Youth Service -Bro Nathanael Howell Bro Ethan Roadcap Bro Samuel Sterrett 6-28-2024

This is, this is. I just couldn't get out of my head.

And typically I know I've been preaching now, I think eight years I've started.

I ain't mastered here in the wossom of Lord. But I got an

idea when God started talking to me after eight years, and I would be

a prime seemen if I didn't know was about after a year in a Christian's

life. It's a crime and shame probably in our honesty when God sends a

message to a pastor and we don't remember. Listen, you know, I

mean I want to I want to just be brief tonight, and and y'all

bear with me just for a second, Amen, and let me see if

I can explain, man, what was on my heart Amen, from what

I heard aimen in the corridors of my soul was Jesus wasn't what he could

have been. I know that sounds strange, right, man, that denied

the Christian. They think I've insulting Jesus. I'm not. You hold on

and let me get somewhere if you turn the Matthew chapter number twenty seven and

verse number three. Amen. Of course, just some stuff Pastor has poured

into us, and we see how God brings it back. Amen. The

Bible talks about Judas that have betrayed Jesus. Matthew twenty seven and verse three

has said, then Judas, which betrayed him, when he saw that he

was condemned, repented himself and brought again the thirty pieces of zeal Or to

the chief priests and the elders. And we've heard Pastor talk about they've been

how Judas wanted Jesus in that moment, a man to be what Judas wanted

to be a man. He wanted him to set up an earthly kingdom on

earth and began to reign and rule over people. And it's been said though

of some some in the world. Amen, they wasn't what they could have

been. And we've heard of us it in a derogatory manner. And then

when people talked down on people, and I mean many many things that played

a role in this over the years. But of what I heard of the

context of this, Amen, When you begin to think of all that Jesus

could have been while he walked on earth, Amen, there was there was

one we see here that believed he should have been something he wasn't. Amen.

And we see in the Christian life. Those that thank God should baptize

them smoking cigarettes. We see those Amen, that think Jesus could be Amen,

you know, just a salvation to them in their moment of dire need.

But they've used him for ten years, Amen, So praise God.

He Judas here trying to force the hand of God. He put him in

a sticky situation. He thought Jesus was gonna rise up and rise to the

occasion, Amen, and Judas would set him up and all of a sudden

he would build his kingdom. Amen. He our understanding. Amen, it's

limited. And Judas even ended himself begin to think of what Jesus could do.

And then he top of us that we're not careful a man. We

think what Jesus could use me in this basket. What Jesus could do this

through me. Remember, we've gotten to learn him and to trust in God.

Jesus could have immediately Amen, been ruler over all the earthly kidnap as

he was tempted by the devil. Amen. But instead of this, Amen,

we saw him Amen choose a different path. He was tempting Amen with

the with abuse of his power. When he found himself in need and then

needing bread, and the devil said, take this stoll and make him bread.

He was tempting to abuse his power for selfish Amen benefits. And there's

people in the church or on today they try to abuse the Holy ghost and

then for selfish benefits. And then I'm not I'm trying to get where I'm

going, man, because i want to talk to you young people just for

a minute. Amen. He could have he could have been friends to the

political hierarchy. This is all things Jesus could have been. He had free

will, and then he was able to do what he wanted to do.

Yes, the Bible said there was no city. Amen, but he had

a choice. Hey, Amen, shoot shall out a man. They're been

men like Hudson Taylor that there's no pellings in this earthly world. What they

could have been? Theyven, There's people like brother Rizad was a business and

he saw his business. Amen, because and he didn't let the world divide

what could have been a man. There's a lot of young people in the

church world today. Amen. They let Bond decide what they could be.

They let Bond decide even where their draft clicks could be. Ay man,

They let Bond decide where their son should be my God. I just want

to talk to you for a minute. Jesus had the free, will you

ahead of myself? Here fastor could have been some things he could have been

the owner Amen, A and a multi million dollars see rock calls. Amen,

could construction company for one. These are things that Amen, Yes they

could have been. Some things are a reality. But just because they're obtainable

doesn't mean they've been using entertain them. Amen. It's obtainable for every one

of us to start letting down the standard and the sacrifice. Amen. What

what well? Amen? What's believing? Man? And what is foul in

the world of God? For what friends we could have? And then the

fact that we could fity on And I'm not saying we don't they meant because

Amen, there is a beauty and holdness and those and man, the only

friends who worth having are the friends they had in the family of God.

I'm trying to get through this. I really want to hear these brothers preach.

I prayed about them, Amen, and then that's how I felt led.

Amen. And all I can do is obey the word of God.

Amen. This world loves to to find what you could be. Amen.

They make you feel bad, Amen, if you're not out there throwing yourself

to the world, if you're not out there chasing, chasing, filthy lucre.

Amen, I'm doing whatever it takes, cutting anybody, stroke the stands

in the way, Amen, to make the next dollar in the next promotion.

Amember, if I could leave you with one thing before the brothers preach

a man, Jesus could have been many things, and the world loves to

define what you could be, but only God can define what you should do.

Amen. Jesus knew what he should be. Amen. Instead of hierarchy,

he chose to be a healer. I feel it in my soul,

and I wish somebody would listen to me instead of two duck for you.

He could have been and he is. He's too for all of us.

He chose good to you, my God. He cut up here and that

someone that wouldn't touch you with a didn't foot both someone in that. He

could have been someone that didn't have to offer musty to the lordly. And

then he could have been someone that was too good for my baugh a bayis.

But he chose what he should be. He didn't choose ruler of the

kingdoms of this world he chose savior and then to every pauper, king,

prince and beggar, and then no one could say he wasn't what he should

have been. My God, if you'll get a hold of what you should

be a god, the standards you should have instead of the standards you could

have, my God, that should have should always that way you could have.

I'm spitting all over this, and then what is my point? And

then I let down for a minute? What is my point? Don't let

anyone any loose living youth group, any other church or church family, any

family member. Amen. They're a dime a dozen with the skirt shortening.

They're a dime a dozen. Amen that think that the music they listen to

outside of the House of God don't matter. Amen. But you all know

what you should be because God, they been through pastor had laid a beautiful

foundation for you to puiled your family off and friend, if you choose to

cut hand over the should have and then you will never see the benefits of

a family pilled on God. You will see whip they've been children. They

man with no standard, gotter frenches and cruisings on God. Amen. If

you're just a toll. You'll let the Lord what you should have had.

They are thoughting the prayer of life, the Bible leading and a relationship with

God. Oh God, Now the last thing God gave me today and I

I mean I started building the Lord. I was about to have a shouting

spell and I have done that. God gave us all a free will.

And then, girls, you have the ability to choose how your breath and

the way you'll live, and then the way you'll read your Bible and pray

and been brother, and you have the ability to choose what's on the radio

dial, heyman, the way you'll talk from the job they been. Those

are things you can't choose. And thak that many of us could have chosen,

Amember, We chose what we should have, and when we get stuck

in they could have and we get stuck in our free will what we could

have. And then Jesus had power to do it. This is my whole

point, if you can get this, He just had the power to do

anything he wanted. He had the power to live in the mansion you strow

desire who tried it, the beautifulest car, and then how he knew every

thought even they would have been fused. There was no limit to the even

the power of Jesus. He could have they have been the most wealthiest businessman,

ruled the entire universe from showing and shore, every uprising in the new

who's started where to put it out of his kid them would have went off

forever and never and never end it up. Jus tried to fust his hand,

but it wasn't what should have been. Why we all had the power

to choose, but without the fore knowledge, and then that's a detriment.

Without Jesus's ability to know all things, the power to choose all things would

have been a demise to each and every one of us. And we've seen

youth comes across the holiness movement, Amen choose what they could have been because

they didn't got the peignology seem and they all knowing the ability to know the

way it would work families, the way it would wake their lives, and

that would have chid the kind. Listen to me, this is why we

take for gospel what is preached from this pool brids because we don't know like

Jesus, but he gives us the ability and then to see a little bit.

So don't amen choose what could be, over what should be, and

bring you all know what should be? Amen. I hope I ain't God

a man. Sometimes my explanations aren't a man super great Amen, but Shi

who by by I got off. If I could just just Amen, get

the reality to seek him. Of what Jesus could have been, but what

he chose. He chose to listen to his Father. He chose to submit

to his will and the cross. Amen, for the good of us.

And he's still today telling you for the good of you. Amen, of

what you should do a man, friend, don't choose what could be?

Man and man, I want these preachers to come around and praise God,

Brother Ethan, and then come on around and share the word and Man,

let's help them preach. Amen, help the amen, pray and ask God

to help them. Stretch your hand toward Heaven right now and then, I

hope I ain't quitch nothing. I believe the spirit of the Lord still here

to help Amen, share the word God. God. Oh, I definitely

want to thank the Lord for what he's done with us far. Remember that

wonderful ex for exhortation we just had. I want to thank my pastor and

youth pastor for this opportunity. And if you have your bibles, we'll be

turning to Matthew Chapter four, verse verses twenty eight through thirty one would be

our tech text if we all stand for the reading of God's Holy Word.

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be that thou bid

me come unto thee on the water, And he said come. And when

Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to

go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid

and beginning to sink. He cried, saying, Lord, save me.

If fast we read, pray servant. Our text is found in a New

Testament book of the King James version, also known as the Holy Bible or

translation King James Translation. There's no version of the Bible. Here we read

of someone who had went with Jesus for a little bit. He'd been going

and traveling with you for a little bit here, but still he didn't have

a whole lot of faith. He didn't have a whole lot of je of

Uh. He didn't have a whole lot of faith in Jesus, and he

ended up having doubt in his heart. Here here we find in a instance

where the Lord or Jesus had to prove himself to his disciples, where he

had told him. We all know the story he told after feeding the five

thousand. He told him to go on, and he had said he'd linger

back, and he'd prayed, but he it was I feel like it was

a test, will you go away from me? And he had to prove

himself because Lord knows he wasn't going to go around wherever they had to go.

How is he supposed to get to? It was a I feel like

it was a test for them. He had to prove himself to the disciples,

as he would have to do many other times. But here I feel

like God has directed me in a in Peter's willingness to step out, but

it's also his cry for help. If I were the title of this sermon,

I feel like the Lord gave me this title a cry for help.

Here Peter was the only one, it seems like, who had a mind

to step out. But I feel like, as Brother Nathanie just talked about,

he was trying to do it in himself. He tried to do it,

He tried to change himself. Nobody else is gonna step out so I'm

gonna do it make myself look good a little bit. He was the only

one who was smart enough or dumb enough, as we would say, to

step out of the boat onto water. I know for sure I wouldn't do

it. Jesus had a time to call him. He at least he had

sense enough to know to ask him to bid me to come if it's you.

But anyway, he had a mind to step out. But in his

mind, I feel like there was some doubt in there. And of course,

if you if a pastor has if I asked pastor to ask me something,

I have to do it, maybe there's a little but a doubt in

there as well. Jesus told me to come, I gotta go now.

I ain't got myself in a sticky situation. Now he ended up in a

situation where he had to cry for help. I and he found himself in

a situation where he was crying for help because he couldn't do it within himself.

If we if we'd only realize just that we can't do we can't live

our Christian life for our in our own selves. We can't walk on water

like Jesus. He was. He was the first one with a He was

the first one who'd ever really traveled water on foot. Now now they might

have technology to do that, but he was the first one to tread water

on his feet. They had ships, but he proved that. He proved

that if you don't have a boat, I can go. He can be

in any place anytime. I but Peter, he found himself in a situation

of crime for help, but he had I feel like he had doubt,

he didn't have faith in Jesus. And I feel like a lot of the

churches across America they're going to find themselves in places where they have to end

up crying for help because we see people who are who are raising the standard

or lowering the standard. Instead of raising it, we have people who's letting

it down. We have people who's the stretcher coming up. The fans are

coming up. If they can do it, I can do it. We

have the churches across America, thank God, and not in this one,

but we have a lot of churches that are dying because they're loosening the standard,

they're letting it down. I feel like if they're gonna find themselves in

a place where they're desperate, they don't have no annoying. They don't have

no real preaching because the pastor, or wolf, as I'd said, it's

inside the church, isn't telling them how to live. And whatever happens,

whatever goes, that goes, it doesn't matter. They're trying to run a

race if. In so many words, they're trying to run this race with

broken legs. They're trying to run a race with no standard. They're trying

to run a race with nothing to help him alone. They don't have Jesus

trying to help him run a race, learn the race. This is no

time to let down the standard. This is no time to start struggling on

holding that ship because you don't feel like it's what our pastor wants. Our

pastor has a standard and to be on this black barn, I have to

live if I want to prince behind his sacred guest, I have to live

with what he tells me to live, because what he told me to live

is what the Bible told me to live. In so many words, he's

my he's my help. If I wouldn't recommend it, But if you ain't

reading your Bible, that's where you have to go to. If you don't

feel like you're a hypocritic. You don't feel like reading your bible. Who

else you got? He has a standard. It is no time to start

letting his standard damp. It is no stylist or elder saints or anybody or

younger people. It's no time to start putting stumbling blocks in people in people's

way. We got little children coming along. If you can't stay out of

where he's supposed to stay out av of, like our pastors sin, that's

a stumbling block. These little kids see you get in mind with it.

Why can't I? Well, I left up this standing a little bit,

and you're putting a stumbling block. You're gonna end up crying for help when

you throw a stumbling block in the way of this these little kids, you're

gonna not realizing I shouldn't have done that. I'm running a race. This

is no time for you to put a stumbling walk in my path or somebody

else's path. We had an we have a great opportunity. H We have

a wonderful church. We have remodeling going on and it's gonna be beautiful.

But what is this If you start throwing stomach walks in our kids' way.

He's gonna he's gonna pick up the church. Our our salty saints, as

pastor calls them, ain't gonna be here forever to hold our standing. Yeah,

it's no time to start letting them down. It's no time to start

as Peter had, having a little doubt there. Our pastor said something.

But I don't feel like that's necessary. I don't have faith in what my

pastor says. You're a big trump. We have a wonderful pastor who would

be our shepherd or leader or Moses, and it's no time to start doubt

in him. But if you look, Peter had the king of kings he

had Jesus. Ain't none of us perfect. But I sure think I'd hope

that we wouldn't start doubting our pastor. But Jesus, he doubted Jesus.

He had a lack of faith in what Jesus could do. He had a

lack as you would, he had a lack of faith yet doubt in his

mind and his heart. But he ended up. I do commit him for

stepping out, But he messed up with the doubt, he messed up with

the fear, and this world is gonna throw some highways. There's gonna be

strong winds and strong rains, but it's no time to have doubt in your

mind. This world is not an easy place to live in, but it's

definitely not a super hard place. We have a Moses, we have a

shepherd leading us through this world, and it's no time to start doubting.

We have a a wonderful shepherd. He's leading us. He's leading us through

the thick and the thing. He's been through this church since long before I've

been here, and it's no time to start doubting. It never works to

have doubt and have fear. It just don't work. I feel like,

as pastor preached just a couple of weeks ago, stop swimming and start surfing.

I think it was they didn't have surfboards. But I believe we can

definitely stop. If you're struggling, you're trying to swim your way through this,

I would highly recommend you stop swimming and take that life piece that are

pastors trying to throw to you. I feel like you're trying to shove it

away. I don't need that. Our pastors throw throwing everything he has into

you. I don't need that, right you don't have faith in what he's

given you. You don't you have it ain't got holes in. And I

know because ever since I stopped swimming and started surfing on this sea of time,

it's been rough. It's been hard. There's been wins, there's been

ways to try to knock me down. But I tell you right now,

every win and every everything's just drove me forth. It's pushed me on.

It's no time to just fall off or I don't care anymore. I don't

care anymore. It's no time to have an I don't care anymore mentality,

because it'll you'll find you'll it make if you find a place, you'll find

yourself in a place where in up crying for help. It's never a good

place to find yourself crying for help, because that means you have a lack

of something, You have a lack of strength or push or something. But

our Pastor, he's definitely given us what we need to push through. I

believe if I obey my pastor and ultimately Jesus, I definitely have what it

takes to push right on through. Like I want to thank my pastor as

well as my youth pastor for giving me the opportunity and having enough trust in

me. This isn't a light thing, and I take it as a humble

servant under God and under the leadership of my pastor. We'll be turning to

Ps. Forty four in the first verse, Blessed be the Lord my strength,

which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight. That's all

the reading for tonight. A few days before Brother Nathaniel asked me to be

ready to preach, I had this put on my heart, learning to fight.

But in prayer and in study I heard this through the corridors of my

soul, just a small little whisper lets warriors arise. I looked up what

a warrior should be, or the traits of a warrior, and it's someone

who is completely focused, disciplined, aggressive, prepared, and authentic. We

know that our pastor will preach on being an authentic Christian, not pretending.

If you're gonna be a warrior, you're gonna have to be a real one,

one without pride, one that is selfless and not selfish, one that

cares for others and is humble. In Isaiah forty one nine, Yeah,

I thought about there's several different points I want to make kind of stuff that

will keep your your the spirit of a fire at bay, that won't let

you fight like you're supposed to. One of the main ones I believe is

fear. And in Isaiah forty one and nine it says, thou whom I

have taken from the ends of the earth and called from the chief of men

thereof, and said, under thee, thou art my servant, I have

chosen thee and cast and not cast THEE away. Fear thou not, for

I am with THEE, be not dismayed. For I am that God.

I will strengthen THEE. Yeah, I will help thee. Yeah, I

will oppode THEE with the right hand of my righteousness. Every child of God

has a spirit of a fire. Every child of God should be a warrior.

But if you're held back by fear or doubt, as brother Ethan put

it, You're not going to be able to do the things that God has

prepared for you to do. Another thing that I think people will struggle with

is thinking they're not strong enough. But in Psalms eighteen eighteen and thirty he

says, as for God, his way is perfect, but the word of

the Lord has tried. He is a buckler to all those that trust in

Him. For who is God, save the Lord, or who is a

rock? Save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength and

maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hide's feet, and setteth

me upon high places. He teaches my hands the ward, so that a

bou steel is broken in my arms. I don't know exactly what a bove

steel is, but I know just quarterant steel is very difficult to bend.

So if we can have the strength to bend above steal, what can we

do if we just trust in God, have no fear, and have no

doubt what we can accomplish in this world? I thought about examples of warriors

in the Bible. There's tons of them, but I'm just gonna name a

few. You've got Moses, David, Joshua, get In, Jonathan,

the Disciples, and in my opinion, the greatest warrior of all, Jesus

Christ. Now all of these men had i'd say, humble beginnings. They

started small. Some of them became mighty men, leading hundreds of men,

if not thousands. When you trust in Jesus with his divine power, he

has given us everything required to live a sanctified and holy life separated from the

world, and to be a mighty warrior to the pulling down of strongholds.

And I did a brief study on the US military. How there's different ranks

in study, and I found that private is the base. That's where you

start. So if you've become a soldier, you're a private Philip Powell,

and the highest you can get is a general. The general would it be

the caliber of Pastor Howell, and I believe in second command would be Nathaniel.

Two mighty men that can do a lot of things through Christ. And

then another reason I think warriors are at bay is they don't think they can

do anything. They think that what they do is so little it doesn't matter.

You don't have to be a pastor or a preacher or a missionary or

street preacher to fight. You can fight just by praying. They don't take

it wrong. I'm not saying just harbor up in a prayer closet, you

have to get out, but prayer works. My grandfather, which is my

mother's father, was in the Vietnam War. I don't know much about it,

but I know in the nineteen sixties and seventies a movement. They were

called hippies or flower children. They stood for peace and love, but when

the time came to fight, they cowered away and ran to Canada or some

other country. There's a lot of people I felt led to say this.

I don't know if it's someone in this building or on spreaker. There's a

lot of people in God calls. They turned her back on him and run

because they fear, they doubt, they don't think they're good enough. Yeah,

I'm not good enough to be a preacher. What God empowers us?

And I began to think about Stephen, who was a martyr. He moved

on people's lives even after death. I want to believe a mark on this

world, even after I died. I want the people to get saved while

I'm living. But then I want to leave a scar on this earth that

I saved people, right, show people that Jesus even after dead. But

then there were those who fought, who chose to fight for what they believed,

and they didn't cower away, they didn't run from the fight. They

fought a good fight. In Vietnam, they lost, And I believed if

half the people that didn't go win, maybe it would have turned out different.

They came back and were persecuted, spat upon. Nobody thanked them.

They fought for a bunch of cowards who stayed back and did nothing, and

they're the ones to get persecuted. He fights for you. He saved yourself

from hell, and you're gonna persecute that man. You don't deserve that.

I think God's been speaking to us tony. He he Man, I sure

feel the presence of the Lord. Amen. I hope we're unplugging our ears.

Man, I praise God. I thank God for the messages that were

preaching. Now, remember around, man, his sister him, come around

and get a song tonight. Man, the one man in the Bible said,

is there not a cause? Right? Praise God? His brother Samuel

said, he did have humble beginnings a man. He started Amen, as

someone seemingly amen. That was probably in his mind. Maybe all I'll ever

be is a sheepherd a man. If you know, tonight, amen,

your aspirations and what you feel, you will only become Amen. But and

then God knows what you should be a man. If you would just submit

to God tonight. The man don't doubt what God is trying to do tonight.

Amen. But if we could have honest hearts and go ahead and stand

tonight a man and say, Lord, Man, is it me that you're

speaking to the Manna? Let God begin to work in our hearts and sulten

our hearts even now. Amen. We ask God that you would work even

now. Lord God, We thank you Lord for the messages. We thank

you for all that you're doing. Lord, God working these hearts with God,

work in these minds. God quick in us. Lord, let us

see the vision God. Let us bear in our heart God that calls God.

Amen. Is there a young person in a gold tonight, someone that

would say, I'm a will and vessel God. Amen. I see what

others are doing. Amen. I've seen how others have made shipwreck, and

I know Amen, there is higher pass for my being. Amen. There

is a life I can live. Amen. That's an effective life, an

effective life. Oh God, would you like to come tonight and pray?

Amen, and let God work on you? Is there any doubt? Amen?

In despair, Amen, any hesitation, any disbelief, and in your

heart is beginning to take root to God needs stuff even work on tonight.

Amen. I feel like we need honest hearts tonight. We need his heart

before God. Amen. That would say, Lord, you talk to us.

Amen, Lord, I heard your voice speak to me. Where I'm

living God, and I want to be a holy dest I want to be

someone living pures, living, holy living according to your word God. And

man, someone would applyable heart that would listen when the word of God goes

forth from our pastor, and then go go ahead and sing tonight, and

then let's pray it through tonight. Amen. There's no time amen in this

in this race. Amen. To have hesitation, Amen, to have questions.

Amen. You need to settle it tonight. Settle it, amen,

before you make the stakes, and then settle it before you're left with scars.

Settle it before Amen. That little seat began and then to grow into

a great trieing man, and it's hard to get out, and man,

could you get it out while you're young tonight? Could you get it out

before it's taken home? And then could you get it out before it becomes

a problem and a habit. Oh God, let's pray it around the God

that's srader to keep Let the worst birds the suns as to you. That's

a made. Let me see you try alive the same. I want to

be sanding on your side, holding your hands, so let your joke don't

come. Let it then be. This is by parade. This is let

the worshipers around, Let the son and the body per se a surrendering by

y'all to you Lord. That's arranger to the key. Let the worshipers arived,

Let the sun and the daughter see as radering by all to you,

old Lord. That's the key, father, a seal driving a line.

Again, the said, I want to be standing on your side, holding

your name. So let your tea don't come, and let it even resist

by bread. This is by believe. Let the worshipers ride, Let the

sun and let a see as surrendering by to you gord. That's the reder

to the key.