Rev. Terry K. Anderson - The Ministry Of A Thorn

there's a word I want to lift in your hearing tonight found in second Corinthians chapter number 12 second Corinthians at chapter 12 [Music] verses seven through verse number ten unless I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations that was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffett me lest I should be exalted above measure for this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me and he said unto me my grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I'll take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christ's sake for when I am weak then am i strong thank you you may have your seats the grass withers and the flower feeds but the word of our God shall stand forever I want to talk to us tonight about the ministry of the thorn the ministry of the thorn those of us who preach the gospel I've got always watch the devil because if you don't watch Satan he will urge you to preach a gospel that is reasonable but not powerful a gospel that's exciting but it has no authority a gospel that flatters but does not confront a gospel that does not turn people upside down so he can't turn them right side up aw Tozer one of my favorite Christian offers aw Tozer says it is doubtful that God will use you greatly until he has first hurt you deeply it is doubtful that God will use you greatly until he has first hurt you deeply dr. Billy Graham says if you're gonna be a child of God you're gonna have to be on speaking terms with trials and tribulation dr. Lewis Patterson to leave dr. Lewis Patterson said if God would use you pain and trouble we'll know your address jesus said in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world the word tonight in second Corinthians written by the saged and venerable Apostle Paul was a Jew by birth and a Roman by citizenship Paul was a tick maker by trade and a lawyer by profession he was a Pharisee by religious training spoke 13 languages seven of them fluently Hebrew of the Hebrews of the tribe of Benjamin circumcised on the eighth day studied systematic theology in the land of Arabia and metaphysical dynamics at the feet of Gamaliel yet Paul says that was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of sadhana to buffett me lest I should be exalted above measure Paul with all of his credentials with all of his worldly acclaim the labels of the Empire on his luggage he's been preaching in Thessalonica and Berea he's preached the gospel in Corinth and on Mars Hill to the Areopagus on Mars Hill Paul has been everywhere preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and and now he's coming to the end of his life and God has afflicted him with a thorn the messenger of Satan - Buffett me lest I should be exalted above measure that's that's how verse 7 opens and that is also how verse 7 closes lest I should be exalted above mansion that's how the phrase opens but it also closes with less I should be exalted above measure unless I think too highly of myself unless I stop thinking that I'm more than I really am God has to keep my feet on the ground God has to keep me rooted and grounded lest I should be exalted above measure because if I start glorying in myself God can't get the glory and no fish can glory in his presence he is the fountain from which all else flows he is the root out of which all else grows and no flesh can glory in his presence every now and then God has to remind us but I don't care how smart you are I don't care how much you think you know I'm gonna care where you've been how much money you have how how well-stocked your deep freezers how many square feet in your house doesn't make any difference to me you are no match for God everything you have every good gift every perfect gift comes from above from the Father of lights in whom there is no shadow of turning and when God blesses us I probably like the children of Israel as we forget who it was that brought us I don't wanna stay there too long but I need to say something us who are african-american in heritage I need to tell us black folk something here tonight you quit quit run into these white churches trying to be like other people when God has kept us when we were nobody everywhere else it was the black church and the black preacher that has made us who we are and now that God has blessed us and God has put us on our feet some of us Eve the black church because we want to go to another level you know that's what a oh say I'm going to to another level I'm going to another level I wish you had gone to another level before we paid your rent I wish you had gone to another level before we help you get out of school after all the church has done for you and all God has made of us we forget who we are I wish I wish you could have known my elders down in Louisiana where I was born I can still see them right now in my mind's eye I can still see mr. Eugene science and Miss Mary Dixon Miss Julie addiction and mr. Isaac Guillory I can still see those old people in my in my eye in my mind they they were demeaned and degraded epithets of condescension hurled at them as if it were ordinary language they were called and gal uncle and boy they had to get off the sidewalk with white people pass by they were cooks and domestics gardeners and chauffeurs they were nothing all the week long every back door every drinking fountain every Police Authority every act of legislation said to them you do not matter there was nobody all the week long Monday through Saturday they were called out of there mean then push the side and meet the field less then and you will never make it but on Sunday morning a strange dignity caught them and a sense of grandeur overwhelmed them and they sang over my head I hear music in the air that must be a god somewhere and here we are with two cars in the garage and opportunity that we've never had before God's been good to us God has opened doors for us God has made a way out of no way and we sit in God's house and I write we don't know who it was that brought it but they ought to be somebody in here tonight I said there ought to be somebody in here tonight who can help me testify that if it had not been for the Lord who was on my side if God had not made a way if God had not kept me my steps were almost gone my feet had will not slip when I saw how the wicked prospered and the righteous suffer then when I went in the sanctuary God showed me my end Paul said lest I should be exalted above measure that was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffett me to beat me to hack me lest I should be exalted above measure nothing to me that let me hurry and try to get through this new sermon I want you to look with me first of all about the pain of this phone the pain of this phone it's not a sticker on a rosebush it's a phone the literal meaning of the word phone in the text it's a wooden stake it's a it's a piece of wood it's a longshot wooden stake driven into the side it hurts it's it's painful and and the Bible does not tell us what the phone is which makes me to know that whatever it is that is writing you is keeping you close to God [Applause] because without it you couldn't be all God wants you to be somebody'll help me preach it or not the reason you in church tonight is because you got thorn in your flesh the reason you praise God with so much enthusiasm is because you've got a thorn in your flesh the reason why you still go to church at all is because God knows how to keep you close to himself with a thorn in the flesh something bothering you something crooked in you something broken in you it's something hurting in you God moved it you quit pretty I wish I had somebody to help me if God took it away you'd stop singing in the choir if God moved that you wouldn't give him the glory but the reason why you're so close to God is you can't make it unless his grace it's sufficient it's painful it's painful it's a child on drugs there's a child that's that's gone it's a husband who's walked out it's a job that won't give you any peace it's a chronic illness that you take medicine and go to the doctor and and pray about it but but God hasn't moved it because listen to me beloved faith in God is not getting what you want it's accepting what God gives and I say that one more time faith in God is not getting what you want it's accepting what God gives and sometimes what God gives is pain suffering trials difficulties buffetings on a daily basis paul says daily I'm dying daily that's the suffering daily that's this buffeting does this striking me with a thorn in the flesh his pain paying is the megaphone that God uses to get the attention of an unlisted generation P must must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease why let us fought to win the prize and sail through bloody sea sickness trouble situation circumstances it's a it's a constant chronic thorn in my flesh it's the messenger of Satan when my brothers and sisters hear me Satan brought it but God City [Applause] somehow to help me preach Italy Satan brought it but God's idiot no don't don't give Satan glory for what God is up to in your life don't blame everything on the devil the Lord uses the devil to bring it but God's City and the reason God set the pain of the song is because there's a purpose in the form the purpose in the form the pain of the fall is brought by Satan sent by God and that is a platypus in that bee and the purpose in the pain Paul says the purpose of my song is less I should be exalted above measure because God can't use you when you exalted above measure God can't get glory out of your life if you doing the singing if you doing the preaching if you're doing the teaching if if you're doing the leading God can't get glory if your name has Top Billing I wish I had somebody to help me here whenever you come to God's house check your ego at the door [Applause] leave your self-esteem in the car leave your suppose importance that's your house cuz nobody is worthy of praise but God himself [Applause] [Music] of the purpose of the thorn it has really two purposes one is to regulate your flesh regularly your flesh because in your flesh you really think you ordered a Shakespeare missus is up right here because Shakespeare says what a piece of work is man how noble in reason how infinite in faculty in form and movement how Express how admirable in apprehension how like an angel and faculty how like a god you really think you more than you really are David said what is man that you're so mindful of him man the Son of man that you would even visit him you made him a little lower than the Angels and you've crowned him with glory and honor and we have a tendency to think that we are more than we really are we spend so much time dressing ourselves and we don't we don't we don't we don't have a pass by a mirror without looking at it because we can swear by none other than ourselves we really we really think we got it going on and all it takes is 24 hours and the full coy at the top can come to the bottom that that that healthy good look of yours can be gone in just a minute I wish I had one or two more witnesses in I was in the I was in the restaurant and this young lady was serving me and she kept looking at me and I kept looking at her fine good-looking young lady fine good-looking tractive young woman she kept looking at me and I kept looking at her she kept on sweet and giving me some old stuff for my team my team was already the way I wanted it but she kept on bringing pour and more tea I listened kept on letting her pour more tea fine good-looking young woman she finally said you're so handsome you your goatee is so distinguished your glasses you look like Denzel Washington and my chest stuck out I got a hole beside myself she's fine good-looking young woman and then the Holy Spirit spoke to me and next time she came to pull some booty I'll say baby let's let's let's shut this corn right down to the car I'm on full blood-pressure medication and you are not about to put me in the hospital [Applause] because it's easy for you to glory in your flesh and start thinking you more than you really are until God says Negro put your feet back on the ground and ain't nothing you can do with this young girl somebody ought to help me preach here tonight you old me and stop talking about it some snow on the roof with some fire and the friend no it ain't Viagra notwithstanding you ain't doing nothing but giving that girl your money on the first and the third you older women in this church quit acting like you and your third is when you in your seventies thank God that was a time when your dress swung from side to side but now it's going from back to front thank God you still alive thank God you can still come to church and worship and praise God don't glory in your flesh because God knows how to put you back in your place when you read the Bible when you read the Bible Nebuchadnezzar started thinking he was more than he really was and he lifted up his throne above the throne of God and he walked out on the ceiling of his palace and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon which was the one of the seven wonders of the world there Burkett necessay all great Babel talked about how great he was and and he talked about himself like he was a god and the scripture says in the same hour he grew feathers like a bird he grew talons like an eagle and he ate grass like cattle and it was not until he raised his head and realized who God was that his reasoning returned whenever you think you are more than the one who called you you are insane whenever you think that God can't get along without you something is wrong with your mind I wish I had a witness him stop thinking that if you don't sing it won't get sung God has somebody warming up right now getting ready to take your place regularly your flesh but then the second purpose of the forum is to rejuvenate your face but sometimes we get a week in the face sometimes we get weak in the face you do the best you can and your good is evil spoken of you go out of your way to help people do the best you can to be nice to people and for some reason unbeknownst to you they just quit speaking to you you help them you've given them your money and they find a reason to get mad with you not to pay your back and they really think that they're getting over on you but but don't get discouraged they're not getting over on you they're making room for God to bless you with some money because if you be not weary in well-doing I wish I had a Bible reader in due season you reap if you faint not they may think they're taking advantage of you but God will make it up God will open the door that was closed in your face God will make a way out of no way God will make your enemies your footstool he'll fight your battle just hold your peace rejuvenate your face he's shopping on my Creek murders and I paid a pretty good little bit of money for those don't cut my Creek Meadows down he said Rev and I have to is it that time of year I said what you mean is that time of year he said I have to I have to cut them because if I don't they'll become top-heavy he said it's that time of year it's that season for them to be pruned because if I don't prune them they'll become top-heavy and what God may be up to in your life is a pruning because if God doesn't prune you if he doesn't touch it you'll become top-heavy I wish I had somebody to help me here if God doesn't send a thorn you start acting like you more than you really are if God does not sin the pain if God does not and bruise and chop you you might think you're more than you really are jesus said I am The True Vine and my father is the husband man every branch that's bearing fruit he cuts it he proves it that it may bear more food somehow to helped me appreciate a man brothers and sisters I'm in my seat but let me give you my story and I'm through I don't know something about this far I know something about the pain of it I know something about the purpose of it but before I sit down I want to tell you something about the promise of it several years ago I was I was diagnosed with a tumor brain tumor it was it was on New Year's Eve I was getting ready to go to church for our watch night services and I have such a severe headache that I couldn't pick up my head from the pillow my sister took me to to the hospital I thought I was having a stroke but I had a brain tumor a pituitary macro adenoma whatever that is whatever that $75 word is that's what I had Lodge at the base of my brain that has compromised my adrenal system and I was praying because we were getting ready to build a new sanctuary and I was asking God to give me strength to move our church forward to go into this new building and to go into new areas and avenues of ministry and I asked God to strengthen me that I might have what I need to lead our congregation but God gave me a brain tumor I didn't ask for that I didn't pray for that that that's not what I was praying about I was praying for stress to lead our church into this new sanctuary and the new ministry and the new avenues of of doing God's will I wanted God to keep me strong so I could lead our church but God made me weak I was in the hospital and the medication they gave me for the tumor caused me to be more ill and I wound up in critical care at MD Anderson hospital that was that was in on the first Saturday before the first Sunday in March I was diagnosed New Year New Year's Eve of 2011 and in 2012 March of 2012 the medication that they gave me was shrinking the tumor but it made me gravely ill and I wound up in critical care at MD Anderson hospital critical care at MD Anderson is where they put patients until families can decide what funeral home to call my family was there church members were there they were crowded in this conference room and hundreds of them were there and of mine my doctor said to them this man has already two hours go in the room and talk to him stay with him as long as you can because he will not last two hours he is the sickest man in this hospital MD Anderson Cancer Center we have done everything we can possibly do there's nothing left for us to do he will not last two hours go and then talk to him sit with him as long as you want because in two hours he's going to be gone that was six years ago Here I am tonight in the Mount Carmel Baptist Church to tell somebody if you trust and never doubt God will surely bring you out you gonna help me close this watch it and then the doctor says if he lives you're gonna have to put him in the nursing home because he will be a vegetable for the rest of his life Here I am tonight in the Mount Carmel Baptist Church closed and in my right mind with a reasonable portion of my health and strength to testify the door I had a farm in the flesh God's grace is sufficient I need somebody to help me preach there I don't care what you're going through God's grace is sufficient I don't care how many enemies say you're not going to make it God's grace is sufficient I don't care what it looks like God's grace is sufficient I don't care how bad the situation gets God's grace is sufficient is there anybody in here tonight has been through your own situation you have had your own thorn in the flesh you have had your own messenger of Satan to busted you lets you be exalted above measure and if God has brought you out don't let anybody make you embarrass to praise God don't let anybody keep you quiet about praising God if the Lord open the door for you help me praising me if the Lord been good to you and you're not ashamed to testify if the Lord made a way for you and you don't care who's looking at you come on help me give God the glory go help me tell God thank you y'all know him don't you you don't mind if I talk about him a minute he's a rock in a weary land he's the shelter in a time of storm he's a friend Whittier friendless red when you're hungry water Whittier festive y'all know him don't you he's Adams Redeemer he's Abel's been Decatur he's Abraham's sacrifice he's Noah's Ark this Moses bush on fire he's Joshua was battle ax this Gideon's fleece his Samson's power his David's music his Solomon's wisdom his Jeremiah's balm in Gilead he's Ezekiel's wee in the middle of a wheel Yano induction his gods all this Sun this matter is baby boy he's James and Jude's older brother his Matthews King his mark suffering servant he's Luke's Great Physician he's John's Word made flesh his acts coming of the Holy Ghost he's the only begotten of the Father y'all know him don't you he's a lily of the valley he's the Rose of Sharon he's the bright in the Morning Star he's distinctive in Supernatural capacity he's superlative in sovereign majesty he's exclusive in spiritual beauty his radiant in eternal splendor his matchless in supernal deity he was born in Bethlehem red in Nazareth be healed a sick and he raised a dead wife Ida they hung him high and they stretched him wise be hanging on and for me he died but that's not how the story ends three days later three days later he rose again he died with me he dies [Music] Sunday morning eros Sydney he runs if he's been good to you if he made a wait for you why don't you hurt somebody why don't you shake somebody's hand tell them you don't know like I know you can't tell it like I can't tell it what the Lord [Music] [Music] [Music] ain't nobody to me like Jesus can't nobody to me like the nose have you tried and wanna make aways if the lawn Sam your song and you're not ashamed to testify if the law made you home and you're not ashamed to give us his glory why don't you lift your hands why don't you raise your voice thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you for my brother thank you for my father thank you for Jesus thank you for the Holy Spirit thank you for your healing thank you for your goodness thank you for your message thank you for your grace thank you for your power thank you No [Music]

Channel: The BlackChurch Vault

Views: 51,881

Rating: 4.718894 out of 5

Keywords: terry anderson, lily grove baptist church, black baptist preaching, fd sampson, ralph west, frank ray, jasper williams, dorinda clark cole, td jakes, serita jakes, maranda curtis, old school preaching, tasha cobbs, steven furtick, michael todd, the potters house dallas, marcus cosby, tolan morgan, terry k anderson, lilly grove mbc, baptist preaching, national baptist convention, tellis chapman, whooping, ralph d west, jamal bryant, a louis patterson

Id: CYjeIO18a0M

Length: 38min 43sec (2323 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 01 2020