Pastor E. Dewey Smith - Morehouse College Baccalaureate Speech

certainly we give honor to our great God appreciate the wonderful president this thank him for the wonderful kind introduction let's get our new president of the hand what a gracious and classy we certainly appreciative to all of the staff and faculty of Morehouse and to the board of the directors of Board of Trustees of this illustrious institution and to the class of 2019 confession is good for the soul I was having a moment there because I remember in 1993 when I was sitting where these graduates are sitting now I didn't make it to a baccalaureate service that Saturday because I was afraid I was afraid because when I left here that Friday afternoon at that time I was not sure if all of my classes had been past I was also not sure whether or not the financial aid had cleared my account and so I decided to stay at home and wait unto Sunday because Morehouse was notorious for pulling you out of the line on Saturday or Sunday and so I said I wait I wait unto Sunday and so to keep myself from being embarrassed twice I'd be embarrassed once and so I missed my back of Lord that Saturday to hear dr. Gardner Calvin Taylor I came that Sunday and set to the left about three-quarters of the way and when dr. Watts and the others came by I'm so glad to announce that my name was in the list so and so today is special it's not just your baccalaureate but it's mine too 26 years later I certainly would be remiss if and I didn't recognize and appreciate the legend dr. Lawrence E Carter thank him for being such a wonderful inspiration in my life sir my wife is here Andre she's here and my sister and brother John and Jada and a few people from our church of here I wanna thank them for being here as well I want to call your attention for a second to the book of Revelation and I want to ask that you stand with me just for a second and two things I like free to do as you stand with us the first thing if you everybody could take one step to the left everybody went step to the left one step back to the right I just want the guarantee that nobody could leave here saying the preacher didn't move me Revelation chapter 4 verse 1 and reads thusly after this you may be seated [Music] at the time of this text the ruling emperor in Rome was an interesting fella by the name of Domitian is the last of the Flavian dynasty and his life is intriguing he's only in that position because of his connection with his father Vespasian after the death of his father and the death of his brother Domitian took the rulership of emperor of rome at the time of this text Rome was considered to be the Citadel the Caesars it was a darling of the human race Rome had been that place where Virgil sank and Cicero played amazingly Domitian has become the Emperor there in Rome but there are no distinguishable qualities about his life in a real sense he's only there because of the legacy of his father amazingly now he is the top leader in Rome he is leading the military armies of Rome he is the commander-in-chief of those armies but yet he himself had no formal military training somehow someway he was able to be disqualified when it was time for others to be enlisted in military service not only has he not been qualified to lead the armor from a military perspective but the mission is also interesting because he has utilized religious military and cultural propaganda in order to boost his height to some type of cult personality his nationalistic overtones allowed him to be concerned about ensuring that the borders of Rome were defense properly if you'd allow me to coloca least eight he was concerned with making Rome great again [Applause] anybody who did not believe adhere to the teachings of Domitian in a dictatorial or authoritative type of way he would ensure that they be guilty of treason even in his old age it is interesting that he faced bankruptcy with regularity and only improper business practices allowed him to maintain that position not only was he disqualified and not qualified from a military perspective and no distinguishable traits about him using propaganda that military religious cultural propaganda but he was also insecure the conclusion of his life because he suffered from extreme hair loss that he was the first emperor of Rome to be known for wearing wigs and doing a lot in regard of health care I'm not talking about anybody I'm just talking about the Roman emperor Domitian he believed and following the God of Apollo he did not believe in the God of Abraham Isaac nor Jacob and at the time when he was about disenfranchising and about opressing those who did not share his milieu around that same time does a gentleman by the name of John come on the same ad if Nick thick persuasion of perhaps of a darkened hue but he stands in defiance to the decrees of Domitian as a result he was exiled he was banished Domitian sent immigration officials to get John to let John know he was no longer welcome there in the Greco Roman Empire but in spite of the suffering in spite of the chicane array and the duplicity and the pusillanimous behavior of Domitian John had a faith John as a young man had heard the Caruso of the UN Gili on the preaching of the good news of Jesus Christ and believed that I am because we are and John inevitably was exiled to a now called Patmos spend the rest of his life banished and isolated from family friends and familiar surroundings but yet while there on Patmos minority in the Greco Roman Empire someone whose skin has been helps been kissed by the king of the solar system and in spite of his social economic loss and lack John had something that you could not get from the Greco Roman Empire God spoke to John while on this Isle of Patmos allowed John to go through a process to could he receive and regurgitate and dictate information gave a message of the right to the seven churches of Asia Minor and after proving John through a process proving that John could receive proving that John could ascertain and distribute education is where we penetrate the periphery in the pericope of this particular passage for John says after I was processed John says after I was accused of treason after I was stripped from everything comfortable and for me I want to know that after this that my best days started not prior to the banishment but after the banishment my best days were gained even in the face of an authoritative leader called Domitian and I want to say to the graduating class of 2019 that in a real sense our socio-economic context our social status is similar to that of John for we live in a day of disenfranchisement we live in a day where bigotry and Prejudice we live in a day where it seems that supremacy has come to the forefront and sadly seems that even the systems of our world a political expediency also harmonizing with those of a sick and theological perspective that this world is darkened by this Domitian like spirit that's coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue but I stand today to see hundreds of new John's who are committed to not bowing down to the decrees of this leo Domitian who are determined to hold our heads up I showed us where John says it was after God processed me he says that God gave me something I think that something that's very very powerful because the question has asked what happens after today what happens after tomorrow and I want to give you something gentlemen that I believe bless John that can bless all of our lives but John says after this I want you to know after all the foolishness that all of the troubles of Domitian John says after this number one that was a clear vision he says after this I looked and when I look John says I saw that a door had been opened in heaven I want to say to your brothers that after this after commencement tomorrow that after you've received your degrees please know that all the doors have not closed it's at that moment that the doors have just begun to open for you and the blessing here is that John does not say after this I look and I saw doors as they had begun to open John says when I look I saw doors were already open I want to ease some of your quell some of your fears you may be wondering what's the next chapter gonna hold for me where am I gonna work where am I gonna live how am I gonna pay that these student loans but what I want you to know is this the door is not getting ready to open John says if you just look you will see the doors have already been opened as a matter of fact God is not getting rid of to open doors God has already opened doors as a matter of fact God opens the door before God creates the door and once the door is already open in the heaven is all you have to do is find the trajectory and attraction to get to the door that's already been open you got to have a clear vision a clear vision they reminded me when I came to this College some 31 years ago and was trying to figure out what I would play football or not because I played football was an athlete had college opportunities and I remember about this whole thing about open doors reminded me as a quarterback we'd go back to three five or seven steps drop in order to throw the ball to the wide receivers and as a quarterback we have plays that were called timing plays that's when the wide receiver the tidy and would go out and run around whether be a post with your fly route and the job my job as a quarterback was not to throw the ball to the receiver but rather to throw the ball to a spot if the receivers job on the line of scrimmage was to make sure he knew his particular route he had someone in front of him call on the back or a strong saftey he had to understand his route and shake off whatever was in front of him and just get to the spot and my job was to throw the ball to the spot and if the receiver would shake off the opposition not listen to the stands and get to the spot by the time they turned around and lift the hand the ball has already been thrown i stopped out until every graduate 20:19 that god you're heavily quarterback has already dropped back into the pocket he's passing balls to the spot he's passed the ball of economic opportunities he's passed the ball of entrepreneurialship he's passed the ball of debt liquidation so what do you have to do remove the destruction shake it off and get to the spot and when you get to your spot lift up the hands and their blessing will already be waiting for you it's called a clear vision a Becca said right division and make it plain God has not given you all of what you receive just to rest on your laurels but to get a clear vision of how we can make our world a better place John says after this there was a clear vision but after this John says there also was a customized vehicle he says in verse 2 after this I looked and behold a door was open in heaven and verse 2 John says and immediately I was in the spirit ironically the same spirit met John in the first chapter the same spirit that met him when they got to Patmos the same spirit that has met him here while he's facing exile and banishment John says immediately I was saying not my resume immediately I was in not quantum physics not in my algebraic formals or geometric equations I was in not astrology not in Ekta econ I was not in visit administration or philosophy or political science he said I was in the spirit the idea is that you and I can't get through open doors or won't be able to sustain after this moment if you forget the power of the Spirit that has brought you to this place and point in life I recognize now that many of you have been here for years some of you five years like I was when I set where you're sitting now and because you've read so many books you've learned so much that somehow if you're not careful you can begin to believe that it's not about faith and it's not about God for some of you you've reduced God to some abstract metaphysical ambiguity some figment of a gullible imagination but let me tell you here if ever you begin to have a crisis of faith about the Spirit please sign grandmama please find grandpa and let them tell you about how they had to scrub floors for your fathers and mothers to have an opportunity to get higher education they didn't get here by night didn't get here by education they got here by the Spirit of God that same spirit that brought you to Morehouse that same spirit that's kept you through all of the distractions the beautiful things at Spelman the wonderful things at Clark that same spirit that's maintained you open to this part will be the same spirit that will guide you into a higher dimension in life make sure you have a customized vehicle that whatever I do I'm traveling by the Spirit of God I'm here to tell you the Spirit of God will keep you the power of God will sustain you God's hand on your life I don't care what you call him I allowed the most time make sure you take God with you a man went on a business trip and got on the business trip he took his clothes out of his luggage set up the ironing board him again to iron his shirt getting ready for a business meeting and as fate would have it as he was ironing his shirt brothers and sisters the shirt and the man began to have a conversation as that man was ironing that shirt that shirt looked at demand the shirt said to the man man are you trying to burn me man kept hiding this shirt said no shirt I'm not trying to burn you shirt you have some wrinkles on you and I you don't look your best like this so I'm applying heat because I'm trying to make you better the shirt said back to the man with man how do you know you're not going to burn me that doggone iron is hot man said to the shirt shirt please know that I bought you shirt you've been bought with the price and I won't harm anything that I purchase with a price and the shirt look back at the man and say well how do you know that it's not going to put a hole in me that he is too much the heat of more hostile struggles are too much and the man said back to the was shirt before I began to iron you I look at your tag I look at your label and I saw that you were a cotton shirt so I preset the iron for cotton temperature because I wouldn't put a linen temperature on a cotton shirt I know just how much you can ban I'm giving you a way of escape every graduating of 29th changes thank God that the pipe guard has kept here and didn't put in then you could hinder and when you couldn't handle it God got on the list alone with you whatever you do after this after this make sure you have a clear vision after this you need a customized vehicle travel about the spirit by the power of God but then after this finally not only you need a clear vision not only do you need a customized vehicle the spirit but third we need characteristics of victory John says as a young man as an older man I was able to overthrow everything that Domitian tried to put on me I went to a higher level I walked through different doors I saw something I'd never seen before although I was on Patmos I saw paradise I saw the abode of Christ and the deceits I saw something that I'd never seen before he says not so for creatures they're the first one he says in verse 7 the second had a face of a man the third was like an ox and the fourth was like a flying eagle there are some inconclusive in regarding what these creatures actually represent some say they represent Matthew Luke and John but they represent some other characteristics the lion here in that seventh verse of Revelation for it's not a demonic beast as a divine beast not a satanic beast of sovereign beast and that lion there represents courage that says after this after commencement after Becca Lord you're gonna need courage I want you know that it's the courage of our ancestors that has brought us it was courage to allow Marcus governor pan that pin that pan-african vision it was courage to develop the University of Timbuktu in the city of Sun Corey was courage that allowed Martin King and Vernon Johns and Santa Lou Hamer and Ella bacon the courage of my insistence that a stood and defied what has happened in terms of injustice that same College now must be ours there must be a return to the courage of dr. King who'd write the letter from the Birmingham jail there must be a courage because I want you know that we not yet overcome I won't you know that sing that a mirror has been held to the face of American America's more fragmented that it's been and it's in its history and now political expedience is a lot bigger torture rise like we've not seen it since the days of the civil rights movement it's going to take courage to stand it's going to take courage to go and be politically active it's gonna take courage to go back to our communities and realize that integration won't be our answer we can't depend on the government to save our people but we're gonna stand and pull ourselves up with the help of God by own bootstraps it's going to take courage that's also going to take patience I want you to know because we've rested on our laurels that we've allowed things to turn around patience will be our reality this world won't turn around tomorrow the same patience as you've exhibited it's going to take patience to turn this world around we're also gonna need intelligence intelligence says it makes no sense to call yourself pro-life putting in policies to demand that a woman's body should be run by men in the name of pro-life but have said nothing about the lives of babies locked up in cages on our southern borders it's gonna take some intelligence it's gonna take some intelligence to realize staying home and 2020 is not going to bring us dance is gonna take some intelligence realize that we're gonna have to do more than what we've done it's gonna take some intelligent realize that we still have to be cynically and socially activists it's gonna take some courage after this is gonna take some patience it's gonna take some intelligence but then John says and the fourth one's like a flying eagle and the Eagle here represents stress well you know after this is going to take some strength I want you know that what you're gonna need men as you walk into a new testament station is more strength the strength of an eagle the eagle is unlike any other bird for when other birds get the message that the wintry blast of winter are approaching or the birds form of family reunion in the distant horizon and then migrate to the southern sun but the Eagle is distinct for the Eagle being our meteorologist by instinct when he or she becomes aware of because of the climatic conditions of the clouds that the storm is approaching the Eagle don't run south to Jamaica listening to the me goals but the ego takes his strong eagle-eye looks directly into the eye of a storm I never shall forget Dame card when I set hidden freshman orientation and you said on that Thursday afternoon look to your left look to your right one of you is not going to be here in the next four or five years I look to my left and I asked the gentleness to the next to me what his GPA was he told me his was 4.0 I looked to my right and asked to tell my next to me what you're a CT SAT score he told me what he is was 300 points higher than mine I looked at myself and realized I'd made it here on academic probation I picked up my phone and call my mom said you might was coming get me down cuz it's Dean Carter said well you're not gonna be here they left to write more quantified than I but I'm so glad I didn't out of my insecurities I didn't allow my insufficiency I did allow the stuff I played around with in high school to deter me but I had a strength of a praying grandmother matter of fact I'm so glad somebody prayed for me had me on their mind took the time and prayed for me I'm so glad Bible says I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread as I said God would you keep me he said why won't you look directly into the eye of the storm sign up for math and the assignment is somebody by the name of dr. door some of you will remember doctor go thank God you don't know doctor I said listen mama come and get me out I can't help us take me to the military she said no no no no no people have suffered and died and bled so you have a right to have an opportunity and can I tell you what I did like some of you did I held my head up with the sleep in class struggled and strained and all I could to do the best I could to not be a disappointment to my family to be like that Eagle to look directly into the heart of academic endeavor the academic achievement I began to experience storms of add/drop period storms of low midterm grades but I said I'm not gonna go home I'm gonna flap my wings and ride directly into the eye of the storm and just when it seemed like the storm was gonna get me just when they see what the storm was gonna get some of you you didn't quit but you watch let the Eagle and you above the storm class of 2019 I'm here to tell you that you might learn to some storms in your next dimension but swap your wings and remember that you did it in your house and remember the words of Isaiah has thou not known as I'll not have heard that the everlasting God the creator of the ends of the earth fitted not night is he where there's no searching of his understanding for give the power to the faint of the mare that might increase of their strength for even though you shall faint and be weary and the young man sometimes shall utter before I say but [Applause] the Lord shall renew that's rare [Applause] shake somebody's hands they keep all waiting on in keep all waiting on him keep all waiting on him and be not dismayed whatever magic [Applause] you

Channel: Morehouse College

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Length: 28min 55sec (1735 seconds)

Published: Mon May 20 2019