9.5.2021 Trinity AME Zion Church Live

[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] this [Music] so good morning trinity come on i can't hear you good morning trinity those that are in the pews can i hear you good morning trinity those that are watching virtually good morning trinity and friends the word declares i will bless the lord at all times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth my soul shall make her boast to the lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad oh magnify the lord with me let us exalt his name together is there anybody here besides me who's glad to be in god's house one more time who's glad to be watching uh in the lord's house one more time hallelujah the word declares that everything let everything that had breath everything that had breath praise the lord amen somebody did not get to take their breath this morning somebody's on a ventilator this morning amen a machine is breathing for them but let everything that have breath praise the lord i don't know about you but i'm glad to be on this side amen amen let us go to the lord lord for this day we come giving you thanks honor and praise oh god we come god knowing that it's not about us but it's about you god we thank you for your grace and your mercy god we thank you for keeping us o god we thank you god for allowing us to come back to your house of worship one more time oh god we thank you for every person that's watching us virtually oh god we thank you for everyone that's that met us here in person oh god we ask god that you just come into this place god have your way move like never before oh god we expect the unexpected on today god we need to hear a word from you god oh god we thank you we thank you for all that you're doing in our lives god we thank you for the favor that you've shown us oh god we thank you god for making ways out of no way god we thank you god for healing our bodies so god we know that it wasn't us god but it was by your grace and your mercy god that we're standing today oh god we give you glory we give your honor we give you praise oh god we ask god that you touch the marie families everywhere god touch those that are in the hospitals in the nursing homes god oh god let them know god that you're still with them oh god lord we ask god that you just touched those guys whose mind god is not regulating right god we know that you're a mind regulator god we know that your heart fixer do it for us today lord do it for us today lord oh god somebody god came on god today that that's broken somebody walked up in here to this morning who's broken oh god but oh god we know we know god that you make all things well lord we ask god that you'll be in the service today touch our pastor give him a word straight from the realms of glory cover him in your blood oh god be with the choir god as they minister to us today oh god we ask that you touch the ushers god touch every heart god every person god that's listening that's watching oh god let us not leave the same oh god that we can say that we have been in the presence of god today now be with us this is your service have your way move us out of the way in jesus name amen amen put those hands together come on and give god some glory hallelujah [Music] okay [Music] i'm so glad you came to save us born i'm so glad you came today [Music] one more time [Music] i'm so glad you came to save us [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] but i love to sing [Music] i'm so glad you came [Music] is [Music] what i love [Music] is [Music] who came from [Music] uh [Music] [Applause] [Music] from [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Music] he is [Music] his name is truly to be praised praise him [Music] yes lord [Music] he's worthy [Music] praise himself [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] jesus [Music] is [Music] um [Music] he's [Music] [Applause] [Music] glory give him glory jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] come on [Music] he's [Music] uh [Music] he's [Music] glory singing [Music] you've got to give them the glory [Music] [Music] jesus [Music] jesus the prince of peace is [Music] [Applause] he's [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] hallelujah [Music] what the spirit of the lord is there's one true church apostolic and universal whose holy faith let us now reverently and sincerely declare through the use of the apostles creed i believe in god the father almighty maker heaven and earth and jesus christ that son of our lord who was conceived by the holy ghost born of the virgin mary suffered under pontius pilate was crucified dead third day he arrived sitteth on the right hand of god the father almighty from this it shall come the judge to quicken the dead i believe the holy catholic church communion of saints forgiveness of sins resurrection of the body life everlasting amen may be oh seated is the day the lord [Music] oh [Music] god for the worship sanctuary of trinity and messiah church it is just good to be able to have this connection i don't know about you but i expect god to speak to me today what [Music] and so we thank him praise god for this opportunity to be in space again we celebrate those who are celebrating birthdays during the month of september if you're celebrating a birthday during september would you please stand i'm already standing all september birthdays would you please stand come on give god praise bless you bless you if you're watching us and you're celebrating a birthday in september come on write your name down bless you bless you you may be seated all september anniversaries anybody got married in september i know that when amen i remember that one yes i remember that one too i married both of you come on we celebrate sister karen and brother barry come on give god praise for them hallelujah hallelujah thank you trinity as we begin this new conference here i want to thank those who joined us during our members meeting we do have some openings and we hope and pray that before the next quarterly conference we will be able to fill those openings and vacancies but those who accepted new responsibilities and those who accepted responsibilities for this conference here want to thank you for your continued support of the work here as you know this conference here we're going serving we're going to be servant leaders because we believe that servant leadership is what is needed in days and times like these so come on let's serve god together and let's serve the lord with gladness can you say amen amen also want to remind us and then also offer an opportunity for those who have been vaccinated or not we have a survey that is being done by the triad pastors network of which i'm a part which is connected to wake forest baptist hospital i know it's a thick packet those who've received it but if you fill it out today uh next week you'll get a 25 gift card it's just helping us to see and take temperature regarding the vaccination your thoughts about it also encouraging people to get tested encouraging people to take this time seriously so if you didn't get one you want to fill one out and also i'm going to ask young adults to help me with that as well fill that out there some in the back brother tony judd has some and also sister ojeda jackson has something no more left over here are they all gone tony has him okay brother tony where bro tony he's in the north x all right well he has them and he'll be visible you'll see him he'll have them and we're asking that you would please fill that out so that we can get that done and we can help our community curb this rising surge we've got to curb it we got to cut it somebody say amen and we can do it together can you say amen if you're asking me where i stand i stand on the side of sanity i stand on the side of wisdom and here's wisdom here's wisdom if i took the vaccine for mumps measles and pneumococcal virus and if i took those and listen if you don't grow your own food in your backyard if you don't have livestock that you use for food if you're not milking cows come on help me you don't know what you eating you don't know what you're drinking come on help me in here if you had if you took one trip to mcdonald's this week i know i did you don't know what's in the mcnuggets you don't know what's in that food you eating come on help me and am i am i right just dollar am i right you don't know what's in that food you just ordering it so we need to be we need to practice wisdom somebody say wisdom and we've got to make this thing turn we got to turn this thing in our community especially among those who are people of faith thank you for that and i hope that you will fill this out please and then encourage people to yes get tested we get tested around here often say amen amen and you call me crazy but i'm gonna be crazy on the side of caution than to be crazy and not take this seriously not take my health and life seriously and take your health and life seriously god bless you god keep you that's enough of that it's time for news from another network it's time to hear a word from the lord choir is getting ready to share with us turn in your bibles to the last book of the bible revelation chapter number two stop at verse one choir's gonna get us ready for preaching today come on let's be blessed [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] wow [Music] uh [Music] oh [Music] so [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] i'm [Music] i am [Music] [Music] i [Music] i give my whole to the glory of god [Music] through the glory hallelujah all to the glory of god all to the glory of god we launch onto the word i do want to call us to prayer the hymn writer is right prayer is the soul sincere desire another or express the motion of a hidden fire that moves within the breasts your persons that we have asked you to pray for this morning that you remember doris roberts in your prayers sister winnie williams brother james brown melvin mclean we pray this morning for our sister patricia holliday and charlotte houston damien dixon we pray this morning for sister mary hopkins and sister maxine davis we pray for my wife's family we went this weekend to funeralize the matriarch of her family sister perleen mcgee white and we pray for that family this morning pray for the family of sister caroline gohan's elliot who is the sister in love of sister linda goins we pray that god will give strength to those who are grieving we pray that god will give strength to students and teachers and administrators those who have to traffic in hostile territory somebody has to contend with a hellish boss critical co-workers and god sent you in here this morning to remind you that you're not your job you're not your talent you're not your gift you're not your position you have been made in the image of god and god sent me to tell you this morning you are special somebody say special i celebrate the fact that my mother retired this past week and she's home probably watching this worship this morning 37 years on one job and she's retired now i'm gonna get one of my friends who said to her now you can travel on mitchell's time and dime i said i ain't got much of a dime to travel on but i'm thankful anybody grateful to be retired anybody can't wait to be retired anybody know you got miles to go before you retire but god keeps giving you strength day by day thanks be to god for that let's bow our heads in prayer gracious god we truly thank you for this worship experience that you've called us into this is not our service this is your worship experience you've called us into this place and because you called us into this place god you you beckon us to remember that it is you who have made us and not we ourselves it's not about us or what we think or feel it's about what you will for our lives to be and to become and we know god that we are unfinished we are undone but thank you o god for the grace that is lavished upon our lives such that we can see beyond our imperfections and see you for the god who you are thank you oh god for this opportunity to stand before your people and as we stand o god we pray now that you will bless those who are watching this worship and worshiping with us we pray oh god that your shekinah might rest on every house and every life and every space and every situation that god you will have your way in us and through us we lifted names oh god we know you know the need and oh god we know you know how to meet the need so god i pray that you will move by your power and oh god anoint afresh that we might oh god clearly reflect your glory and the earth stand in my body think with my mind speak with my tongue we ask it all in jesus name amen and amen we focus for the next seven weeks on the seven churches found in the book of the revelation not revelations that's a novel that's the soap opera revelation is found in the bible revelation and we're going to spend the next seven weeks i've been led to witness from the overall theme that i heard years ago voiced by the late bishop milton alexander williams when he talks about jesus speaking to the church then and now and i lift that because i believe that jesus is still speaking to the church now as he did then and these seven churches constitute in real time the tendencies proclivities and spiritual orientation that we find ourselves in from time to time and from day to day and i want to just lift up one this morning as i invite you to turn with me to revelation chapter two and i want to read the first seven verses in your hearing i'm reading it this morning from the common english bible common english bible hear these words write this to the angel of the church in ephesus these are the words of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven gold lampstands i know your works your labor and your endurance i also know that you don't put up with those who are evil you have tested those who say they are apostles but are not and you have found them to be liars you've shown endurance and put up with a lot for my name's sake and you hadn't gotten tired but i have this against you you have let go of the love you had at first so remember the high point from which you have fallen change your hearts and lives and do the things you did at first if you don't i'm coming to you i will move your lampstand from its place if you don't change your hearts and lives but you have this in your favor you hate what the nicolaitans are doing which i also hate if you can hear listen to what the spirit is saying to the churches i will allow those who emerge victorious to eat from the tree of life which is in god's paradise the word of god for the people of god thanks me to god i want to talk from this thought today when being good is bad for you when being good is bad for you for the next several weeks our salmonic focus will be on these seven faith communities that the patmos prisoner preacher john by inspiration of the resurrected christ sends a relevant revelatory critique it is our hope by god's grace that these missives and messages will give us guidelines procedures albeit a course of action for our collective and individual lives the call of god for this moment is that we become a healthy church impacting fragmented and fractured humanity with the gospel of jesus christ i want to make an announcement this morning you are a world changer you you you you you you are a world changer so important is this truth that the patmos prisoner preacher john by name begins this redemptive book on the hinge that holds our destiny intact he hinges this work on the person of jesus so much attention is given to the imagery and symbolism that we tend to forget about who the book is about so much as the emphasis is placed on what where and when that we forget about who is at the heart of the revelation and to whom the word is given the heart of this final pamphlet of the new testament canon and the holy red is jesus so i may not be able to decipher all the similes but i do know the savior i may not be able to interpret the metaphors but i can tell you who the master is i may not be able to construe the context but i do know the content who is christ i may not be able to rightly divide the dragons the plagues the the armageddon but i can tell you about the one whose feet is like burnished brass whose eyes is like flame of fire and whose hair is napping like lamb's wool the center of the book is not the antichrist the center of the book is not armageddon the center of the book is not plagues and dragons the center of the book is jesus and when all is said and done what you need to know is that at the heart of our faith is a person the source of my joy is not in knowing facts it is in walking and moving in faith so when the facts don't line up i still have my faith when the odds are against me when i look up at the facts faith says look up and if you can look up you can get up and if you can get up you can grow up and if you can grow up you can show up and if you can show up you can go up no matter how tore up from the floor up you may be remember the focus is on jesus i got some bible readers in here hebrews 12 2 says look unto jesus the author and finisher of our faith but then beloved notice with me to whom the book is addressed it is addressed to the church symbolized by seven distinct geographically diverse faith communities it is addressed to people living in difficult and diffident times it speaks to a people who must bear up under the weight of a corrupt culture no different than what we are called to do in our day and i have friends i have a confession to me and a contention to give first my confession and almost 33 years as a preacher of jesus christ i never did like reading or studying the book of revelation because preachers in my native state of florida would preach the book of the revelation literally to scare the hell out of people and make them tremble with fear y'all know what i'm talking about until sinners and wayward saints fell out from their wicked ways and came saying i yield i yield i can't hold out any longer i really did not care about studying the book of revelation until i took a class in undergraduate school at bethune-cookman on the book of revelation which leads me to my contention that the book of the revelation listen to me good the book of the revelation reveals to me that this is not the s the final chapter of our human earthly soldier it's not the church's final hour it's the church's finest hour so many so many folk are looking for the finality of things that we can't see the finery of things we we're so caught up in the doom that we can't see deliverance we're we're so caught up in gloom that we can't see glory we're so caught up in the mysteries that we can't see the miracle we're so enamored by tragedy that we can't see triumph this is not our worst hour this is our best hour say it again darren this is not our worst hour this is our best hour say it again darren i'm used to preaching within silence i don't mind it this is not our worst hour this is our best hour and like you i want to lament over transitions that have occurred people who have died life conditions that are different and institutions that i have come to know and love reach a place where it no longer looks like what i saw in my youth but when i can't see and when i can't see the end of the road god says remember there is a bend in the road and no matter how bad it gets it's not the end it's just the being and if you learn how to bend you won't see the end you'll just see god moving you further and deeper the church ought not join the culture in their dismal dirge of despair we ought be the primary purveyors of hope for people mooring in the mire of misery and in this first letter to the church at ephesus the patmos prisoner preacher gives us the first principle for our journey and he noticed he noticed if you will the context is ephesus this well-known city the most well-known city in the province the trade route from euphrates civilizations terminated at ephesus beautiful city with great temples the most notable being the temple to artemis which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world the famous amphitheater which could seat 45 000 was also a grand monument in that city the city was known for its greek roman mystery cult religions and in fact ephesus charms were so widely as insurers of good luck paul had been in that city timothy had been in that city priscilla aquila and apollos preached in that city according to the tradition of the early church teachment show the apostle john himself also lived in ephesus ephesus was the great citadel of power ephesus whose citizens called it the chief city of ionia ephesus i like how this text begins it says to the angel of the church in ephesus you will note in certain church circles that they that the formal address would refer to the pastor as the angel of the church walter wink and many others contend it refers to the spirit assigned to the care of the church so preacher don't get flattered because you do remember the devil in revelation 12 was cast out of heaven along with his angels but with all that stuff we heap up to this word angel it simply means messenger he's addressing the church no not select groups in the church he's selecting the church no not particular personalities in the church he's addressing the church not the historical political functionaries known for their use and abuse of power but he's addressing what the church he's not addressing these crazy congregations that make up the corpus of collective bargaining and maneuvering that tell folk that you'll get blessed if you run down the aisle and put your money on the altar he's not talking about these aggregations that always keep up certain personalities and are known because of their cultural proclivities he's talking about the church and y'all the church is you and me so away with this phrase that becomes the watch word for the apathetic i don't know what they're doing at that church the church is not they them or him her or some of them the church is you and i you are sitting next to the church when you go home your church is going home when you get in your car the church is getting in the car whenever you go to work the church is going to work wherever you go i don't care how good or bad it is the church is going there these small faith communities were gaining strength and the church of ephesus these empire colonies these communities that were sitting seeking to come against the church because the church had made up its mind it was not going to be like everybody else and this small community had withstood the tyranny of empire and they were intolerant of those who did not conform to the dictates of their established paradigm in short this church y'all did not play it took no t for the fever if you showed up at ephesus church you better have your stuff right your business fix your house in order your ducks in a row your eyes dotted and your t's crossed this was the kind of church that would call you out if you were not in step with the standards or in line with what they believed the law to be they lived by litmus tests and if you didn't measure up you would be shipped out this church was no joke and the lord commends them for the way they govern their affairs they were the justice league for jesus so let me get in front of the text now because my time is up because this is the kind of church we look for when we're looking for a standard of righteousness this this ephesian church were freedom fighters known for non-violent resistance they they resisted the lure of empire and i like that kind of church we need churches like that don't we that will stand against the hypocrisy of a political system we need churches that will not get cozy with the culture we need churches that will be able to stand against those things that are antithetical against what god wants them to be we need churches like that don't we what the problem is in this church as i cut across the field is this church endorsed non-violent resistance it held high standards it evaluated all those who entered the door but the lord had a word that i want to leave with you this morning they were so critical of people that they forgot the way of christ they were so good at seeing who was good and not good that they themselves became bad in relationships i wish i could pull over this morning they were known for being a loving community and now they have resorted to being an institution that checked boxes to see if everybody looked and behaved a certain way they were bent on looking at what was right and proper for their way of witnessing and if you were not in step with them you were a problem and had to be dealt with brothers and sisters when we resort to being good we lose what is essential for the life of the church when we abandon love for form and fashion we establish a goodness based on style but not substance when we abandon love for prestige and prominence we miss out on the joy of diversity and the vitality of variety and dear friends that is easy to do because we get caught up in being good we get caught up in trying to be good and do good we we get tried and we look for people who are good will she be a good leader will he be a good this we look for people who are good and i'm not sure if being good is good for you y'all better talk to me this morning i'm not sure if being good is healthy for you because if you spend your time trying to be good you establish a goodness that's based on you and not god and all goodness somebody write this down is not godly just because you're good doesn't make you godly and i believe that this ephesus problem happens quietly and by gradual imperceptible shifts of focus let me put it this way and let me put it in a contemporary way what happens when a person really gets serious about the lord they get real serious i mean they they have been discovered and now they believe in jesus christ and after some time what happens to that person we put them in a position and they forget about what really made them come to christ and they began protecting position rather than walking in the path of principle talk to me and if you're not careful somebody ought to hear me you'll come because you're on the list to come you'll you'll show up because you've been asked to show up you'll you'll come because you want folk to tell you how wonderful and good you are what you do and when doing precedes being you become a machine the irony of this latter condition of the ephesus syndrome i call it is that christians became totally preoccupied and fascinated by themes and goals which would never have won them over in the first place they get caught up in arguments over doctrine they get caught up help me holy ghost in political positions that make me the person out front and the ex-checker for heaven and hell such that if it's not a part of my political orientation i will not accept it it's based on politics and not principle and whenever you base your faith on politics and not principle you become a harlot and not holy this stern and good letter to the christians at ephesus is a good letter to all of us this morning because we all drift we're all prone to one come on talk to me lean in and talk to me there's no easy solution for for ephesus and let me just go ahead and say this i'm i ordered a book the other day i know i got a book problem but kate bowler has a book that i would invite all of us to read it's coming out soon and the book is entitled no cure for being human because we find ourselves trying to be so good that we miss that the spirituality that god wants to place in you doesn't require you to be good because being good establishes your own standard and i believe that's what god was saying to isaiah to say to the people in in isaiah chapter 1 verses 13 through 17 i read it from the from the peterson translation when isaiah says quit your worship charades i can't stand your trivial religious games monthly conferences weekly sabbaths special meetings meetings meetings meetings i can't stand one more meetings for this meetings for that i hate them you wear me out i'm sick of your religion religion religion while you go right on sinning putting on your next prayer performance i'll look the other way i'll not listen and do you know why this is this is isaiah talking because you've been tearing people to pieces and your hands are bloody go home and wash you up clean up your axe sweep your lives clean of evil doings i don't have to look at them any longer say no to wrong learn to do good work for justice help the down and out stand up for the homeless go to back for the defenseless perhaps the lord is inviting us to become human again not performing not pleasing not being perfectionist and purists but being human and engaging with people at a level that reconnects us to what passion looks like it's easy to put programs together it's easy to establish initiatives which show how good we are but if programs projects initiatives and campaigns are what drive us then what happens to love what happens to the passion that pushed us to know jesus it's very possible friends that we too have become like the culture called america we've come to a place where we hear people say they love america but they can't stand americans let that sink a minute because i'm pushing again it's easy to say you love christ but you can't stand christians we need the way of jesus and can i tell you that god does not love us because we're good god loves us because god is good i'll say it again god does not love you because you're good god loves you because god's good and god doesn't look for good jeff he's not asking you to be good he's really asking you i'm finished he's not asking you to be good this table is not about us being good this table is really about us being better okay ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins and are in love and charity with whom and then what and intend to leave so you ain't coming here because you're good we do not presume to come to this thy holy table or merciful lord trusting in our own righteousness but in that manifold and great mercy we are not worthy so much as to gather that's ritual y'all up the crumbs under thy table but thou are the same lord whose property is to always have mercy you ain't coming to this table because you're good you're coming because you want to be better i told you that i like watching movies over and over again messed up my thought but i'm not trying to be good so it's okay it's okay one movie that i i would have calen watch over and over again is drumline because there are three personalities you got to be careful about three three bradley three one is is devin devin is this hot shot drummer from new york who doesn't know how to read music but he thinks he's god's gift to the drum line huh and he's good you got dr lee dr lee is the band director he's been trained in a certain vein in a certain genre he's good you got sean big brother sean who is head of the drum line and sean is trying to play boundary keeper he doesn't want anybody coming in so anybody that he doesn't think should belong or be on the drum line he's doing what he's pushing them dean he's pushing them out you see it all of them are good all of them are good but they learn something at the end of the movie if you watch it right when big brother sean and devin have this contest and sean says to him sean says yeah you the best but you're going to be the best by yourself he said but if you learn how to work with some folk you can get better if you don't want to get better you don't need to be in church you can be the best by yourself talk to me but you can't be better by yourself i'm finished i'm finished you you can be the best i can be the best preacher if i'm trying to compare myself but the way i become a better preacher and a better pastor is that i hang around folks who help to make me better and can i bless somebody you don't get better by people agreeing with you you don't get better by people always co-signing you you don't get better by people always petting you you get better when you start running against people who are not going to sanction everything you do what will tell you get your full self together the church is not for people to be good it's about people being better uh that's why i'm here today i'm here to get better tired of these perfectionistic performing pleasing people who think it's your job to perfect and perform and please and that means certain folk can't sing certain folk can't preach certain folk can't serve certain folk can't minister because they don't look the part but if we're trying to get better let everybody who wants to do something show up and do it whosoever will let him come serving us about not being good everybody's standing it's about being better it's about being bad i wish you know what i wish we could do church the old-fashioned way i'd make us come to this altar and stay here until we got better but you know what that would be me establishing a righteousness i've been around people who say unless you do it this way you're not doing it right but can i tell you something being better is not you coming to this altar it's about making your life an altar and and it doesn't take a whole lot all it takes is for you to just lift your hands and tell god make me better make me better you ain't the best wife you ain't the best husband you ain't the best parent on my nerves trying to be this great paradigm and paragon no all of us have had some hurts we've been hurt by people come on let's be honest you've been hurt by people who said they loved you and you have hurt people you said you love cause hurting people hurt people i'm really caring i'm really pushing us to be better i don't need you being good i've spent my life that's the reason why some of us on blood pressure medicine now cause you so frustrated and anxious because you're trying to be good and it's killing you it's killing you trying to be better than somebody else no don't be better than somebody else just be better you ain't got to be better than nobody no just be better in other words can you see from last year to this year any improvement can you see any growth from last year to this year if you can you ought to thank god for it you ought to praise god for praise god some things i don't get all tied up in my head about better better better some things that bothered me last year don't bother me this year better better i had a preacher had a preacher had a preacher that says doc you ain't as hard on this new crop of preachers you got you you were hard on us but you ain't you ain't hard on them what's wrong i got better because it didn't work for you i'm just saying i'm just saying what happened i got better ain't no sense in me trying to go crazy and catch a coronary in a case trying to force people to do what only god can change them and do [Music] and as we bow our heads and close our eyes i want to really extend an invitation for all of us to get to that space called better just want to be better i just want to be better anybody want to just be better anybody want to just love better anybody want to just live better listen you've been hearing these folk tell you better is coming and better for them is always based on a man a woman friends cars cash cribs and commodities that if i have all of that i'll be better so you work yourself to death trying to get that because you think that them him and her will make you better and can i bless you the only one who can make you better is god and you making a decision to be what god wants you to be and not what you think people want you to be somebody say better somebody say better and god says you can be better even if this pandemic lasts another year you can be better oh i know pastor i want it to end if it ends i'll feel better but will you be better it's about being better stuff you won't may not come your way but can you say bitter is not the choice i'm gonna make better is the choice i want to make so oh god today we pray that you make us better we've hung out in bitterness far too long we've we've hung out in perfectionism and pleasing and performing far too long god now as we make this journey toward better we pray oh god that you'll show us that you've already opened the way for us to be better through jesus christ and oh god i pray for every person gathered here under the sound of my voice that they will take on new life and new courage that they will not be conformed to this world but they'll be transformed by the renewing of their mind change our minds about ourselves change our minds about life change our minds about love change our minds about church change our minds about living so that we don't look around to get better we look inward to be better so god bless and keep us and we'll be careful to give you all the praise honoring glory for we ask it in jesus name and the people of god said amen amen amen come on give god praise if you're getting better come on give god praise if you're getting better better is where i'm going if you're here today you're not saved you're here today you need a relationship or if you're here today you need membership if you're watching me and you want relationship or membership you can write us reach out to us call us we'll be more than happy to usher you in if you're in this space today and you want a relationship or membership all you got to do is come we'll practice social distancing we're prepared for you if you want to be a part of this membership if you want to be a part of the body of christ come on today is your day move out of your seat meet me right here i prep i promise you i've been tested i'll stay far enough to reach you but i'll be close enough to welcome you into the body of christ if you're here will you come will you come if you're here will you come will you come you don't have to do it today you can reach out to me i'll call you i'll talk to you through zoo whatever works for you listen i just want you better i want us better amen amen amen come on give god praise will you [Music] [Music] [Music] so [Music] [Music] there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from emmanuel's veins send us plunge beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains if you have not received a communion packet would you please raise your hand kindly raise your hand if you don't have a communion packet i think i see some hands over here the deaconess will make sure those persons keep your hands raised please keep your hands raised if you don't have a communion packet all right again keep your hands raised if you don't have one everyone has one listen those who are watching us and those who are sharing i want you to know that the communion elements have been consecrated and so that you're receiving consecrated communion elements today i'm going to ask that you not commune until you're directed we're going to do this as close to what we do as possible i know we don't do the approach to the altar and things of that nature but please do not commune myself along with the ordained elder reverend lynn we will commune as we normally do the ritual that we will use is on the card in your packet you can take that out take the communion elements out you can do that you can take that out but please do not eat nor drink until you're directed amen when you have your communion packets out would you please stand there is a foul tan filled with blood drawn from emmanuel's race [Music] lose [Music] lose all [Music] and sinners plunge [Music] has [Music] hear the good news if any one sin we have an advocate with the father jesus christ the righteous and he is a propitiation for our sins not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world wherefore ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins and are in love and charity with your neighbors and intend to lead a new life following the commandments of god and walking from henceforth in his holy way draw near with faith and take the holy sacrament to your comfort and make your humble confession to almighty god please be seated as we join together in the general confession let us pray together almighty god father of our lord jesus christ maker of all things judge of all men we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness which we from time to time most grievously have committed by thought word and deed against our divine majesty provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us we do earnestly repent in our heartless sorry for these our misdoings the remembrance of them is grievous unto us have mercy upon us have mercy upon us most merciful father for thy son our lord jesus christ is saying forgive us all that is pass and grant that we may ever hear after serve and please thee in newness of life to the honoring glory of thy name through jesus christ our lord almighty god our heavenly father who of thy tender mercy did give thine only son jesus christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption who made there by his ablation of himself once offered a full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world and that institute and in his holy gospel commands us to continue a perpetual memory of his precious death until his coming again hear us oh merciful father we must only beseech thee and grant that we receiving these thy creatures of bread and wine according to thy son our savior jesus christ is holy institution in remembrance of his death and passion maybe partakers of his most blessed body and blood who in the same night he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it gave it to his disciples saying take eat this is my body given for you do this in remembrance of me likewise after supper he took the cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying drink ye all of this for this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me the body broken for me and for you to preserve our soul and body unto everlasting life take and eat it and observe your soul until christ comes again the precious blood of jesus shed for you on california's cross take and drinking and be ever so thankful together it is very me right and our bound in duty that we should at all times and in all places give thanks unto thee oh lord holy father almighty everlasting god and all the company of heaven we lord and magnify thy glorious name evermore praising thee [Music] oh lord god [Music] to thee oh lord moses [Music] and now beloved the communion is before you you peel back the clear covering you will have access to the bread the body of our lord who you take it and eat it may it preserve your soul and body unto everlasting life take this knowing that christ jesus died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving and then peel back the purple covering where you will have access to the cup the blood of jesus was shed for you on calvary's cross peel it back take it and drink it for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you do show his death his passion until he comes again and be ever so thankful now place those disposable cups in your plastic bag hold them and then we will dispose of them as you leave i'm thankful for one more time at the table anybody grateful for one more time i'm grateful that he keeps giving me a chance after chance and i'm glad to know that because i came to this table and that table now becomes your table that we're going to be better come on somebody say better somebody shout better lord to his name there to my heart [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh i'm singing glory to his name precious name singing glory to his death [Music] i pray god's blessings upon you i told you last week we want to make sure we do this orderly so after i bless you i'm going to ask that you follow the direction of the ushers don't move until an usher directs you we don't want to have any bottlenecking at any of the excess the entrance you came in becomes the exit you leave out amen we did this last week in five minutes because it doesn't take long if you follow the direction of the ushers go out and please do not congregate inside go out and you can fellowship as you are outside in god's big beautiful bright sunshine and christmas autumn air no it's not autumn yet is it summer now after labor day it becomes what i don't think so i don't know but anyway i do know this certain things you can't wait after labor day and i'll leave it right there let me bless you again those who want to take the survey please fill that out don't leave with that survey take it fill it out leave it with one of the the ushers leave it so that we can give you credit for it and then we can give you that 25 gift card let me bless you let me bless you thank god for all of you thank god for all those who serve today and may god bless all of us as we go forth being what not good but what so when somebody said be good no don't tell them no i'm not gonna try to be good i'm gonna try to what because better is best now the peace of god which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of god and of his son jesus christ our lord and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy ghost be among us and remain with us always and the people of god said [Music] [Music] please take your seats as you are directed [Music] oh [Music] you

Channel: Trinity AME Zion Church - Greensboro, NC

Views: 241

Rating: 5 out of 5

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Id: TgNA0XAzAUs

Length: 90min 54sec (5454 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 05 2021