The Church on Trial Pt. 3
It’s Time to Clean the House
Revelation 2: 12-17
12) To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13) I know where you live – where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city – where Satan lives. 14) Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15) Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16) Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
I would like to lift up the thought on this morning, “The church on Trial”. But what I would like to give as a sub thought is it’s time to clean the House. Look at your neighbor and say neighbor, it’s time to clean the house. Now I’m not talking about your physical house, but if that’s dirty, that’s ok. You probably need to clean that anyway. But God is talking about there are some spiritual house cleaning that needs to go on.
And my brothers and sisters, it is imperative, if you will, to understand that the signs of the time are being prophetically lived out right before our eyes. The bible says over in I Timothy 4: 1-2 out of the message bible, says: That the Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on some are going to give up the faith. In other words what he’s saying is that in this day and age, he says there is going to be a great falling away from the church.
He says and not only are they going to be falling away from the church, but he says and they are going to chase after demonic allusions put forth by professional liars. The world has said we don’t need the church. The world has said that the church is to anti-the-world. Well I want to help you understand that’s the reason why Christ came. He came to seek and save those that were lost. Christ came because he got tired of it being business as usual. He got tired of the church that represents him say, that we represent him yet our lifestyle ends up being another way.
God says for us to be holy, that’s not a compromise. God says that’s the way it is. And God says be holy for I am holy. So God says if you’re going to be holy, you got to make sure that you reconcile yourself to him, so that you can understand that righteousness is. And the problem is in the church that many of us profess to be connected to the church but we’re not connect to God.
Ok, I’m going to stay right there for just a minute because I think it’s necessary. God is saying these liars have lied so long and so well, that they don’t have the capacity for the truth. God is saying that you have lied so long not only to yourself, but to others. You don’t even know right from wrong and wrong from right.
And so he’s telling us in essence on today, he’s telling us it’s time to clean the house. He’s saying it’s time to quit playing the dozens and clean the house. He’s saying it’s time to quit being self-absorbed and be about the Kings’ business. He’s saying that the church, if you will. And remember two weeks ago, we’ve been dealing with the seven churches, and let’s be honest and transparent, when he’s talking about these churches, understand, he’s not talking about the building. He’s talking about us.
I need for us to be crystal clear there. He’s not talking about the building, because the building is not the one that’s guilty of sin, it’s you and I. So he’s talking about us, and so a couple of weeks ago we started dealing with the church at Ephesus. And one of the problems with the church at Ephesus, as he says is, listen, I’m not that at one point in time did what I called you to do. But somewhere along the road, prayer meeting had no more significance. Somewhere along the road, being here on time for Bible Study has lost its zeal. Somewhere along the road, giving what I have blessed you with has taken a back seat to your bills and other things. He says somewhere along the road you have left your first love.
And so the question that was asked then was what does love have to do with it? And the reality is, that love has everything to do with. How do you know that Jackson? For the bible says in John 3:16 that for God so loved the world that he gave. So what does love have to do with it? It has everything to do with it. And God says listen, if you love me, you ought not have a problem obeying everything that I tell you to do. And I can tell that we have a love issue because many of us are not doing what God has called us to do.
Ok, I know many of ya’ll are going to be quiet right down through there. That’s why I’m going to park right here for a minute. See you got to understand that God is calling us out if you will, he has convened a hearing and God has called the church to the witness stand, and he’s asking a question. God is saying that you claim that you represent me, but everything about you tells me that you’re not practicing what you believe in. And because you are not practicing what you believe in, you are guilty of misleading other people in the world to thinking that God is not as powerful as we claim that he is. And yet God has all power in his hands. He can do anything but fail. But yet you don’t believe that and so you are telling other people that God can’t do it. Matter of fact you won’t hold on to the principles and precepts of his word.
And so we talked about the church at Ephesus and he said that we are guilty of leaving our first love. And then on last week, we talked on the church at Smyrna. God brought them to the witness stand and God said listen, I need you to understand that the verdict that was rendered was that they were a storm survivor. They had endured some persecution. And you got to understand that anytime you’re on this Christian journey somebody ain’t going to like you. Anytime you call yourself going to church and reading your bible, all of a sudden the moment you get serious about the church, all hell breaks loose.
Isn’t it interesting that just at the minute you get ready to pray, the cellphone rings? Isn’t it interesting you about to open your bible and all of a sudden you start getting sleepy? You wasn’t sleepy until you started reading the bible. That lets you know that Satan is distracting you so that you can’t get the promises that God is giving you. And some people have the audacity if you will, you’ve been alert, you’ve been peaky, you’ve been up and got some pep in your step, but the minute the word is going forth zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I mean come on and talk with me. I know I’m right about. Isn’t it interesting the minute the preacher gets up, you get sleepy? Ain’t that giving you a hint that you got someone distracting you from finding out how God wants you to live? If you’re sleepy, you should have stayed home and went to sleep. Yeah, you didn’t get sleepy until the preacher said: zzzzzzzzzzzz.
Let me move on. So God is saying to the church at Smyrna, he says I’m commending you because you are a storm survivor. And God says you have endured some things in your life, but and yet you are still getting up, you are still rising in spite of all the adversity, in spite of all the things you have gone through. God says that they are a storm survivor.
Can I get a witness up in here that can say, reverend I’ve been through some things? Reverend I’ve been through the storm, I’ve been through the rain, I’ve been through some heartache and some pain, and yet because I’ve held onto God I made it. I’m a storm survivor. I’ve been a survivor of cancer, I’ve been a survivor of diabetes, I’ve been a survivor of divorce, I’ve been a survivor of all types of things. I’m a survivor because I’ve held on to God’s hand.
I made sure that the devil is not going to defeat me. I told the devil give me your best shot, but I will still survive because the God I serve will not let me go down. Because God says even though I fall, he shall not let me be utterly cast down. That’s why I’m a storm survivor. Because I’ve been through the storm and rain. Because I’ve had some days of loneliness, because I’ve had some days of depression, but yet I made it because the God I serve has given me strength to make it through.
But then today, he deals with this church at Pergamum. And by the time that we leave here today, some of you might not like this church. Because the reality is, is that when we look at this church, you really got to look at yourself. And some of you won’t like it, because it is what it is. And he says, listen, I have a problem with you.
Clean the House. Look in the text if you will. There are three points, I’m going to give you the first point of the text. First of all, it was time to clean the house. Because what God said when he put them on trial, he said the reason why you are being charged is because you tolerate those whose lifestyle don’t measure the house rules. And by way of record, here are the house rules. And God is saying I got a problem with you. Because you are tolerating, you’re putting up with people whose lives don’t measure up to the standard of the word of God.
If you’re missing it, it’s in Revelation 2:12. Look the text opens with God bringing church at Pergamum to trial. And as I stated before, these people can be anybody and everybody all at the same time. First of all, God commends them for their steadfastness. God always finds the best in us. God always has something positive to say. Look in the text. He says first of all I got to give you your props. Because he says you are bold, you won’t back down from nobody when it comes to the bible. And when confronted by your adversaries, you hold your ground. See it right there in verse 13 of the text. God commends them of the fact, even when they were under pressure, he says they did not back off of their profession of the faith. They stood their ground.
But then he gets to the heart of the matter. Look at verse 14. He says yet I got some things against you. He says you have some people living with you whose lives don’t measure the house rules. In other words, you’re standing for one thing, and yet you’re folding and allowing those things that don’t represent me to go on in your presence and you have nothing to say about it.
God says listen you got people who hold to the teaching Balaam who taught Balaak if you will, who enticed Israel to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and even committing sexual immorality. You have to read it over in Numbers 24 when you get a chance. But God has a particular disdain because his people were led astray by some people that came in and manipulated and connived them to the point that they walked away from God.
And God is saying it started out by simply allowing them to live. Ya’ll heard that song; don’t let the devil ride, because if you let him ride, eventually he’ll want to drive. God say’s you put up with stuff that violates the house rules. He says there’s a problem there. God is calling us to the table now and saying we are guilty as charged.
This church in the text is in serious trouble with God. And I hope that you can see it because in verse 12 look how he addresses them. He says first of all I’m coming against you with the sword of my mouth. God says I’m going to use the word itself to expose you. And sometimes God has to use the word to expose us. We don’t like it, sometimes we get upset, we get mad, sometimes we tune God out. But there is one thing you won’t be able to do. And that is when God gets ready to convict you with that word, that word won’t let you rest. That word won’t let you keep doing what you’ve been doing, and not be cognitive of the fact that what you’re doing contradicts the house rules.
So God is saying, I’m going to let the word expose you. And you know some of us right here, right now we look just like that church at Pergamum. Because we might be solid in our faith; hear this now, but we put up with some stuff, that can, and will and has voided our witness.
Ya’ll kind of real quite right there. Let me just put it out there if you will. How can you say you don’t believe in sex outside of marriage, and having your son living in your house with his girlfriend? Yeah, ya’ll going to be real quite right there. I can already feel that. How can you say that you don’t believe in same sex marriage and yet you are hanging out with two girls that you know are dating each other? Ya’ll are being real quite.
See God made the rules and ya’ll said yes to the rules, but your tolerating stuff that don’t measure up to the house rules. God is saying, it’s time to clean the house. How can you say that there is too much violence in the world and yet every DVD and every CD that you got has got cussing, and sex and violence in it? Yeah, but you think there is too much violence in the world. But first of all you got to check yourself. See I knew this was going to be rough and ya’ll sitting quite.
See God is getting at this in the text. See you’re caught, you’re busted, God has you on trial if you will, he’s got you on the witness stand and you can’t say nothing because you’re guilty. Everything that you claim that you’re against, God is saying you got somebody or something connected to it that demonstrates that you’re not really serious about being righteous.
But Reverend, every picture that’s out now got violence in it. Every picture that’s out ain’t got no violence or sex in it. Every channel on cable ain’t got violence in it. They do have religious channels. When was the last time that you turned on TBN, or The Word Network, or Daystar? Reverend, every picture has cussing in it. Well they do have a censoring machine that you can connect to your TV.
So that’s what God is saying. He’s saying you tolerate things which don’t measure up to God’s rules. And just for the record you need to understand that you think things are worse now, just wait they are going to get worse in time to come.
Can I give you a witness? Over in 2 Timothy 3: 1 from the message bible says “Don’t be naïve, there are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches people are going to be self-absorbed (Ya’ll know what that means right? That means full of yourself); money hungry, self-promoting (everything is always about you); stuck up, profane, contemptuous of parents, (for the kids, that means your disrespectful to your mom and dad); crude, course, dog eat dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild (yea, whatever your body tells you to do you just do. I’m saying impulsively wild, whatever everyone else is doing, you do. Whatever the world do, you do. God is saying wait a minute, what you’re doing is putting up with other people and they are contaminating the house so can’t live right); savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, they are bloated wind-bags. They are addicted to lust and allergic to God. They’ll make a show of religion but behind the scenes they are animals. Stay clear of these people these are the kind of people who smooth talk themselves into the house of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them. Women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up and take on every new religion fad that calls itself truth. They are exploited every time and they just don’t seem to learn.
Can I just put it your way? God says the last rascal used you and you just ain’t learned yet. He messed up your credit, tore up your car, you can’t get to your job, he skipped out on you. God says when you going to learn? You keep getting exploited you’re so needy for attention, you’re so desperate you want everybody to notice you that you settle for anything.
Listen can I tell you that you are a gift from God? Can I let you know that you are royalty? Can I let you know that you are the head and not the tail? Can I let you know that you are a queen? Can I let you know that God has a king waiting for you? Can I let you know that you need to be saving what God has given you for the king that God wants to be in your life? Tell your neighbor stop settling for trash.
Tolerate those who don’t live house rules. But then secondly my brothers and sisters, God says secondly the reason why we need to clean the house because we are tolerating those who don’t live up to the house rules. It’s not just that, watch what else. God says the reason why we need to clean the house is because you have allowed the lifestyles of those who don’t except the rules to be duplicated without any repercussions in your presences.
It’s right there in Revelation 2:15. He says: so thou also has hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which things I hate. God is saying not only do you tolerate stuff or people who violate the house rules, but God says you have allowed their actions to poison and contaminate other people who live in your house. Ya’ll ain’t hearing me. I’m trying to help you on this morning. Yes you’re saved, and you don’t have any problem telling everybody else in your house you’re saved. But everybody else in your house ain’t saved because they have been contaminated by people breaking the house rules.
Yea, if you going to be doing this or that, you got to do that in another room. First of all, you ain’t getting high or drunk in the house at all. It’s my house, I pay the mortgage here. Yea, I pay the rent here. How you going to call yourself the king of your domain and hell is going on in the room down the hall, but because you don’t want it going on over here, no every place I step is my house. Every square inch of the house is my house. So what it boils down to is that if you got to do that, then you need to find someplace else to stay.
Listen my older folk. And the problem is because that’s my baby, and we don’t want them to be out there in the street, you let them come in and disrespect you and disrespect your house and what they ultimately does is he poisons or she poisons everybody else in the house. Okay, ya’ll ain’t going to help me preach this message this morning. I’m going to preach it anyways.
Yes you’re saved, but everybody; your son and his kids; your daughter and her kids, in the other room getting high, drunk and laying around. God is saying it’s time to clean the house. Listen, just because you aren’t doing it, it doesn’t mean that you’re immune from it or make it okay. See if you allow that type of spirit to dwell in your house, it will contaminate and make your whole house dirty.
And before you know it my brothers and sisters, the whole house, the only room that’s clean in the house is the bedroom you sleep in. Every other room is dirty. But the minute you go in the room, something ought to change. And God is saying we’ve allowed stuff in the house that God says contradicts your calling. Yea you say you’re saved, but you putting up with mess. And because you putting up with mess from your kids, or from your lover or from whoever, God says it’s poisoning the rest of the house.
Well let me talk about the church for a sec. God is saying there is some stuff going on in the church that’s contaminating the whole church. See ya’ll going to say amen there, but when I was talking about ya’ll, ya’ll was real quite.
I like what Joshua was saying if you will in Joshua 24:15 – And if it seems evil unto you to serve the Lord; choose you this day whom you will serve. Whether the gods your father served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. He says but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
And I know you’re saying, well pastor he’s grown. He ain’t so grown that he can come up here and disrespect me. He ain’t so grown that he can’t obey the house rules, and the house rules are the word of God. And the problem is, is that we accept it because we think they won’t love us. It ain’t about loving you. It’s about honoring and respecting the God that you serve.
And so God is tell us brothers and sisters that if they are living in your house it ought to be your house rules. Listen can I be brutally honest with you today? See even when I was a young adult, I had to respect and obey the house rules. The problem nowadays is that we put up with everything because that’s our baby. We accept anything because that’s our daughter, and that’s our only daughter we got. You know we want to make sure she does everything. No we don’t want her doing everything. We want them to understand that there is order. Why do you think they gave you mothers and fathers to make sure that you just didn’t go out there and go buck wild?
God said no you don’t need to be doing all that stuff. It’s going to lead you down a path of destruction. Even when I went out on Saturday night, and there was one occasion that I did, when it came to Sunday morning, my momma would come to my door and say Darrin it’s time to get up for church. And it didn’t matter how old I was, Darrin got up for church. Ya’ll ain’t hearing me. Know our kids determine when they go to church. They got the nerve to get mad. Momma and daddy knew how to fix that, it’s called a switch.
Listen I’m going to leave you alone in a little while. But God is saying that there is a contamination in the house, but now everybody is getting contaminated. Has anybody been a house where a brother or sister got a cold, and it wasn’t contained and then everybody got sick? That’s what God is talking about on today. God says because you have allowed stuff to happen, everybody else now thinks it’s okay. So because you didn’t get Greg, when Greg was out doing stuff, John now believes he can do the same thing.
God says, not only are there issues in our homes. But he says there are some issues in the church. We have folk in ministry that aren’t tithing, aren’t coming to bible study, aren’t coming to Sunday school, you show up when you feel like it, and we want to keep it. Like well you know they going through some stuff. That’s why they need to be at church. How are you going to get through your stuff staying away from the church? How are you going to get through your stuff and the people who can support you are the people you’re going away from? But you’re saved.
God says we got some stuff happening in the church. Got homosexuality right in the church. We got people serving in ministry that ain’t married. Driving up in two cars like we don’t know ya’ll stay together. Come up all in here shouting, ushers got to hold you down, go right out of here right up the corner, grab a beer and go right back home. Don’t think nothing is wrong going to the boat down 20. Reverend, I just like the food they got there. It’s some other place around here besides Rudy’s that got some good food as well. God says when you do it, then other people will start doing it and then you contaminate the whole house. God says it’s time to clean the house.
Now you might not like how God is talking on today, but that’s our problem. We think this is Burger King where we can have it our way, it ain’t your way. This is not a democracy, this is a theocracy where God says it’s my way or the highway. Ok well God really says it like this. It’s either Heaven or go to hell. You ain’t got no choices. Those are the two choices that you have.
If you make your mind up that you don’t want to go to Heaven, you ain’t got no other choice. See the problem is that we’re living in that day and age where men have become lovers of themselves more than they have of God. And they would rather do what the world says and what their body tells them to do than to do what God says. God says I got a problem with that because I live inside of you. And because I live inside of you, how dare you disrespect me and what I stand for by doing what the world stands for.
I know that make you uncomfortable. I know you don’t like what God is saying. But that’s why you’re on trial and here’s the thing about it. You can’t saying nothing but MMMMMM. Cause you know God’s right about it. You can’t say nothing about it cause God has cornered you. God is saying it’s time for you to clean the house and it has to start with you.
God is saying it’s time for the church to clean its house. I can’t speak for any other church, but can I make it clear to you that this church, at 3002 S. Denley Dr. Dallas TX 75216, as long as I’m pastor won’t let two men come down the aisle talking about I do. I won’t be attending none of those weddings, I won’t be attending none of those receptions, don’t even send me one cause I ain’t coming. Two men sitting there holding each other’s hands, I Steve take you John to be my lawfully wedded husband. It ain’t happening. But yet some tolerate it, even watch it on TV. Don’t you know that is contamination too?
See I can see when a church is lacking in power because those that are suppose to be of the church have began to flex the rules and bend the rules to accommodate people.
I’m going to leave you alone in a minute. God is saying you got to clean your house. How can you say you love me, but you only come to church once a month? How are you going to serve in ministry and never come to church? How are you going to serve in ministry and because things don’t go your way, you walk away from God? God say I can tell you’ve been contaminated with some stuff. It’s called your pride. It’s called your anger. God is saying it’s time to clean the house.
Clean the House with the Word. So the third thing I need to leave with you as I come to a close is how do we clean the house. I’m so glad you asked me that question. That’s a good question. Tell your neighbor that’s a good question. You clean the house with the word of God. That’s the only way you can clean it. It’s with the word of God and sometimes brothers and sisters, it’s got to start with you. To thine own self be true. What you need to do is you probably need to schedule yourself for a spiritual retake.
See when you started out in the church, you were okay. But somewhere along the road the worlds way became better than God’s way. You started out being conservative in your dressing and covering everything up. But because the world is dressing, the world is doing these nice little neat jeans, all these clothes don’t half way fit and we wearing clothes that are too small, you saying I ain’t going to be out-done by them. I’m going to do like them. Hello somebody. I’m going to leave you alone. I ain’t talking about nobody. I’m just talking about what I’m talking about.
And everything the world got, I got to have it. You just got a cell phone. The purpose of the cell phone is to keep in communication with everybody. Everybody’s got a cell phone. If you ain’t got a cell phone that has candy crush on it, you gonna get one with candy crush on it.
Everybody, have you ever noticed this? Everybody sitting at home in the same room, ain’t nobody talking to nobody. Cause everybody is ...... Watch this: we sitting in the same room and we’ll text the person right next to us. We in the same room less than two feet from each other, and we text each other. Would you go get me a glass of water? No I’m not going to go get you no water.
God says you got to use the word. You got to use the word to clean your house. And listen, if you don’t know the word, that’s why you need to get versed in the word. That’s why everybody in here right now ought to be here on Wednesday night bible study. Everybody in here ought to be here for prayer service. See some of ya’ll think you’re slick and ya’ll done slid off of prayer service and saying well, about 7 – 7:15 they ought to be about done with prayer and teachers meeting. I think I’ll tip in then. You ought to be here for prayer service because somebody need to pray for you. Ya’ll got this thing fixed out.
Well let’s see, if I get there about 11:15 I done missed Sunday school, devotion, alter prayer. I done missed everything else. God is saying you should have been here for bible study. Oh ya’ll ain’t liking that. I’ll tell you that by the time I finish this message, some of ya’ll won’t like it and won’t come back.
God is saying you got to clean the house with the word. Okay let me just point it out to you in the word. Look at what it says in verse 16 & 17 in the text. I got to quit. It says repent or else I will come to you quickly and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. God says listen, if you keep tolerating that stuff, when I come, first of all I’m going to deal with them. But you got to understand, you ain’t off the hook. Because you tolerated, God said I’m going to deal with them, but if you keep letting them hang around, now not only am I’m going to deal with them, but I going to deal with you just as well.
God says you got to let the word clean some stuff. He says, I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He says, he who has an ear let him hear he says what the spirit of God says to them. To him that over-cometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna. God says I will let you down into the deep treasures, in some things you don’t know, but you got to change some situations. Look at your neighbor and neighbor, you got to change some stuff.
God says if you don’t clean house, he says I’m going to pay you a visit. And when I pay you a visit, my word is going to whoop you to a point where you can’t quite rest well because the word won’t let you. Anybody ever been there to where the word convicted you to the point where you know, okay ya’ll ain’t feeling this? Has the word ever convicted you? I know the word is convicting some of you right now spiritually because some of you don’t like God confronting ya’ll. But that’s the only reason why God is trying to clean the house, because you represent God.
God is saying, how are you going to represent me and you haven’t forgiven the people that have done you wrong? How are you going to represent me and you putting all your business, and everything about you, all your thoughts, everything you think, you’re putting it out there on facebook. Don’t everybody want to know what you’re thinking. “Going to the store”, “Good morning FB”, “Getting ready to go to bed, Good night FBF.” Everything I eat – “click”.
I know ya’ll ain’t liking this. God says we’ve compromised for the world. The world is doing it so we figure we need to do it. The world is dressing a certain way, so we. No God says you are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You are the lender and not the borrower. God says you set the standard and the standard is the house rule.
See when you use the word to clean the house, God says, first of all the house is going to change. Your whole house is going to have some peace. I know some people right now; they hate to go home, because there are some stuff going on in the house that they don’t like. But they don’t have the courage to stand up. And say this ought not be so.
See when you start using that word, your house has to change. And when your house changes, the neighborhood changes; And when the neighborhood changes, the schools begin to change; And when the schools begin to change, then the community begins to change; And when the community begins to change, the state changes; When the state changes, the nation changes, all because we’re using the word of God.
My question to you is which one of you are willing to use the word of God? How many of you are willing to say for God I live, and for God I die? How many of you are willing to use the blood of Jesus to go through your house and start pleading the blood of Jesus on every room, on every cell phone, on every computer, on every TV? On everything. Lord, in the name of Jesus, everything is covered by the blood of Jesus. How many of you are willing to make a change? See that’s the problem. Many of us are still straddling the fence. But now it’s time to make your mind up which side that you are on.
God is calling for a church that’s willing to make up its mind to stand for him. And can I just tell you brothers and sisters that the minute that you make your mind up, something is going to happen, to try to defray you, to try to discourage you from doing what God has called you to do.
But the bible says that upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail. The songwriter put it this way: On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. How many are willing, honestly now, that are willing to make a change on today? Come on; tell your neighbor, if it’s going to change, it’s got to start with you.
My question is, are you willing to make a choice on today? My question is are you willing to stand up and hold up the blood stain banner? Are you willing to say God I’m going to be a living testimony? And Lord I already know I’m going to go through some stuff. But I’m going to stand up because I know that you’re standing beside me. I know that you’re under-girding me. I know you’re going to make this thing alright. So Lord I decided through the storm and through the rain, he said through heartache and pain, I’m going to stand because I know that is the right thing to do.
So God is asking you know, are you willing to do the right thing? God is saying are you willing to stand boldly now and make a declaration. Young people I’m calling on you now to be the next standard, to be the generation that says I’m going to stand for God. I know what my friends say. I know how they are living out there. I’m not going to be doing everything that they are doing because I am righteous, I am holy, I am a child of the king. I will do what God says. God has a blessing in store for me, because I learned how to be obedient to his word.
If that is you on today, tell your neighbor; neighbor it’s time to clean the house. Tell them neighbor, it has to start with you. If it starts with you, God says things are going to change. Greater South Central, we got to change some things. Brothers and sisters we got to change some things, because God expects a change.
Listen, when a change comes, you’re going to see an anointing flow freely. You’re going to have peace not just in your bedroom but in every part of your house. You’re going to have joy because you know you’re doing it God’s way. And I just need to let you know, that when you do it God’s way every time, somebody is going to be upset, but you got to remember a charge to keep I have, and a God to glorify. You got to keep it real. You got to tell them what God says.
I’m asking now, how many are willing to do it God’s way? How many of you are willing to at least try and say, I know I’ve got to change some things, but it’s got to start with me. I’ve got to get it settled in my mind that God expects me to be righteous. I’ve got to get it settled in my mind that I can’t be wishy-washy, straddling the fence. I’ve got to get it settled in my mind that I’ve got to stand on the word. And I may not know a whole lot of word, but that which I do know, I’m going to stand on it and say that God does not like ugly.
If that’s you, I dare you to say yes. I’m going to do it according to God’s way. Yes, I’m going to do it according to his will, because I know when I’m doing it according to his will God says that he will bless me.
*Now if that’s you, will you look at your neighbor and say neighbor, it’s time to clean the house. Just say neighbor, it’s time but it must start with you. And if you’re willing to do some cleaning and I’m willing to do some cleaning, we’re going to make a difference in this community. We’re going to make a difference in our church. We’re going to make a difference in our home. Our kids are not going to get pregnant, our brothers are not going to be in gangs, they’re not going to be locked up in jail. They will be successful in school, they will be politicians sold out for Christ. They will be CEO’s of companies and corporations. They will be those out there doing what God has told us to do.
If that’s you, say yeah that’s me. I’m pleading that over my children. See I don’t know about you, but I started praying for my children when they first were born, and I’m praying for the one if the Lord blesses will have in a few months, saying Lord you gave this child to me, now Lord I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that they understand that you are the center of their lives.
I’ve prayed that prayer for years telling Lord, these are still your children and look what the Lord has done. **The Lord has blessed me to have children that are sold out for him. That’s not saying that they are perfect, but that’s saying they are striving to live according to the word of God. And all God is asking you to do is let your little light shine so that your kids can see God and know that God is the head of your life. And if God is not the head of your life, today is a good day to make up your mind, that God is going to be the head.
Is there anybody here... that can say right now, that God is going to be the head of my life? That I’m going to start with me. That I’m going to recommit myself. That I’m going to live by the word of God. That I’m going to stay in the word of God. That I’m going to pray in the word of God. That I’m going to be in Church. That I’m going to have a principle and precept that I’m going to stay by the word. That I’m going to do what God has called me to do.
Is there anybody here... that has made up your mind that I’m going to serve the Lord until I die.
Is there anybody here... that’s going to stay with the house rules, and whatever God says, I’m going to make sure I say the same thing.
Is there anybody here... that can say through the storm and rain, I’m going to stand on the word of God. And whatever God does, it’s going to be alright with me.
Is there anybody here... that can say Reverend, I’m standing on the word of God. And God is blessing me, over and over, and over and over, and over and over again. And God is blessing me.
I don’t have a lot of friends, but God is blessing me. A lot of people don’t like me, but I’m standing on the word of God.
Friends walk away from me, but I’m standing on the word of God. I
’ve been buked and scorned, But I’m standing on the word of God. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.
Say yes, if you’re going to do his word. Say yes, if you’re going to do his will. Say yes, if you believe that God will make a way. Ain’t he alright?
