Dr. Carlton P. Byrd, Do the Right Thing

Michael chapter 6 verse number 8 Michael chapter 6 verse number 8 if you have it let me hear you say Amen the word says he hath showed thee O man what is good and what not the Lord require of thee but to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with I God our sermon Titus Bay is do the right thing father bless its now speak because your servants here then when the appeal time comes move in this place we give you praise we give you honor and we give you glory it's in the name of Jesus we pray amen all right the title of our sermon comes from a movie produced by film maker Spike Lee in 1989 any by her despite leaked Spike Lee right anybody remember the movie do the right thing okay this movie was created in 1989 many of you weren't even born in 1989 and the rest of you a good church folks and you don't know what I'm talking about so let me tell you about this movie do the right thing was about an Italian pizza owner in Brooklyn New York he owned a pizza shop in Brooklyn in a predominantly black neighborhood one of the neighborhood residents became upset when he saw in this pizza shop on the Pizza Shops wall a wall of fame of Italian actors only being shown the young man however believed that because the pizza shop was in a black neighborhood it should showcase black actors but the Italian pizza owner disagreed so the wall became a symbol of racism and hate to people in neighborhood and so on a hot summer day tensions rose and a riot ensued one young man was killed others were injured and the pizza shop went up in flames the movie ended with two quotations expressing different views about violence one was from Martin Luther King the other was from from X before they began to fade to a photograph of them shaking hands the final quote shown on the screen of this movie is this the time is always right to do the right thing now I want to take these words from the movie house and bring them to the church house and challenge you with do the right thing now doing the right thing is rooted in the fact that each and every one of us we are daily faced with decisions do I have a witness in this race do I wear these shoes or these shoes do I go to church or do I not go to church do I go to class or do I not go to class and then maybe because you're trying to lose weight going vegan or reducing your carbs do I eat this or do I not eat this but you got to do the right thing so that means you got to eat what you don't like drink what you don't want and do what you rather not do because you want to do the right thing do I have a way to say this place but let's go a little deeper what school do I want to go to where should I go for college where should I go oh quit shoot it for grad school or better yet whom should I marry but all the single ladies out there let me give you right now some premarital counseling don't judge him by his paycheck don't judge him by his car don't judge him by how fine you think he is you'll get used to him being fine but you'll never get used to him being foolish same things brothers don't judge her by how well she looks how else she shaped up find somebody with some wisdom who can endure some stuff find somebody who can take a licking and keep on ticking because if she runs through money now she'll run through money later if he runs out on his mother now he'll run out on youth if he lied to her he will lie to you do the right thing but let's go a little deeper this coming Tuesday people will go to the voting polls to make a decision on who to vote for and please go to the polls and vote people died so you could vote go vote do the right thing are you hearing what I'm saying when you need to make a choice and don't make it that's a choice in itself somebody said you shouldn't mix Church and politics but when Moses went to me no Pharaoh and said let my people go that was politics and don't you forget it was turks groups and religious groups that they have long played a role in addressing social injustice and other community concerns that's politics I was reading an article by one of my colleagues and friends from Atlanta now if you're Rafael warna pastor their historic deputies a Baptist Church where a Martin King once called pastor with his father and he said voting is an act of worship they say now wait a minute you're going a little bit too far voting is an act of worship but he explained himself he said voting is another way to march the same way marchers blacks and whites poured out of the church pews and into the streets in the 1960s voting today is another way to raise your voice while sitting in the church do the right thing make the right decision we talked about personal decisions we talked about voting decisions but now let's talk about church decisions women's ordination the recently talked about compliance documents voted by the General Conference my question is are we going to do the right thing pastor bird what's the right thing what word says in Joelle - and it should come to pass afterwards then I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your old men shall dream dreams and young men shall see visions and also upon the servants and upon the handmaidens in the last days when I pour out my spirit do the right thing don't be afraid of people don't be afraid of repercussions quit worrying about people sometimes you got to speak truth to power you can't talk butterfly language with caterpillar people I'd rather be blessed of God then blessed of people doing the right thing you can't be popular and prophetic at the same time you may not be in the majority but do the right being God's council back let God lead you follow God what God has for me it is for me do the right thing but what about social justice what about helping the poor the downtrodden do the right thing you have to buy it but there are all kinds of biblical references to the poor in fact there are over 2,000 scriptural references in the Bible about the poor if the poor weren't important to God then Jesus would have never said in Matthew 25 I was hungry and you said me I was thirsty you gave me something to drink I was making you told me I was sick you visited me I was in prison but you came to see me too me of us I've gotten too bougie too big time to deal with the poor help the poor and now that you're a bowler and a shot-caller and you say it's my money I earned it God has always sought to help the downtrodden the poor and promote social justice and to my church he expects the same from us study your word why did God destroy Sodom and Gomorrah it wasn't just for their sexual sins but it was also for their unjust treatment of the poor if you read Ezekiel 16:49 it says now this was the sin of your sister Sodom she and her daughters were arrogant they were overfed and unconcerned they did not help the poor and the needy help your brother help your sister if I could help somebody as I walk along within my living shall not be in vain do the right thing what is it for me Carlton burr to get up here and not pull somebody else up here do the right thing whatever decision you make about anything in life be it school be it marriage be it boating be a church helping somebody or whatever it is know this I'm not judging you by your decision God has given you the power of choice and it's your choice so whether you don't eat meat or you eat meat don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about I go to your house and knock on the door and you say hold on hold on hold on and you try to put up a chicken but I can smell it to the door come on say man whether you're a vegetarian or vegan whether you wear this or you wear that whether you go to school here or you don't go to school here whether you marry him or him her or her I'm not judging you in your decision in fact I don't have time to judge your decisions because I'm too busy watching my own decisions I'm trying to get to the end of my life without doing something foolish do I have a witness in this place because I heard somebody say it's not how you start but how you finish none of us in here right now who knows how our story is gonna end I've seen people get to the last lap of the race and then they trip and fall I see people get angry and walk off a job six months before retirement I have seen millionaires go bankrupt in one weekend because they listen to a fool for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction whatever decision you make friends of mine you it will have collateral damage and before you make a decision consider the damage and do the right thing this is especially important I'm preaching to myself now this is a tough week for me now god I've learned will give you influence in your life for divine purpose but you have to know how to manage that influence there's nothing worse than giving influence to somebody who's not ready you can be academically ready some people think they're ready to graduate and they can pass to the Oakwood church you can be academically ready you can be physically ready you can be philosophically ready but if you don't have the wisdom the judgment and the clarity of mind to manage the moment your gift can put you in a position where your character can't keep you that's their limited by morality either you have to have the discernment to know what to say when to say it and how to say it just because you are charismatic and you can master a crowd of people doesn't mean that you can manage the moment and the opportunity that God is giving you to be a light now I must admit I preach in a lot of places some places I don't even tell you all about I do a lot of workshops in a lot of places and they are not all Adventists amen God has called us to minister to everybody God has not called us some people man Kirk Frank was here perfect we try to reach the world God has not called us to be insulated isolated or involved in incestual ministry remember the fruit of incest is always something and we've got churches because all we want to do is minister to ourselves preach pastor burn I'm doing the best I can but I'm inviting some stuff I don't tell you about because if I tell you where I am then you won't come to church come on say Amen but I'm invited to go preach the different faith groups and I'm grateful for the invitations but some of us have gotten mad with me because they told me that when I go to these other churches I should only preach the Sabbath message they tell me God has given you the opportunity God has given you the platform use it take advantage of it the Sabbath message is right that's what they tell me but while the Sabbath message is the right message I've got to make the decision to do the right thing now let me be clear just because I'm an Adventist doesn't mean that I have the right to disrespect somebody else's faith and beliefs you can't maximize yourself by minimizing somebody else doubting somebody else never made you bigger are you hearing what I'm saying listen to me just because you have the right to say something or it is within your rights to do something doesn't mean you ought to do it do the right thing I would do more insulting people than inspiring people Ellen White was clear she said you must win people's confidence first VIN bade them follow me do the right thing somebody still not getting this let me try this illustration alright some of you are a little older you will remember back in a couple years ago after the Twin Towers were destroyed in New York after 9/11 after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center there was this faster of a small Church in Gainesville Florida about 50 members he was pastor of a small church but he was causing a big uproar because he said he was gonna burn the Koran he was mad at Muslims so he said I need the President of the United States to call me or I'm a burn the Quran now just because you have the right in this country to burn the Koran doesn't mean you're right to do it just because something is legal doesn't mean necessarily that it's right cigarette smoking may be legal but it's not right alcohol drinking may be legal but it's not right smoking we owe you don't know what that is got a jelly it may be legal but it's not right homosexuality may be legal but according to the word it's not right do the right thing Mesmer what's the right thing what's the right decision what's the right choice what school should I go to who should I marry how should i both it's women's ordination right how do I deal with social justice the answer is Rudi in the text do justly love mercy walk humbly with God that's doing the right thing everything we do as Christians should reflect these things do justly love mercy and walk humbly with God every decision we make should exemplify these words do justly no mercy more coming with God so let me give you these three points in I sit down number one do justly do what everybody come on do what everybody do right think two things right and do the right things let me say it again do things right and do the right things God cares about fairness God cares about equity God cares about women being treated with the same dignity and respect as men God cares about racial injustice God cares about people being judged by the content of the character as opposed to the color of their skin God cares about social justice God cares about black lives God cares about white lies God cares about red lives God cares about yellow lives God cares about blue lives God cares about all lives do unto others as you would have them do unto you do justly do what everybody do what everybody and when you're making decisions your life don't hang with people who don't do justly so don't marry people who don't want to do justly don't associate with people who don't want to do justly don't support support and condone people who don't want to do justly don't vote for people who don't want to do justly but not only do justly love mercy love what everybody now time won't let me do it but I wish I had time to really break this text down the text doesn't say have mercy look at the text the text don't say have mercy the text says love mercy it says what everybody because there's a difference between having mercy and loving mercy one way of describing the difference is that we shouldn't perform acts of kindness from a sense of obedience or compulsion that's having mercy but we should love people in love and have mercy out of love which means you love mercy make sure you're not talking about somebody else and you're living in a glass house yourself because somebody if you tell the truth today it's only grace and mercy that you've not wholeness today come on say Amen it's only grace and mercy that you're not strung out somewhere today it's only grace and mercy that you're not over in Oakland Memorial Gardens today it's on the grace and mercy that you're not standing in a food line right now my final point number three walk humbly with God now notice that when Micah tells us what God requires the first things he tells us two things he requires have nothing to do with God they have to do with how we act to each other think about the first two do justly love mercy have nothing necessarily to do with how we treat God but rather how we treat each other God expects us to love each other and get along with each other he accepts us to do the right thing and treat each other just thing in love mercy by demonstrating it to others but God also expects us to have a right relationship with him now the Bible says walk humbly walk what everybody huddled with God I wish I had time to purse that but that means the right relationship with God always begins with humility and not arrogance do justly love mercy walk humbly with God do the right thing what school you want to go to do justly love mercy walk with God who you marry are they doing justly loving mercy walking with God who you vote for on Tuesday are they doing justly loving mercy walking humbly with God women's ordination is it justly loving mercy walking humbly with God do the right thing but the greatest decision you will ever make it's making a decision to follow Jesus Christ he was wounded for my transgressions he was bruised for my iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him but by His stripes I am healed do the right thing Jesus made a decision for you you need to make a decision for Jesus I'm about to take my seat but I've said once and I'll say it again I love the church I love my church I love fellowship I love to sing I love to preach I love evangelism I love to pray I love to amen and I love to shout everybody say shouts a lot of shouting stop this puts I said all the time though we need to learn how to shout at the right time it's good to have your prayers answered I know it's good to have things in life that are pleasing and comfortable that's good but sometime it's when we talk about spending our lives the rest of our lives with Jesus do I have a witness in this place shoes on your feet that's good clothes on your back that's good move over your head that's good in your pocket yes good we need them and they are great but when you hear about life with Jesus Christ that you live with him forever that's the time just shout no more sickness that's out and time no more pain that's something time no more cancer that's certain time no more high blood pressure that's out in time no more tuition that's out in time no more house no that's some time no look or no some time reunited with loved ones sometime walls of Jasper streets of gold that sometime manson with your name written on it that sometime sit at the Welcome Table that's something time these no milk and honey that's out and time eat grits with Jesus that's some time put all my long white road there sell time shout honey me that sell time meet my love and Savior the shalt I saw on Calvary there's a showdown there's a battle between God and the devil and they're fighting over what belongs to him so many of us are juice out at the wrong time but now it's out and time because from the beginning of time Satan has been trying to take what didn't belong to him he's been trying to take you and be he's been trying to take your mama and your daddy he tried to take Adam and Eve he was trying to wrap their life but what Satan didn't know was that God already put a clause in the creation contract that just in case just in case Adam and Eve messed up God said I've already got a Redemption plan you see God never sets you up to mess you up you may make a bad decision you may make a bad choice you may move in the wrong way but God always provides a way of escape because even if you don't choose the right way if you make a bad decision God says I've already got a redemptive clause I've already estimated that they have the propensity to mess up and so just in case just in case they mess up I'll give them grace along the way oh I love me some Jesus because before the foundation of the world God knew that we'd have some choices to make that we'd have some decisions to make and he said just in case they do the wrong thing God wanted us to know he has a Redemption clause in the creation contract God said how can I lose it's my creation my contract my children my church my son it's my blood my cross my resurrection my Redemption I can't lose when we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing that's gonna be when we all see Jesus we're gonna sing and shout the victory to the right thing but just in case just in case you've done the wrong thing just in case you messed up just in case you made the wrong choice Jesus went to Calvary to save a wretch but you were mean that's look that's no big hung him huh they stretch to mwah he on his head but for me not and that's not huh the story is on the third day he rose again just in case so if you made the wrong decision if you made a wrong choice in life if any man be in Christ he's a new creature old things are passed away all things become new just in case you've made a bad decision if we confess our sins he's faithful just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all and righteousness Jesus Jesus Calvary I'm so glad he's like Jesus thank you very much for tuning in to this week's breath of life broadcast we hope and pray that you've been blessed by dr. Byrd inspirational message if you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety please feel free to visit us at WWF of live TV or call us at two five six nine two nine six four six zero

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Keywords: Seventh-day Adventist, SDA, Adventist, Byrd, Breath, Breath of Life, Religious, TV, preaching, sermon

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Length: 29min 8sec (1748 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 07 2019