James Thomas
September 14, 2007
Pastor’s anniversary Napoleon Bryant
THANK GOD FOR THE PREACHER
Eph 4:11-12
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Romans 10-13-15
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Tonight we celebrate the dedication and labor of this anointed man of God. The fortitude God has given him to continue to fight the good fight and the dedication to stay his course.
There are times when life will throw you a curve ball. There will be times when it Gets, hard to fight when your arms are tired from swinging, sometimes it gets hard to Stand when your knees are weak form standing.
Sometimes it seems as though you are Boxing giants with the arms of a small child. Yet is there anybody here who knows that with God on your side nothing is impossible if God be for you then who can stand against you. No
weapon formed against you shall prosper, not that it will not form animosity will form, Jealousy will rear its head, people will walk away from you, and sickness will come, but that it will not prosper. The winds of trouble will blow.
People will talk about you friends will walk away they will criticize you the ones you started with won’t always be the ones you finish with. But I believe Pastor Brown is like Nehemiah and said I cannot come down from this wall I
am doing a great work. There is work to be done. Yet after 29 years of fighting the good fight, 29 years of running for Jesus you have stayed your course. The great Apostle says 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is
something to be said about staying your course especially in the microwave society we have become we want everything right now everyone who starts this race will not finish the race. Paul while writing from Rome to the
church in Phillipi he said I press toward the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul said I press which means there was something in his way that he had seen trouble he had stood before Agrippa and plead his case
had become enemy not only to the Jew but also to the roman government he said I have been locked up because of my faith. He said I went from on top of the world to the world on top of me. There is something about being in
the press the bible says that there was a woman with an issue of blood and when she heard Jesus had come she got in the press behind him and touched his garment. There is something about getting into the press. The bible
speaks of a young who was paralyzed and could not get to Jesus because of the press so his friends took him on top of the roof and began to tear away at the roof until they could get to Jesus. Sometimes you have to tear away
some things to hear God. There is something about being in the press that will cause Jesus to take notice of you. I believe this great man of God has had to press through sleepless nights through some sick days through hurt and
tragedy disappointments and pain press through tear stained eyes. There have been days when he did not feel like preaching but he had to preach anyhow days when he did have the strength to pray but had to pray anyway.
Nights, when he had to get out of his sick bed. To go visit the sick bed of another. Days when it looked like the problem was solved only to have it come back again. But if he had to testify tonight I believe he would say God has
been good to me a he has been a friend like no other, his grace has kept me and his mercy has held me. When I though I couldn’t get up and go another step he lifted me and when I couldn’t lift my head he was a ray of
sunshine. When my eyes burned with tears he dried my tears. The song writer said when I look back over my life, and I think things over. I can truly say that I’ve been blessed I got a testimony. There is something about being in
the press, and pressing through. That will separate those who don’t know from those who know. Those who have not stood in the fire from those, who have the walked thru the flames. Trouble will separate the weak from the
strong. To be in the press is to be under pressure to be challenged on every turn. Job found himself in the press he said, for the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. It is the
press that will make you call on the name of Jesus. The press brings power and with it perseverance. I tend to believe like the woman with the issue of blood that Pastor Bryant said Lord if I can just get close to you if I can
make it to the house of the Lord and touch my Jesus everything will be ok. There is something about the preacher he is a leaning post while trouble is pressing you down. He is a listening ear when no one else with listen he is a
source of encouragement and a pillar of the community. The preacher does not speak like everyone else you say I am going thru he says you are on your way out. You say I’m sick he says this too shall pass. You say I can’t make it
the preacher says where you are weak God is strong. The preacher is always talking about what God has to say. Someone says what they can’t do the preachers says all things are possible thru Christ Jesus who strengthens us.
Walk with me as we examine this text. Paul says very clearly how they can hear without a preacher. Contrary to popular belief. The preacher is not just a man just like you. He is an anointed vessel of God and messenger from
the most high God. The bible says angels are messengers from GOD, your pastor is a messenger sent from God to Greater Calvary therefore, he is an angel. He represents God here on earth and he represents God’s way of doing
Kingdom business. Paul makes the point very clear he says without a preacher the church the saints cannot hear the word of lord. Then he writes except they be sent. In other words contrary to popular belief. You do not choose
your Pastor; your pastor is sent to the saints. The Lord told Jeremiah before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee and ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. In
other words you are sent here for such a time as this. There was need of this Pastor at this church God has hand crafted this preacher this great man of God for this house. Paul writes to Timothy in the 5th chapter and the 17th
verse he instructs timothy to remember the elders of the church he says let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor especially those who labor in word and doctrine. Paul says thou shall not muzzle the ox
that treadeth out the corn and the laborer is worthy of his reward. In other words love your pastor he is worthy of every accolade you can give him he is worthy of double honor what you make happen for him God will make
happen for you. Jesus said whoever shall receive a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. Hebrews 13:17 says your pastor watches over your soul as he must give an account for it. Your pastor has
to give an account for your soul he prays when you can’t pray he fast when you cannot fast he seeks God for you when you are sleep Thank God for the Pastor God’s blessings are in his mouth, The record of 1 kings 17:13 records
that the prophet Elijah was sent to a widow woman who was in need she needed a word from the Lord is there anybody here who has ever needed a word..yeah … from the Lord yeah she was down to her last and couldn’t find
a way out, but I heard Elijah say there is a word from the Lord he said feed yeah the man of God. And watch what God will do for you….thank God for the preacher thank God for his word…Elijah said the barrel of meal shall not
waste. neither shall the cruse of oil fail trust in the Lord he will he will make a way out of no way he will yeah anybody ever had to wait on the Lord yeah no family no friends and no where to turn to but God anybody yeah
ever prayed and waited and nothing ever happened. You found yourself like Hezekiah having to turn your face to the wall yeah asking the Lord what have I done wrong but in the midst of your trouble there was a word from the
Lord…..He will send a man of God when he got ready to start the human race he used a man named Adam…..when he got ready to move his people and give them traveling grace he called a man named Abraham
when he wanted to show his mercy and deliver his people he called a man named Moses….when he wanted to turn a boy into King he called a man named David….When he needed a preacher he called a man named
Solomon…yeah when he needed a weeping prophet he called a preacher by the name of Jeremiah yeah….When he wanted to save his people he sent his son his son the rose of Sharon his son the lily of the valley his son Jesus the
rock in a weary land a bridge over troubled water the chief Shepard the great I am the first and the Last yeah when he got ready to lead his people here at Greater Calvary he sent a man of God named Napoleon Bryant to build this house
