Terry K Anderson - The Message of Christmas

Adventist Radio London inspiration for the song.

How Many Want More? I said, how many want more?

How many want more?

How many? Because you will just join me?

Would you just stand to your feet right now as

we just go into prayer, Oh Father God, there is

nothing like the presence of the Lord.

And your word says if two or three are gathered

together in your name, that you're in the midst We

know that, but we can also feel and sense your presence.

As we see our brothers and sisters who are worshiping

with their hands lifted, we know that you're here. As

we see tears streaming down faces, we know that the

presence of the Lord is here. As we look at

the faces in this congregation who don't look like what

they've been through, we know that the presence of the

Lord is here. And Father, we are not talking about

God's presence being inside a room. We are talking about

God's presence being inside of us. So I don't know

if I have a witness here today, but there's anybody

glad to know that He is with you.

Just lit your hands and just begin to blessing.

Thank you Lord, that you will never leave us. You

will never leave us. You will never leave us. You

will never leave.

Us, never leave us, never leave us, nor forsake us.

And if you don't do another thing, you have already

done enough.

So with hearts full of praise, with our hands lifted

towards heaven, we just simply say, Lord, have your way,

have your way, have your way, have your way, have

your way. Lord, and speak Lord over and through your

manservant and to your people and back to your man's servant.

Then Holy Ghost, just take over, take over, take over,

take over, Lord God, and we will be careful to

give you the praise, theanom, the glory and Jesus name.

We pray. Amen.

Before you're are SDD, why don't you just give somebody

a big hug and say that's how God feels.

It's a mountain. She will come on, said what God

feels about you? Yes, I hug somebody.

And if you still, if you still in the COVID mindset,

just reach out and give him, you know what I'm saying,

a virtual.

Hug in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Hey, man, let's put our hands together for the worship

that we have had today. And Man, God bless your brother,

be looking at every thinking that you didn't want to

forget about the preacher. I praise God for that. Somebody

shout hallelujah. Come on, shinlo, somebody shout hallelujah. Somebody shall

praise the Lord. Now put your hands together, and they've

God pray. What a blessing, What a blessing to be

here full disclosure. I was not supposed to be preaching today,

but I'm in a preaching mood, and uh, I.

Reached out to the pastor.

I don't I don't know, so I mean fulltis full transparency.

I know preachers that have done this, and I've made

fun of them. Pastor Boston, the preachers that they come

in town. You know, when I was pastoring, they would

come in town and say, hey, pastor, I'm in town.

And you know, if you, uh, if you, if you're.

Not doing anything, I don't mind serving. And I used

to always laugh at those preachers because I would be like, man, I've.

Got a word. I mean, you're gonna have to sit

and get this word. Uh. And I know your pastor

has a word. He always has a word. Come on,

say amen.

And you know I stepped out of side of my

normal comfort zone.

Carla, and I reached out to the pastor.

You know, I felt some type of way, I said,

but I said, you know, I'm in town, you know, and.

The man of guy said, come on, come on to

come on and.

Sir, and that's how we got here today.

Amen.

I've got to tell you how much respect and love

have not only for you know, and I'm clear on this.

I'm a second generation pastor. There's no way in the

world I will honor the Man of God and not

honor the team that is Pastor John Boston and his

lovely wife Carla and their lovely daughter Riley.

Come on, say.

Amen, anytime you are leading negroes, you can't do it

by yourself. Come on say amen, amen, somebody well, at

least it helps.

Not to do it by yourself. Amen. It keeps you

from losing your mind. Amen.

And to be honest, brothers and sisters. And I say

this in full transparency and honesty. We've been watching from

afar what God has been doing here in Chicago, and

so much of what is talked about in Chicago when

you're an outsider is the violence and the crime.

Y'all.

Y'all know that, y'all, y'all know how folks are, But

we know good and well that the Holy Ghost is

working here in Chicago.

That was a week.

Amen, I said, the Holy Ghost is working here in

Chicago because God's people are here.

What you say, a man, and I can't.

I can't see it any more clearer in the leadership

of this pastor and what's happened, the transformation that has

happened not only in this building, but in the mission

and ministry of this church. As I pulled up here today,

and I don't see this very often. I get to

travel a lot. Most of the time we come to

church and it's just us coming to church. Get a

good fix, you know what I'm saying, get our word,

go home and do it all over again. But I

was blessed when I came up. I noticed that in

the school there was some activity going on, and I

saw folks going in and out of there that looked

like they wasn't coming in here for church, but they were.

Coming to be fed.

And I'm not just our most spiritual food, but spiritual

and physical food.

What you say, amen, how many know that's the work

of the church. How many know that?

How many know that that church is a verb and

not just a Now, church is not something that you have.

Church is something that you are. Are y'all not talking

to me? Will we talk to me in here? Amen?

Church is something church. Church.

Church is supposed to be a movement activity. And God's

spirit wants to dwell in all of his people. God

wants to use all of y'all in here. Come on,

say amen. And I think we as pastors. I know

your pastor is not guilty of there's but we as

pastors have almost given you the impression that a ministry

can only take place up here, and everybody wants to

fight to get up here.

But this ain't even where the real ministry takes place. Amen.

How many no ministry takes place out there and then here?

And so I think you all need y'all need to

be proud of what God is stirring up here at Chicago, Shiloh.

I'm serious, man, we are. We're just very proud of

the work that you're doing here. The Man of God

is here as a volunteer. That's how you know us.

Love. Now one of y'all out here would be doing

you'll job on a volunteer basis. Come on saying amen.

They got to pay me. Come on, say amen. But

this Man of God loves the work.

As a matter of fact, when we were back in

the office, the only thing that John was talking about

the whole time. Y'all forgive me for calling that, but

it's my friend. The only thing that he was talking

about is this community and how we gonna and how

we're gonna help folk, and how we're gonna stop human

trafficking of black and brown bodies, and how we're gonna

stop black men from killing themselves. I mean, this is

this is somebody who cares. Good to see he says.

If this is somebody who cares to see you, brother,

this good. Somebody cares about.

People, and not just people but black people. Amen. Y'all

gonna need somebody to care because.

In January it's over, So you better start caring for yourselves.

Come on, say amen.

An old friend of our, Steve Ruff, used to say,

what do you get when you take the l off

of lover? It's over, baby, it's over. You're gonna have

to start taking care of yourself. Good to see you, brother, Amen?

Amen? Somebody amen, amen amen. So we just put our

hands together for the Man of.

God and for his church and for all the staff

and for what God is doing here. There is a

word from the Lord today and that's why I'm here,

and I want to get to it.

Would you say? Amen?

And it ain't gonna take me long today unless unless

y'all get happy. I plan on just doing what the

Lord told me to do. And the other reason.

Why is my app iPad only got thirty percent less

on it.

So hey, listen, it's just gonna be coming off the dome.

I thought I had charged it, but I guess it

wasn't charging. All right, but we're just gonna go with

the Lord today. Amen, and praise God. We got the timer.

The timer is right there in my face.

Amen. We got forty one minutes in counting. Praise God. Amen.

All right, go with me to the Book of Matthew.

What did I say?

Everybody? Let's go to the Book of Matthew. Let's go on,

get into this. I want to shout out my brother

he's here today. I'm not sure if he came in yet.

My brother Ed lives here in Chicago. Where'd you d

is Ed? Where's my brother Ed? Oh he's up in

the balcony. Y'all show some love to my brother. He

lives here in the city, and we're just glad he's here. Oh,

I forgot to tell y'all. So the reason why I'm

in Chicago's I'm going to Monday Line. Y'all know where

that is. Yeah, I got to go all the way

up to Monday Line for a retreat. And it's a

retreat of silence. It's a prayer retreat. And I do

this quarterly, and I go up them on the line

and we spend at least twelve of twelve hours after

the two days in silence. And man, I have never

you know, even when we eaten, we got to be silent. Now,

you know Black people struggle with that. I'm under great temptation,

but I'm telling you, man, just being still in the

presence of God. I'd never experienced it before. I hear

God's voice so clearly. And so by the time I

come up out of here, I might need to come

back because that's what I'm really gonna have a holy ghost.

Woo.

Man, the Lord has spoken to me in so many

different ways in silence, and some it would do us

well for many of us just to shut up sometimes

and let God talk.

Amen. Matthew Chapter one in verse.

We're gonna look at verse eighteen, and I just want

to read these verses, and you're hearing from the English

Standard version of the Bible. Let's go ahead and get

in this thing. English Standard verse the Bible, very familiar

passive scripture. We're in the advent season, and so the

Lord has led me to this verse. Now, the birth

of Jesus Christ took place in this way when his

mother Mary had been betrothed. We don't even use that

word anymore. Amen betrothed to Joseph. Before they came together.

She was found to be with child from the Holy

Ghost verse nineteen, and her husband, Joseph, being a just man,

unwilling to put her to shame, what did he do?

He said, I could kill her. I could have her stoned.

Was that not the custom in that day? Because didn't

nobody get this, I'm pregnant and the daddy is the

Holy Ghost? They they did that stuff didn't make sense

to anybody, And so the appearances of this would say

to him she should be punished under the law. But

the Bible says he was a just man. And he says,

I'm still gonna leave her. He says, I'm just gonna

do it quietly, and the word of God's are y'all

with me this morning? And the Word of God says

in verse twenty. But as he considered these things, behold

an angel of the Lord. The Lord God had to

send an angel to get this man to change his mind.

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph,

son of David, do not fear to take Mary as

your wife, for what is conceived in her is from

the Holy Ghost. Verse twenty one. She will bear a son,

and you shall come on. Everybody shall call his name

what Jesus?

Why?

For he will save his people from their sins.

And all of this took place.

To fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet,

and the Bible says, behold, here's the Obviously, the virgin

shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call

his name Emmanuel, which means come on, say it with me, everybody,

God with us Verse twenty four and twenty five of

our last verse. When Joseph woke up from sleep, he

did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.

He took his wife.

Watch this now, he says, But he did not know

her until she had given birth to a son, and

they called his name. Whether they call his name, they

called his name Jesus. I want to share, just for

a few moments, under the subject.

Worse than Pagan, Worse than Pagan.

Now, I come from a family of talkers and debaters.

If you can not Thanksgiving or to our Christmas gatherings

were debating politics, with debating who is the goat Lebron

or that other guy who played his somewhere politics, And

that almost got me in trouble early on in my

marriage pastor because I like to argue, I like to debate.

My wife doesn't come from that kind of family. And

I remember very vividly we had gotten to a real

while I was arguing, and she was silent, and I

think my wife seriously had made up her mind that

she was done with the marriage, because how many know

would Sometimes you get married and it don't matter how

much preparation you do, there's always surprises.

Come on, say a man, Sometimes you see.

Some stuff and you're just not sure if you can

do a lifetime with this. So y'all just praise God

that my wife was watching right now decided.

To show me mercy and grace.

Come on say, man, but I mean, but I like

to debate, I like to argue, I like to talk

obviously right, And I have a tendency, especially during the

holiday season, to get into these debates, eats, you know,

with folks who I feel are silly on Facebook, y'all

pray for me. Sometimes I try, Hey can I get

a witness in here? Sometimes you see somebody say something

silly and you say, now, do I really want to

get involved in this today, because you know, you mess

around and it could take up the whole day. You're

going back and forth with people, especially during political.

Seasons and things of that nature.

And I'm just trying to show demonstrate self control. But

almost annually around this time, somebody is going to share

something or post something.

About why we ought not celebrate.

Christmas because Christmas in their minds is pagan and God's people,

Christian people, Bible believing people ought not have anything to

do with things that are our pagan The problem with

this notion, and I want to suggest here I don't

have a burden one way or the other. If you

want to put up trees, if you want to celebrate,

if you want to have point setters, if some of

y'all got read on today.

Praise God for you.

Like I mean, I have no burden to try to

persuade somebody one way or the other.

What I do have a burden for is.

That we are biblical in our understanding and that we

make proper application to what we feel biblical principles are.

In other words, I just feel like, if we're going

to be Bible people, then we need to be Bible people,

but we need to function under principles that make sense.

I'm a common sense type of person, and some of

the things that we do just don't make sense. And

I feel like this argument about Christmas to me doesn't

make sense.

Now, if this offends you, don't worry.

I got some other stuff in the sermon that will

that will bless you. Come on, say amen, but I'm

going somewhere today. Somebody shall he going somewhere?

Okay?

So so so so so. There was this common argumentative

strategy called the genetic fallacy. I'm just gonna get deep

for a few seconds. The genetic fallacy and the genetic

fallacy since essentially is this. It's when people try to

dismiss an idea, a person, a thing, or anything of

that nature based upon its origin. In other words, if

if its origin is bad, then nothing can be good

in its future and so so so that's kind of

what happens with these arguments that you have with people

in religious circles.

They say, Hey, Christmas, it's pagan.

It came from uh, you know, Satanic rituals, and it

came from uh, the worship of mythological gods. So how

can we as believers get ourselves wrapped up in something

that has its origins? Have y'all heard this before? In

something that is pagan? Now I'm going somewhere today, all right.

The problem with that argument is is we only only

do that with subjects like this.

We do that to people.

Folks will say, well, they from Chicago, and so there's

a certain kind of labeling that we do when things

happen like that. Or people maybe I don't know if

you drive a Volkswagon, but the Volkswagon at one time

was owned by the Nazis, So some folks will say

you shouldn't drive a Volkswagon because Volkswagons.

Were owned by the Nazis these kinds of things, or or.

Don't trust black people, can't trust them if they're from

this neighborhood, or if they come from this family, because

if they came from this person, come on, don't we

do that? Then we begin to lump them up and

assign them to all the guilt that comes with this.

That what that is called. It's called the genetic fallacy.

In other words, you.

Cannot necessive, necessarily say that just because my ori gins

were bad or were evil, that my ending will be

the same.

Does that make sense, y'all? Now The reason.

Why I need you to hear this is because part

of the problem with this is that I know something

worse than pagan. See the word pagan, if they really

knew the origin simply means from the country. See back

in the day, the Catholic Church, when it took over Christianity,

would call people who were from the hood pagan. These

were poor people, these were people who were uneducated, These

were people who.

Were undocumented, These were.

People who did not who were marginalized, and so they

called them pagan. That word now as an association with evil,

But that's not what pagan means.

Pagan just means that these are regular people. But we

have turned into a pejorative term.

That essentially, if you put the label pagan on something.

Then you got certain Christians that feel like it shouldn't

be done.

But the clothes you got on a pagan. The necktie

I'm wearing is pagan. Oh, y'all don't want to talk

in here.

I mean we literally, I mean these buildings, the way

these church buildings are made are pagan. So I just

want you to start thinking for a minute, because it's

amazing to me how we get into these debates and

these arguments. And when we consider the birth of Christ,

the birth of Christ is more disturbing than Christmas. We

are disturbed, and we try to do everything we can

as believers to keep.

Holy over here and unholy over here.

We have this notion that there should be sacred and

there should be secular. And if you think like that,

that means you've experienced bad teaching. Because, as I said, honey,

my Bible, Jesus and the presence of God has never

attempted to separate itself from evil. The whole point of

the gospel is that God is trying to get in

bad places and spaces.

The whole point of the.

Gospel is that God is not just looking for pagan

God is looking.

For wicked.

It wasn't in Christ that as soon as he planted

himself and began his ministry was casting out devils were

hanging with prostitutes and sinners. Look at the apostles, Name

me one good apostle.

Look at the patriarchs, Show.

Me one good man, Moses, Noah, Abraham. See our prom

as believers, is we, especially church avenus, folks, we are

always trying to protect Jesus from stuff that Jesus ain't

trying to be protected from. Jesus has no interests in

being separated from wickedness. He's trying to get near wickedness.

He's trying to get close to evil. He's trying to

get close to mess. He's trying to get close to trauma.

He's trying to get close to them. Why y'all, y'all

quiet in here? You ought to be shouting, Because if

Jesus we're trying to separate himself from pagan and from

evil and from wickedness, then that means nobody in here

has a chance. See, for some of us, we have

this need of protecting purity and the reputation of God

from stuff that God ain't trying to separate himself from.

I love to hear people debate about music and saying, well,

I heard this song he was playing sound like a

song I used to sing in the club back in

the day. There's no such thing as spiritual music. There

are spiritual people who sing. I'm gonna have to lose

some of y'all right now. So what if I'm an

unholy vessel that's standing up here preaching God's word. Oh,

just because I'm preaching God's word, it's okay, But what

if I'm not right? See, let me mess with your

mind for a little bit. Some of y'all think you're

okay because on Sabbath you're holy.

But what you're doing, what you're.

Doing the rest of them six days out of the week.

And what it does is it teaches us.

It teaches us.

To have these compartmentalized lives where we can be spiritual

right here, and then we can be cardinal right here.

And it doesn't mean anything. But let me tell you something.

God is trying to get all up in all of your.

Life, all of it. He wants to get in the mess.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. He is not afraid of my issues.

He's not afraid of my failures. He's not afraid of

my past. He's not afraid of the skeletons in my closet.

He's not afraid of drug addicts and drug dealers, said prostitutes.

He's not afraid of gays and Lesbethians.

He's not afraid you are. And the whole point of

the gospel, I'm almost done. The whole point of a

gospel is God trying to get in my mass.

You know what's more disturbing for some of you because

I got no issues.

I don't care. I don't care y'all.

I mean, y'all disturbed about Easter bunnies, and disturbed about

Christmas tree, and disturbed about this. And then some of

y'all want keep the feat days and some of y'all

want to do this, and some of y'all listen to this,

and some of y'all listen to that.

But then some of y'all will listen to.

Gospel, and then well, you know what I'm saying, You

got yourself, come out listen, y'all.

Y'all think God cares. He really don't care about that stuff.

Because her he trying to get into all the people.

That's doing that stuff in the first place. And listen,

that is more disturbing than your Christmas tree.

Come blow your.

Minds real quick and let me get out of here.

This blew my mind. You know what's crazy. The whole incarnation,

the whole story of Christ's birth should be offensive to you.

Think about this. Here's the whole story.

The Bible says that God, I said, God, he that was,

that he is, and that he.

Is to come, He that is always going.

Where he's coming from, to get to where he is,

to find out he's already there. I'm talking about l Shadday,

I'm talking about l Oheme. I'm talking about Jehovah, Hirah,

Jehovah sid Canoe.

I said, God came up with a plan to save

the world. And you know what this plan was.

I'm gonna go to the hood, the worst neighborhood. Y'all

not talking to me in here. Why y'all say up

here looking at me strange? Ain't y'all from Chicago. I said,

he said, I'm going to the hood. I'm going to Nazareth.

The Bible says that Nazareth had such a bad reputation

pastor that people said can any good thing come out

of Nazareth. That's why I don't like bougie Christians. Some

of y'all acting brand new.

No y'all came out of the hood. No y'all was

eating government cheese. Come on in here, talk to me.

Somebody know y'all was in of trauma infested homes. No

y'all n seen some treachery. Some of y'all stepped over bodies.

Some of y'all had folks in your house with mental

health challenges.

Drug issues.

Grew up poor, then became adventished, joined the church, got

a little money, and now you act like you better

than everyonebody else.

Negro, you from Nasaro. You're from Nazareth, trying.

To sound sophisticated, putting big words when they don't belong,

looking deep, got your fur curla.

Coda on in the winter time. But you ain't nothing

but a Negro from Nazareth. Help me, Lord, Help me Lord.

I mean, but I want you to think about it.

Right in Heaven, they're having counsel on how we gonna

save the world.

Figure this strategy.

The strategy is this, We're gonna go to the worst

neighborhood and we're going to get a teenage girl.

Most scholars, could I really blow your minds?

Most scholars would suggest that Mary was between twelve and

fourteen years old.

This ain't no grown woman, y'all. What y'all think this

he is?

They wasn't the same age, and Joseph was more than

likely in his late twenties to his thirties.

In modern times, we call that statutory rate.

This is God's plan, somebody shall God's planning, y'all ain't

ready for this thing to that. I said, this is

God's man who's planning as a yall? So God says,

I'm gonna grab me a teenage girl who is engaged

or betrothed to be married. I'm going to impregnate her

before she's married. Oh God, that don't make no sense.

By the way, that's the title my sermon today. They

don't make no sense.

Wrap your mind around this evangelism strategy to find.

Two poor children.

Come on, talk to me somebody that don't you know

what they're doing, and get you a girl who is

who is preparing for marriage, but she ain't married. Then

you impregnate her with God.

Are y'all here now, y'all sleeping?

I said, no, y'all here if you some of y'all

too spiritual, because it makes sense.

All this makes perfect sense to me. This don't make

no sense. Carla, Carla, come on, are you hearing me?

And wat's this? Here is what?

And he had to pick a twelve He had to

pick a twelve thirteen year old girl because you don't

got enough sense to.

Say, I ain't doing this. Come on, talk to me

in here.

Don't sanitize the Bible, make it real and so and

so what happens?

The Holy Spirit says, hey, listen, are you are you

down to do this? Mary?

And Mary says whatever the Lord says, I'm willing to

do now now now here. This She is in the

betrothal phase. See, we don't do this anymore, but betrothal. Essentially,

there's three phases of a Jewish marriage. There's betrothal, right,

there's the actual engagement, and then there's the marriage.

So she is in this period of time of one

year of observation, one year of what everybody the whole

point of this year is for her family to.

Check out him and for his family to check out her,

essentially for one reason, to make sure that they are

what they said they were. The whole purpose of the

betrothal phase is to see if she's a virgent.

Y'all. Oh, y'all's a slow house today? Is anybody with

me here today? I said, Now, y'all with me here today?

Can you smell what I'm trying to cook in here today? Now?

The whole point is, why would you come and really

complicate this thing? Lord?

Lord?

Do you not know that the family is checking me

out to make sure I'm a good girl? And you

gonna come now and mess up our plans?

Y'all not hearing me in here?

If I could just make my first point today, see,

I want to talk to people who are carrying something

that God gave you. That's why the Lord's sitting here today,

Pastor that many of you you know that God has

put something inside of you, and what He has put

inside of you is not easily understood by people outside

of you. As a matter of fact, you struggle yourself

with what God gave you because you haven't really wrapped

your mind around the power of what God.

Has put inside of you.

And you said yes, but you are not really sure

that that yes makes sense. Because when God puts something

inside of you, he will always put you in complicated situations,

and God.

Is not interested in your comfort.

God is interested in complicating your life. They just two

kids who want to get married in peace, and then

God shows up and say.

It ain't happening like this. Do you want to do

what I want you to do? Do you want to

go where I'm telling you to go?

Well, then if I'm coming in your life, then there

got to be some changes. And the first change is

that you ain't in control anymore. And it's gonna get

complicated here.

She is got a little baby bump family checking them out.

It's a problem now, the Bible says, Joseph finds out.

I love telling this story, and the Bible says, I

don't know what the conversation went like, but this is

my sanchnified imagination. Mary Joseph, we need to talk. I

got something to tell you. The Lord has been good

to me. You know, she young and naive. So when

you get some time, we need to we need to

have a talk. So Mary and Joseph get together. Want

you to talk to me, baby, Whatever you tell me,

I'm gonna be good with it because I'm just so

excited about this wedding. I'm just so in love with you.

I just thank God for the life that he is

giving us. And she said, listen, you ain't heard nothing yet,

she said, listen here. She said, I had a dream

and God came and he spoke to me, and baby,

let me tell you what he told me. He said

that he is going to fill me with his presence.

And Joseph is saying, oh, praise God, come on, that's

what we want.

We want to be filled with his president. No, you're not.

Understanding what I'm saying, baby, No, no, no, you know the

Messiah that we've been praying for.

Baby, he chose us, but he chose me.

And and I don't know how to tell you this

except just to tell you as I know.

But oh, thank you Lord, Joseph. Just excuse me for

a minute, because when I think of the.

Goodness of Jesus, oh glory, yes, hallelujah, Joseph, I'm pregnant.

And the daddy is the Holy Ghost.

See listen, y'all been telling this story, sitting these kids

down for children's story, lying to them, singing these these

songs that have no theological meaning. Night, holy night, nah

bra It wasn't nothing silent about it at all. And

y'all be going driving around to them Nativity scenes and

they got all these white people, they supposed to be.

Black looking all calm.

Come on, say amen, Mary got the baby. Joseph is

standing there looking approvingly. Are y'all not here? They got

the wise man there? They're not even supposed to be there.

They ain't come till two years later.

Are y'all hearing me?

And were giving this picture like that when Christ came

into the world, and it was just a beautiful experience

and everybody was happy.

Understand, it was not the case. When Christ came into

these folks lives. He messed up their plans. And Joseph

is shit to be tied.

I know I can say that in here, and y'all

know what I'm talking about. Come on seeing anybody know

what I'm talking about In here? He big man and

the Bible says, according to the law, my sister, that.

Mary should be.

Ain't nobody in the community agreeing with them. In Nazareth,

it's the same Nazareth.

That was about to throw Jesus over a cliff. You

think these folks ready to throw her a baby shower?

But gender reveal party.

She crazy, she's touched, she'd have lost her mind. It's

what Joseph is saying.

And the Bible says that Joseph had made up his

mind because he was righteous.

Lord help me Jesus. He says, what she has done

to me is wrong.

But because I'm righteous, I ain't gonna put her on blast.

I just preached to somebody in here right now. Some

of y'all ain't righteous because you have the ammunition to

put people out there, and.

You do it anyway. But if you was righteous, you

keep your mouth shut.

You know why you keep your mouth shut because you

recognize that if it had not been for the Lord

on your side, it would have been your stuff that

was out come on.

You don't have no right to put.

Nobody on blasts because God didn't put you on blasts.

The Bible says, Joseph is big man, But he says,

I'm still gonna divorce her. I'm just gonna do it quietly.

The Bible says that it took a whole angel. Y'all

not getting this thing. I know you're preaching the word here.

I don't know why they got.

Why they's so quiet today?

Hella, are are y'all witting in here. Hey, listen, The

Bible says God had the sin and angel to say, Joseph,

don't do it.

He said, I not. This is confusing. That's my second point.

When God is getting ready to do something in your life,

and when God has started something in your life, number one,

it gets complicated, and it gets complicated fast. The second

thing that happens is you get confused about what God

is doing. And your confusion is nothing more than an

acknowledgment that this thing is bigger than me. One of

the reasons why many of you all don't have no stress,

no anxiety.

Your prayer life is the same.

You're the same person you was last year in twenty

twenty four, and you planning to be the same person

you are in twenty twenty five.

It's because you have not expanded your vision.

You have not allowed God to do stuff in your

life that is bigger than you.

And one of the things I've discovered is that when.

You allow God to push you past your limitations and

push you past your fears and get you out of

your comfort zone, it takes your spiritual life to another level.

Am I talking to anybody in here? Pastor puts you

on your face in prayer. See the vision that God

has given you. Man of God has.

To be big.

If it's too small, then you will take credit.

It won't push you past your limitations. It won't listen.

Listen.

Let me tell you.

If ain't nobody mad about what God is doing in

your life, guess what God ain't doing it time Mary

is walking around and she's pregnant, and folks are mad,

but Joseph is like, don't touch her.

Do you realize Joseph had to cover from Mary.

There are some people that thought Joseph had tasted of

the honey. Y'all gonna get in here because he was

covering the woman of God.

The third thing that's gonna happen when.

God gets ready to do something amazing.

In your life.

Number one, he's gonna complicate your life. Number two, you

will be confused because it's too big for you to understand.

And then the third.

Thing is is if you look around, he's gonna sing

you community to help hold your hand and collaborate so

that you don't give up and so that your enemies

don't triumph over you.

Holleljah. Yeah, y'all not hearing me? In here.

See many of you think you're alone, but you're not alone.

Many of you figure by yourself, You're not by yourself.

Many of you figure you're the only one going through

what you're going through. You're not the only one going

through what you're going through. Let's try it like this.

Is there anybody in here that's been through hell? But

you're still here today and it's fine, a graceome God,

get on your feet.

Is there anybody in here today that's made.

Some mistakes, that's had some failures, that's had some disappointments,

but you held on to God's hand despite it.

Won't you send to your feet? Okay?

Is there anybody that had to pray in the midnight

hour and cry out to God figuring.

That you were gonna lose your line, but you stayed

in the race.

You lived along. But you're still here and it's by

the grace of God.

Is there anybody in here today that has had to

praise God with tears in your eyes, that's had to

lift your hands when you.

Didn't want to lift them, that had to.

Tell God, thanke you look like all hell was breaking

twoth in your life? And there have I got anybody

here to tell you that learn how to trust him

when you couldn't see him.

Come on. It that you didn't see the money, you

didn't see.

The provision, but you stood on the promises of cop

and you hell God, hold on, hold on, hold on,

no sound.

Look around, look around this room. Look around the room,

Look around the room.

Guess what you're not by your self. Open up your

mouth and praise God for your neighbor.

Stay right there, stay right there. We were getting ready

to leave. See see see come.

On in here, holy gir Yes God, Yes Lord, come on,

somebody praise him in here.

Thank you Jesus, Thank you Lord. Has anybody been tempted

to give up?

Get down here right now, Get down here, right now,

Get down here right now.

I don't need to.

Make it specific, but if you heard God talking.

To you, move right now. I'm not even done my sermon.

But I hear God say, call the people of God

right now. Somebody needs to be prayed for.

I don't know who I'm talking to, but God is

trying to do something.

In your life. And what I don't need you doing

is interfering.

Hey, everybody, listen as your movie, as your movie, and.

This ain't man, it may not be for everybody, but

there's some folks in here.

You since God trying to work, but you're getting scared,

You're getting anxious.

It doesn't feel right because you have such a loss

of control. Can I help you all out with I'm

real quick.

God is not attracted to worthiness, He's attracted to weakness.

Listen.

The reason why your stuff is falling apart is because

he likes it like that. That's why I'm going to Nazareth.

That's why I'm finding me saying I'm not listening for

many of you all, you are not going to experience

the work that God wants to do in your life

because you want to maintain this appearance that you got

to figure it out too.

But you need to be down here right now. I

want to try this one more time.

Is there anybody in this room other than the folks

that are here right here who need a breakthrough from God?

And you need prayer? You need the saints of God

to pray today. You need to just get on out

of your seat and come forward and say, I need

healing in my body, I need deliverance in my marriage.

I have a child that is wayward. I got a

body that is sick. I need God a breakthrough.

Press your way right now, Press.

Your way because some of you think that the devil

is at work. Guess what it's really God, You can't

tell me. The day was thinking she had to be

like who is this God? Her whole community was ready

to throw her out, But step by step God would

sin exactly what they needed when they needed it. Amen,

I said, I listen, I'm in the middle of a

faith journey right now. I don't know where my faith

folk at. Where are my folks right now that doesn't

step out on faith completely with some stuff in your life.

And let me tell y'all something Holy GIRs told me

and my wife last year. After pastoring for twenty five

years fifteen years in Cleveland, Ohio, Holy Go said, quit

your job, both of y'all, move south and start an

international men's ministry.

Who're gonna pay the bills?

See, we like to glamorize faith walk, but for those

of you who are living in you lose hair over it.

Come on saying your pastor making it look good.

Come on, say you man, I know he on a

faith journey. Listen, let you hear what I'm saying.

You are going to be tried, and you are going

to experience mind games where you are wondering.

It says, God, is this me? Who am I hearing?

What's happening?

Oh?

God, God, I need God speak to me.

Because it doesn't make sense. If we had a business

meaning here, Pastor, and we said let's figure out how

to reach this community, you know what I'm saying, we

wouldn't be like, well, let's just got to find the youngest,

hoodest person filled in with God's spirit even though they're

not married, and we're gonna change the world. Do y'all

know the Gospel started with an unwired mother, the same

type of people y'all been trying to put out of

the church. Yes, and I'm just saying God does not

work the way you think he should work. Don't nobody

care about your stupid traditions. They don't mean anything when

it comes to God. We talk about spiritual warfare. Do

y'all know what's happening in the atmosphere around here?

There was a spirit of death.

There was a spirit of hopelessness, even in the body

of Christ. There are many of you you have not

taken your own lives that some of you have fought

to do it. Many of you had had your stomach pumped,

some of you had somebody found you almost dead. And

the only reason you here's become of the grace of God.

But there are others in this community. As Pastor and

I were talking, there was a steemutic spirit of hopelessness

and darkness.

And what if they knew.

That the worst things that have happened to them were

actually God preparing them for the greatest things He was

going to do in their lives.

What if they knew that Lift your hands right now.

It's just Father, God, Father God. Like Mary today, we

say have your way.

Everybody can't say that, but those that mean it, say, Lord,

do what you want to do. Oh have mercy, have

your way, because I promise you it's better when God

does his listen.

He does his best work. When you're confused, when.

Your life is complicated, when you feel alone, I promise

you you'll miracle, You'll break through. Your mossing is on

the way.

Stand still and save the salvation under the word Father.

Right now, I pray a prayer.

Of breakthrough over every hand that is raised over every

person that is watching. Somebody right now is on a

faith journey. Somebody right now is in a season where

God is trying to work and.

It doesn't make sense.

Father, I pray right now for a supernatural faith. I

pray right now that you will dispel anxiety depression. Lord,

I pray you remove wicked thoughts and God, I pray

that hopelessness will be canceled.

In the name of Jesus.

God, I pray you filled in with your process and

with hope to know that everything we don't work out.

Now.

Before I close this a few more minutes, there could

be somebody here today that needs to give their life

fully to Jesus Christ. I know you're here. I know

you're here. The Holy Ghost told me you're here, and

we don't need to waste time because when you hear

his voice, you can't hard your heart.

When you hear his voice, you gotta do what he

tell you to do.

When you hear his voice, you gotta know that he's

saying this is the way, walk you in it. When

you hear his voice, know that it's your best life that's.

Coming for you.

When you tell God, yes, I need your pray right now,

But then somebody here needs to give their life to

Jesus and baptism. You need to give your life to

Jesus and read baptism. You need to first start with

the Lord. See this ain't no joke. It ain't no

game for you. Right now, game time is over.

It's serious.

You ain't going into this new year the same way

you came in. You are going into this city full

of the spirit of God, fully surrendered, fully consecrated for

the work that He had for.

You to do. Listen to me right now now, it's

not the time for fear and for worry.

If you hear the Holy Spirit speaking to you, all

you got to do is tell him, yes, yes, Lord.

So here it is very quickly. Who is the Holy

Spirit talking to right now? You wanna be baptized? You

want to be rebaptized any none of our business.

We're gonna celebrate you one way or the other. Hallelujah.

So I want you to raise your hand on the

counter of three.

Because the Lord is talking to you and you're here today,

We're gonna get ready for you to raise your hand,

and every head is bowed, every eye is closed. The

officers and the ministers of the church will find you.

You don't have to come down here. We don't gotta

come get you. We're gonna come get you. Just raise

your hand on the counter. Three if you hear the

Lord saying, be born again, be washed, be cleansed, be renewed,

be restarted. One This is for baptism and rebaptism. Two

Three raise your hand right now. God bless you.

I see your hand. God bless you. God bless you.

With hold bless its. Just somebody else, I see a

young man, God bless hold, bless you, somebody else. Just

lift your hand. Keep your hand lifted high. I see

your hand. Young persons, Je you.

Keep praying church. Raise your hand up. The Lord is

speaking to you. Hi, shot, Come on, lift this up

right now. Come on, say withholding nothing, withholding nothing, Yes,

with holding nothing.

Just keep your hand lifted. The Lord is talking to you.

Right now.

Raise your hand right now. Raise your hand right now,

and be obedient. Be obedient. Your best life starts with obedience.

Do what God tells you to raise your hand.

Love me. Come on, come on, come on, give you

all of you. I give you. I see your hand,

young man, God bless you. I see all love.

Youve you love me, I give you all. Give you.

Pastor come and pray for us.

Please, somebody just lift your hands until God thank you

right now, come on, don't thank him for second chances,

thank him.

For another chance. Hallelujah. How many are glad that he

still is trying to work in his people. Hallelujah, God

bless you.

Listen, Amen, Lord, there is a man who has contemplated suicide,

but his life has been reclaimed for Heaven's glory in

Jesus' name.

God.

There is the brokenness of lost dreams and unfulfilled promises.

But God, today we leave this sanctuary knowing that the

spirit of the Living God has delivered us. And so

in this atmosphere of prayer right now, because of the

power of what you have done, Lord, there are parents

calling out the names of their children.

Out loud right now. Lord.

There are grandparents calling out the names of their children,

their grandchildren.

Right now in Jesus' name. Lord.

There are those that are praying for their sick loved ones,

and they're shouting out their names right now.

Oh God.

The people praying for their finances and praying for their

homes and God, praying for stability in their lives.

But right now, Lord, you are moving. Lord.

We recognize that if we face mess, it is because

the Living God has decided to bring salvation out of

the ugliness. So in Jesus' name, we stay in this

moment of prayer and we just call and we to

you wherever you are. Just pray right now, just pray.

Speak to the Lord right now, call on him while

he may be found, Call on him in Jesus' name,

Father a spirit of prayer. Right now, Lord, we all praying.

God and Father, we take this moment to lift up

doctor Myron Edmunds. God, you have called him to a

southern land to build an international men's ministry.

And Lord, I.

Pray that the days of him wondering how you will

work it out will become the least and that the

greatest hours of every day will be at trying to

keep up with all of the good that you will do.

So Lord, I pray for his wife and his children

and every person that partners.

With him and prays for him.

And Father in Jesus' name, I pray that the day

will come in the very near future that one of

the largest men's gathering in American history will happen in Chicago,

and doctor Myron Edmund's ministry will be at the center

of that transformational moment where the city's tied of suicide

against black men and violence against black men and unprecedented

rates of incarceration will shift. And so Father, we thank

you for this prayer time. God, don't let us leave

prayer wicked. Let us walk out of this thing, trusting you,

O God. In Jesus' name, we pray.

Amen.

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