July 15, 2017 "I've Got Too Much To Lose" Bishop Rudolph W McKissick, Jr

if you would bow your heads with me father we thank you but the total sufficiency of your son and our Savior we thank you for this sacred space called sanctuary we've gathered even on a Saturday night for the express and sole intent of worshipping your name and hearing from your word so speak Lord your servants here stand up in me now and grant unto me preaching power breathe on me breath of God fill me with life anew that I may love what thou dost love and do what thou dost do the matchless marvellous majestic name of the master we pray amen we give all honor to the Spirit of Christ - my brother my friend the wonderful pastor of this church would you help me celebrate your pastor the Reverend dr. Howard's on Westerley tonight besides God for him for this wonderful pastoral staff that has greeted me with such warmth and joy to all of the leaders and the disciples of this the Alfred Street Baptist Church to all of you my brothers and sisters in Christ and in creation ladies and gentlemen the Lord our God is good he is worthy to be praised your pastor told me last week when we talked he said now we're in an hour service and I said well that's cool in the gang because what we're doing this summer is called summer breeze at my church you know you only been saved that long makes me feel fine blowing through the Jasmine in my mind yeah y'all NSA and so our services all summer are an hour long so I was like man you ain't said nothin to me I'm in an hour-long flow already so I ain't got a whole lot of introduction that I ain't got a whole lot of time for that let's get right to the word cuz that's because I got the clock right in front of me right here amen but I want to thank him for the invitation Alfred Street has a special place in my heart I've been preaching here since doctor john o petersen used to run revival for him years ago and so i'm honored to be here with these brothers who have some such a wonderful bid on us this afternoon if you have your Bibles or a copy of the word of the Lord would you turn to Luke's Gospel in the 22nd chapter you would not mind standing with me to honor the reading of God's Word mr. Sandman I don't need anything in the house but can I get a little more in the monitors y'all working me this weekend four times I need all the help I can get so if I can just get a little bit more in those monitors I would be wonderfully gracious unto you Luke chapter 22 beginning at verse 31 you'll find these words from the lips of our Lord Simon Simon Satan has asked for you that he might sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you that your faith should not fail and when you have returned to me strengthen your brothers amen you may be seated in the very presence of our God I want to preach this Saturday afternoon or evening as the spiritual God with this thought in our minds I've got too much to lose I've got too much to lose I read an article recently on the challenges and even the dangers of pastoring a millennial generation I pastor a church where the median age is now 32 in the average age of the joiner is 29 and in that setting and context this article suggests and I agree that what has developed in the modern-day Church is a theology of selfishness and individualism where everybody's coming to church and while you're being admonished to touch your neighbor you really don't care much about your neighbor we're living in a day of theology that is all about I come to church to get mine you better get yours to the extent that we have lost the accountability and the responsibility of communal concern we have lost now what is a responsibility to be my brother and my sisters keep up now I get mine and you better do the best to try to get whatever you can but when you read this text and when you understand the very nature of how God did everything God right from the beginning of creation and suggested to us through the manner in which he created that everything is interconnected and related God does things by relationship by interconnectedness by community and Jesus once again in this particular passage gives us another example of the responsibility of community now I know from a reading of it you would think that this is just Jesus simply giving Simon Peter a warning that the devil is coming after him if you were to only do a cursory reading of this story you might walk away thinking that this was just Jesus kind of giving a full warning and a pre fibra view to Simon Peter that the devil wants to take him out but when you put the text in the context of the text you will discover that Jesus is up to something much bigger in the context of the text they are sitting around what we call the Lord's table they have been inside the upper room in the Lord's Supper this supper that represents community this supper that represents communion this supper that represents oneness and if you were to read the verses prior to the one that I read you they are in a discussion void of Jesus about who's got next read it when you get a chance they know that Jesus is on his way out they know that Jesus is about to take leave of them and they're all wondering who's going to be the number one stunner who is going to be the top dog who's going to be the person in charge after all Jesus has not put in a succession plan after all Jesus has not hired an apprentice nobody knows who's got next and as often happens whenever your priority is power you always cancel community whenever your priority is who's in charge you will always find yourself diluting of your responsibility for your assignment Jesus Peaks what they are doing and begins to warn them about not being like the Pharisees not being like the Gentiles who Lord authority over them but they are so busy trying to figure out who's going to be the power that they don't even hear what Jesus is saying don't miss it they are sitting around the table that represents community they are sitting around the table that represents unity they are sitting around the table that represents one desk but their argument has the potential to cancel their community so Jesus takes this opportunity to put out a warning about what they're doing around the table and he says Simon Simon Satan is after you to sift you as wheat but I have prayed for you now you're quiet good it doesn't sound like I said much but if you were to read this in the original Greek Koinonia text you would discover that when Jesus uses the word you he uses two different Greek words he uses a singular and the plural here's what Jesus really said Simon Simon Satan has asked for y'all - sis y'all as we done from Florida up country here's y'all see you all understand he said Satan has asked for y'all to sit y'all as we watch it but I prayed for you come back Simon Simon Satan has asked for y'all to sip yo as we but I prayed for you decide not happy that y'all ain't got long to get over it Simon Simon Satan has asked for y'all to ship all of you as we but I didn't pray for all of you I only pray for you now I know I'm in a smart congregation so the question has to be asked if Satan's after everybody why does Jesus only pray for one somebody I had to ask the question if Satan is after y'all then why is Jesus only praying for you and the Holy Spirit said to me the reason he's praying for him is because he named him the rock he's the one that's the strong one he's the one that's the powerful one he's the one that's got more sense than everybody else and Jesus says Simon I'm praying for you because when the devil comes after y'all you will be the one to get up first and after you get up I need you to go back and get everybody else who couldn't get up and as quick as you did he says Simon you've got to keep it together watch this because if the devil gets you he gets y'all so I need you to get yourself together because you've got too much to lose because if he gets you he'll mess up everything and that's my Saturday night word to some husband to some father to some man to some leader that the devil is after everybody that is under your philippi but Jesus is holding you responsible for getting yourself together and covering everybody else come on I feel like preaching a little bit I speak this word not only to men but there are women who have responsibilities there are women who are leaders there are women of who I employers and entrepreneurs and raising children and you need to know tonight if there is anybody in the purview of your influence the devil tries to take you out so he can take y'all out cuz if he gets you he will get y'all but I dare you to look at somebody and tell them I have too much to lose I cannot let the devil have my family I cannot let him have my ministry I cannot let him have my church I cannot let him have my friendships and I'm going to get myself together so that he can't take down all of us very quickly let me show you three things in the text that will help you Simon and Simone that's cute wedding he's gonna help you get yourself together when the devil comes after y'all here's the first thing texted he just don't allow your old person to mess up your new purpose now y'all might shut down on me right here at the beginning I don't care how long you've been saved I don't care how many scriptures you know you can know Hebrew you can know Greek you can have great systematic theology you could been in church for four generations there is and old you I knew you shut down on me because I pass to your cousins they shut down on me too and you can read the Bible you can sing on with Christian soldiers you can sing every hymn in the hymnal but there is an old you and here is the struggle that we have when I got saved my ol you didn't disappear my old you is simply brought under subjection to my new you but the challenge is my own you knows tricks my new you doesn't know there is in all of us some stuff we still like that we shouldn't like that's the nature of temptation temptation suggests that there's something put in front of you that gives you the option to say yes when you should say no and the thing about the devil is he customizes temptation so that he doesn't put in front of you what does it make you weak that's why you have to be careful how you talk about other people's situation because the only reason you don't have that situation is because that's not your weakness okay I got I gotta go I gotta go Jesus trips me out because Jesus does something that contradicts his own Commandments onesome he says Simon Simon it's not right there got a problem Simon side got a problem got a problem um let me help you you remember when Jesus took a survey and said two men who do people say that I the Son of Man is there some seniors I just don't see you Jeremiah one of the other prophets Jesus they were that's cool but who do you say that I am y'all remember you spoke up said that what the Christ the Son of the Living God remember Jesus says he said blessed art thou simon barjona son of Jonah we're flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but such as is my father in heaven in one of the versions he said and I say unto you you shall no longer because I know I'm still not happy over here I watch it you shall no longer be called son you shall be called Petros I got a problem because now Jesus in this story calls him by the very name he said don't call him I don't know what Jesus has just Megami or he got some kind of amnesia but he's the one who said don't call him Simon and then he turns around and calls him by the very name he said don't call him by I said Jesus I need help because I'm going to Alfred Street there's some of the smartest people on the planet so I need to know who why would you call him by the name you said don't come you said call him Peter because Peter means rock Peter represents the person that can hear divine revelation Peter represents the person who has spiritual insight and Jesus says that's the point I don't need to talk to Peter I need to talk to sad because I need Peter to know I don't care how strong he is there's still some Simon left in him and you can sit and look cute tonight if you want but there is some Simon left in you if somebody catches you on the wrong day at the wrong time and says the wrong thing is there's some Simon in you oh I know I'm only tonight that the devil has a way of trying to push your psionic buttons preach Bishop he has a way of trying to get under your side monic skin but here's the good news of the texture just is praying for the Simon in you boyo don't know in the shout do you know why that should have blessed you because people put your Simon on Facebook people put your Simon on Instagram rule people put your Simon in the block but you ought to be glad you serve a savior who knows you're going to mess up and does not disqualify you he does not kick you out but he praise you through the weak moments of your journey and somebody ought to rejoice is that the only reason I didn't cussed him out his diseases was praying for me the only reason I didn't go back to my old ways is because Jesus was praying praying honey don't let the old person mess up your new purpose Simon Simone be careful let's keep you too long here cellophane texture teach us you're really not going like this let me do a Howard John we this gonna be good [Applause] it's correct you're telling my did you know my telling y'all I um there are moments where God will give divine permission for satanic purposes y'all didn't like that there are moments yes well God will give okay come here I gotta prove to you from the Bible Joel chapter one the sons and the daughters came in the presence of God and Satan came amongst them I cannot pull over if I promise to keep the motor running because what that suggests is you can never come together in a holy moment without satanic presence just look straight ahead don't look for your right of your left don't let me write it Satan is always in the midst but so y'all know the story and God says Satan where have you been he said I've been here then the other two to and fro he didn't say it like that last McKissack translation here and there hither and thither do it from seeking whom I made it out and God said oh you you don't know anybody I'm saying said I don't have anybody God says it's never considered my servant Joan he's faithful he's committed he has integrity and and Satan says yeah but you got a hedge around him I promise it's the last time I'm gonna pull over and keep the motor running um the very words that Satan uses suggest something we ought to celebrate the only way Satan would know there's a hedge is if he's been trying to get the job but can't get to it see we spend so much time whining over what the devil does to us when we ought to be celebrating the times he came after us and you never found out about it because when he came God had you bruh god help me in here tonight so so God says God since God since God said Oh y'all guys sit down they're young Shelton when I'm done but y'all can't pick up my dad shouting um okay so God says I'm putting him on the bedding table have you away with a few restrictions you'll miss that God gave the devil permission to mess with Joel and you see it again right in this text but it's a shout watch it Simon Simon Satan has asked the whole bottom flow not happy I'm going to the balcony Simon Simon Satan has asked Yana he cannot just show up he cannot bully his way in God help me tonight the only way he gets in your life is if he got a permission slip from my desk and if I gave him permission it's because I've already equipped you with everything you need to get the victory there isn't one struggle you can have in your life that God hadn't already got you ready for so anything that shows up in your life you need to face it knowing God gave the devil a yes and God gave me the power to get the victory well y'all are quiet he has to ask there's nothing the devil can do that doesn't come to naught now I'm not up here tonight to debate the Odyssey I don't know why God allows certain things that happen in his world I'm not deep enough to give you that answer I don't know why murdering gangs and molestation and child pornography and oppression and injustice and sexism and racism and ageism and all of those I don't know why they happen I don't have the answer to that but I know this the devil always has to play on the playground of God's sovereignty talk boy that no matter what the devil does God will only let him go so far and instead of us always trying to answer why God is letting something happen why don't we learn to rest in the reality that no matter what happened the God will see me through it because he's given me enough paper to handle anything that I wish I had a witness the night world that can say whatever the devil brings my way God has already equipped me can I prove it even the deck Simon Simon Satan has asked for y'all to sift y'all as we pray for you watch it pray for you that's all face not fail you missed it right there he said salmon what I'm praying for what's this is the faith I've taught you don't fail you when the battle comes salmon the devil will try so hard to make you forget what you already know so my prayer is when it gets rough that your faith will stand up and you'll remember what you are in it that's why yours coming to church and small groups is so important because that's where you're getting your faith strengthened so that when the devil comes your way he ain't after your money he doesn't need it he ain't after your family he don't want it he ain't after your job he's after your faith because if he can get your faith he'll get your worship and if he gets your worship he'll get you and your prayer every day ought not be give me a new house give me a new car let me banjo boo help me by the bay you ought to say God let my face stay strong when the battle starts raging let my bait stand double when the devil is on my heels let my bay hey stand up my boy dr. Jerry Carter help me with this he help me with this because that praise their faith not fair hey Wiz afraid not fail it's equal in the Greek he climb Oh is the Greek word where we get the English word Eclipse you do know what an eclipse is an eclipse God help me this afternoon is when the moon that shows up and blocks the Sun it doesn't erase the Sun it doesn't push out the Sun it just gets in front of the Sun so you don't get the effects of the Sun coming up what Jesus said is when I pray for you ain't nothing but an eclipse and the power and grace of my moon blocks the Sun of the Devils intent do you know how you survived some supper God blocked it do you know how you made it through some struggles God blocked it do you know how you didn't lose your man in the midst of that unemployment God blocked it I wish I had somebody tonight who could just put your hands up and say God thank you that when Jesus pray for me you brought me cliffs that block the devil's gotta go gotta go try tell you things so far don't let your old person mess up your new purpose I don't care how much Peter you are there some Simon left in you number two that God will give divine permission for demonic design but understand that he's already equipped you with everything you need to get the victory but I got doing one time since he's here this last one and I'm done God provides the answer before Satan ever presents the problem search for gonna win the shine God provide the answer we fold a devil ever was it's so simple you go missing in the text can I show it it's simple as one word Simon Simon Satan is as we all that he might sift y'all as we not praise for you that your faith not fail here it is and when not if not a hope not supposed y'all didn't get it but when you return y'all didn't get it he said the devil is coming to get you but I need you to know before he shows up that I've already told you you're going to bounce back in that good news tonight and I don't miss this , suggested with what Jesus is talking to him about is when he goes and patrol and a free times denies Jesus then a happen yet so what the devil wants to do is still in the future but Jesus prophesized the deliverance in the present before the future ever shows up I just help somebody that before your problem ever shows up Jesus has already said when you return before your problem ever gets in your life he's already said when you return this is gonna be the craziest shout of 2017 but I want somebody to shout real quick over a problem that hasn't even shown up yet because he's already given you the answer come on shout like you know you're coming out shout like you know you already got the victory shout like the devil cannot defeat you now how about some battling when you come out when you get your family back when you open up that business when you get healed when you get your joy you want a shout right now because Jesus has already declared that what's coming cannot take you [Music] and when you come back go get your brother which means you ain't qualified to deliver nobody until you come out of some stuff you ain't quite about the minister because you went to school you ain't qualified to minister because you know Greek you ain't qualified the minister because you educated but when you go through some stuff and the Lord brings you out of some stuff that's when you're qualified to help somebody so I got to get out of here my time is up but is there anybody in here tonight who knows you're qualified cuz you've been through something you're qualified cuz you've been delivered you're qualified cuz you're being set free you're qualified because you got the victory gonna shake somebody's hand and tell your neighbor neighbor I'm qualified because the Lord delivered me come on man let's roll I'm qualified because the Lord brought me out what a battle because the Lord made a way for me I'm qualified because the Lord gave me victory good night Albert Street may the Lord God bless you're real good but is there anybody in here who can help me close this sir and though you'll be if you're going to get your family and all your betta if you're going to get your children and all your betta if you're going to get your brothers stand on your feet if you're going to get your sister and here's how I'm gonna do it because I'm qualified how did you get qualified through many dangerous pause and clear I have already come up was grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me old up have your neighbor for the last time and Callum neighbourhood the Lord will deliver you the Lord will bring you out the Lord will make a way the Lord will give you the victory the Lord will restore you only do it won't he do it won't he do it won't eat my toe battles will he make your enemies your footstool when we give you joy in sorrow won't he give you a hole cut Amara won't he dry out he won't he won't he won't he won't he won't he won't he won't he won't [Music] [Applause] ah [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Alfred Street Baptist Church

Views: 149,568

Rating: 4.7071071 out of 5

Keywords: July 15, 2017, Jr.. Alfred Street Baptist Church, Rev Dr Howard-John Wesley Pastor http://www.alfredstreet.org

Id: 803DzHhrX0Y

Length: 32min 32sec (1952 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 18 2017