Reset... for Global Impact | Dr. Marcus D. Cosby

Well, let's look into the word of God this Sunday morning as we together remind ourselves of our theme for this season in the life of our church. We have been called to a season of reset, reset. That's our church theme. We began last month looking at this business of reset and I wanna conclude this series of messages from our mission statement. We'll talk a little bit more about reset and a couple other things as the months pass, but I want us to conclude our series today by looking at again our mission statement and the last portion of that mission statement to see how we as a church family can reset, maintain the priorities that the Lord has made for us and ensure that going forward, we keep the main thing, the main thing. How about that, amen? So as we reset, we're looking at our church mission statement as has been our custom since last month. I'll ask that you will read it in unison, read as a congregation. There are many who have made up their minds to memorize it and I thank God for you. There's some ministries and even our church staff had some competitions as to who could memorize it and recite it and some of you have done that. We appreciate you, some of you haven't even thought about that. We appreciate you, whatever the case may be.

I'm just glad that you're gonna read it with me right now. How about that? Let's read our mission statement together. Let us begin. It is the mission of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church to be a worshiping, witnessing and welcoming congregation committed to a spirit of excellence in the praise of the Almighty God through Jesus Christ, the Christian education of children, youth and adults for the maturation in the faith and worldwide ministry for the promotion of peace and justice in every aspect of life. To this end, all people will be touched and transformed by the liberating power of God's Holy Spirit. Amen, praise the Lord. Now let's look into the Word of God and see if we can make sense of that last part of the mission statement. When we began last month, we looked at the first part of it where we found out we are worshiping, witnessing and welcoming congregation. We talked about our worship and how it must be of the highest order, how we can just welcome brothers and sisters to our church and be a part of this experience that is known as Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. Then we talked about a spirit of excellence. We moved from edification to excellence. I want to submit that everything we do must be done with excellence. If we serve an excellent God, we ought to represent God

with excellence every time we do anything for the name and the glory of God. And then we talked about Christian education. We moved from edification to excellence to education and we talked about doctrine that dances on how we must learn of the scriptures so that we might live the scriptures so that we might look more like Jesus every single day of our lives. That's the maturation in the faith that you just read about. But today we move from edification to excellence to education to evangelism. And that's what we find as we look at Acts chapter one. Acts chapter one, the Reverend Rene Johnson, read it for us from verse one to verse 11. Let me read the very familiar verse eight. It's familiar the most Bible readers, those who've been around the church for a while. You'll remember these words from the lips of Jesus in Acts chapter one, at verse eight, in the new international version, the translation reads like this. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Amen, that's enough, praise God for his holy word. You may be seated in the presence of our good and gracious God. You'll be my witnesses everywhere you go. Well the time is out to share together on this Sunday morning.

I want to talk from the subject, reset for global impact. Reset for global impact. How many people do you know who do not need to know about Jesus? If your answer is like mine, the answer is absolutely no one. Everyone I know needs to know about that man named Jesus who loves, who lifts, who liberates. I want to suggest that you and I don't know anybody who does not need to know about Jesus Christ And I want to suggest that we should take up the responsibility and take seriously the responsibility to tell everybody We know about the one who has done so much for us That causes us to shout over the fact that we have the victory I want to suggest this Sunday that all of us need to be actively engaged in talking about The man named Jesus who has redeemed us who has rescued us who restores us, revives us, and even resets us So that we might give him the glory that is due unto his name as we look at our passage of Scripture That is before us today, it is the recapitulation of that experience that Jesus had with his believers It was 40 days after his resurrection. It's 10 days before He stays celebrate as a people this wonderful Jewish holiday called Pentecost Pentecost that was given a new understanding a redefinition after the resurrection of Jesus Christ because it was then that he decided to send another Comforter our way and that comfort of a woulda comforter would abide with us forever When you join me at At Acts chapter 1 it is Luke's second book You probably know that Luke wrote the gospel of Luke that makes sense but when you open up chapter 1 of Acts you find out that all Luke is writing a game to this brother named Theophilus And he says in his former treatise the gospel of Luke

He sought to tell us all about what Jesus did And now when we get to this book He wants to tell us about all the things that folk did for Jesus Because Jesus had done so much for them When the Lord does something for you Just make sense that you'll do something for him When the Lord has blessed you so abundantly, it just makes sense that you will be a blessing to somebody else I know this church knows this but no one in this room No one in the sanctuary has ever been blessed just to hoard your blessings That no one has been blessed just to brag about your blessings Each of us has been blessed so that we might be a blessing to somebody else and the question is who do you know who does not need to know of the love the Liberation and the leadership that the Lord Jesus will give to anyone who puts his or her trust in Him I raise that for our consideration because it seems to me that the Lord Jesus immediately following his Direction wanted all of his believers all of his followers to be so actively Engaged in telling people about who he is and what he's able to do that He would gather them huddle them up in a in a room and share with them his expectations of Them as they go forward to carry out this new ministry and turn it into a movement Don't miss it church family. Jesus did three years of Effective qualitative ministry and by the time he has been crucified and Resurrected his expectation is that they will carry his ministry on Into a movement not just a movement for regular old church people not just a movement for those who have already Professed a hope in God not just a movement for those who made their way to worship with regularity He says I want you to go everywhere and tell everybody about the goodness of the Lord I don't want you to keep it to yourself I don't want you to make anybody think that you don't have reason to open up your mouth and say something about the great and great and glorious God that you serve is there anybody in church this morning who can testify that the Lord has done more for you than you can even articulate in one Experience and worship that when you think about all the things that God has done the more you think about something the more

Something comes to your mind you think of five things and then you think of five more things You write down six or seven things and then you end up with twelve or thirteen things on the list because every time you turn around He keeps making a way for you every time you open your eyes you wake up time you go around the corner down the block you got grace that is sufficient for you you have more reasons to talk about the goodness of God that you even anticipated and I have even mentioned the fact that you got soundness of mine right now so much that you can understand what I'm saying that you got ears to hear and a voice with which to speak and somebody in church today ought to be excited that the Lord Jesus keeps doing great things for you and if the Lord has done great things for you you ought to talk about it you ought to say something about it you ought to open up your mouth and be a witness for the Lord that's what the Lord Jesus asks of these newfound followers that's what the Lord Jesus asks of these believers who are now going to take his ministry and turn it into a movement he says I want you to be my witness says I want you to start where you are and go wherever you get to go and tell everybody everybody about who I am and what I'm able to do let's look at it church family because it seems to me that the Lord Jesus Christ is requiring of these who are going to take his ministry and turn it into a movement at least three things that we need to consider if we're going to follow through on the mission statement as we have as a church and on the expectations that the Lord Jesus has of every one of his believers and when you read it in the new at a national version even the King James version with which many of us are more familiar when you read it you find out that in verses four and five Jesus tells him that before you go out and try to be a witness for me there must be firstly the preparation of waiting now there were some people who got really excited with the word preparation because you thought for sure the Lord was getting you ready for something right now and I then follow that thing up with the prepositional phrase of waiting because the Lord Jesus says I don't want you to try to get out there too fast before you have that which you need to do effective work for the kingdom because if you jump out there too fast you might embarrass yourself and embarrass the Lord if you're not properly prepared for what the Lord has you to do and I want to suggest that every now and then you and I ought to thank God for some of the waiting seasons in which he places us that you and I ought to be grateful that the Lord doesn't always allow you to do exactly what you do exactly when you want to do it because we're not always as prepared as we think we are just because we smile and we can do what we do the way we do it I want to suggest

that when you do the work for the kingdom of God there must be a season of preparation where you sat yourself down somewhere and you wait until God does something in you before God chooses to do something with you do you hear me church family that you and I cannot just be people who jump up and try to do everything we see sometimes we need to sit down and let the Lord work on us before it is time for us to move forward I know there are very few people in church if any who like the waiting season but I want to suggest that God is always up to something even when we don't see it or sense it that God is always okay let me go old school while you're trying to figure it out he's already working it out and just because you and I don't see it does not mean it's not going forward Jesus says in verse four I want to make sure that you do not leave Jerusalem but I want you to wait for the gift my father promised which you have heard me speak about anybody in here who knows what the gift is ought to be excited because the gift is the promised holy spirit he says I'm going to send you the holy spirit and the reason you've got to wait for the holy spirit is because the holy spirit is going to enable you and empower you to do what you can't do in your own strength oh oh you need to hear me child of God that when the holy spirit comes upon us the holy spirit enables us to do what we could never do in our own strength and that is not just the case when you stand around the church house it's the case in your house at the job site. It's the case everywhere you go. but the Holy Spirit wants to be involved in your Monday through Saturday as well. I need six people who can testify. I need the Holy Ghost to do my job, because if the Holy Ghost all helped me and restrained me when them folks get on my nerve, I don't tell them what I might say. I need somebody in here who needs the Holy Spirit to help you through school to testify that one of the reasons we have the Holy Spirit is so that he might bring to our remembrance everything we learned even about Jesus Christ. I need six people who are still grateful that the Holy Ghost can give to you an enablement and an empowerment that you cannot, I know you strong because you've been at the gym, but the gym can't do what the Holy Ghost can do. I know, I know you both now and everybody impressed because you fine, but you can't get from the gym what you can get from your God. I need somebody in here to testify. He enables me.

He empowers me to do what he's called me to do it. He says, you got to wait for this. You got to sit down and get yourself together because we don't want you to jump out there. That's why later on in the New Testament you find out you're not supposed to lay hands on a novice too soon. You don't let a novice get out there and try to do ministry work too soon because they'll just work out of emotions, they'll work out of what they think instead of what God says. And so he said, let the people sit down and learn something, learn of me. Is there anybody in here who understands I need to know as much as I need to know before I go where I'm trying to go to do what I need to do? Don't you embarrass Jesus God the Holy Ghost or your church, your family or yourself. Trying to do it in your own strength. He said, wait for the promise of the Holy Ghost. And I know, I know, we don't like waiting. But something happens when you wait on the Lord. I said, something happens when you wait on the Lord. Come here, Isaiah, help me help God's people. Isaiah said, they that week. Upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They'll mount up on wings and zegals. They'll run and not be weary. They'll walk and not faint. Come here, David, help me. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage. He will strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Come here, old school church people and help me. Help God's people. You can't hurry, God. You just got to wait. You got to trust Him and give Him time. No matter how long it takes, He's a God you can't hurry. But He'll be there, don't you worry. He may not come when you want Him. But He's always right on time. Come on, somebody in here. Who's ever had to wait on the Lord to get you jump started into your next. Please testify to your Pew partner. If you wait on Him, He'll give you renewed strength. If you wait on Him, He'll take you higher than you ever anticipated.

It's not always easy, but set yourself down somewhere and wait on the Lord. Wait on the Lord, wait on the Lord, wait on the Lord. And when you do, He's preparing you. I said He's preparing you. It's difficult sometimes, but He's preparing you. You can't always see it because He's doing an inside job. I need somebody who needs the Lord to work on your interior to begin to testify. I need the Lord to do an inside job. Work on my heart. Work on my mind. Work on my spirit. Work on my attitude. Work, work, work, work. Do your work, God. Do your work. Don't leave Jerusalem. Don't leave church. Don't leave. Well, you need to be. Just stay right there and watch the Lord give to you. What He said, He was going to give you. He said John baptized with water. But in a few days, you're going to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Now, if you were listening to me, you heard me tell you, He appears that He's spoke 40 days after His resurrection. I also said 10 days later, it's going to be Pentecost. And that's when the Holy Ghost is going to come. He's going to descend on the church that is gathered. And He's going to give them power. He descends with fire. So that when they feel the Holy Ghost like fire, they cannot keep still. They cannot hold it to themselves. They cannot just stand around as if nothing happens. I need five people in here who've ever experienced the fire of the Holy Ghost. Jeremiah said, I was going to be quiet. I was just going to sit down. It was like fire master Kim shut up in my bones and I couldn't keep it to myself I wasn't gonna tell nobody But I just couldn't keep it to myself That happens when you wait on the law I said that happens when you wait on the law I Said that happens when you When you wait on the law I I told the church at the earlier service that when I went told my pastor I'd been called preach. That's Gary. I wasn't told about being called preach He said alright, what you gonna do different now that you've been called preach. I said, I don't know preach and He said alright. Okay. Good. He said now you gonna be a singing preacher or preaching singer

I used to do music in the first years of my life He said you're gonna be a singing preacher or preaching singer. We got enough We got enough people who don't take seriously the role and responsibility of the preacher pastor He said go sit out and watch for a little longer Go sit out and let it start burning on the inside of you till you can't keep it to yourself Go sit down and just believe that the God who called you still has a work for you and church I'm gonna tell you all these years later. I'm so glad I obeyed my pastor because now I have the chance every day of my life to open up my mouth and tell somebody about the goodness of Jesus if I had done it way back yonder in my own strength I'd have messed it up more times than I can't talk about but somebody ought to be grateful that When you do it God's way you get God's results And experience the preparation of waiting can I go farther and I want to suggest that Jesus is not just telling about the preparation of waiting He also tells them a little something about the elimination of worrying or wondering Elimination of wondering that that when you read the next verses Bible says they gathered around him and asked Lord Are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? And then Jesus says it's not for you to know the times or dates the father is set by his own authority you you need you need to mind your business That's not in your Bible. Okay, that's the newest international version. That's that's that's new He said he said he said you need to mind your business you you getting in God's business now And you're not minding your own business He says not for you to know dates and times and all too often brothers and sisters We are so interested in how things are gonna work and when it's gonna work and trying to pinpoint God to a set date God you need to do this. I need to be married by October 27th 2026 even though I ain't met the person yet. I know you're able so work that thing out And God said I'm still trying to get you to pay your bills on time I'm still you You want me to hook you up with somebody else and you're not taking care of the business you already got to take care of Marcus Cosby you better preach He says you get to get prepared and and and stop wondering all the time They're wondering is the Lord going and it's a good question. It's not a bad question at all not a bad question at all because

Israel had been overtaken By oppressive structures and systems that have caused them to not have the same glory That they once had and now they're asking Jesus. Are you going to restore? The glory we once had he says that structures and systems have Toppled the kind of life we're supposed to live they've overthrown as they have set us up almost for failure We are the embarrassment of the entire world. Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel? Are you going to bring us back to a place where we're no longer Embarrassed to have the leadership that we have we're no longer embarrassed whenever the leadership opens up their mouths and no longer embarrassed every time the news comes on and We admit that the laughing stock of the world God Are you gonna restore we're gonna go to the polls in the next few weeks? Because we need you to restore because we are an embarrassment right now whenever our leaders are saying We're gonna get a firing squad and take out one man as if this is the art Ages that are gone past. We need to be restored whenever children are still being killed in their schools on any given week I need five people in here who are tired of always going backwards you're ready to go forward you need God to turn some things around you know God is able you know God can do it you know I need six people in here who said I'm just wondering when God is going to work this thing out not a bad question is just not your business right now and I want to suggest that if we do our part God will come along and do his part I need five people in here who are going to participate in your own deliverance no I didn't get enough I need ten more people in every section who say I'm just not gonna leave this to God I'm gonna work with God partner with God to make sure some progress takes place in the days ahead I need six or seven people in here who still believe God is able and that God enables us to begin to testify I'm gonna work with God to bring some restoration in this world and may I please tell you that we serve a God of restoration I said we serve a God of restoration I don't care how they try to mess up our voting access we still serve a God of restoration I don't care how much racism there is in the world trying to take us back to a time gone by we still serve a God of restoration the Bible says that he'll restore the years that the locus have destroyed these last few years have been devastating and destructive but I wish I had a witness at the Wheel of Avenue Church who says God is still able to raise us up and give us victory even over oppressive structures and systems I know you're wondering but be careful with wondering because wondering often leads to worrying and Jesus said the Bible said rather Paul said be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer come on and help me preach that supplication watch the next word with thanksgiving let your request be made known under God watch this and the peace of God that passes all understanding your heart's in my through Christ Jesus anybody ever been going through a rough patch and God still gave you peace anybody been going through a difficult season and God still gave you peace anybody needed some restoration and God said I got you boo I got you I got you set out calm down these two shall pass neither trouble nor Trump will last always everything is going to be alright that's why I show up every Sunday I don't show up just to give you a recapitulation of the facts I show up to raise your faith so did you not wonder and worry in all your life long my job is not just to make you a smart Christian my job is to make you a faith field Christian I'm here to raise your faith quotient not just your intelligence quotient and I need six people in here who say I don't understand it I don't like it I'm worried about it but I still believe God no that wasn't enough I said I don't understand it I don't know when God's gonna work it out I don't know how God's gonna fix this we're in a bad situation right now but I still believe God I need somebody over here who can look at your pew partner tell them my name is they I still believe God yeah sometimes God got to let the odds drop so that you're a long shot till about a time he shows up only he gets the glory can I find six people in here who say the odds have dropped for us and we're a long shot right now but I come November 4th I believe we can help God get some glory out of this

all right all right I got to stop no no that's ten minutes watch this I love the way y'all look at the clock every time I say that like I didn't say something that was right I got ten minutes watch this oh if he talks to him about about the elimination of wondering watch that your times listen to me are in God's hands OK. One, two, three. OK, appreciate y'all. That God knows where you are. God knows what you're dealing with. And God knows how to work it all together for your good. I said, God knows where you are. God knows what you're dealing with. And God knows how to work all that together for your good. Because if you hadn't gone through some stuff, you wouldn't be able to be as strong a Christian as you are right now. I need somebody in here who can testify with those who saw if I never had a problem. I wouldn't know that God could solve them. I wouldn't know what faith in God could do. Come on, throw back there Sunday. Throw it all. Throw it all. I've learned to trust in Jesus. I've learned to trust in God. Throw it all. I've learned to depend upon His word. My times are in His pain. [CHEERING] I'm not going to know everything. But I'm going to trust God for everything. I'm not going to know everything,

but I'm going to trust God in everything. I don't know how these things don't work out. But I walk by faith, not by sight. It looks bad in here right now. But last time I checked, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above. Oh, we're going to ask for a thing. Watch this. According to the power that is at work within us, that's the last part of the verse. Sometimes we leave that off, but we need to know that part according to the power. That's the Holy Ghost who is at work within us. I raised that because that's where Jesus goes next. He says, "It's not for us to know everything. One thing I do know is that He'll give you power to overcome whatever it is you have to go through." Watch it. It's in your mind. Watch. He says, "You don't know the times about everything. You don't know the dates about everything. Here's what you need to know. You're going to receive power when the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And then you will be my witnesses everywhere you go." He says, "You're going to receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you're going to be my witnesses everywhere you go." And 10 days later, they found out that God keeps His word.

And so now we move from preparation and elimination to the dedication of witnessing the dedication of witnessing. He says, "Listen, let God do God's part. You make sure you do your part. And your part is to be a witness everywhere you go." Now you must remember they're dealing with oppressive systems and structures. But they become witnesses so that they can go into all the world, talk about Jesus, so that those who put their trust in Jesus can begin to turn the world that is upside down, right side up. He says, "You're going to be witnesses for me after you get some power. I'm going to give you power. You can't do this by yourself. You can't do this in your own strength. So I'm going to give you power." Now this is good to me. It's not just power part, it's good to me. That word "dunamis" is explosive, inescapable power that when this starts working, nobody can resist it. It is irresistible. It's the Holy Ghost that enables you and empowers you and empowers you to do everything you've been called upon to do. And here's what the Holy Ghost is going to let you do. The Holy Ghost is going to let you open up your mouth and tawp. You see how that didn't bless somebody on your road? Because you thought that the holy thing the Holy Ghost made

you do was shout. There is nowhere in your Bible that the Holy Ghost is given to make you shout. I'll wait. Nowhere in the Bible where the Holy Ghost is given so you can shout. The Holy Ghost is given so you can tawp. Now you don't like the Holy Ghost as much because you thought you just sure been church and catch the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is not a common cold. The Holy Ghost is not the flu. You don't catch the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost ain't no football being thrown around the room. You get filled with the Holy Ghost. [APPLAUSE] Watch your language, watch your language. So I'm going to give you a power. You're going to get filled with the Holy Ghost so you can go talk about who I am and what I've been. He said I want you to be a witness, that Greek word, Martus. Martus is, it really reveals yourself in multiple ways. Got to give you three and I'll be out of here. Three ways it reveals itself. Martus is first revealed as Mart-er. That's where we get the word "marter" from that Greek word, Martus. It literally means people who sacrifice their own lives for the cause of Christ. And when you read through Acts chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and following, you'll find out they're those who sacrifice their lives for the cause of Christ. Peter Paul, even Stephen, sacrificed their lives for the cause of Christ. Here's the good news, neither of us is really called to die for Jesus.

He died for us. So what we're called to do is be living sacrifices for him. Where are my Bible readers in church? Romans chapter 12, he says, "Therefore, I want you to present your bodies." Yeah, there they are. As living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, your spiritual act of worship, be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. He says, "I want you to sacrifice your will for my will." When you get filled with the Holy Ghost, you'll sacrifice your will for my will. And every time I give you instructions, your response will be, "Yes, Lord." I need six people in here who can go ahead and sing with me. I'll say, "Yes, Lord, yes." To your will and to your way, I'll say, "Yes, Lord, yes, I will trust you and obey." When your spirit speaks to me with my whole heart, I'll agree. And my answer will be, "Yes, Lord, yes, I sacrifice my will for his." That's one definition of Mark 2. But there's another one that really applies to the preachers more than it applies to anybody else. It literally suggests that you'll open up your mouth and speak glad tidings about the good news of Jesus. It's your share the gospel with reckless abandon. You'll tell everybody and anybody about who Jesus is. That's what I try to do every time I stand before you with the joy of the Lord. Before I ever stand in front of this microphone, here's my perpetual prayer. "Lord, a night me a friend." Y'all know what a night means. Give me supernatural power from the Holy Ghost to stand up here and talk to your people so they'll leave here better than the way they came. There's six or seven people who are still excited that God raises up anointed. Holy Ghost feels preachers who will stand flat-footed and declare what they'll say to the Lord. I need five or ten people who can testify. I don't always like it, but it's good for me.

Sometimes it's meat, sometimes it's medicine, but it's always good for me. I've been trying to do that since I went to Pastor Kerry's office, told him I had been called to preach. Ever since then, I've been standing up as much as I could. I was telling first service. I've been in six states already this month, trying to talk about the goodness of Jesus Christ. Got at least three more before this month is over. Just telling everybody about the goodness of Jesus. Preacher asked me a couple days ago, he said, "Calvin, don't you get tired with all this traveling you do?" I said, "My body gets tired." Ah, but my spirit. Guess renewed day by day. I need somebody in here who knows he'll renew your strength to begin to testify. If you'll be a witness for him, he'll give you strength to fight the good fight, Jelonda. He'll give you strength to do your job with excellence for his name sake. If there anybody in here who knows he will give you strength. At the time you get to chapter two, your Bible says the Holy Ghost comes ten days after Jesus made that declaration. And when the Holy Ghost showed up ten days later, we called it the day of Pentecost. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all in one place or one accord. Then suddenly it was a sound of rushing mighty wind, filled the whole house where they were sitting. But when I want you to read, when you get to chapter two, when you get a chance, read all the places from which the people came to hear the good news. When you read all the places they came from and all the places they went back to to share the good news, it just might bless your soul. 'Cause I read in chapter two, verse nine, there were Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Campodosia, Pontus, and Asia, Frigia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, North Africa, and the parts of Libya, North Africa, near Cyrene, North Africa, visitors from Rome, both Jews and covers. I need somebody to know that when Jesus was carrying on his cross up the Via Dolorosa He found a black man named Simon from Cyrene and Black folk been helping all along He helped him carry that cross up to Golgotha I need somebody to hear me 50 days after the resurrection

Black folk were hearing about a man named Jesus who could do what nobody else could do And they left Jerusalem went home and told everybody the good news about Jesus Christ I raised that church because I don't know when it happened I don't know how it happened, but after they brought my ancestors over here on those slave ships They spread out all across the United States of America Some of my people went to a little state called Mississippi And it was in Mississippi that my father Rogers Cosby met my mother Bobby Cosby and they got together had three children Last one was Marcus Coughby born in Chicago after the Great Migration and they told me About a man named Jesus and I got saved because of what they said I got to a little church called Emmanuel about this church And they told me about a man named Jesus and I started believing what he said and believing what he was able to do And the reason I stand before you with everything that is within me on Sunday is cause way back yonder I found out that if you put your trust in Jesus He'll give you a strike to do his wheel and give you victory over adversity So y'all please excuse me if I get excited when I talk about Jesus Y'all please excuse me if my voice gets elevated I take off my glasses and start sweating and start dancing around the church But we're in our thing Of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me my soul cries Hallelujah, I want to thank God's for saving me and I got to be a mark - I got to open up my mouth And tell everybody about that man named Jesus I told you there are three designations for the marchers It's somebody who sacrifices their will for God It's one who opens up their mouth and tells the good news of the glad tidings of Jesus But there's a third you want to hear it? The third one is not just a preacher with a preacher's license. The third one is one who remembers And I got a funny feeling that I've made my way around Right now, but there's some people who remember what the Lord has done If you don't know the Hebrew from the Old Testament and the Greek from the New Testament You can remember

He paid your bills He healed your body He made a way out of no way He rescued you from depression He lifted your anxiety He reconciled some fractured relationships. I need somebody who remembers how he picks you up turns you around Oh solid brown I need somebody in that balcony who remembers when the doors were shut He just opened a new one and who when God opens the door Nobody can close it. Is there anybody in the building? Who remembers his faithfulness who remembers his favor who remembers his forgiveness? Don't get brand-new now He's done too much for you for you to forget it at this point in your life I'll need some witnesses now who can testify Jesus. I'll never forget What you've done for me? Jesus, I'll never forget How you set me free? Jesus, I'll never forget how you brought me out Jesus, I'll never forget No, never my mother's on this front row They gave her a disease in her brain and she can't remember like she used to But if you start singing one of them old hymns of the church that mother right there Start rocking in her chair and she'll sing blessed assurance Jesus is mine What a foretaste of glory divine how an air of salvation. I've been purchased by God I'm born of his spirit and washed in his blood. This is my story This is my soul. I'm praising my Savior all the day long I know to be a witness all you need to know is what he did for you And if he's been good, yeah, if he's made a way

If he's open doors if he's fought your battles, I need somebody to testify I'll never forget how good he's been so meet me in the morning And I'll tell you what he's done Meet me in the afternoon. I'll open up my mouth and tell you what he's done If you can gossip on tick-tock an Instagram, then you can open your mouth and say Do me like Jesus Do it like the Lord won't he make a way for you won't he open doors for you won't he blue mind for you Then let the redeemed of the Lord Say so Open up your mouth and say something and not just in church Anybody can talk about him in church. I need somebody to start in Jerusalem But get yourself to Judea and Samaria and the other most parts of the world and begin to testify now Under him who am I able to do exceeding? Abundantly What he doing I said won't he do it if you believe in Shoutier Shoutier, Shoutier! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Where are the ones who remember? God's been too good to you for you to keep on that to yourself I've made too many ways for us first to hold it all in Just wait till Sunday comes to shout about it Well, when you leave after the benediction y'all to go somewhere and talk about it When they ask you how you saw effective on your job You know the Lord keeps using me. I don't know why don't I keep doing this But the Lord keeps using me. I'm grateful

You ain't got to act like he ain't using you. Yeah, you're good at what you do because the Lord keeps using you You know good and well if you like me you can't take the credit for all the creative decisions you come up with You can't take the credit Some stuff I do don't tell your church. I tell you this some stuff. I do. I don't know why in the world. I'm doing And then all of a sudden when the dust settles under spoke clear it makes sense cuz when the Holy Ghost is at work He reveals to you I want you to be a witness this week That mission statement when you read it those last summons I preached to y'all it was all about being in here The internal experience But once you get all that It's time for an external experience Somebody in your community needs to know that Jesus you've been shouting about for the last two hours I'm trying to quit somebody on your job needs to know about that Jesus you've been praising for the last hour and a half Somebody at your school needs to know that if he did it for you, he'll do it for the somebody in here all the witness I I get it now. I get it now wrong. That's why the whole creature would be in the middle was making as much sense as the preacher possibly made. And when the cry of the congregation was too quiet, here's what the preacher would say. Can I get a witness? (audience laughing) Can I get somebody who remembers? Can I get somebody who will open up their mouths and talk about his goodness and his love? I'm done. Message is over, time to go. But can I get a witness in this church? (audience cheering) Can I get a witness? (audience cheering)

Can I get a witness? Can I get a witness? (audience laughing) In this church. Some messages are intended to challenge you in your what with Jesus. I hope that God you've been challenged today to go talk about that man. You say you love, the one you say you serve. I want you to be a witness this week. If you're not standing, you're able to stand, stand with me all over the church. I'm over time, I apologize a little bit. (audience laughing) I needed you to get all this, and I still didn't finish. I got more left. God in the name of the Lord Jesus, will you make us to be your witnesses, a Martus in the marketplace? Will you help us to be a witness beginning where we are and going everywhere you take us? Will you make us to be a witness so that the world might know of your goodness and your grace, your love and your liberation? I thank you for the transforming power of your Holy Spirit and may he work in us to do what you called us to do for such a time as this. In Jesus' name we pray, amen, amen, amen. Listen, our leaders are gonna come stand with me now,

and as they come to stand with me, there may be somebody in the mouth, somebody on this first floor, somebody in the sanctuary who needs to know of the transformative work of the Lord Jesus in your own personal life. If the Lord will save the persons on your road who are saved, the Lord will save you as well. The Bible says that God has no respect of persons. No matter who you are, no matter where you've come from, no matter what you've done, no matter the mistakes you've made, salvation is available to who so ever call on the name of the Lord. If you're here on this Sunday morning, Sunday morning, and you have not given your life to the Lord Jesus, I want you to start walking toward me wherever you are. I want you to walk toward Dr. Piles in the sanctuary. She's there standing with those leaders with their arms extended saying that you are welcome here. Secondarily, you say Pastor, I am saved. I thank God I'm saved, but I'm not a member of a church and I'm not growing where I was going and I need to be a part of a church where I can grow and mature and develop. I need not just the milk of God's Word. I need the meat of God's Word, and I need to grow up to get the medicine of God's Word so that God can make me into the person

that he wants me to be conforming me to the image of his dear son. Sister, if that's you, come toward me right now. Brother, if that's you, start walking right now. You don't have to wait on anybody else. Don't hesitate on procrastinating. This is your day of salvation, and we invite you to come. Man, woman or child, doesn't matter your age or stage of life, doesn't matter your background, doesn't matter your ethnicity, doesn't matter how many mistakes you've made. Same God who's available to us, is available to you. God bless you dear brother. Church, you ought to be celebrating. One brother's already down here. Here comes the sister right there. Somebody ought to be excited. Now maybe you need to turn to the person whose name you got earlier in service. Call them by name and say to my pastor waiting on you. Do you need to respond to the invitation that is being extended right now? Seriously, ask them, do you need to be down there and you need to be a member of this church? Do you need to be of your life to the Lord Jesus Christ? If they say yes, they praise the Lord and invite them to come this way.

If they say no, say praise the Lord, that means they're already a part of the family. Come on and celebrate these precious people who are walking down this way right now. God bless you both. God bless you both. Thank God for these. She walked her friend down here. God bless you, praise the Lord. Who else needs to come? Thank you because Brittany for walking her down here. Who else needs to come this way? Who so ever will, let him come. I invite sister brother, come on. And while you're walking, we're going to sing. I say yes. ♪ I say yes, Lord ♪ ♪ We don't really have to go away ♪ ♪ I'll say yes, Lord, yes ♪ ♪ I would trust you ♪ ♪ Trust me ♪ ♪ When your spirits meet me ♪ ♪ Look at them singing with my whole heart ♪ ♪ And my answer will be yes ♪ ♪ Lord, yes ♪ ♪ I'll say yes ♪ ♪ I'll say yes ♪ ♪ Lord ♪ ♪ To your will ♪ ♪ Lord, will I do ♪

♪ I'll say yes ♪ ♪ I'll say yes ♪ Here's the third time, the third time of the charlotte, you need to come, come on out. If you say that you know you saved somebody shout hallelujah. If you remember my church and you're growing where you're going, say thank you Jesus. You're going to say you're the hallelujah, thank you Jesus and you know the Lord is calling you even right now. This is our last call, come on. Who's the other one we'll come from the mountain, come from this first floor. Make your way in the sanctuary, now it's your Dr. Files. Today is the day of salvation and we invite you to come. We invite you to come. We're going to sing it twice more. That's your cue. Start walking. Come on. There she comes. There she comes. I'll sing it. I'll sing it. I'll sing it. I'll sing it. I will sing it with your spirit with my heart. And my answer to it. Come on. Come on. Come on. I'll sing it with your spirit with your spirit with your spirit with your spirit with your soul. Look at what the Lord has done in front of us this day. Come on and thank God for these here in the Cathedral who have said, "Yes Lord, yes."

After those of the sanctuary of God we still celebrate the fact that God continues to add to the church. Those who are being saved, you'll find out in Acts chapter 2. And the Lord added, "Daily to the church, those who are being saved." We're so excited for each of you who stands before me this Sunday. On behalf of your new church family, welcome to me. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you.

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I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. I'm going to be here with you. Don't forget all the things that are happening this week. Start voting tomorrow. Be in prayer and revival on Wednesday. Start bringing your caregivers to the church

and all those things that will be a blessing to students and to those who are in need. Until we get back together again, the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift the light of His countenance upon you and give you His peace. You're going out and in your coming in and your labor and in your leisure and your joy as well as in your sorrow and your laughter and likewise in your tears until that day when we meet the Lord face to face and cry holy, holy, holy to the Lord of hosts. Until that day, my brothers, my sisters, go in peace. Go in love. Go in joy. May the very God of peace love and joy go with you now and forevermore in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you. Have a great week. Hope to see you Wednesday. If not before. I'll say yes. Lord, yes. ♪ You're this ♪ ♪ You're this ♪ I'll stay there, go, baby, land to the west! To go, baby, land to the west! To go, baby, land to the west!

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