Ladies and gentlemen we’re live welcome welcome welcome to Sunday school at Nehemiah Ministries amen um I am Pastor Kelsey West I am sitting with director of our pastor of our Men’s Ministry Reverend Dexter Lee and today we’re going to um Le I’m bring him up here anonio come on
In the shot amen and also happy birthday amen thank did you see the news letter did you see the picture I used amen yeah he’s going to take a picture of us with them amen go ahead amen Carmen you’re you’re talking Carmen we’re in Sunday school you’re
Talking yeah we’re in Sunday school amen we in Sunday school we live right now all right let’s go let’s go Philippians chapter 1 we’re going to start at verse 12 and uh title of this is to live is Christ and today’s aim facts to to demonstrate Paul’s positive attitude as he lived to
Please Christ principle to teach that there is joy in living the Abundant Life In Christ application to encourage students to emulate Paul’s Outlook in way of life through the power of Christ um intro introducing the lesson some of the most vibrant Christians live in very negative circumstances but they
Turn those circumstances into a positive witness a prime example of this of the late Dr John F gates in the late 60s I had the privilege of studying under Dr Gates when he was a professor of St Paul Bible College Dr Gates had been born hopelessly deformed and crippled but he
Refused to be defined by his physical condition doc as he was affectionately known could type only one letter at a time by striking his typewriter keys with a pencil yet he wrote two books he sipped coffee through a straw and had to be hand fed but God used Dr gates in a
Mighty way in this this week’s lesson we see how Paul was able to live victoriously even within the confines of his prison amen um are we in are we in Philippians chapter one uh one one of the greatest verses that we can glean from is verse 12 when you look at Philippians chapter
1 verse2 because the title of our lesson is to live is Christ to live is Christ I know we’re just coming through um a season where it was cliche to say I’m living my best life and and we caught on to that everybody was living their best
Life but Paul is saying his best life he he didn’t start living his best life until he met Christ until he started serving Christ until he started um I’m reaching towards the mark of the high calling if you look at chapter 1 verse 12 it says but I would ye should
Understand Brethren that the things which happened unto me have H have fallen out rather until the furtherance of the Gospel does your Bible read as such so this is the Sunday school shout this is the message right here if you have a piece of paper a journal um list
The things that have happened to you those are your testimonies and God has used those moments to help you let people know he’s good and that’s what Paul is saying PA Paul is saying my shipwreck the times I were I was beaten the time I was in
Prison had it not been for those moments the gospel may not have spread like you did I had to be sent here I had to go there I had to be in this confinement had I not been in prison at midnight with Silas those prisoners would not
Have heard us praising and preaching the gospel am I talking to somebody it’s even like watch this um bless you brother real good I’m going dance brother dance um watch this um sometimes when people are hospitalized this is the message we don’t share in the room is it possible
The person was sent by God to the hospital to be in the room if it’s not a private room to minister to the person in another bed is it possible God sent this person to the hospital not to die but because there is a nurse or two that
Don’t know Jesus is it possible that God sent this person to the hospital because there’s a doctor that believes he or she is the one that’s performing The Miracles and not Jesus and so we need to look at our situations differently well Pastor I’m going through I haven’t been
Working okay is it possible God sent you to the soup line so you can encourage the other people in the soup line I know what I’m talking about one year for Christmas we went to serve the homeless so we took all this food to the homeless
And and a lady came out and we were like fix your plate and she was like I ate today and we said well why don’t you fix something for tomorrow she preached the gospel to us she said I don’t worry about tomorrow I ate today and there somebody behind me who haven’t ate
Today I will never forget that moment because she reminded me that the gospel the good news that that that the lord gave us was not to be focused on tomorrow am I am I helping somebody are we helping somebody yeah come on yeah so by Paul being in prison right now what
Makes this special is that the fact that other people are advancing the gospel because he’s on the shelf and because they have a competitive nature they are trying to outdo Paul but Paul’s saying go ahead and outdo me because I don’t care about who’s better if you going to
Outdo me then outdo me but either way the word of the Gospel is still being brought forward and that’s all that matters in today’s church it’s not about a comp comption we don’t compete but we like to challenge each other by studying and seeing what we could pull out of a
Certain verse a certain scripture that somebody else never got and that’s the whole thing about how we go back and forth I call it spitballing I just throw stuff out there and see who going we go back and forth so in Paul’s situation he like I’m in prison but I’m okay because
It don’t matter that I’m in prison the word of God is still going forward see sometimes we go through even in the hosit like Pastor was saying that person in the hospital we don’t know what’s going on in their family their house they dynamics of their household because
Guess what by they being on the Shelf somebody got to keep going and so sometimes in those situations we got to even though it may be the person like even with now in church if Pastor not here the word still got to go forward
The gospel still got to go so if he not here that don’t mean we take uh time out or we take a break when they here when they not here here that means we still go even when he here we don’t know something may come up where he has to
Leave then who going to spread the word of God who going to deliver the message it’s not it shouldn’t be like oh my God he’s gone what we GNA do no it’s oh my God I got the word let’s go and that’s how we should act as
Because anybody can spread the good news right right you don’t have to be a preacher spread the good news right because all you got to have is the scripture and then your your your life your testimony you are a witness that’s it that’s right I want I want you to
Focus on look at verse 14 for a second Paul is saying because of his example and one of the things that I share with I start with um the pull pit but it’s across the the church we lead by example somebody say that example amen look across the
Sanctuary and tell somebody we leave by example by example because Paul led by example we get verse 14 and many of the brethren in the Lord waxing confident in my Bonds in my bonds are much more bold to speak the word without fear watch when I say this okay
When you are a director you have to be mindful of how you lead because if you lead fearfully your troops going to lead fearfully am I talking to somebody that’s why sometimes the pre the preon conversations we have have you should have had that at home cuz you it’s so
Serious when when you are super um if when I’m super nervous I’m not gonna share that with my team because I don’t want my team I don’t want them focusing on me focus on um what we need to be focused on am I making sense um um many
Of us we have different fears different phobias different struggles but when you are serving Christ I got to put all that on the back burner why I got a job to do look across the church and tell somebody I got a job to do for real for real man that’s why you
Know even as a preacher I put in our chats this is my outline regardless of yesterday was a four event Saturday I left the house at 8:00 got back at 10 o’clock and and in one event I was supposed to be at brother fail went
There and I’m so glad he did it was four events I couldn’t be everywhere but three out of four events I was there those events had nothing to do with the fact I still got to preach and teach Sunday school am I talking to somebody and so don’t tell yourself what you
Can’t do until you put yourself in a position to see what you can do am I making sense but Paul said they were feeding off me somebody please tell somebody look across church tell somebody people feeding off me please do do me a favor y’all I’m
Serious y’all have no idea you ready for this look somebody and write this in your notes you have an Entourage you have no idea how many people when they come to church are watching you if you stand they stand if you sit they sit if you don’t shout they
Don’t shout why because they’re a follower of you in the in the Bible before the disciples met Jesus most of them were followers of John the Baptist they were already following they had already heard of Jesus all of us have a following I promise you this is why when
You put stuff on social media there’s a group of people that quickly like and share why those are your followers friends and followers am I making sense and so we want to for the gospel to be Advanced look at verse 14 we have to speak the word without fear
So I need to I need to speak to somebody today are you ready don’t be afraid to make a mistake did you hear what I said don’t be afraid well Pastor I don’t want to make a mistake all of us make mistakes I every there is an a sermon I look back
And go wow I wish I could do that one again man I wish I could do that one again we’re going to make a mistake don’t allow fear of mistakes to keep you from even trying am I talking to somebody and so we want to spread the
Gospel we want to be bold with it be bold somebody say be bold be bold bold does not mean you’re rude and arrogant but bold means I’m confident in what I’m doing I serve god with some very confident people when I’m in the community I let people know you go get
Your best 12 I’m going to give my best 12 cuz I know who I stand with and we there’s some things we’re bold in I want you to be bold with the gospel with that there’s some of you I watch this that make Fergusons I know they’re 49ers they
Love them 49ers they’ll travel to the 49ers they they Rock their red and gold I’m using them as an example um I know people who are Greek um fraternity they their sororities and and and and fraternities I want that same fire for God I’ve never seen people in Greek say
I need permission to rock my colors but when it comes to Christ we worried about stepping on toes we worried about not being bold be bold if you are a follower of Christ sis has this Raider sweatshirt on I’m praying for her because that’s a losing situation but she’s bold in her
Belief amen that the Raider some way somehow gonna do something I’m just I’m just using as example for Sunday school just use as an example for Sunday school but but watch this but be bold Everywhere I Go everywhere I go somebody is pulling on me they’re jabbing me talking about the
Dallas Cowboys and this is what I tell people from 1979 to now nothing has made me change my mind all the heartbreaks all the losing Seasons all the disappointments I’m still down with them boys forever and that’s how you should be with Jesus don’t put him down because you’re
In a rainy season don’t put him down because you’re in a drought be bold with your belief am I okay and then do it without fear when you get up to speak who who who in here has ever spoke and did anything before the church if you’ve
Ever did it something before the church are y’all ready are y’all ready who in here and people can’t see allall it’s just us who in here was shocked at how people really look at you when you standing in church you could not believe the looks you were getting and you going
Wait man I thought I was preaching Jesus how come y’all ain’t smiling how how come you ain’t looking like you with me I thought you all came to praise and uplift the name of the Lord so I have to do it without fear and that’s why scripture teaches us pay their
Faces no mind we fear because we focus on faces more than we focus on our faith am I helping somebody focus on your faith don’t tell me you can do all things through Christ and your neighbor can make you sit down yeah because fear will stop you from
Doing what you’re supposed to do it’s a difference between fear and then for me I get nervous because I don’t want to mess it up not because of y’all because of God because I’m held accountable for what I say and I’m just trying to speak the word of God so there’s nervousness
Fear will allow you will make you not do what you’re supposed to do nervousness you still going to move forward because your strength come from God and verse 14 and many of the brethren in the Lord waxing coment by my buns are much more bold to speak the word without
Fear they want to speak the word because he’s in prison now now they want to step out so if I was to mess with this I would flirt with a topic saying convenient Christian because some people they just want to do it when it’s easy when it’s convenient see like Pastor was
Just saying he did all that stuff yesterday except in the wars but at the end of the day he still has to he has to preach he has to teach we allow ourselves sometimes let the world pull us away from our duties that we have for God so now you let me
Know that the world is more important than God because even if we have to do and I’ve done it where I have to stay two three o’clock in the morning stay up and study because of the fact that I’m on assignment and I have to do what God
Has told me to do but sometimes we hurry up we come late to church we in a hurry because the big game is on or we got something else we got family in but what’s more important cuz now you showing me that God is on the back but let something
Happen then when something happen then I’m I’m here every day when the door is open I’m here I’m here but when that season is over with and the sun begin to shine now I forgot who brought me out and that’s where we got to quit being convenient Christians and be Christians
When we need to be Christians at all times there was times where um we had a brother who they baby passed away and I’m cooking dinner for my family and I get a phone call I need you to come through it was no question of do
I I have to because he reached out to me so therefore guess what y’all go ahead and eat I’m good I’m going to go Minister and that’s what Ministry is amen let me share this um in in in your notes um two two words or three if
You don’t yeah if you just somebody just write this down I am good write it down write it down write it down I’m good when you read the life of Paul what Paul is saying in this Philippians chapter one watch this brother Elijah you sitting way too far for me watch
This what I what I like about this chapter is Paul is saying I’m locked up people put their mouth on me they running my name through the streets but I’m good people didn’t heard that I’m not free people thinking I’m about to slow down they have no idea I’m good
Because I have determined in my mind I’m going to use this moment um to to to preach Christ I’m talking to somebody today train yourself to to look at everything with the mindset all things work together for the good if I if if I hit you on social media and I say take
It down I’m saying take it down because you’re making God look bad serious it it doesn’t mean we don’t go through but I still got to there there has to be a bright side somewhere serious man that’s why I’m serious if you ever around me even even when when people are passing
We we going we going to cry we gonna mourn but when I’m ready to to to laugh and dance I’m ready to laugh and dance am I talking to somebody because I can’t stay in this place as if I don’t have hope and so we have to remember that’s
What Paul is saying you’re going to have people who are going to see you go through and they going to jump on it and and and and let me just share this you don’t know who is who I’m gonna say this again scripture teaches us wheat and tear grow together scripture teaches us
There are wolves in sheets clothing I get it you got all this wonderful gift of discernment if you had that you would have known they were G to fire you last week got all this wonderful gift of discernment guess what you see what you see and there’s something things you
Can’t see that the Lord don’t want you to see so you can stay focused on him some things need to catch us off guard so we can really see man do I really know how to count it all joy when I fall into D Temptation or do I just talk a
Good game and I’m not telling you something that I don’t have to live by example every day every day I have to remind myself don’t respond to that foolishness that somebody just I I know you shade me on Twitter I know you I know what you really saying on Facebook
And I want to respond I really want to respond but I can’t and I don’t need to cuz while y’all running your mouth about what’s going on with me in Las Vegas God taking me to Africa yeah serious why you putting your mouth on me in Las Vegas the vice
President said come have lunch with me I’m talking to somebody today if you put yourself in a mental spiritual position to be used by God especially when you are not ashamed to share the gospel Kelsey West is not going to DC Pastor West is going if the vice president asks
Me to pray I’m going to pray in Jesus name am I talking to somebody don’t be ashamed of who you serve because the Lord said if you ashamed of me I’ll be ashamed of you and we don’t want that are we in the text together you in verse number 13 because Paul is
In prison but people thinking he in prison for the wrong reason but while they worried about what he doing they out there preaching to the people Paul’s preaching to the Palace because the guards is chain of Paul and so those guards are working in the palace where
Caesar and all these other people so now they preaching to the he’s preaching to the Palace so now God is using his prison time to get to the Palace so that’s why you got to understand even though wherever you may be people don’t know who you speaking to who you
Preaching to who you giving the word to can I share something there watch this um on your nine to fives on your nine to fives who has access to people at the top okay watch this if you have access to people at the top you have to be
Extra mindful of how you move some of us work for people that do not have a relationship like that with Christ some of us work for people who really glean off of us to to grow closer to God which means we have we can’t be the one in the
Boardroom flipping out which means we can’t be the one stressing them out because they’re looking for us to have the faith they’re looking for us to have the peace that surpasses all understanding and there are some bosses because I’m not going to there there’re people that I Minister and counsel to
People have no idea who in major spots will call us for a word of encouragement and so when God has put you in that position you have to be ready to advance the gospel it’s not always about telling people what they want to hear it’s telling people what they need to hear am
I making sense so prepare yourself to be available to be used by God to tell people the truth all right go ahead Brother come on question I ain’t got I don’t got a question I got more of a comment because I work for my wife and I
Know what we do is is is a blessing and I’m in my in my I worked for the Energy company and we did NADA energy programs and I had access to to the top man it was the top man then it was me and I was running the whole
Program and it wasn’t no God in him it wasn’t no so some of the time God put us in positions where we got to be because the people below him he had no care for what anything about them but I I had the heart of God in Me because I was walking
With God that’s right so he put me in a position to be in between to protect them people from some of the things he wanted to do and because I had a voice at the table even though he didn’t know I’m looking at God and I’m telling him
Stuff he he looking at business and some taking advantage of people so some of the time like you said God put us in place like you was talking about the hospital he put us in different places that we supposed to be in to to to to protect our our brothers and sisters
Some of the time and it’s nothing we do it’s because of God but you have to be in in line with God at that time amen I promise you some of the boards that I sit on um brother fail I promise you these these groups that we are connected
To I didn’t go in saying I’m going to be the chaplain that was not it I thought I was just going in to be a board member and then I blinked and they said you are our chaplain so now in these um different um Community groups I have to
Remember people are looking at me to spread the gospel they’re looking at me in chaos to bring peace um the the people that walk with me watch this watch this watch this Minister Sharita everybody around me can’t be a killer I’m G say it again everybody
Around me can’t be Cub on crch y’ I need some people around me so if I get angry I need people around me to say Pastor calm down Pastor that’s not Christlike you got to have a balance am I talking to somebody cuz who in here need a balance of friends around you
Right now now everybody can’t make you go to 10 everybody can’t still be talking girl let’s go cut the car up what we 50 now we still doing that we got to come in a question back this y’all laughing but y’all know that’s true I had a whole Flash come on
We 50 we don’t do that girl get out the bushes we 50 now we 50 plus but I just wanted to say that um Paul was was able to advance the ministry and he did it in so many different ways and there were others who came out and because um some
Were trying to uplift or stand in place for him and continue the ministry they were preaching good will but one thing that caught me through these uh first verses was the fact that the Philippians he wanted to assure the Philippians that God’s Will and power was still very
Evident he did not want them to think that because of this situation because they had seen a jailbreak before that God’s will he wasn’t in God’s will because ultimately he still was and so that was the message that uh resounded and and he did that by his life he
Didn’t have to say nothing he just he lived it that’s why the title to live is Christ is sometimes we don’t need to say nothing we just need to live because our walk will will dictate how who we who we are with so in that situation Paul
Didn’t have to say nothing he imprison he doing what he’s supposed to do in prison because his actions spoke louder than his words can can we put something on that watch this um please put this in your notes uh just because you going through something doesn’t mean you did something
Wrong that’s why we need to stop talking to people that that really don’t study the Bible again there are times when when God will put you in a storm and he’s up to something it doesn’t because it doesn’t mean you did something oh I can’t believe the sickness has come upon
Me this is because of boom boom God is saying no I’m up to something oh ho girl I know why you got fired no you don’t no you don’t serious I think I than God hear me when I say this y’all ready for this I
Thank God and I don’t know if I’ve said this publicly like this I thank God um Elijah I’m in New York with kmen ready to ball out in New York and I get a call from Coca-Cola that I just lost my job I thank God that happened if I don’t stop
Working at cocacola I never get to United Blood Services if I never get to United Blood Services I I really don’t get to Nehemiah like that all things work together for the good I needed to lose my job at cocacola for this reason I was making such good money at cocacola
I was forgetting God cocacola was becoming my God I was doing every Coca-Cola told me you don’t go to no restaurant to serve Pepsi and I said whatever you like that’s what they said if they serve Pepsi you don’t you don’t go there I said bet had me wearing red black and
White I’m tell see some of y’all laughing but I need you to think about the God you serving right now serious some of y’all amen you you you you won’t even watch Prime because you so in in love with Netflix but I’m just using that as
Example but what but what I’m saying is um I don’t even know where I was with that I lost it ca huh thank you thank you thank you thank just because you are going through something again don’t don’t allow people to make you feel you did something wrong
Remember keep your mind focused on Christ Christ what are you up to and you have have to stop and ask God God why did you what’s happening with this for real for real is this really of you everything is not bad luck everything is not because you’re a virgia or cancer
Because we do that we get real we start looking at the stars oh for real You’ be surprised some of the calls I get Pastor I need you to pray for me what’s going on you know I’m a Virgo what You’ be surprised some of the calls
I get Pastor I need you to pray for me uh you you Pastor you know um I’m a Virgo and I’m married a cancer so I need you pray for our marriage we unequally yolked no that is not why yall unequally yolked you unequally yolked because you
A halfway believer he’s a no believer okay so we got but before I what is going on with this positive and negative energy that everybody keep speaking about isn’t that a positive and negative attitude why did now sudden it’s our attitude now is energy because if I thought about that
The other day I’m like it’s not somebody came in with negative energy they just came in with a negative attitude but now we done change it to energy well I mean it’s our attitude because if we come in with a positive attitude like they used to tell me you
Get more fly more bees with honey than never mind go ahead with the comment um so more of a comment when Pastor just said just because we’re going through doesn’t mean we did something and a lot of times it can be because he’s preparing us for
What we’re about to endure because a lot of things I know I’ve gone through had I not went through them I wouldn’t have been able to withstand what I came up against also he has us go through things like that not because of us it’s because
Of others because he need to show other people and they can’t handle it everybody can’t handle going to prison like Paul did so that’s why Paul had to go everybody can’t handle what job did that’s why job had to go through it it’s some it’s not for us it’s for others
Like I told somebody I went through my divorce because so others wouldn’t have to go through it because they can’t handle what I had to handle to go through that and so he’s showing others like this may not be your best decision you need to focus on me and then that
Way your marriage can get better oh we got another and I and also I will say you know some of the things that we go through we’re going through it to a testimony that God Is A Healer that God is a deliverer God you we’re not supposed to whatever it is even when
It’s bad things you walk around and you put on the full armor of God and you walk with a spirit of Jubilee you don’t sit and be wo with me every day you are to show that because you trust God and you believe in God he is that’s what
You’re standing on and he’s carrying through because just like you said there’s always someone following you and looking at you so if you walk around and you like my like my pastor uh if you walk around like that then people are there you frighten them and
They they then lose faith in God so no matter what it is that you’re going through stand on what you say you trust and believe in and that’s God and live a life of Joy amen man and share your testimony but share it with the Holy Spirit leading you because everybody can
Handle your testimony so therefore only share it when the Holy Spirit leads you because like I told a gentleman that’s worked with me he’s super smart but he not intelligent and I said that and he looked at me I said because if he so smart and you the only one can
Understand what you saying you just talking to yourself so if you got a testimony and you’re not sharing it when the Holy Spirit telling you to share it then it’s not a testimony because I nobody else know about it but you so you talking to yourself yes I’m I’m looking at um
Romans 5 and3 now we ought to glory in um tribulation that’s right tribulation go it work as patience and patience experience now if we don’t have any tribulation um Faith would be impossible we don’t need we don’t need Faith because Hebrews 11:6 says without faith is it’s impossible to please God so we
Shouldn’t say wo is me we should say why not me um we have to be tempted um God tests us that’s right the evil one will tempt us so that we can fail but God he tests us so that we can succeed amen according to his purpose that’s right
When was the last time you came clean with God and said I handled that test wrong for for real for real I mean it takes a mature person to go back to God and say you know what I let you down on that one I really should have handled that differently here’s testimony
Because I know people don’t think this this is for real for real and I’m saying this in a humble way so hear me when I say this I believe once upon a time I did some of my best preaching when kmen and I when our house was in
Foreclosure once upon a time I believe I did some of my best preaching when um our checking account was negative went through a season where I I I it blew my mind how much we were paying to check fees to the point where I was begging Chase stop paying it for
Me if it don’t go through just don’t let it go through because you charging me $25 for for a pack of gum but we were going through and people didn’t know people had no idea we were in that season where financially everything was falling apart I mean we had both pet uh
You rob Peter to pay Paul I had both of them cats looking for us serious and so again again yeah everything Glory learn train yourself train yourself when when our house was in foreclosure my kids didn’t know they had no idea when I would drive up to the
House I’m looking out of one eye hoping there there’s not white paper on the door why because it’s not my job to expose him to ground Folk Business am I talking to somebody my kids had no idea that I was really trying to figure this thing out how we
Going to do Christmas that wasn’t for them to be worrying about I don’t want them in ground folks business I grew up in a house like that where my mom had way too much conversation with me then I turned 16 17 Kelsey why you hustling cuz you told me you
Stressing I’m 18 19 in college I go to my mama house things wasn’t right I go make some money she how you make this money mama don’t worry about it if you didn’t want me to fix it you should have told me am I talking to somebody so
Sometimes we put people in positions they didn’t have to be in because we shared stuff we didn’t have to share am I talking to somebody right so in this uh at the end of verse 20 Paul is talking about now if it’s to die it’s the game but if he want
To live we got another question coming okay go ahead hey you know what Hey Brother don’t do that I want to say I’m glad to see you brother look good so being in Ministry I’m sure at times you know the situation but a lot of other people don’t Paul knew the
Situation that he was in in leadership how does it feel when you see people step away from the church switch up religion be tossed to and fro by every wind of Doctrine even though you as a leader know I’m down but it’s not by what you
Thinking of God has me in a specific place so it can be better how does it make you feel as a leader to see people step away it hurts me that hurts me more than this is for real for real that stuff hurts me more than Burying my
Grandfather I’m not going to say Mom that’s on a whole another level but but that stuff hurts my heart more than anything because you it’s it’s like a child and you’re watching a child go astray and that’s a hurting thing and so you that’s so that’s a whole another
Reason why you want to make sure you’re keeping the gospel before people personally so so personally watch this that’s a whole another Bible study personally I have to spend time with God like no other because I can’t talk to people about it because people don’t understand people to tell me get over it
Whatever cuz they’re speaking as a non pastor yeah it’s like me going to Karma saying get over something why ain’t carry them boys even though I’m their father it’s still a connection between her and children she carried I’ll never understand just like people in the church will say Pastor you should cut
This person off you should stop fooling with that person well you’re not a pastor and God has graced me to love people that maybe you wouldn’t or to be patient and longsuffering so yeah it’s it’s it hurts me because I think that’s my brother you know we’ve been in the
Trenches and now you gone so I don’t see that person no more and yes I have to for me I I I try to Shake the Dust but it’s not easy because I know that even in Revelations when he when the the witnesses came they wouldn’t accept Christ then they didn’t accept him
Before in the Old Testament They didn’t accept God they didn’t accept Jesus when he was here on the earth walking and he come back they still not going to accept it so I get that part of it but it still hurts because you’ve been work you’ve been working with this person you’ve
Been in the trenches with this person and to see him walk away and you could just see how God is working in their life and they don’t great question um look at verse 21 it’s imperative that that that we share this U and I see Minister Sharita she
I’m I’m G speak it from this point of view Paul from a mental mental health point of view in verse 21 for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain so Paul is having a real this is mental health Paul is saying for real for real
I could die right now and I’m cool because I’m gonna die in Christ if I I could I could leave all of this all this headache I don’t have to go on another missionary journey I don’t have to put myself in a position to ever be beaten
Again I could just leave here and and gain um the Heavenly stuff but it’s it’s needful for me to be here here from a mental health perspective let me share this and and I don’t know this is this is testimony are we family yeah when my
Mental was not right when my mental was not right I was actually okay with checking out I’m telling you for real for real when my people when there’s a part of the Bible where Moses is telling God kill me that’s where I was God if you love me
Take me out of dealing with people just just let me go I had plotted had strategize wrote my funeral out who going to do what I was good and then God had to remind me it’s not time because there’s still work to be done I’m saying this to encourage somebody I need focus
On Earth don’t don’t rush to Heaven because there’s still work to be done and I need to really stress that to people because your mind can really take you to heaven heaven amen and the Lord can’t answer that prayer but Paul is being honest here and he’s saying for me
To live is Christ and to die is gain verse 22 but if I live in the flesh this is the fruit of my labor yet what shall I choose I want not and so here um I want you to really choose living for Christ I want you to really choose that
Man what does that mean for me to start off my week not focusing on the the the woes of the world but for me to really ask God what is my weak look like and that’s and I’m not saying hear me when I say this this is not a Sunday school
Lesson for you to be at the church every day that is not what I’m talking about this is not for you to be in 12 Ministries and that is not what I’m talking about what I’m saying is ask God where am I to serve you with Excellence
For some of you it’s not a church position for some of you it’s on your 9 to5 God is saying show Christ on your job there’s a sea of people on your job you can lead the church for some of you it’s your family some of you are a part
Of unsaved families and God is saying if you just live right before your family you could win them am I talking to somebody who who who who in here got a got a got a got a gumbo cousins unsaved got a gumbo of cousins unsaved and you asking God what would
You have me do and God is saying you you just stop being you just stop cussing with them serious when I go to Michigan can I testify and Michigan might be watching can I testify when I go to Michigan I can’t sit on the porches when I go to
Michigan I can’t go in basement because I become Guilty By Association I know when they go in the basement they getting ready to blaze up so I can’t go in the basement cuz I can’t I can’t preach to the same people I’m smoking with I can’t preach to the
Same people I’m cussing with I can’t preach to the same people I’m fighting with am I talking to somebody and so all of us have work to be done amen and that’s all Paul is saying it’s not time for me to leave yet go ahead yeah and in
Verse 23 for I in a straight between betwix to having a desire to depart and to be with Christ Which is far better nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you so Paul let them know I could die today I’m good I know my buiness is straight I’m good but
Guess what I want to be with y’all because it’s more I haven’t done we haven’t done together as a group so I want to be here with y’all to see everything the faith y’all Faith get stronger the joy of everything I want to be here with y’all and that’s where Paul
Is at can we share something here do me a favor for real for real for real you you you may not I I need you to find your confidence I need you to grab hold of confidence look somebody in the face and say neighbor you need me you need
Find this is for real for real find a second person look him in the eye and say neighbor you need me you need me find a third person say for real for real you need me are you ready for this listen listen this is what we miss when we come to
Church listen we have reserved in our mind that we’re not needed and God is saying the reason why you think that way is because you’re not asking me how I Need You Now how I needed you to 20 years ago is not how I need you now am I talking to
Somebody and so Paul is saying I can’t leave right now because people need that’s not an arrogant statement that’s not a cocky statement that’s truth there’s there’s somebody who just came to Christ and they need you why because you got a matching testimony am I talking to somebody and
So don’t be a don’t be ashamed to let somebody know when you being led by the spirit I am connecting myself with you come here philli to the Ethiopia I am being led to connect myself to you because God has shown me you’re reading a book you don’t understand so I have
Been sent here like philli to the Ethiopian to connect myself with you to help you understand what you’re reading to help you get to the water and then after you come out the water God is going to take me on another assignment we struggle in church because we do not understand assign can
End am I talking to somebody at some point Elijah I do hope the Lord say you’re done pastoring I always want to preach and teach but when the Lord says you are done pastoring I’m okay with that yeah am I talking to somebody so don’t approach church as if man this is I’m
Going to always be an usher no no where we got coming oh okay we good so it is 10:51 I know this ain’t nobody told me oh it’s time it’s time I got four minutes oh you so nice it’s Christmas okay so four minutes give him 25 and have watch this and having
This confidence give him 25 give give me what you got go ahead verse 25 give what you got oh we already went through what I had cuz I’m just saying Paul Paul everybody want to say I want to be like Paul no you don’t no you
Don’t that that that Paul what Paul went through ain’t made for everybody it it’s not for everybody but Paul what I like about Paul Paul didn’t care about your feelings he spoke the truth he spoke the truth of God and so that’s why Paul would makes Paul so Dynamic everybody
Don’t understand that Paul name was Saul Saul meant he was Paul wasn’t a very tall person he was dwarfish he was short so by him being used in such a mighty way as such a his ex his uh what was that insignificance insignificance that was a word today yeah his insignificance was
Significant I was that was good huh I’ll be paying attention look at look at this this is going back to your question watch this Elijah uh whether you were living in Atlanta whether you’re living in Las Vegas this is what puts a smile on my face verse 27 only let your conversation
Be as it becomes the gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your Affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel when we study the life for
Paul as Paul was visiting these churches Paul would always remind those places what y’all doing I’m hearing see this is why for us as the body of Christ when I hear people say I don’t care what people people think about me you should you should care what people think
About you because you should want people to think that you are a gospel spreader you are a Believer amen and so the world is super small my my my my son Elijah can be in Atlanta he don’t know who I know in Atlanta so he can’t be wilding
Out in Atlanta and I’m getting a negative report because that hurts my heart but when I hear he’s doing good things to God be the glory so let us us all be advancers of the Gospel amen I don’t want to see you all on on what is it Tik Tock I don’t
Want to see you all on Tik Tock fighting in W in Walmart yeah if your nerves ain’t right don’t even go in with that long line we had to walk away from Burlington last night we was like oh no we ain’t going to stand this line Amazon Prime here we
Come but I but I say that I say that and it sounds jial it takes one moment moment to destroy your ministry and you may not receive the mercy or the grace to get it back amen I just had one last comment also Paul had the confidence because of the prayers
That were being lifted he was a praying man as well so it wasn’t just um him believing in God’s will for his life it was also the prayer that kept him connected Yes to God that uh caused him to remain in that conf and every church
He every church he went to he always spoke about prayer and the thing about what makes Paul special is just not just uh for the simple fact he God can use anybody Paul was the one who was chasing them and made him run away and spread the churches throughout and then God say
Okay not only did I I’mma use you to spread them now I’m going use you to go back and teach them all and bring them back to me so God can use anybody is just are you willing to say yes all right we getting the signal oh we
Getting signal we was going to use all our time Lisa you going yeah we going to use all our you pay attention last Wednesday if we got extra minutes on the clock can we give God a great big hand of praise to those who are joining us for
Our 11 o’clock service we we are going to make the transition from Sunday school to 11 o’clock thank you for being in Sunday school on this week on the next two Sundays we’re going to do a round table it will be Sunday school but I’m going to be here with our preachers
And we’re going to have a Roundtable discussion on the lessons amen so um stay tuned for an exciting conversation would you pray us out please uh Heavenly Father we just thank you right now we thank you for everybody that’s attend us in person and in Virtual father right
Now we just ask that we would use the word that we learn today in our daily walk right now we ask for traveling grace for those that are on their way and those that are departed father right now we just thank you for everything you’ve done in our lives and thank you
For what you continue to do in our lives in the might name of Jesus we pray amen
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