Rev. Terry K. Anderson - He's Still Working On Me (Powerful Message)

now we've come all the way from the other side of town to share with you tonight and there are some Lily Grove people in here tonight other than our magnificent choir and uh ultimate ushers who are here tonight there are some other members of Lily Grove who are here would you raise your hand so I can see who you are amen amen amen thank you so much for being here thank you for your presence I want these people at the church that without walls to know that if you don't start nothing it won't be nothing everybody not saved at Lily Grove so you all better try to hush your mouth that's a word I want to lift in your hearing found in Philippians at chapter number one in verse number six Philippians chapter 1. in verse 6. do I look pretty on this thing over here I just wanna I wanna know if my hair laying down from the Modern English translation I am confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will perfect it will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ thank you you may have your seats the grass withers and the flower fades for the word of our God shall stand forever I want to thank my television members for watching at six o'clock in the morning you don't have time to watch your service you you have to watch you have to watch me preach and then get ready to go to church here at the church without wall so you miss your pastors preaching it at 6 30. so thank you for tuning in to the real preaching on Sunday morning I really I really want you to know I appreciate that I want to call this remember the night he's still working on me he's still working on me I wonder how many of us tonight will honestly admit that we are a work in progress I'm I'm not all that I ought to be but I thank God I'm not what I used to be he's still working on me Paul greets these Philippian Believers with a prayer of of Thanksgiving he is thankful upon the slightest remembrance of them these people who had proven to be a very special blessing to Paul in his ministry in the gospel Paul takes the time to to tell them how much he appreciates their friendship he appreciates how they have ministered to him they sent an offering to him they have met his needs and so he writes them a thank youed note and sends it by his emissary epaphroditus to tell them how much he appreciates having them in his life brothers and sisters tonight it's important to let people know when they've been a blessing to you you ought not wait you ought not let a moment pass you ought not let a day go by if there's somebody who has shown you a kindness if they're somebody who has meant much in your spiritual maturation if there's been somebody who's given you a helping hand who's done something for you that they didn't have to do somebody who has gone out of their way to be kind to you you ought to say thank you to them while they can hear it [Applause] I remember when Hurricane Katrina struck some people from New Orleans came to live in my house Reverend Freddie Dunn who's going to be with the Lord his La his wife sister Ruth Dunn and two of her daughters and uh Miss Precious clock and two of her daughters Six Women came to live in my home and they stayed with me and Mrs Dunn when they were getting ready to leave they stayed from September almost to the end of October and when they were getting ready to leave Mrs Dunn called me in the den where she was and put both our hands on my shoulder and she said Terry look at me in my eyes she said everything that I own in this world is 10 feet underwater my mink coats my my purses my shoes my clothes everything I have is 10 feet underwater she said we called and asked could we come over here and stay with you until we could get back to New Orleans and without hesitation you let us come to live in your home she said everything I have is gone she said you and your sister Gwen we didn't have clothes to wear we didn't have food we couldn't even get money out of the bank because all of the banks in New Orleans were closed and all of our records were underwater you fed us and you brought bought clothes for us she said I'm probably going to get to heaven before you she said I'm going to see my husband I'm gonna see your mother and father but more than that I'm going to see Jesus and I'm gonna tell him how you treated me I was naked and you clothed me I was outdoors and you took me in I was hungry and you fed me and it wasn't many days after that after she left her sister Dunn went to be with the Lord but she expressed to me how much she appreciated what I had done for her and when I go home to Louisiana where I'm from I visit mostly Graves now because just about all my people are gone but I walk around those graves in the cemetery and verbally say thank you to those old people who meant much in my growing up years because I can scarcely think of where or who I would be right now if somebody had not gone out of their way to be kind to me Paul takes the time to write this letter to them he says every time I think about it every time you run across my mind every time I remember you I give you thanks I give God thanks for you for for your labor for how you work with me in the gospel Ministry and then Paul encourages them in verse number six he says I am confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will perfect it will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ I want you to look with me brothers and sisters walk with me around the text and I want you to look with me first of all at the confidence that belongs to the Saints the confidence that belongs to the Saints Paul uses a strong word to describe the hope that he has in Jesus Christ the verb confident is in the perfect tense and it actually refers to a subtle persuasion of mine that was the continuing zolt a result of a crisis in the past that God has made future and given you hope in the present Paul is saying to these Believers he's exalting the fact that the Saints can have an absolute assurance that they are saved without a doubt he wishes to emphasize brothers and sisters that his certainty is grounded on God's creative and God's sustaining activity the Bible literally overflows with verses that tell the believer that we can know for sure that we are saved tonight I'm confident I'm not diffident I'm not equivocating I'm not nervous I'm not unsure I am confident that he who has begun a good work will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ I'm not guessing about my salvation I know that if I don't wake up in the morning when I open my eyes I'm going to see Jesus Christ I know that there is a poem waiting for me on the other side I know that I'm confident I am assured and I don't have any doubt that I'm saved and I need to say to somebody in here tonight people ought to guess how old you are [Music] people ought to guess how much you weigh but they ought not have to guess if you've been born again you ought to be confident you're not looking at nobody you don't care what anybody says after church is over if God has been good to you if God has opened the door for you if God has made a way for you if God has written your name in the Lamb's Book of Life whatever it takes to express how glad you are that you know that you're saved don't care who you're sitting by I don't care what they think if God has saved you be confident that he who has begun a good one will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ if you've traveled on our side of town um on 288 right around Blodgett and sophomore if you're using your cell phone if you're on 288 at blockchain and sophomore there's a dead spot in that area and uh if you're talking on the phone or got your Bluetooth in your your call will drop because there's a dead spot right there on 288 at at Blodgett and sophomore uh tonight in The Church Without Walls it may be a dead spot where you're sitting you saved sanctified filled with the Holy Ghost and somebody next to you might say it don't take all of that you don't have to do all of that you don't have to make all that noise the man ain't said nothing yet and you hollering and screaming he haven't gotten to the end yet and you making all that noise you might be in a dead spot right in this church tonight but you have my permission in the middle of this message to get up from where you seated get away from them dead people and find somebody who is confident sure without a doubt that he who has begun a good work will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ [Applause] the Bible is running over with verses to give us confidence first John chapter 5 and verse 1. says whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God first John 5 and 13 says these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that ye may know that you have eternal life second Corinthians 5 and 17 says therefore If any man be in Christ he's a new creature All Things Are passing away and behold all things are become new Romans chapter 5 and verse number one says therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Romans chapter 8 and verse number one says there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit I will let nothing separate me from the love of God for we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and to those who are recalled according to his purpose I am confident that he who has begun a good word will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ the brothers and sisters it is not my grip on God but it is God's grip on me that makes the difference in my salvation I am not confident in my goodness I am not confident in my character I am not confident in my history I am not confident in my ability to persevere but I am confident in God one of my favorite hymns is Blessed assurance Jesus Is Mine oh what a foretist of Glory divine I'm an heir of salvation I'm purchased by God born of his spirit and washed in his blood perfect submission all is at rest happy and blessed I'm watching and waiting looking above filled with his goodness lost in his love this is my story this is my song I'm praising my savior all the day long I am confident that he who has begun a good work will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ I'm not nervous about it I'm not iffy about it I don't always look saved I don't always act saved I don't always sound saved I don't always feel saved but thank God my salvation is not based on how I sound how I feel how I look my salvation is based on the fact that Christ died to set me free [Applause] I'm I'm trying to get through with this so I can go fellowship with with my young friend Ralph um but let me make you blush here at The Church Without Walls like the blush that Lily Grove I ever commit ment I enjoy [Applause] come on help me brother because it doesn't make sense to sin if you're not going to enjoy [Applause] I started preaching at 18. pastoring at 20. I never had a young adult life so I had to do all my sinning in church somebody ought to help me preach here I had to do all my sinning in church I never been to clubs I never smoked dope I've never been drunk I've never liked to be out of control of my environment and so I've always been in control of myself so I never got a chance to do a whole lot of young adult things and I envy that I wish I would have had an opportunity to do that but but I've been a preacher just about all of my life longer than I haven't been I've been a preacher I've been a pastor longer than I haven't been and every sin I committed in church I enjoy now just like I enjoyed myself in my sin I enjoy myself in my salvation and I am not about to let you or anybody else dictate to me how I ought to thank God for my salvation I wish I had one or two more Believers here if you don't like the noise I'm making go sit somewhere else if me waving my hand is getting on your nerves find you a dead spot to sit in but I've come here tonight on purpose to tell God thank you for saving me thank you for setting me free thank you for writing my name in the Lamb's Book of Life thank you for going to the Cross dying in my he took my place and I came here tonight on purpose to give God my best Hallelujah my best thank you Jesus my best praise the Lord I am confident [Applause] that he who has begun a good word [Applause] will complete it will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ that's the confidence of the Saints but the confidence of the Saints brothers and sisters is based on the commitment of the savior is right here in the text I'm confident of this very thing that he Jesus who has begun a good working man we all know what God did for us the day he saved us but what we fail what we failed brothers and sisters to consider the fact that our salvation began long before we realized as much as I shot over the fact of Christ going to the cross and dying in my place at a spatial temporal time and relationship in the universe as much as I celebrate what he did on the cross I celebrate even more that he did it before I even knew it he saved me before I knew I needed to be saved [Applause] let me see if I can help us with that Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse 3 says I have loved you with an everlasting love he chose us in Christ and prepared a savior for us before the world was even framed listen the very faith we needed to trust in him he provided Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 says for by grace come on help me quote it here are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works less any man should boast s our good works have not resulted in Salvation but rather our good works come from salvation you cannot work your way to heaven you can never be good enough because when will you know when you're good enough you can't sing enough you can't pray enough you can't preach enough salvation is all Grace is the gift of God lest any man should boost our good works don't don't don't don't don't don't save us but we work because we have been saved uh brothers and sisters the same God who began this good work is able to perform it he will bring it to an end this God of ours is able to complete it he's able to accomplish it and if we trust him he will keep us until the day of redemption he's faithful to his promises and he's faithful to his purposes FB Meyer says we are sure that the work which his grace has begun the arm of his strength will complete let me run that by you one more time FB Meyer says we are sure that the work which is Grace has begun the arm of his strength will complete the Holy Spirit never loses sight of the end of his work his work will not end until he has made us just like Jesus he will continue working on us until he has made us presentable enough to pass with praise through the final test of judgment and fit to walk into the presence of God and stand by Jesus whom God sent to save us so that when we walk with Jesus in heaven the Angels won't be able to tell the difference [Applause] ah brothers and sisters Jude says it like this now unto him who is [Music] he to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding great joy you're here tonight not because you've been dieting and exercising [Applause] you're here tonight not because you've been going to the doctor and following your prescription you're here tonight not because you read the Bible and you've kept the Lord's commandments so closely Jesus Christ through his holy spirit is just able to keep us and to present us faultless even in our sinful flesh now let me help somebody tonight am I Born Again soul will never die nor ever sin but I sin in my flesh every day talk back to me if you can uh do you do you hear who are so holy that that you answer your phone praise the Lord and and you two blessed to be stressed and you blessed and highly favored and come on talk back to me if you can you you know some people like that you you hate to talk to them because they're so Ultra spiritual that if they take their coat off or their dress you can see their wings because they they are so pure and so Chase but there are some of us in here about three or four hundred of us in here who don't mind testifying that some days I get up on the wrong side of the bed sometimes I'm just full of hell I don't want to talk I don't want to speak I don't want to do right I know what the right is I don't want to do what the Bible says I don't want to live right but then the Holy Spirit constrains us and brings us back to our senses because in our flesh we sin but thank God his Spirit keeps us that when we get to church he revives our soul again I I can't testify for you I can only be a witness for myself that I need the Lord every day [Applause] I need him to keep my mind keep my heart I wish I had two or three Witnesses here I I want the Lord to keep on working on me and I want you Christians here to be patient with me God ain't through with me yet be patient with you listen whenever you see a person fall don't judge him because you don't know how long he tried to stand and maybe had you been walking in his shoes you might have fallen a long time before somebody gonna help me preach it every time you point the finger at somebody the scripture says Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault ye who are spiritual restore him in the spirit of meekness considering yourself lest you be overtaken in the same fault my salvation ain't based on what I do it's based on what's already been done for me Christ did it for me Christ died for me and his commitment to me keeps me saved [Applause] that's the confidence that the saint has based on the commitment of the savior finally broadened by the comfort given to us in the scriptures our brothers and sisters hear me there is comfort in knowing that this Earthly life will not last forever there is coming a day when the saints of God will leave this world with all of its pitfalls all of its hardships all of his sorrows all of this will be over after a while you hear who over 50. can help me and Ralph to testify I remember when our hair was black [Applause] when we were slender and good looking before y'all wore all the pretty off of us When We Were Young and and vibrant full of life and energy but now Ralph and I and many of you in here tonight Are Over 50. and you can help me testify that when you get over 50 when you wake up in the morning you sound like a bowl of rice krispies snap Crackle and pop [Applause] if it ain't your shoulder is your knee if it's not your knee it's your elbow [Applause] somebody ought to help me talk it you get out of the bed and stand up on your feet and your feet hurting and you ain't walked on them all night I need somebody over 50 to help me shout here you're looking for your car keys and in your hand you're looking for your eyeglasses and you got them on you go in the room and say what in the blank that I just go in here for somebody ought to help me talking um because there's a leak in this building somebody gonna help me close here in a minute and sooner or later my soul has got to move I wish I had one or two witnesses here I get tired of ugly words from people at the church Come on talk back to me some of the most hurtful things that have ever been said about you and I have been said by people who go to church some of the meanest people in Houston Belong To The Church Without Walls some of the nastiest people in Texas sing in the choir at Lily Grove some of the ugliest acting people in the world go to church every Sunday morning if there was such a thing as a bus loading up to go to hell it could pick up his first load at the church I get tired of folk lying on me I get tired of folk criticizing me I'm doing the best I can and they don't appreciate it somebody'll help me talk here I'm giving God my best sermon and they say he could have done better than that you sing your best song and they said that was too loud you could have toned it down you come to church and just try to give God glory you've had hell all the week long hell in your family mess on your job a no good supervisor a silly child a crazy husband or wife don't you get tired of that [Applause] yeah sickness stress heart attacks struggles strain don't you get sick of that [Applause] medicine IVs shots doctor's appointments funeral homes graveyards I'm getting tired of that young man Pastor talked about a moment ago shocked by some fool here in Houston for no good reason I saw on the news this morning too young babies burn one of them was burned left in the house by mother and a father another child was beaten to death two years old I'm tired of that I'm sick of women being raped and and young children being sexually assaulted I'm sick of blacks being beaten up and shot by the policeman I'm tired of white folks walking all over us and Negroes walking all over us somebody ought to help me talk here because sometimes the problem ain't coming from the outside the problem is in our own house I'm tired of that I'm sick of the world and the mess that it's become but one of these days I am confident that he who has begun a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ I'm going to my seat now but that day of Jesus Christ is not talking about judgment because my judgment was handled at Calvary I need somebody to help me close right here when I stand before God brothers and sisters I'm going to be confident not in my history not in my goodness but confident that what Jesus did once and for all will take me before the father without a spot or blemish I need somebody to help me close right here I know that one day when I stand before God it won't be because of the sins that I committed because he nailed my sins to the cross the handwritten ordinances Colossians says that were against me he nailed them to the cross and the hammer he used doesn't have a claw on the end of it so that you can take those sins off the cross because he will never judge me again for sin because that would be double jeopardy in the court of law you can't be tried twice for the same crime that's double jeopardy when I stand before God is not going to be about my sins because Jesus paid for my sins on the cross but when I stand before God it's going to be to get my reward because I born my burden In the Heat of the Dead I've worked in the church all of my life I've given God my best service I've tried to live a Christian life I've tried to be a Godly preacher and pastor I've made some mistakes I've done some things right and I've done some things wrong but I still thank God that he called me I still thank God that he saved me I still thank God that every Sunday he's pleased to use me I'm not all that I ought to be and I'm not yet what I'm going to be but I thank God I'm not what I used to be some of you who was raised in the church I need somebody who was raised in the church who remember when those old deacons would get on their knees and we would go home and pray just like we heard them praying because they would pray the same prayer every morning I wish I had somebody who was raised in the church who can help me close right here they said my Lord here I am knee bent and body bound with my face bowed to the mother's dust and my heart lifted to the throne of grace thank you that the bed I laid in was not my cooling Bowl I wish I had somebody raised in the church and the kivers that I laid in was not my wind and sheet thank you for a reasonable portion of my health and stress thank you that when I woke up this morning you touch me with a finger of love and my eyes spring wide open and I beheld a brand new day a day that I'd never seen before and a day that I'll never see again and we used to laugh at those prayers and we used to go home and mock them for those prayers but now that some of us are over 50. we get down on our knees and say now Lord I want to thank you that the bed I laid in was not my cooling Bowl I want to thank you for a reasonable portion of my health and strength is there anybody here no trouble don't last always it's a mess in this world right now but I'm going home to be with the Lord that's troubled all over Houston right now but that's a bright side somewhere there's Strife in your family that's hurt in your relationships but after a while it's all going to be over the scripture gives us the assurance that we know that when this Earthly House of this Tabernacle is dissolved we have another building a house not made with hands but Eternal in the heavens you're gonna help me close this won't you let not your hearts be troubled if you believe in God leave also in Me In My Father's House of many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go I'll come again and receive you unto myself you're gonna help me close this won't you soon I will be done with the Troubles of this world I'm going home to live with God is there anybody here confident tonight that he who began a good work will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ is there anybody here know that your name is in the Lamb's Book of Life if the Lord's been good to you and you don't mind testifying if God has opened the door for you and you don't care who's looking at you if God has made a way for you and you're not embarrassed to testify why don't you grab somebody why don't you shake somebody's hands tell them I know I know and whom I believe and he's able to keep that come on tell somebody else he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him you're gonna help me talk about him won't you call his name too much but let me call his name before I take my seat right now I haven't said his name too much but I feel like calling his name right now Y'all Gonna help me call his name feel like calling his name he's Adam's Redeemer He's Able Vindicator he's Abraham's sacrifice he's Noah's Ark Moses Bush on fire I know him don't you Joshua's battle ax he's Gideon's fleece he's Samson's power David's music he's Solomon's wisdom y'all know him don't you he's God's only son his marriage baby boy he's James and Jude's older brother he's Matthew's King mock suffering servant Luke's great physician John's word made flesh acts coming of the Holy Ghost the only begotten of the father y'all know him don't you he's a rock and a weary land he's a shelter in a time of stone he's a friend when you're friendly bad when you're hungry but when you're fasting why don't you grab somebody your neighbor tell him I know him for myself I know it I know him I know him [Music] know he's all right [Music] [Applause] excuse me trust Without Walls I gotta tell you my testimony one more time the doctor said I'd be dead in two hours that was three years ago and he said if I live I'd have to go in a nursing home but here I am tonight clothes and in my right mind with a reasonable portion of my health and strength and if you don't mind help me tell God thank you come on tell him thank you man thank you for all you've done for me thank you for the many ways you've been thank you for the many doors you open thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you I know he's all right [Music]

Channel: The Theology Network

Views: 121,277

Keywords: rev Terry k anderson, Lilly grove baptist church, dr marcus cosby, wheeler ave baptist church, Freddy haynes, Marcus cosby, Frederick Haynes III, Reginald sharpe, fellowship chicago, dewey smith, cogic praise break, Charles jenkins, jamal bryant, newbirth cathedral, td jakes, potters house dallas, dorinda clark cole, gardner c taylor, Jeremiah wright, Samuel dewitt proctor, new birth cathdral, theology, James cone, howard john wesley, frank e ray, church without walls

Id: GgMQ0Qc8CBE

Length: 43min 22sec (2602 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 12 2023