They Sold Us Out | Dr. Howard-John Wesley

- Two. - My beloved brother for these 40 plus years of friendship that God has graced and blessed me with. The esteemed pastor and shepherd of the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. There's only one Reverend Dr. Marcus D. Cosby. (audience applauding) If you know that you love your pastor and you're grateful for how the Lord uses him to shape and mold your life. If you think it not robbery, will you take just a moment to let him feel the love of a family? Happy anniversary, man. To his partner in life and love and marriage and ministry, the first lady of this house, Sister Audrey Marie Cosby, Sis is always good to see you again. (audience applauding) To all the Cosby clan, to all those in this place who shared the blessing of the burden of preaching God's holy word. To you my brothers and sisters in Christ and in creation. Grace and peace be unto you from God who loves us as a mother and a father. And Jesus Christ who always and alone is our resurrected, our risen, our reigning and our returning redeemer. Allow me to quickly but sincerely share the joy and honor it is to stand with you once again for this 23rd time on this last Sunday of October. (audience applauding) The fourth Sunday in September is my anniversary

when you come to me. (audience laughing) And the joy is not simply for the honor to preach. Indeed, it is a joy to stand and share the word, but more so to be able to come and to celebrate my beloved brother and the love that you all have for him. Pastor Cosby and I have known each other and been friends for some 40 plus years. And every time we get together, we remind ourselves that we never could have thought or seen what the Lord was gonna do and where the Lord has lifted and landed us in life and in ministry. And I wanna come here every year in this moment to say to you what I'm gonna say every time God blesses me with this privilege. I wanna thank you for the love and kindness that you've shown to my friend. I wanna thank you for 22 years, 8,060 days of him smiling being the pastor of the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. Thank you for the love you've given unto him. And Wheeler, for 28 years, I can't believe Pastor Cosby has been 28 years. I feel like this is home to me and I wanna thank you for the love. You've not only shown him but the love. You've shown to me to our church. Many of you have traveled to Alexandria, have been in the Alpha Street Baptist Church.

You are a blessing to my life and it is a joy to look around this congregation and see faces that I've known for almost 30 years. I thank God for the mutual friendship we share between the Alfred Avenue and the Wheeler Street Baptist Church as we partner together. It's an amazing testimony of what God is able to do. The psalmist said it and I'll plagiarize it. This is the Lord's doing and it is marvelous in our eyes. (congregation applauding) Amen. (congregation applauding) Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. The 28th verse of the 37th chapter of the book of Genesis. Dr. Williams read the entire context for our preaching this morning. So allow me in good Wheeler Avenue fashion to read one verse and say that's enough. (congregation laughing) Genesis chapter 37. Verse 28 reads a little something like this. His brothers pulled Joseph out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver. That's enough. Do me a favor so that I am not the only one who offends you this morning. I want you to share the sermon title with your neighbor.

Tell them neighbor. - Neighbor. - Old neighbor. - Old neighbor. - They sold us out. - They sold us out. They sold us out. On April 15th of 1947, a track and field and football star athlete from the UCLA, the name of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson, made history. When he signed with the then Brooklyn Dodgers to become the first black man to play in the all white male dominated league called Major League Baseball. You can imagine the racist response, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson endured. From booze and name calling while he played to death threats sent to his home because he had the audacity to be the first black man to play professional baseball. In his autobiography, he spoke about understanding the role he played in advancing civil rights for our people. For you see, Jackie Roosevelt Robinson had been dishonorably discharged from the United States military for refusing to ride in the colored section of a bus. He said, "If I'm going to serve my country and put my life on the line for my country, I will be respected by my country." And while reflecting over the threats and the booze, he said, "I can handle the booze. I can handle the threats. I knew that came along with the territory." But he said, "What messed me up was a petition signed by my own teammates who knew I could play but wanted to keep me off the field." Jackie Roosevelt Robinson said this, "I can't believe people who wore the same uniform could do that to me." Buffett, I come by to tell you it's not the anticipated attack of your enemy that confuses you. It's the betrayal of people that share your same uniform. 'Cause sometimes it be your own people. That's kind of how I feel as I sit and look at 2026 United States of America. As I see these attacks against women and black identity and black culture and black history and the denouncing of black sororities and black fraternities

and the erasing of the legacy of blackness and the redistricting of voting districts to weaken the black vote, it's not the attack of our enemy that confuses me. It's how it's supported by some of our own people. I know this is disturbing. Dr. King in his 1963 letter from a Birmingham jail said that his greatest disappointment in the fight for civil rights were not those who were staunchly supportive of segregation, but rather the moderate white clergy who knew racism was wrong and said nothing about it. And if Dr. King were alive and were to rewrite that letter today, I would suggest that he would also express grave disappointment in how we have been betrayed in our fight for rights by some of the folk who look just like us. Have you ever been there? Have you ever been betrayed by folk you thought should stand with you? Have you ever been stabbed in the back by folk you thought had your back? Have you ever wondered when and why they switched sides and wasn't standing with you anymore? Have you ever had someone do something to you that you know you never would have done to them? Have you ever been betrayed by folk you put your trust in and believed that you had never done anything to them and they had no reason to do to you what they did to you? Have you ever been betrayed by folk you thought you could trust in? If you've ever been there you can understand how Joseph feels in this 37th chapter of the book of Genesis. Let me give you a little background. Joseph is the son of Jacob, Jacob name Israel, the son of Isaac, the grandson of Abraham. If you went to Sunday school, you know that this Jacob has 12 children by four baby mamas. His wives Rachel and Leah, and their slaves, Bilhah and Zilpah. He's got Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Napfali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph and Benjamin. He's got 12 sons, but Joseph is his favorite. And the problem isn't really that Joseph is his favorite, the problem is that he let everybody

know it. For you recall that he's given Joseph this coat of many colors, this jacket that's rainbow displayed that everywhere he goes and wears it, everybody knows I'm Daddy's favorite. And Joseph doesn't help the matter because he wears that bag on jacket everywhere. And he talks too much. He has a dream that one day he will rule over his brothers and rather than keeping it to himself, he told his brothers, one day I'll be better than you. Well, it's no wonder then in the 37th chapter when this Jacob sends his favorite son Joseph out into the field to find his brothers. They see him coming from a mile away because he's wearing that bag on jacket. And they have had enough. They decide they want to kill him and tell his dad that he was killed by an animal. And while they're figuring out how to commit the homicide, Ruben, the oldest brother comes back and says, let's not kill him, let's throw him in his sister and let's throw him in a hole in the ground. And Judas steps up and says, we're going to get paid for that. Let's sell him into slavery and tell dad he was killed because at least we'll make some money. And the Bible says that's exactly what happens. And one day the Ishma lights are coming by, they pull him out of that hole in the ground and they sell him to the Ishma lights for 20 pieces of silver and then the Ishma lights sell him into the Egyptians as a slave. Can you imagine Joseph in slavery saying to himself, I can't believe I got here because my own brothers sold me out. Can I share with you the folk that sold him out so that you might appreciate some of the folk we're dealing with today? He sold out by the oldest brother, Ruben. Ruben is the one who said, let's not kill him, let's throw him in the pit. And before you applaud and think Ruben ought to be celebrated for saving Joseph's life, remember why Ruben did it.

Ruben did not say, I want to save Joseph, what Ruben wanted to do was to throw Joseph in a pit so that when all the other brothers were gone, he could come back and get him out and take him back to his dad and win the approval of his dad because he looked like he saved his brother. Hear me? He's not interested in saving Joseph's life, he's interested in gaining favor from Jacob. He doesn't care about Joseph, he wants to get close to Jacob. And hear me, there are folk who will sell you out just to get proximity to privilege, just to be accepted by the oppressor, just to be allowed in the room with those that they think will power, they will throw you in a pit if it allows them to be promoted to the palace, y'all, there are folk who will do you wrong. to gain proximity to privilege, they will deny that we have things in common and act like they have more in common with our enemy than they do with us to gain power. They will tap dance and perform on a stage that is disrespectful to the legacies of their foremothers and their forefathers to gain access to power. They will cry over Charlie Kirk and say you're wrong for crying over Nolan Wells to gain access to power. (audience cheering) They will sell you out to be accepted by those with privilege. Can I push you? (audience laughing) And here's the problem, Ruben is the oldest. So if you know Jewish culture, he's supposed to be the favorite.

But Joseph is the favorite. So Ruben has him thrown in the pit so he can go grab him in hopes that when he brings him back to Jacob, that Jacob will love him the same way Jacob loves Joseph. Because there's some people who mistakenly think that proximity is equality. (audience cheering) They believe that if they can get invited and accepted, that they'll be viewed as equal. They think that if they're at the room and in the table, that everybody sees them as equal. And I came by to tell you that proximity is not equality. You can never measure equality by exceptionalism just 'cause you are in the room doesn't mean that they consider you equal baby girl brother man, just 'cause they gave you a seat at the table doesn't mean they think you belong at the table. You ain't nothing more than a press release. So they can claim that they believe in diversity. (audience cheering) Go and preach out with John Wesley. (audience cheering) Just 'cause you are accepted doesn't mean we are all equal. Equality is not when you can get in the room. Equality is when they can't keep the rest of us out of the room. (audience cheering) Equality is not exceptionalism.

Taddy Lou Hamer put it like this until all of us are free. Y'all let me preach it. Ain't none of us free. (audience cheering) I heard it like this from my beloved friend in Chicago where I've noticed most of the third who was telling a story about his father. It said that his father was traveling up out of the south during the heat of Jim Crow. And while they were traveling up out of the south, they stopped in a town to go to the restroom and to get off the bus and the driver told them don't tear you around here 'cause they don't like folk that look like you. So these young black men are running off the bus to go to the restroom, cause the only to get there and find out they can't get in because the colored bathroom required money. You had to put a quarter in the door to get into the bathroom. And knowing that they were in a dangerous place, they decided to get back on the bus even though they couldn't go to the bathroom because nobody had a quarter to go to the bathroom. And while they're on the way back to the bus, an older black man said, "Come on, come with me." They said, "Sir, but we can't get to the bathroom." He says, "I have a quarter and I'm gonna pay "to open the door and when I open the door,

"I'm gonna hold the door open. "So the rest of you all could come in." And that's the type of Negro I'm looking for in Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church who understands that if God has given me the power to open the door, I'm gonna hold the door open so that those after me can come where the Lord has blessed me to be. Is there anybody at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church that's committed to holding the door? - Rubin sells him out to get proximity to power. But he's not the only one, Judah sells him out. Judah is the one that says, "We ought to sell him "for some money." for some money. I need you to remember who Judah is. Remember how I told you that the Jacobs got 12 kids by four baby mamas? The reason that exists is because the mothers are competing. Rachel and Leah are in a fight to see which one of them can earn Jacobs' love by giving him male children. And you could tell how dysfunctional the family is by how they named the children. Because in those days, a child was named by the experience of the mother. Watch this. So when Leah gives birth to Judah, she says, now I will praise God because I beat my sister.

Judah's name means to praise. He's sold out by someone whose name means to praise. Ain't it a shame when folk who claim to praise the Lord are the very ones who will betray you? Ain't it a shame that it's folk who sit in the sanctuary that will do you dirty, don't look you. Nobody. Ain't it a shame that folk who carry the Bible can be the biggest hypocrites in the church. Ain't it a shame that folk who go to church Sunday in and Sunday out are the first folk to cuss you out. Ain't it a shame that folk who say they love God can hate on you? Will I flu all the way down here to Houston to declare to you that Christian nationalism is a betrayal to the body of Christ and the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. They worship an unrepented sinner. They are unkind to the poor with petulants. They do not care about the homeless and the downtrodden. It is a betrayal to the gospel of Jesus Christ to hang an American flag next to the cross of Jesus. That is a betrayal. God is not American. Judah sells them out. Y'all, can I tell you what the greatest lie of racism is? The greatest lie of racism is that my equality threatens your opportunity. The greatest lie of racism is that if I am equal, it threatens your privilege.

As if somehow God only has one blessing. And if I'm eligible for it, your children can't have it. And when you believe that equality threatens opportunity, you will seek to harm me even when it don't help you. Come here, I'm going somewhere. When you think equality threatens opportunity, you will vote for things that don't benefit you, but you think they hurt me. Come on, Howard, John, when you think equality threatens opportunity, you will stand for something that doesn't benefit you. You know what, y'all, it is a shame to hate somebody else more than you love yourself. [APPLAUSE] It's a shame for you to hate them so much that you'll vote for things that hurt you. Well, while I'm not messed up some folk, let me let me get back in the Bible. I'm short to you in the text. Pastor Cosmo here doesn't text. Judah says, let's sell them. And he wants to sell them for 20 pieces of silver. Somebody say 20. Let me tell you what the problem is. If you're reading your Bible, you go back to the Book of Exodus in chapter 21, you'll find out that the going rate for a slave was 30 pieces of silver. That's where the whole betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver has biblical connection. for 30 pieces of silver, y'all sold it for 20,

you didn't even get full rate. (audience laughing) You didn't even get all that you thought you should get. 20 pieces of silver in today's economy is $450. You sold your brother out for $450. $450, you sold us out for a stimulus check. (audience laughing) Can I push it? 20 pieces of silver, $450. JD, here's the problem. They sold 'em out for 20 pieces of silver, but they're 10 of 'em. (audience laughing) They got 20 pieces of silver, but they gotta split it up 10 ways. If your math is mathin' it, you sold 'em out for two pieces of silver. So I came by to ask you to who sold us out for a little bit of change. I can ask you a difficult question. What did you really get? (audience laughing) What did you get by canceling DEI? Did you get the job you thought you would always have in life? (audience laughing) Have your gas prices gone down? Can you afford all your utilities and your food? Does supporting immigrants give your children a job? You've been dreaming they would have all of their lives.

What did you get? (audience laughing) Did overturning Roe versus Wade give you better healthcare access? (audience laughing) You betrayed me because you hate me, but you ain't gettin' nothing out of it. (audience laughing) I done made folk man, let me get on out of here. (audience laughing) I ain't scared of y'all ever since Charlie Kirk, I got arm security, amen, I got arm security. (audience laughing) Ruben sold 'em out to get proximity. Judas sold 'em out but didn't get what he expected. But there's another group that sells 'em out, the other brothers. Hear me y'all, there are eight other brothers in the crowd and the reason they sell Joseph out is 'cause none of 'em said anything. (audience laughing) They were in position to use their mouth to say this ain't right and they chose to keep silent. Can I tell you who sells you out? Folk who know it's wrong but won't say it's wrong. You know who sells you out? Folk who say as long as it ain't affecting me, I'm just gonna mind my business and stay to myself. You know who sells you out? Folk who coulda lifted up their hand

and say that's not funny, you can't talk like that around me. Don't use that language about her but they did not raise their voice. (audience cheering) And shame on you if you ever sit silent in the presence of evil. (audience cheering) Shame on you if you're elected and you're so afraid of retaliation from the White House that you won't stand for what you know is ungodly and unevil, shame on you. (audience cheering) If you know what they're doing on that job to your coworker is unethical and rather than open up your mouth, you try to save yourself, shame on you. (audience cheering) And before you think I'm talking about some scared senators or cowardly Congress people or some jittery justices, some of us have sold us out. If you don't cast a vote, you have sold us out. [CHEERING] If you sit at home on November 3rd, tonight I don't like either of the candidates. You have sold us out. If the only time you voted was to make marijuana legal, you sold us-- every time you sit silent in the midst of evil, you have sold us out.

And I flew all the way to Houston to find some folk with some relentless Christian courage who understand God has called us to the kingdom for such a time as this. And I will not sit silent. I will not laugh at the joker. I will not cosign on the oppression. I will not be complicit in the evil. [CHEERING] No, somebody tell them to say something. [CHEERING] Oh, can I push it? [CHEERING] If I've upset you, I'm about to make you real mad. [CHEERING] Cos-- they didn't say nothing. And because they were silent, the only voice people heard was Judah. Because when you are silent, you allow others to speak for you. We have been betrayed by a multitude of celebrity voices that ain't got no business speaking for us. [CHEERING] Can I tell you what Brother Malcolm said? Brother Malcolm said, we are the only folk who allow entertainers and athletes to become social spurts posts and spurts persons for our people. They said white folk don't care what their athletes think or their artists think. Only black folk allow celebrities and athletes

to speak for them. And I came by to tell you that no bankrupt boxer speaks for me. [CHEERING] I came to tell you no sports analyst speaks for me. I came to tell you nobody with a Heisman trophy speaks for me. Just because your album went platinum and you made a movie back in the 1990s, doesn't mean you speak for me. And there has to come a time when we reject certain people as being the spokesperson for who we are. You don't speak for me! [CHEERING] I better finish this here, sermonist. [CHEERING] Reuben sells him out to get proximity because he thinks it's equality. Judah sells him out but doesn't get what he thought he would. The other brothers sell him out because they don't speak and allow others to speak for them. But there's one more group that sells him out. The Bible says that after they pull him up out of the system, they sell him for 20 pieces of silver to the ishma lights, the ishma lights, the ishmael lights, the ishmael lights. Reason your neighbor's starting to smile because they went to Sunday school. And they know that name ishmael. In case you miss that Sunday, ishmael is the grand uncle of Joseph.

Joseph's dad is Jacob. Jacob's dad is Isaac. Isaac's dad is Abraham. Abraham had two sons, Isaac and ishmael. His own people buy him because they are historically ignorant of the connection they have to Joseph. If you don't know what happened on Bloody Sunday on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, you will sell us out and not vote in the elections. If you've never seen the picture of the mutilated body of Emmett Teal, you'll never understand why black lives matter. If you don't remember that George Wallace said segregation now and segregation forever, you will mourn for Charlie Kirk. If you don't know that affirmative action put you on the Supreme Court, you'll get on the Supreme Court and shut the door on affirmative action, because you are historically ignorant. That's why we must fight this attack against our history. We must fight those who want to act like slavery didn't happen. We gotta fight against those who would act like 200 years of systematic racism disappeared in the Civil Rights Act. If not, we will raise a generation that does not know where they have come from, and they will take us back to where we've been. I'm done, I'm done, uh, Caskowski, your godson, modus, when he's playing AAU, which is an evil in itself. Can I get a parent? Amen. He had a basketball tournament down at Boo Williams in Hampton, Virginia. We live in Alexandria. To get to Hampton, you go 95 south and take 64 years. To get to Hampton, 95 south, 64 years. One more time, it's real simple, to get to Hampton, you go 95 south, 64 years. The tournament is early in the morning, so I wake him up and I decide I'll drive the first lane, 'cause he's tired. So we get in the car and I know how to get to Hampton. 95 south, 64 years. We get down to 95 south, I stop at the gas station, and I decide it's time for him to wake up and drive. So I put the gas in the car, I wake him up, says your turn to drive. I get in the car, I go to sleep. When I wake up, we are on 95 north, headed back home. I said, "Where in the are you going?" And it's 95 south to 64 years, but since I didn't tell him that, when it was his turn to drive, he got in the car and took us back, because I had not told him where we had come from. And could it be that we are raised in a generation who has taken us back to where we've already come from, because we did not tell them about the God that brought us through the Middle Passage, a God that carried us through Jim Crow, a God who said, "Let my people go, a God who brought us through civil rights." We got two more services to go, I don't know how y'all do this. The Bible is sold out by his brothers. He winds up a slave in Egypt, all because some folk have betrayed him. The Bible says that when they threw him in the pit, they said, "Let's watch what happens now." They pull up a seat and want to watch the works of their hands. But the Bible says that Joseph's story did not end with a betrayal. You got to keep on reading till you get to chapter 50. And when you get to chapter 50, the same folk who betrayed him are now brought back in

his presence. The same folk that did him wrong, now have to see where the Lord has brought it. The same folk that treated him bad are now standing in his presence. And when Joseph sees them, he's not angry, he's not vengeful, he's not even upset. He looks the ones who betrayed him, dead in the eye, and watch what he's saying, "You meant it for evil," but God worked it for my good. I came by to give you two words today, but God, they tried to kill you, but God, they They tried to break you, but God, they thought walking away would kill you. Is there anybody here that knows about some but God went through the worst but God lost everything but God didn't know what to do but God, but God, but God, but God, but God. Thank you, Wheeler. May the Lord bless you, mighty good. But remember I told you how they hated on Jackie Robinson. They threatened his very life. Let me tell you how his story is, because after his career, he was inducted to the hall of fame. They retired his jersey on every team. No team can win Jackie Robinson's jersey at any time except on April 15th, on April 15th of every year, the same day that Jackie Robinson broke into the major leagues. Now every player on every team in every color has to wear his jersey with his name on the back. All I'm trying to touch on, if God before you, if God is on your side, he'll take what was meant for evil and work it for your good. If God before us, fret not by self over evil doers, neither be thou envious of the workers of iniquity. If God before us, he'll work all things together for the good of them that love the Lord. If God before you, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid. When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes came upon me to eat them my flesh. The Bible says they stop and they hail, wait on the Lord and be a good courage. And he will straighten thy heart, won't he do it, won't he fight, won't he work it out, won't he turn it around, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey! [Music] Goodness alive to God be the glory for the preaching gift and preaching ministry of Dr. John Wesley. Thank God for this word today. Come on and give God praise for the word of God.

[Applause] Thank you, sir, for blessing us with that word, for challenging us with that word, for helping us with that word. Amen. Amen, amen, amen. There may be someone in church today who needs to be in relationship with the God who knows how to work all things together for our good. God Joseph talked about when he looked at his brothers and said, "You may have minted for evil, but God minted for my good. I want to invite you into a relationship with that God who just turns all things together for the good of those who love him." If you're here on this Sunday morning and you've never given your life to that God, you not yet put your trust in his Son, our Savior who is Jesus Christ. You don't have a relationship with that God through Jesus Christ. I invite you to come on this Sunday morning and make your profession known to the family of faith that gathers all around you. How's it going to come stand with me now? And as they stand with me here at the front of the church, their leaders who are standing all around the church with their arms extended saying, "You, sister, you, brother, are welcome here." I want you to take advantage of that wonderful and warm invitation just by the extension of those hands. I want you to come on down this way. If you know you need to be a part of the Wheeler Avenue family on this Sunday, you know you're saved already, but you don't have a church home where you're growing and developing and maturing and becoming the Christian of God desires. I want you to become. I want you to come on down this way. Follow those extended arms and make your way down to this space here at the front of the church and know that this congregation will warmly receive you as a member of our family of faith and fellowship. Somebody's already celebrating because somebody's already walked in and we thank God for you. Follow the leadership of those brothers. Follow the leadership of those brothers right there. There you go. Come on this way. Praise the Lord for them. As they come this way, we're going to sing this great hymn of the church. And as we sing it, I want you to remember that each of us needs to hold to the unchanging hand of our God. If you hear on this Sunday and you need to be down here with ease, won't you come and say yes to the invitation that's extended to you. Even right now, I'm saying unchurched. I'm sure about your salvation. Come on this way. Let's clear it up before this day is over. Time is filled with swift transition. Start of earth on who can stay. Build your hopes on things eternal. Hold to God's unchanging hand. Trust in Him who will not leave you. Come on, is there another? Whatsoever gives may bring. Who else needs to come? Come on, sis. Come on, brother. If thy earthly friend is forsaken. Still more closely to Him, please. Up and up this world's main riches. That's so rapidly decaying. Seek to gain the heavenly treasure. They will never pass away.

Every good here has to talk about heaven, so when your journey is completed, if to die you have been truthful. ♪ Fair and bright the whole big world ♪ ♪ You're enraptured soul will view ♪ ♪ Well now you've been waiting to sing ♪ ♪ And come on back ahead ♪ ♪ Turn around your arms ♪ ♪ God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ Hold your hands with another ♪ ♪ God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ Him, your hope ♪ ♪ Hold your fingers in turn ♪ ♪ Oh God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ Come on, everybody, everybody ♪ ♪ Let's sing it with God ♪ ♪ Everybody ♪ ♪ Hold your arms with another ♪ ♪ It's a shame to have ♪ ♪ God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ You're the hope ♪ ♪ God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ Hold your hands with another ♪ ♪ Last time, last time ♪ ♪ The third time in the charm ♪ ♪ Everybody on the whole ♪ ♪ Let's sing it with another ♪ ♪ God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ Him, your hope to be ♪ ♪ God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ Him, your hope to be ♪

♪ God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ He takes us all ♪ ♪ God's such a shame to have ♪ ♪ Him, Him ♪ ♪ Him, Him ♪ Come on, we've got family members to welcome to the Wheeler Avenue Church. It's God from the glory. My dear sisters, on behalf of this entire congregation, we say to each of you, welcome to your new church home. We're so grateful that out of all the places where God could have sent you to continue your Christian journey, sent you to Wheeler Avenue. So on behalf of all of us, we say to both of you, welcome, we're glad you're here, and we're excited about what God is gonna do with you in you, through you, and for you, because you're now a part of our church family. We can't wait to see how you're gonna make our church better because of the gifts that you bring to us, but we also are excited about how we can make your lives and your journey better by the gifts that God has already entrusted to us to share with you. So welcome, we're glad you're here, and I can prove it to you right now. Family! (audience applauding) - Yep, yep, yep, God bless you. That brother right there is gonna lie in hell.

Howard, will you please follow him? His beloved wife, Barbara, is gonna follow you, and they're gonna make sure you get to what you need to be, and we're gonna continue to celebrate with all of those who are now part of the family, especially these two who are part of our family now to God be the glory for them. Whoo, thank you, man. What a blessing you are. (audience applauding) What a blessing you are. I praise God for you, but I thank God for the gift that God has given to you and the way that you so powerfully and profoundly share that gift with the world. So God bless you as you prepare for the next two messages that you bring to us, 'cause I don't get how strong that one was. I expect two more different ones in the next two services. Let the church say, "Hey, man." There's a trilogy I want today. I don't wanna hear that one no more. I don't wanna hear. (audience laughing) Hey, man. And I cannot wait to hear what God has to say. So at the end of this day, if you wanna look back on YouTube, you'll see three different messages from the imitable Dr. Howard John Wesley.

Hey, man, praise God for him. (audience applauding) Hey, man, it's gonna be great. And I thank God for you. And thank God for you, church family. I thank God for your willingness to be led by this guy from Chicago, the South side of Chicago. And we thank God for the wonderful joy that has been ours over these 22 years. Ms. Cosby is kind enough to take care of our mother. And my mother, she just got wheeled out. My mother's in in bad health, as many of you know. And my wife takes good care of her every single day. And I thank God for that, yeah, man. (audience applauding) Yeah, so some folks may wonder why she lead 'cause she taking care of my mother. She got to get my mom out to bed. She got to get a dress. She got to get in the church. She does all of that. And so if you come in at 845 for the 7 o'clock service, that's all right. We pray that they got-- well, you made it. Amen. So thank God for her. [APPLAUSE] I wanted all my children in church today. Our two daughters as you may well know, I'm married and gone.

But I texted them. I said, y'all come in and celebrate with your daddy. Said, if you're paying for it. So I said, so they here, as you see. Thank God for Adrian Marie Gaines and Ashta Marie Burbs. And the grandson is here, Mr. Micah Richard Gaines the second. And we thank God for them. He's used to that camera. Thank God for them. And Matthew is in town, but Matthew sleep or something. Where's Matthew? He's on the way. He prays to the Lord. He's like Jesus. He's coming soon. [LAUGHTER] And Marcus D is over there. Thank God for these five and for the joy that they are. Thank you so much, Church, for being so good to us, for blessing our family in the way that you have. Since we got here, it was just one child when we got here. That was Adrian in 1998. And now, there's a whole bunch of them. And I thank God what? Oh, there's one more. Alia, where's Alia? She danced this morning. Where is she? She's in the nursery.

She's working in the nursery. And I thank God for Alia. She dances, and then she runs over to the nursery and takes care of the babies. And I thank God for her and for the way that she blesses our church as well. Amen. [APPLAUSE] High school senior. Thank you, Jesus. [APPLAUSE] It's a few more months. And the house is ours. Thank you, Jesus. Come on, let's go. Let's leave from this place and let's see as we leave this doxology of the church. This is Vanessa Bill Armstrong. I sure appreciate you coming to Wheel Avenue today. Thank you for being a part of our church experience today. We really are grateful. Your gift has reverberated across the country and around the world for decades. And we cannot thank God enough that you still stand strong. And you're on the battlefield for the Lord. And they're going to hide your shoes. I've seen you go on since everybody ain't able. Come on, let's say praise God from whom all blessings flow. [MUSIC PLAYING] [CHEERING]

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