Reset... with Doctrine that Dances | Dr. Marcus D. Cosby

cross outside the city of Jerusalem, and for more than 2,000 years we've been celebrating the fact that the Lord loved us so much that He would die on a cross to secure our salvation. If somebody ought to thank God for the love of the Lord, that would display on the cross, amen, amen. Thank you, Sister Willie. Thank you, Music Ministry, for blessing us with that Music Ministry today, I began a series of messages last Sunday on Sunday of September to remind us of our need, every now and then, to reset. When you've gone far afield, you've strayed a little too far away, every now and then you've got to press control, alt delete and get yourself back to where you need to be, and reset for the journey ahead. So that's where we are in this series of messages as we reset in this new church year, and I want us to continue to look at our mission statement as a church family and think about how we utilize that mission statement to reset and to move forward into this church year for the glory of God. The last several weeks I've been asking us to read the mission statement together, and I'll do that again today, and if you don't mind, I'll ask that you read our mission statement as you will see it displayed now on the screen and then we'll look into the Word of God immediately thereafter. If you're willing and able, let's read together our Will There Have A New Baptist Church mission statement, let us begin. It is the mission of Will There Have A New Baptist Church to be a worshipping, 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. Thank you so much for that.

We've already looked at how we are to be a worshipping, witnessing and welcoming congregation. We've looked at our spirit of excellence. Today, I want to look at how through Jesus Christ we understand Christian education for all people and have a greater appreciation for what we learn and what we know. And to do that, I'll invite your attention to the New Testament epistle known as Titus. All the way in the back of your Bible, the book of Titus. Yeah, the pages are still stuck together in your Bible, but in Titus. There are three chapters in the book of Titus, and somebody is thanking God right now for that device you have in your hands so that you don't have to locate Titus in a paper Bible. So, at Titus chapter 3, I want to read verses 3 through 8 for the time that as I was a shed together this morning, Titus chapter 3 beginning at verse 3, I'm reading from the new international version of the Holy Word of God, and this is what it says. At one time, we too, a foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to stress these things so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. Start it off kind of tough, didn't it? You like, where's he going today, my goodness? Thank God it got a little bit better, didn't it? Amen. Praise the Lord. For the time I just share together on this Sunday morning,

I want to talk from the subject, reset with doctrine that dances, reset with doctrine that dances. I'll admit at the outset of this message that I cannot take credit for that creative title. I came up with reset, but the rest of it comes from Dr. Robert Smith Jr., at Robert Smith Jr's Retired Preaching Professor at Beeson Divinity School in Alabama, and he wrote a book several years ago by the very title Doctrine that Dances. It's in that book that Dr. Smith takes the music metaphor and says that we who preach should be able to combine, conjoin, cogitation with celebration. We ought to be able to make people think as we invite them to thank. And those of us who preach ought not simply give you some exercise in rumination and give you a nice brain exercise. But we ought to touch the heart because the gospel is good news for every person. So the gospel is that which touches both the head and heart and enables us to both live and love. It helps us to have a greater appreciation for who God is and what God is able to do. Dr. Smith suggests that when we hear the word of God, we ought to be able to dance a little while. And when we hear the word of God, we ought to dance with our doctrines and our disciplines so that we might be able to become the disciples that God has called us to become. And preachers ought be able to enliven,

even as we help people understand the responsibility and expectations that God places on our lives. To be sure, there are some expectations that God has of each of us. But as we are enlivened by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, we're able to go out into the world and be the people of God that God has called us to be for such a time as this. Every now and then, when the preacher's preaching, ought to make you want to dance. Every now and then, when the preacher's preaching, ought to make you want to move. They ought to make you feel some kind of way that all of us together not only feel something, but we learn something. We know something so that we can go from this place and do something that brings glory to God. Did you catch that? We do not just feel something. I hope you will. And as a matter of fact, the elders saints used to say, I wouldn't have a religion. I couldn't feel sometime. We ought to feel something, but we also ought to know something so that by the time the benediction has been pronounced, we can go and do something that gives glory to God. And today, I want to suggest that when we look at this epistle to a young brother by the name of Titus, it seems to me that Paul has used this business of doctrine to ensure that those who listen to his protege and minty Titus

can go forth and help the world to know what disciples of Jesus Christ ought look like. I want to take a gander at this today because it seems to me that the apostle Paul, when writing to his young protege, his minty, his students in the faith to be sure, one, he converted to the faith. When he talks to Titus, he tells Titus that I want you to ensure that all the people in the church where you serve can be the people of God that they've been called to be. Now, you've got to understand this brother named Titus is not just minty, not just student, not just son in the ministry. He has now been deputized to serve the church in the Mediterranean island called Crete. He is now at Crete, and the Christian believers need to know about the goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's establishing the church, the only problem. and ratchet. They're trifling, and they do some of everything they're big and bad enough to do. I know that you know of no church people who are ratchet and trifling and do whatever they're big and bad enough to do. I know you've never seen anybody who calls him or herself a church person who does anything but serve the Lord with gladness. I know you've never seen anybody like that, but in this Christian church there was some folk who just did any kind of thing. They thought they knew what was best for their lives. And so Paul has to tell Titus, "Hey, man, you got to get them together because they need some assistance along this journey." And it'd be all right if it was just the open membership that had the issue, but part of the problem was the leadership had an issue now.

Please do not turn your attention to any of these people wearing black and white right now. I am not talking about them. Do not look at these saints with colors around their necks. I am not talking about them. I am talking about the Christians. These folk had problems with leadership, the membership, and the leadership has some ratchet working lives. And here my brothers and sisters is the responsibility of Titus to go get this thing together. Go straighten up this church. Go be the pastor of a church that got issues. I know you know nothing about a church with issues, but here is this brother who has been deputized to go serve a church that's got some issues. It would be great if every pastor had the privilege of just serving Willa Avenue Baptist Church. But every now and then a pastor has to go serve a church that has some issues. Lord, deliver us from issue having Christians. God, deliver us from folk who always want to fuss and complain about everything. God, deliver us from folk who got all the answers and don't want you to tell them anything. God, deliver us from people who only come to church to play church. I mean, only come to church so they can say they've been to church. I need to find the people in church today who say if I come up in here, at least something that happened in my life that's going to change me and help me be better for the glory of God. And that's what old Titus has been deputized to do. This has been deputized to go get this church together and when he does Paul gives him some explicit instructions about what he needs to share with these people. He talks to him about leadership in the first couple chapters and then by the time he gets to chapter three, he begins to close his little missive to Titus and let them know that all of them need to hear some doctrine that's going to make them do better and not just feel better.

They need some doctrine. You know what doctrine is? It is teaching. It is learning. It is expanding the mind so you can be more like Christ. And so old Titus has to do it and listen again to what Paul tells Titus to teach and to preach. When you talk to these people, you need to tell them a little something about the duality of humanity. Yeah. The duality of humanity. That's what I read in your hearing at the beginning of chapter three, verse three. When I started reading that kind of tough language that Paul used, Paul says there's some folk in the church who understand what it means to not have it all together. As a matter of fact, they do some foolish stuff. As a matter of fact, they make the same mistakes over and over again. They do some things that they told the Lord they would never do again. They make some mistakes that they knew they weren't supposed to make. He says this is not just the issue for some Christians. It's the issue for all Christians before any of us start pointing the finger. You know good and well that there's a side of you that ain't real spiritual all the time. Can I find seven people in every section who'll be honest and say, "Pastor, hey man, if you catch me at the wrong time on the wrong day," and they'll tell them what I might say or do. I need the honest people in here who have said some things to some people. And you're like, "Lord, I wish I hadn't said it," at least not. There's a side of you that is not a Bible-toting and prescription-quoting-searching. Is there anybody who can testify? You don't always pray with our season. Sometimes you say some stuff. Bible says we were born in sin and shaping in iniquity. Our natural inclination is to do the wrong thing, not the right thing. You have never had to teach a baby to do wrong.

You have to teach a baby to do right. Can I get a witness in here? Because our natural inclination is toward the wrong and not the right. That's a part of our humanity. But oh, Paul seemed to suggest that's not the only part of our humanity. There's a duality to our humanity. As a matter of fact, Paul puts it this way. When I would do good, evil is always present. That's why I'm trying to get closer and closer to God so that I can be more of what he wants me to be. And that's what happens in that first few verses I read for you. At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating on another. Did you find yourself in those verses? I hope you weren't just looking for your cousin. I'm talking about all of us. That's why you and I have to be careful now that you are all spiritual, looking down on somebody who's not quite there. Because we were all in that same space once upon a time. We were all doing something you may not have done what they did. But you did what you did and it was in direct opposition to the plan of God for your life. Somebody ought to thank God for forgiveness right here. Somebody ought to thank God for another chance right here. Somebody ought to thank God that God didn't take you out while you were doing stuff you had no business doing. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. 100% class participation right here. Humanity pulls us in a way. That is a way from God, in a way that is antithetical to the things of God, to the plan and purposes of God for our lives. And if I had just stopped at verse three, it would be a sad commentary on the state of Christians in the world. If I stopped at verse three, we'd just be miserable and doomed to a life of failure. But I did not stop by reading verse three. I kept reading verse four and verse four says, "But when the kindness and love of God, our Savior appeared, He saved us." I like this church. I love preaching to y'all because you know when we get happy, when the kindness and love of God, our Savior appeared, He saved us. It's the duality of humanity. I may have had some wrong inclinations for a while, but I'm so glad that one day I accepted that man named Jesus as my Savior, and he has redeemed me from my sin. I need somebody to thank God that the blood of the Lord Jesus has covered and cleansed all of your sin. Somebody ought to be grateful that the Lord looked beyond your fault to see your need. I need the save folk in church to represent right here. Don't be scared. This is a good spot to celebrate your salvation. Lost the ladies, this is so good to Paul. And when Paul writes this to Titus, he doesn't just say, "He saved us." Later in that verse, into verse five, he says it again.

He said, "He saved us." It is to suggest that this is the greatest gift that God could have ever provided to anybody on the earth. So much so. It was so nice. He had to say it twice. There it is. He saved us. He saved us. Have you ever had something so wonderful to happen that you couldn't stop talking about it? Have you ever had something so amazing to take place in your life that it just rolled off your tongue all the time? I want to suggest that the best thing that ever happened in your He saved us. Yes, Lord. I need to find the people in here who can go back to Emmanuel, let Chicago with me, and begin to sing with those old saints. Life now is sweet and my joy is complete because I'm saved. Saved. Say, you see how you had to say that three times. When you understand that you've been saved, it makes you want to holla and throw up both your hands. I need somebody in church who is saved to celebrate. He saved us. He saved us. This is good, church. This poem makes it clear. And this God of ours loved us enough. He thought of us enough to save us, to secure our salvation. That's what happens when the kindness and love of God, our Savior appeared. He saved us. And I'm excited about that. I get happy about it. As a matter of fact, when I was writing this, I started shouting while writing this. I started shouting when I wrote He saved us. And then I wrote it again and shouted at some more.

He saved us. Because if I can't think of anything else to shout about, if I don't have money, if I don't have friends, if I don't have a house, I sure got salvation. I need somebody who is happy. He saved us. He saved us. I think I'm in the right house this morning. Look like there's some more saved people in here with me. If you don't mind, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Yeah. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. The duality of humanity sounds a little something like this. I'm a little throw it off, but He saved me. I crazy sometimes. But He saved me. I sometimes do the wrong instead of the right. But He saved me. You may not want to sit next to me, but He died for me. He's-- Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I can't-- I can't leave you there, though, because there's more. We're going to dance in a minute. I feel like dancing. I feel like dancing.

My feet getting a little light. I feel like that. [CHEERING] It gets better, Church, because Titus does not just get information about the duality of humanity. He then gets information about the triality of divinity. Woo, yeah, woo, woo, woo, woo, the triality, the triality of divinity. Please, if you're able, if you don't mind, have a seat. I need to teach you something right quick. And here's the first thing I need to teach you. First thing I need to teach you is the benefit, the blessing. Being a preacher is I get to make up words. Watch this. Some of y'all have been like triality. That was the triality. That ain't no word, show ain't. Some of y'all are tikin' in your phone, got a red line, as soon as you try. My line name was Webster, so I'm a word nerd. I just play with words all the time. And I made up that word last night. [LAUGHTER] But here's the benefit of being a preacher. You can make it up as long as you can make it make sense. And if you stick with me for a little while, I'm going to try to make that make sense. Because what Paul does in verses 4, 5, and 6 is talk to us about divinity that is represented in a triune way.

We call it the trinity. We call it God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost. and right there in verses four, five, and six. Paul speaks to-- He says, when we were foolish, we were doing our crazy stuff, God who is kind and loves us, appeared to us and saved us. That's God. And then he says he did it through Jesus Christ. And then by the time you finish, he says he gave us the Holy Ghost whom he poured out generously on all of us. It's the triality of divinity. Somebody say triality. It's a word now. I baptize it and send it forth. He says, you've got to understand just how much God has done for us. And when you understand it, it ought to make you want to dance. When you understand what God has done for us, we've already talked about he saved us. He saved us. That ought to make you want to dance. But church, Paul gives Titus some more definitive information to help us understand why God did what God did for us. And he says that through God's kindness and the love of God, he appeared to us and saved us. Don't miss it. Christetos is the word for kindness in the Greek. It's a beautiful word that speaks about goodwill that just keeps on coming in our direction. That God is just good. And God is good at being good. And all the time, God keeps on doing good stuff for his people. Now you've got to guess this because once upon a time in the earlier iteration of church

life, people would stand up in a microphone like this and would say something like, "God is good." And the people would say, "And then I'd say all the time because we wanted everybody to know that the God we serve is not just good at all. But every day you wake up, you wake up to the goodness of the Lord. I will sing of the goodness of God. I will sing of the goodness of God." This is what happens to us when we recognize that all our lives God has been faithful. All our lives God has been so, so good. With every breath that we are able, we should sing of the goodness of God. Can I find seven people in every section who can testify? He's been good to me. Even when I wasn't so good, he was still good to me. Even when I was having a bad day, he was good to me. Even in troubled times like these, God is still good. Even with the craziness we find in this nation, God is still good. But wait, there's more because while he's talking about God, he not only says that God has kestetos, that's a beautiful word, but then he says, "We found out about the love of God." Now, I've got a bunch of scholar preachers around here, scholar deans, scholar, a lot of scholars, Bible scholars, in this church, and whenever we talk about the love of God, we often use a Greek word that many of us are accustomed to. That Greek word we usually use with regard to God is God's love is the word agape. Y'all ever heard that? It is the unconditional, unfathomable, unchanging love of God that is lavishly displayed in all of our lives. No matter which you believe that when the Apostle Paul writes this little missive to Titus, he does not use the word agape to describe the love of God. He uses the word philanthropia, philanthropia, it is a unique word, and you should be able to hear the English word that we get from the word philanthropia.

It's the word philanthropist, it is the word philanthropy, philanthropy, and philanthropy is that which you just give to somebody without the expectation of receiving anything in return. You just know how to give good gifts because you are a gift-given person, and this man Paul says to Titus, you ought to get happy about your God because your God keeps giving you good gifts even when you don't even ask for it. Your God gives you good gifts every time you wake up in the morning. I need to find some people that's been blessed by the Lord and you don't mind your roommate knowing about it. I need some people who are blessed and highly favored and you don't care if folk don't like it if they get upset about it because every time you wake up in the morning, you wake up to brand new mercies, that's a gift from God. He says, "God is a gift-giving God." (congregation cheering) And if that was all, we can stop there. But he says he did all this through Jesus Christ. He saved us through Jesus Christ, but it gets better because he starts talking about the Holy Spirit. And when he talks about the Holy Spirit, he says he saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Is that in your Bible's verse five? By the washing and renewal of by the Holy Spirit that we're washing, renewal, rebirth, it is the word regeneration. It literally means that God doesn't just wash us on the outside. God does a re-tuning of us on the inside that your nature is changed,

that your mentality is changed, that your patterns of operation begin to change. I need to find seven people in here. The closer you get to God, the further you get from the way you used to act, the way you used to talk, the way you ain't perfect, but you're being perfected 'cause he's regaining you. (congregation cheering) None of us in church this morning are perfect. And I need to act like you perfect, just 'cause you look churchy don't make you perfect. We're all works in progress. And we gotta be real careful only thinking that looking like a church person is sufficient for being a church person. I'm not interested just in your clothes. I'm interested in your character. (congregation cheering) I'm interested in your conduct. Your dress might be all the way to the floor, but if you don't love anybody, it's just filthy, right? (congregation cheering) I see that collar around your neck, but if you steal back biting and talking crazy about people, you ain't nothing but a dressed up preacher man who got issue. (congregation cheering)

Ah, but when he starts working on the inside, I need somebody to testify. He's doing an inside job on me. I said, he's doing an inside job on me. I'm not where I need to be, but please be patient with me 'cause God is not through with me yet. And when he gets through with me, I shall come far as pure. (congregation cheering) He's cleaning me. So rebirth, a renewal. That Greek word literally means qualitatively new. And there's a shift. Oh, there's some people in here right now. I'm gonna take off my glasses so I can't see. There's some people in church right now. If you admit them back in the day. (congregation cheering) You wouldn't believe they got a Bible on their app phone. Hey, they got a Bible in there. You wouldn't believe that they come to church and sit in the same seat. If you admit them back, when? (congregation cheering) But now. Whoa. Bible says, if anybody is in Christ, that person is a new creation. All things are passed away.

Behold, all things become new. Anybody walk any in newness of life on a Sunday morning, somebody ought to thank God that God is working on you. (congregation cheering) By the Holy Ghost, generously poured out on us through Jesus Christ our Savior. And that's why our logo created by a founding pastor reminds us of the triune nature of God. A gloss of sleeps with the angels, now sleeps with the elders, the ancestors. But at top of the triune, speaks to us about the eye of God that's ever present watching over us. Y'all to thank God that God keeps watching over you. This fish on the logo reminds us that God has called us through Jesus Christ to be fishers of men and women. And we're supposed to go tell everybody about the love of Jesus Christ. We're supposed to tell everybody about what Jesus has done for us. And that dove on here, it shows to us that the Holy Ghost showed up to empower us and equip us and enable us to do what the Lord has called us to do. I need six people in here who are still excited about God, the Creator, Jesus the Redeemer and the Holy Ghost are comforted. All right, gotta go. Oh man, time's almost gone.

Got five minutes, but I got three, one more point, one more point, almost scared you. Oh, got one more point. I tried to tell you a little something about the duality of humanity. Try to tell you a little something about the triality of divinity. Can I tell you a little something about the reality of our opportunity? Reality of opportunity is right there in your Bible. He says, "Now listen, when God has done all of this for you, your responsibility is to do something for somebody else." It was so much louder in here, about five minutes ago. I tell you your responsibility and opportunity, and all the amen's just gotta walk down the back door. I'm going to get them, security's blocked the door, let me just say, "Lock the door." Close the door. He my friend. I'm going to call him before y'all do it. And I'm going to tell him what I said. Ooh, my pastor, no, I'll tell him. We have the responsibility, not just responsibility, that sounds almost burdensome. We have the opportunity to bless somebody else, that every blessed person in this church who realizes that God has been better to you than you have been to yourself. You have a responsibility, according to Titus chapter three, to go out and do good works for somebody else. You don't have to do what everybody else does, but you can do something to bless somebody else's life. I need to find the people in church who ever had somebody to bless your life. And they didn't even expect you to return the favor. I need somebody who never had somebody to bless your life in tangible ways to go ahead and thank God for those saints. Some of them are gone on to be with the Lord. Some of them still remain, but all of them made your life better.

And if they made your life better, you ought to wake up every morning with the expressed intent to make somebody else's life better. Oh, come on, I hear the elders from the civil rights movement talking to me now. They say, if I can help somebody as I pass along, if I can cheer somebody with a word or song, if I can show somebody that he or she is traveling wrong, then my living will not be in vain. I don't know if you heard, but your pastor likes to tell you have been addiction time to leave the church and go bless somebody who cannot bless you back. And I wonder if there's anybody in church this Sunday who knows that I just can't be as blessed as I am and never bless somebody else. I'll wait for you to celebrate. I said you can't be as blessed as y'all and never bless somebody else, but somebody can testify with all the favor that God has blessed on my life. I got to make sure I'm favoring somebody else. Every time I see God opening a door for me, it makes me want to open a door for somebody else. Every time I see God blessing me, it makes me want to bless somebody else. That's why your Bible says that God did all of this because of God's mercy. I like that word mercy. It literally my friends suggest to us that God has so much love for us, that even though we don't get it right all the time, he keeps on blessing us in spite of us. Can I find six people in here who know you've been blessed, in spite of yourself? I know you've been blessed because you didn't ask for your lungs to expand and contract since you've been here. You didn't ask for your heart to beat since you've been here. You've been processing everything I say. You didn't ask God to make your mind work, but God's been blessing you, and that's the intangible stuff. And he said nothing about money yet. I'm talking about peace that passes all understanding.

I'm talking about joy down in your soul. Is there anybody in this building today? Anybody in that sanctuary this Sunday who can begin to testify? Every time I turn around he keeps on making a way for me. I can't beat this blessing and not bless somebody else. I think you wrote a song about it, Kirk, that every one of us is supposed to bless somebody I'm gonna go help somebody else so that when God looks at me He'll say servant Well done You've been faithful over a few things. I'll make your rule over many things Is there a witness in this house that when you give it's giving back unto you Good measure Shaking together and running over so I feel Like you've been him up on a Sunday morning Because he's been so good to me, but I gotta go be good to somebody else He's made so many ways for me. He's open doors. I could not see And every time I think about it. My feet start getting light Every time I think about it. I start getting happy all down in my feet And I need somebody in this church who doesn't mind dancing with me To go ahead and celebrate When I think of all the things that God has done for me It makes me dance It makes me move It makes me get happy When I think of the goodness of Jesus He comes from me Hallelujah, I want to thank God for saving me. Is there a step away in the house? Is there a dancer somewhere? Is there anybody in here? You may not dance a lot, but at least you'll get on the wall and be a wall flower

You watch somebody else dance and you'll put a smile on your face I need somebody in the building. You say pastor I can't dance What I like today Just start moving your feet The pillow costals that pick them up and put them down pick them up and put them down Pick them up and put them down. I need some dancers in him. The dance floor is open Is there anybody in church who helped me dance? Cuz you learn that there's a man named Jesus who took your place at Calvary And he keeps on doing great things for you Somebody on a dance I see you dance. I see you dance. You didn't lose your dance. You just came to practice Somebody helped me (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) How about this? (upbeat music) Let's go, let's go, let's go. (upbeat music) Let's go. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) The real dancers don't need music. (upbeat music)

The real dancers got a song in their head. (laughing) Got a song in their minds. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> If you can't dance, have you wave your hand? If you can't. [MUSIC] >> If you can't say a word, just wave your hand. [MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] (crowd cheering) There's never a problem feeling something. But first, you ought to know something. And when you know what you know, it makes you do what you do. It makes you go forth and be a blessing because you've been so abundantly blessed. I say all of this, and I didn't give you this chance to finish the whole message. There's so much doctrine that Paul tells the apostle Titus to teach the people. Tell them to justify because of Jesus Christ. It's as if it never happened. He made it right with us and Calvary. [APPLAUSE] That you can literally press control, art, delete, and reset just as if it never happened. Tell them about the mercy of God, Titus.

God keeps showing you over and over again. And he's got more mercy than you got in this. [MUSIC PLAYING] Bible. It is up the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed for His compassion smells not. They are new every morning. Three, six, five, six. [MUSIC PLAYING] [APPLAUSE] Titus, will you tell them all that? They ought to make them all a dance. Because they recognize just how good God has been. But it ought not just make you want to dance, ought to make you want to do something for somebody else. Don't get quiet right there. That's a good spot. [MUSIC PLAYING] We have been blessed to be a blessing. So Church, we reset so we can learn something so we can go live for something. People on your job, in your school, in your neighborhood, in your house need to know you don't just go to Church, you become the Church. [APPLAUSE] Amen. Amen. So God help us to reset so we can get this doctrine. Do our dance, and then go do what you commanded us to do.

And we thank you for it in Jesus' name. Somebody say amen. [APPLAUSE] Amen. If you're not just standing and you're able to stand with you, stand with us all over the Church. For now we have an opportunity to invite somebody to a relationship with the man named Jesus, whom we celebrate, whom we serve. If you hear on this Sunday morning, whether in the balcony of the cathedral, the first floor of the cathedral, balcony of the first floor of the sanctuary. Wherever you may be on our Church campus, and you need to give your life to the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to step out from wherever you are and make your way down here to me, down there to that preacher in the cathedral. I've been in the sanctuary. I believe Dr. Quayville was there. And she's waiting to receive you, even with those leaders who stand with her. The Jews are going to stand with me here in the cathedral. The other leaders who are standing all across this place. The arms extended saying, you are welcome here. You're welcome, not simply to be a member. You're welcome to be saved first. He saved us. He saved us. That's the first invitation I extend.

But the second invitation says, I'm saved, but I need a Church home. This is the place where all of us are growing in grace in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. And we invite you to be a part of this family of faith and fellowship right along with us. Pastor, I'm only in Houston for a temporary time, limited time only. I'm in school. I've got medical treatments in the medical center. I'm here for a temporary time. Come on, celebrate while they walk in. Amen. Celebrate while they walk this way. Yep. Hey, this is. Come on. God bless you. Praise God for your decision. Master, I need to watch care. That means we'll watch over your care for you while you're here. And when it's time for you to leave, we'll send you to your next place with joy. Here comes the sister right there. Somebody ought to be celebrating the fact that she's walking this way. [APPLAUSE] If you're in the balcony, that's not too far to walk. I used to say it all the time. I said, now in Jesus could walk all the way up to Calvary

for you and for me, you can walk down some steps for him. Come on. Come on, we're waiting for you. and all those leaders. They've already done that. Look at the sanctuary. Praise the Lord. There are others just going down there. She's waiting for you. We're waiting for you. Look at down this inner hour right now. These precious four who are walking this way. And here comes a fifth behind them. To God be the glory. To God be the glory. Here comes a sixth and a seventh behind them. To God be the glory. Come on. Come on. Now those old saints would sing it if you know it. Sing it in their honor. Say. We're going to keep singing. Come on. You said that the glory is there another this morning. To do that. Come on. Just watch. I get others. I got things. ♪ To come on and rise ♪ ♪ To come on and rise ♪ ♪ And I hold you on before I say ♪ ♪ Let's not let you say ♪ ♪ I hold you on before I say ♪ ♪ Let me hold you on before I say ♪ ♪ I hold you on before I say ♪ ♪ To come on and rise ♪ ♪ To come on and rise ♪ ♪ Right now ♪ ♪ Let me hold you on before I say ♪ ♪ I hold you on before I say ♪ ♪ I got a funny feeling ♪ ♪ That sneaking suspicion that there's somebody ♪ ♪ Who's holding that? ♪ ♪ Here come two more ♪ ♪ God bless you, my dear ♪

♪ As you make your way this way ♪ ♪ God bless you, my brother ♪ ♪ Praise God for you ♪ ♪ Thank God for your decision ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ And maybe the others ♪ ♪ You say pastor, I should have been down there a while ago ♪ ♪ But I'm coming now, coming now ♪ ♪ Come on, bring her on, Revelina, praise God for that ♪ ♪ Listen, we want to make sure that we evangelize our entire road ♪ ♪ So whether you know the person beside you or in front of you or behind you or not just ♪ ♪ Just ask somebody who's past awaiting on you ♪ ♪ Is the pastor waiting on you? ♪ ♪ Ask them please ♪ ♪ Here comes another here ♪ ♪ Ask them, is the pastor waiting on you? ♪ ♪ If they say no, say praise the Lord ♪ ♪ If they say yes, say I walk with you if you want me to ♪ ♪ But you need to get on down there ♪ ♪ This is your moment, this is your time ♪ ♪ If you live in the greater Houston area ♪ ♪ You need to be a part of a church ♪ ♪ In the greater Houston area ♪ ♪ Come on, I see you coming, says ♪ ♪ Thank you for walking that down ♪ ♪ Good job, praise the Lord for you ♪ ♪ That's what we do in the church ♪ ♪ We encourage one another ♪ ♪ We help one another ♪ ♪ Is there another ♪

♪ If you're in the balcony, come on, come on ♪ ♪ We got a minute or two to wait for you ♪ ♪ We got a minute or two to wait for you ♪ If you're in the sanctuary, you need to be walking. Start walking. God bless you. I appreciate your decision. Come on, bring her down, sir. Praise God for you. Here comes another distinguished gentleman or two. God bless you, gentlemen. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Who else? All four leaders, little encouragement every down there. And look at here. Look at these precious people coming down these lives. Praise the Lord. Who else? Who else? Who else? Who else? Yes, Lord. I see you, boo. Come on. Come on. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord.

I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord.

I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. I am. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. You know you need to be an official member of our church. It comes with nothing. God bless you. I mean, you don't go anywhere else. It's the only church you come to. And you're not a member yet. Come on, professional visitors. I'm calling for you. Come on. God bless you, man. God bless you dear woman. God bless you. Come on, it's time to reset. Time to reset. Professional visitors, come on. I'm calling for you. I'm calling for you. I see you coming up the balcony. God bless you. And she's coming down to sit around and say, "I know, I know." Right now. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] I'm almost done. Look towards somebody on either side of you, say, "Are you one of them who wants to hold it out? Are you holding out? Are you a member of this church? Are you a member of any church?" What's your pastor's name? If they hesitate, you know you, you know they guilty, you know they're guilty. I'm trying to move on, but I got a funny feeling. Well, come on, man. I see, I see. You got a whole church, happy for you right now. Excited about your decision. Who else? Bible says clap your hands all ye people, and shouting to God with a voice of triumph. There they come. God bless you. God bless you. Praise God for your decision this day. Come on, keep laughing, keep laughing, keep laughing. There's another brother coming from the balcony. Keep laughing, keep laughing. My job is to compel, my job is to compel, meals, how to do, how to do, how to do. Everybody, let's sing it for the last time. Come on, man. Here comes one more. Somebody ought to be great. How to do, how to do. How to do. How to do. How to do. How to do. Uh oh, you come two more. How to do. How to do. I asked the Lord to save somebody today. I see in the sanctuary, they're still moving y'all in the sanctuary. Oh, we didn't see them. [MUSIC PLAYING] There you are. There you are. Got a list. Praise God for your decision. Praise the Lord.

[MUSIC PLAYING] I'd like to ask you. [MUSIC PLAYING] Let me tell you what my prayer is for all of you this week. Uh-oh. Where I am. Man, you know how exciting we are about this decision? Come on, man. God bless you, brother. So excited. Look at that smile on your face. It's just begun. It's just begun. [MUSIC PLAYING] What? What? Where? Come on! [MUSIC PLAYING] Come on! Bring it on down this way. Hey, it says praise the Lord for you. Thank you for your walking partner. Amen. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. [MUSIC PLAYING] You know when you get old, everything beautiful.

That's beautiful. [MUSIC PLAYING] I started listening to myself. I said, what in the world? That's just beautiful. That's just beautiful. [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] Whoo! OK. Here's my prayer for everybody in this church. That at some points this week, you start singing that song and start smiling just 'cause you sing. That's what I want. I want you to hear that song ringing in your ears. And even if you're having a bad day that day, I want you to hear that song. And I promise you, you're going to put a smile on your face. It's going to make the Lord a little lighter 'cause you've been saved by His power divine. That's the reality for these folk who have put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ this Sunday morning. And we thank God for all of them who professed the hope in Jesus Christ. Others of them have already done that, but they're coming to become a part of the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church family. And I'm so excited for all of you here in the Cathedral. All of you there in the sanctuary. Our church just got better because we expanded it to include each one of you. Welcome to your new church home. We're so glad you're here. Church families celebrate our sisters and brothers who have come to be a part of us. Amen. That's beautiful. That's beautiful.

Big enjoy. Will you raise your hand, please? My dear sister right there on the end, will you follow that distinguished gentleman? He's going to go out that aisle right there. And if all of you will follow him, his beloved wife is going to make sure that everybody gets there and gets there safely and in order. And while you're walking, we're celebrating. And they're doing the same in the sanctuary. Look at them celebrating. All those precious people are walking. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. That's beautiful. I thank God that I go to a church, but souls are being saved. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Souls are being saved. Amen. Amen. So you may be seated in the presence of the Lord as we do what we have been compelled to do. As the body of Christ, we together take of these elements that remind us of the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As we gather here in the cathedral and in the sanctuary around the walls of our church, these leaders, preachers, deacons who accepted the responsibility for ordained leadership in the Lord's church. We lead you in doing what Jesus told his disciples to do. To do this in remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ. all around the world today, today is literally known as as a significant and sacred part of their worship day all go to the table to remember

as a body of believers worldwide what Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary. Since before I started preaching to you, it's really made as quiet as singing about the cross and the love that the Lord displayed on the cross before they started singing that you sang glory to his name because down at the cross when my Savior died down with foreclinsing from sin I cried there to my heart was the blood applied glory to his name all of this has been doctrine to teach you the significance of this table it is intentional that on these first Sundays we saturate the Lord's house with songs about the cross about the blood about his death because we want you to dance about the fact that you have learned that your Jesus look beyond your faults to see your need as a matter of fact the Bible declares that that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself as well as world communion Sunday isn't that just about some Baptists in Third World Texas the whole world of believers remembers that Jesus Christ paid an awesome debt to secure our salvation so despite the denominations despite practices all of us together share at the table of the Lord remembering that before Jesus ever distributed those elements he consecrated them he blessed them and so too shall we in this sacred space do the same as the chairman elect of our deacons Deacon Omar Reed now leads us to the throne of grace in prayer Jesus paid it all all to him I know sin had left a crimson stain he washed it white as snow our father our God Lord how excellent is your name God we thank you for this day at another opportunity God to participate in this worship service God through your holy communion God we thank you for the power that saved us we thank you for the blood God that washed away all our sins we thank you God that you paid a debt that you did not owe God so that we could have salvation we thank you for your goodness and your mercy your favor and your grace your care and compassion your kindness and your conviction God we thank you for these elements that we are about to receive God this bread that was representative of his broken battered bruised body God in this wine that represents his blood God that will never lose his power God would you continue to bless us for your service God as you consecrate these elements we lift this prayer in your son Jesus name amen amen the hymns of the church tell us the story is this story about Jesus Christ and his blood there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's vein Emmanuel is the name God with us given to Jesus so we sing today about that and we learn about that wonderful gift of salvation to the blood of Jesus and while we're singing if they're

those who've not yet been served you didn't receive your elements of the Lord's supper before you came into the sanctuary or the cathedral I invite you to step up your hand now and our service will make sure that each of you receives the elements of the Lord's supper even now and as we distribute these elements let's sing together this great hymn of the church there is a fountain let us sing there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's vein and sinners flow. Let's sing there's a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's vein. ♪ The moon's all in their guilty sense ♪ ♪ The moon's all in their guilty sense ♪ ♪ In the deepest day ♪ ♪ The moon's all in their guilty sense ♪ ♪ And sinners plunge ♪ ♪ As sinners plunge ♪ ♪ In the deepest day ♪ ♪ The moon's all in their guilty sense ♪ ♪ The dying we've rejoiced to see ♪ ♪ We rejoiced ♪ ♪ That fountain in his day ♪ ♪ That fountain in his day ♪ ♪ And there may I ♪ ♪ And there may I ♪ ♪ Go file as evil ♪ ♪ Wash all my sins away ♪ ♪ Wash all my sins away ♪ ♪ Make your tongue ♪ ♪ Wash all my sins away ♪ ♪ Wash all my sins ♪ ♪ All the hope that you should be ♪ ♪ And the hope that you should be ♪

♪ And the hope that you should be ♪ ♪ Wash all my sins ♪ ♪ Wash all my sins away ♪ Dear darling lamb, thy precious blood! ♪ The dying lamb ♪ ♪ Thy precious ♪ She'll never lose this part! ♪ And the hope that you should be ♪ ♪ Until all of the ransom to church have gone ♪ ♪ The dead strong church ♪ ♪ Be safe to sing the way ♪ ♪ To sing the Lord ♪ ♪ Be safe to sing the Lord ♪ ♪ To sing the Lord ♪ ♪ Be safe to sing the way ♪ ♪ To sing the way ♪ ♪ To sing all the ransom to church have gone ♪ ♪ To sing the Lord ♪ ♪ To ask for everything to go down here ♪ ♪ Where everybody will be safe to sit no ♪ ♪ Be safe to sing the way ♪ We hold that I have the symbol of the broken body of Jesus Christ. This symbol reminds us of just how much the Lord Jesus would endure to secure our salvation. The bread was broken as the body of the Lord Jesus was broken for you and for me. And as we think about the broken, beaten, battered, bruised body of the Lord Jesus Christ, let's eat this bread together in remembrance of Jesus the Christ. ♪ In the cup is a symbol of the shed blood of Jesus. That blood that washes away all of our sin.

We drink of it together because as a body of believers we recognize that all of us need the Lord's blood to wash our sins away. There's no one who is exempt, no one who is beyond the reach, the grasp, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. None of us who does not need the blood to cover and cleanse our sins. And so together in communion we drink of the gun and we do so in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. Let's drink together. Grace has got to be giving you thanks for your compassion and your care, for your loving kindness and your tender mercy. We thank you for blessing us yet again to come into worship, to fellowship with the saints, to hear your words sung and spoken, to pray for one another, even as we have others to pray for us, and now to leave here refreshed, reset, and ready for the week that is before us. Will you order our steps, please? So we might do that which please ends you. Will you guide us and guard us so that in all things, you will be able to get the glory out of us. We thank you for this time of worship. Now we ask that you will send us forth to do good works for your name's sake, and we thank you for the victory that is ours because we are yours. In the strong and perfect, the powerful and precious name of the Lord Jesus, do we pray with great thanksgiving and expectation for a great October. In Jesus' name we pray, somebody shout hallelujah. Let the church say, man, if you love the Lord and you glad you're saved say, I'm so glad I'm saved. God bless your church family. I want you to have an absolutely phenomenal week.

I want to see you Wednesday right here in the Cathedral as we worship together in revival. The Lord bless you and keep you is my prayer. Go forth to do good works as we sing together, leaving this place. (gentle music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music)

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