Christ Missionary Baptist Church Live

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] shall the glory be [Music] [Music] lead me oh [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] anymore [Music] oh [Music] oh foreign [Music] oh [Music] come with me me [Music] god oh [Music] oh [Music] for thee yes it is [Applause] oh [Music] oh yes come on sing it hallelujah [Music] for me [Music] [Music] hallelujah [Music] and [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] yes oh [Music] he groaned upon [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh hallelujah [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] [Music] oh [Music] a [Applause] [Music] [Music] is [Music] oh for real come on [Music] [Music] [Music] everybody [Music] well o magnify the lord with me and let us exalt god's name together let everything that had breath praise the lord and let the redeemed of the lord say so help me give god thanks for this amazing music ministry of the wheeler avenue baptist church out of houston texas pastored by the reverend dr marcus d cosby senior my friend and brother and colleague and brother belov we are so grateful for their ministry to us on tonight and we're grateful for dr cosby's leadership and for his friendship for his vision for all the great work that he is doing there in houston texas you know i love me some willa avenue baptist church and i am so thankful that tonight even in virtual space you get to not only experience the amazing preaching ministry of the pastor but you also get to experience the amazing music ministry of the wheeler avenue baptist church do me a favor if you haven't already done so take a moment and like and share like and share this worship experience this service of word and worship as we move into our third installment of this holy week revival this week that we anticipate and we prepare and we walk with jesus through his passion and his suffering the bible says that maybe for a righteous person one might die but god has commended god's love toward us in that while we were yet sinners christ died for us what manner of love is this that we should be called the children of god i am so grateful for all of you who have tuned in and decided to join us on tonight even in virtual space i can assure you without any fear of contradiction that you will be blessed by the word on tonight let me take a moment before we bring our preacher uh tonight for this service of word and worship and bring the music ministry back to invite you to follow us on our social media platforms the media ministry is placing those various platforms on the screen and we invite you to join us and follow us and keep up with us as we walk through and as we attempt to be the church in the world i also want to invite you to join us for virtual worship on sunday mornings at 11 a.m central daylight time in the virtual sanctuary for the time being for a service of word and worship for service of illumination and inspiration join us on sunday mornings and then tonight i want to invite you to give that's right i want to invite you to give i want to invite you to invest in this ministry and give a gift uh worship the lord with a gift of 20 a gift of 20 the media ministry is placing the giving options on the screen there are several electronic options that you can take advantage of and if you'd like to mail it we we take mail too amen and so we're asking that you would give whatever you give tonight the gifts that you give tonight will go to support our covet relief efforts as we each week feed hundreds of people that are dealing with food insecurity and we also reach out to be a blessing to those that are experiencing financial and physical hardships you know dr aubry hendricks in his book the politics of jesus said that we ought to treat the people's needs as holy and the truth of the matter is is that this pandemic has really been difficult has created major difficulties for many people some of us have done well some of us don't even if we didn't know it was a pandemic financially if we didn't know it by the news we couldn't tell by our checkbooks but not everybody is as fortunate and so we invite you tonight to be a blessing so that we can continue to be a blessing to the world we will also use these resources that you give to assist with our jackson mississippi relief effort we are a hub for jackson mississippi and we are collecting food items for persons in jackson's our brothers and sisters in jackson who are living with the aftermath of water boil advisories and living with a challenge it is really a humanitarian crisis in jackson mississippi as they navigate through the challenge of living with an infrastructure a serious problem with infrastructure you have we are attending and we are heeding the macedonian call to come over to macedonia and help our brothers and sisters i want to thank you in advance for your investment for your gifts that you will give someone will give thanks to god because you did not regarded robbery to share let's go to god in prayer now as we ask god's blessings not only upon this offering but upon this service god we are grateful we're so grateful so thankful that it's by your mercies that we have not been consumed your compassions never fail they are new every morning and you are a great god we thank you for this holy week for this revival where we are challenged to remember and reflect upon all that jesus did for us not only to give us our salvation to purchase our salvation but to give us a life a life of abundance a life that is full and overflowing we say thank you for jesus we thank you for the ministry of the will of avenue baptist church we thank you for the preaching gift of dr marcus d cosby we pray now in the name of jesus i pray now in the name of jesus that you would cause your word to do exactly what you sent it to accomplish we pray even now that it will save a soul and salvage a life we pray that you take a cold from the altar and touch the lips of this preacher that this that the word that he speaks might be spirit and life and we pray god in the name of jesus that because of what we've heard in this space because of what we've experienced in this space someone will give you an unqualified and unconditional yes and we thank you for the gifts that we are about to receive we thank you for those that give those that have a desire to give those that have invested in this ministry and we give you thanks even now for the privilege to serve and the privilege to be a blessing to the ends of the earth bless the gifts bless the word bless the music and bless us in jesus name we pray and all those that agree with this prayer say it together amen the reverend dr marcus d cosby serves as the senior pastor of willer avenue baptist church in houston texas dr cosby received the bachelor of arts degree in religion and english from fisk university the master of divinity degree from the morehouse school of religion at the interdenominational theological center and the doctor of ministry degree from northern baptist theological seminary dr cosby is married to his high school sweetheart mrs audrey marie cosby they are the parents of three daughters and two sons because of his passion for qualitative preaching dr cosby has committed himself to equipping preachers for the work of ministry in addition to training more than 100 ministers who comprise the clergy team of willer avenue baptist church dr cosby serves as an adjunct professor of homiletics at houston graduate school of theology in 2008 dr cosby was inducted into the martin luther king jr board of preachers at morehouse college in atlanta georgia cnbc is pleased to welcome back reverend dr marcus d cosby [Music] he paid for hater dad that he didn't know what came from his hands his feet and his [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the blood that set me free for my [Music] [Music] yes [Music] he paid he more precious than the blood that set me free [Music] yes one day [Applause] oh yes i am [Music] oh [Music] hey yes [Music] from [Music] i what can make [Music] [Music] what me [Music] [Music] [Applause] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] was [Music] [Applause] [Music] in my mind [Applause] [Music] [Applause] was [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] ah [Music] [Applause] [Music] was [Music] me [Applause] yes yes i am [Music] [Applause] to god be the glory for the great things our god has done oh yes this is the day that the lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it what a joy it is to be back at the christ baptist church of memphis tennessee on this very significant evening in the life of christian uh all over the world and i'm so grateful that of all the places and all the preachers uh that could have been uh used for this moment out of all the preachers that dr gina stewart knows i'm so grateful that she would allow me to come and share on this very significant day called monday thursday thank you ma'am for the privilege of sharing with the great people of christ church i love the christ church love being with you i regret that because of the circumstances of our times that we have to be separated the way we are but i'm so grateful for this medium of technology that allows me to come into the experience of christ baptist church and share with you on this very significant night called monday thursday so much that our christ did on the thursday night before his crucifixion such scripture gives us such detail about all of the great things that the lord jesus did and i'm grateful that i'll be able to share with you just a piece of what lord jesus has done on this night to secure our salvation to the imminent and esteemed dr gina marcia stewart thank you so much ma'am for who you are and for all that you mean to the body of christ worldwide you're a scholar and a sister beloved a sermonizer of no average ability and i'm grateful for the privilege to be with you and the people of christ tonight i am likewise grateful for all the many indelible impressions that your pastor makes in the life of the wheeler avenue church uh she is here almost every year if not every year and she blesses our church in phenomenal ways she will do just that tomorrow and so i'm inviting all the members of the christ church if you're so inclined and you have the opportunity to share with us tomorrow during good friday service dr stewart will be preaching the seventh of the seven last words we begin at noon tomorrow morning tomorrow tomorrow at noon and if you're able to share with us in this virtual space just log on to our website or facebook however you've been able uh you you're able to to connect with us and dr still will be preaching the last of those seven words tomorrow as we reflect on what the lord jesus did on good friday to secure our salvation well i want to get into the word of god tonight if you have your bibles and you are able to share with us in the word of god luke chapter 22 call your attention to the new testament gospel is recorded by the writer luke at chapter 22 and we'll begin our reading at verse 31 the new testament gospel is recorded by the writer luke in chapter 22 and we'll begin our reading tonight at verse 31. i'm ready tonight from the new international version of the holy word of god and this is what it says simon simon satan has asked to sift you like wheat but i prayed for you simon that your faith may not fail and when you have turned back strengthen your brothers that's enough amen praise god for his holy word simon simon satan has asked to sift you as wheat but i have prayed for you simon that your faith may not fail and when you have turned back strengthen your brothers king james version says when you are converted strengthen your brothers for the time that is ours to share together on this monday thursday evening i want to talk from the subject the sifting of the saints the sifting of the saints i suspect brothers and sisters that the majority of us listening to my voice tonight choose desire have the will to be used by god i submit that all of us who have a relationship with god who know of the lovingkindness of our god who are acquainted with the tender mercies of our living lord we have the desire to please this god of ours and to be used by god in a way that will be a blessing first to god and then to other people most of us who are god-fearing god-loving individuals have the desire the will to be used by god most of us listening to my voice tonight can look back over your life and think of the many ways that god has provided for you ways god has opened doors for you the way god has made ways for you granted provisions for you and as a consequence you can testify as i think about all that god has done for me it just makes sense that i would do something for god in return whether your lot in life is to preach the gospel or to serve on the doors of the lord's house or to sing in the choir or to or to serve as deacon or trustee or any other leader in the lord's church all of us at some level want to be used by god i submit tonight that if the lord has been as good to you as he has and you should at some level yield yourself to the lord so that god can use you to make this world all that god wants it to be if the beloved community is going to be what it should be that all of us as sisters and brothers in christ should do our best to play our parts to be used by god and i submit that it is a bountiful blessing memphis tennessee to be used by god that if we understand what it means to be in the hand and the will of god used by god for god's service for god's people it's a mighty good thing to be in the will of god eh there was once upon a time a group of gospel singers who said the safest place in the whole wide world is in the will of god and i choose to be in the will of god i choose to serve god as a matter of fact those old saints where i grew up used to sing a song about it said i'm on the battlefield for my lord and i promised him that i would serve him till i die i'm on the battlefield for my lord tonight somebody chooses to be on the battlefield for the lord somebody tonight listening to my voice chooses to be used by god somebody chooses to allow god to use you for his service in his kingdom so that the world can be better because god placed you in it and if that's your reality tonight you're fairly similar to the brother who is before us in the scripture for the scripture tonight we have heard the name simon this individual who has been called by the lord jesus christ to be one of his disciples to walk with him on that three-year journey and ensure that he is developed into the person he is called and created to be simon also known as the apostle peter knows what it means to be up close and personal with the lord jesus christ to have a relationship with him that allows him to love the lord with everything that is within him simon likewise chooses to be used by god and the better piece is the lord has chosen to use him he's chosen to use him in building the kingdom of god for the purposes of god as a matter of fact if you know anything about the gospel stories you know that peter's story does not begin in luke chapter 22. when you check out matthew chapter 16 you'll find out a very intriguing conversation between the lord jesus and this brother by the name of simon peter it is in matthew 16 we find out that the lord has chosen to use the apostle peter simon peter to build his church it was in matthew 16 of the lord with his disciples came into a place known as caesarea philippi and when they got to caesarea philippi jesus asks the disciples whom do these people around here say that i am and some of the disciples gave erroneous answers these were the answers they gave some say you're john the baptist some say you're elijah jeremiah or one of the prophets after hearing those erroneous answers jesus turns the question around on the disciples and says who do you say that i am i submit my brothers and sisters that our discipleship question at some point will be who do you say that the lord jesus christ is that's the question that is asked of the disciples and when the disciples hear that question reverberating in their ears only one of them stands out and speaks up to answer the question of the lord jesus it is brother peter he says oh you are the christ the son of the living god you're not just john the baptist or jeremiah or elijah you're not just one of the prophets you're so much more than that thou art the christ the son of the living god at which point the lord jesus says listen here man flesh and blood did not reveal that unto you but my father who is in heaven i say also unto thee that thou art peter petros a stone and upon this rock i will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it it's a beautiful picture when the lord says to peter listen man because you know who i am i'm going to use you to build my church you don't have to know everything there is to know about theology and ecclesiology and soteriology as dr gina marcia stewart will know but you do need to know jesus if you're going to be used by him and he says i know exactly who you are thou art the christ the son of the living god blessed art thou simon barjona that's what jesus says flesh and blood did not reveal that unto you but my father who is in heaven and so i say i'm going to give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven i'm going to use you to build my church what a beautiful sight to behold when jesus talking to peter says i'm going to use you to build my church watch this peter is rough around the edges peter still doesn't have his whole act together peter doesn't know everything he's going to need to know to lead god's people to where god wants him to be but that's not the most important thing he says i want to know do you know who i am and peter says yes lord i'm real clear on who you are you're the christ you're not just one of the prophets you're the christ you're not just that great leader and and and preach a man named john the baptist no you are the christ the messiah the chosen one the one who was sent to redeem us from our sin blessed art thou simon barjona what a beautiful picture to give to him the reality that god is going to use him to build the church of the lord jesus christ what an honor peter is now given what what what a blessing has now been bestowed upon him that the lord jesus has chosen to use this one who still got some hood rat tendencies if you know the scriptures this one who still knows how to cut you and dare you to bleed this one who will cuss you and act as if he did not know who jesus was this one who on this very thursday night is going to deny the lord jesus but before that happens while they're in an upper room jesus decides he wants to have a sidebar with old peter you must remember matthew chapter 16 says that the lord is going to use peter to build the church but our text tonight is luke chapter 22. now matthew 16 is a wonderful privilege that the stole of blessing has been now placed on this brother's life and that sounds great the lord's going to use me to build the church of the lord jesus christ that's matthew chapter 16 but i read to you luke chapter 22 and in luke chapter 22 there is not the bestowal of the blessing in that sense no he does not say i'm going to use you to build my church in ma in matthew's gospel it's it looks good it's look looks promising i can't wait to see what god's going to do through peter but in luke chapter 22 on the night before jesus is crucified he looks at simon peter after having instituted that last supper with them what we call the lord's supper they have eaten of the bread they have drunk of the wine and they have experienced the presence of the lord jesus christ in that upper room for the passover has now been established they have experienced it they have expressed the celebration of what god did in their ancestors lives and now after jesus has had this meal with his disciples it's as if he turns his attention directly toward peter his gaze is now on him and he says simon simon notice he does not use peter which was petros the name that he uplifted in matthew chapter 16 that peter is is his divine designation but but he calls him simon i told you he had some hood rat tendencies that's his old school name that's his hanging out on the corner name that's his cousin and cutting name simon simon satan has asked to sift you as wheat hold up wait a minute flag on the plate hold on mr jesus you told me you were going to use me to build my your church and now you're telling me that the enemy satan is trying to do his very best to rob me strip me to to remove from me everything that you've taken these three years to put inside me yep satan has asked to sift you like wheat that sifting process is a process that they use in that agrarian culture to make sure that they would move remove from the grains of current and kernels of of those things that they would be used for using for food and they would take it strip it from the chaff that was connected to it the chaff was good for nothing they'd take those kernels of wheat and grain and they would separate them from the chaff so that they could have those good kernels to be used for nourishment and all the other things that they would be used for in that time and it was a process of of separation that involved throwing up in the air and and remove it was a unique process that had some some frustrating reality to it and and it seems as if there's going to be this separation this pulling away this this ripping apart and that's what jesus says satan has asked to do to brother simon and by contextual implication we can deduce that he did not just ask he's been granted permission hold up come on jesus i thought you were going to use me to build your church i was excited about the fact that i was going to be able to do work in the service of the lord i i thought i was going to be on the battlefield for my lord till i die now you're telling me that the enemy is trying to sift me well if you know anything about a battlefield you know that's not a cakewalk you said you on the battlefield for the lord you're going to have to endure some hardness like a good soldier of jesus christ simon simon satan has asked to sift you rip you apart strip you of that which is connected to you he's trying to do everything he can to wreak havoc in your situation frustrations are going to come agitation will be your lot in life you're going to deal with aggravation from places you never anticipated simon satan has asked to sift you like wheat oh you want to be used by the lord may i please inform you on this thursday night that any of us who chooses to be used by the lord is going to have to deal with a sifting season and i submit on this thursday night beloved that the sifting season will show up despite our placement in the congregation yes despite our placement in the congregation simon simon satan has asked to sift you like wheat you've been walking with me for these three years i've been feeding you i've been housing you i've been clothing you i've been taking care of all that you needed me to take care of you even walked on water man you saw me rescue you from the dangers of that sea you've seen what i'm able to do you've watched me as i've taught as ever as i've ministered as i've healed and i know you thought you were about to get busy doing some of the same things but while you're on your way to service in the kingdom of god you need to know on this thursday night that the enemy is trying to rip you apart trying to strip you of everything that i've placed in you but watch the text my brothers and sisters because if you have the newer international version you will read in that translation that simon hears the word of the lord jesus that goes like this satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat oh yes he has asked to sift all of you as we hold up we just thought that jesus was talking to brother simon peter but know my brothers and sisters he is talking to all of those disciples in that upper room that each of them is going to have to deal with a sifting season in their lives and that's my word to the family of the christ missionary baptist church of memphis tennessee that no matter who you are no matter your placement him the congregation all of us are going to have to deal with some seasons of stripping and ripping and agitation aggravation frustration it doesn't matter who you are how spiritual you profess to be how long you've been saved whatever your lot in life may be all of us are going to have to deal with some sifting seasons in this thing called life simon satan has asked to sieve all y'all as we yeah all of you that means brothers and sisters that no matter what your title is in the lord's church you're gonna have to deal with some sifting deacon you're gonna have to deal with some sifting quiet remember oh just get ready for your sifting season don't act as if it should not show up in your life don't act as if it should not be a part of your reality i need you to know that you're going to have to deal with some sifting oh preacher yes yes yes from dr stewart to every other preacher woman and preacher man in that lord's church you and i will have to deal with some sifting all of us have to go through last time i checked your bible the bible says many are the afflictions watch of the righteous yes yes oh but please don't stop reading their read all the way to the period because if you read all the way to the period you'll find out that the lord delivers them out of them all i'm so grateful that we serve a god who's still on our side we serve a god who understands that we're going to have to go through some seasons in life that will not always be pleasurable not always be pleasing not always be pleasant but i'm so grateful on this thursday that no matter what we go through we've got a god who said i promise never to leave you nor forsake you and i'm going through it with you i need you to hear me on this thursday evening when i tell you that every one of us despite our placement in the congregation is going to have to deal with some separation some ripping some agitation that will frustrate us even while we're trying to serve this great god we love now brothers and sisters i know that sounds like a difficult word to hear but you need to understand that none of us has ever been deputized to just glide to glory no we're gonna have to deal with some stuff in this world in this world last time i checked the words of jesus you will have tribulation oh but read to the period child of god because if you keep reading to the end of that verse you'll find out that jesus says but be of good cheer because i have overcome the world and i wonder if there's anybody who's going through a sifting season right now who can still lift your hands and say yes lord because you still trust him even when you can't trace him you still believe in him even when you're burdened by him is there anybody in here who can have a job like spirit and say though he slay me yet will i trust in him all the days of my appointed time i'll wait till my change comes yes you and i we'll have to deal with our sifting seasons yes despite our placement in the congregation we're gonna have to go through some stuff we're gonna have to deal with some burden some bewilderment some bother some time that seeks to wreak havoc in our very lives i'm talking to somebody tonight who knows good and well you love the lord with your whole heart but you had to endure some circumstances that you never anticipated i need somebody who can testify that some sickness can show up in your body and although you love the lord with everything within you and although you're a prayer warrior and you believe that god is a healer sometimes you have to deal with a thorn in the flesh that will not be taken away and you just got to trust the lord that when he says my grace is sufficient that it will be made perfect in your weakness is there anybody at the christ missionary baptist church who can help me on a thursday night to testify that even though i go through it i'm so glad i don't go through it by myself simon simon satan has asked to get all y'all to sift every member of the christ missionary baptist church everybody is susceptible to a sifting season he has asked to get all of you notice i did not call this message the sifting of simon is called the sifting of the saints and all of us who bear relationship with jesus christ have to be sifted every now and then and that sifting is despite our placement in the congregation but can i push it a bit farther because i need you to understand that it's likewise despite our penchant towards supplication yeah yeah we're going to get sifted despite our placement in the congregation and we're going to get sifted despite our penchant towards supplication pension that's a leaning yeah that's when we have an urging towards supplication when we are people who understand what prayer means and how the power of prayer is effectuated in our lives oh yes my sister oh yes my brother even those of us who talk to god with regularity are gonna have to deal with a sifting season i'm still in your bible i just dropped down to the latter verses of chapter 22 because if you keep reading down to chapter 22 once jesus has pronounced the benediction in that in that upper room after they've had the lord supper the last supper after he has washed their feet according to john's gospel after he has given them all of the lessons that john's gospel says he gives to them after they have have sung a hymn they go out to the mount of olives they go to the mount of olives that's the praying ground for the lord jesus he goes to his praying ground this is a place he's familiar with they've gone there now and he's about to have a conversation with the creator it's time for him to commune with the father in in prayer and when he does he asks his disciples to go with him he leaves the nine or the eight of them at the mouth of the garden he goes farther with the big three that's peter james and john and when he takes peter james and john farther into the into the into the garden he says listen here brothers in this garden of gethsemane on the mount of olives i need you to sit here and pray with me for an hour i need you to pray with me i need you to pray i'm about to go through some of the most difficult hours of this 33 year journey and i need you to pray with me he sits them there he goes your bible says a stone's throw matthew and luke's gospel tell this story he goes a stone's throw away from them and when he does he bows down on his knees in his praying ground this is where he's always come to pray and he bows down and he says this father if it's possible let this cup pass from me then he says nevertheless not my will but thy will be done your bible says that jesus goes into that garden of gethsemane on the mount of olives and he begins to pray he's a praying person he knows what prayer is all about you're able to purge your heart of its cares you're able to ask the lord to guide you and lead you to give you strength for the journey here's his request father if it's possible let this cup pass from me oh my brothers and sisters do you see what's going on here as he's praying he says lord i i don't know if i want to do this yeah the rubber has now come to the place where it meets the road it's time for me to do what i was divinely deputized to do but i'm not so sure i want to do this now if it's possible if we can find another way i know i've been here serving and ministering i've been doing what you told me to do for these last 33 and a half years but if it's possible please let this cup of suffering let this cup of death let this cup of agony depart from me take it away if you don't mind i want you to do that but i love the way jesus prays he says nevertheless not my will but thy will be done oh child of god if we're really going to be the prayer warriors we're called to be you and i are going to have to learn in all of our prayers to include a nevertheless i don't know if you know what it means to pray about something that you really need the lord to do really desire the lord to do and you're not quite sure if that's what god's will is for your life every now and then you got to drop in a nevertheless i know you want that loved one or even your own body to be healed but nevertheless sometimes you got to keep that thorn in the flesh that messenger of satan to buffet you i know you thought for sure that loved one was not going to die cause you prayed and you prayed fervently as a matter of fact your bible says that jesus prayed so stringently that it was sweat like drops of blood coming from his head he's praying intensely he is praying significantly he is praying fervently come on hinge god do something about this take this cup from me after he had prayed for an hour he went back to his brethren who he'd asked to pray with him found peter james and john asleep hold on brothers couldn't you pray with me for an hour i know that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak they're asleep oh my friends you have to be real careful not becoming codependent upon people that are close to you when you're going through some of the roughest points of your life oh yes they love you oh yes they want to do what's best for you but sometimes even those closest to us can handle the burden we're dealing with at some points in time and that's what's going on with these disciples these disciples can't handle it they can't handle the pressure you must realize it's been a long night for the brethren they had been in the upper room with jesus for an extended period of time i just told you they had the passover meal they had the last supper the lord's supper they had lamb they had bread they had a whole bunch of wine and you know christ baptist how you act when you had some wine after your meal you know how they had to feel they're sleeping now they're sleeping jesus been teaching all night long and now he's asking them to stay up for another hour they're asleep and even though jesus has a penchant towards supplication he can't find the brethren to hold out with him for just an hour so he goes he wakes them up he says keep on praying now don't wait go go back to sleep he goes back to the same place where he was he prays again you want to know what his prayer was his prayer was father if it's possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not my will but thy will be done did i mention to you i call this message the sifting of the saints not just the sifting of simon the sifting of the saints and i include one of the saints in this sifting season is the savior himself even jesus has to deal with a sifting season he goes back he prays come back to his brothers after an hour and they're asleep again he wakes them up he goes back he prays another hour and it is after that prayer that your bible says that the angels came and strengthened him they came and ministered to him oh friends you can't be co-dependent on lotta daddy and everybody but you do have a creator who loves you so much that even if you can't find the brothers and sisters whom you depend on to pray for you god some kind of way deputizes angels to minister to you to give you strength to keep on going some things we have to learn in the crucible of isolation oh my some things you cannot learn being around everybody in your in your cohort some things you cannot learn just by hanging with the friends there are some things that have to be taught in the crucible of isolation oh i'm talking to somebody tonight who has learned some things over this past year in this pandemic when you've been shut down from doing all the stuff you would have preferred to be doing you had to stay in your house for an extended period of time you've learned something not just about zoom you learned some things about god that you would have never learned had you been out and doing what you always do oh my friend god will teach you some things in the silence of isolation you can't find in the noise of the congregation oh yes i love being with the saints but sometimes god has to separate me move me from everything i'm near and dear to so that he can teach me some things about this life he has called me to live i thank god for this lesson of luke chapter 22 because we find out that we can't get upset when we have to go through our sifting season because even jesus himself had to go through a sifting season the bible says that he was at all points tempted just like we are yet without sin so he has to deal with this season of suffering he has to deal with the seizing of sifting even as the savior who has a bent and a penchant towards supplication he's praying and while he's praying he's getting shifted all the more watch in his praying ground he's dealing dealing with the reality that his brethren can't stay awake with him while he prays he said that's all right man i'm all right now i got a little little strength to keep on going and into that moment comes this mob of angry men into that moment after jesus has finished praying come this mob of angry men led by judas i hope you know the story because jesus judas is now about to to betray jesus in the worst way he has gotten his 30 pieces of silver and he has brought this angry mob out to to to deal with jesus in a way that is unjust and inhumane i wish i had time to talk about it but they now blindfold him they beat him they pull the hair from his beard they tease him they taunt him they do everything they can to ensure that he is disrespected dehumanized and demeaned he is treated like a person who has no humanity and no dignity we are thinking about our asian american sisters and brothers who are being treated without dignity even being hunted down and killed in the streets because we know something about that as african-americans living in this yet to be united states of america we know what the unjust practices of this nation have done to us and here is my jesus being beaten being marred be he is now being the subject of total inhumanity and while he's dealing with the devastation and the sifting of from his foes he also has to deal with it from his friends his brothers hadn't gone hadn't been able to stay awake and now he's dealing with the reality that while he's trying to pray they won't pray with him and then the one who sat at the table with him even judas himself has now betrayed the lord jesus all friends sometime even those close to you will sift you that he's dealing with the sifting of foes he's dealing with the sifting of friends but if you fast forward to friday afternoon i submit he likewise has to deal with sifting from the father if you know anything about jesus hanging on that cross you know one of the words of the seven last words of jesus goes a little like this father father my god my god that's what he says why hast thou forsaken me yeah he feels like he's been forsaken by the god who has sent him on this assignment in the first place he feels as if god has turned his back on him and i know you may not want to act like it on this thursday night you may not ever want to confess it or profess it to anybody in your circle of acquaintance but somebody listening to me has had the opportunity to feel like you've been sifted even by the father i can deal with sifting from my foes my haters are supposed to act like that i can sometimes deal with sifting from my friends i know human beings can be fickle finite and even funny acting but what do you do when you got the deal with sifting forsaken-ness from the father from god and god himself what do you do how do you handle it if i if it's just my foes i can talk to god about that if it's just my friends i can go to god about that but who do you go to when god ain't acting like god it's the sifting of the saints even the sifting of the savior who has a bent towards supplication how do you deal with this sifting season what do you do old child of god i came tonight to help some saint of god at the christ church no and all of us have to deal with sifting despite our placement in the congregation all of us have to deal with sifting despite our penchant towards supplication and if you've been listening to me for these past few minutes you probably might be asking the question well where's the good news in the text come on preacher you've given me a whole lot of news it kind of burdens me kind of has me wondering if i'm going to be able to make it all i i'm a good news preacher please no i can't leave you with the bad news i've got to give you some good news because if you go back with me to that upper room you'll find out that when jesus makes that statement to simon and all the saints in that room he says that satan has asked to sift you like weak but watch the remainder of the text he says but i prayed for you i prayed for you that your faith may not fail and when you are converted when you turn back strengthen your brothers and sisters he says i prayed for you and i pray that your faith may not fail and when you are turned back strengthen your brothers may i please remind you church family that we got to be sifted despite our placement in the congregation and despite our pension towards supplication but here's the good news every sifting season has a point of termination yes lord every sifting season has a point of termination did you hear it when i read it to you did you hear it in the text he says yes satan is trying to take you out yes he's trying to rip you apart he's trying to mess up everything i've spent these last years putting in you he's trying to destroy everything i've been divinely this assigned to develop in you oh but don't get so carried away with the bad news that you miss the good news and the good news goes like this but i prayed for you yes lord that's some good news every day of the week jesus says i prayed for you and this is my prayer it was not my prayer that you would not be shifted it was not my prayer that you would not go through some hard trials it was not my prayer that you would not have to deal with some grief and some bereavement and some disaster and some broken-heartedness and some certain certain seasons when you did not have the resources that you thought you that is not my prayer no you got to go through some stuff you got to deal with some stuff but my prayer is that while you're going through it that your faith doesn't fail it makes it makes no sense for you to spend all this time with me walking with me and talking with me being held by me and housed by me being blessed by me and fed by me and you walk up on a sifting season and all your faith goes away as if i've not dealt with you and kept you and held you all the way through the journey no you can't come to a sifting season and throw in the towel or wave the white flag of surrender and think that all hope is lost i came tonight to talk to somebody who's on the edge of the ledge and you're just about to jump off i came to talk you down off that ledge and tell you in the midst of the frustrating realities of this season please my sister please my brother don't lose your faith because if you can hold on to your faith you already know that faith the size of a grain of mustard seed is still able to move some mountains i need to talk to some faith walkers tonight who understand that we don't walk by sight in this life we walk by faith if we only walk by sight the last four years of an administration would have messed us up completely and we wouldn't be able to stand on our own two feet but tonight i came to tell you that sifting seasons come to an end i came to make you happy when i tell you that neither trouble nor trump will last always and somebody listening to me at the christ church ought to go ahead and testify i still believe that god is able to do exceeding abundantly above all i can ask or think i've gone through some bad days i've had some difficult seasons but i still have my faith i don't know how everything's going to turn out i don't even know how i'm going to make it through the month of april but i still have my faith i still believe that god is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think is there anybody listening to me tonight who can testify i've had some good days i've had some weary days i've had some sleepless nights but when i look around and think things over all of my good days i'll weigh my bad days so i won't complain can i get three witnesses who can join me in saying god's been good to me he's been real good to me more than this world would ever be he drives all of my tears away and turned my midnight in today so instead of complaining i'll just say thank you lord i lift up my hands and say much obliged i'll give god glory and i won't complain he said i prayed that your faith may not fail i prayed that even if you lose a job even if you lose some friends even if you lose some loved ones to cover 19 i'm still praying that your faith will not fail and here's the point of termination and when you are turned back strengthen your brothers i know your pastor caught it but did everybody else in the room catch it everybody in the virtual space did you hear what jesus said he said when you are turned back when you are converted when times get better when seasons change when circumstances shift then i want you to reach back and strengthen your sisters and brothers he says every sifting season will come to an end this too shall pass i need some old saints to help some young saints and even some young saints to help some older saints and testify that trouble don't last always that god is still able to turn your situation around is there anybody listening to me who's watched god fight your battles watch god pay your bills watch god heal your body watch god fix your family watch god give your job and then promotion on the job and an increase in salary because he's able to take you to the next level he's able to give you peace in the midst of a storm he's able to give you joy and sorrow and hope for tomorrow so go ahead and celebrate because everything is going to be all right go ahead and get happy put your blessed hands together lift up your head or ye gates and be ye lifted up the everlasting doors the bible says the king of glory shall come in who is this king of glory he's the lord strong and mighty he's the lord mighty in battle is there anybody who can testify he's fought some battles on my behalf that's why i give him glory that's why i give him praise because despite how bad this season is i came to report that seasons still change seasons will change just last month we were in the winter season but after march 20th we shifted to the spring season and i need somebody who knows that god is able to flip the script to shift the season to go ahead and celebrate that he will make a way somehow i got to close the message i've held you too long but be not weary in well doing the bible says in due season you shall reap if you faint not is there anybody who can help me close this little message and begin to testify i've seen the lightning flashing the thunder roll i felt sin breakers dashing trying to conquer my soul but i heard the voice of my savior he bid me still fight on he promised hear me christ baptist he promised hear me man of god he promised listen to me woman of god he promised never to leave me alone and is there anybody who can testify at the bible says that the promises of god are yea and amen if he said it he will do it if he spoke it he'll bring it to pass [Music] going on is there anybody who can testify that on friday they killed my jesus the sibling was strong it was severe but stayed the course cause on sunday the symphony comes to an end i need somebody to testify that in the name of jesus we have the victory i know satan is trying to sift but tell me who can stand be for us when we great name jesus jesus precious jesus we have i said we have we have the victory i said won't he do it well give him glory right then your kitchen give him glory right there in your bedroom let everything the love simon hey man i know you've been with me three years and you thought everything was going to be a cakewalk because i said i was going to use you but listen here listen satan has asked and has gained permission to sift you like wheat but don't get all bit out of shape about that because i prayed for you yeah and i need to remind you that even now jesus sits at the right hand of the father and he's making intercession for you and for me he said i prayed for you and here's my prayer that while you're being shifted your faith will not fail i pray that your faith will not fail so that when you get on the other side of it oh yeah i got an even better assignment for you when you get on the other side you say you want to be used when you get on the other side of this season don't you get brand new reach back strengthen your brothers and sisters let them know if god can take me through it he can take you through it too if god can strengthen me in the struggle he can strengthen you in the struggle be not dismayed whatever time god will take care of you our god will not leave us will not abandon us we're not forsaking us god is faithful to all of god's children and you tonight despite your sifting season be the rest assured that every season of sifting has a point of termination and when your season comes to an end get yourself together and strengthen your brothers and sisters that's the word for this monday thursday tomorrow the lord jesus christ will go to the cross of calvary be crucified and will die for the sins of all of the world the sins of all of humanity behold the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world but i'm so grateful that even that season had a point of termination because on sunday we're going to celebrate with victory and he got up with all power in his hand god bless you dr stewart god bless you christ baptist and may the peace of god be yours well i know you'll agree with me that that reverend dr marcus d cosby is somebody's preacher but i tell you we didn't just invite him because he is an amazing preacher and an amazing wordsmith we invited him because there may be somebody watching this service who discovers that there is a need in your soul a need in your soul that only god only jesus can feel that void i want to invite you tonight as we prepare to hear this closing number from the wheeler avenue baptist church that you would consider giving god a chance that you would consider giving god that unconditional unqualified yes i know that you're saying well i'm gonna wait until the world opens back up and i can walk the aisle and i can see the pastor and be in the presence of the people of god physically and tangibly but listen i've discovered that in this pandemic you don't have the luxury of waiting until the world opens back up you need to do it tonight and do it now the truth is i would love to be your pastor and we would love to have you as a part of this community the music ministry the media ministry i'm sorry is placing the information on the screen that you can text cnbc to that number go on and text that number you've probably been worshiping with us on sunday you are participating you're enjoying the ministry and you love what you see and you like what you hear why don't you go ahead and seal the deal text that cnbc to that number and become a part of this family on tonight don't let this moment pass you back the doors of my father's house the doors of the church as we say that redeems us come on with your whole [Music] heart [Music] come on nothing else can wash away [Music] [Applause] [Music] what [Music] who can make me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] how many of you today [Music] [Applause] is [Music] [Music] come on [Music] [Music] he's giving us [Music] nobody [Music] yes [Music] [Music] he'll make him [Music] is is [Music] over your finances over your future over your body over your ministry [Music] please you

Channel: Christ Missionary Baptist Church

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Length: 90min 20sec (5420 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 01 2021