We Don’t Need Deborah and Gideon | Dr. E. Dewey Smith, Jr.

Lord God, we thank you for this day that

you've made and we've gathered to

rejoice and to be glad in it.

Thank you for your love and your grace

and your mercy.

Thank you for your compassions that fail

not

and your mercies that are new every

morning.

Great is your faithfulness.

We give you praise this morning because

all we've needed

your hand hath provided.

Thank you for the faithfulness

and consistency of your hand. We praise

you for Jesus, our Lord, our Savior who

is the head of the church and our

sooncoming king. Thank you for the Holy

Spirit, our comforter, our sustainer and

our guide.

We give you praise for this place called

Cornia.

>> Thank you, Lord.

Thank you, Lord.

37 years you've kept this ministry.

Thank you. Thank you.

Your hand has been on this ministry from

infancy to this to this moment. We give

you praise. Thank you for Bishop Rosie

O'Neal.

Thank you, Lord.

Thank you for how you've used her to

shape and to shift

not just this city, state, and country,

but the world.

>> Thank you for the paradigm that she

sets,

for her heart, for her genuiness,

for a love for you, for you and your

people. Thank you for 37 years of

exceptional leadership.

>> Thank you for her husband who has stood

by her side in such a supportive way.

Thank you for his strength and his

humility and his heart and their sons

and thank you that you've kept them and

are sustaining them and continue to

build them. We pray your blessings upon

them. For the Hutchkins who served here,

we praise you for them, Lord.

We pray that this season will be the

best season of their lives.

And for these that you have ordained for

this moment of consecration and

elevation and installation. We thank you

for their union. And we pray that you

bless and sanctify them now. Now, Holy

Spirit, I'm weak. I need your strength.

So speak to and through me now. Use me

as your instrument in Jesus name. Amen.

Come on, let's give God praise. And

while you're standing, while you remain

standing,

while you remain standing, let's thank

God for Bishop O'Neal.

Hushi, I thank you for being my sister.

I thank you for being my sister. I thank

you for being my sister. You're one of a

kind. You're one of a kind. You're one

of a kind. I want you to know that.

And uh I I certainly I salute you and

your husband and you always talk so well

about him. And it's it's amazing how God

just puts people together. Opposites

attract they say.

And I thank God for you and thank God

for just you. Uh Pastor Pastor A, God

bless you. Dr. church. God bless you and

Hutchkins and all you. And of course, as

we stand today to Pastor Trev and uh

thank God for you, my brother. Come on.

Thank God for Pastor Trev and Lady

Marthur.

Pastor Shandelle and Christie. Come on,

give God praise for them.

This is a moment

and I am I'm honored to be here. I don't

take this assignment lightly. And so,

um, I there's a word today from the book

of Judges, and I need your prayers. I

need your prayers. I was, uh, I was

excited when I got here, and, um, and,

uh, and I thought about it early this

morning. It just hit me. It was, I don't

know, sometimes, you know, grief comes

in ways. I thought about it. It was It

was It was nine years ago today that my

mother made a transition.

And I and that and I thought about that

2:00 in the morning and a bit of sadness

came and I was awaken and I realized the

Lord said uh this transition and uh and

just work with me all night really

>> because it was deeper than just my

mother's passing. It was about this

transition. Uh she transitioned to a

place but and he shared some things with

me and I'm going to share them with you.

I need your prayers. Uh this is a little

unusual and a little unorthodox but I

need your prayers. the book of Judges

and you have Judges. I want just take a

look at two scriptures for your

consideration. Please, ma'am. Please,

sir. Judges five. We're just going to

take a look at Judges 5 and Judges 6.

But for the benefit of brevity, Judges

5. I want to thank my wife for being

here with me this coming.

She's been unable to come. I said, "You

got to go today." And she was able to

come. Our sons are both now gone. And

so, we're empty nesters. So I'm just

thankful that she was able to come to

enjoy Greenville. I said there's no

place like Greenville. So okay, so thank

God for her for being here. Amen. Uh

Judges 51, you see these words. Then

sang uh Dborah or Deborah

>> if you're bougie Dborah if your country

Deborah

then sang Dborah Deborah and Barack

that on that day sang praise ye the Lord

for avenging Israel.

when the people willingly offered

themselves,

so let all thine enemies perish.

I just take a look at that right quick.

And then I want to come down to Judges

Judges 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6 for a moment.

And you found Judges chapter 6 just for

Judges 6 · chapter mention

the benefit of time. Uh verse 14 and you

find these words. And the Lord looked

upon him. Somebody say Gideon.

>> Gideon. The Lord looked upon Gideon and

said, "Go in this thy might, for thou

shalt save Israel from the hand of the

Midionites.

Have not I sent thee?"

Uh, the first text, Judges 5 and 1,

shows plurality.

Judges six shows a singular term, but

the essence of the call is plurality. So

although we have four people who have

been consecrated today, just allow me

just homalytically use singular words,

singular names. I want to lift this

thought this morning. We don't need

Deborah and Gideon.

>> You may be seated. We don't need

>> We don't need Look at your neighbor.

Say, we don't need

>> We don't need

>> Deborah

>> or Gideon.

Now when the Lord

wanted to rule his people, Israel

particularly, divine government or what

we call theocracy allowed God to choose

people who were called judges. Can

somebody say judges?

>> And God raised 12 judges. Ael, Ehu,

Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon. He raised

Tlahad, Ja, Jeepa, Elam, Abdam, and

Samson

>> to rule the people from what we call a

theocratic perspective.

>> God's theocracy allowed them to rule his

people. And out of the 12 major judges,

I want to thank God that one of them was

a woman.

>> I said it again, one of them was a

woman. She's called Deborah Dborah the

Honeybee. I I'm moved by her. She

reminds me a lot of Bishop O'Neal.

>> Uh Deborah, she broke through the

parameters

uh of

Hebrew patriarchy. She was able to

pvault

uh the limitations of antiquitous

patriarchy and toxic masculinity.

And in spite of women not being

esteemed, it was through her courage,

>> her ingenuity, her strategic might when

no man was in sight who was able to

accomplish this assignment. God raised

Deborah.

That is not to slight anybody else.

Fellas, if you're triggered, that's your

problem.

The reality is when God needed her, he

used her.

It blessed me because when we think

about the scriptures as a whole, so many

of us have been blessed. I thought about

my own mother this morning and how even

as a teen went through so many things,

but it was through her strength that I'm

here. I thought about Moses. We talk

about Moses's strength and how Jethro

gave him wisdom and his leadership. But

what we don't do is acknowledge the

women. who played a role in Moses's

liberation motif.

Uh, please understand, without those

Hebrew midwives, Shifra and Pure,

Moses never would have made it out of

any prenatal promise. Thank God for

those Hebrew midwives.

If it wasn't for his mother, Jehoshaped

>> who defied the decrees of the Pharaoh

and did not throw her child into the

river, but rather the text tells us that

she hid him for three months because she

saw he was a goodly child. And when she

no could no longer hide him, she built

an ark of bull rushes and placed him in

the midst of the river. Thank God for a

good mother

>> who hangs in even when threats are

against her children. Thank God for

Pharaoh's daughter

>> who happened to be by the banks of the

river at the same time when little baby

Moses was placed in that ark and saw the

ark. And even though her daddy wanted

the baby Hebrew boys killed, thank God

for divine intervention

>> for moving on the hearts of a pagan girl

to say, "Go retrieve that baby

>> from that river. Thank God for his nosy

sister Miriam

>> who happened to be by the river at the

same time. And it was the Pharaoh's

daughter who beckoned unto Miriam.

Listen, get the baby. Would you please

go and find one of the Hebrew midwives

and tell them I have a baby that I need

help raising and tell them that they'll

get a check every Friday

>> for helping me to raise the baby. Thank

God that Miriam

in her Hebrew ingenuity went and found

her mama Joshua and brought Joshua and

Joshua got paid for raising a baby that

she birthed. You ought to thank God.

Thank God for the women. Uh uh thank God

for his Egyptian wife Zapora

>> who later on because Moses refused to go

through the circumcision process, his

wife intervene when God would have

otherwise committed providential

homicide against Moses. It was the

intervention of his wife Zapora who

offered blood on his behalf to allow

Moses to evolve to walk in the

deliverance and the victory that he was

called to walk in. If it had not been

for Shifra and Pure, had not been for

Joseph, it had not been for Miriam, had

not been for Zapora, we wouldn't know

the story of Moses like we do today. Let

me just pause parenthetically to say in

that same vein, thank God for Rosie

O'Neal.

>> Because if it had not been for God using

her and elevating her, how many people

would have never heard God's uncarchable

riches? How many families would still be

broken? How many people would still have

no hope? What would have happened to

those of you who have had no experience

with Cornineia for the past 37 years?

THANK GOD THAT GOD still you Deborah's

and he still you roses. GIVE GOD PRAISE

RIGHT THERE.

So here at time of this text, Deborah

has been chosen to be a judge to lead

God's people theocratically. And judge

she did. I mean, she was an incredible

judge. She was significant. She was

incredible. She faithfully served. She

discerned. She led with wisdom. She

partnered with Barack. She sang the

victory song. She even led Israel into

having victory over Canaan. And because

of her work, because if you use this,

her ministry, her administration, peace

and prosperity

were in the land of Israel for 40 years.

She usher ushered in a time of peace and

prosperity.

>> But then her successor was a fellow

whose name was Gideon.

>> And similarly Gideon was chosen by God.

>> Similarly, Gideon was an incredible man

of God of ingenuity who was called to

lead God's people in battle over the

Midianites.

So significant is Gideon that he's

mentioned in the heroes hall of faith in

the book of Hebrews chapter 11 and it

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

was 300 soldiers

>> and all and trust in God that he was

able to defeat 135,000 Midianites. I

tell you what a wonderful tag team

>> Deborah

>> and Gideon.

>> Deborah defeated

the Canaanites.

Gideon, her successor, defeated the

Midianites.

And although these are two of my

favorite characters, today I want to

suggest to you in a strange way that

they are not a good paradigm

for Cornelia.

>> Although these are two of my favorite

biblical characters

in terms of succession.

Pastor Trey, this is not a picture of

what I believe God wants for this

ministry.

>> And the reason why I said that, brothers

and sisters, is because today we stand

at a sacred intersection.

>> Today, however, is not it's it's it's

it's a retirement. It's an installation.

It's a handoff. It's a holy moment of

continuity, not catastrophe. That's

right.

>> And I want to suggest from the outset

that what happens a lot of times in

leadership, brothers and sisters, is

that God sometimes allows leaders to be

raised and allows persons to respond.

See, Drael, Deborah was not raised

because Israel was flourishing.

>> Gideon was not summoned because Israel

was faithful.

They were God's emergency responders.

>> So today, I want to preach a paradoxical

word. We don't need Deborah and Gideon.

Not because Deborah isn't great. Not

because Gideon isn't anointed, but

because their kind of leadership emerges

when the people refuse responsibility.

>> So this word may sound strange to you,

but I hope it's helpful to you. See,

Deborah is anointed. Gideon is

effective,

>> but their paradigm only emerges when

people refuse maturity.

>> See, because what happens is you find in

the book of Judges, it's a cycle.

>> The people went through sin,

>> oppression, they cry, get delivered,

they rest,

and then repeat.

sin,

>> oppression,

>> cry, delivered, rest,

>> rinse,

>> and repeat.

And what happened after Deborah was led

by God with an emergency response to

lead God's people and brought prosperity

and peace in the land. Can I tell you

what happened when her successor came?

>> The people did not mature.

I say it again,

>> the people did not mature.

>> And this is why I suggest we don't need

Deborah

and Gideon because that paradigm

suggests conotes and not and and and

conotes some other things. Number one,

it suggests that God's people wanted to

go backwards.

>> Did you hear what I just said?

>> When you look at the last verse,

In chapter 5,

>> it tells us that peace had been brought

in the land. The land had rest for 48

years. Let me take contextualize IT.

BISHOP DEBORAH, JUDGE DEBORAH,

>> brought the people from one level

>> to the next level.

>> How she transitioned is not mentioned.

>> The Bible says very little about her

ending.

Jesus

>> talks about Moses's ending

>> as Joshua makes his the onset. But it

says very little about Deborah's ending.

I want to suggest that's that's

wonderful because her ministry, her

service continues.

>> It never ended. It just was the passing

of the baton. It was the the expectation

that the work that she had laid, the

work that she had done would continue in

the succeeding generation. AND SO

THERE'S PEACE AND PROSPERITY. DEBORAH

HAS FINISHED WELL.

I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN. I said

Deborah had finished. Well,

>> all right. Y'all not with me. Bishop

Rosie O'Neal has finished.

>> Well,

the church is packed. YOU OWE NOBODY

NOTHING but love. My God. Families are

being brought together. Miracles and

healing are being brought in this place.

YOU ALL GIVE GOD PRAISE THAT SHE has

finished. Well,

there peace IN THE LAND,

>> PROSPERITY IN THE LAND.

>> BUT NOTICE THE VERY NEXT VERSE.

>> Chapter 6, verse one.

>> Yes, sir.

>> And the children of Israel

>> did evil

>> in the sight

of the Lord. What does that mean? That

meant that they wanted to go

>> backwards.

Notice the text never said Israel needed

new leadership.

>> The text never mentions new leadership

after Deborah.

That wasn't the main

thought of the writer. He starts with

Israel did evil again

after a season of faithful leadership

which tells us something uncomfortable.

You can have great leadership and still

have immature fellowship.

The foundation has been laid. Deborah

did her job. But the people did not

internalize the victory.

>> They outsourced responsibility.

>> They spiritualized dependency. They

waited on another hero.

>> And whenever people refuse to mature,

they force God to intervene again.

>> After this service concludes

>> after the process of installation has

gone forth, my question will be, what

would Judges 6:1 look like for

Judges 6:1

>> Cornelia?

>> Will we go back?

to some of the traditional and

environmental ways of other churches and

other ecclesia communities that you know

you have grown and been moved beyond.

WILL YOU REVERT BACK

>> TO WHAT used to be comfortable before

you were stretched by a bishop of the

Lord's church OR WILL YOU SAY God

>> help us to maintain the posture and the

spirit and the traction will you?

So what happened? Because the people

>> decided to go backwards,

>> God punished them

>> to go downward.

>> I said God punished them to go downward.

Look at verse number two. It says, "And

the hand of Midian prevailed against

Israel. And because of the Midionites,

the children of Israel made the dens,

which are caves in the mountains." So

no, so look at the imagery here. God's

people

>> were just walking in promise. Yeah,

>> I know.

>> As long as Deborah was there, THEY WERE

WALKING IN PROMISE.

>> But now the folk who were walking in

promise during Deborah's administration,

>> sir,

>> they've gone from walking in promise to

now hiding in caves.

>> Fear has replaced faith. Survival

replaces stewardship. Protection

replaces purpose. And notice, God didn't

invent Midian. God permitted it.

Sometimes judgment is isn't something

God is done doing to you. Is God letting

you live that which you chose.

>> Since the people wanted backward living,

God allowed backward to become the

reality and allowed the Midionites to

take them down. Well, I'm here to tell

you, brothers and sisters, since God is

building his church, Bishop just told us

the gates are around hell. But don't

think the gates will not attack. The

gates of hell want to take this place

down. What a paradigm. DO YOU KNOW WHAT

PARADIGM this sets for ministries across

the world? Do you know how many pastors

hold on to the batons uh until they

expire? Miles Monroe said once and we

have to pry the baton out of cold hands

rather than pass the baton on to the

next generation knowing that one waters

another plants. But God gives the

increase. I'm here to tell you, YOU HAVE

WE GOING TO CELEBRATE TODAY, BUT LET'S

be on God tomorrow because the enemy is

like a roaring lion seeking whom he may

devour. And when the enemy shall come in

like a flood, he's not going TO TAKE US

BACKWARDS BECAUSE OR DOWNWARD BECAUSE

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL LIFT UP A

STANDARD AGAINST HIM.

And so the people wanted to go backwards

>> after a great

period of peace and prosperity

>> and because the people wanted to go

backwards

>> rather than having a mind to work the

people got some of the people let me

contextualize it got jealous.

>> Some of the people refused to follow

leadership.

>> I grew up with trail. I know sir we we

came up together and and and and

disrespecting the leadership. what God

wanted to do. And as a consequence, the

enemy wanted to take them downward. But

I prophesied this morning.

That's one thing Corner is not going to

do. She's not going backwards. And she

show not going downward. I wish I had

somebody to help me here for a moment

cuz we've been working on the building

for. As a matter of fact, if if

anything's going to be torn down, it's

Satan. Satan, WE GOING TO TEAR YOUR

KINGDOM DOWN. YOU'VE BEEN BUILDING YOUR

KINGDOM ALL OVER THE LAND. SOMEBODY

SHOUT, "I'm not going backwards.

And we're not going

>> downward.

>> And so

the Somebody all clap your hands right

there and give God praise.

And so guess what happened?

Since the people wanted to go backwards.

>> Yes, sir.

>> God punished them to go downward.

>> I'm grateful that God provided a leader.

Amen.

>> From upward.

>> Now, this is where it gets a little

tricky cuz my premise is we don't need

Deborah or Gideon. I thank God for

Deborah and Gideon.

>> But Cornelia, we don't need Deborah and

Gideon.

>> Let me tell you why. Because Gideon

enters not from the center, not from the

capital.

Gideon enters not from legacy

leadership.

>> Gideon enters from hiding.

>> He's threshing wheat in secret.

>> He's not prepared. He's fearful.

>> He's not anointed. He's uncertain.

>> He's undersized in his own estimation.

Why? Because when the people refuse

shared responsibility, God had to send a

singular savior.

>> I'm gonna say it again. I said WHEN

PEOPLE REFUSE SHARED RESPONSIBILITY. God

sends a singular savior. Let me let me

share this. Gideon is not God's ideal.

>> He's God's intervention.

>> He is only raised because the people

failed to carry Deborah's legacy

forward.

We see no etmological connection between

Deborah

>> and Gideon.

>> Yes, sir.

>> WE HAVE NO TEXTUAL PROOF

>> that Gideon was ever trained

>> or discipled

>> by Deborah. Yes, sir.

>> WE'VE SEEN NOTHING ECCLESIAL, NOTHING

JUDGE JUDGING JUDGE WORTHY IN HIS

CHARACTER PRIDE. AND NOW HE POPS, HE'S

INSERTED INTO THE narrative as an

emergency.

HE IS RAISED BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WOULDN'T

CARRY THE legacy forward.

>> Gideon is saying God God is saying if

you won't mature together, I'll rescue

again, but it will cost you.

>> Do you know why I like why we don't need

the Gideon and Deborah paradigm?

>> Because we don't need an outsider.

We don't need anybody disconnected from

history.

>> We don't need anybody who doesn't share

the DNA of the ministry.

>> But thank God before Trev. Thank God

before Martha Shandrel and Christie.

Before their parents, before their daddy

stepped to their mothers and said,

"Baby, would you have an objection if a

man of my complexion came in your

direction and offered to be your

protection?" Uh before Trev's daddy said

to his mama, "Baby, would you let me

spin the wheel of my conversation around

the axle of your understanding?" And she

fell for that line, they came together.

And one day when her fallopian tubes

released the egg, and the semen was

released, this the the semen connected

with the egg and formed the zygote. The

zygote became an embryo. The embryo

became a fetus. And nine months later,

three trimesters later, Trey came into

the world. Not because he was some

emergency plan for now, but because

BEFORE HE WAS FORMED IN THE BELLY OF HIS

MAMA, GOD GAVE HIM A PRENATAL

ORDINATION.

SITTING BACK AT THE CHURCH AT 19, HE HAD

SOMEBODY TO SEE GOD IN HIM AND SAY, "YOU

GOING TO BE NEXT." NOT BECAUSE HE'S

GIDEON,

>> but because HE'S 12, BORN HERE, RAISED

HERE, SHAPED HERE, CAN CARRY THE MANTLE

ON, AND CAN CARRY THE LEGS ON. We don't

need

>> We don't need

We don't need a Gideon and a Deborah.

Not when we got a Rosie and a Trev.

>> We don't need a Deborah and a Gideon.

When we got a Rosie and a Martha, Rosa

and Shandelle, A ROSIE AND CHRISTIE.

THANK GOD.

>> This is what discipleship looks like.

This is what development LOOKS LIKE.

THIS IS what

feels that Gideon is a stranger

>> to Deborah.

>> And while Gideon may be a stranger to

Deborah, Trevor's a son to his mama.

>> WHY YOU NEED A STRANGER WHEN YOU GOT

sons and daughters? Give God PRAISE

RIGHT THERE. WE DON'T need

we we don't we don't we don't need we

don't need we don't need

Deborah and Gideon.

>> Only the only reason we have that

paradigm is because God's people wanted

to go backwards.

The only reason we have that paradigm

because God punished them to go

downward.

>> The only reason we have that paradigm

>> Yes sir. It's because God provided them

something

that was outward.

But then fourth and finally, we don't

need Thank God that Cornelia doesn't

need a Gideon

>> and a Deborah paradigm. Not just because

God God's people wanted to go backwards

and God punished them to go downward.

God provided a leader that was outward.

But fourth and finally, I'm taking my

seat.

>> We don't need Deborah and Gideon.

Deborah and Shandale in this house. You

know why? Cuz God promised to take you

forward.

>> I said God promised to take you forward.

So guess what he does? He says, "I'm

going to let you go through a season

where the Medidionites are going to

dominate you for seven years,

84 months, you're going to go through

punishment because of your apostasy and

your hypocrisy.

because you couldn't carry out Deborah's

legacy

and I ra I had to raise up a leader

>> and that's the problem with the church

>> we having to God is raising leaders when

that's our responsibility

>> that's the problem in the 21st century

church's kingdom won't come because two

of us in leadership our kingdom and

queenom won't go

We made it about ourselves. What a

beautiful paradigm. What what a

beautiful picture to have four smiling

people on a program smiling, working

together, best friends, loving each

other, not personality driven, not the

long range of mentality, PLURALITY OF

LEADERSHIP. GOD SAYS, I WILL GIVE YOU

PASTORS

PLURAL ACCORDING to mine heart which

shall feed you with knowledge and

understanding. THIS IS THE KINGDOM. THIS

IS A PICTURE OF WHAT GOD WANTS US TO DO.

GOD SAYS YOU RAISE LEADERS.

>> WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE DISCIPLEHIP

BUSINESS.

>> ECCLESIOLOGY IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

Esquetology is his.

>> That's why HE SAID, "I'M GOING to

prepare a place for you. I'm going to

get your room ready." So while I'm going

to get your room ready, you raise

leaders. YOU SPEND TIME. YOU DISCIPLE.

YOU DEVELOP.

HALLELUJAH.

>> That's how that's how I take you

forward.

>> Cuz you don't need Deborah.

>> Yes, sir.

>> And Gideon.

>> God said, "I'm going to move you

forward." But notice, I'm going to move

you forward. For them, it came after

discipline. For them, it came after

regression. For them, it came after

crisis leadership. And this is the theme

of the sermon.

Deborah and Gideon were not the plan.

>> Obedient people were.

>> God never intended

Israel to keep recycling deliverers.

>> God intended for the people to grow up.

>> Y'all got to break some. Y'all got to

break on me. Y'all got to break on me

THIS MORNING. SO WHY DOESN'T Cornelia

need Deborah and Gideon? Now let me turn

the corner. You know why? Cuz today is

not Judges 6.

>> Today is not a relapse season.

>> Today is not a cave moment. Today is not

million oppression. Today is not a

miracle on continuity. Today is a

miracle of continuity BECAUSE INSTEAD OF

GOD SENDING AN OUTSIDER, GOD RAISED SONS

AND DAUGHTERS from within. INSTEAD OF

CRISIS SUCCESSION, WE GOT INTENTIONAL

TRANSITION. Y'all got the brakes on me.

INSTEAD OF FEAR-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP, THIS

IS relational trust.

>> WE DON'T NEED DEBORAH AND GIDEON THIS

TIME.

>> WE NEED ROSIE AND TRAIL.

>> THAT'S THE EPISTLE GOD IS WRITING TO

SHOW US NOW HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE. WE

NEED A MOTHER WHO SERVED FAITHFULLY. A

SON AND DAUGHTER IN THE HOUSE WHO WAITED

PATIENTLY AND GOT SHAPED. A CHURCH THAT

STAYED CONNECTED ACROSS GENERATIONS.

This is not replacement.

>> This is reproduction.

This is NOT EMERGENCY. THIS IS MATURITY.

THIS IS WHAT MATURITY LOOKS LIKE.

Cornia now responsibility shifts to you

because if the people stay faithful,

God won't have to send rescuers.

If the people stay united,

>> God won't have to raise outsiders.

I wish I had a better sermon, but this

is what he gave me at 3:00 this morning.

If the people stay obedient, God doesn't

have to disrupt continuity. The tragedy

of judges is not bad leadership.

>> The tragedy of judges is unstable

people.

>> So today, THE CHARGE IS SIMPLE. STAY

TOGETHER.

>> STAY HUMBLE. STAY SUBMITTED.

>> STAY GROWING.

>> STAY FORWARD.

>> DON'T make Trev be Gideon.

>> DON'T MAKE SHANDELLE BE GIDEON. DON'T

LET MA DON'T LET MARTHA

>> be Gideon. Don't let Christy be Gideon.

>> Don't force Christ's leadership.

>> Don't outsource spiritual

responsibility.

>> Carry the legacy forward. But I got a

final word to say

>> before I make my exit here. Now, first

of all, here's my final declaration

today. We need to pause

to honor

Deborah.

Am I in Cornel or I'm in the

Presbyterian Church of Greenville?

TODAY WE NEED TO PAUSE to honor

Deborah.

LET'S THANK GOD FOR women who lead with

courage and wisdom. WE BLESS THE DECADES

OF SERVICE.

Let's thank God for the Hutchkins.

Come on, put your hand together.

The Hutchkins proved TO US

THE HOUSE HAS MATURED. The season HAS

SHIFTED. THE MOMENT IS DIFFERENT.

>> We don't need Deborah and Gideon

>> because God has given us continuity,

connection, and covenant.

>> And if the people stay faithful,

>> God told me 437, I'll stay present.

That's what he told me at 4:37 THIS

MORNING. TELL CORNNEEL, "IF THEY STAY

FAITHFUL,

I WILL STAY PRESENT."

Bishop Rosie,

a mother

was taking her son to Florida for a

basketball game.

They left North They left North Carolina

headed to Florida. They got on 95. When

they left

North Carolina, the weather was tranquil

and serene.

>> When they crossed over from the Georgia

into the Florida line, out of nowhere,

torrential rains began to pour.

It's raining so bad on 95 that the young

man

who had been taught how to drive by his

mama

had the wheels for the first time and he

was driving that car. He driven short

distances but it's the long time longest

time he longest time he'd driven and

he's driving that car by himself

uncertain unsure but his mama was in the

passenger side.

Baby, you got the wheel. And as he kept

driving, Tv of Shandell for the first

time, he started to get fearful because

he saw cars pulling to the side of the

road.

>> On 95, he was driving and the rains were

coming and the waves and the rains were

coming. The wind was pushing the car

side to side. And he said to his mom,

"Mom, I see THE OTHER CARS PULLING OVER.

SHOULD I TOO PULL OVER?"

MAMA SAID, "CAN YOU SEE THE ROAD?"

>> Can you see?

>> He said, "Yes, mama. I see." He said,

"Well, keep keep on driving."

>> The further he got towards St.

Augustine, the further the more the more

the winds became omnous.

>> The lightning started to write its

mysterious language across the

southeastern deep. People were PULLING

TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ON INTERSTATE.

HE GOT FEARFUL. HE SAID, "MAMA, YES,

SIR.

>> SHOULD I TWO PULL OVER?" GOD.

>> SHE SAID, "Can you see the road?"

She said, "Yes, mama. I see the road."

He said, "Well, keep on driving."

>> AND ONCE THEY MADE IT PAST JACKSONVILLE,

OUT OF NOWHERE, everything

>> stopped.

Rains left, blue skies,

DRY LAND. AND THEN THE MAMA SAID, "NOW,

SON, pull over."

Son scratched his head. WHAT DO YOU MEAN

NOW? SAID, "PULL OVER TO THE MEDIAN.

PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD." IT

MADE NO HE SAID, "PULL OVER AND GET OUT

THE CAR. GET OUT THE CAR ON GET OUT THE

CAR AND MEET ME AT THE REAR OF THE CAR."

>> Son obeyed his mama and pulled to the

side road, got out, walked carefully to

the side. They look back WHEN SHE'S

DOWN. LOOK back

>> from which we've come.

>> Say, "Baby, yes, MAMA." DO YOU SEE ALL

THE CARS THAT PULLED OVER?

>> EVERY CAR THAT PULLED OVER

>> is still

stuck in the storm.

>> BUT BECAUSE YOU KEPT ON DRIVING,

YOU CAME OUT OF THE STORM. TRA, I CAN'T

PROMISE YOU. SHANDELLE, I CAN'T PROMISE

YOU THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU GOT DEBORAH AND

GOT TREY, THAT YOU WON'T RUN INTO SOME

STORMS SOMETIME. BUT REMEMBER THE WORDS

OF YOUR MAMA, can you see the road? And

if YOU SEE THE ROAD, KEEP ON DRIVING. DO

ME A FAVOR AND SHAKE A neighbor's hand

and SAY, "NEIGHBOR,

I DON'T KNOW

what you're going through in 2026,

BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T YOU PULL

OVER. KEEP ON DRIVING AND BE NOT

DISMAYED.

WHATEVER BETS YOU,

God will

take care of you." Y'all forgive I was

sad when I came. MY SOUL GOT HAPPY. NOW

SHAKE ANOTHER'S HAND. SAY, "NEIGHBOR,

I CAN'T PROMISE you that you won't cry

sometimes, BUT KEEP ON DRIVING AND

REMEMBER THIS.

MIDNIGHT

ONLY LASTS

for one minute."

I said, "MIDNIGHT

ONLY lasts for 60 seconds." At midnight,

Y'ALL QUIET. I SAID AT MIDNIGHT,

that's midnight. BUT AT 12:01,

THAT'S MORNING TIME. AND WEEPING may

endure

for the night.

But sh

AND

THAT I HAVE THE world

didn't give it to me.

Keep on going.

TELL YOUR NEIGHBOR, "I'M GOING THROUGH

NO MATTER WHAT COMES MY WAY." DO ME A

FAVOR. AND WHEN THE STORM COMES, DON'T

YOU WAIT UNTIL THE BATTLE ORDER. YOUR

HAND. SHOUT