Wintley Phipps Sermon "Remember Me" South Central Campmeeting

praise the Lord I say praise the Lord I'm happy to be in the house of God today as many of you know Friday night we lost Muhammad Ali Saturday night we lost eldest CD Brooks may God bless that mighty man of God and I'm reminded of a story of Muhammad Ali was on an airplane one day and the flight attendant was trying to get him to put on his seatbelt but he wouldn't put on his seatbelt plane took off you wouldn't put on his seatbelt finally she said mr. Ali you're gonna have to put on your seat buddy I don't need no seat belt don't you know I'm Superman she said mr. Ali if you were Superman you wouldn't need a plane put on your suit back I have been on an airplane once or twice a week for about 35 almost 40 years every single week four million miles on Delta alone and that does something to you back after a while but I was telling you president I had a surgical procedure in the morning and walked out the hospital that afternoon praise the Lord now you know that's God I want to share a few remarks before I share song and my wife Linda and I consider it a real honor and privilege to be here for the South Central Conference camp-meeting 2016 [Applause] you have embraced us as part of your family and we thank you for your warmth and your generosity now some of you know I love researching and studying history I love history in my research this year I came upon this true story about a young boy born into slavery in 1855 in Richmond Virginia at the end of the Civil War in 1865 this ten-year-old boy now free somehow got separated from his family miraculously this little boy made his way across the country almost 3,000 miles to the booming town of Reno Nevada at the age of 23 he heard about an evangelist holding some meetings by the name of John Loughborough he decided to attend the meetings and on July the 30th 1878 he heard a lady speak at that meeting her name was Ellen White this young man accepted the Sabbath became one of the first Adventists church members in Reno Nevada he was such an impressive christ-like young man they made him church clerk but now fast forward 11 years later on October the 5th 1889 that same young black man became the first black ordained seventh-day Adventist minister and five of the first churches he pastored was right here in the South Central Conference he pastored in Edgefield Junction Louisville Kentucky Bowling Green he started the first black Adventist Church in Nashville Tennessee his name is Charles Kinney today we know him as the founder of black Adventism so that means brothers and sisters historically speaking this conference is the cradle of black adventism [Applause] historically speaking every black Adventist Church in America can trace its beginnings and its roots back to the south-central conference this conference was also the cradle of the beginning of my own ministry the first real official sermon I ever preached was in the Hillcrest Church in Nashville it was around around 1975 I remember it was such a big deal that my girlfriend now my wife at the time went out and bought me a brand new dawn Rabi soup she said you preaching at Hillcrest on Sabbath boy you got to look good and so she retired my plaid pants and suits my platform shoes and my bell-bottom pants ha ha ha it was a big improvement amen I want you to know God blessed me with a godly wife who travels with me everywhere I go last year [Applause] about a year ago we were between August and November we were on six continents together she goes with me everywhere I go as a matter of fact we were going through TSA not long ago and the TSA agent pulled it to the side and said ma'am do you have something sharp in your luggage she said I don't think so he said come with me please he pulled it to the side and he opened up her luggage the first thing that came out was a Bible and she said oh yes I did forget the Lord said his word is sharper then a two-edged sword thank God for godly way it was it was at Hillcrest that Sabbath morning that I first experienced what I would later on understand was the anointing of God as I came down off the rostrum I felt like God's hand was placed around me and God was speaking to me saying son you did what I wanted you to do since that moment it has been an awesome experience serving God do you know the first week of prayer I ever conducted was in Bessemer Alabama and it was in this conference that I dedicated my life and ministry to Christ and from that moment I knew that as long as I lived I'm gonna hold a song till the end of the sermon today I knew as long as I lived I could never get enough of the stories of Jesus it was Fanny Crosby who wrote that heavenly him tell me the story of Jesus right on my heart every word tell me the story most precious sweetest that ever was heard I don't know about you but the stories of Jesus they are food to my hungry soul you can never tell me enough of how he turned water into wine you can never tell me enough of how demons tremble at the sound of his voice you can never tell me enough how they cower in fear at the name the mere mention of his name you can never tell me enough of how he restored withered limbs and heal the lepers spots you can never tell me enough of how crippled souls through their crutches away how the crippled left Jesus running and skipping and praising God you can never tell me enough of how you open the blinded eyes with the touch of his finger or how he fed 5000 with a few fish and if loaves of bread you can never tell me enough how he healed without cost how he walked on water like a pedestrian on a city street you can never tell me enough of how he spoke with eloquence to his enemies and holy boldness to his friends you can never tell me enough of how he spoke peace to a raging storm and how pompous pretentious waves would lay down when he said you can never tell me enough of how in a few short three years he accomplished a life time of ministry you can never tell me enough of how he confounded the Pharisees and left them baffled and despairing and now today after almost 40 years as an Adventist preacher seeing thousands of songs preaching thousands of sermons and traveling millions of miles I never tithe of telling the world that Jesus lives as I told you I've traveled more than 4 million miles on Delta and one day I sat down at my desk and opened a book and before I knew it I reached for my seat belt I heard an old black preacher say one day someone said to him all that traveling don't you get tired he said oh yeah he said sometimes I get tired he said but you know what it's still better than picking cotton [Applause] when you're president elder Edmonds asks me called about a year ago that's an organized man and asked if I would speak for your camp meeting I was honored and humbled this is an historic camp meeting seventy years of ministry I ask tell Edmonds what would be the theme of the encampment and he told me the theme will be at the cross now to preach on this theme is a difficult one for this preacher not because you feel like you're preaching on a topic everybody has heard before and a topic everybody already knows everything possible there is to know about but for me the older I get the more difficult it is for me to preach about the cross and not get emotional not because of the gruesome details of the suffering Christ endured but because I can no longer preach on the cross without becoming overwhelmed and overcome by how much God really loves us I am awed that in all the wives sweep of history few names carry with them the mystery the glory the grandeur of that name Calvary you don't understand but angels greed that name in all Calvert they speak of syllables in adoration and praise Calvary the scene of the grandest battle ever fought by heavens undisputed champion the sovereign monarch of the universe Calvary a unique spiritual event unlike any other in history where sinners are redeemed from the rule of death and men are ransomed from the power of the grave Calvary it is a mystery to angelic hosts a mighty blow to rebellious causes when the choirs of earth sing of Calvary angels hopes listen tune their hearts to hear our place and they strain their hearts to understand what kind of love is this that would fall in love would be undeserved what kind of love is this that is never disheartened by the plight of the unworthy what kind of love is this that draws near in spite of our apathy what kind of love is this defines affection with those mired in shame and disgrace what kind of love is this that finds a way to trust those who cannot be trusted what kind of love is this that remains undaunted by treachery and faithful in the face of broken promises what kind of love would authorize such a sacrifice that main Calvary should fall from our lips with the profoundness of Honor the deepest of reverence in the wide sweevil history it is without parallel heavens greatest risk and God's costly a sacrifice throughout eternity the cross of Calvary will testify to the in estimable value of every human soul it meets the emergency of every sin the need of every sinner and planted by heaven in the soil of Calvary was a battered bhootish through a little cross someone said it was tall enough to reach the portals of heaven broad enough to span sins divided the only answer for the fears and anxieties a man and on its hinges opens the door of eternity and so this morning pray with me pray for me as I linger while just to think and glory in the cross come with me push through the rude and railing mob push past the contemptuous withering throng look pass the Sanhedrin who saw him as a deceiver and a false prophet look past the priests from the ecclesiastical court and this morning I want you to see Jesus at the cross but not through the eyes of the jeering mob who heard the obscenities at him not through the eyes of those who mocked and ridiculed him along the road of Sorrows not through the eyes of the callous soldiers or the heartless priests today I want you to see Jesus through the eyes of an aimless convicted felon a fallen forgotten thief I want you to see Jesus through criminal eyes a man tried and condemned an outlaw a robber a thief see Jesus this morning through the eyes of a man who had wasted his potential squandered his years as a thief if you have your Bibles you can look with me Luke 23 verse 39 the Book of Luke chapter 23 verse 39 the Word of God says and one of the male factors which were hanged railed on him saying if thou be the Christ save thyself and us but the other answering rebuked him saying just not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation and we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds but this man had done nothing amiss and he said unto Jesus Lord [Applause] remember me when you come into your kingdom and Jesus said unto Him verily I say unto thee today thou shalt be with me in paradise like most men the thief on the cross did not come here a hardened correct criminal he became one no mother raises a child with a criminal career in their future he had been led astray by bad company wrongfully influenced by evil companions you know as parents trying to raise godly children in an ungodly world I often tell the Lord this is not a fair fight we live in a world where children no longer have to go looking for evil evil is looking for them no longer do we have to go looking for murderers and rapists they are now welcomed into a home through devices that fit into the palm of our hands I tell God this is not a fair fight I call the smartphone digital idolatry one definition of idolatry is the extreme devotion to something you try to take a cell phone from somebody for a date talk about separation anxiety we wake with it sleep with it go to the bathroom with it where I live I attend a morning Bible study on Tuesday mornings and a young man was there one day and he decided to give us his testimony he said my wife and I were lying in the bed the other night and we were texting each other [Applause] he said I text her are you in the mood and she texts me back No some things don't change it's become the new way for couples to fight you know what I'm talking about you fighting texting each other digital idolatry I tell the log that as fast as we are making deposits of common sense and character in the hearts and minds of our children as fast as we're making deposits of Bible principles and faith and virtue there's a degenerate culture in the power making silent withdraws faster than we're making deposits and today kids even from good homes becoming a bankrupt brothers and sisters this young man dying on the cross next to Jesus had been influenced by his wicked friends taking a wrong path he had made some of the common mistakes of youth and was not caught up in a vicious cycle of criminal activity you heard the president mention for the past 20 years my message my ministry has had a central focus the children of those whose parents are incarcerated the children of those who are in prison in those years we have invested those two last 20 years we've invested over fifty million dollars in the lives of children who live in disadvantaged communities in America and I can tell you firsthand that when our black boys get involved and caught up in the criminal justice system even if they are innocent once you're in the justice system it seems that there's no way out once you're in it it is not easy to escape the clutches or scrutiny are you listening to me of the criminal justice system as a matter of fact you have a greater chance of getting stuck in the criminal justice system than getting into it in the first place this young man was raised in a sabbath-keeping home where the laws of God would talk in he carried in his heart memories of songs and scriptures that haunted his spirit and troubled his conscience he carried in his heart memories of a praying mother but because his faith was not a personal experiential Trenton transformative faith he allowed himself to be swayed by the moral objections of others I want you to know faith that does not transform us does little good for us God says say it again faith does not that does not transform us just little good for us faith that does not transform us into the image and character of God is worth less to us sabbath-keeping that does not transform and change us is a waste of God's precious time this young man stifled the voice of conscience life became a slippery path and soon many around him even from his own family gave up on him they saw him as incorrigible you got a child like that seem like he's beyond hope beyond redemption too late for his heart to be touched by the light and mercies of heaven his fortunes ran out he was caught arrested tried and condemned and I want you to know something for your own good sometimes God will arrest you somebody hand me that handkerchief I'm gonna sweat my preaching out this morning God will apprehend you and hinder you sometimes God will detain you anybody know what I'm talking about I've met some men in prison who will tell you that God had God not arrested them they wouldn't be alive today my friend Barry black some of his friends said this guy down the street owes us some money let's go beat him up he said I allow you although they found the guy beat him to death all of them were sentenced to life in prison except Barry black who didn't go that day sometimes God will arrest you that door you were trying to break in wouldn't open that gun you tried a fire jam was God and now you're living for Jesus under voluntary house arrest hallelujah young people you will always get into trouble when you think too much of what people are thinking and saying about you most of the time they're not even thinking about you anyway one day God pulled me aside in ministry he pulled me aside and said son you have developed an an ordinate need I need I never ordained for you you've developed an inordinate need for the affirmation and approbation of those who won't lose a night's sleep if you croaked so now here is some mother's son on death row about to be executed on a cross for his crimes but lo and behold what destiny the place of his execution is Calvary out of all the places he could die he's dying next to Jesus he listens as Jesus prays for those who are persecuting him and he lifts his head looks into the face of Jesus but but he's able to see beyond his cold pale lips he's able to see beyond the thorns and his bruised and wounded side he sees the soldiers gambling over the road but he sees nobility goodness of character he sees the light of a Savior shining in his eyes and that young Pete dying on the cross looks again and the Bible tells us that everybody grows silent they turn with curious eyes and listen with curious ears because a conversation is passing between these two men dying on a cross the conviction comes to his soul he is my hope [Applause] and with his life slipping away probation about to close despair sweeping over him this young man remembers this is the same this is the same Jesus who healed the leper this is the same Jesus who closed the lame the walk and the blind to see this is the same Jesus who raised Lazarus and they're hanging on that cross in the mind of that young man a chain of faith fills his heart evidence comes together hope like a kindling revives and he sees the last appeal from God to his dying soul his lips trembling with pain and anguish that young criminal thief understands the one most important truth this world will ever know God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life and the young tepees in Jesus the help of the helpless one who comforts when all comforts free and behind him he sees a wasted life before him he sees a hollow tomb but there on Calvary that young man gathers together the shattered pieces of his fragmented chaotic confused life and in that last prayer he prays a prayer of faith he turns to Jesus and said Lord remember me when thou comest into the kingdom the Bible tells us that the answer comes back from the lips of Jesus soft and melodious truly there I say to you you will be with me in Paradise I will remember you he knew Jesus was saying my son from death roll the next face you will see is mine from death row you will graduate to paradise from death roll you will stand on seer glass from are you you're listening to me today from death row you will eat from the tree of life from death row you will walk with angels sing an angelic choruses from death row you will stand where seraphim's veiled their faces from death row you will hear cherubims powerful holy Lord God Almighty from death row you will see the face of the Father and praise Him in the firmament of the heavens or years ago Church I had a friend that a Republican congressman and yes I have Republican friends I sing for Republicans and Democrats one day I sang for a big function with President Clinton spoke and same night I had a rush across town and sing of this big Republican function and when I got there I announced I had just come from singing for the President of the United States and there was a booth at went through the audience and I said I said wait a minute wait a minute I said I always go where people really need the Lord and there was this polite applause then I said and that's why I'm here anybody here knows Hillary Clinton needs Jesus anybody here knows Donald Trump leads Jesus and if the truth be told we all need Jesus because we all are thieves spiritually we're thieves for whosoever shall keep the whole law yet offend in one point we all are fees and that they on Calvary Christ came to all men the same promise you will be with me before I leave you I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that Jesus death on the cross was for a Trinity of purpose one Jesus died to ransom and redeem to Jesus died to rescue from Satan's power and three Jesus died so we could have the power to be recreated and restored into the image and character of God too many of us are glad to be ransomed and redeemed we are glad to be rescued from Satan's power but we don't sit long enough with Jesus to let him recreate us and recite listen to me restore us into the image and character of God the cross is also God's answer did you know Jesus came here to defend the character of his father you see Satan had impeach you know what that word impeach means it impeach means to indict to accuse Satan impeached and impugn the character God put God on trial charged God with lying and false misrepresentation the devil said you are not what you say you are you're a god I hate and not a God of love there's no there's no drama like a leader on trial some of us lived through the impeachment proceedings of President Nixon and Clinton and I and I was part of those experiences I have to tell you about it later on but in heaven Satan dared to impeach God and demand that God relinquish his position and authority in the universe and share his sovereignty with others like himself and I said stay away from negative people you know what she says she says they're envy and jealousy has a power to paralyze your ability to reason that's what happened to a third of the Angels who got thrown out of heaven envy and jealousy paralyzed their reason the devil has blamed God for all the evil that's in the world you talk about throwing a rock and hide in your hand he causes death and disease and then puts God on trial for the evil he has done I read about this I couldn't believe it in 2007 after seeing hundreds of to nato's hit his state state senator Ernie chambers of Nebraska filed a lawsuit against God seeking a permanent injunction against God's harmful activities and I love this the shoe the shoe the lesson when all the way to the Nebraska Supreme Court where it was finally thrown out dismiss because God could not be properly notified because he has an unlisted home address [Applause] the devil has accused and impeached the carrot of God the devil says God is a tyrant he's a bully he's charged God with lying misrepresent he said to eat to Eve in the Garden of Eden you don't know God like I know him he has a character problem he doesn't always tell the truth you won't really die sit and demand that God relinquish his authority but because the devil can't find and my son gave me this man I thank God for children listen because the devil can't find wicked traits in God he has to look in the mirror and the wicked things he sees in his character he uses to create a false picture of God so he's charged God with preparing an eternally burning hell for everybody who disagrees with him but thank God the Cross says not guilty my God is not in the torture business the devil says God can't wait to punish man but the Cross says not guilty the devil says God created sin the Cross says not guilty he was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with His stripes somebody say with His stripes we are healed the devil says God created cancer the Cross says not guilty I read this did you know those of you in the medical profession the serve the law tells us I got some doctor friends here the certain law tells us that Satan is the originator of disease and doctors who are in the fight against disease are in hand-to-hand combat with six hymns every nurse in here you are in hand-to-hand combat with the devil himself the devil says God causes floods tornados earthquakes he has us calling them acts Oh God the process not guilty the devil says God's character is unjust and unfair the process come on what is the process a the devil said that God is the author of suffering misery and sin the process not guilty let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man the cross says not guilty the devil says god character is defective he says God is self-absorbed and self-centered the process not guilty the devil says God is severe tyrannical demanding inflexible the cross says for scarcely for a righteous man will one die yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die but God commendeth his love toward us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us process not guilty the devil says God is running the biggest spy agency in the universe he's spying on every move you make watching for every mistake he can't wait to whack you when you get out of line but the cross says no no the devil has accused God of finding delight in punishing us with cruel discipline the crust says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and what cleanse us from all unrighteousness the devil has charged God would be hard-hearted and unsympathetic and cruel the crow says not guilty and sometimes when men look at Christians and see how we treat each other they blame God for the cruelty of Christian people there are some people who are not in the church today because Ellen White says beside their name in heaven is written the word rule did you know that many Christian pastors in the South the pastors owned slaves I read recently where in 1838 Georgetown University almost had to close their doors but the university was saved when the priests who ran the university sold two hundred and seventy two of their slaves that's how George Town University was saved don't lay that on God the priest as a matter of fact Frederick Douglas once said the most devout Christians made the most savage slaveholders but the reason before clothes the reason black people are Christians today is because when slave owners told our forefathers that slavery was God's doing the slave was able to look at Jesus on the cross and they knew the cross was God's Way of saying not guilty the devil has brought charges against God he's convinced people that God torments but before I leave you know the servant of Lord says and I got to read you this the reason why it seems so difficult to win souls for Christ is that Satan is continually engaged in misrepresenting the character of God to the human mind some of the law says that they are men and women in the church beside their names in the books of heaven written the word one word she says one word cruel she says one of the ways Satan seeks to pervert Christianity is by filling the hearts of church members with his own satanic attributes she said there are many names registered on the church books by the church clerk that are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life certain losses the character and disposition of Christ's followers will be like Jesus he is your pattern he would have you learn by walk by faith and I gotta tell you this God gave me this and I gotta tell you this if the thief dying on the cross had somehow miraculously lived and went back to being a thief in spite of the promise from Jesus he would be lost did you hear what I just said because all God's promises are condition and the thief died on the cross was say because he was given the righteousness of Christ as credit for the journey he would have traveled had in air he was given the righteousness of Christ as credit that he was headed in the right direction and would have met the conditions that came with the promise of paradise God says I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy in other words I will say Who I want to say and as none of y'all are the emblems at Nanyang it's my business who I say have the theif live have the thief live he would have had to study the word and grow in grace every day to more resemble reflect and reveal the character of Jesus you see with all of us there is a gap between who we are and who we were created to me we were created to resemble reflected reveal the character of God and it's time to close the gap between who we really are and what God has called us to be hey man are you with me today one day we will hear the Lord say if we will close that gap call me blessed of my father inherit the kingdom I prepared for you before I leave you I want to tell you all of us can pray that prayer every day if the thief had lived he would have had to pray that prayer every day Lord remember me some years ago God gave me a song I'm will close with this song listen to the message in the song praise the name of [Music] hallelujah [Music] [Music] the thief lay dying on a cross and he knew all along that he had done wrong and now for his sin he must die but as he turned he saw the Christ with his blood flowing down he knew he had found the one who could save his soul so he cried remember me when you come into your kingdom remember me when you talk to your father and tell him that I know I'm not been all he wants me to be but in see now I pray Lord please remember me [Music] then jesus said have no fear son you shall be with me eternally it is for you that I died and now I know Christ he lives again and he stands all alone before the throne with his own righteous life he covers mine so now I cry remember me when you come into your kingdom remember me when you talk to your father and tell him that I know I'm not all he wants me to be but in mercy now I play love me remember me remember me when you come into your kingdom our Lord remember me when you talk to your father and tell him that I oh he wants me to be but in mercy now I play please remember me remember remember me won't you please remember me [Applause] will you bow your heads with me calling all thieves calling everyone who has failed the Lord dark days may dawn but don't give up on yourself keep on striving struggling many no matter how many times you falter get up don't give up no matter how many times you fail remember God hasn't given up on you tell yourself no matter how fierce the battles no matter how many times you've disappointed God as long as there's a little fight left in you you're gonna pray that prayer at the cross Lord remember me through every tear you shed through every sorrow you endure where every trial you pass through pray that prayer Lord remember me Lord when you come into your kingdom remember me is there somebody here who knows that you failed the Lord some preacher in here knows that you failed the Lord some Eldo some deacon and you want to hear God say to you have no fear you will be with me in paradise and today you want to claim that promise you want to clean it by faith and you want to say Lord remember me I'm going to invite you where you are to stand on your feet if you want to pray that prayer Lord remember me when you come into your kingdom he came to pay a debt that we didn't couldn't pay Lord remember me someone said at the cross at the cross where I first saw the light the burdens of my heart were rolled away Lord remember me God has asked me to do something is there anybody here who plans to be baptized today raise your hand raise your hand I'm gonna be baptized today I want you to slip out of the aisle I want you to come on down here to the altar those of you gonna be baptized today we're gonna have a special word of Prayer for you and if there's anybody else here who knows you need to be baptized you don't have your robe yet you can get one we'll get one for you come on I need to be baptized today I am that thief who's praying Lord ran underneath Lord remember me somebody said praise the Lord hallelujah praise the Lord Oh hallelujah praise the Lord now you know we should be shouting in this church we don't understand we really don't understand that these folks are here because Jesus on Calvary said not guilty somebody say hallelujah for these folks who come here today hallelujah [Music] come on quietly sing it sing it quiet oh yes yeah Jesus when the Calvary say the rats you and me hallelujah hallelu that's the [Music] when a town the ranch thank you and me [Music] [Music] pasla will you come here [Music] we're gonna have a baptism right after the six did you know that hallelujah at the Prowse somebody's gonna leave here everyday pray that prayer Lord remember me you pray in different way Lord I need you Lord keep me Lord help me don't let me fail you whatever way you have to print you can pray the own way but pray that for every day Lord remember me when you're coming to you kid that's the proof of these folks who come to be baptized God has spoken let the church say Amen I'm gonna do as pastor Phipps has instructed but as your heads bowed your eyes are closed there's still somebody you're standing you're watching and you know you need to be a part of this number in the name of Jesus

Channel: Wintley Phipps

Views: 292,974

Rating: 4.6074705 out of 5

Keywords: Wintley Phipps, Amazing Grace

Id: F2CcmOyi_Xs

Length: 60min 38sec (3638 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 17 2018