Standing on Business - Dr. Mike

Welcome to Life Series, a podcast from King Garden Bay Baptist Church, where we gather together to experience God's love, grow in God's love, and give that love back to each other.

Turn your Bibles to Matthew chapter 5.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

We'll be reading from verse 10.

And this is the last of the Beatitudes that is written in this manner.

There's verse 11 and 12 that we are going to get into.

But this is the last of the Beatitudes in this format.

In this format.

I'll read it again.

A new international version of the Bible from Matthew, gospel according to Matthew, chapter 5 and verse 10.

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

It said, Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for there's the kingdom of heaven.

This morning, we're gonna continue another series and a sermon titled Standing on Business.

Look at your neighbor says Standing on Business.

Lord, we thank you for this moment.

I pray, God, that you will allow this moment to quicken our spirits.

So those of us who are feeling like they're being tired of standing up for what is right and justice and truth and living a life that is exemplary of God's love.

We are being tired of being the light in the world in the midst of the darkness.

God, I pray you give us the boldness, the strength, the courage to continue to stand.

Even though it may seem that we're standing alone, I pray, God, right now that someone will leave this sanctuary, being inspired.

Someone online will know that their standing is not in vain, because there's the kingdom of heaven.

Standing on business.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Jesus started this Beatitudes and this Sermon on the Mount, the same way he ended it in verse 10.

He says, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for there is the kingdom of heaven in verse 3.

And right now, down to verse 10, he said, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for there's the kingdom of heaven.

I want to let you know that this is a masterclass in preaching because Jesus, what you called, did the roundabout.

Where he started, he finished, he brought it all back together and letting you know no matter what you do, no matter where you go, that the kingdom of heaven is guaranteed for those who are poor in spirit, those who have emptied out, but those who are willing to be able to be persecuted for righteousness.

As we go through this world and we think about it, there's so much things that happen, and we wonder why we talk about righteousness.

Now, we talked about righteousness early up in this sermon series uh on on foundation part six.

We talked about righteousness, and we talked about righteousness not being this outward showing of being good and looking holy.

That righteousness is this display of things that happen internally, the things that you can't see, being in alignment with Christ, being in alignment with God, doing what you're supposed to do whether no one is looking.

Righteousness is easy to celebrate, however, when righteousness now becomes a sacrifice.

How blessed are those who are persecuted.

That means that your righteousness is gonna cost you something.

Righteousness is easy to celebrate until righteousness becomes and costs you a sacrifice.

Jesus calls for people who will be righteous even in the midst of pain.

Now, this is not for everybody, but I want to be able to tell you there's a generation and there's a trend that people are now being quieted for standing up.

I don't know where this has started, that people who have a different opinion, who have a different way of thinking, people who see the world differently are somehow now being persecuted because you are not falling in line.

There's some people here that you just look at things differently, you see the world differently, you see a problem differently, and somehow you are being persecuted because of that difference.

I want to tell you, brothers and sisters, I only stop by to tell you don't stop standing.

There's a generation and there's a swoop, and there's a mass people that are trying to tell you, just go along, don't be different, don't ruffle the fretes.

Why don't you just be like everyone else?

And I want to tell you that God made you special, God made you different, He made you stand out, and you should not allow the specialness and uniqueness, how God created you to be lost in the masses.

God called you to be different, and you will have to stand out.

Now I want to be able to tell you that standing out for righteousness in this world right now seems laissez-faire and it seems unpopular because the wicked and the people who are profiting off of evil seem to be getting their limelight.

But I want to be able to tell you that their time is gonna come, that it's gonna be a day of reckoning when the wicked shall fall.

I want to let you know that you might not be as popular because you're not going along with the crowd, but righteousness still has a place.

I want to let you know, keep standing, keep your integrity, don't sell out.

I'm gonna let you know that election time is coming around.

Little election time is coming around in the BVI, and everything seems to be for sale.

All of a sudden, children weren't hungry before, but now everybody has free lunches.

Oh, you didn't know we needed electricity subsidy all year, but now we just extended it.

You didn't know that the groceries were going high, but now you're being ascended.

You didn't know that a sidewalk needed to be paved, but somehow, all of a sudden, we have concrete, asphalt, and extra money.

Don't let your integrity be on sale.

There's a place that people will go in and stand for righteousness and not to be placated and bribed.

You have to understand what people do now in the midst of your suffering, is try to find your weakness to compromise who you are.

Stand on integrity.

You might be on a job and everybody seems to be cutting corners.

Don't cut a corner.

I remember my dad when I was growing up, my dad used to work for Chase Manhattan Bank.

My dad used to work for Chase Manhattan Bank on Saturdays.

Uh, we had a job.

Me and my brother had a security job.

Uh dad, we haven't been paid for those jobs yet.

I'm still waiting.

The interest is getting a little bit high.

Uh, we had a job that we used to take all the paper from the from the from the from the bank and be able to take it to Cockseat.

Y'all don't know about this.

But we used to have open burning.

We used to take it to Cockseat in his truck and we used to light a match.

Uh I will let you know I wasn't always saved.

I wasn't always saved, and the Lord is still working on me.

I remember one time that we were in there and we were taking out the trash.

And and and then I looked around, I peeked around the corner.

I said, Dad, is that a safe?

And in my mind, I was like, Well, we should just we should just be able.

And the safe at that time, the safe in Chase Manhattan Bank at that time over 30-something years ago, was a big silver safe, the one with the big wheel on it that you spin, just like TV.

So I thought in my mind that if I go and put my air to the safe, I could hear when it clicks.

I I thought I told y'all I wanted to be a spy.

And I told my dad, why don't we just go in?

I I wanted to just go in there and help myself to a little bit of change, just a little bit.

Not much that they will notice, but enough to make a difference in my life.

I was nine years old, a hundred dollars would have made a big difference in my life.

Uh, one later down, my dad says, No matter what you do in the bank, you're always gonna get caught.

No matter what you do, you can steal for 10 years, you're gonna get caught.

At some point in time, you're gonna get caught.

And it taught me a lesson on integrity.

You might, when you have responsibility, the more responsibility you're given, the more integrity you have are responsible for showing.

That somebody gives you the keys to their house, that means that they trust you enough to take care of everything.

Your position is not to push people down, it's show you could be an example of what integrity looks like.

Imagine that someone doesn't want to give somebody in this church or somebody who's a Christian a position because you lack integrity.

And you walk around wondering why people are looking down and questioning Christians in church all over the world, it's because they don't see your righteousness outside of church.

Not because you have access means you have permission.

We had access to the bank, but we didn't have permission to go in the safe.

Somebody needs to understand that your access now comes with a level of responsibility.

If you're a father in this house, you have a responsibility to show righteousness to watch your home.

If you are in charge of a school, you have a responsibility to show righteousness and integrity to your teachers, to your administrators, to the garbage people, to the giant, everybody.

If you're a member of this church or deacon or pastor, you have a responsibility to make sure that your life is an example that allows others to live better than you are.

But if you some people now think that their position is just to sue and dismantle people, and righteousness now is becoming unpopular, and they just right now want to keep separating church and state.

But I'm gonna tell you that God says, I am king over everything.

That means that we cannot leave God out of how this country is run.

We need some righteousness, but you're gonna have to do it.

The first thing I want to tell you though, righteousness is gonna cost you.

Look at your neighbor and say, it's gonna cost you.

Look at your neighbor and says, it's gonna cost you.

You're gonna end up losing more friends trying to do the right thing than in the wrong thing.

Think about it.

When you wanted to go out and party, everybody was there.

You didn't even have to text them.

Now tell them, hey, let's go to church.

They'll be like, ah.

You know them hills in King Garden B.

You know the rain is gonna be long.

You know it's really far.

You know the air conditioning there, the seats are too purple.

I'm not gonna go.

You lose more friends trying to do right than doing wrong.

That's because people are easy and they want to be comfortable, they don't want to be challenged, and righteousness is gonna cost you relationships and friendships.

And I want to be able to tell you are you willing to lose those things to gain God's approval?

Righteousness is gonna cost you, it's not gonna just cost you relationships, it's gonna cost you time and it's gonna cost you money.

Now you might be saying, Well, Dr.

Mike, how's this gonna cost me time and money?

Doing things the right way is gonna cost you more time and money.

I'm gonna tell you, I was one of those kids that if my parents gave me a task, I wanted to find the most efficient, simplest cutting corner way to do it.

I I didn't want the time.

I didn't have time, I had other things to do.

I had Nintendo to play, I had cartoons to watch.

Washing the dishes was not a priority of mine, so I came up with different methodologies to cut time and save myself money.

Now, what I did, uh I used to wash the dishes in a way that wasted the water.

Uh, you're gonna judge me, but judge yourself.

Everybody has a journey.

Uh, I never wanted to wait until the sink filled up.

You know, putting the stopper in the sink and filling it up, and you gotta wait for the water.

My God, it was too much.

I couldn't process it in my mind.

Uh so how I used to wash the dishes, I put all the dirty dishes in one side.

As soon as the water comes on, I'm washing dishes in that side.

The water does not turn off until the last dish because we need a consistent flow of water to help pressurize the grime off of it.

It's efficient.

And then what I would do, I would put, I'm not rinsing off each dish.

I would pack all the dishes in the dish drainer.

I'm I'm telling myself.

I pack all the dishes in a dish drainer, and then I would take the little hose thing.

My parents were fancy back in the 90s.

They had a little hose thing that came out of the kitchen sink and with a little thing would you spray?

And then I would take that, stand at a proper angle, and spray.

The one time I got caught, guess what happened?

Most of the times, I had to take all the dishes back out and wash them over again.

Because my attempt to cut corners resulted in me having to do it right over again.

Some of us need to understand that doing it right the first time may take a little bit longer, may cost you a little bit more, but you don't have to come back to it again.

Some of you right now need to take the extra time to do the right thing a little bit longer.

It may cost you a little bit more, but you don't have to come back to it.

Doing the right thing will cost you, but it's worth it.

I want to understand that righteousness may cost you relationships, righteousness may cost you popularity, righteousness may cost you opportunities, righteousness cost you even your freedom.

Righteousness may even cost you your freedom.

You have to understand, not because you're doing the right thing means that the world's not gonna punish you.

Righteousness may even cost you your life.

But Jesus in this subject reminds us that righteousness will never cost you the kingdom of God.

It's gonna cost you a lot, but you will not lose the kingdom of God being righteous.

But it will cost.

Okay, neighbor says it's gonna cost.

I want to also let remind somebody that you should not allow the pain that you're going through to cause you to compromise your righteousness.

I don't allow pain, it shouldn't apart your purpose.

I want to let you know that Jesus is reminding now as he sits at deceit on the Mount Olives, as he's telling these people who are broken, who are needing help, who are suffering, to let them know, remind them to tell them no matter what happens, be righteous, do the right thing, and the kingdom of God is gonna be yours.

I want to let somebody know right now you're in the midst of a situation that's causing you mental pain, spiritual pain, and some of you are going through some things that are even causing you physical pain.

I've just stopped by to tell somebody this morning, I don't want you giving up on God and giving up on your purpose because of a little bit of pain.

Everybody needs to accept if you live long enough, you're gonna experience pain.

You're gonna experience suffering, you're gonna cry sometimes, but your tears are not an indicator for you to quit.

Your tears are watering the soil so God could prepare a purpose and a blessing for you.

Someone here needs to stop drying up your tears and try to stop faking.

Let the tears out, let the pain out.

Let them know I'm struggling, but I'm not giving up.

Their pain shouldn't have borne your purpose.

Now we look at this.

Jesus was not foretelling about what's gonna happen to him.

He was in a moment where he was preaching and telling them about the glory.

He was on the mountaintop, he was telling them and preaching about his ideals of what he wants, but later down, just a couple couple couple months and moments later, he was crucified.

You have to understand.

And what was he crucified for?

Did he steal from somebody?

No, did he hurt somebody?

No.

Was he caught in adultery?

No.

What was he crucified for?

He was crucified for disrupting the economic and the political system that was bribing people.

So when people look at me and say, Dr.

Mike, maybe you shouldn't talk about things anymore.

I'm learning from Jesus Christ Himself, and that's who I ultimately have to answer to.

Some of you need to understand that they could take away contracts from you, but they can't take away the kingdom because the kingdom doesn't belong to them.

And some of us need to start to be getting comfortable about losing approval of men and gaining the approval of God.

I don't care if you don't want to shake my hand.

God told me I'm okay.

Some of us need to understand some of the pain of being alone.

You want you're so worried about who likes you and less caring about what God's approval in your life.

Stop worrying about getting a pat on your back and making sure that you're still in alignment with God.

So pain shouldn't have bought your process.

But I want to tell you, I want to remind somebody that it's worth it in the end.

Look at your neighbor and say it's worth it in the end.

I'm not gonna be before you too long, so if you don't get it, you have to come back next week.

Uh uh, it's it's worth it in the end.

Uh look, I want to be able to tell you that the kingdom of God is present.

Uh, the kingdom of God is present even now, and God's reign is inspected through us.

How do we exemplify God's kingdom on the earth?

It's through love.

Look at your neighbors, say love.

That's exemplary of the kingdom of God.

Forgiveness.

Look at your neighbor, say forgiveness.

Oh, so you can say it would say it a bit with your chest.

Yeah, I know saying the word forgiveness is convicting you right now because right now you have some things in your life and some people in your life that you need to forgive and you're still holding on to.

Say forgiveness.

And the other thing is courage.

Look at your neighbor, say courage.

Some of us need to understand that our history of a people are people who are courageous.

For some way, shape, or form along the way, we have lost our courage.

We are afraid to be bold, we're afraid to stand up to things that don't align with our community, don't align with our faith.

But look at your neighbor and say, you should have some courage.

You you should have some boldness to be able to speak up when nobody else is speaking up, to stand up when nobody else is standing up, to say, nah, this is not right.

Somebody has to say something.

We look around and complain in silence as our children and our community is continually falling apart, as our funds are being mismanaged, as we seem to be going in a direction that is not pleasing with God.

Where are we prioritizing our righteousness?

Look at your neighbor, say, courage.

You should not have anybody in your life that you are afraid to speak about and over your life, meaning that you shouldn't allow anybody to be so close to you that you can't tell them what's right or wrong.

My father always told us growing up, be close to people so you can pick up their heartbeat, but not so close that you can't tell them right or wrong.

If you can't tell somebody right or wrong, you should allow that person to exit stage left.

You are compromising your only life that God has given you to please others instead of pleasing God.

Look at your neighbor and say, I'ma have some courage.

You need to be able to go back into your house, go back to your job, and say, I may not be perfect, I may not have it all together.

I know I'm not go, I'm not the best Christian, but here's what no longer am I gonna tolerate this in my space.

Some of you are the problem.

Let me let me just say some of us, some of us are the problem.

Let me just say some of us, some of us are the problem.

Some of us are in conversations about other people that you know needs to be defended, but your silence allows them to be dragged down, pulled down because you're afraid of upsetting the status quo.

Well, if you're in a circle of five people and they pulling down somebody else and you didn't say nothing, guess what?

You are part as much of the problem as the person who's talking about.

Can I get somebody who'll be able to say, ah nah I know that's your experience, uh, but that's not my experience with them.

That person is honest, that person is truthful.

I remember, I want to be able to tell you there's so much things that are happening in life.

I got a text message.

I got a text message.

I'm gonna try, I'm gonna try my best.

I'm gonna try my best to not not not not not sell them.

I got a text message.

As we have a lot of members in the in this church, uh, and y'all need to come to church for Christ's sake.

Uh, we got a lot of members in this church, and we we now we're now at a point.

I got a message at nine o'clock in the morning.

Can y'all stop texting your pastor right before he's about to preach about things that could wait after service?

Sorry.

And and so I got a text.

It was long.

You know one of them texts that you have to hit read more, and then you have to hit read more again?

I got a message.

Uh, they were saying, uh, you're one of your members of the church, one of your members of a church, uh, one of your members of the church seems to be my new landlord.

I said, Well, oh, okay.

And this message goes along and says they're being unfair, they're doing this, they're not being right, they're not doing this, and I want you to be able to talk to them about their behavior since you're their spiritual father.

These are the type of things, Pastor, you ain't tell me about these kind of messages when I took over church.

I was like, these people, I was like, a whole long epilogue.

I was like, well.

This is really interesting.

I said, I responded, and I didn't know about the situation, I didn't know about the circumstance, but what I knew about the system.

I said, I don't understand why you're bringing this to me.

And I may talk to them at some point.

But can I just tell you, my experience with this person conflicts exactly with what you're accusing them of?

Thank you and have a good day.

I ain't heard from them since.

Because when you start to entertain the foolishness, you are just as implicit to it.

Why are you allowing people to drag down your brother and sister?

If you want to do something, tell them that's not my experience, but I'm gonna go talk to them anyway.

But don't come entertaining who they are, don't come entertaining what they do.

Don't, don't, don't be a part of problem.

Stop with the gossiping, stop with the pulling down, stop with the backbiting.

That is not righteousness, that is false holiness.

Not because you don't struggle with that sin means you any better than the brother and sister who's struggling.

Your sin is just private.

I always prefer a public sinner than a private one.

Because the public one, I know what's happening.

That's why growing up most of my friends, most of my friends, and you can talk about it, they talk about it even now.

Most of my friends.

Most of the people.

If they have a problem with me, they will say it outright.

If they have a situation, they will be honest.

I prefer them any day than a bunch of church folk who say, Hey, Dr.

Mike, how are you?

And as soon as you leave, you want somebody's words up tearing each other down.

I want to let you know righteousness is not judgment.

Um I know, I know, Pastor, we might lose a couple people this Sunday, uh, but God is gonna add them.

Oh, the last thing that the kingdom of God looks like is community.

That you have to understand, that you have to understand that community is important.

But the kingdom of God also asks you to protect those who are marginalized.

The kingdom of God asks you for equality, the kingdom of God asks you for justice for all, regardless of race or color or creed.

The kingdom of God asks us to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and to love your neighbor like you do yourself.

If you can't do that, you are not exemplifying the righteousness that God is requiring.

Because the righteousness is not just horizontal between you and God.

Some of us are doing a great job of being in the right alignment with God.

But how are we gonna be in right alignment with God when the person on the road next to you you are not talking to for months?

Amen.

We need true righteousness, a righteousness that is continual, a righteousness that's after God's own heart, a righteousness that I exemplify and bearing the fruits of the spirit.

That someone could look at your life and say, I can see that man trying, I can see that woman trying.

They might not have it all together, but they are on the right direction because righteousness is not one day, it's a continual journey until we meet the Father.

We will not be complete until we come face to face with Christ.

So, until that day, I want to remind somebody in here to keep trying and keep going and keep trusting and keep praying.

Don't allow anything to cause you to quit.

Don't you quit on your dreams, don't you quit on your purpose, don't you quit on your call.

Now I want to be able to tell somebody I know it's gonna cost you, I know it's gonna cost you something.

I know your pain shouldn't abort your process, and I want you to make sure that you understand that the righteousness is gonna be worth it in the end.

But I want to let you know that most of the times when you get to a position in your life, you're gonna have to do some things alone.

There are gonna be a lot of people around you, but righteousness often is lonely.

Righteousness is often in solitude.

Lighteousness will cause you to be away from others.

And if you want to make a difference in this world, you're gonna have to do the things that God has called you to do alone.

God is gonna test are you doing this for the crowd?

Are you only doing this when the church is full, or are you gonna do this no matter who's watching?

I want you to live your life to the best of your ability in excellence no matter who's around.

Give it your best no matter who's watching.

Your neighbor says, I uh I want to do it, I'm ready, I want to do it, I'm ready, but I want to let you know you're gonna be alone.

You're gonna be alone.

I I want to tell you we go through history.

I'm about to close.

You go through history and you look at people in this world who has done remarkable things.

There has been a point where they had to stand alone.

Uh, you have to understand why we message this sermon on standing on business, meaning that there's gonna be some point that the business of righteousness, the business of the kingdom, the business of doing things right is gonna cost you to do something and it's gonna ask you to are you really standing on business?

Well, uh, the young people came up with this term saying stand on business.

Standing on business means no matter what happens, this is my position, this is what I believe, and ain't nobody gonna get you ever seen somebody stand on business who's wrong and strong?

Those people don't look to your left or your right, you know they're right next to you.

Uh people who are wrong and strong, and they fight and they cuss and they tell you it don't matter, the sky is purple.

I was having a debate with a friend the other day, and he says, Dr.

Mike, Pastor Mike.

I said, when they call me Dr.

Mike, Pastor Mike, I said it's Saturday afternoon.

I just want to chill out.

When they say Dr.

Mike, Pastor Mike, I have a very, very interesting question.

You're a man of God and you're also a scientist.

I want you to answer this question.

I said, okay, I really didn't want to answer the question, uh, but I said this is what I have to do.

This says, I want to debate you right now.

I said, a debate.

I thought you had a question.

I said it's a question and a debate.

I said, I want to let you know, and all my research on TikTok and on Instagram.

Red flag.

All my research on TikTok and Instagram has showed me and has compelled me that the earth is flat.

I know there's some of you up in here that believe the earth is flat, and may the Lord be with you and keep you, and may He make his face to shine upon you and give you peace.

They said the earth is flat, and you are out here teaching people that the world is round.

I said, Well, told me your evidence that they pulled up all their TikTok videos and I said, Send them to me, send them to me.

I didn't have time, I didn't have time to go through all the things because I was already over this.

Um, but this person was really invested in this conversation, so I said, Send them to my phone.

I send them to my phone and then I uploaded them in Chat GPT.

I said, Chat GPT, I have somebody here with their TikTok, Instagram things.

Can you just rebuttal all this?

They rebut I said, Here's my phone, read it.

They said, I don't care what ChatGPT says, this can't be the truth.

I am telling you, the earth is flat.

I said, you know what, sir?

You are exactly correct.

Your earth is flat, my earth is round, round.

And see, this is what you have to do.

When somebody is wrong and strong, stop staying there, arguing them.

Because guess what?

You become them and you are just as foolish as they are.

I want to let you know people are gonna stand on business, but if you're gonna stand on business, can it be you're standing for righteousness?

Can it be that you're standing for truth?

Can you be a stand for love?

Can you be a standing for justice?

Can you be a standing for equality?

Because over history, there have been people who've been standing but they had to stand alone.

I wanna let you know our brothers and sisters all over the Caribbean have been standing.

Our good brother Marcus Garvey from Jamaica was in prison for standing up for rights.

Harriet Tudman, United States, was imprisoned and whole and let aside because she was trying to get slaves out.

I wanna let you know that Sam Sharp from Jamaica, enslaved Baptist deacon, who helped organize the 1831 and 1832 resistance against the Baptist War.

He was standing, he was executed.

He was executed, but his faith and conviction made freedom worth having.

I want to let you know that Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years for standing up for righteousness, for standing up in truth, and his government was able to abolish apartheid.

I want to let you know that Fallie Lou Hamer, Fanny Lou Hamer channeled voter suppression in Mississippi, and she ended unemployment.

You have to understand that you might not know these people.

You might not know the Rosa Parks, you might not know the Paul Bogle, you might not know Martin Luther King personally, you might not know Oscar Romero, but I want to let you know there were some other people who stand up right here in this country.

I want to let you know we grew up on a foundation of grandmothers and grandfathers who don't care what government office you hold.

Right is right, wrong is wrong.

We had a history of why we have the pear park, why we have the admin complex that can't be finished after 10 years, because we don't have no vision in this country.

But right now we're paving roads on the side from town of West End, but we don't have no place to sleep, and then some political aspirants are now saying, turn it into a mall because that's not righteousness, that's profiteering, because they want to make sure all their friends and loved ones continue to have buildings rented.

So that's that's not righteousness, that's corruption.

Uh but integrity can't be bought.

I don't care what color code you have, my color code is red for the blood of Jesus Christ.

Someone needs to be able to stand up for what is truth and what is justice.

I don't worry about it.

I must still go to this store and shop.

But right is right and wrong is wrong.

Frederick Douglass stood up for righteousness.

But here's what there was a young man in the 1960s who stood up and was able to have that same admin complex.

The same reason we have the pear park, and some of you might be, I don't care about the pear park, I don't care about the admin complex, but a lot of you, a lot of you get that roughened chicken.

You see that roughened chicken by the mill mall?

You won't have the mill mall if this young man didn't stand up.

Some of you here go to the avenue.

I see.

Some of you at the you won't be there at the avenue if this man didn't stand up.

Some of you right now need to understand that this existed.

First Bank, Chase Bank, Republic Bank, all those things are existing right now because one man stood up in the middle when everybody else sit down.

His name was Noah Lloyd.

He mounted his first march was by himself with one sign that he painted himself.

He looked a little crazy.

Everyone said he lost his mind, but he stood up to bait hill, and now that's why we have the pear park.

That's why we have all these things.

Because one man stood up.

I wanna let you know you might not have everybody with you.

Everybody might not believe in the vision, but if God has called you for righteousness, I want you to stand because your standing is not gonna be in vain.

God is gonna be able to give you the strength to be able to see it through.

I wanna let you know I like Noah, Lord.

I like Martin Luther King.

Uh but here's who I really, really love.

When they try to tell him to be quiet, when they try to tell him, don't heal nobody on the Sabbath, he says I'm doing this for righteousness.

No law on this earth is gonna stop me.

I'm doing it for the right reason.

I thank you for helping me preach.

I thought I was by myself.

I thought I was- Oh, I did some more people over here who are standing.

I thought I was preaching to myself.

I thought there's somebody.

They said over 2,000 years ago he wasn't doing good.

All that he was doing, healing the sick, feeding the poor, and making sure that people had a right standing.

But guess what they did?

They put him on a rugged cross and they made him stand on that cross all by himself.

They mocked him, but he knew that standing on righteousness was gonna cost him.

But he stood.

You have to imagine he had all the power to call heaven an angel to stop all of it.

But he stood for a purpose.

I wanna let you know, don't let anyone get you off the cross.

You're gonna be on the cross, and this cross that we are facing is called life.

But I wanna let you know he conquered death and the grave.

The reason that we are here, because Jesus stood when everybody else wanted to kneel.

I wanna let someone in here know times are gonna get hard, days are gonna get long, nights are gonna be lonely.

But I want you to keep standing.

Because if you stand, God will continue to prop you up on every leading side.

When you seem to be getting weary, God says you may faint, you but you don't stop walking.

You may get tired because they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up with wings this eagle, they shall walk and not get weary, they shall run and never faint.

God is saying, I want to tell you, King Army Baptist Church, I want to tell you, man and woman, I want to tell you, boy and girl, I want to let you know God wants a few people who want to stand up for righteousness, who are not afraid to be courageous, who want to say, God, it's for you I live and it's for you I die.

I don't have nothing left else to tell you.

But I give God all the glory, all the honor, and all the praise, because if it had not been for you and my side, I don't know where I will be.

So thank you, God, for giving me the grace to make me stand.

Even when you're alone, even when you're tired, stand in spite of.

I know if most of you are upstanding right now, I just want you to shoot your hand to the heavens and say, God, I want your strength to be able to be able to stand.

I need your courage, I need renewing, I need refreshing, I need the spirit of discouragement that's over my life to be taken off and for me not to give up.

What I'm doing, my life is not in vain.

God, you're gonna reward your looking down at my sacrifice and you see that I'm trying, and you're gonna say that the kingdom of God belongs to those who are righteous, those who are seeking after God.

I want you to let you know that what you're doing is not in vain.

Don't worry about how much people are behind you, worry about the God who is in front of you.

So, Lord, right now we pray for everyone.

A fresh anointing, a fresh anointing on them.

Cover us all, God, in this house.

We will not get weary, we will not faint, we will not give up because God, you've given us a mandate, and although we may stumble, we won't fall.

God renew us right now.

Stand up for your family, stand up for your business, stand up for your marriage, stand up for your children, stand up for your integrity, stand up for your principles, stand up because God first stood for you.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, let a fresh anointing fall on us.

Give us strength to go forward another day with boldness and courage, with forgiveness and love in our heart.

In the name of the Father, in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, in the name of the Holy Spirit that rests, rule, and abide with us, that gives us strength.

God, we thank you for your grace.

God, we thank you for your mercy.

God, we thank you for not giving up on us when others want to give up on us.

God, we thank you.

We could say, God, we give you all the honor and all the glory.

We will continue to stand.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you for worshiping with us today.

If you'd like to go deeper in your walk with Christ, we invite you to contact us at 284-442-4222.

Or email us admin at cgbbc.org.

Visit our website at cgbbc.org.

Be sure to subscribe and share this podcast so others can be encouraged and blessed as well.

We cab