doctrine and wise teaching. But when men want to tell you, "You got to come through me if you want to get to Jesus". Now I have a problem because the last time I checked you weren't on the cross for me. So I don't need to get to you to get to him. I can go to him.
It's important for you to understand what's at stake. We have right now an opportunity in 2015, for God to do significant things, things are lining up in the spirit and in the natural. For those who have not been with us for the whole first month of the year. I shared that we are in the year of jubilee, year 5775 on the Jewish calendar. We're in a forward moon, forward blood moon Tetrad, which is a significant sign in the earth. And if you read Genesis, the Bible makes it clear that the sun the moon and stars are for signs and seasons. And if you want to discern the heart of God, you can also look to nature. And that's not superstition, that is super natural.
It's important to understand the difference, superstition is I had a dream about a dog so I'm going to play the numbers. Supernatural is I had a dream, but God makes my dreams come true when I honor him with the first fruit of my increase. I want to talk to you from the subject, the missing link. The missing link. There's a tension that exists at this particular moment in history. If you've heard me speak over the last few then you've heard me reference, the multiple wars and rumors of war, and the multiple things that are happening. Just had elections in Greece. We are dealing with the brink of war between Russia and the Ukraine. We're not sure what the European Union is going to do. ISIS and ISIL are still mobilizing, Boko Haram, slaughtering people by the thousands.
There are multiple things that are going on in the earth. These are things that Jesus spoke about. But it is not for us to be afraid of it. It is for us to be aware of it and to understand that the tension that exists between what's happening and what's called to be is the truth of Jesus Christ being manifested by his church, that's you and me. And it's time for us to stand up and be counted and to not be afraid or ashamed of the fact that we are called by the name of Jesus Christ. Are there any proud believers in here?
There is a tension in many of our lives because God is removing the things that we thought were real and necessary and essential. And he's doing it to bring you into an actual place of truth. The Bible says and you will know the truth and the truth shall make you free. See a lot of us are in bondage because we think who we are is who we are. When who we are is not who we are, it's who we were but who we were wants to hold onto who we are because if we ever get to who we are, we're going to look more like Jesus than what we used to. Can I talk to anybody that feels the battle and the pull between what you used to be and who God is calling you to be? Am I the only person?
If you're not sure, then let me give you some illustrations, people, places and things that you and I were accustomed to, habits we were used to, lingering health issues that were always around, they're now starting to get on our nerves. Things that we were okay with even a month ago, now all the sudden, I don't think I like it anymore. Even for some of us, like me, when God is really pushing me away into a place of maturity, certain foods that I used to love, now they don't taste the same. It's almost like somebody been praying for me to grow up, mom. And God is literally changing my appetite in the natural and in the spirit. Certain things I used to watch on tv that never grieved me, now they grieve me and I can't tell you why.
I'm not trying to be deep but there's something in the earth that doesn't need me to be clouded with carnality. God is growing us up and so there is a tension between who we were and who we're called to be. This is where the gap is. And that's why if there's a gap, you need a link. This is a great bracelet, but if one of these links is missing, it's just two pieces of a broken whole. I need you to understand, some of you all who been crying because some people have been removed, you need to understand that God is not punishing you, he's doing Jewelry repair. Can somebody give God just a... Because you were okay with your life as it was, but there are a couple people that don't fit in with the rest of the bracelet. And you were cool to keep wearing it but Jesus said, that was not my original intent.
And you used to love 'em, you couldn't, oh, you couldn't wait to see 'em but now, they don't even know it 'cause they don't have discernment, but God's been stirring you and even though it used to be all good and you all used to always boo, be booed up and slow dance, now you just right here. You want a little more space. Just don't sit right next to me, I just need, just give me some space. Put a pillow right there. And then when they call, your friends, you used to be excited. Now you see 'em and like, "Oh, Lord". Am I talking to anybody? Nothing, they didn't do anything. They didn't offend you. They just were. God is saying to those who he has called to the next place of power and prominence, the places that you used to go, the people you used to hang with and the things that you used to do that felt so familiar, I'm going to push you into a place of uncomfortable until you are ready to say goodbye to it. Why? 'Cause if you love it, you won't leave it.
Tension is God's loving way of pushing us out of the nest of the familiar. Tension. People that used to be your biggest cheerleaders, they don't have a whole lot of positive things to say. Don't let that hurt your feeling. It's God doing some Jewelry cleaning. And here's what's going to trip you out. You thought they were authentic but it's not until you take it to the master Jeweler that you see you had a ring full of diamonds and a couple of cubic zirconia. I just need a couple people who understand what I'm saying. I need to redeem the time. Your patience is growing thinner. You're a little more snappy than you used to be. Am I talking to anybody? You were cool but all the sudden they be like, "Hey, what you"... "What? What, what? I'm sorry, hey, how you doing"? "Whatcha doing"? "Nothing, I'm not doing anything. Can I call you in a year? Can I call you next febutober the eleventeenth"? God is intentionally making you uncomfortable because he loves you too much for you to live your life on four when you called to be on 10.
Another thing that God is doing is he's growing you in his word. He's teaching you how to hear his voice in a different way. It's great to listen to what God said. It's better to listen to what God is saying. What do I mean? "Abraham", Genesis 22, "Yeah, Lord"? "I need you to sacrifice your boy". "Huh"? "Yeah, take him up the mountain. I need you to go ahead and sacrifice him. Get a altar, I want you take him up there. Take him out of here". "All right". Abraham goes up the mountain. He's got the wood, he's got the rope, he's got the knife. He ties his boy up. He's about to do what God said. And all the sudden, he hears a new voice. Excuse me, he hears a new instruction from the old voice. And he says, "Abraham, Abraham. Now I know that you love me because you didn't even withhold your own son, your only son".
Now what's deep is that Abraham had two sons. He had Ishmael and Isaac. But God said, "'cause this is the one that's a miracle. This your only one". I need to know God's drawing a distinction between the work of your flesh and the work of his spirit. So don't hold onto your flesh. Let that stuff go. God is doing something new. Had Abraham listened to what God said, Isaac would have died. But because Abraham was sensitive to what God was saying he was able to respond immediately to the next command. In this season, God will tell you to do crazy things that don't make sense and if you are spiritually-discerning enough not to try to think it through, just move when he tells you. When you get to the place of crazy, he'll bring the miracle. He's not going to leave you looking stupid so just go ahead and do the crazy thing and then he's going to bring the miracle right there.
I'm not okay. I could be a better husband. I could be a better father. I could be better at this, this and this. He said, "Well how are you going to learn it"? I would love to be a great husband. It would've been great if great husbands had taught me but since nobody taught me, I'm here four years experimenting on a woman whose heart I can't afford to break. And so the empty place, I'm trying to keep it together, comes because I'm saying, "God, I'm trying to do it". And he's like, "I appreciate your effort. Now it's time for me to give you the missing link". Jesus, Tasha done brought us in the Holy Ghost, I only got a couple minutes here. I got, you're going to have to come back again and sing some more songs on another season. Next Wednesday. Why don't you move down? Okay, I'm playing. God is allowing us to walk through seasons of loss and longing in order to get us to admit out loud what we sense deep inside.
Something's missing. You single, you been dating. You all were cool, it's going in a great direction. You guys are talking and sharing, even going out and sharing spoons on dessert. "No, you taste it". "No, you taste it". "No, I'm going to put some whipped cream on your nose". But when he drops you off at home, 'cause he not spending the night. When he drops you off at home, and the TV is off and you all finish texting all your little emoticons with the hearts in the eyes and blowing kisses. Somewhere in your spirit, you know something's missing. Nice person, nice man, nice girl, nothing wrong with 'em, just something's missing. And the enemy wants you to compromise in that empty area. He wants you to make a covenant with something that's not completed so you'll always be leaking. Because until the circle is closed, you're not covered.
That's why Jesus came to be the missing link. You know what a link is? It's a circle, my wife gave me this illustration. It's a circle. You know when you have two things and they connect like this. But here's the thing about a circle, a circle is also a cycle. Somebody say cycle. I'm going to try to give you these very quickly. I need you to write 'em down. If you look at the Word of God and the creation story, if you read the Bible and if you study biblical numerology you will find that there are certain numbers that have a certain connotation. And if you look. God does things in order and in cycles, starting with the way he created the earth. Day one through day seven, that was one cycle of seven days. But now there is a pattern because it's not just one week and it's over, you got another week coming, amen? Let me give you this real quick.
Number one, there's a cycle of six. Cycle of six, on the sixth day, God created who? Me and you. So the cycle of six is a cycle of man and dominion and our relationship to God. You need to identify that there are some cycles that are good. You need to always maintain a cycle of communication and open revelation, listening to God, staying connected not only to what he's saying to you and about you but also the place that he's called you to occupy. If you can function and connect to God in the cycle of six, where there was this intimate exchange when heaven spoke to dust and it became a living being, the cycle of six is where you're able to face God in your most dusty place and say, "You still made me. You know exactly who I am and I'm coming to you just like this". And he will receive you because you look like him.
The cycle of six is where you know who you are and it's nice if people celebrate it but it doesn't matter if they celebrate it. The cycle of six, when you know who you are, you won't be insecure about anybody else. You won't be wondering what somebody else is doing. "They always look happy, I bet their marriage ain't good. I bet it ain't". And you're saying that because you got some issues in your marriage that God has yet to work out. But if you are just content in who you are and who God has made you, you won't be jealous or insecure about what somebody else is doing in their house or what they have in their bank account or what's going on in their career. You'll celebrate them and you'll be glad when God blesses them because you know who you are because you spent face-to-face time with the one who created you.
Let me give you the next one. It's the missing links. Cycle of seven is a cycle of rest, refreshing, focusing on the goodness of God and celebrating what he's done for you. The enemy wants to beat you up and cause you to believe that if you celebrate what God has done for you, you're in pride. No, because you're celebrating what God has done for you. Not what you have done for you. The cycle of seven is stopping, assessing, looking, saying, "God, look what you did there. Look when you healed me there. Look where you blessed me here. Look where you grew me up here. I just want to take a second, God, and tell you thank you. I'm not going to work. I'm not going to strive. I'm just going to rest for a second and lift my hands and I'm going to bless you". If we are ever going to understand how to forge the gap between the links of our lives, one of those is the link of worship, the link of praise, the link of hallelujah. Do you hear what I'm saying?
Let me give you this quick and then we got to go. We'll have to finish it another week. Cycle of eight, recognizing the new beginning within the pattern of God's original blueprint. Within the pattern of God's original blueprint. What I mean is this. On Monday you had to get up and go to work. Tuesday, get up and go to work. Wednesday, they call it hump day. Thursday, you get a little more excited. By Friday, you like, "Hey". Why? 'cause it's the weekend. You do your thing on the weekend. Sunday night, slightly depressed. Why? Because the next day is... What you need to understand is where the links come so you understand where the attack of the enemy is coming from. God has a pattern within this original framework but the number eight, that's the new beginning. So this Monday doesn't have to be like last Monday. And next Monday's not like this Monday. So if they treated you bad last Monday, you can bless 'em this Monday. And if they still treat you bad, you can bless 'em next Monday.
Understanding this cycle and these season, these links, these circles, this cycle of eight. Now all the sudden, my little app froze, Dr. Paul. And I guess that's Jesus saying, "It's a cycle of hush". The cycle of eight is understanding that God wants to bring new beginnings. If you look and you see what happened in the garden, last point, the cycle of nine. Nine is always symbolic of judgment. The enemy came into the garden, snuck in, broke up the happy home that was God, Adam, eve, garden. He came in with the illusion of truth and they took the illusion over the substance of God and it created a broken cycle. And in that broken moment, fellowship was disconnected and God had to get somebody in there to reconnect us. Step in, thousands of years later through prophecy, through time, through multiple books, 40 different writers, 1500 years of written history, and here comes Jesus on a night talking to shepheds, angels talking to shepherds and the announcement is the missing link is here to reconnect us to our original purpose and the original plan and the original intent of God.
The missing link to the empty places in your life is found in the name of one man. What's his name? If he is the link that brings you back to God, he is also the link that breaks the chains of the enemy. I had her singing "Break every chain" because there are people in here that need their chains broken. As the band begins to play, if you are here right now and you have never given your life to Jesus, this moment is the moment for you to lay those chains of shame, guilt, oppression, depression, fear, the feat of not being accepted, lay that down.