God Is At Work | Dr. Marcus Cosby | Revive 2.0 | Concord Church

to God be the glory for the great things he has done our God is great and greatly to be praised and on this Wednesday night at the Concord Church we ought to just give God the glory that is due unto his name for the first day of January 2020 somebody ought still be excited somebody I'll still be delighted that God has given you another chance in another year come on let everything that hath breath praise the Lord on a Wednesday night Laurie to God great raised and we magnify the Lord tonight for this wonderful privilege to be in this place at this time gathered with these God's people is just good to be in church and I thank God for the privilege of worship and revival on this Wednesday evening anybody glad to be in church beside me let's celebrate God tonight to the eminent an esteemed pastor of this church my beloved brother and friend Pastor Brian Carter how I thank God for him and the visionary leadership that he gives to the people of God here at Concord and everywhere he's called upon to give leadership I thank God for our friendship and for the fellowship that we've enjoyed across these years and I'm grateful and he has allowed me to come back to Concord a game this year and share my convictions concerning my Christ I'm grateful to you sir I do not take it lightly I know you know a whole bunch of preachers and a whole bunch of places but thank you for looking down in the hood of Houston Texas then allowing me to come and share with God's people in this place I'm honored by the privilege and that wonderful woman who stands beside you and those beautiful children of yours we thank God for you all and we honor you tonight we celebrate your presence and your leadership I am so grateful to all of the Reverend clergy who are in this place my the ones who have the blessing and burden of preaching the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ I greet you all and thank God for your prayers even in advance I thank God for the Bailey family that is here sister Sheila Bailey I honor you my beloved sister and FISC classmate Cokie she Bailey I thank God for you woman of God and to all of you who are here to all the leadership of the membership of this congregation and all who walk by faith and not by sight is good to be in church then I'm glad to be among you thank God for all that we have heard and experienced already in worship tonight Jonathan Nelson is an awesome man of God who knows how to use the gift that God has given him to bless the people of God a wonderful and unique blend of old school and new school and I God for him and wherever you find yourself on the spectrum he got you before he left us tonight and we thank God for him so my Houston brother Marcus D Wiley I'm praying for his salvation me I'm praying that God will continue to use them where's Mark as widely as he's still in here yeah I'm praying for you yes I am I'm believing God for your breakthrough in 2020 a man in a man I thank God for him and for his sharing with us tonight I was in the back but I heard every word you said and I'm praying that God will deliver you from all that you continually do in these last and evil days amen where is the love this is word from the Lord tonight and if you have your Bible as I invite your attention to the New Testament gospel a loose estimate book of Romans not the gospel the New Testament epistle to the church at Rome the book of Romans at chapter 8 familiar passage of Scripture to most Bible readers Romans chapter 8 and we'll begin our reading at verse 28 the New Testament book of Romans at chapter 8 and we'll begin our reading at verse 28 if you have that passage of Scripture say Amen if you don't say wait for me I'm waiting I heard you it's in the New Testament and we hope that you will find it after the Gospels and the book of Acts a man Romans chapter 8 beginning at verse 28 I'm reading back from the King James Version of the Holy Word of God and this is what it says and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose that's enough amen praise God for His Holy Word you may be seated in the presence of our good and gracious God and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose pastor Carter it has been said that whenever you're down in the dumps read Romans chapter 8 as it is said of Shakespeare's Hamlet Romans 8 is full of quotations if you stay around church long enough you'll hear quotation after quotation from Romans chapter 8 for it is one of those chapters that the believer loves to quote whenever he or she is going through any kind of challenging time or circumstance in one's life Romans chapter 8 is one of those chapters you ought to read when light tries to knock the life out of you Romans chapter 8 is one of those chapters you ought to read when you're feeling like you can't go on any farther as a matter of fact whenever you're dealing with any kind of perplexity some anxiety some challenge in your life I submit that you ought to read Romans chapter 8 Romans 8 will diminish your road rage yeah Romans 8 will help you deal with your crazy co-workers your crazy cousins even when you acting crazy yourself Romans chapter 8 is one of those passages of Scripture you ought read when Foca getting on your nerves or you getting on your own nerves Romans chapter 8 is one of those chapters I submit you ought to take a gander at and read whenever you just need to be encouraged motivated and inspired to go on a little while longer because Romans 8 reminds us and in everything we deal with every circumstance we go through that God is consistently working to ensure that he gets the glory and everything works out for our good let me give it to you again that's the premise of the entire message that's the thesis statement of my little sermon that God is always at work in our lives to ensure that he gets the glory and that it works out for our good that's literally what that 28 verse says to us and we know that all things work together for good to them who love God those who are called according to his purpose now brothers and sisters everyone in church tonight knows that Paul is not at any rate intimating that everything in life is good he by no means is intimating that everything we go through in life will feel good but when you read this passage of Scripture from the New International Version it gives a Swiss on it and I think just might inspire us to keep on keepin on because the newer the National Version says we know that in all things God is at work for the good of them who love him now brothers and sisters I don't know if you caught it but let me give it to you again and he says and we know that God is at work in all things for the good of them who love him and I submit tonight that those of us who are in this place on this first night of 2020 or get happy even before we get to the end of the message to know that no matter what we encounter experience or endure in the next 365 days of 2020 we can already begin to rejoice that one thing we know is that God is at work now that's what I came to tell you tonight and that's really the message the title of a message tonight I know you've been waiting on the sermon subject there it is right there God is at work and sometimes you're going to have to encourage your self with that there will be some season some days when you'll have to minister to yourself pat yourself on the back and let you know that yourself know that God is still at work despite the circumstances of your life now brothers and sisters tonight that ought encourage somebody because you thought you were going through some things by yourself you thought some of the trouble and challenge that you faced in 2019 had no merit and had no substantive value whatsoever and I came tonight to tell you that no matter what you've encountered experienced or endured it was no accident it was not by incident it was because the providential hand of God allows you to encounter endure and experience it so he could prove to you that it would work out for your good and he would get the glory I need some people in church tonight who can look back over your life and begin to testify there were some scenes and seasons of my life that I did not appreciate that I did not want to continue to endure but I've found out looking backwards that God knows how to get in the midst of the challenging circumstances of my life and make me stronger wiser and better on the other side of it than I ever would have been before I went through it is there a witness in any seat tonight that can testify if I hadn't gone through that I wouldn't be Who I am right now if I hadn't dealt with that I wouldn't be able to encourage somebody and let them know that this too shall pass if I hadn't gone through that ain't no telling what in the world I would be right now but thanks be to God I found out that no matter how ugly the situation God is at work and somebody tonight he needs to be encouraged that everything you go through your God is at work to ensure that he gets the glory and it works out for your good may I please take a gander at the end of Romans chapter 8 tonight because it seems to me that Paul this great apostle is trying to help the people at Rome and the people at Concord to understand that there are three inescapable realities of life in which God is at work are you listening to me I said there at least three inescapable realities of life in which God is at work and I submit on this first night of 2020 that you need to hear these little words I'm gonna try to tell you tonight because no matter who you are no matter how save spiritual or supernatural acting you try to become the truth of the matter is all of us are going to have to deal with these three issues this year tune in I said all of us are going to have to deal with these three issues this year Paul gives to us three inescapable realities of life I raised them for your consideration I'm gonna get happy even if I got to get happy all by myself and I'm gonna sit back in that seat because I submit tonight child of God that God is at work here in the inescapable reality of sin yes sin only three people right over there say that man everybody else said whoa everybody else wanted to be quiet because who wants to start a year of talking about sin I'm the world to pass the car to bring this man from Houston Texas and he gonna start our year I'm talking about sin why didn't he bring him last night we could've shut the year down and talking about sin but no he wants to start the year off talking about sin hey but that's what Paul speaks to my brothers and sisters and he does not wait to chapter eight to talk about it in chapter one he begins to talk about this business of sin he says my friends that God's wrath is poured out on all unrighteousness and ungodliness hold up wait a minute brother Paul hey that's no way to introduce your book it's just a few verses ago you were talking about how I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ that sounds more churchy but now you got the nerve to say that God's wrath is poured out on all ungodliness and unrighteousness that's what Paul says and when he keeps on going through chapter 2 he says a little bit more about sin and just in case there was some folk at Rome or at Concord who tried to act like they had no part in him that business of sin by the time he gets to chapter 3 he says listen here all have sinned and come short of the glory of God oh yes and sin is the great equalizer it doesn't matter how long you've been in church how long you profess to be spiritual and her body in here got some sin in our lives huh oh yes go ahead and look next door to you if that person got some sin oh yes look before you and behind you that person had got some don't you let that church title fool you here don't you let that big old Bible fool you hear that cross around your neck does not stop you from sinning hey that person sitting in your seat right now got some sin in their lives all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God the hope of thank God Paul begins to talk about this business of grace in chapter 4 he says that the grace of God has been given to us because he knows we are going to sin that literally means that God keeps giving us what we know we don't deserve and in spite of our sinful ways and then by the time he gets to chapter 5 huh paul asks the question shall we continue in sin that grace may abound and then he answers his own question god forbid don't take grace for granted just cuz you got grace don't mean you can do everything you big and bad enough to do here I need 10 people in here who can thank God for grace but we're to refuse to take grace for granted he says we can't continue in sin so that grace may abound and he keeps on walking through these chapters and as he does and he gets to chapter 6 and he pours it on real thick pastor Brian Carter and he says for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord now and sisters have all has been taking us on this emotional roller coaster since chapter one and talking to us about this sin business but in Chapter seven he gets transparent I like the way he gets transparent he says listen here I'm not just saying y'all have sinned I need you to know pastor Paul has sinned by the time he gets to chapter seven and he says listen here let me be honest with you when I would do good and evil is always present with me he says the good I want to do that's what I don't end up doing and the evil I said I would never do again hey that's exactly what I end up doing a whole wretched man that I am Who Shall deliver me from this body of sin and death is there anybody in here who has a pastor Paul testimony here that in 2019 you told the Lord God if you get me out of this I will never do that again but I need 10 people who'll be honest and say just as soon as he got you out you went right back into the same thing you come on is there anybody who'll be honest and say I would do good but evil is always present with me it deals with this business of sin by the time he gets to the end of chapter 7 he says but thanks be to God for our Lord Jesus Christ oh no you just missed a good opportunity to say Amen I just gave you a good reason to look a man even if you didn't say it I said by the time he gets to the end of chapter 7 he says but thanks be to God for our Lord Jesus Christ okay they tell me the third time is a charm let me try to get him he says at the end of verse cept after seven but thanks be to God for our Lord anybody in here still grateful but that man named Jesus and so by the time he opens up chapter eight watch what he says he says there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit oh my friend some good news every day of the weekend he says there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus literally suggesting here that no matter what the goods are that folk may have on you once you get in Jesus Christ and he begins to wipe the slate clean and give you a brand new lease on life I need 10 people in here who are grateful that God has given you the opportunity to leave some stuff in 2019 while you make your way through 2020 is there anybody who can just testify I know you may know some stuff about me but jesus paid it all all to him I owe sin had left a crimson stain but he washed it white as snow anybody in here you know you're not perfect but you're being perfected anybody in here know good and well you messed up more time than you want anybody to know about but you're grateful that he has cleanse you from all unrighteousness there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus you can't condemn me for what you think you know about me so I'll be looking at me all cross-eyed when I come in because you heard something about me I need 10 people in here who understand that if anybody is in Christ that person is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things become new here can I find somebody who's got newness of life no condemnation for those who are in Christ heals and so he begins to talk about the wonder of being in Christ he says because of Jesus Christ and because God was working through Jesus Christ he says that now we've been adopted in the family of the redeemed I said we've been adopted our sin had excommunicated us from the family of God but because Jesus Christ took our place at Calvary and God was working out our redemption to bring us back in right relationship with him Jesus bridge the gap the chasm the gulf that lay between our holy God and fallen humanity every time you wake up in the morning even if you don't have two wooden nickels to put together you ought to thank God for Jesus Christ and what he did on a hill called Calvary one Friday afternoon is there anybody in here who's still excited is that on a hill called Calvary he died to save you from your sin and he pulls you back into the family and you've been adopted in the family of God and now the Bible says we can cry Abba Father I'm still in your Bible I haven't lifted yet I'm in Romans chapter 8 he says we can cry Abba Father literally means we got a relationship we got an intimate relationship with the one who created us in His image and after his likeness we have access thank you Jesus that we have access to God because God was at work in Jesus Christ fixing this inescapable reality sin the God was at work in Jesus Christ reconciling the world unto himself and God said I love them too much to leave them to their own devices I love them too much to leave them without a pathway back to me and so I'm going to work this thing out so that if anybody just calls on the name of the Lord Jesus and that person will be saved now I don't know how you feel about it there but I'm still excited about the fact that I'm saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ I need some say folk at Concord and to help me celebrate the fact is that if nothing else works out the way I want it in my life is the truth of the matter is I'm saved by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and can't nobody take my salvation here the Bible says those who are in the Lord's hand nobody can Brook them out he says we're safe we've been adopted watch and because we've been adopted we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ you just don't know when a shout I just gave you reason and throw your Bible as they preach man hey I just told you that now we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ I told you 13 seconds ago that because of Jesus we have access to everything the father has is there a witness in this church who can testify because I'm in relationship with him have I got access to everything that I need anybody in heaven ease some joy anybody in here ever need some peace anybody in here ever need a good night's rest anybody in heaven God to put your broken heart back together again and somebody can justify because I'm an heir of God he says everything I need his child has access to don't you dare walk through 2020 with your head hung down don't you dare walk through 2020 like you're a defeated foe lift up your head og King and Biggie lifted up ye everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in who is this King of glory the large strong and mighty King of glory shall come in I wish you knew you had access hey hey hey everybody grateful that you got access I'm an air of God show it air with Jesus Christ that's why mother Bailey they would sing this is my story this is my song praising my Savior y'all do know the first verse don't you blessed assurance Jesus is mine all what a foretaste of glory divine here is heir of salvation purchase of God born of his spirit washed it has anybody been washed in his blood it is he said he got a meal the inescapable reality of scene okay now push it a bit farther when I tell you the part is not just deal for the inescapable reality of sin the secondarily child of God he deals with the inescapable reality of suffering and he seemed to suggest brothers and sisters that God is at work in the inescapable reality of suffering I'm still in your Bible I just moved down around verse 18 he says for I reckon you know it that's the suffering of this present time help me free general marking the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us okay one two three people clapping full I see a hand back there okay that's seven oh don't try to join in now you should have called me but I said it the first time but Paul says I reckon that the sufferings of this present time is not worthy to be compared to the glory which never even real there's some accountants in the room and what Paul is using now is some accounting language he says I've looked at the ledger and I put my brother my broken circumstances and and my good circumstances on one side on the other side of the ledger and now that I've balanced out my books the suffering of this present time is not a worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed on no accounting maybe y'all know the late great Paul Jones rev Paul Jones said I've had some good days I've had some hills decline I've had some weary days and some sleepless nights but when I look around and think things over here is all of my days away my bad days so I woke up God has been good to me been real good to me so instead of complaining I lift my hands and say thank you lord I won't complain all of us have to deal with the inescapable reality of suffering Joe puts it this way anybody who's born of a woman is of a few days and they're full of trouble you don't catch it there some 34 says says that all of us have to deal with the reality that sufferings go show her many are the afflictions of the righteous but don't you stop there keep on reading but the lower delivers him out of them all I was ahead of witness in this building who heard the words of Jesus is in this world you will have tribulation but he didn't stop there he said but be of good cheer go ahead shall go ahead and shout coz I have overcome the world God deliver us from these prosperity pimps I mean prosperity preachers who stand in pulpits and have the nerve to say if you have enough faith you'll never have a bad day that is not the Bible the Bible says if we suffer with him we shall reign with him can I find 10 people in here who no you gotta go through some stuff you gotta endure some stuff you gotta encounter some stuff but yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death how no evil because thou art with me ha me it does not matter how much we shouted about moving from nineteen to twenty somebody inches retina is gonna have to deal with some of the same drama in 20 that's you have to deal with in nineteen don't you stop saying a man don't you stop shouting hallelujah somebody in here it's gonna pick up some drama in 20 that you never anticipated dealing with when you were going through nineteen but I came back here to tell you that the good news of the Texas the suffering of this present I can't be compared to the glory which shall be revealed Paul is literally saying us sing to us don't get so caught up on your right now that you don't remember that God's got a not yet on the way feel like holiday I said don't get so caught up on your right now that you don't remember God's got a not yet only way anybody in here who's still excited about the fact that God has a not yet on the way you think you've been living your best life I came to tell you God is not through blessing you I said God still got some stuff in store for you the Bible says eyes have not seen ears have not heard here's an incident watch the things God has in store for those of us who love him anybody in this church love my Jesus pin everybody in he'll love my god don't you get so caught up on your right now you don't believe that God's got an idea I need to tell somebody in here that neither trouble nor Trump will last always I just I just thought I'd tear I just thought I'd mention it to you how'd you start that's a good ring that's a good place right there just get happy all over this church Oh somebody ought to shout hallelujah but I've held you too long I apologize can I give you one last day Paul says here's the good news that God is at work in the inescapable reality of sin and God is at work and the inescapable reality of suffering you can get through this life without some suffering okay you can't even grow without some suffering you'll never mature without some suffering if you always had everything your way with your spoiled entitled self you would be somebody who never grew up you think that you were owed everything in life if that everybody's always supposed to do what they do for you I need to let you know that sometimes your heart has to be broken so you can find out he's the mender of broken hearts and I need somebody to know you gotta be broke sometimes here to let you know he will supply all your need according to his riches in glory hey hey anybody in who needs to know sometime you gotta cry so you can find out weeping may endure for a night but joy will come in the more I'm already flattened just a minute hold on bro what's this he says he's got a deal but the inescapable reality of see and I deal with in example reality of suffering let me go I tell you how to deal with the guiness capable reality of that which always wants to cause separation separation something always trying to pull me away from what I've been trying to do for the Lord some always trying to put a wedge between me and the plan God has for my life something always trying to get in between me and what I told the Lord I was gonna do for the kingdom so I'm always trying to get in the way of me praising the Savior all the day long is there's something tried to stop you from coming to church tonight you told yourself you were coming and then around six o'clock you like maybe ain't gonna make it tonight there's always something trying to get in the way of what God has for your life and so Paul begins to ask for series of rhetorical questions he says what shall we say then to these things if God before us y'all know the Bible account could who can be against us he said he who did not spare his own son but delivered him up for us all he says he says what shall we say them to these things if God before I like this best card ahead because one translation says since God is for us who can be against us you just missed another self cue I just gave you another reason at least right like the old Saints I said since God is for us who can be against us I need ten people in here who can go ahead and get happy even before you encounter what's gonna happen in January and February March June July you get a happy because you know that since you got a God who is for you he is greater and bigger and better and bad then the whole world against you who shall lay a charge against God's elect it is God who justifies looking at them it is God who makes everything right he literally says that there are some people who gonna try to point the finger at you say you don't deserve to be used in the service of God we know your business you don't better to be singing in the crowd on the praise team we heard what you did in 2019 you don't desire to be preaching in the pulpit but I'm so grateful that God doesn't look at us like human beings look at us I need ten people in here who know that we get looked upon by God through the blood of Jesus Christ and somebody in here oughta faint God that the blood still covers you in the blood still works on ya and God is not interested in perfection he's interested in somebody who's willing to be perfect he says what shall separate us it is from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus and then he asks a series of questions he he gives some examples you're tribulation or distress or persecution or nakedness or famine or peril or sword he's an AW in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us now we've got to separate the church folk from the kingdom builders right through him can I need some people who know that you walk in victory every day to help me begin to close this sermon and begin to testify with the Saints all around this church that no matter what happens on any given day of my life I'm still more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ I refuse to put a period where God puts a comma and just because things ain't looking right on this side of the sentence told me he ain't gonna work that thing out on the other side of the sitter's hey is there anybody in here who can stand only and professor I'm still more than a conquerer ham I may have some sickness in my body but I was still more than a conqueror ham I may have some trouble at the house but I was still more than a conqueror I need some people who can believe it even when you don't see it so go ahead and celebrate the fact is that even if I gotta wait on it for a little while even am I gonna tear it for a little while even matter sit still for a little while come on boss says hey there that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength not upon wings as Eagles running that get weary walking not faith now I need to worry us to help me right through here I need somebody who's got such big and bad faith heads that you don't care what the enemy tries to throw at you in 2019 you say on day number one I'm going through it as a conqueror in Jesus Christ come on man let's go to insulin is there anybody in this building today who says it does not matter how ugly the situation gets how daunting the task may be I still believe I serve a God who's working all things together for my good and I need somebody at the Concord Church to lift up your voices like trumpets in Zion and begin to testify to your neighbor all around you and that you still have victory in the name of the Lord I need some Victoria something on the way [Applause] [Applause] God which is in Christ Jesus preacher shall be able to separate us from the love of God [Music] children [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] what is one Oh [Music] [Music]

Channel: Concord Church

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Length: 44min 17sec (2657 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 11 2020