September 2018, CAYA Anniversary Tribute to Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

good evening kaya so we've been getting emails for the last month asking about what tonight was going to be about and even pastor Wesley has been trying to read my paper but asking people like what's going on what we had up our sleeves we all know that his impact stretches far beyond here in Alfre Street in Old Town Alexandria he can't even go to the airport without someone walking up to him saying you're my youtube pastor so we wanted to take tonight to really show just how far his reach does go we could have just invited one person to do that we could have invited two but we invited 10 to come tonight and honor you [Music] and we're gonna have them each come out one by one and each of them are going to share a few words about how he has impacted their lives and how he has inspired them so I would like to introduce and present to some of you dr. Joshua Mitchell Minister Barbara floor ville one of our very own Reverend Willie Francois [Applause] Reverend Cassius Rudolf [Applause] another one of our very own Reverend Elijah McDavid Reverend Kevin Peterman another one of our own Minister Denzel Goodwin Reverend Cory Jones [Applause] Reverend Marc Lovera Ninh other-- one of our very own and last but certainly not least reverend Melek Thomas so each of them we're going to share with you tonight starting with Reverend Joshua Mitchell happy anniversary dot we have been taxed with opening these tributes with a sermon title of a message that either connects to us and informs us in our ministry or that sort of speaks to the relationship that we have with you so after thinking about it for a little while because I listen every week on the way to church I wanted to use a seat at the table seat up to tell you and I'm gonna use this pack has only got three minutes Jesus man alright so I used that because sermonic Lee it's a masterpiece it is in a week where black ministers made the news for having a photo booth session with number 45 and critics were everywhere you masterfully examine reasons for the Prophet to accept or decline that invitation and then you preached a true sermon not a rant but a true sermon through the story of David and Mephibosheth as how we ought to examine what invitations to which kitty tables that we are to accept I also picked a seat at the table because I feel in a way you granted that to me that you talked about in the sermon and that this table was one where voice was not heard not valued and I've been given the opportunity to come to alpha Street several times to preach the gospel to be a part of the young adult retreat and shout out to the young adults and I feel like my voice has been invited to be a part of this table a few weeks ago I was on the phone with my dad he was attending a lot Carey in Atlanta and he said he ran into you said man listen I ran into your boy Howard John and I told him I loved the letter that she wrote he said and then I told him that she was you he was your favorite preacher I said man come on dude I said I worked for the Reverend dr. Marcus D Cosby you can't say these things out loud right so in all seriousness when people ask me who my favorite preacher is I do say the Reverend dr. Marcus D Cosby how you doing doc god bless you I love working at will have a new Baptist Church but then I talk about the Reverend dr. Howard John Wesley and for me there are reasons that you are my favorite and I'm an acronym kind of guy so I'm gonna break it down if a B you are my favorite because you are fearless amen I need y'all to hold jobs applause because I ain't got too much time Jesus you'll feel there's a seat at the table is just one of the latest examples of how you utilize your voice so publicly and pointedly speak truth to power it's call out injustice oppression and the many isms that we see and whether you are acknowledging the same gender couple who is celebrating an anniversary whether you are referring to the Holy Spirit as one who does her work whether you are addressing a room of 22 popular black clergy persons Black Mafia chefs or prying into the politics of a very petty Devo dictator in Pennsylvania Avenue you are unafraid to speak and to do what may be unpopular because it is what you believe in and so I love you for that sins of Sodom is one of my favorite sermons of all time because you are unafraid to take a subject that is sticky and wrestle with it publicly and homiletically so I love you because you're fearless I love you because you are authentic after listening what I tell y'all listening to some of your old stuff some your old sermons and to come from where you started to where you're sort of are now you are you you have settled in to a place where you don't care what people say what people think how people respond you are gonna be who you are when you step to the mic you are comfortable in your own skin not looking to sound to sing to cry to clothes like anybody else you give us what God gave you and then you sit down in Jesus name and because you are authentically you we fly Takaya we flock to these for worship experiences because we know that dr. Wesley is gonna keep it real and he's gonna show up as himself as the genius that you are we are grateful for your authenticity and then finally the V is because you were versatile you were one of the most versatile and balanced preachers that I have ever come across in a season you can be both professor and student that you are dedicated pastor and a kated father that you could show up in a suit to talk about the great contributions to church made to the Smithsonian with Oprah in one scene and then show up in full b-boy attire to the kya cooldown for the old-school party and bust a move in Jesus name you are versatile in one minute you could be breaking down the law in Deuteronomy and then in fellowship time you could be encouraging us to smile through the gospel a little Duvall you are first it's out your versatility is both endearing and inspiring to the congregation and to a generation of young clergy women and men like myself who are coming behind you so as I close this tribute I want to thank you for the ways that you have mentored me even from afar even when you didn't know me I was watching you and taking the time to make invaluable deposits into my own life in my own ministry some of the things that you've said in the back or when you visited us in Houston I'll never forget it and it is my prayer that God will continue to give you the capacity to be your son's superhero that God will continue to give you what you need to complete your studies with flying colors and to publish because we need your voice in the literature my prayer that God will continue to give you wisdom patience and power to lead and feed this congregation which truly is becoming America's church and that God would take you to deeper depths and to higher heights as you continue to walk with God I look forward to celebrate in a more formal way on the fifth Sunday when we bring our 500 folk up yeah to celebrate with y'all get your parking early in Jesus name and I think you big brother eat mentor for your kindness for inviting my voice to be heard in the sacred space time and time again I thank you for a seat at the table I love you god bless [Applause] define situation ships as quote a relationship that has no label on it like a friendship more than but more than a friendship but not quite a relationship and quotes I was asking for a friend a few years ago about a thing that she felt was rejection after being emotionally invested in a situation ship and being out of answers like a good millennial I went to the Google's and I typed in how does one overcome rejection and God brought something to my screen and it said overcoming rejection it was Children's Day at Alfred Street Baptist Church and the preacher started real slow the text came from Luke Jesus is getting ready to send the disciples out to do ministry and his advice to them was to take only what you needed to go only where you were wanted and if you were not wanted shake the dust off of your feet as a testimony against them the preacher talked about knowing your worth he talked about taking your losses and he talked about perceiving another possibility on the other side of rejection he talked about being a scholar extraordinaire in Boston and then coming to a town where the name wesley means something and then being offered a pastorship and then being told that he could not pastor 600 people and then later to Pastor 6000 and then 7000 and then 8 thousand and then nine thousand oh he told us that after rejection what we asked is not why but what next what I thought was just a little research from my friend with actually me being taken into another possibility it would be the sermon that would lead me to being a full-blown member of bedside Baptist Church of the Alfred Street Baptist Church community online branch of Zion which would later let me feel led to apply to an internship that I wasn't even sure existed which led me to the leadership of pastor Howard John Wesley who has encouraged me to come to ministry as I am Kyah coming as you are is a love ethic it's a way of living it's a way of being it's the heartbeat of the gospel and pastor Wesley it is the epitome of your ministry you model it for us every time you stand behind the sacred desk being authentic as a teacher as a student as a father as a son you teach us a theology that God is big enough to make room for all of us that God just might be able to use a single mother to raise four black boys in America and that she might just be able to make history while doing it maybe just maybe somebody might be able to work in Trader Joe's and make an influence in the world maybe just maybe God can use anyone that maybe just maybe if the rocks can cry out a woman can preach the gospel of Jesus Christ perhaps the heavens won't cease to exist maybe heaven won't end if the Trinity included a feminine identity maybe if we spent a little less time in other people's bedrooms and more time in our prayer closet we'd be able to hear God better maybe just maybe jesus knew a little bit about rejection Jesus the Lamb of God Jesus the light of the world Jesus the chief Cornerstone rejected God sent Jesus as a Palestinian Jew under the Roman Empire a child of refugees right out of a ghetto called Nazareth executed by the state to die the death of a criminal and three days later resurrect and still be God and maybe God could take a girl from Brooklyn and bring her to Alexandria to learn a little something about ministry from a leader who ministered to her when she needed it may we give you your flowers today can we give you your flowers today thank you for showing us what it means to be spirit-filled and thinker thank you for showing us what it means to be righteous and wretched thank you for knowing religion thank you for knowing religion and knowing relationship with Jesus and thank you for saying yes to God all those years ago because I'm not really sure you know what it meant when you said yes I don't think you really can't what your ministry is doing in the world I don't think you really get how your ministry is feeding people all around the world singularly changing lives and minds and hearts back to God because we said yes and I personally know that there's a man in Brooklyn who works a night job in a building maintenance and he calls his daughter every night and he would like to say thank you and there's a mother there's a mother and a great cloud of witnesses who wants to say thank you for giving her daughter a chance at ministry she would like to say thank you and I believe that there's a preacher in heaven where the name wesley truly means something who is so very proud of you and the work that you are doing in the world so we just want to say thank you pastor Howard John Wesley for eyes have not seen and ears have not heard neither hasn't entered the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him amen amen and amen [Applause] [Applause] what she said [Applause] lord have mercy my time hasn't started yet right dr. Wesley it is an honor to be here to share in this the celebration of a decade of faithfulness decade of congregational excellence a decade of prophetic courage most people this this comes from seer and Kierkegaard most people think that the preacher is a stage actor to be praised or critiqued but the reality is according to Kierkegaard the preacher is really a prompter standing in the wings of the stage feeding lost lines to the actors that's really who we are in your ministry you feed us the lost lines of our lives every Saturday preachers all across the country tune in to watch you because they're looking for the lost lines of their lives and their service Thank You dr. Wesley for your commitment to academic excellence in your commitment to exegetical precision you know dr. Wesley one of the I say fire let's say fire because he's my friend I'm sorry you know doc the son I was wrestling with what sermon what sermon was it that that has has left an imprint on me after listening to you on on Saturdays for ever now I thought about that sermon you preached in I think it was March right after the parklands shooting Saints and stones you talked about then that day that as we were dealing with another crisis of a mass shooting something that has become normalized in this country the legislature in Florida instead of dealing with a rifle ban they decided to do a pornography ban in that sermon that you were talking about that woman who was who was caught that woman who was accused of adultery that woman who was in that where she was getting ready to receive the terror of religion they were more concerned about her bedroom life than her real life and really that's a challenge that you give to the evangelical right is that they're more concerned with bedrooms than they are with justice in courtrooms dr. Wesley that's what you do for me you you model what it means to be a prophet you model what it means to be a trumpet because you can't have a flute when you need a trumpet that's who you are you you're a trumpet of the gospel you you declare the truth even if it costs you friends even if it costs you members even if it costs you whatever money because you are committed to the truth of the gospel stones and saints Saints and stones I appreciate that because what it reminds me is that if we those of us who are not from the plantation religion but those of us who come from brush Harbor religion if we don't learn how to stand and declare what is the truth of God then the evangelical right will always have a monopoly on what it means to be Christian you helped me to understand that we have to practice the difference between the religion about Jesus and the religion of Jesus it's really the same it's really a shame that we can quote Paul but we can't quote we can't quote the Beatitudes we can quote Paul but we cannot quote the Sermon on the mountain we can quote Paul but we haven't committed any parables to memory why because we have become so infatuated with the power of the state that we forgot as you always remember that the church is responsible for being the conscience of the state that's why in that day that's why you can put on a hoodie in honor Trayvon Martin that's why you can declare that the Holy Spirit is a woman that's why you can call out Swinney handkerchief head preachers who are more invested in having access to powerless people than they are empowering the very people they have been called and paid to serve you my brother you fight remind us that you have to be a trumpet not a flute in the world that is fraught with nonsense I thank you dr. Wesley because you stand with courage you take the hits so that young preachers like us can practice our own theological authenticity you know one of the issues that I have with the church dr. Wesley I'm coming to learn and I get this I get this from Walter Fluker is that the church has become a haunted house we we think that we are possessed with the Holy Spirit but there's some unholy ghosts that actually live in our churches and it's because of your preaching that we get to get out of the ghosts out of our buildings in fact you are a homiletic elects IRS's every time you stand to preach you get the unholy ghost out of our churches the unholy goes out of our buildings and that's because you don't just talk about individual sins you talk about institutional sense you don't just talk about the sin of the wages of sin are death you talk about the sin of poverty wages you don't just talk about the sin 6ol but you talk about the sin of taking health care from sick bodies you don't just talk about the bondage of sin you talk about the sin of mass incarceration you don't just talk about the sin of breaking the law you talk about the sin of laws like mandatory minimums and that fed and breed the war on drugs that we live with today thank you dr. Wesley for not just talking about the fruit of the Spirit but thank you for talking about strange fruit hanging from southern trees at blood at the roof thank you dr. Wesley because you have power dr. Wesley and it's the power is in your foot and I don't know about anybody else here but I thank God that even when you don't have position you can still have power and that's who dr. Wesley is dr. Wesley has power because his power does not come from a vote does not come from a committee does not come from a constitution but his power comes from our God thank you dr. Wesley for showing us that even when you don't have position you can have power I got to do it you know Pharaoh had a position but Moses had power Nebuchadnezzar had a position but the three Hebrew men had power a have the position but Elisha had the power the Pharisees had the position but the disciples had the power Rosa Parks had the position Rosa Parks had the power although the bus driver had the position it was Lincoln that had the position but it was Frederick Douglass that had the power Bull Connor had the position but Martin Luther King jr. had the power the NYPD had the position but it was a Malcolm X that had the power Pontius Pilate had the position but Jesus has the power dr. Wesley Trump has the position but you have the power Jeff Sessions has the position but you have the power let's see the post has the position but you have the power sounds your trumpet fire we need to hear you [Applause] my mama position of power what a privilege to be here at the great Alfred Street Church so glad to be here to celebrate this man of God my big brother from the city of Chicago before I get started I just want to thank this church Alfred Street is the only church that I know that remembers my birthday on Facebook every year I get a Facebook reminder from alpha street so I love you for that have to do that so I'm looking forward to it on October 22nd again but like my brothers and sisters have said before me dr. wesley has so many sermons I've touched our hearts crossed his nation but one in particular that I could not pass up and I've watched every Saturday as well and even will leave the city of New York doing seminary time to come here letter from the Birmingham jail I'm tired of this job 3:26 hairs I have no peace no quietness I have no rest but only turmoil terrorism is not the greatest threat to black America police brutality gun violence and absolutely incompetent House of Representatives and the Senate is this threat is greater than those who say someone is different than another faith dr. Wesley said this it was on the Sunday in July of 2006 after the death of Alton sterling a man gunned down by police in Baton Rouge Louisiana and Philander Castillo another black victim of police brutality in Minnesota and then the killing of five Dallas police officers who were protecting protesters who were killed by a deranged gunman pastor Wesley declared on that Sunday morning from this very pulpit the same sentiments of our dear beloved sister Fannie Lou Hamer that he's sick and tired of being sick and tired and my friends today I feel the same way dr. Wesley would deliver that sermon and stand on this very pulpit to declare those words I feel the same way today I'm tired of this I'm tired of black blood crying from the streets of America's wilderness at the hand of trigger-happy white supremacist who carry badges and claim that they serve and protect I'm tired of this tired of this when I see young black boys and girls being killed in the streets of Chicago due to gang violence and the lack of other means the lack of jobs and quality education and hope for a brighter day Church I'm tired of this dr. Wesley reminded us that he was tired of this and you should be as well in that same sermon dr. Wesley opened it up with the playing of a speech by Malcolm X and I quote they attacked the victim and then claimed to be the criminal who attacked the victim in the first place this is American justice this is American democracy and those who are familiar with the knows that American democracy is nothing but hypocrisy Malcolm said that 50 years ago but Church this sounds just like the moral the world today dr. Wesley went on to say that the sermon that he would preach he was ready to let the world know that God stands on the aside of the oppressed and he went to the letter written by dr. King in 1963 and we know the story dr. King and others from the SCLC were protesting segregation in Montgomery and then they went down to Birmingham and a judge issued an injunction and caused him to be arrested in the midst of all this a call to unity letter was penned by eight racist white clergymen who called dr. King and outside an agitator which he had argued to them that we were right there when we needed to be there dr. Wesley remind us of this and King went on to explain the four steps of the nonviolent protest and if I had time I will take you through those four four protests but dr. Wesley reminded us of that King concluded that he needed to take action by leading a public demonstration in King's response he said that injustice anywhere it's a threat to justice everywhere and so I got excited when I heard dr. Wesley talking about this because I thought about my situation coming up in the streets of Chicago where if you challenge the Empire you can get locked up but it take a man of courage a man of integrity to stand in front of people that don't believe that you should talk about what's going on outside in the community jesus said what you do to the least of these when I was hungry you fed me when I was naked you clothed me I was a stranger Trump you welcomed me it takes a man like dr. Wesley to let us know that we can stand behind the sacred desk to proclaim a prophetic word to God's people thank you dr. Wesley because I needed to hear that and we're still living in times like that today so in closing if we really want honor dr. Wesley if we really want to serve Christ and this president I can hear his mother dr. Helene J Wesley say that a charge to keep I having a god to glorify if we really want to honor dr. Wesley are you willing to carry somebody else's crosses if we really want to honor dr. Wesley in his 10 years here and Alba Street what are you willing to do will you sit back and tweet like your president or will you get out in the street and say I am on the battlefield working for the Lord are you are you willing to stand up for those who have no voice and a table that would even made for them in the first place what shall you win me to cry for all God's sacrifices to you so what will you do will you sit up and say I'm tired of this will you say I'm tired of this matter of fact will you join us tomorrow at Lafayette Park as we call the conscience of this nation to the feet of the black church will you vote in November it was because of dr. Wesley serving is an example for young preachers like me from the south side of Chicago letting us know that we can be somebody that we don't have to have the fancy things in life born on the southside of Chicago in the hood where they said I wouldn't be nothing but I look to this brother as an example come on and talk back with me God is able to do something with a messed up situation so I thank you dr. Weston for showing young brothers like me the way because we all have a charge to keep and we all have a god to glorify thank you brother [Applause] it was November 3rd 2013 sitting in my dorm room in Atlanta and I heard you preach a sermon titled not without a limp in that message you looked at Genesis 32 and you taught us that the God who blesses us is the same God who breaks us the same God who brings us to seasons of anniversary and celebration is the same God that brings us to seasons of struggle and heartbreak and it is our task in life to embrace the bittersweet nature of God faster to the untrained eye it appears that you have a perfect life you pass through this fabled church you inspire in the work in this community that reaches across the globe and touches thousands of lives your sermons are heralded by everyone from Barack Obama to Lil Duval but to get here you had to spend some nights wrestling with God there were nights when God took you like Jacob and forced you to struggle against everything that made sense and yes you prevailed and yes you remained faithful and yes you walked away victorious but not without a limp in the midst of your courageous efforts you lost some things along the way and I celebrate you tonight not because of what you've gained or accomplished but I celebrate you because I know in part what you had to give up to get here and I can't thank you for being an amazing pastor without thanking you for every sleepless night every tear filled prayer every person that walked out of your life because they couldn't support the vision that God had for your life for every moment that you sacrifice with your two boys so you could pour into the rest of us I thank you yes yes in a few moments we'll shout and we'll praise because a decade is worthy of a party but there were some breaking points along the way and it's only right to acknowledge that your journey coming here to Alfred Street was far from smooth or easy in 2007 you were selling with God and it may not be a whole lot of consolation but while you were wrestling with God in Massachusetts the hand of God was moving here in Virginia and in 2007 just a few miles from here a church full of love was being torn apart by a nasty scandal in an ugly Church split and in the process of that church split there were many who lost their faith in God and cluding a 15 year old boy who told his mother he would never attend church again and for months that remained true but God has a way of making the right situation collide with the right circumstance and somehow someway in February of 2008 my family ended up sitting in that far back corner on the Sunday this church introduced you as its pastor and a 15 year old boy who lost all faith in God heard the words you said and said maybe God is real after all and 10 years later have the privilege of calling you Father so I want to celebrate you pastor Wesley because as God was breaking you you found a way to preach sermons that were literally saving lives and on behalf of all of the broken people who pressed their way into these pews I want to thank you for helping us to put the shattered fragments of our faith back together again thank you for showing us how real and how relevant the gospel can be thank you for showing us how to love our true and authentic selves back into wholeness and back into joy and back into peace with God pastor I thank you for your mentorship I thank you for your guidance I thank you for all of the opportunities the name drops and the affirmations but before and above I thank you for all of that I thank you for surrendering to God and you will walk strong and tall into these next 10 years but not without a limb oh how is good to be here with you Alfred Street at this historic church and with this fantastic this majestic this superstar of homiletically exposition the Reverend dr. Howard John Wesley we can do better than that certainly sir I love you we love you and we thank you for your ministry that reaches across this nation and around the globe I don't go where I go I'm not a member of Alfred Street but I tell everybody that Alfred Street is the best Church in North America I'll argue about it in the parking lot later but that's just a fact what's that praise break in my minutes no okay I don't know who to blame for this looking out all these wonderful preachers here tonight I feel like Rihanna at a Beyonce concert when they ask you to sing somebody's gonna get mad about that but at all seriousness it is an honor to be with you tonight I'm going to be real brief beloved I grew up in New Jersey hey y'all but when I was a teenager my mother decided that it was best for our family to move to Pennsylvania and when we moved to Pennsylvania one thing that I found out very quickly was that life in Pennsylvania was very different not only was life different but the pastimes in Pennsylvania were different if you've lived in Pennsylvania you know that Pennsylvania much like Texas and Florida Pennsylvania's have an obsession with high school football Pennsylvanians have an accession with high-school football and I remember on one Friday night there under the lights dr. Wesley we were in a playoff game and the wide receiver was in the middle of the field he was in the middle of the field and the quarterback threw the ball but for some reason the wide receiver did not catch it he did not catch the ball and his mistake on the field that night caused our team to lose the game oh well you know on Monday morning he had to come and he had to face the whole school he had to face us in classrooms and in the cafeteria he had to face us in the hall and everybody was just cheering at him everybody was just throwing attacks at him we were laughing at them man how could you mess up out there on the field and I'll never forget what he said after that he said he said listen I know it was my fault but I couldn't hear the play he said I know it was my fault but I didn't know what to do next because I couldn't hear the play some of you know what that's like some of you know what it's like to be in a place in your life where you can't hear the play you don't know what to do next can I take you to Howard University in the summer of 2014 [Music] can I take you to the mecca for a minute on that campus was a 22 year old boy who could not hear the play he he knew that God was talking to him he felt the sound of the genuine he he heard a voice from God but he didn't know how to truly answer his call to ministry and then one day he met a man named Howard John Wesley and when he went home that night he was Wynn on YouTube and he started looking at a sermon called what Baptists believe I've given it to all of my friends since that day am i right so am i right Barbara am i right Troy everybody I encounter at the point that they tell me they want to go into ministry I tell them you've got to listen to this this sermon series called what Baptists believe it was the preaching in that sermon that told me that I had to make the steps the next step listening to you preach listening to your precision listening to your exegesis listening to your clarity listening to you present the gospel that told me it was time to get serious about my faith I couldn't simply answer a call to preach the gospel I had to go to seminary your sermon series literally made me get up and apply to Princeton seminary that is literally your sermon changed my life and put me on a different course I know I've never told you this before but you are the reason that I went to seminary in that sermon he talks about the doctrine of the black church he talks about the doctrine of the Baptist Church and I realized that I had gone to church my whole life I knew every hymn in the hymn book I could speak in tongues I could shout on cue but I did not really know what I believed don't you know that it's dangerous not to know what you really believe when you don't know what you really believe you might think that's your wife should submit to you and that women cannot preach when you don't know what you really believe you might think that people who don't love the way you love are less than you when you think that you when you don't know what you really believe you might think that you're better than somebody because you go to a different church I did not know what it was that I really believed like the quarterback in the field that night I was standing in there in the middle of the field I didn't know what to do next I knew that God had was calling me to seminary but I didn't know if I really wanted to go and it was you're preaching a week after week I would come and I would sit in the balcony with my friends AJ and Bri and Lanisha I would sit in the balcony and I would hear your preaching and your preaching was the quarterback giving me the play Oh God always sends the right prophet at the right time and I'm so glad tonight that God has sent us the Howard John Wesley preachers across this globe are better because there's a quarterback giving us to play preachers across this nation are better because there's a quarterback who's standing up for justice when we don't know what to do on the field we have a quarterback every Saturday night not only is he a quarterback giving us the play but we can trust this quarterback we can trust this quarterback we can trust his preaching and his teaching because this is a quarterback who's following the coach this is the quarterback who is the following the coach who is the coach I heard they call him the Rose of Sharon I heard him call him a bridge over troubled water he's a doctor in a sit room and a lie in a courtroom please keep listening to the coach please keep listening to the coach please keep preaching the gospel you changed our lives please keep listening to the coach and if you keep listening if you keep listening this nation in this world will be better because you're just a few blocks from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue [Applause] set up because my emails or phone calls say tribute and these are all sermons I come here to preach but I do have a word it it was August of 2012 as a freshman transitioning to sophomore year in high school my church was invited to do praise and worship at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Alexandria Virginia on link onea Road I believe and we got there we did praise and worship and as a 15 year old already frustrated with how life was going frustrated with the home I was in frustrated with preaching with ministry tired of church I was ready to sing and to get up on out of there and leave but you know how our people do it started their praise and worship and they decided that they was gonna stay the whole service so now I'm in the pews just thinking oh my god when are we gonna leave and then I look in the pulpit and I see pastor Wesley coming to pulpit never heard of him don't know nothing about this man I just know that he's young and I'm thinking to myself here go another young preacher pin already to do the most [Applause] I'm just praying Lord thirty minutes in no more and he gets up it's his time to speak he gets up behind the pulpit and he opens the Bible to second Corinthians chapter 12 verses 7 through 10 and he says live with you and I'm in the pew confused because there's no it's gonna get better there's no The Thorn is gonna remove it is live with you my eyes open because I'm like okay what you gonna do says live with you and he goes on he starts saying live with it because my grace is sufficient he says live with it because by grace you're living with it and I sat there in pastor Wesley you don't know how much they opened my eyes as a young man who was discerning his call in ministry not wanting to deal with Church ready to walk away from ministry from God and then you said live with you and I walked away feeling empowered because know things aren't always going to get better no things aren't going to remove from you but you have to learn to live with it because the very thing that's struggling you the very thing that store missing you is the very thing that God is using to give you strength and the way he illustrated it when he illustrated it that broke it down to me was he talked about his son Cooper he said Cooper had to get shots but Cooper doesn't like needles so he had to lie to Cooper to tell Cooper that were going somewhere else other than the hospital and when they got to the hospital Cooper found out that he had to get these shots because he needed them a cooper started to cry Cooper started to get afraid the pastor Westview told Cooper that you need these needles you need these shots because if you don't get this shot you're not gonna have the strength you need you don't get these shots you were prone to the weaknesses out there if you don't deal with this now it's going to hurt you in the long run Cooper you got to learn to live with it but even in the midst of it God is still going to give you strength don't get caught up on the moment of right now because if you look at everything happening around you God is still moving and pastor Wesley thank you thank you for speaking to a 15 year old Denzel and for reminding him and letting him know that living with it is not as bad as it seems and living with it God is still with you thank you Pastor Wesley for opening your arms to me when I was a freshman in college and asked you can I intern at your church for the summer and you said yes thank you Pastor Wesley for being a model to all of us preachers for for the people there God thank you pastor Wesley for everything that you've done we are indebted it's because of your ministry it's because of your service that that I can do what I do that we can do what we do you teach us about the Holy Spirit teach us about warming you teach us about so many things that our eyes did not see in our ears what's going on [Applause] then I Oh Oh in a good way in a good way in a good way in a good way good one good one go away good one go in good way good way good one good way good way [Applause] pastor Wesley thank you so much and continue to let God use you for your 10 years of service your 10 years of ministry we love you we bless you just thank you [Applause] god bless you my brothers and sisters it's wonderful to be here on tonight was a couple of years ago the month of June 2016 that I had the pleasure and the privilege to invite a preacher to my church that I had been waiting to invite for a very long time his name was the Reverend dr. Howard John Wesley it was the final night of revival pastor Wesley came from First Samuel chapter 16 verse number one said the Lord said to Samuel how long will you grieve over Saul since I have rejected him from being king over Israel filled your horn with oil and go and I will send you to Jesse the Bethel of might for I have provided for myself a king among his sons he gave a title on that night that I believe was slightly indignant belligerent could even be considered abrasive he said get over it dr. Wesley he didn't know at a time but that message was very much prophetic for me text says the Samuel anointed Saul king over Israel but over the course of time and through a sequence of events he could no longer be king in fact God no longer wanted him to be king the text is interesting in its wording it says that god regretted the fact that he made Saul King it's interesting God in many ways repented to God's self that he made Saul king over Israel first sandwich up 15 verse number 35 Samuel cries he's weeping because the man that he anointed to be king is no longer going to be king and in 1st Samuel chapter 16 verse number 1 God asks Samuel this question how long are you going to mourn for Saul how long are you going to cry over this now the king of Israel you know what you need to really get over it and it was at that moment dr. Wesley he didn't know it but he became a true big brother to me his words were prophetic because I was at a point in my life where I really needed to get over some stuff it was in August of last year in Birmingham a lot Kari where he said these words to me he says I've been where you've been I've seen what you've seen I've experienced what you have experienced and and Corrie I hate to tell you this this is this is not good news I hate to be the bearer of bad news he says but there is there's no way around it there's no way over it there's no way under it there's only one way and that's through it he says but there's good news in all of it he says it gets better that thing blessed me on today because in the sermon between verse 35 of chapter 15 and verse 1 of chapter 16 he asked the question how long is it between when Samuel is crying over soul and in verse number 1 when he says how long are you going to mourn how long does it take how long exegetically speaking is it between verse number 35 when some if Sammy was crying over Saul and in verse number 1 of chapter 16 when God says it's time for you to go get over it huh how long does that time huh how long do we have between verse 35 where we're crying and in verse number one where we have to get over it dr. Wesley gave the church then answer that night he said you got one verse [Applause] you've got one verse to get over this thing and that blessed me on that day because often times we more and oftentimes we weep oftentimes we will oftentimes we're crying about what is taking place in our lives what's going on about the boo that left us about the job we don't have anymore about the money in the bank about all the situations that we face in life the question becomes how long are we going to mourn how long are we going to well how long are we going to cry before you get over it doctor whistle you reminded me I got one verse I got one verse to look to the hills from whence cometh my help I got one verse to get down on my knees and say father I stretch my hands to D no other help I know I got one verse to call on the god of my salvation and say the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want and if I can just get through that one verse God says to Samuel go down you don't know it but I got somebody else who's better than Saul if you can just get over it I got something better for you on the other side of what you're going through and that thing blessed me right there because through all the folks talking about me through all the folk criticizing me for all the folk dog in my name guess what if you can just get over it I got something better for you on the other side and I'm not here to preach but I believe that ought to bless somebody as we celebrate 10 years of pastor Wesley if you can just get through your now God says I got something better for you on the other side God is consistent in how God deals with things God is consistent in how he deals with us if you can get through Abraham I got something better for you if you can get through Isaac I got something better for you if you can get through Jacob I got something better for you if you can get through Joseph I got something better for you if you could get through Seoul I got something better for you if you can get through David I got something better for you if you can get through Solomon I got something better for you if you could get through Isaiah I got something better for you if you get through Jeremiah and Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah they here we're back as if Ania Haggai Zechariah Malachi if he can just get through John the Baptist guess what you just might make it to Jesus I encourage somebody get over it it's better on the other side Thank You dr. Wesley [Applause] any young any people in the house that love the Lord amen surely it is an honor to be here with all these preachers and the preacher really an honor to stand amongst you all tonight last year I had the opportunity of a lifetime to intern along with minister florell who's now the assistant to the pastor for youth had an opportunity of the lifetime to intern at the Alfred Street Baptist Church and it was an amazing amazing time and there is interning at the Alfred Street Baptist Church and then there is interning for pastor Wesley we love you our church we love you and I remember before I started interning I was reminded about everything everybody told me of what I should do when I started interning at Alfred Street people told me the things I should make sure I should accomplish when I was interning at Alfred Street they told me that networks I should make they told me everything that I was supposed to do when I grew is supposed to get to Alfred Street Baptist Church and so you can understand why it was a surprise for me to get here and have pastor Wesley stand on this pulpit one Sunday and preach a sermon called Things Fall Apart you see because everyone told me about everything that I was supposed to accomplish everyone told me about how I was supposed to do things and it was one of the first times that I'd ever seen a pastor speaks so boldly about the things he did not accomplish it was the first time I seen a pastor talk about the mistakes that they didn't make they made on the journey it was the first time that I seen a pastor so boldly proclaim and stand and let us know that there sometimes we set out on a mission to accomplish some things and no matter how spiritual we get about the situation that no matter how much prayer we put into it no matter how much fasting we put into it that certain things aren't gonna go the way we wanted to go it was the first time that I seen that house transparent pastor Wesley could be and I believe it's because of his transparency you can have a room full of young people every first Wednesday of the month when statistically people say young people don't go to church I believe this is transparency in the pulpit that provides us and allows us to know how we can stand as people's people still working things out it allows us know that we can be working things out in our lives we can be going through some things in our lives and that does not stand in the way of who God wants us to be I remember pastor West I remember pastor Wesley telling us and I had a car service letting us know that some people can't handle the fact that he knows how to read read the book of Hebrews but also he knows that he has a time in his life where he had a bottle of Hennessy I've never seen a pastor be so transparent about the issues and the realities of their lives that they've gone through and I believe is his transparency that is the reason why we're all here this evening because we realized that if it's because of 10 years it's because we're in the service we know that there's a man of God's as a servant of God that's been so transparent it's that transparency that makes us here's that transparency that I'll always take administrate so I thank you pastor Wesley for your transparency in the pulpit letting people know that you haven't lived a perfect life letting people know that you've made mistakes along the way that there was things that you set out to accomplish you've never accomplished and I thank you for that transparency can I think that transparency is what we need today thank you I'm gonna tell everybody like Donald Trump tells all his cabinet members I won't be before you long I just want to remind you and take you back with me to the third Sunday in September in 2009 I was serving as a chapel assistant at the real HQ the only issue Howard University and on this particular Sunday on this particular Sunday we had this young man who had just come to the DMV who all the sisters wanted to be his preaching assistant that morning and he came and he took the text from Romans chapter 7 at in Romans chapter 7 he started to say the good that I wished to do that's the good that I don't do the bad stuff that I'm trying not to do this is the millah Comics remix I apologize if you don't see it in your text but he he reads this and I'm thinking oh Lord us and other preachers is gonna come here and tell us not to party tell us not to do this and he goes about the titles saying why must I be like that and I want to talk a little bit about what that sermon has meant to me he preached this sermon and on the three points were that Sherdog does not disqualify you the second point was that you have holy help and the third point is that there is reason to rejoice and as somebody who has lived long enough to recognize that even though I've been in church my whole life even though I've done things that some people would Lord as respectful that there is still a little bit of dog in me and so he tried to illuminate the text in the way where he said that if you could not understand it through the people and the writings of Paul then you would understand it through the music of parliament-funkadelic who in the words of all my to dogs that here why must I be like that why must I chase the cat it ain't nothing but the dog in me now that first point pastor Wesley really helped me because there are people and he who went to college with me who think that my dog ought to disqualify me but I'm just so grateful that you have taught me that it's possible to be a dog and still serve the Lord and to be qualified to do God's work but I want to something more to that first point is not that you are not that the dog does not disqualify you but I believe that the real reason why God called you pastor Wesley is because you've got the dog in you amen God is tired of folk who wanna act like they don't have dog in them but the reason why you were called is because you got some dog in you I know you a camper but you got a little bit of dog in you and here's the understanding and this is what I love about a dog the dog has a way of sinking its teeth into something and never let it go for the last 10 years that you've been at alpha Street pastor Wesley you have sunk your teeth into a generation that this entire region was missing and you never let go for the last 10 years pastor Wesley you have sunk in your teeth in difficult issues and preaching from this pulpit and you never let go even when you will get anonymous emails and people we're trying to tell you that they were gonna expose you on lipstick alley and talk about you on Twitter and talk about you on YouTube you were just like a good old pit bull from the southside of Chicago and you sunk your teeth right in this thing and you still serve the Lord so people are sinking your teeth into what you've been serving let them leave pastor sink your teeth into this ministry sink your teeth into the Word of God sink your teeth into pastoring and leading people because there's a couple things that you taught me about people that had dogs in them in description that God still using the Bible says that Adam and Eve had a jacked up fruit salad but gods used them in spite of the dog the Bible says that Noah was a drunk that went the happy.i were too much but God still use them the Bible says that Abraham was a pet that kicked out his side-chick but God still use them the Bible says that isaac was a mama's boy but God still use them the Bible says that Jacob was a hustla homey who ran off on the plug twice but God still use them the Bible says Joseph was an ex-convict who never got his record expunged but God still used them the Bible says that Rahab was a town but staff but God still use the Bible says that Samson had a love Jones for Delilah who gave him a jacked-up shape-up but God still used them the Bible says that Deborah was a woman in a patriarchal society where woman could cook clean but she couldn't preach but God still using the Bible said that David had a sipper problem but God still using the Bible said that Solomon had them in different area codes but God still using the Bible said that Peter was a gangster disciple but God still use them and you were not that ain't none today business but God is still using me in spite of the dog inside of me in spite of my failures in spite of my shortcomings the Lord is still using me that's why when I come the Alpha Street Baptist Church I give God the glory I'm not worried about who's looking at me I'm not worried about who's gossiping about me I don't worry about who's putting something on Twitter huh cuz I know that I've got to give God the glory and they're gonna look at you strange but you start to jump a little bit [Music] don't be like that is there anybody in this place that's what I hate that God will still use you so in spite of the dog that's gonna use you because you're faithful over a few things it does not get up here watching shall be but God is about to turn it around touch your neighborhood and say Bow Wow [Music] [Music] [Applause] pass your weapon you'll never know the extent of the impact you've had in our lives you sharpen us talented bushels teach us they do better and we will thank you for always being real it may be too much for some but is perfect for us we know it's not always easy but we hope messages like this make it all seem worthless and that your sacrifices are not in vain on this tooth year we celebrate you [Music] ten years ten years ten years ten years of service ten years of growth ten years of lessons ten years of joy it may be some pain but one thing's for sure it's been ten years of impact here at Alfred Street and beyond so thank you for sharing your gift with them happy Anniversary happy Anniversary happy Anniversary happy Anniversary happy anniversary [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I'm not gonna be long at all to honor the time and to allow us to be blessed again in song now you just don't know it's amazing to hear people share how you impact their lives when you know that every time you close the laptop put the period at the end of the sermon finish what you thought was the lesson I was terrified of weather was gonna touch someone every sermon was written out of a place of fear and insecurity realizing that most of what I've tried to do came from my own pain my own feelings of unworthiness praying lord please don't let me sound angry when I preach don't let me demonize anyone the cost that came with it when you do this you you know the cost more than you hear the praise the emails come quickly and I'm just thankful to God that somehow someway his word never comes back void in spite of me I never listened to my own sermons or watch kaya because all I do is find all the mistakes and it's painful for me but tonight to hear my own sermons through the lives of those who've listened who tastes some Joshua barber Willie Cash's Kevin Denzel Elisha Cory Melek Marc it's amazing that you all look up to me because I look eyeball dear I've never seen myself as a mentor but in each one of you I saw what I was someone who just wanted an opportunity to be what God called them to be so I said each and every one of you I want you to win I am secure I'm I'm not worried about losing my pulpit to any one of you but I hope that when my time is done one of you will take it because each and every one of you is special to me we have a gift and I thank God for you are making the sacrifice to be here to make amazing world to me thank you Takaya this was a crazy idea ten years ago mark Stafford walked into my office and said pass we need to do something different and he pitched this idea and I said man we don't get thrown out the church if we do this all right the Deacons are gonna vote us out the trustees won't fund it the older membership is gonna reject us we gonna be out at the Holiday Inn down the street looking and look what the Lord has done in 10 amazing years so thank you thank you all I don't want to tell you my whole story again I'll cry but I came here in a broken place ten years old my father had just died a son was born a preemie and was still having some series and medical issues the church I was in things ended wrong I know I dove having to leave and I was afraid that God can never do anything with me again and no idea what else she would be but I'm grateful that we are what God has allowed us to become and for that I say to God be all the glory [Applause] thank you thank you for trusting me enough on the first Wednesday of the month to come out and believe that God had something to say through me when I didn't even know it thank you you've given me a great gift tonight summer clothes a little story about Peyton Manning when Peyton Manning was signed to the Annapolis Colts they gave him a tremendous contract I think it was record-breaking at the time was almost 19 million dollars he's a rookie quarterback he never played a game never been on the field as a professional and he got 19 million dollars and JJ when they asked Peyton Manning what does he plan to do with his money now that he has the 19 million has never quarterback this one you saw i'ma go earn it what you've given me tonight makes me wonder hardest makes it makes me wanna preach the good news of Jesus and threaten the kingdom of hell this has a bigger ring and I thank you for this gift Satan better watch out cuz I'm just a fire to glorify God and to win souls for Christ and to change the world and to make a difference of hiya thank you all so much thank you I love you we're gonna be back here next month and we gonna tear this thing up thank you I love you with the love of Jesus Christ JJ would you bless us again man come on let's say man for JJ Harrison a youthful praise as they close us out on this kyanite still look up to you a lot of folks don't understand it they don't sit in the seat that we pray for people that stab us in the back and oftentimes those who we serve forget us in their prayers and we want to tonight to remember you tonight in prayer and it goes straight to the throne of grace so if you could take this seat I want all of the preachers that shared to come and just lay hands lay hands in fact every preacher of the gospel every preacher the gospel if you are here I want you to come real quickly if you are on the staff and alpha-alpha Street Baptist Church I want you to come lay hands on your pastor but this is what I want each and every one of you to do I want you to stretch your right hand I want you to stretch your right hand to us pastor Wesley and I want you to just start praying out loud don't wait for me to start praying I need you to open up your mouth and start interceding for the band of God come on you can do so much better than that listen to see every attack of the enemy is going to be canceled in the name of Jesus every attack on his mind depression anxiety everything that he struggles with in his spirit is going to be cancelled right now in the name of Jesus I need you to open up your mouth let's turn up the volume on our intercession let's turn up the volume on our intercession turn up the volume on our intercession you don't know the nice he's cried and prayed for you to get through things that you never had to face so I need you to raise the volume on your intercession let's pray [Music] God in the name of Jesus we just thank you so much that ten years ago you thought enough of us to send a man like this all the way from 8301 south Damon Avenue Chicago Illinois 606 to zero all the way to the DMV to Northern Virginia that our entire area our entire region and in fact our entire nation will never be the same because of this man of God God right now we just ask that you released 10,000 angels to surround him and to surround us and to surround Cooper that no hurt Harmon danger will come nigh their dwelling God in the name Jesus we just ask that you massage every pain every room every stab wound every arrow that he's been hit with over the 25 years of ministry we we ask that you massage that wound right now in the name of Jesus that you said a fresh anointing right down here to Alfred Street Baptist Church to Howard's our God we just believe by faith that what he's studying it with his PhD it's not in vain that he's gonna change the entire landscape of Christian preaching because of what you are doing through his Spirit God we just thank you right now that you are breaking the curse that you are breaking the curse any ruie wait Jenny sue Sayer any warlock that has put any bad juice on side of pastor Wesley we bind it up right now in the name of Jesus Oh Satan you are a liar you are an accuser of the Brethren and you are a liar every fight it is mine but make him think that he was not worthy to preach the gospel Saint you are a liar every person that came to him and tried to disqualify him because of what they thought they knew about him say you are a liar hell you are defeated and Jesus is exalted and Alpha Street Baptist Church shall have the victory god we just believe by faith that there's gonna be greater glory that there's gonna be greater glory that there's gonna be greater glory that there's gonna be greater that even though we're building a building that building is not the last step in Alpha Street Baptist Church but God you are about to make them global that you are about to expand the ministry worldwide that eyes have not seen the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former house of God we open up our mouths and we give you glory God we open up our mouths and we give you blowing God we open up our mouth and we give you glory that you are about to increase in faith but increase the word increase his power increase in strength and we're not going to tell you how to do we're not going to give you instructions but God we believe that you are about to blow our pastors mind the thought you are about to blow up pastors that his children are got to have no need that you are about to blow his mind and when you blow his mind you're gonna blow our mind God we give it to you now Lord let us never forget him in our prayers he de Basha let us never forget him in our intercession let us cover him every step of the way that when he's in the plains that the flames will stay in the air that when his car was driving then he'll be protected from crazy cars and for crazy cops with God we just believe that your blood is covering every single sip of our passion and we give you the glory in Jesus name we say thank you in Jesus name we say thank you it's in Jesus name we say thank you because God you deserve it God you deserve it God you deserve it God do deserve it in Jesus name we pray you [Music] you

Channel: Alfred Street Baptist Church

Views: 29,925

Rating: 4.8196287 out of 5

Keywords: 2018, Alfred Street Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, CAYA, #tributetohoeardjohnwesley, #thedoginme, #falcon

Id: u8ihQ4XDJZg

Length: 83min 19sec (4999 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 06 2018