Christ Missionary Baptist Church Live

[Music] so [Music] [Music] to you this day who we shall sure but ask for me in my house we shall serve the lord welcome to christ's missionary baptist church our children everybody's supply and i'm pastor gina m steward and i agree with ryan and lauren come on let's worship the lord hallelujah come on can we lift the name of jesus this morning [Music] hallelujah [Music] [Music] oh [Music] let your glory feel this glacier [Music] right [Music] yes oh [Music] glory [Music] right now [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] come on and tell me and i love the way you bless me here stay here [Music] i [Music] oh in this place [Music] but we're here and we might as well bless the name of jesus hallelujah i don't know about you but i need god to be glorified in my life yes lord hallelujah anybody want god to just be glorified no do you really really really want god to be glorified hallelujah he gets all the glory he gets all the praise hallelujah god we love you god [Music] hallelujah [Music] be glorified be glorified [Music] be glorified be glorified stay in my [Music] [Music] in life life [Music] glory [Music] you take the honor i just want to say thank you [Music] thank you [Music] [Applause] thank you we just want to say thank you jesus [Music] thank you thank you oh thank you jesus thank you thank you [Music] [Music] yeah one more time me me thank you oh god life be glorified be glorified [Music] god we want you to be glorified hallelujah in my life god you be glorified let us prepare for our call to worship on this morning it would be found in john 3 16 ephesians 3 17 through 19 and 1st john 4 and 10. i'll be reading from the niv the new international version and it reads as thus for god so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life and i pray that you being rooted and established in love may have power together with all the lords holy people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of god this is love not that we loved god but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin we bless god and his word is already blessed amen thank you [Music] good morning saints of the most high god i greet you in the name of jesus this in this moment we observe the centering moment for those of you who are here or whether you're home or at work or on vacation we thank you for this moment this cross-section of our worship experience where we can center ourselves this morning we pray for the bereaved we pray for deborah murray bobo sister bobby bowen and olean and willie dean sane in the hospital we pray for collins laster brother other samuels mother lois gene streeter recently released from the hospital mother mary williams upcoming surgeries praise god we have none and we continue as a church family to pray for member althea mundy and her family before i pray i've got a friend who was sharing with me that he has a daughter and they were outside of the home she wanted to play with the chalk out on the sidewalk she gave him pieces of chalk and she also had pieces of chalk and she began writing and along the way her pieces broke and she's looking at her broken pieces and she's looking at his hands and he still all has all of his chalk and its in its wholeness and she kept looking at her hand and her broken pieces and finally she opened her father's hand and she put her broken pieces in his hand and she took his whole pieces and he said hold up hold up hold up hold up what are you doing you broke those pieces those are yours i haven't broken my pieces and she just said you know what to do with the broken pieces true story eternal god we come to you this morning thanking you because you know what to do with our broken pieces lord we thank you that the pa the pieces of our lives that have been broken that are brittle thankfully you know what to do with them on this morning as we stand here at this altar as the old deacons say truthfully spiritually we're knee bent and body bowed lord we thank you this morning because some of us need hope this morning some of us need hope because we have said somewhere along this week i can't handle another thing some of us need help this morning i pray that you help those and i pray that for those of us who have who are not currently in a storm that we can be a blessing to those who need help as they are in a storm even if it's a word of encouragement but some of us are needing health this morning i pray lord that you touch the bodies of those who are whose names we've called but also those names we didn't know to call and lord i pray for those this morning who need a hiding place the old deacons used to say that you're a shelter in the time of storm so i pray that you can hide some of us beneath your wings be the umbrella of the parasol if you will for us thank you for jesus who's our paraclete that he's walking along beside of us he's our counselor he's our comforter and lord like minister danny said be god in this place be god in the sanctuary but also be god in our place i unashamedly admit that i sometimes have an ios approach to my faith growth that i've prayed in my prayer time that i want to be closer that i want to trust but like when i'm on my computer i'm told that i have an installation that's available i can either stop what i'm doing right now and have it installed or i could schedule it for later or maybe tonight when i'm sleeping the reality is as i've gone through these moments where i've wanted to trust you more i didn't want to lose my job to determine that you can be a waymaker when there is no no way when i wanted to be closer to you i didn't want to go through a season of caregiving where when you're caregiving your you have those night seasons that alone time where as pastor says you can break up fallow ground but lord i thank you that i thank you that we as pastor preached a few weeks ago that we are on this process of sanctification pastor said years ago that faith faith isn't belief that's untested but it's trust that's unrestricted and so lord we give you and we practice we pray that we can practice that that unreserved unrestricted trust in you lord we thank you that you've been faithful up until now thank you that you've kept us thank you that as we live as we're living this moment through living through this moment in history our children and grandchildren will ask us like we ask our grandparents about the depression they'll ask us what was it like to live in a pandemic and i pray that like minister danny said that we can give you glory that you got that you were god in this place and as we prepare for this worship experience we declare this place free for your ministry free of any distractions free of any inhibition we pray that you give new life to an old word pray for minister bugs as she delivers this message i pray for every household that's represented in person but also virtually and i thank you lord that you're not a virtual god as we've gone hybrid you're not a hybrid god as we've gone virtual you're not a virtual guy but that you are the same god today yesterday and forever and so we seal this prayer with a prayer of thanksgiving and with praise in jesus name [Music] god bless you amen congregational hymn remains him number 18 as international baptist hymnal revive us again we will sing we praise you [Music] hallelujah [Music] oh [Music] all glory and praise [Music] is [Music] [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Music] bye [Music] and all the people said amen hallelujah behind the glory hallelujah amen hallelujah behind the glory revive us again would you just put your hands together and just bless the lord in this place give god thanks for this is the day that the lord has made and we rejoice and we are glad in it good morning cnbc and to all of you have joined us via live stream we are thankful for your attendance this morning your virtual presence on this morning we know that there are a lot of places that you could have worshiped you have many options in virtual space but you chose to share with us and we pray that you'll be blessed and inspired by our worship experience take a moment now if you haven't already done so like and share this service on facebook subscribe to our youtube channel share it with a friend a colleague a family member someone who may be in need of a word from the lord whose soul may be need to be revived by the preaching of god's word we are grateful that you did not think a robbery to join us today and if you're visiting with us we ask that you would take a moment now and complete the digital connect card that is in the comment section on facebook as well as the designated tab on the website we'd like to know who you are where you're visiting from and we want you to know that we are glad that you decided to share with us and we are praying for you let me also mention that if you have prayer requests to please take a moment now and indicate those prayers or list those prayers or name those requests in the comment section our intercessors are in the sanctuary and they are praying they pray before service they pray doing service and so we believe in the power of prayer and we invite you to share your prayer requests on this morning let me take a moment and wish the following members a happy birthday bobby bowen and j.d mccollins we are so thankful for both of them bobby is one of our valuable volunteers who helps us down here during the summer and j.d mccollins is our ministry leader for the imago day uh photo ministry he's the one that captures all most of our pictures and we're grateful to god for both of them and we pray that the lord will bless them and satisfy them with long life and give them every desire of their heart help me celebrate these two members who have celebrated another birthday on this week we also want to wish a happy anniversary i believe bobby's birthday is today i believe her birthday is today we want to wish happy happy anniversary to charles and darlene griggs they've been married two years deacon marcus and tiffany mcneil they've been married three years they're still on their honeymoon the griggs and the mcniels and then we want to congratulate deacon kevin and rosa potts on 27 years of marriage i stood between them 27 years ago and i told them let this be the last time you let somebody stand between you and they are still together after 27 years and then enoch and dr felicia jones are celebrating 12 years come on let's celebrate black love today and give god praise for all these wonderful couples help me welcome uh we always call her minister but uh danny mcgee barlow i believe there's a preaching anointing on your life even the deacon called you minister today every time she comes over here we try to make her minister but we're so glad that she comes to share with us whenever we call would you help me give god thanks for this great woman of god this woman who's surrendered and sold out to the lord she's a mother and has a tremendous testimony and we just i just marvel at the grace of god every time i look at danny and i think about what the lord has brought her through and how god has preserved her she's here with her sons and her mother-in-law linda chism my good friend and colleague we used to work together at shelby state when it was shelby state community college and we are grateful for them today we also want to welcome our money alexander and the memphis teacher residency summer camp mission they are here sharing with us today they are christians christian love expressed in equal education 16 college interns from all over the nation teaching in the berklair area of memphis our money is dr stacy's cousin and we are so honored that you all came to share with us in worship today can you help me thank god for their presence and thank you our money for bringing them saints is communion sunday today get your elements ready we will commune at the table of the lord following the ministry of the word get your juice your crackers your appropriate elements amen that we may worship the lord at the table on today parents if you have not registered your children for the swag youth conference is coming up july 23rd through the 24th we will kick it off next sunday sharnika thomas who was here when as a as a baby girl i think she was about three years old when i was elected and she is a grown woman now physical therapist and a god chaser she is going to be the guest speaker on next sunday to kick off our swag conference if you haven't registered it's not too late please go to the website or you may contact pastor kenita hill if you're going with us to lot carry please make sure that the church or adrian stitt has your name even if you plan to drive we still want to give an account and make a master list concerning the church the convention is august 10th through the 12th this year and on august 12th your pastor will be inaugurated or installed i should say as the president of the lot carry foreign baptist mission convention it will be the first time a woman has stood in that role in 124 years and for this we give god praise the host church has agreed to allow in-person worship and some of you have inquired about going but we do need to know if you plan to go whether you plan to drive or fly or use some other mode of transportation we would still like to have a master list i want to invite you one more time to remind you of the plus one program one dollar on your bill added to your bill each month can help people to keep their lights on there are many people who struggle to make their light gas and water payment and one dollar added to your bill can make a difference in someone's life the information is on the screen uh provide and you can go there to find out how you need to sign up our church will participate in the plus one program i have already signed up for the plus one program it is strictly voluntary but we want to make you aware of this it's a partnership between mifa and the memphis like gas and water utility company as a way of being a blessing to those who are in need this is a reminder that face time with pastor will be held on july 25th and we will recognize those who were born in june and july the fourth sunday in july at 5 30 pm i am looking to see your face in the zoom room board of leaders we will meet on july 31st at 10 a.m and let me remind you that on the third sunday we will have a test if you will a test worship experience we know that the world is opening back up and so on back to church sunday we will have a test worship experience a hybrid experience some of you have been saying pastor when are we going back to church when are we going back into the building well we're going to test it on the third sunday in september here in our sanctuary we will provide you with a means to register or call the church if you would like to attend we will have limited attendance but we will have that worship experience on the third sunday in september finally let me thank you for your support of this ministry for your investment in the work that we do here at cnbc we were on the front lines again this week this is going on our second year of feeding the community every week every week pending as long as there is no rain director stanita gaddy and a valuable group of volunteers as a matter of fact would you take a moment and just thank god for all of those volunteers that come out every week and they assemble 200 to 300 boxes a week pack food and then on wednesdays there's another set of volunteers who comes to help give our food or distribute food each week we can do this because of your investment in this ministry it's because you give to this ministry we're able to be a blessing to the community and to the world the media ministry has placed the giving options on the screen and we invite you now to share with us and to make an investment in the work of the lord here at cnbc i am so grateful for all of you who do not think in robbery to invest in the work that we're able to do and many give thanks to god because of your investment so let me thank you in advance for the gift that you will receive the gift that you will give as you are able as you are able we invite you to share today we welcome dr courtney v bugs to the pulpit again at christ missionary baptist church she is one of the visiting faculty and for the inaugural cohort of the womanist preaching track at memphis theological seminary this week we couldn't let her come to the city and be this close to our church without inviting her to stand behind this sacred desk and so today we welcome the reverend dr courtney v buggs associate professor of homiletics at the christian theological seminary in indianapolis indiana to the pulpit we are praying for her as she prepares to bring the word same man now for the music ministry and for dr bugs as they come in their own way oh oh we're going to see the introduction first i'm moving too fast same man for the video introduction of the preacher then the music ministry in that order dr dr courtney v buggs is the assistant professor of homiletics and the assistant director of the phd program in african-american preaching and sacred rhetoric at christian theological seminary in indianapolis indiana prior to her arrival at cts she taught as an adjunct at spelman college and candler school of theology while completing her doctoral studies she has published work in the working preacher homiletic and practical matters dr bugs is ordained in the american baptist tradition and has served congregations in the united states and abroad she is the founder of the kerygma preaching lab a ministry focused on helping lay ministers improve their preaching practices prior to entering theological education she was an air force officer retiring after almost 22 years of service she is the proud mother of one son isaiah she is also a member of delta sigma theta sorority incorporated cnbc is pleased to welcome back dr courtney v [Music] buggs [Music] oh [Music] up [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] is [Applause] [Music] jesus [Music] oh [Music] [Music] oh [Music] myself huh [Music] uh [Music] me we need you higher hey is oh [Music] oh yes hi [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is we see enough from that when he crossed the sky to come and get us oh how great you are oh how great you are we love you jesus we love you jesus we love you jesus we love you jesus we love you jesus [Music] hallelujah jesus thank you lord oh we'll see how great how great i'll see how great just how great all will see how great just how great and all will see how great how great all see how great just how great is hallelujah come on and bless your hands come on and bless the lord right now right where you are right where you are come on just give god some praise come on if you know we serve a great god if we know you we serve a loving god if we know you if you know we serve a strong god come on and give god praise right where you are right in your home right in your living room right here in the sanctuary come on and let's just give god some praise [Music] hallelujah we lift your name on high this day thanks be to god minister danny and the singers and the music ministry i'm just going to join them i don't know the difference glory be to god hallelujah you can have your seeds right where you are oh thanks be to god who gives us the victory it's a blessing to be back with cnbc one more time i told sean this morning that they're really nice and and they make me not want to go back home so but but there's some there's a little human that needs me to go back home so uh but i i just i'm just so grateful every time i get an opportunity to come and to to just to be here and then um to an opportunity to just share what god gives me for the moment i want to celebrate the pastor of this church pastor gina m stewart um who is just so gracious just so kind um each time i've come and she knew that i was coming to come to mts and she said well you know i want you to preach and i said okay praise the lord so i'm just so thankful for this woman of god and how she continues to bless my life and to um just minister to me even as i try to minister to her in terms of our scholarship so i'm thankful for what god has done you never know what god is going to do in your life and so i'm so thankful for what god is doing i want to share in the word this morning we're going to go to just a single passage just a single passage philippians chapter four philippians chapter four i'm gonna read verses six and seven philippians four verses six and seven i'm reading from the niv i think it's yes it's on the screen and philippians chapter four verses six and seven and it reads be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto god can i just read that one more time be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto god request plural be made known unto god verse 7 and the peace of god which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through christ jesus and the peace of god which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through christ jesus come now holy spirit and bless us right where we are oh god god i pray that you would take these lips of clay and do what only you can do god you know everyone who's listening today whether here or whether on the live stream and so god meet us right where we are speak to us in our own individual spaces to our own individual needs and do what only you can do we thank you for your word oh god i've done what i can do and now holy spirit i ask you to do what you do bless us this day in jesus name we pray amen and amen i'd like to preach just for a few minutes this morning from the subject an alternative framework an alternative framework in 1947 w.h alden published a pulitzer prize-winning poem titled the age of anxiety the age of anxiety according to britannica the poem highlights human isolation a condition that is magnified by the lack of tradition or religious belief in the modern age historically the age of anxiety is used to describe a time period following world war one in europe the exact years are they vary among historians but most place it in the first half of the 20th century some dating it as late as the 1950s the age of anxiety is characterized by instability and uncertainty it is described as a time in which people question all that seemed certain in the aftermath of war people question the meaning of god and the existence existence of god and the meaning of life and the relationship be between individualism and this idea called progress the age of anxiety is recorded as a time of continual crisis and a time in which people felt like they could do little to make change for the better it's the age of anxiety that gave us nietzsche's famous claim that god is dead and that christianity embodies quote unquote a slave morality it's the age of anxiety that gave us the rise of freudian psychology and the idea that humans are essentially greedy irrational creatures it's the age of anxiety that gives us the idea of logical empiricism and a focus on the study of experience it's the age of anxiety that gives us the rise of extensionalists such as sart in heidegger and kierkegaard it's the age of anxiety that gives us the art of picasso and the science of albert einstein it's interesting to me that what europe called the age of anxiety is the same period in the united states that was called the period of reconstruction or if you lived in the big cities it was the roaring twenties so while one country is talking about the age of anxiety we have another country that's talking about the roaring twenties this is the same period in which black america is faced with racial violence and black migration it's during this period in black america that we have the harlem renaissance and the tulsa race riots we have the cotton club that opens but we also have the rosewood massacre so we have the rise of black social organizations and political organizations and leaders in education all against a backdrop of racial violence and the fight for rights as full citizens my brother my brother teaches high school history and we were having a conversation about this and i was telling him it seems interesting to me that the historical periods of time they look different depending on who's telling the story depends on who gets to tell the story how that s that that era or that time frame gets named and he said to me these words he said since you got to remember the world was in political instability the rise of nationalism and the redrawing of a world landscape so we had political instability the rise of nationalism the redrawing of the world landscape and so regardless of your uh diasporic connection these three are catalysts for an age of anxiety i read this article published in 2014 questioning whether or not at that time we were still in the age of anxiety now i'm not suggesting today whether we are or whether we are not i leave that to the historians and those who who who know a little bit more than i do about interpreting history from a holistic perspective but what i am suggesting today is that we are living in a time of anxiety and worry where that has become the norm rather than the exception i'm not talking about the discomfort that may occur from a single event but rather the angst and apprehension that is stimulated by the accumulation of destabilizing forces against our psyche we all experience anxiety producing events that can leave us reeling that can leave us off kilter to be told the world is intimidating there's much that can put us on edge there is much to make it feel as if the ground beneath our feet is uncertain and unreliable and the truth be told if we live long enough we find out that the ground the job the relationship the house the car the paycheck the platform our health all of these at some point can become uncertain and unstable as a global community we've experienced destabilization as a nation we've been upended in our communities in our schools in our churches there has been much to put us close to the edge so we went from the temporal closure to the full shutdown to the minimum resourcing and now to finding some form of re-opening so there is much to put us in a state of anxiety or worry webster defines anxiousness as extreme uneasiness of mine or brooding fear about some contingency both oxford and webster show a kind of relationship between the latin words for anxious and anger meaning to choke or strangle some mental health officials have suggested that we are moving from a period of covet 19 anxiety syndrome to post pandemic anxiety so we've gone from the challenge of separating and social distancing to the challenge of reintegration after a year or more for some for those of us who actually separated many now have concerns about what it means to re-acclimate with others pastor stewart was just talking about a dry run in september i think you said some a test son will question this re-acclamation of being with others with or without a mask the challenge is we really don't know what is safe or at least a level of safety that we had pre-pen pre-pandemic so this loss of safety and the threat to our well-being can leave us in a state of anxiety or worry or concern even as we go about our daily lives doing the things that occupy our lives we operate or we do do so with a low-grade uneasiness it's what i call my inner jitter it's this inner jitter that's just kind of always there and it may not be visible on the outside it may not be visible to people who really don't know me but is there dr nicole robinson she's one of the counseling faculty at cts she explained to me that anxiety starts with an agitation of the parasympathetic nervous system when we feel threatened or at risk our parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to help us navigate or mitigate the risk when we feel threatened or in danger it is in it it is normal uh for us to have a physiological and physical response to protect ourselves it is our normal defense mechanism that causes us to experience what many of us know as the fight flight or freeze response the body tells us something something is not right and our brain senses something is not right the parasympathetic nervous system is triggered and determines the response to protect the self we fight we take flight or flee leave the situation or we freeze these are normal responses now when the hypers when the parasympathetic nervous system is in hyper mode we experience a different kind of anxiety it's both psychological and physical distress this hyperactivity of the system causes us to become impaired or to function at diminished capacity is the it is the excessive mode of worry or the extreme need for protection or defense most of us experience anxiety or worry of some sort that's connected to basic needs the need for shelter the need for sustenance those needs we learned from maslow but one common form of clinically diagnosable anxiety is generalized anxiety this is where one experiences worry that is difficult to control basically our parasympathetic nervous system goes into overdrive and we find ourselves irritable we find ourselves with body aches we find ourselves with sleep deprivation we find ourselves waking up at night and looking up at the ceiling and looking around at the walls we find ourselves with concentration disruption it interrupts our ability to rest and our eating patterns we either don't eat enough or we eat too much so it goes beyond the psychological it is somatic it is not just in our brain it is in our bodies and when the parasympathetic nervous system is hypersensitized dr nicole says our bodies are somewhat like raw spaghetti it's easy to snap it's easy to to break we're tense we're vulnerable but when we have the tools to cope when we have the the what we need to desensitize the nervous system or to neutralize the perception of threat we become like cooked spaghetti flexible and pliable and able to adapt i'm going somewhere now i doubt that paul had a hyperactive parasympathetic nervous system in mind when he writes to the believers at philippi don't be anxious don't worry be careful for nothing don't worry about anything we are never really told in the text what they might be anxious about but as a minority faith community living under roman empire we might speculate that there is much that may cause them to worry throughout the letters paul hints at those who may be threatening this community but never explicitly names them he encourages them not to be afraid of those who oppose them he warns them many of us are familiar with the passage watch out for them dogs he calls them evil doers so the language suggests the threat of persecution and intimidation and possibly violence they may have been a little anxious about their friend epaphroditus who had gone to visit paul and got sick they may have been anxious about paul who is writing from jail waiting for for for court to be in session they may have been anxious because he's facing execution thank you imagine being in jail the possibility of execution and telling your loved ones but don't worry about it pray about everything you're waiting to see you know that you you've been brought up on charges that aren't even just but you're waiting to see how this is going to play out and you look around and you write these letters and say but don't worry about it just pray about everything what i like about the letters that paul writes to the philippians is that they address the real life of the church the letters raise enduring questions that show up in the life of the church what do we do about monetary gifts or what we refer to as love offerings and honorariums i know money is always a sensitive issue but what is god calling us to consider when we support those who labor in ministry on our behalf this is a question that shows up it in the philippian church the letter raises the question what do we do when our sister or brother becomes ill what is our responsibility as people of faith what is our responsibility to those who are incarcerated i like this one i think it's very real it's a part of the church how do we reconcile strained relationships in the church without destroying the church which is us without destroying ourselves and without destroying the witness of the church how do we manage strong disagreements in the body of christ and yet continue to be witnesses that's real talk that's real talk because folk fall out folk just it happens and so how do we navigate is one of the issues that arises in these letters how do we deal with enemies and yet continue to be christ followers that's a real one for us right today so the philippian letters they're not a list of do's and don'ts or rules of context uh conduct but they lead us to think thoughtfully what does it mean to live out the good work that god has called us to we all like to quote philippians one and six this good work but the the the rest of the letters the rest of the writing challenges us to think about what does it mean to live out this good work these aren't unique issues they're issues that arise in the everyday life of believers we're called to consider what is god calling me to in this good work so philippians 1 and 27 paul responds like this whatever happens conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of christ whatever happens conduct yourselves worthy in a manner that represents the gospel of christ whatever happens in philippi conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of christ so whatever happens in memphis and in cnbc and in wherever you're watching from connect conduct yourselves in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of christ whatever the conditions whatever the situation conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of jesus christ we don't know what it was like to live in philippi we don't know what it was like to live in the ancient world but you do know your world and i know my world i know what it's like to live as a black woman in america i know what it's like to live as a single black mother of a teenage young man i know what it's like to watch him grow into adulthood and the anxiety and the anxiety that now matches that joy every time he leans the house without me so on the one hand there is this joyous celebration on the other hand there is the me who's sitting at home saying lord let me look at the tracker is he there yet there is this anxiety there is the inner jitter of the possibility of threat i know i'm not the only one i know i'm not the only one who feels the uncertainty of this age we we we're anxious about getting a job then we're anxious about keeping the job we're anxious about getting married then we're anxious about staying married anxious about buying a house then we're anxious about how to pay the mortgage we're anxious about likes and loves and and shares and what does it mean if you don't get likes and what does it mean if you don't get loves what does it mean if you don't get shares my son was telling me how intimidating it is to use social media he said as a teenager but i'm not too sure it's limited to teenagers the need for affirmation that may not come the need for recognition that may not come the need to be included that may not come all of this is anxiety producing and if we're not careful the situations that constitute the everydayness of life can cause us to be agitated and on edge and sometimes for no reason at all that we can name other than just a subtle threat that keeps us from being completely relaxed it's those feelings of anxiousness that don't necessarily disturb the parasympathetic nervous system but we are still operating in a heightened sense of awareness it's the less intrusive less regular less predictable experience of anxiety it may not require a diagnosis or medication but it still inhibits the daily functions of like anybody but me know what i'm talking about and still the text says don't be anxious about anything as in let nothing nada no thing cause you to be distressed or debilitated or to become discombobulated now if i'm honest if i'm honest i have a problem with these texts i have a problem with the do not be afraid do not be anxious do not fear do not be angry do not fret i think is it over in the psalter i'm challenged by the text i struggle because it feels like a charge that cannot be kept it feels like a charge it just so so i find myself caught between the theological ideals of faith and the lived experiences of my faith i find myself hung between what it means to to be the what seems to be the impossibility of faith don't worry and the reality of life we do worthy we do worry so for me sean despite the church's slogans and t-shirts i i know what it's like to be stressed i know what it's like to be uh depressed i know what it's like to be oppressed and some pres uh suppressed and every now and then impressed i know what it's like to be in temporary debilitated to be in a temporary debilitating state from sensual situational anxiety let me say it like this i know what it's like to sit at my desk at home and i know all the things that i've got to do but i can't seem to get myself to move forward on any one thing it feels like i'm just spinning in the chair now i'm not really spinning but metaphorically i can't seem to move myself maybe i'm the only one but i know what it's like to experience this kind of debilitating anxiety because the truth is we do worry we do get anxious our stomachs do get in knots but there's good news in the text it's good news in the text there is this conjunction in the text the rbi is what i call it the rather but instead the rather but instead the rbi that gets us to an alternative framework it's the hinge of the text it's the bridge between don't worry meaning don't go on worrying over and over and over to the point of interruption but it gets us to the prey about everything let me say that again there is a conjunction that is the hinge of the text it's the rbi it's the rather the but or the instead it gets us to pray about everything i think what god is saying to us today is to resist the human tendency to focus on the situation or the circumstances or the threat resist the human proclivity to operate in a state of persistent worry a state of ongoing inner jitter because it is contrary to the witness of christ resist the acceptance of anxiety as a mode of life because it disrupts the development of our faith let me say it a different way live as if a good work has begun in you it's not complete but it has begun so live as if a good work has begun in you now let me just i don't want pastor stewart to have to fix this next week so i'm not saying that if you worry or have anxiety that you don't have a relationship with god i'm not saying that i'm not saying that worry means we have a lack of faith or that worry says we are insane i'm not saying that in fact let me let me just say this if you if you find yourself in a state where you are unable to function where you are in constant despair where you are afraid and unable to get beyond your present help present moment please get some help from a trained medical professional so i'm not saying say in that state i'm saying get some help some forms of anxiety are severe they can lead to panic attacks and cardiac event events so please get some help what i believe god is saying to us today in this text is not to allow the cares of this life to pull us away from the commitment to trust and keep on trusting god to pray and keep on praying to seek and keep on seeking to knock and keep on knocking it's the conjunction the rbi the rather but instead gives us this alternative framework that gets us to pray about everything so that means pray about that which gives you angst and pray about that which doesn't give you angst in other words place your concerns place yourself before god i'm almost finished here paul calls us to prayer to petition to present our request with thanksgiving we are called to pray about all that concerns us in the world we're called to petition or to intercede to god on behalf of ourselves and behalf of others we're called to present our requests to make known to reveal to god that which concerns us the implication here is that the alternative to worrying is to keep on praying keep on making our request to god keep on getting in the face of god and so as we participate in the practice of prayer petition and presenting our requests with thanksgiving verse 7 says and the peace of god which transcends all understanding will guard our hearts and our minds in christ jesus now now notice notice notice notice notice the assurance of peace is independent of the affirmation of our request let me say that one more time i ain't done yet the assurance of peace is independent of the affirmation of our request the promise in the text is for peace not the fulfillment of our request watch the text watch the text watch the text the promise is for peace not the fulfillment of our requests so god will be at work in our lives because we make our request not because the requests are perfect not because they're aligned with god's intent not because god is going to fix everything but because we place ourselves before god and say i need your help so this suggests that god may not fix it god may not change it god may not stop it god may not destroy it god may not remedy the situation but god will give us the peace in it i want to say two things about peace and i'm going to my seat so on the one hand peace refers to that inner inner inner inner life with god it's the inner assurance that comes from knowing jesus is mine whereas whereas human deliberation results in anxiety and worry the peace of god one scholar says removes all disquietude now the second way to look at this phrase is to read it as if paul is emphasizing the uniqueness and distinctiveness of god's peace suggesting that god's peace is distinctively other than something that we can imagine it it is distinctively separate separated from human capacity so in this case think about it like this the serenity in which god lives is the serenity in which we live in the alternative framework the serenity in which god lives is the serenity in which we are able to live if we go to the alternative framework it is that peace that rises above the mind that rises above human understanding that transcends that surpasses our thoughts let me just say it like this it's that peace that comes over us and we can't explain why we calm in the midst of a stone we just are we can't explain why we haven't fallen apart we just haven't we kevin explained why we haven't lost our minds we just got it hold it together we can't fully explain it because it is holy other in fact the situation has gotten worse and yet we continue to rejoice and yet we continue to pray and yet we continue to lift our hands and yet we continue to glorify god even as the situation gets worse even as we can't explain it we find ourselves settled because the peace of god the text says is guarding our hearts and our minds 23 23 times at least in the text we see this pairing of hearts and minds perhaps it's because so much of the spiritual attack we endure is to our minds and to our emotions so much of what we endure it's in our mind and our emotions so the figurative language here i'm almost done for real this time uh the figurative language that's used in the text it's the same language that's used to convey this idea of being kept or this idea of being guarded this idea of being protected this language would have resonated with these these readers of these believers because they were under the roman empire so when they were used to having guards around so the text says something like this god's peace stands at attention watching surveying on the lookout for all that would threaten us god's peace stands like the night watch while we're sleeping god's peace is up watching let me say it like this i spent a large part of my life uh growing up on military bases military installations as we call them and in order to get access to the base you have to go through the gate there's a main gate there's a couple side gates but you gotta go through they get at every gate at every entry point there are guards there are guards and the guards as you approach the gate the guards are waiting for you to display the appropriate credentials and if you cannot apply uh display the appropriate credentials you are asked to turn around you cannot access the installation because the guards at times of heightened security it doesn't matter if you have a military base decal on your car or not you must display the proper credentials to get through the gate and the alternative framework god's peace stands like a guard around our minds around our hearts and every thought that seeks to intrude every thought that seems to draw us away every thought that wants to disrupt us everything that wants to pull us out of the good work that god has put on in us and the good work that god is now calling out of us those guards are standing ready the peace of god the peace of god is standing right in front of you every move the peace of god is right in front of the peace of god instead it's standing guard in front of you minister danny the peace of god is standing in matter of fact the peace of god don't worry i'm not going to get too close i don't know i have a mask on the peace of god is on all sides around you as you place yourself before god god says my peace is guarding you my peace is protecting you my peace is surrounding you i wish i could can you come down here for just a second sir don't worry i'm not gonna do anything i just want to be able to walk around because god says my peace as you put yourself before me i am your peace i am the peace i am the peace i am the peace i am the peace i am the peace i am the peace i am the peace i am guarding i am protecting no harm shall come to you nothing is going to defeat you nothing is going to block you i am your peace i am stopping it even as it comes forward i'm stopping it even as it comes forward i'm stopping it right now i am your peace stay before me stay before me stay before me stay before me stay before i am i am every anxious thought every every question about god how is this going to work out god said i'm your peace that's how every question about how is this going to come together because i'm your peace and i'm guarding you that's how it's gonna work out i mean i do everything you've asked me to do but guess what i'm your peace and i'm working it out it may not look like the way you think it's gonna look but i am your peace and i'm working it out i am your peace and i'm working it out [Music] hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah listen i don't know who i'm preaching to today i don't know who may have anxiety and nervousness and that inner jitter that i'm talking about but listen god says right now today i am your peace and i'm standing like a guard in front of you i'm standing like a guard i am protecting you i'm standing like a guard you need not worry i'm around you i'm around you even when you don't feel it even when you don't feel it i'm around you god says jesus come on let's bless the lord right there come on let's just bless the lord whatever your situation is whatever your concern is right where you are i wonder if you'll just take a minute and begin to cry out to god to do what the text is to pray and to petition and to seek and to lay your request before god because when we do that god says god's peace passes all of our understanding that passes all of our understanding i know i know i know you're trying to figure out how you're going to work it out don't forget how you're going to work it out god's peace god's peace god's peace is surrounding jews god's pieces guarding you proverbs 12 says this anxious anxious hearts are very heavy but a word of encouragement does wonders so i want to encourage you today i don't know where y'all i don't know what you're going through but i want to encourage you today that when we place ourselves before god we allow ourselves to engage the conjunction conjunction the rather the but the instead of worrying keep praying about everything keep knocking keep seeking and god shows up god stands up i wonder right where you are if you can just see that in your mind whatever occupies you if you can just see in your mind the peace of god standing guard on your behalf [Music] hallelujah in the name of jesus in the name of jesus hallelujah the peace of god mitigates every threat that comes against you the peace of god neutralizes everything that tries to grab our minds that tries to take root in our hearts the peace of god says i am here [Music] hallelujah jesus [Music] hallelujah jesus [Music] hallelujah jesus [Music] hallelujah it is well it is hallelujah jesus thank you lord jesus hallelujah go ahead and sing that sister [Music] hallelujah [Music] [Music] rose [Applause] [Music] [Music] this morning let me just have a word of prayer god we come and we place ourselves before you right now oh god wherever we are whatever is on our mind whatever concerns us god we know that it concerns you more and so god we bring ourselves before you this day we receive your word this day that says we have an alternative framework we can lean into your peace that that that defies all logic that defies all reason god we thank you that you surround us you protect us you hold us and we receive it we receive it god in the name of jesus we pray if you are listening if you are listening and you want to align with this church the information is on the screen i pray that you will text join cnbc uh to that number or you can visit the website if you want to align with this church pastor stewart wants to be your pastor i invite you to be a part of this congregation in the name of jesus god we thank you now for all things in jesus name we pray amen [Music] is [Music] is is [Music] is [Music] is uh is if you want to come to the altar the altar is open present your request to god and let the peace of god thank you jesus [Music] one more time it is well thank you jesus [Music] hallelujah and lord hates the day when by faith [Music] [Music] and the lord [Music] it is well with my soul how we thank god today for the word we've heard for the preacher with an instructed tongue who has reminded us of that place of peace who's reminded us of the alternative framework that is only found in christ jesus as we come to this table we are reminded of the one who invited us to an alternate kingdom the kingdom of god where his rule and reign [Music] he's inviting us to establish it here on earth so we come to this table as it is our custom jesus who said my kingdom is not of this world invites us to this table not because of any good that we have done maybe for a righteous person one might die one might give their life but god commended god's love toward us and that while we were yet sinners christ died for us that we might have life and have it more abundantly to the full and to overflowing so we come to this table to remember to participate in this sacred act of memory jesus said as often as you do this you remember his suffering until he comes again and so on that night that our lord was betrayed he took the bread and he broke it and he blessed it he said take eat this is my body given for you let us eat together with thanksgiving and after that same manner he took the cup and he had given thanks he said take drinky all of this the new testament of my blood shed for the remission of sin for without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin thanks be to god for the assurance of pardon let us drink together with thanksgiving and the people of god say it together amen we want to thank dr courtney bugs for that tremendous powerful provocative proclamation can you put your hands together and give god praise for this preacher we're so grateful that she did not think a robbery to share with us today thank danny barlow again for sharing with us and thank you for joining us today be blessed and remember the peace of god that transcends all understanding can keep your heart and your mind through christ jesus meet us next sunday same time 11 o'clock central daylight time where we shall worship the lord in spirit and in truth the lord bless you and keep you the lord make his face to shine upon you the lord lift the light of his countenance upon you and be gracious unto you and give you peace both now henceforth and forevermore and all the people lifted their voices together and said it as well [Music] you

Channel: Christ Missionary Baptist Church

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Length: 106min 14sec (6374 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 11 2021