Hello God don’t teach good morning Shiloh this is a day that the Lord has made Let’s rejoice and be glad in it let us rise for our call for Invocation father God we come before you this morning just thanking you thanking you father for sending your son down to earth down to earth to show us the way and father we just thank you we thank you for waking us this morning we thank you Father for all your grace all your
Mercy and father we we just thank you that you ordered our footsteps to be in this house to worship together worship to praise you praise your name give you all honor and father bless this service and holy Spirit be with us and it is in Jesus name I pray amen amen amen praise
The Lord everybody praise the Lord everybody hallelujah hallelujah what a mighty God we serve Hallelujah he’s good he just good Hallelujah he’s good in the emergency room he’s good at the grave site he’s good when things are going good and it’s good when things are not going so well God is just good
Hallelujah praise you today hallelujah amen it is the season of That Wonderful Child Jesus who makes all the difference hallelujah amen hallelujah Jesus Jesus Oh What A Wonderful Child Jesus Jesus all to the angels Glory Glory Glory To The King let me tell you about Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus
A wonderful child What a Wonderful Child Jesus Jesus Jesus Angel glory glory glor to the he was by the oh to a Lely mangel the Virgin Mary was his father and Joseph was his Earthly father you see the wise came from and got by the shin star to come and see the bab where he
Lay in a Manger fill with let me tell you about Jesus Jesus Jesus my Jesus a wonderful child What a Wonderful Child Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Theol Angel glory glory glory to the new come on he was her by the angels to a l manger the Virgin Mary was his mother and Joseph was his Earth father see the wise came from AED by the shin star to come and see the bab where
Late in a Manger filled with let me tell you about Jesus Jesus Jesus he’s my Jes what a wonderful child wonderful Childes L to the angels s Glory Glory glory to the new let me tell you about Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus baby Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus was born in a m Jesus and SP Jesus Jesus Jesus my Jesus Jus midnight I
Call ear in the morning I can call Jesus I call I’m feeling I call are good I Call On Jesus I call on Jes more I call better I Jesus Jesus my Jesus the r of sharing Jusus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus I call him Jesus I call him in the Jesus call him Inus call him at midus yeah Hees Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus more I call it J better I Feel Jesus Jesus tears in my eyes call Jesus call Jesus Glory Glory glor Hallelujah Jesus Jesus
Jesus Jesus call his name Jesus call his name Jesus call his name Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus oh Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jusus Jesus Jesus glory glory glory to the [Applause] New hallelujah amen we normally have announcements at this time but having no one here to give that announcements we’re going to go right into our our intercessory prayer before we start praying however we will have some notices scrolling on the screen and of past ceremonies of ongoing ceremonies of
Life chiry Lewis age 69 pass Saturday November 18th memorial service was held Tuesday November 28th at the Westminster Presbyterian Church mother to Theodor and deti and and there are other family members listed celebration of life Services upcoming Services Sheila L Donaldson age 68 pass November 22 homegoing service will be
Held 1 pm. Monday December 4 at Shiloh calling hours are 12: noon until time of service and tourament will be at Colonial Memorial Park mother to gisha Donaldson and sister to Garett Donaldson Anna R Pleasant age 86 P November 21 homing service will be at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday December 6 at
Hughes Funeral Home calling hours will be 10 a.m. until time of service inter terment will be at Ying Cemetery sister the Shiloh member Moses at Lois K celebration of life Services pending Lis L keru age 74 pass Friday December the 1st wife the Sho member Moses kinderu mother to Melinda and
Sapphira Memorial board today on my left and right are lit in memory of Alice Reed Bo December 3D 2010 Patricia Cunningham gray December 3 20 7 Reverend David W bra December 4 1966 uh Grace uh mouri Gil December 5 1990 and Queen B Chapman December 5 1987 and today we
Are and also celebrating is Ruby G Hunter December 6 1989 Deacon Kenneth El Porter December 7 2018 IM elv C cement December 9 1961 Gilbert F Williams December 9 1999 and in honor of these birthdays today we have um Nisha G Donaldson birthday December the
6 and uh now it’s time to go before the Lord in prayer you may go before the Lord in whichever manner that you find fit I will lead us in this prayer this morning let us go before the Lord father God it is it is with gracious Hearts is with sad
Hearts hearts of Joy father that we come before you this morning just thanking you for waking us up father another miracle that only you could do and we just thank you we could not thank you enough father but we will try Father God we we thank you for our
Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ coming down to earth to show us the way and father we thank you for leaving your Holy Spirit here father to help keep us on that steady track father I come before you petitioning father for those who are who
Are ill father who who are sick and shut in or just sick father physically or mentally I petition on their behalf father I petition on the behalf of those who are incarcerated father father just bless those folk father bless them with peace the Peace of knowing that you are with them
Regardless of who may be against them and father I come petitioning for those mothers and those fathers who are praying for their children father who are seeking for Solutions father that they can only get through you and father I pray that you hear their prayers which I know you do and father just
Bless bless this Earth father heal our land father we humble ourselves unto you father and ask that you heal our land and father we ask for peace Father the Middle East we ask for peace Father in the in Eastern Europe father we just we ask for peace of these United States
Father and we pray that we stay strong and on track father and keep in mind what it’s all about in November 24 and that we stay on target Pat and father and we stay focused focused on what we must do to keep our freedom and father just bless shalow Baptist Church
And every member that’s standing in these in these pews this morning Father and our guest bless their families father and bless our neighborhood father just bless bless our people period father just we love you God and we know only you can do it and we we believe you
Will and father bless our pastor and bless our shallow Baptist Church it is in Jesus name I pray Amen Oh the blood of Jesus Oh The Blood of Jes Jesus Oh The Blood of Jesus it will never Lo it’s I think we’ll say it again oh the blood the blood of Jes of jusus Oh The Blood the of Jes of Jesus Jesus the blood of Jesus it will lose his I think I’ll say it one more time sing it sing it oh the blood the blood of Jes of jusus oh blood Oh The Blood Jus Jesus Oh BL W wo wo the blood of Jes it will it’s he was despised and rejected he was despised and
Rejected a man a man of sorrow acquainted with grief he was wounded for transgress he was bruised for bruised for our Iniquity but then he rose on that birthday morning he got up with all you know what going back to his father in glory to come again again everybody sing out sing out the power power J it was nothing the blood the blood of Jesus oh the the blood of J it
Will I’m glad about it it will h AR you GL about I so never lose never going to lose never ever going to lose it power 3665 days of the year every second every minute every hour never going to lose never ever going to lose it
Power5 165 days of the year every second every minute of the hour going to lose never ever going to lose never days every second every never going to lose to lose ever going to it’s with you no matter no matter what you through you can call on him never lose 3
365 don’t you ever give up of every every minute every hour it will I’m glad about it will it no no no no no Hallelujah don’t you ever don’t you ever in town it’ll never lose it will God got God he is a God he is
A he walk with you he’ll talk with you Hallelujah Hallelujah on it will I’m so glad about it I won’t give up don’t you ever don’t you ever don’t you ever give up God got your back he promise you’ll always be with you in a good time in the
Bad times in the good times never Hall h hall hallelu hallah hallelujah [Applause] Hallelujah never never never never Hallelujah will [Applause] thank you Lord Jesus thank you Lord Jesus thank you Lord Jesus Hall God God thank you Lord [Applause] Amen Let the Church Say [Applause] Amen Heyk [Applause] you Let the church say Amen Church Say Amen again and one more time for the Blessed Holy Spirit we’re grateful today for the Praises of God I mean you know you can just praise your way through some stuff Amen grateful today that God receives the Praises of his people and we’re grateful for this praise and worship team give God a praise offering for them they are a blessing to the kingdom and we bless the Lord for them in the awesome name of Jesus our Christ we
Thank God for this first Sunday the last last first Sunday of 2023 give God a praise offering for that for if you think about it first Sunday worship first Sunday communion happens 12 times a year if the Lord allows us to see them and the Bible simply reminds us as
Often as we do this do this in remembrance of Me Jesus says and I believe it’s not just communion he was specifically referring to communion but I believe as often as we do this get together for worship we are always ought always do this in remembrance of Jesus
We worship because of Jesus we’re here because of Jesus we live because of Jesus we exist because of Jesus we have salvation because of Jesus we have the gift of eternal life because of Jesus and so as often as we do this do this in remembrance of Me Jesus says
It’s preaching time we prayed the deacons have led us today in prayer we thank God for Deacon Willie Hood we have praised we thank God for our praise team and now it’s time to preach and proclaim the immeasurable good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ as you stand
To your feet w’t you turn in your Bibles with me to the book of The Gospel of St Mark amen Mark chapter number 13: 24 through 33 and then we’re going to read a few verses out of 1 Corinthians chapter number one verses 8 and n as you’re
Turning there it is great to see the brothers of alpha alpha Fraternity Incorporated with us give God a praise offering for them I got the word from Brother dere that the brothers of FIA Trin alumni chapter would be worshiping and fellowshipping with us today and so it’s good to see them in
The house and y’all caus me to break out my black and gold robe so I figure I would honor the brothers of afia by pulling out my black and gold robe good to see my brother and and friend Pastor Simeon Spencer from the Union Baptist Church bad bless you brother good to see
You in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we have any other Pastor Brothers in AIA I don’t want to overlook any other pastors I know that Pastor Sim joined in this recent times we thank God for all of the divine nine all of the four sororities and five fraternities that
Make up Divine n we don’t leave out Brothers of Sigma pii the first actual black Greek letter organization sorry Brothers even before 1906 there was 1904 for those brothers who join those five distinct men who joined and formed a distinctive Fellowship in Philadelphia called Sigma pii say Amen you’ve located the text
Amen the Bible reads in the gospel of St Mark chapter number 13 but in those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light the Stars of heaven will fall and the powers in the heavens will be
Shaken then they will see the son of man coming in the clouds with great power and Glory then he will send his angels and gather together his elect somebody say elect gather together his elect from the Four Winds from the farthest part of Earth to the farthest part of
Heaven now learn this Parable from the fiig tree when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves you know that summer is near so you also when you see these things happening know that it is near here at the doors surely I say to you this
Generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will be will by no means pass away but of that day and hour no one knows not even the angels in Heaven nor the son
But only the father take heed watch and pray for you do not know when the time is and I’m going to skip over to 1 Corinthians chapter number one just read these two verses 8 and N who will also confirm you to the end that you may be
Blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship somebody say Fellowship fellow Fellowship of his son Jesus Christ Our Lord here ends the reading of God’s Divine and Eternal Word May edify and sanctify God’s people will
That you pray with me beloved on the title of today’s sermon the true meaning of us the true meaning of us let’s pray Father in Heaven May these words not return void but may they accomplish that which you intended May Hearts be encouraged May Minds be illuminated May
Souls be convicted I pray today oh God have your way we shall be ever careful to render Glory praise and honor unto your name for you alone are worthy to be praised touch everybody in the sanctuary watching on Facebook and YouTube God touch everybody who will watch this
Service even at a later date in time God bless everybody who shall listen to this service on by way of radio oh God Have Your Way bless every body who’s even listening now by way of freeconferencecall.com thank you for the technology that allows us to transmit
Your word to a waiting world and a Dying World and I pray God that your word will not return void in the awesome name of Jesus our Christ we do pray let all of God’s children the redeemed of the Lord say amen amen and amen God bless you you may be
Seated today is the first day of Advent brother Derek that cord for me today is the first day of Advent and those of us here at Shiloh know that we try to really stick to the liturgical calendar and highlight those Seasons that are part of the lurgical calendar for those
Who are visiting sitting with us today the lurgical calendar is a series of text scriptural texts that really take us throughout the entirety of the calendar year but highlighting certain key lurgical events one of the greatest of those events is Jesus’s birth which we now call the season of
Advent the second and some would say the greatest but second chronologically is his death because without his death there would be no Redemption and there would be no salvation and so Holy Week and all of The Passion of Christ that follows those seven days are all preceded by a season
Of Lent and so between the season of Advent and the season of Lent and the season of Holy Week six months from November usually today is December through the middle of the year next year of June 2024 if the Lord allows us to see it then focuses ends and culminates on the
Season of Pentecost and so these three major Seasons Advent lent Holy Week Pentecost are all designed to help us go deeper in our relationship with our God God creator Redeemer and sustainer and so these Seasons then are followed up with another half of year between June and November with what we
Call the season of Pentecost it’s not just the day of Pentecost but the season of Pentecost some liturgic liturgist would call this the general season if you would but I think every day every Sunday of the year each of the 52 Sunday are designed to help us know something greater about God
Our Creator God Our Redeemer and God our sustainer and if you go to church and you don’t learn something about God creator and God Redeemer and God sustainer I would ask the question why are you going to church amen somebody and so the greatest uh gift of the lectionary is coupling
And putting together a series of texts that will help us understand the nature the very nature of God and there is within our theological studies all of these different forms of study Theology and the study of God God self the christology the study of Christ the numy
The study of the spirit ecclesiology the study of the church missiology the study of missions and evangelism if you would and there’s a bunch of other allies if you care to go deeper into this field of study P point of fact Pastor Spencer and I when we were in seminary together 1995
96 97 we had something called the gentleman’s review and he and myself and two other brothers would come together and we would help sharpen each other in Realms of of these theologies and the substudies of these things and help make sure that we were gleaning what was the
Depth of these studies but also of the nature of our faith today is this first Sunday of Advent it begins something called year B in on the lectionary calendar and you’ve heard me talk about this many times year a year B B and year C threeyear cycles in which the lectionary
Then repeats itself using certain cext but adding other text that may be a bit obscure in our understanding of scripture and so today start of the lurgical Year B Begins the four Sundays prior to Christmas and so that usually when Christmas when December doesn’t have five Sundays it usually begins the
Last Sunday in November this year because of five Sundays in December we actually begin the lectionary year the season of Advent on this day December the 3 then next Sunday December the 10th is the second Sunday of Advent next Sunday after that December the 17th is
The third Sunday of Advent and then the Christmas always preceding the Sunday always preceding Christmas is the fourth Sunday of Advent and on each of those Sundays most churches most Christian churches whether they’re Catholic or Orthodox or Protestant have an Advent wreath and we try to light the Advent
Wreath here at the Shiloh Church and you’ll note the colors of the Advent wreath they all lead to the fourth Sunday of Christmas the Christmas closes to Christ’s birth the Advent wreath has an in center in most cases this Throne this Crown representing the royalty of our Christ Jesus and so we
Take a moment to honor the beginning of Advent look to your neighbor to the right and left just simply say happy Advent a lot of us and Protestant churches don’t necessarily recognize the lectionary and the lur iCal year and the seasons of Advent but I believe regardless of what branch of
Christianity you find yourself in whether you’re Protestant or Catholic or Eastern Orthodox this Theology of advent is core and it is solid because it anticipates the coming of Christ amen we can debate every all day long what was Jesus actually born on December 25th we can debate
Actually was even born in the month of what we call on the western calendar the month of December we could actually debate whether not the accoutrements that we usually put around Christmas the tree and the lights and the snow and all of that some folk would make the very
Obvious point I don’t think I see snow in Israel very often and yet what we have formed thanks to Coca-Cola um in America is this image of Christmas with the man in the red suit and the Furry beard and all of that stuff but I’m very clear Christmas is about Jesus
It’s not about Santa Claus I know parents it’s not about rudol the red nose reindeer and it’s not about Frosty to snowman it’s about Jesus somebody say Christmas is about Jesus and so we celebrate and we acknowledge the coming of our Christ and shame on us if we don’t
Pause to put at the very center of this season Jesus that’s why I don’t believe in exmas my god when I first learned that we would even take Christ out of Christmas and replace it with an X and then we would have have the nerve
To say happy ecus and reduce it to some form of secularity I respect other religious Traditions I am an accum I am an acuminous by heart I am an Interfaith leader I try to be but I am unabashedly Christian I am unashamedly about my Jesus and I will stand on the [Applause]
Fact that the great gift we as Believers in Christ offered to the world is a different understanding of the relationship with the Divine that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believeth in him shall never die but have eternal life everlasting life
And you and I if we are believers in the Christ we must never be ashamed of Jesus at the heart of this season and so we celebrate the Advent Latin for coming the advancing towards Humanity of the Christ in this case the Christ child and not just one Sunday was set
Aside but four Sundays were set aside for us to anticipate to get excited about listen I know a lot of us going to watch who later on today did sadel just say the Steelers he did the Eagles and the ners and we’re going to get excited about jayen hurt
And going to get excited excited about the Niners quarterback and their receiving core and all of this but if we get more excited about jayen H than we do about Jesus if we get more excited about the Eagles and we’re willing to flap our
Wings for the and say the say e a g l e s Eagles you how come we can’t say j s u s flap our wings and say [Applause] Jesus and so wein God’s Christian Church must get excited about the season but the reason for the season Jesus is the reason for the
Season and on this day of first Sunday of Advent if you look at the text there’s four of them and there’s an Isaiah text there’s a mark text there’s a psong text and then there’s a first Corinthians text usually there’s an Old Testament Two Old Testament two new testament usually there’s a historical
Book or usually there’s a Psalm and then any combination of the prophetic or historical books in the Old Testament and usually there’s a gospel and any combination of the Epistles usually that Paul wrote or a few that Peter and others have written and all of these
Texts are designed to help us hone in on a certain theme a certain focus a certain genre of what the liturgist or those who formed the lectionary would want us to know about Christ now Humanity created the lectionary God didn’t but God gave the word by which
The Leary was formed and the lurgical year revolves and so at the heart of the lectionary in the lurgical year is God’s word and so what is the commonality of the word today on this first Sunday of Advent and as I looked at the text and I read through
The four Isaiah and Psalm and Corinthian 1 Corinthians and and and mark the it it became apparently clear abundantly clear that that God’s word on this first Sunday of Advent is focusing on Jesus’s coming an our identity and response to Jesus’s coming and these three words came to my
Spirit and they all talk about us in some way shape or form the first word is the word corania which is the Greek word for Fellowship the second word is the word Ecclesia which is the Greek word for church and the third word is the word ekos which is the Greek word for
The elect and what do all three of these words have in common fellowship and church and elect the Coria the eklesia the OS what do all three of these words have in common all three of these words have us in common you and I who are sitting in the
Pews you and I who get into our cars or get on buses maybe even get on trains to make our way to houses of worship black and white red and brown male and female tall and short rich and poor gay lesbian and straight we make our way into houses
Of worship Catholic and Protestant and Orthodox and we are they and they are us your neighbor sitting next to you the person sitting behind you in the pew the person sitting in front of you in the Pew what do we have in common as Believers in the
Christ and I would argue that each of these three words help us to understand something about ourselves and something about our corporate responsibility and identity as there relates to the Christ and I would even have these be in some ordinal form or fashion that they who make up the body of Christ are
Called into a fellowship what a fellowship what a joy Divine leaning on the Everlasting Arms I have blessed peace yes sir th this question of Fellowship this question of Corning is something that I would declare that is at the base element of what you and I ought to have
In common we ought to be building a fellowship and as much as I represent the Beloved Fraternity in which I belong and the brothers of FIA the brothers of cap alasi the brothers of of Iota fapi the brothers of of of omegafi the sisters of Del Sigma Theta the sisters
Of Sigma gamaro the sisters of Zeta beta the sisters of Alpha Kappa Alpha all of the divine nine as much as we have frater yes sir come on somebody it is in the heart of what we call our fraternities and our sororities I would make an argument that the
Frater is different than the fellowship all right can I get a witness the Gathering of yourselves in Social orders be they in your Masonic orders or your fraternities or your sororities or your 100 and black men or your links or your Boule you name the organization or
Your girlfriends or your New Jersey or your Federation of Colored Women all of these are social organizations and there ought to be a distinct difference from your social organization and your body of Believers that you call the fellowship of Christ and as strong as the bond is between your
Frater and your social organizations I would argue that the bond ought to be stronger in The Fellowship of the body of Christ but guess what sometimes I wonder if the if the bond is is stronger in our fraternities and sororities than they are in the body of
Christ sometimes I ask myself are can folk depend more on their fraternal brothers or their sororal sisters than they can on their fellow Believers in the body of Christ I wonder if we have more trust in folk in our soral and social enclaves and bodies then we do in the fellowship
In the body of Christ and if we do I would argue that that that is a wrong ordering for as much as I love my beloved Sigma feta Sigma fraternity Incorporated and a proud brother of the blue and white family and all of that at the end of the day those letters and
Those colors should not mean more than the blood of Jesus and my belief and the one who died for me for as much as I celebrate the founders of Sigma five Beta Sigma they are not more important to me than my Jesus as much as you Brothers celebrate
The founders of your beloved Fraternity in 1906 they should not be more important than my beloved Jesus as much as the sisters of Zeta celebrate their pearls and the sisters of AKA celebrate their Founders and you name it they should never be more important then are Jesus and so what is the
Fellowship that binds us together Paul uses this word Coria in 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and he says in verse 9 of 1 Corinthians God is f faithful by whom you were what called into the fellowship somebody say Fellowship fellow it doesn’t say fraternity it doesn’t say sorority it
Doesn’t say a 100 black men you were called into the fellowship by God some would say well Pastor I’m not called no you may not be called to be a preacher you may not called to be in the diaconate but you are called for the Bible reminds me we were called out of
Darkness Into The Marvelous Light uh I don’t know about you but there was a moment in my life where I did not know Jesus for myself and I was outside of the bond of fellowship with my Jesus but when Jesus got a hold of me come on somebody he called me
Out of my dark situation out of my trials and my tribulations and he called me come on now into something greater something better something higher you have been called into the fellowship of Christ but then when I think about these levels of Fellowship there’s another word that Paul
Uses or that Jesus uses in the gospel writing Mark writes it Jesus utters it he says in Mark chapter number 13 the starting in verse number go to the first verse of this PR he says in 24 but in those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened and the moon
Will not give us light Jesus is uttering what some call the farewell discourses what’s going to happen in the end times what’s going to happen in the escaton Greek word for last what’s going to happen in the last days and Jesus says in those days that are to come
After that tribulation the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give his light the stars of heaven will fall and the powers in the heavens will be shaken he goes on to say in verse number 26 then they will see the son of man coming
In the clouds with great power and with great glory and he goes on to say and then he will send his angels and gather them and this is the word I don’t want you to miss gather his elect who are the elect what’s the difference from the
Corer to the ekos the Greek word for elect is ekos e k e ex Greg English English English size for out and so when you exet when you EX avate when you exit off the turnpike you are getting off you’re getting out you are bringing out you are digging up
Something so anytime you see this word in English XEX it off most often is in Greek EK and EK means out and so Ecclesia are the called out ones EOS are the chosen ones so then what Pastor makes the difference of the Coria and the Ecclesia and the
Ekos I believe that when we are called out of our dark States we are then called into a bond of fellowship and relationship with your brothers and sisters and whether you like them or not you are still called into the bond of relationship with your brothers and
Sisters in point of fact most of Paul’s writing were to folk who didn’t like each other and Paul reminded them but for the blood of Jesus you are in relationship with one another so figure it out and that is what his letter to the Christians in Corinth is about that’s
What his letters to the Christians in galatia is about that’s what his letters to the Christians in Rome is about that’s what his letters to the Christians in uh Ephesus and Phil Philippi this is what they’re about these words these letters are about helping The Fellowship of the Saints
Know what it means to be in right relationship with each other and it is not about taking your marbles and going to your own place for if you call yourself a born again believer born and bought by a price of the blood of Jesus
It is not an option for you to run away and do your own thing you got to stay and figure it out what it means to be in relationship I’m not talking about churches I’m I’m talking about Fellowship cuz I know a bunch of churches that don’t have much
Fellowship can I get a witness but I know some fellowships that don’t call themselves churches that are rich with the bond of relationship in Christ and so Coria could be considered this Baseline coming together of those of us in Fellowship but in the middle is this Ecclesia what we come to call the
Church and I have often wrestled in my 30 plus years of ministry what is the meaning of God’s Church what it distinguishes us not denominations but what distinguishes God’s church and I think all of us who are here in the body of Christ who fellowship at this Shiloh Baptist Church
Or that Union Baptist Church or that Macedonia or that Galilee or that uh Greater Mount Zion am or that St Paul United Methodist or that Courtney Temple Church of God or or that g uh that Church of Christ over on Clinton Avenue what is the distinction I know we’ve got
All of these separations all of these denominations but there ought to be something that unifies us from the fellowship that we call a church because there are some folk who are looking at God’s church and wondering if that’s what you call the church I don’t want to be a part of it
Right and so my charge to us to think Char challenge us to think about what are these higher order of connections and relationships that we ought to be about and we ought not there are some things we ought not be doing in God’s church we ought not be gossiping about
Each other we ought not be talking about each other we ought not be backbiting about each other we ought not be stabbing each other in the back there’s enough of that going on in the world and there are some folk who are out there in
The world who need to see a figment of something better and I hope it’s God’s church I hope it’s us who’ve been called out of Darkness into relationship into Fellowship that draws somebody to want to come into God’s Church but then this word elect and I’ll go to my seat on
This similar to Ecclesia the ones who have been called out but elect EOS has a different connotation those who are chosen amen the elect are those who have been set aside called out and set aside remember when I first got into Ministry one of my mentors gave me this
Saying I’ve used it often since then you’ve heard me say it some are called some are sent other folk just got up and went you better be careful who called you I tell pastor I tell ministers and daate leaders and other leaders in God’s church I don’t call you I offer you an
Opportunity to serve I offer you a possibility of leadership but God’s got to call you if you don’t hear the call of God then don’t you accept this position don’t you step into this responsibility because there going to come some moments when it’s just you and
God and the pastor is not going to be be there the Deacon’s not going to be there the clergy’s not going to be there and you’ve got to make sure that God is the one that called [Applause] you and so beloved of God this word ecose for me UPS the
Ante and Paul go back to Mark Chapter 13 Verse number 2425 he uses this word that in those days he’s going to call forth his elect go to 26 he’s going to call forth his elect go to 27 he’s going to call forth his elect and in this calling together his Gathering Together
Of his elect from the Four Winds from the farthest part of the earth to the farest part of Heaven it does not say that it is only those who are still living wow come on now those from yester year to those to today in our theological studies there’s
A man by the name of John Calvin who puts forth a the a form of theological discourse called Calvinism and in Calvinism he puts forth the idea of what’s called predestination and there’s a lot of us in theological circles that wrestle with this idea of predestination that those
Who are ultimately going to be who have been chosen and set aside and ultimately going to go to the Eternal Paradise of Eternal rest with our God are those called the elect and so the question is how do you know who the elect are how do you know you’re in the elect
And can I can I say something just CU you come to church don’t make you a part of the elect just just cuz you give money in the tithing plate don’t make you a part of the elect just CU you serve in a Ministry doesn’t make you a part of the
Elect just because you serve and sing solos don’t make you a part of the elect just because you play an instrument and an organ or a piano doesn’t make you a part of the elect just because you lead the choir and you lead the Usher’s
Ministry does not make you a part of the elect because it’s not about your title can I get a witness today it’s not about your position H it’s not about the rank is not about your your your name uh it’s about your submission uh to Jesus the Christ hallelujah
Hallelujah Paul I mean Mark quotes Jesus in this Fair will discourse that in those days in that day he’s going to gather together his elect that’s a higher form of just those who came to Fellowship cuz I know a lot of folk who like The Fellowship of the church they
Like hearing the choir sing they they like hearing the Deacon pray they like the feel of sitting in the pews and there’s something about coming the church that we lost in the pandemic that we’re trying to get back uh and those of you online on Facebook and YouTube I
Thank God for you because some of you cannot get to the building and if the pandemic taught me anything it taught me that I don’t have to come to the building to have church some of y’all missed that cuz some of y’all make the church Anonymous with what of the building synonymous
With the church uh but the pandemic shut down everything and so the question was what are you going to do if you can’t get to the building will you still worship him uh will you still Magnify Him uh and I thank God that our saw some folk in the pandemic that understood
That the church was bigger than the building I couldn’t get to the building uh but I still could have church uh I couldn’t get to 340 as Howard Woodson way but I can still praise my God H I couldn’t get to the church house but I
Can still exalt his name for the Bible declares where there are two or three three of us that are gathered together in his name that he will be there I hope in the pandemic that you found one other person that you can gather together with and give God some Glory but here’s the
Kicker if I couldn’t get to my brother and I couldn’t get to my sister I can praise him all by myself because he’s been good he’s been good I’m not going to let a rock cry out because he’s been Good Fellowship is bigger than just coming to a show in a building Fellowship should take us into the church Church which should take us to the next stage of connectivity and relationship that causes us to focus on something so much greater than any of us in the building and I am a
Believer that if I can get to a point where Jesus is more important than what they think about me Jesus is more important than what they say about me Jesus is more important than whether they call My Name Jesus is more important than whether they put my name
On the program Jesus is more important than whether they give me an award cuz I’m not working to get a pat on the back down here I’m working to get a well done well done well done up [Applause] [Applause] There and the work that we do in the cornia in the Ecclesia ought to lead us towards the ekos [Applause] I don’t know about you y’all I don’t want to be left out I want to be in the number I want to be in the ekos and that’s bigger than the Coria
That’s bigger than the Ecclesia that’s bigger than the Baptist Church that’s bigger than a a board or a Ministry that is a part of the Divine connection with almighty God and this is where Calvinism strikes a cord with me because God only knows who the True Believers [Applause]
Are and God Only Knows those who are playing church and it’s going to be a sad day in this Mark text Jesus gathers his elect and some folk may not be in the number there’s another text in which Jesus talks about goats and sheep and and the Goat said but but Jesus
Jesus we prophesied in your name we sang songs about you I came to church every Sunday the Master’s still going to say depart from me thy worker of iniquity for I knew you not I don’t know why you said all that I don’t know why you did all that performing and running
Around and showing out out but it wasn’t in your heart and you shouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t in your Heart but the ektos may be somebody who never stepped foot in the building but God has grabbed their hearts and lifted them to a higher place and part of what it means to be a part of the ekos is that you keep the main thing the main
Thing and you stop sweating all the other little stuff that goes on around us there’s some big things happening in the world today War famine other things racial ethnic Strife but no matter what happens the Bible declares these things are going to happen but I need you to stay focused on
Me so that when I come again and gather my people that you are in not only the fellowship not only the Ecclesia but that you are part of the elect the ekos and so there’s a question of whether we choose to be a part of the elect or whether God has predestined us
To be a part of the elect this is this distinction between what we call Calvinism and Armenian ISM and unconditional and conditional salvation and all of these things but not to confuse us I simply leave and challenge all of us to make sure that we seek ye first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness and all of things shall take care of it self as long as you keep God at the Forefront and the center of your life and so I thank God today that one day The Trumpet Of God is going to sound and
The dead in Christ will rise and if any of us are still here we shall be caught up to meet Jesus in the air and the Bible says and there we shall forever be with our God and so I just stopped by to help us understand a better understanding what I
Call the true meaning of us and I hope as we end 2023 and get ready for 2024 that we can be a better version of us that we can be a better version of us that we can be a better version of Christ ambassadors Christ Believers that
When people see us they see the God in us and that they will glorify the God in heaven because of us and because of our witness when they see us they see us as Believers and praisers and what worshippers no matter what the situation is when they see us they see folk who
Are positive who see the glass as half full when they see us they see us who are perseverant and we’re going to press on towards the higher call of God in Jesus Christ when they see Us they see something higher and better in jesus’ name Let the church say amen amen and amen everyone standing to their feet every head bowed every eye closed father May these words accomplish the intended end of drawing us higher in fellowship and worship in the name of
Jesus somebody may not know who you are today God but I pray that whoever they are that you would draw them nigh unto thee wherever they find themselves that you would draw them nigh unto thee in Jesus’s strong name Let the church say Amen deacons and Deaconess clergy help
Me extend the invitation to discipleship today praise team is going to lead us in a song of praise and I just want to offer an invitation to someone out there who may not have a relationship with God yetus is watching I don’t know who you are but I invite you to come
Out give us your hand and give God your heart will and I hope you have a relationship because a relationship is what saves you membership in a church doesn’t save you need wor so I extend today an offer of relationship if you’re here today and you’ve never made a decision for
Christ I invite you to step out of your seat and come on forward and we love to pray with you talk with you share with you the good news of our Lord and savior if you already know Jesus and you don’t have a church on we would love to have you be a
Part of our fellowship part of our churchix free if you’re here today and God is working on you you can’t figure it out just let go and let God have God’s way in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus anyone here today anyone here today all that you need anyone here
Today anyone here today there is no Li anyone here today anyone here Today come on praise Yeah he has rest he has rest for the we and strength for the L he’s passing our blessing he’s passing blessing there’s one with your name there’s one with your Reach Out And Touch him joy peace deliver salvation is Sal is free I came to tell
You to Jes God bless you you may be seated you may be seated he all you need come to Jesus come to Jesus God is still calling come on let’s one more time he has rest he has rest all the we the we strength for the L and
Strength for the L he’s passing our blessing he’s passing bless there’s one with your name there’s one with your name reach out joy peace deliver salvation is salvation is fre why don’t you come to Jesus come to Jesus yes he is he’s all you need come to Jesus come to
Jesus come to Jesus he’s all he’s all you need one more time come to Jesus come to Jesus come to Jesus yes you are God he you come on put your hands together give God a praise offering God bless you the deacons and the Deaconess and the clergy who are
Standing are all standing as signs and in ambassadors for Christ ordained and consecrated and trained if nothing more than just help point you to Christ that’s our main job is to help point someone to Christ and so they serve as servant leaders in our church to be sure but their main job is
To point someone to Christ and to help be a helpmate along that Journey if need be all right so if you need to talk to someone have prayer with someone just look at where they take their seat and where there’s where they go back grab them after the service if you need to
All right God bless you may be seated deacons Deon clergy so listen God really orchestrated this because I I had not really dived into the lectionary text before I realized that this Advent season starts off with talking about the elect and the fellowship the cornia and the Ecclesia and the
Ekos and uh uh before the choir comes we’re going to before the ushers come go and have a seat we’re going to do the right hand of fellowship and so I’m going to invite members who have joined in this last year to come on up and stand right on in
Front and um deacons come on up and let’s push the table back um back into its place because we’re going to have new members come and and come up and stand so if you know that you’ve joined the last several weeks of the last several months but let’s just take 2023
If you’ve joined our fellowship in 2023 I want you to stand up and come on down um we want to welcome you in the body into the fellowship amen into the fellowship now we have not done this come on down the O Deli family and um if
You are here members of the O Deli Family come on up members of the Mendes family and the ra brother Ross and others of you um come on olad delis come my Usher brother back there come on up come on up olad delis come on up all who
Have joined this year we thank God for um all of you come on and scoot down a little bit to your left um that’s right keep going down to the left to the left to the left everything you own in the box to the left there you go right in the center
That’s right come on sister right here in the center amen amen so listen these are just a few of the new members that God has brought into our branch of Zion in this last um in this last year and I want to thank God now I don’t want to
Miss someone um of the Williams here Sister Williams and who who anyone join in 2022 really we have not done the right hand of Fellowship I think in the whole of the pandemic since 2020 2021 20 22 so we’re going through the list and wanting to make sure but I’m just going
To do a blanket covering if you joined with Shiloh in 2020 2021 2022 or 2023 come on up I don’t want to leave any of you out if you join in Shiloh in 2020 2021 2022 2023 amen amen we got a few folk come on up if you joined with Shiloh come on
Give them God a praise offering some of you you might have even renewed your membership amen we thank God so we don’t want to leave anyone out 2020 2021 2022 2023 and so we want to give me a microphone and just pass it down um we
Just want you to call your name and then what year you joined with us today and then the DIC I mean the the officers of the church we going to have you line up go ahead and line up now so we can come on around the back side of the church
All deacons Deaconess trustees trusta clergy go ahead and so starting with brother Nixon goe and just say your name and what year you joined Brother David Nixon I joined at the end of 2019 2020 and I’ve joined the missionaries and the nurses board all right wonderful [Applause] wonderful my name
Is I joined 2022 amen amen felt well I joined 2022 as well 2022 right the 2022 yes sir 2022 22 wonderful hi I’m Nadine Mendes I joined in 2023 wonderful good morning my name is Gloria Mendes I join in 2023 wonderful my name is bourney Ross I’ve been coming for the
Last five years but I joined three weeks ago y’all hear that wa minute pause been coming for the last five years but he joined how many weeks ago three weeks ago look at God look at God yes ma’am my name is Florence I joined you 2023 amen wonderful I join 2022
Amen good morning my name is Barbara Miller I was reinstated in 2023 I like that Sister Barbara so listen we got some families that join together moms and children raise your hand one set of mom and children another set of mom and children right here the Mendes family we thank
God for them we’ve got folk from the Caribbean we’ve got folk from the continent of Africa we’ve got folk from every state in the Union every count every municipality in merca County we thank God for the diversity of the saints that God has brought into our fellowship so come on around at our
Church we used to do what’s called the rightand of Fellowship this this is the official welcoming of these folk into our body Tracy do me a picture do me a favor someone get a Derek get a camera and Jak pictures of these folk as they’re getting the right hand of Fellowship come on Down amen Amen amen amen amen hallelujah amen [Applause] amen W amen amen amen thank you Jesus amen amen amen amen amen hallelujah amen amen W amen amen amen trouble’s over amen amen wo amen amen amen thank you Jesus Amen amen W amen amen hallelujah am amen wo a Amen amen amen hallelujah aen amen Amen amen amen hallelujah am amen W amen amen amen hallelujah amen amen thank you Jesus and you all can shake each other’s hand as [Applause] Wellen amen amen come on let’s give God a praise offering for all of the saints that have joined with us in this
Bond of Fellowship I omitted our young folk who got baptized in 2022 23 21 or 20 a young Miss annah some of us remember uh young Ahmad uh 10 years old who got baptized several months ago Mr Thomas sorber who got baptized 17-year-old Thomas who got baptized last
Week uh we thank God and so this is just a Act of Fellowship right some folk call may call it a tradition or ritual but I also think it’s part of the bond of Fellowship that binds us together in the body of Christ come on down ushers we
Thank God today we’re going to collect a special offering for our community Christmas celebration and so our community Christmas celebration is going to take place on the 16th think we have a flyer um that you’ll see on the screen um our community Christmas celebration is our annual toy giveaway and
Fellowship event and so the outside plates held by these two young members of our church we’re going to ask that you would help us to raise money so that we can buy toys for children in our community last week was for our general giving Tuesday and charow Community
Development Corporation um this week is specifically for the toy giveaway and so every dollar every check every coin that you give us will help us to buy toys we try to give toys to at least three to 400 um children and their families and so we feed um upwards to a couple
Hundred families multiply that by 1.5 two children some more um and so we might get 200 families but 3 to 400 maybe even 500 children and so we thank you in advance for the gift that you will place in these outside plates the center basket is for our normal tithes
And offerings to God’s church and so however you are led to give offerings in this basket you can M your check and split it up or say $10 goes to this and $80 goes to this that to my tithes but give your ties because that helps keep
Our church running all right and then the outside plates um if you’re going to give we ask that you would give to our toys any of our guests and I see the brothers of FIA we thank you again for choosing to worship with us here at the
Shalow church and if you’re going to give a gift today I ask invite you to give it to our toy giveaway and we certainly are very appreciative of that all right so let’s stand to our feet the outside uh um areas will be directed by our ushers outside plates again for our
Toy giveaway on the 16th of December those of you who are giving at home we thank you in advance you can use our online giving apps for our gifts to God’s Church Those in the center won’t you stand and follow the direction of the ushers as Well Yeah W All right ushers are going to come come on down Ushers all right all things come of thee Oh Lord all things come of thee Oh Lord and of th own have we Thank you for the gift for our toy giveaway thank you for your tithes and offerings to God be the glory you may be seated we’re going to um move now into preparation for communion but as we do I want to thank um our decorating team you see the beautiful pornus you see the
Beautiful tree out in the NX the beautiful tree here in the sanctuary the beautiful tree that’s going to be downstairs in our lower Auditorium um sister Betty and a team of folk help make all this beautiful decorations happen give God a praise offering for them amen amen and our trusty AES and
All of the other teams that help keep the internal Decor of our church what it is um come on Deaconess let’s prepare the table and then I want to um announce a few things that are coming up in December um we have our a week from today we have our Christmas production
Which is entitled he came from Heaven to Earth has that clear Advent theme Jesus is coming Jesus our greatest Christmas gift and we have a group a a Cadre of wonderful guest presenters and ministers and performers I should say artists um that are going to be sharing with us on
Next Sunday and so we look forward to this great time of worship and fellowship Mark the time 5:00 p.m. next Sunday the 10th of December and then we’ll have the following Saturday our uh Christmas toy giveaway we then have um our throwback Sunday on the fourth
Sunday of December and we also have our Christmas Eve service which is taking place on the 31st of this month so five Sundays in December and we are excited about um about what December holds for us as we begin our Advent season we also want to remind our leaders of our church
And Ministry leaders uh officers and Ministry leaders that we are pushing forwards towards our strategic plan and Deacon tazi has been in touch with will continue to be in touch with officers and lay leaders alike um to help us move towards the Drafting and um acceptance
Of our strategic plan which we hope to launch hope to be adopted in December at our December church meeting which is on the 28th of this month and so all of our trustees and deacons and leaders will all of what we do for December will lead
Up to our joint board meeting on the 26th uh um and then our church meeting on the 28th virtually it’s all virtual and so we we know the weather can be might be will be inclement during those times but we want to do this virtually
Um one of the things we’ve learn to do in the pandemic all right so those are the major things coming up in the month of December we thank God for each and every one of you let’s stand to our feet and let’s recite our church covenant together
And while we’re doing that and those of you who know Damen pan our brother Damien is a uh seconde Prince and Theological Seminary Student at pts and he’s going to be preaching today at 11:00 at the uh Westminster uh Presbyterian Church uh Reverend Karen Hernandez granson is a
Pastor there and his year-long field de supervisor so if any of you can uh certainly go over and try to support our dear brother uh he is faithful to this ministry and we’re excited about what he is doing all right let’s reset our church covenant together having been as we trust brought
By divine grace to embrace the Lord Jesus Christ and to give ourselves holy to him we do now solemnly enjoyy Covenant with each other to walk together in him with Brotherly Love To His glory as our common Lord we do therefore in his strength engaged that we will exercise a Christian Care and
Watchfulness over each other and Faithfully warn exhort and admonish each other as occasion may require together that we will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together will the worship of God and the ordinances of his house that we will not omit clauset or family religion at home nor neglect the great
Duty of religiously training our children and those under our care for the service of Christ and the enjoyment of Heaven together that as we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth we will div soul of men and wom that we will cheerfully contribute of our property
According as God has prospered us for the maintenance our faithful and Evangelical Ministry Among Us with support of the poor to spread the gospel over the Earth the work of missions together repeat after me May the God of Peace who brought again from the dead our lord
Jesus who brought again from the our lord Jesus the great Shepherd of the sheep the great sheer of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant through the blood of the Everlasting make us perfect in every work to do his will make us perfect in
To do his will working in us that which is pleasing in his sight work in us that ising through Jesus Christ through Jesus Christ to whom we glory to forever and ever forever and amen father bless now this table this table of Fellowship this table of cornia this table of sacrifice this
Table of Grace this table of Joy this table of mercy God for the bread and the cup upon this table we give you thanks and we ask that you would bless our bodies Our Minds our Spirits our souls that as often as we we partake of
This table that we may do it in remembrance of you with true humility and Thanksgiving God we thank you today for this table and looking beyond our faults and sing our needs bless everyone who shall partake if we have ought against brother sister oh God help us to rectify and
Reconcile even before we partake of this table but certainly as a result of partaking of this table we love you in Jesus name we pray amen and amen all right you may be seated we’re going to sing songs of preparation the deacons will come now and serve the communion
From the table of God to the people of God and as you partake of the table Bible says do it in remembrance remember Jesus and let God have God’s Way let Using together Hor hor let Us together all Our when I fall on my knees with my face to the Rising Sun oh Lord have mercy on me us let Us together all our needs all our needs let us PR together all our need all our needs when I fall on my knees my face to the Rising Sun oh Lord have mercy On let Us PR together on our knees on our knees let us pray PR together on our KNE when I fall on my with my face to the Rising Sun oh Lord have Mercy O Lord have mercy H Lord have mercy on Me oh Lord mercy on me Let Us o O O if you can if you can would you please stand with us as we get ready to partake of this Holy Communion experience one with Another the scriptures are clear is there anyone who hasn’t been served we want to make sure all who baptized Believers have been served as we get ready to partake of this holy ritual thousands of years old in the awesome name of Jesus Amen in the gospel of St Matthew chapter number
26 verse number 26 the Bible reads as follows while they were eating Jesus was eating a Passover meal with his disciples and the Bible says while they were eating that meal Jesus Took bread blessed it broke it and gave it to his disciples and says take eat this is my body broken for
You as often as you do this do this in remembrance of me we do now eat likewise and in like manner Jesus Took the cup and he said this is the cup of the New Covenant of my blood shed for the remission of your sins I shall not drink of this cup with
You again until I drink it new with you in my father’s Kingdom as often as you drink this drink this in remembrance of me we do now likewise there was no benediction on that day the Bible simply says they went back to the Mount of Olives where they
Were staying but it does say they went singing A Hymn and so we want to before we do that let me just make sure that I’m not forgetting all right um again we want to thank the brothers from FIA for worshiping with us your president brother Pastor John gamble was with us a
Couple weeks ago gave an awesome word and so uh we thank God for you all choosing to worship with us today all right let’s go out singing A Hymn the Bible declares let us break bread break let us break and say happy Advent to your neighbor on our on our knees let us
PR together on knees on our knees oh when I fall on my knees with my face to the rising oh Lord have mercy on me let us drink let us drink wine together on our knees on our knees [Applause] ohes all right bless you Brothers of a we’re going to take a picture right on up front here come on brother Derek we going to take a picture with the brothers of a right on up front here amen
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