Up let me hear you say I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus let me hear you say I am blessed let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say
Thank you Jesus you Jesus let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed Let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus Jesus let me hear you s I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you s hallelujah hallelujah let me hear
You say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus Jus let me hear you say I am bless I am Bless Hallelujah I am bless thank you Jesus I am the let me hear you say hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus let me hear you s I am Bless [Applause] let me hear you say hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus let me hear you say I am bless let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let let me hear you
Say thank you Jesus Jesus let me hear you say I am blessed I am Blessed let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus you Jesus let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let
Me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus you Jesus let me hear you say I am bless I am Blessed Hallelujah I am bless thank you Jesus I am let me hear you say hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus let me hear you say I am Blessed [Applause] let me hear you say hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus Jesus let me hear you say I am bless let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say
Thank you Jesus you Jesus let me hear you say I am bless I am Bless let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus you Jesus let me hear you say I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let
Me hear you saying I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you saying thank you Jesus you Jesus let me hear you s I am bless I am bless Grace and peace Baptist Temple Church Grace and peace praise the Lord Church Grace and peace to you all and
Welcome to our live bro broad stream uh worship service of Baptist Temple Church in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania sorry about that I had to gather myself for a second but Grace and peace to you all Grace and peace to those that are worshiping with us here in the sanctuary
Amen amen and those that are worshiping with us in our virtual sanctuary as well we thank you for joining us today with this worship experience whether that is on YouTube Twitter Facebook Instagram whatever your social media platform of choices we thank you that you are sharing this worship experience with us
This morning so Grace and peace to you all let us have our call to worship this morning which is found in that very familiar passage of scripture in Psalms 150 where it bids us to praise the Lord praise the Lord praise God in his Sanctuary praise the Lord praise God in
The firmament of his power praise the Lord praise him for his mighty acts praise the Lord Praise Him according to his excellent greatness praise the Lord praise him with the sound of the trumpet praise the Lord praise him with the Sultry and the harp praise the Lord
Praise him with the timberl and the dance praise the Lord praise him with the string instruments and organs praise the Lord Praise Him upon the loud symbols Praise Him upon the high sounding symbols praise the Lord let everything let everyone let everything that haveth breath praise the Lord this morning Let
Us Praise the Lord he is worthy to be praised let’s have have a word of prayer father we thank you so much for waking us this morning and breathing the breath of life into us and allowing us to come and gather Lord we truly believe when you said forsake not the assembling of
Ourselves together Lord we are here to hear a word from you we’re here to worship you we’re here to praise you we’re here to encourage and Inspire one another edify one another Lord and father we need you in the missed for that so Lord you are welcome in this
Place Lord we are desperate for you to be in this place and in our midst and father we’re asking that you would bless our pastor this morning that you will continue to strengthen him that you will continue to impart your wisdom to him your knowledge to him that he will feed
The people that you have placed him over so Lord continue to use him in a mighty Way open our hearts and our minds condition our hearts and our minds to receive this truth that we can apply it incorporate into our walk and share it with others we thank you in advance for
What you’re going to do to and through Us in this hour and it is in the name of Jesus in whom we pray amen amen and amen turn to your neighbor if you will and just bid them Grace and peace just bid them a hearty Grace and peace and just
Say it is wonderful worshiping with you today here is an opportunity that we all have and that is to um participate in our giving we give because God gave first to us amen that’s praiseworthy so we want to remind you uh in regards to our
Giving that giving is a part of being a Christian and is also Incorporated in our worship experience here at Baptist Temple Church we are practicing Godly stewardship we give of our time we give of our talent and we give of our Treasures we give willingly and we give
Cheerfully knowing that God has truly blessed us to be a blessing so know that when you give that your gifts are important and essential Investments here at Baptist Temple why because bap apst Temple is a Christ centered biblically based Mission oriented Vision focused allpurpose Community serving and prayerful
Church so as we customarily like to say when it’s time to give everyone should say praise the lord we give you several ways in which you can contribute first of all you can utilize your mobile devices yes those ones that you have in your hand right now you can utilize
Those mobile devices and you can download the push pay app and you can look for the Baptist Temple Church and logo and you can even set up reoccurring giving and accounts on that account you can also utilize your smart devices to scan the QR code that you see upon the
Screen right now that will take you to the push pay app we also have cash app our cash tag is dollar sign BTC PGH again that’s dollar sign BTC PGH you can also give in person uh you can locate one of our trustees or ushers that are down front here positioning
Themselves you can give by way of the website at Baptist temple. Church you can select giving and donate or you could also give by way of our US Postal Service where you can send your tithes and offerings to 7241 Ray Street Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15208 let us have a word of
Prayer father we thank you and we praise you for what we are about to enter in and that is a portion of the service where we give back to you that which belongs to you anyway but Lord we give it back to you out of our love our
Response to your love for us and Lord to obl uh for the obligation as well and father we’re asking that you would bless every hand that is about to give and Lord bless every hand that is charged and responsible for distribut ruting These funds for Kingdom building so we
Thank you again for your Provisions we thank you for placing us in a position to give back and Lord it is in Jesus name that we pray amen amen and Amen we have with us today triumphant praise amen that’s that’s praiseworthy amen and they’re going to come in their own way to bless us through the great gift of song that the Lord has blessed them with and gifted them with so Triumph and praise bless us this this morning [Applause] amen
Amen good morning amen good morning [Laughter] amen praise God from whom all blessings fall Praise Him All Creatures here be Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host praise Father Son and Holy praise God from whom all blessings FL Praise Him All Creatures here be PR prise him above he Heavenly praise father son andly ghost and we’ll say and we’ll say aen and we’ll say amen and we’ll say [Applause] hallelujah thank you how many know if you didn’t have God and you didn’t have anything amen when you have God you have everything so that means what he’s my everything he’s your
Everything amen Amen if I lost everything uh-huh and didn’t have anything and you were the only thing yes I’d still have everything yeah if I lost everything yeah and didn’t have anything my God and you were the only thing i’ still have everything yes can I get a witness yes it’s you my everything all
Right it’s you my everything it’s you my everything i’ still have everything can you help me say if I lost everything and didn’t have anything and didn’t have anything and God you were the only thing and you were the only thing i’ still I still have
Everything oh if I lost if I lost everything and didn’t have anything and didn’t have anything and you were the only thing and you were the only I still have I still have everything you know why it’s you my everything you never left my side it’s you it’s
You my everything and you wipe the tears for my eyes it’s you it’s you my everything i’ still have I still have everything oh it’s you it’s you my everything you keep me nice and warm it’s you it’s you my everything and you Shelter Me From The Storm it’s
You my everything I still have I still have everything oh is at your feet it’s in your arms to be with you Forever It’s At Your Feet it’s in your arms to be with you Forever set your feet in your heart be in your to be with forever bow at your feet at your feet L your arm in your heart be with you forever there’s nothing rather do at your feet giv you praise today in your heart be with you forever nothing I ra do
Your in your arms to be with you forever at your feet at your feet in your lord be with you with you forever at your feet your feet Lord in your arms be with you here’s the reason why it’s like this y’all cuz if I lost everything and didn’t have [Laughter]
Anything and you are the only thing my God i’ still have everything can I get a witness today come on if I lost everything miss you know what I’m talking about amen and didn’t have anything and you were the only thing I’d still have everything hallu hallelujah thank you
Hallelujah is he your everything is he your everything oh give him the glory give him the praise if he’s your everything hallelujah thank you Jesus God is good and God is great to be praised look at somebody and say grace and peace smile at someone else and say grace and peace look at a third person wave at them and say grace and peace isn’t it good to be in the house of the Lord one
More time if so give the Lord another hand clap of Praise what a mighty mighty mighty mighty God we serve and we’re so blessed by that beautiful full serenade by triumphant praise and our musicians we give God the glory the honor and the praise he’s so good as we continue in
The spirit of worship I just want to emphasize the blessing we have teed up uh some members or soon to be uh baptized members of our church on next Sunday we thank God for what’s in store Amen to God be the glory to God be the glory with those kinds of
Preliminaries out of the way I want to invite your attention to the Book of John chapter 3 John chapter 3 beginning at verse one John chapter 3 beginning at verse 1 according to the New International Version when you have found it somebody let me know by saying amen
John chapter 3 beginning at verse one according to the New International Version there we find these words now there was a Pharisee a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling Council he came came to Jesus at night and said Rabbi we know that you are a teacher who
Has come from God for no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him beloved can you say amen and won’t you please be seated in the presence of the Lord the grass withers and the flowers fade but the word of God shall stand forever more
Beloved in these few moments we have together I want to start a new sermon series entitled Lord help me is that all right and there will be an invitation immediately following this sermon a call to action and if you feel led by the spirit we pray that you would
Follow that leading and come commit your life to Jesus we pray that indeed you would connect and make Baptist Temple Church your home we pray that you would contribute with us to the cause of Christ Let the church say amen amen in addition we pray that members every
Single one would continue to evangelize and spread the good news and the gospel use your gadgets to spread the gospel so tag somebody text some somebody go get somebody be the facilitator of somebody else’s breakthrough this is how churches engage in modernday evangelism amen somebody amen amen we if
We share things on Facebook and not Church somebody say uhoh amen amen amen let us pray God we pray as only you can and should have your way may through this entire experience we all leave this place better than how we’ve come in this experience better than how we came to it
We pray through this sermon you would inform in Courage instruct and Inspire we pray God that you would add to the church today but not only that we God we ask and pray that you would answer the pray prayers that we didn’t pray answer the prayers that we didn’t
Know to pray even answer the prayers that we should have prayed God we pray have your way we pray have your way your way we all pray and say have your way because we know when you have your way everything will be all right all
Right this so God is our prayer and we ask this prayer and every prayer in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus and for his cause we all pray and the daughters and sons of God who agree and who believe say loud and proud
Amen amen and amen Lord help me beloved there are many ways that one could learn could teach to preach on the Book of John one way you could do that is that you could read the book of John and study and appreciate the seven I am statements Jesus makes seven I am
Statements and each statement as you would imagine are important ones that that tell you about the depth of who he is Jesus says in John chapter 6 for instance I am the bread of life he says in John chapter 8 I am the light of the
World he says in John chapter 10 ver7 I am the gate for the Sheep he says in John chap 10: 11 I am the Good Shepherd he says in John chapter 11 I am the resurrection and the life he says in John chapter 14 I am the
Way the truth and the life he says in John chapter 15 I am the True Vine that’s one way that any believer could study you could form a Sunday school you can have a devotion just by studying John according to the seven I am statements but another way that anyone
Could study could preach on to meditate on the Book of John is that you could also study the seven miracles in the Book of John can I tell you about them in John Chapter 2 you know the first one he turned water into wine in John chapter 4 the second
Miracle is that he healed a noble man’s son in John chapter 5 he healed a man by the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 6 Jesus Took a Happy Meal from McDonald’s and fed 5,000 in John chap chapter 6 also Jesus himself walked on water and in the
Process showed us he has power over the storms of our life John chapter N9 Jesus healed a man born blind and even in John chap 11 even before his own Resurrection Jesus went to the Rock and the hard place where Lazarus was buried and he said Lazarus come forth bringing him
Back to life you could study John by studying the seven I am statements you could also study John according uh to these seven miracles you could also study the Book of John in according to the seven interviews or encounters with Jesus and John chapter 4 you’ll see an
Interview and an encounter with a woman at the well in John chapter 5 you’ll see an encounter and an interview again an interaction with the man by the pool of Bethesda in John chapter 8 you’ll see a powerful interview an encounter with a woman caught in adultery and they didn’t
Bring the man caught in adultery you’ll see in John chapter 11 how Jesus interviews Martha about whether she believes her brother will rise again indeed you’ll see in John chapter 10 Jesus has an interview with Mary Magdalene at the tomb as she believed that Jesus was still dead and
Didn’t recognize she was talking to the resurrected savior even Jesus had an interview an encounter with Peter who was so discouraged that he failed Jesus by denying him three times Peter had gone back to his old way of life but Jesus had an encounter with him that said there is forgiveness after your
Mistake there’s Redemption after you have failed you can receive Grace after you’ve indeed failed in what you had lived up to saying and Jesus said if you love me feed my sheep you even see beloved in our sermonic text John chapter 3 uh the seventh interview and encounter it is Jesus interviewing and
Having this encounter with a man named Nicodemus can I preach about it one thing that ought to stand out about this encounter that Jesus has with Nicodemus is how in fact the encounter happens this is not Jesus coming to Nicodemus this is not even Jesus who makes his way to the temple and
Nicodemus bumping into him as Jesus sits in the Pew with his family’s name on it this is not them running into each other at the Giant Eagle near the Sea of Galilee this is Nicodemus according to John chter 3 Nicodemus makes his way to find Jesus that Ed of itself or to land
On your spirit why because in order for Nicodemus to find this itinerate Jesus who had already by chapter 2 been in canaa who had been in Galilee who had been by the Sea of Gasser had pressed his way uh to different homes to heal in order for Nicodemus to find Jesus he had
To find out where Jesus was and go to him beloved this is important why because if nothing else it ought to give us something encouragement and it ought to be a gentle reminder about how our orientation to Faith ought to be every day like Nicodemus we ought to be trying
To get closer to Jesus even in moments where we might think or find him hard to see discern or feel we ought to still press our way walk our way get into the scriptures devote ourselves in prayer press our way to church do whatever we
Can to make our way to Jesus think about it in this world we live in with geopolitical conflict wars and rumors of wars uh politicians losing their mind uh economy R rattling off the rails children going astray marriages in struggle uh I want you to know if
Nothing else you hear me today amid all of that you ought to do like Nicodemus look out for Jesus make your way to Jesus press your way to Jesus even if you’re saying I find it hard to see him feel them or hear them you still have
The charge and the responsibility to to try to get to a place where you could hear him better even remove yourself from places where it’s difficult to see him stop distracting yourself with gadgets and things that make it hard to feel him because the last time I check
The only reason we’re still here is because of him and even if we don’t feel him see him or him him like we want that doesn’t mean you can’t still get to a place where you can be in his presence in his presence there’s peace in his
Presence there is joy in his presence there is forgiveness in his presence there is Grace in his presence there is Mercy in his presence there is overcoming in his presence there is power we can become the men God called us to be in his presence we can become
The women God wants us to be in his presence our families can become healed in his presence our churches can become repopulated in his presence our communities can turn back around in his presence our workplaces can become places of ministry in his presence beloved when we’re in his presence
Something changes we change life’s change prayers are answers we need to press our way to Jesus this is a man that makes his way to Jesus and what’s interesting is that as even as we look at this snapshot of his life in John chapter 3 we can’t take
His whole life as just being chapter 3 meaning what we see here is only one example of where he is in his life to really see what he is and what he becomes you got to look at more than just this snapshot in chapter 3 because
If you look at chapter 3 you may not have the full story why because whenever we look at any chapter in our life we need to remember God’s not finished chapter 3 may look like that Nicodemus according to the text doesn’t have all the answers chapter 3 may look
Like he was confused about what Jesus was trying to teach him chapter 3 may look like he’s somebody who’s coming in the thick of the night but if you look at just chapter 3 you may get it twisted that Nicodemus in chapter 3 is all that
He amounts to come on a little bit closer I want you to remember this for your life and in the life of the person that’s been driving you crazy God is not finished with you he’s not finished with her he’s not finished with him he’s not finished with them he’s not finished
With us and so why we we may fix our lips to complain about what they are and what they’re not doing what we wish that they would do remember that’s just a chapter in their life uh if we looked at the worst chapter of your life uh and
Then decided that’s all you would be uh and never amount to anything else you would still be in that chapter but the fact is your testimony and mine is when God met me at the worst chapter in my life he stepped in to say your story is
Not finished and we’ve got to remember and extend the same grace to the people who we think that they’re done but I’m here to tell you God Specializes in fixing the broken God Specializes in picking up those that have fallen uh God Specializes in turning lives around for
People who have been confused so I stopped by here this Sunday morning to tell you that it may be chapter three of your life but there’s still other chapters that God is about to write he’s about to fix you bless you uh exalt you lift you uh make ways for you heal you
Deliver you set free so hold on to God’s unchanging hand because God is not finished yet do I have any Witnesses in this place chapter 3 chapter 3 looks like that Nicodemus doesn’t have all the answers I know this because in the text when Jesus
Tells him that one who comes to the Lord must be born again his question is how can a man enter into his mother’s womb again it tells me something that even someone like Nicodemus doesn’t have all the answers it’s okay to be a believer and still have
Questions in fact God is big enough to hear and to handle whatever question God how’s this going to work out he can handle your question God why do bad things happen to good people he can handle your questions God why do I keep ending up with the same person with a different
Name he can handle your questions and am I talking to somebody he can handle your questions just like Nicodemus didn’t have all the answers only had the questions and thank God when he hears the questions God doesn’t do like some of us that when someone doesn’t understand we shake our
Head at them instead of bowing our head to pray for them thank God that we don’t have all the answers and the questions that God says that’s all right as long as you know whatever questions you have bring it to me who is the answer for today I like this because Nicodemus he
Comes to Jesus and it’s significant because according to John you can look at it for yourself chapter 3 verse 1 and two underline it underscore it highlighted spotlighted you will see this that Nicodemus was a Pharisee somebody say a Pharisee not only that it says he was a
Member of the Jewish ruling Council also known as the Sanhedrin somebody say stop right there I want you to realize it’s significant because Nicodemus as a Pharisee was someone who was a Jewish leader a part of a school of thought and a part of a religious social political
Body Pharisees came into existence after the Reconstruction of the temple after they got back from Babylonian captivity the role of the Pharisees was to establish endorse inact educate on and encourage obedience to the Torah pharisaic belief Believe It or Not would become what we later call rinic Judaism Nicodemus was a Pharisee
But he came to Jesus you know Pharisees not only like Nicodemus but you remember Pharisees like gal you know Pharisees like Joseph of araa you remember Pharisees like the Apostle Saul who became Paul you remember these Pharisees because their job was to teach people the word of God
In the Torah and how to live it out in fact as a Pharisee Nicodemus was quote unquote one of the separated ones and I like the fact that though he’s a Pharisee and a teacher a rabbi in his own light Nicodemus presses his way to
Jesus I’m about to turn up in a second but stay with me because what I find significant about Nicodemus a Pharisee in other words a teacher is that when he encounters Jesus in John chapter 3 look at how he addresses Jesus the text says that when he rolls up on Jesus he calls
Jesus Rabbi am I in the text in fact Nicodemus goes on to not only call Jesus Rabbi but it says uh he says we know that you are a teacher who has come from God because no one could perform the signs you are doing if he were not from God let me
Help you because one of the things that I want you to appreciate is that as Nicodemus comes he’s an A person who I think publicly it would seem like he would have no need to come to Jesus in fact here’s my holy hypothesis Nicodemus even though he realized there was something special
About Jesus he still pressed his way to the Lord why because even though he was a Pharisee and a teacher he realized that there was something that he could get and only could get from the Lord I love this why because uh to me it’s signal it’s signal by this he comes to
Jesus but check the text he comes at night I got receipts y’all look at it in verse two the verse two underline it underscore it highlight it Spotlight it I got receipts because it says that when he comes to Jesus in verse two he came
To Jesus At Night why would he come at night uh it it moves me because when I read the book of John I realize that the writer is always talking about the light Jesus is the light he’s talking about the light no one uh can do work in dark
Uh must do their work in the day because night is coming when no man could work he’s always talking about the light but isn’t it interesting that this Pharisee would not come in the broad daylight to see Jesus isn’t it interesting that he would creep
In the middle of the night to roll up to Jesus like he is is slipping into his DMS isn’t it interesting that he would roll up on Jesus in a time where there were no spotlights there were no cameras there would be no one to see him that
Tells me in my holy hypothesis while he knew he had to get something he could only get from him he didn’t want anyone to see him rolling up on Jesus therefore this sermon is for people who are like Nicodemus meaning you know you need something but you don’t want to show
Folk that you need you’re the kind of person because you you like a Pharisee or you who has a title you who has a position you who people call on uh you who people count on uh children who look to you uh you say to yourself what would
It look like for me who everyone comes to uh if if I act like I don’t have it all together yes I’m preaching to you brother yes I’m preaching to you sister yes I’m preaching to you my son yes I’m preaching to you my daughter I’m trying
To tell you that all of us get to a place uh where we find it difficult to get to the Lord because we don’t want to disclose that we don’t have it all together we don’t want people to realize that as bad as we could sing that we
Still need something from Jesus we don’t want people to realize that we got the title of Pastor that I still got to lay myself prostate before the Lord we still don’t want to disclose because children look to me as their mother as their father they don’t I don’t want them to
See me leeling in desperation as I pray to the Lord to help make ends meet because we’re behind on last month’s mortgage but I encourage you this morning don’t you dare hold back on pressing your way to Jesus publicly just because you’re afraid of the perception of of folk don’t worry about the
Perception because chances are the people who would perceive you negatively uh don’t have a heaven to keep you out of or a hell to put you in you got to do what you got to do in order to get what you need to get if that means I got to
Stretch my hand in the middle of worship and say Lord help me then go ahead and go public if that means I got to press my way and kneel at the altar and I see everyone looking at me don’t you worry about who’s looking at you except the
Lord saying I see the sincerity of your faith if you realize that you need the Lord don’t worry about what they’re going to think about you because great is your reward in heaven even for those who persecute you and say all manner of evil against you press your way to the
Lord and declare that it’s me oh Lord you’reall not helping me but I’m going preach any way sometimes you got to say it’s not the preacher it’s not the Deacon it’s not my mother it’s not my father it’s not my friend it’s not my title it’s not my child it’s not the
Member somebody you got to say with all conviction it’s me I’m standing in the need of prayer I need upliftment I need encouragement I need a breakthrough I need a change I need a healing I need a turn around and we cannot be afraid to press to the Lord just because of what
Others might think of us if I’m right about it somebody say I know that’s right am I preaching yet sir am I preaching yet we can’t be like Nicodemus and worry about who’s going to see us we do things in the daytime and we don’t care what they
Think why should we care about what they think because we trying to get closer to the Lord amen here’s the problem though because Nicodemus was not only a Pharisee he was a member of the Sanhedrin and according to the Rodney trans translation they had beef yeah that’s in the
Greek that’s in the Brooklyn Greek version Sanhedrin wasn’t feeling Jesus you can read that for yourself because they were already getting rumors about how he had followers and the things he was teaching and they were basically plotting to kill him in Chapter 2 they had beef with Jesus
And Nicodemus is a part of the Sanhedrin somebody say stop right there stop right there cuz often times what stops us from getting to the Lord and being what we’re supposed to be and being in his presence is we’re worried about how our relationship with the Lord might change our relationship with other
Folk and let me tell you something in case you don’t know it fast forward you getting close to Jesus will affect some relationships I hate to say it I got a lot of friends that didn’t survive me giving my life to the Lord am I talking to somebody there’s a whole lot of
Friendships relationships and Partnerships I’m a part of the greatest fraternity known to mankind but there’s some fraternities members their relationships did not transfer over and guess what as great as those friendships were as great as those relationships were on the basketball court as great as those Partnerships were in business as
Great as those Brotherhood or relationships were I’mma tell you something I would do it over again if I had the chance because the best relationship I’ve ever had has been with the Lord I’m talking to the person who’s struggling because you realize there’s somebody around you going to be troubled
By you taking the steps to get closer to the Lord can we get real today because some of the people as you grow closer to the Lord that you got plans with on Saturday night when you begin to wind down on Saturday when they’re trying to turn up
Yeah y’all not helping me Preach Today you know when when you when you used to be that way and then you say nah I’m not going to turn up I’m going get ready to go to church go to church don’t you know they be stealing folk money all
He want to do is talk about folk why you go up in a church that’s the white man’s religion time out on that because if you showed up the church you would realize that the first of all the church was in Africa if you would listen for a second
You realize we give more the community than we take in time out if you just realize that I don’t go there because I’m looking for status I go there because the Lord has made ways for me because he’s been good to me because he’s been a better to me than I could
Have been to myself I go because I want to go because I want to give him the glory the honor the praise I want to serve him sing about him preach about him I want to witness about him because that’s how good he is but listen that means you got to be
Willing to say even if I go to the Lord and that jeopardizes my relationship you got to make that choice but can I tell you something some of the people as I think about the scriptures as I think about it in my mind many people had to make that very
Same choice and a part of those choices means that sometimes the very people who at first can’t get with your new life when they see your new life it begins to be a witness for them and turn their life around that’s why we have someone like Abraham who starts out with the name
Abram and he’s really a liar but as he lives his life for the Lord he becomes the father of Faith that’s why you have somebody like Moses who committed murder and was a fugitive of justice but God finds him on the backside of the Midian Wilderness talks
To him in the middle of a fire that’s not consumed and tells him you need to go back to the place where your picture is at the post office and you need to tell Pharaoh let my people people go he becomes a liberator of the people helps
Them get out of Egyptian slavery leads them to the brink of the promised land then we have people even like Saul you know Saul he starts out as a persecutor of the church he’s not feeling Jesus in fact he he don’t like the movement called the church has letters that he
Could kill the members of the church but then when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus he said Saul Saul why does thou persecute me and then he realizes when he struck blind that he was living his life the wrong way and the Lord turned
His life around he turned from being a persecutor to being a preacher for the church what am I trying to give you receipts chapter and verse that sometimes the very people you’ve got to depart from God can use you as a witness to help turn their lives around what am
I trying to say to you sometimes sister you got to say uh that I’m going to take a step ahead and I’ll be where I want you to be and then pray for that friend that God would work on them and in them and guess what invariably what God can
Do God can then take that relationship and help it transcend the Salvation moment in your life can I preach because that’s the very thing I can testify about y’all know my best friend William Derek Le we’ve been friends pots and pans uh we know where each other’s
Bodies are buried uh he’s my A1 from day one uh we done did crimes and all kind of dirt together but don’t you know when he gave his life to the Lord uh he then prayed and witnessed to me then I gave my life to the Lord soon thereafter I
Met Reverend Jackie witnessed to her she gave her life to Lord soon thereafter she witnessed to Sister Pam Holmes now she’s an associate pastor at our home Church what am I trying to tell you sometimes you got friends on the other side of Salvation uh but if you let the
Lord work in you he will then work through you that’s why he can change your husband he can change your wife he can change your children he can change your family members do I have any Witnesses you just got to choose the Lord my Bible tells me seek Him First and his
Righteousness and all other things will be added unto you sometimes you got to be like Nicodemus and though you may come at night you got to still come because everybody must come to the Lord do I have any Witnesses Nicodemus comes to Jesus Jus and as I close this point what’s
Interesting is that yes he comes to Jesus but remember he’s a fisy he is a rabbi and when he addresses Jesus he addresses Jesus as Rabbi and he says we know you’re a teacher sent from God because no one could do these signs unless he’s sent from God let me tell
You why this is important because another reason even though you might might be in that Nicodemus position worried about uh disclosing and putting yourself on blast that you don’t have all the answers that you don’t have it all together worried about the perception of what people might think of
You if you give your life over to the Lord start devoting yourself to the church uh let me tell you why Nicodemus is testimony ought to be yours and is mine it’s because he ends up coming to A teacher even though he is a teacher in fact if you read between the
Lines of the text you will see that he sees Jesus as being a better teacher than him meaning that he sees Jesus as being a greater version of what he was can I preach this and get out your way because one of the things I want you to
Appreciate about what we get from the text is why why we press our way to the Lord is what we are to other people am we need somebody to be that for us oh yeah Nicodemus says I’m a teacher I’m a Pharisee my job is to teach people the
Word of the Lord my job is to teach them the will and the way of the Lord but here it is uh when I see this teacher I realize that even me as a teacher I need a teacher that means I don’t know what your profession is but if you’re a
Doctor guess what you need a doctor that means if you’re a nurse you need a nurse that means if you’re a pastor you need a Shepherd that that means if you are somebody that’s in the helping profession you need somebody to help you that means if you’re somebody
Who’s in charge of the law you need somebody who’s the lawgiver if you are somebody who’s always the goto person you need a person you can go to beloved I love this because somebody here needs today that whatever it is I want you to realize Jesus is all that
Because in one being in the one entity we call Christ in the one who is fully human and fully God all at the same time we have one who is The Doctor Who’s the nurse who’s the lawyer who’s the father who’s the mother who’s the friend who’s
The bridge who’s the way maker who’s the comforter who’s the strength who’s our joy who’s are all and all I don’t know what you call him but I hear to tell you he’s everything all that a bag of chips and then some so that’s why I say give
Your life to him because you need what he can give you need what only he can do for you and I know you may be used to the being the person that’s always giving you’re always the person they call in the middle of the night you’re
Always the person when they need a loan you’re always the person when somebody needs to vent you’re always the person when somebody needs a shoulder to lean on like your Bill Withers but I stop by here to tell you that just I know this because I know what it’s like to live as
A human you always know that invariably some of the same folk you’re there for when you need them your call goes to voicemail you know what I’m talking about some of the same people you’ve been there as a shoulder to cry on uh when you’re there and you need someone
All of a sudden you can’t get through to them but I sto by here to tell you even if your call doesn’t get through to your friend on the iPhone there is somebody who you can always get to because long before there was a phone I discovered
You can always call on the name of Jesus you can call on him late in the Midnight Hour you can call on him early in the morning you can call on them in the noon day do I have any Witnesses and what you got to realize is sometimes God will get
You to that place to realize when you can’t count on other folk and you know you can’t need use them uh then you get to the place that the only one that I really have is God that’s the place God wants you because he doesn’t want you to depend on
Other people he wants you to depend on him so even if other folk disappoint you let me remind you that God has never forsaken you he’s never left you even when you did not acknowledge Him He was hooking you up even when you didn’t call
On his name he was blessing you when you went to sleep last night he was watching over you when you didn’t have two nickels to rubb together he was putting food on the table when you was too sick to pray for yourself God said I got you
Somebody needs to say call on his name because he’s all I got and the last time I check that’s all that I need do I have any Witnesses I said do I have any Witnesses thank you God for being all that I’ve needed thank you God for
Supplying all my needs thank you God for being a friend that sticks closer than a brother does anybody want to say thank you just because you know how good God has been you didn’t just come this way for me to teach you and to preach to you
Uh some of you need a catharsis because of all you’ve been through this week uh you need a time just to shout because there was something that happened this week that that you thought you were going to lose your mind but God stepped in and he said
Peace be still to the wind and the waves somebody owes God a shout somebody owes God a praise he’s been good to you not just yesterday he was good to you last year he was good to you 10 years ago and you didn’t even thank him then but why don’t you give
God a deposit on your praise somebody ought to clear your throat somebody ought to stand to your feet somebody ought to say this with your chest thank you thank you I said say thank you he’s been good I said he’s been good some of you don’t know who I’m talking about can I
Call the because if you knew who I was talking about some of you couldn’t sit there because if you knew I was talking about and then you I said say thank you you would have to show your obedience to him by thanking him I said can I call the RO
According to my ABC’s he’s Adon he is the bread of life he’s the Cornerstone he’s the Dayspring he’s Elohim he’s the father and friend he’s the good sheer and The Great I Am he’s the Holy One of Israel he’s Immanuel he’s Jehovah he’s the king of kings he’s the Lord of lords
He’s the Messiah he’s Jehovah Nissi he’s omnipotent I’m thepresent omniscient and Omni benevolent he’s the Prince of Peace he’s Jehovah Conor He’s My Redeemer my restorer he’s My Savior he’s my truth he’s my ultimate he’s my victory he’s my xylophone he’s my yesterday today and forever more he’s my zepher that’s the
Holy Spirit but you ought to call on his name you ought to shout that name you ought to bless that name you know he’s been good say thank you thank you thank you yeah yeah yeah Yeah as we stand to our feet he comes to Jesus at night and we all know people and some of us know we are that person we find it hard to disclose we don’t have it together sometimes you got to say Lord help in fact if you’re not afraid to
Disclose this you can even point at yourself and just say Lord help help me this sermon is not for the person who I usually like talking about this is not the sermon for the person that if you had their role this is what I would do yes this is for you saying it’s
Me Lord fix me but here’s the thing even if you come at night thank God he’s there thank God he’s there God he’s already in the nighttime experiences of your life can I give you a receipt weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning how does that
Happen it happens because God is in the night and the midnights of our existential experience he’s already there you just need to call on him acknowledge Him as something you can teach me God that’s why I call you Rabbi I recogn ize you have something I need one of the
Powerful things we see in this text is that Nicodemus is someone that comes to him even though people are used to coming to him as teacher used to coming to him as a member of the Sanhedrin but yet he comes to the one that’s greater than what he
Is I don’t know who needs to hear this or be reminded of this you who are that to other people you need him to be be that to you if you’re a father of children you need a father that you’re a child of if you’re a mother you need someone
Who’s a mother to the motherless if you’ve been a good friend to someone you need a friend that sticks closer than a brother you hear what I’m saying today y’all not mad at me are you you need that I’m Not Afraid or asham to tell you
We need the Lord in our life the doors of the church are open the moment of decision has come your time is now I want to extend remember I said remember I said at the beginning of the sermon there would be an invitation remember when I said there
Would be a call to discipleship remember that yeah this is it amen this is the invitation this is the call to discipleship this is a moment we want you to commit your life to the Lord we want you to connect and make Baptist Temple Church your home we want you to contribute with
Us to the cause of Christ so if you’re in the building you can just leave your seat say excuse me and meet me down front if you’re online something we just need a message with your name your number and you just saying I’m ready you can leave that message by
Text you can lead that message by calling you can leave that message on Zoom or Facebook your name your number and just saying I’m ready you can even go to our website Baptist temple. Church Baptist temple. Church and you can leave your contact information all
We need is your name and number and you just saying I’m ready and a minister or member will be in touch with you so come on my brother come on my sister You Know Who You Are you know who you are come on come on come on whether you’re in the
Building in the Annex in the main sanctuary if you’re online you know who you are we’re waiting Jus Jesus Jes there’s something that happens something happens something happen I call when I call You when I call you when I call you when I call you he’s so awesome something let me get a breakdown right here you know one of the powerful things that happened yesterday for our trunk and treat powerful showing by the members powerful showing by the membership that’s clap worthy that’s
Praiseworthy but it was an even more powerful show from the Community it reminds me how much this community needs and wants a strong Baptist Temple Church they came out in numbers they came out in numbers in fact they came out in so many numbers we were running low we running low on
Supplies was funny I was talking to brother Garrett Livingston you know you know Brothers we yucking it up having fun while everybody’s working but I guess his wife knew we got to get to work so she came over and these were his words this is what Nicole said man
Down we need some more cand I never seen brother Garrett move so fast I was like all right brother get we’ll get it together he snapped into action like a good husband amen but the interesting thing Garett said well how are we going to get the
Candy our car is on the parking lot mhm she was like I don’t know they like how we going to do this I’m standing right there they like how we going to do this I was like I could drive you how about that it’s like oh okay
Yeah yeah come on we’ll get in the car we’ll go garr’s about to run he’s I just need to get my wallet I said guess what I got this one I’ll take care of that Brother Gary you don’t you need to your wife your wife said man down we need candy
ASAP look we got to do what we got to do to get that fast as possible cuz the worst thing one kid doesn’t get their ree’s pieces right one bad review on Facebook now our church is going to pot that church that church don’t they didn’t give my baby no sweetest
Fish that church is no God’s not in that church you know that’s all we need I’m rushing to the store here’s my point though Jesus help they didn’t see right in front of them somebody in me who could take them from there to where they needed to go all
Right and they didn’t see in me I guess the possibility like and he might have what I need to pay for it uhhuh I’m not talking about for me now amen I’m talking about that’s what the Lord is yes the Lord’s right in front of us and
The Lord has the power and the ability to take us from where we are to where we want and need to go and guess what he owns the cattle on a Thousand Hills right whatever it is you need God can supply it that’s why you look around
Here most of us this our testimony man we we don’t know how we got that mortgage amen oh y’all not going to testify except to say it was God amen amen some of of us are saying in the middle of pandemic we had less money got retired
But yet still somehow God is making a way amen went to the medical provider the doctor said well this your condition we can try some things I’m not sure if it’s going to work and you still here years later because God the healer and the doctor showed
Up God is right in front of you all you got to do is acknowledge Him so come on as triumphant praise serenades us with this selection one more time if you’re in the building come on down front Andor if you’re online or in the building leave us a message with your name and
Number and just say I’m ready come on come on come on come on my brother come on my sister come on come on I call you come on I call when I call when I call when I call You something Happ when I call you there’s still time there’s still time when I call you we’re praying for you come on my brother I call we’re waiting on you my sister come on come on come on something keep going praise team I for those that are online we just need that
Message Lord when I call you call when I call you something happens something happens let’s give the Lord I call let’s come on let’s give the Lord a real triumphant praise come on let’s praise the Lord come on praise the Lord praise the lord lord ask you all to move the mics back
Move the mics back a little bit we’re going to as we prepare to depart look at someone say grace and peace and we’re going to do an altar call as we depart stay there praise Tim stay there praise him we we going y’all going to pray too
You just got to face this way just face this way so come on to the Altar for those who might have needs to bring after this sermon you don’t have to worry about who’s guessing what your problem is don’t worry about what they thinking if you know you’ve got a burden a prayer
Request a concern that you need to bring to the Lord come on move up y’all move up move up move up this people coming behind there’s power in prayer prayer does change things and if you need to you can press your way into the aisles
Even however you want want to get in to fit in Jesus says my house shall be a house of prayer for Many Nations and we know that there are some who can’t make their way we know you’re in the house praying whatever your prayer request is
I want you to call it to mind all of your prayer requests as you begin even thinking of your thoughts as a prayer to God cuz God reads your prayers and even if those prayer requests haven’t been formulated into full thoughts yet just know that God reads your
Heart not only that God sees your situation and you can ask God treat my situation as a prayer request I need you God and it’s okay now you now have permission to say I’m not here at the altar just for other people you’re here to say it’s me I need fixing I need
Changing I need you to help me think right act right speak right I need you to intervene in my family in my situation whether it’s mental Legal Financial physical I want to encourage you God can do it so just begin to think of those prayers and if you feel comfortable just
Begin to talk to him if you feel comfortable right now just begin to pray for yourself don’t worry about who’s listening because we’re all praying whether we’re thinking or speaking it’s okay just begin to talk to him because sometimes there’s power in you praying for yourself you praying for
Your family you praying for your children the people you serve you praying about your work place come on don’t be afraid to pray y’all Jesus says his house shall be a House of Prayer we got some prayer warriors who’ve been praying for you just for you
To learn how to pray so go ahead and pray y’all go ahead and pray go ahead and pray go ahead and even if you just recite the Lord’s Prayer even if you confess to the Lord you could even just follow This Acronym acts just talk to him as you adore him
Just thank God for who God is thank God for just being God of your life that’s adoration go ahead and cry out and call on his name you’re at his altar you’ve come to the Lord you could use the C in acts as a time of
Confession Lord It’s Me Lord I need you Lord I need forgiveness Lord I need strength Lord I need you right now that’s confession you come to God just as you are that’s adoration and confession you can use the T in acts as a time of Thanksgiving that’s when you thank God
For for the things God has done adoration is just thanking God for who God is Thanksgiving is thanking God for the things God did and does for you and God is doing and has done great things thank him adoration that’s confession that’s Thanksgiving and then the s in Acts is
Supplication that’s when you make requests to the Lord ask him seek Him ask for what you want in faith talk to him lift up your prayers and guess what chances are the prayers you’re praying God answered already for someone else it is no secret what God
Can do what he’s done for others he can do for you go ahead and pray go ahead and pray go ahead and pray God we call on your name we come to your altar we plead the blood of Jesus we acknowledge that like Nicodemus it’s me standing in the need of prayer we
Call on your name God and we pray that you would intervene in everyone’s life we pray that God you would intercede in every situation for the person at the altar needing you to show up at the hospital I pray that you would work on the hearts and the minds and the
Hands of every doctor nurse surgeon and medical professional for the person who’s got to go to court I pray that you would be their ultimate advocate for the person praying about their marriage and their children I pray that God you would remind them that what you have joined together
Let no one tear us under as we intercede for our children and our friends children and our children’s children in this community God I pray that you would hear the prayers of the righteous and it might Avail much we want to see lives changed we want to see people saved we
Want to see churches growing communities healed life lives turned around many generations of families back in church heal broken relationships heal the people that life has beat down God hear the prayers of your people we pray for not only the concerns of the people we pray for the
Concerns of this world God intervene in this war torn World intervene to bring peace intervene God so that those who are vulnerable God that they might get what they need from food to clothing to shelter God help us in the political realm to find the proper compromise so
That we could live in a world where there’s not under education or transgenerational poverty God help us God by convicting those who we’ve put in elected office we also pray for every educator and every schol school and every school system we pray for those in prison we pray for those in hospitals
And Mental Hospitals we pray for those who are diseased and Afflicted God may you be the one today that heares the prayers and enacts your healing God and may you bring joy and restoration may you bring comfort and confidence may you bring in a Blessed Assurance to somebody
Who was ready to give up ready to quit ready to throw on the towel may you speak to them and say hold on to my unchanging hand God I pray that you continue to write the chapters of their life God remind them that they they’re not the worst that they’ve done God
Remind them you’re the god of another chance a second chance a third chance a fourth chance a fifth chance remind them you’re the god of Grace forgiveness mercy and love and I pray that God they would indeed receive it believe it decree it and declare it and God may you
Continue to order their steps in the Lord God whatever I may not have known to pray may you answer the prayers that we should have prayed and we offer this prayer with Thanksgiving in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus in the name
Of Jesus and for his cause we all pray and the daughters and sons of God who agree and who believe say loud and proud amen and let’s raise our right hand as we look unto the Lord and now unto him who able to keep us from falling and
Present us all faultless before his presence with great and exceeding Joy to the only wise God our savior be glory and Majesty dominion and power both now and forever more and the daughters and sons of God who agree and who believe say loud and proud amen amen and amen
God to God be the glory yes give the Lord Give the Lord a hand clap of Praise Give the Lord a hand clap of Praise amen amen Grace and peace beloved both in the building and online Grace and peace Grace and peace Grace and peace Grace and peace you thank you
Jesus let me hear you say I am bless amess let me hear you say hallelujah hallelujah let me hear you sing I am blessed I am blessed let me hear you say thank you Jesus Jesus let me hear you say I am BL I Am yes C for
source
