We come on take us out of here come on Uhhuh you Lord I’m ch come onoir everybody Sing I’m Say that again Y’all I I am Greetings favorite ones to God be the glory great things he has done please pay attention to your church announcements the sermon series for January is committed to being a kingdom disciple be prepared for this series to raise your level of commitment and engagement in Ministry you are invited
To be a part of Bible study each Wednesday night virtual and in person at 6:30 p.m. starting January 10th the study will be the Holy Spirit you don’t want to miss it join with the black history Ministry for the January book reading and discussion Roll of Thunder
Hear My Cry by mild Taylor January 16th 23rd and 30th at 6:30 p.m. discussion leaders will be sister Pat leech and sister Eva rhods be sure to register through the mounts.com webbsite and the book can be ordered from the thrift book.com or amazon.com and be sure to begin reading before the January
Discussion bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house and try me now in this says the Lord of hosts if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be
Room enough for you to receive it Malachi 3:10 tithing is your way to give back a portion of what God has blessed you with remember God loves a cheerful Giver the Mount Si Missionary Baptist Church 2024 Church conference will be Friday January 26th at 6:30 p.m. for all
Mount siai church members the children’s ministry will be conducting a roadside cleanup Saturday January 27th from 9: to 10:00 a.m. volunteers are needed to assist with the cleanup or markuson Road for more information please contact sister Tanya McGill or sister Regina Mitchell characteristics of a Mount Si Missionary Baptist Church disciple a
Disciple must obey God’s laws serve God meet others needs bear fruit create new disciples Pastor Johnson’s desire is that we all become great disciples for the Lord please be sure to follow us on all of our social media platforms please like subscribe and make sure you follow
Us on on our YouTube channel carry the word of the Lord with you this week and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in your heart may the Lord Our God grant you all you desire and stand in need of in 2024 happy New Year good morning and good morning that says good
Morning how are you today wonderful wonderful yeah it’s cold outside but it’s warm in here well the presence of the Lord is he warms us up so this morning we’re grateful for all of you who bear the cold to come out this morning we know some are
Online they chose not to come out today but that’s okay y’all worship we’re going to Worship the Lord why because he’s worthy worthy how Worthy is the Lord how worth Worthy is he he’s worthy he’s worthy he’s worthy so we thank God for you this morning if
You have not taken the time to greet somebody please do so those who are online send a text say hello to you can also send a text to somebody and tell them to log on because we’re getting ready to Worship the Lord how about let’s stand and Worship the Lord the
Choir is going to lead us this morning as we lift up the name of our God come on choir and let’s sing unto the Lord yes yes amen past he said the word says I was glad when he said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord are you
Glad to be in the house of the Lord it may be cold outside are you glad to be in the house of the Lord it says enter into his gates with Thanksgiving and into his courts with praise can we say thank you Jesus Lord we praise you yes
Amen it it’s a good thing to give thanks to the Lord and sing praises to his name and we’re going to sing praises to the Lord today so if you just join with us as we sing praises to our King Amen hallelujah come on y’all know this song We Sing Praises To The King for he is the king of kings amen hallelujah we sing the praises to our King for he is the king of kings we sing the praises to our King for heing prais to
Our king of King we sing the praises to our King give him glory glory for he is the King of Kings King glor for he is We sing that again we sing the [Applause] Praises sing Praising glor For King Jesus Hallelujah you’re the King of Kings the Lord of lords all hell all hellu Ohing [Applause] Jes Hallelujah we sing your Praises Jesus all hell Emanuel all hu if you believe that sing with us he reigns forever he forever forever forever [Applause] Forever and he forever he forever heign forever and heign forever heign forever forever and ever more he forever forever forever he forever he forever he forever and he forever forever forever forever he Reign forever he Reign forever and [Applause] [Applause] He [Applause] heign forever [Applause] [Applause] He [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Allall yes Jesus reigns forever He reigns forever forever more Hallelujah King Jesus good morning our scripture is taken from Matthew the 4th chapter vers 18- 22 now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers Simon who was called Peter and his brother Andrew
Casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen and he said to them follow me and I will make you Fishers of people immediately they left their Nets and followed him going on from there he saw two other brothers James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in the boat
With their father father Zebedee they were mending their Nets and called to them immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him let us pray oh Lord Our God when I in awesome Wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made I see the stars I hear The
Rolling Thunder that power throughout the Universe displayed then sings my soul my savior God to thee How Great Thou Art How Great Thou Art then sing my soul my savior God to thee How Great Thou Art How Great Thou Art Heavenly Father we humble ourselves in worship
Before you all glory honor and praise belong to you because you blessed us with the Breath of Life life and allowed us to see another day we say thank you because you allowed us this great privilege to commune with you this morning we say thank you Lord because oh
God you made a loving sacrifice of your son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins we say thank you Lord because you provided food clothing and shelter for us we say thank you oh God because you blessed us financially to not only buy those things we need but
Also some wants as well we say thank you oh God because you made ways for us oh God when we cannot even see a way we say thank you oh Lord because you healed us of various illnesses and diseases we say thank you God now Lord we ask that you
Shine a flashlight no no no not just a flashlight oh God but a flood light into our hearts and convict us of those things that are hindering us from fully committing Our Lives to you oh God from fully committing our time and our resources to you and to the ministries
Of the church forgive us this morning we pray for being slowful in doing those things that displease you forgive us oh god of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness help us to turn away from all that has its source in the world in the flesh or the devil and turn
Our hearts to you oh God we pray this morning holy spirit that you help us commit ourselves to you just as disciples mention in the scriptures this morning Jesus you commanded them to follow you and without question or hesitation they immediately committed themselves to you they didn’t ponder
About it they didn’t think about it they just did it help us oh Lord to have that same spirit when we are asked to commit as members to the work in the church help us oh God to surrender ourselves to you to your perfect will oh God and commit totally
And wholeheartedly to the leading of the Holy Spirit we commit our time our talents and our resources to you everything God that has you that has given us that you that has be given us to you oh God we offer these gifts back to you your holy use
We pray that as your disciples that every good seed we plant will yield a Rich Harvest of souls righteousness and blessing as we commit to your will we ask you to empower us to do the work to which we have been called use us oh God
For Your Glory to draw others to you we say yes to your will yes to your timing yes to your way of doing things and yes to all the plans and purposes that you have in our lives we commit every area of Our Lives to you this morning we
Present our bodies to you as living sacrifices oh God we commit ourselves to you with joy and Thanksgiving thank you oh God thank you oh God this morning thank you Father God for hearing our prayer oh God Hallelujah Lord we thank you Jesus we thank you holy God thank you God Hallelujah
Jesus in Jesus Christ’s name we pray amen amen amen thank you God thank you Heavenly Father It yeah yes he is said Come I tell you he’s all yes he is I believe I say that one more time he’s it all God yes he is oh God yes he Is I tell you he’s an all time God yes he is let’s get some witnesses in here this morning ask the children of Israel TR at the red SE by that mean oh pharoh and his army water all around them and pH all right you know what from out of nowhere
God steep in the highway just Like yes he is say come when you let’s get one more witness you can ask the 5,000 hung Soul we F all the banks of the river this about of bread what a b mirle he perform for the mud you know what what is it way back for me and you let Me god yes he is Be he do y’all know what I’m talking about this morning in the Bible you can find a lot of witnesses for being on and I believe that we called on Daniel this morning in the Lion’s de he say something like this he’s on time’s on on time he’s on on time’s
On let’s call on the Hebrew boy tell you he’s on time look at how we waited on the Lord loost everything he had but God Ste all time all all all all All it’s all it’s all on oh yes all all all on it’s on time it’s on time he’s yes He he Is but be there I tell you he an awesome God he’s an awesome God how many of you know I’m a witness all God said all time God all God I’ll be a witness God is’s an aome God God and all time God all time all I’m a Wi yes he Is [Applause] Waitting on the everything hand God time all time all all all All it’s all it’s It’s there’s a lot to be said about the Lord but one thing you can not say about him that he doesn’t show up on Time he always he always he always shows up right on time and it is true he may not come when you call but he does show up right when you need him too uh we get a little anxious and think it needs to be solved on our time but God has control of
Time you just have to have faith when he doesn’t come when you want that’s a test of your faith but then you gotta you got to praise him when he does show up and say Lord I thank you you came just when I needed you amen we are in a season of Commitment we are in a season of committing ourselves you heard in the announcements the MS MBC characteristics we going we’re going this year to learn more about those characteristics and we’re going to hold ourselves more accountable to those characteristics on next Sunday is going to be commitment Sunday and we’re going to commit
Ourselves to those characteristics so as we Preach Today and as we think through today’s passage and today’s message I want you to be thinking about committing yourselves the text is going to help us understand what that commitment is so if you would take your Bible turn to Matthew chapter 16 the
Gospel of Matthew the 16th chapter when you have arrived there say Amen Matthew chapter 16 what what what what what how are you reading the Bible this morning you have the physical Bible you have it on your phone on the tablet and it’s on the screen so you
Have no excuse this morning about reading the word of God the word of God is our textbook it is that which we learn from Matthew chapter 16 amen amen this morning we’re going to talk about commitment as it relates to discipleship so as we read the text this
Is what the Lord required of disciples the verse verse 24 says then Jesus said to his disciples if anyone wishes to come after me he must you can underline that word deny himself then you can underline the next phrase and take up his cross and then three follow me let me
Put that all together for you then Jesus said to his disciples if anyone wishes to come after me he must deny himself take up his cross and follow me for who whoever wishes to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it
That sort of doesn’t make sense because everybody wants to try to save themselves we feel like we have control over ourselves but Jesus says whatever you think that you need to have control over you need to lose that cuz I’m going to I’m here to help
Save you so for what for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and it profits his soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul all right for the son of man is coming in the glory of his father with his
Angels and will then repay every man according to his deed truly I say to you there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the son of man coming in his kingdom all right so today we want to talk about being a kingdom
Disciple I want to talk about being a kingdom disciple one of the questions of the century centuries is this age old question of who Am I all right we can honestly say that self identity is still an age-old issue there a lot of there a lot there’s a lot of
Talk in this modern day Society about self identification there are a lot of debates in psychological circles and even religious circles about about this question of who Am I who are you or self-identification I think we can all say self-identity is a complex issue because there are so many streams that
Feed into one’s self-identity your family feeds into who you are you develop your own individual characteristics that make up who you are historical facts whatever error you were born in that feeds into who you are who you hang around socially has a lot to do with who you are what you your
Philosophy on politics feeds into your stream of who you are much of who we are and the answer depends on how the world views us how our parents view us and what they say about us and what our peers say about us the messages that we receive from all of
Those factors they feed into who we are those faces those voices of people in our lives teachers neighbors good friends people people who surround us and today is the social media that try and Define who we are and then culturally if we don’t see our faces represented in cultural images we
Question whether or not we are relevant or not on one hand your identity is a hot command everybody wants to know you they want to know your name they want to know where you live they want to know your date of birth they want your cell number they
Want your email number they want your race businesses want to know who you are the church wants to know who you are everybody is asking for you your identity your identity has great commercial value not only just you but those evil minds out there in the world
They trying to find out who you are so hard so that they can they can hack your identity take over your identity and people have mastered this this concept of taking your identity that they can make it seem like it’s you that’s right that’s right and you not even nowhere to be
Found sign off on something and you don’t even know that your name has been signed you don’t even know your bank account has been hacked people got your money run up your bills and then leave it to you to solve the problem your identity it’s a it’s a Hot
Topic and and if the truth be told we do a lot for our own identity M we buy clothes to identify we buy cars to hang out with a certain group of people right we join different clubs and organizations sororities and fraternities and people Define themselves by right I am such and such
They that’s their identity listen listen listen is this people put a lot of time into develop in their identity I remember back in the day if you didn’t wear Jord ass jeans this my era I don’t know about some of y’all era Le jeans Adidas shoes and
Pumas if you didn’t have a name belt or a member’s only jacket and we we we we talked about you yeah and and and I feel sorry for today’s kids cuz they they going through it much worse than a member’s only jacket yes sir yes sir uh these issues
That the kids are dealing with this whole gender identity this this is this is big stuff that’s going on in our society and and and this gender like I said this gender identity how you take a man like rup Paul that’s right who clearly is a man but dresses better than women look
Men don’t want to be men no more women don’t want to be women no more the genders are trying to change their identity the Bible had it right in Romans chapter 1 when it says in verse 26 he said God just handed them over to their degrading passions for their women Exchange their
Natural function for that which is unnatural and the men did the same thing school age kids from preschool to high school all struggling with self identity I ADM y’all for those who are in the school system today you don’t know whether to call he he or he she or she
He we got some real issues amen and it ain’t just the kids got grown people struggling with their identity that’s right and I feel sorry for people that want to get married today I feel sorry cuz the reason why single people can’t get married to someone is because that person is
Struggling with their identity they don’t know who they are they got stuff in the past got stuff now and they don’t even know who they are so how they going to offer themselves up to somebody that’s good we got issues and here’s the real issue you got Christian people all right
Who don’t know who they are but y’all in the right warm place today cuz I’mma clear all that up for you today when you leave this house of God today won’t be no question is about who you are we going to satisfy that craving today we going to lay it fully
Out and I got plenty time y’all ain’t got nowhere to go y’all ain’t rushing to get out there in that cold y’ and those of y’all sitting at the house definitely y’all got the time we going to clear this up today identity listen listen whether you are saved or whether you are
Unsaved everybody come on in a little closer today lean in real hard so I so we can help clear up identity issues see first you are identified as a sinner right that’s right see see see when you when you want to clear up your identity issues the first place is not
Try to go back and find out who your mama and your daddy and your Grandmama was if you really want to clear up your identity you first of all identify as a sinner because identity begins at the cross see the first place that we begin to understand identification is at the cross because
At the cross is where Jesus began to go go to work on defining who we are it’s not in the psychology books what I’m talking about today that’s right cuz psychology is going to look in a whole different direction and versus what I’m trying to get over today we
We’re talking about understanding our identity based upon what the Bible says so the first cure to self identity is realizing that you are a sinner and Jesus Christ Christ is Lord and He is Holy the only way that you can clear up the acne of sin is to confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord so the first step in self-identification is to acknowledge that you a person that’s been separated from God that’s where it all begins that cuts it right down the middle you have to answer the question what’s keeping you from God is the drugs is that keeping you from the
Lord what about that good bottle openly or behind closed doors is it that man or that woman that’s keeping you from God is it slowful or procrastination that’s keeping you from God a lot of us keep are kept from God cuz our tongue all right and the classic line is this
Me I say what’s on my that doesn’t make it right that’s cuz you say was on your mind cuz it could your your tongue could be keeping you from getting closer to God see now the problem is people identify more with their sinful Behavior then they do
God and that’s the reason why people struggle with salvation and trusting Jesus Christ as their lord and savior is because they understand sin more than they do Jesus you going to have some problems cuz your sins going to mess you up anyway everybody knows in here this
Morning your sins will mess you up if you identify with lying you going to keep on lying whether you saved or not there’s some saved people that lie just as much as unsaved people people manipulate people all right people trust more in cheating than they do righteousness We Trust more our
Self-image about what we put on than we do to closeth of righteousness a person can truly help themselves when you say Lord I am a sinner cu the people in the Bible did the man at the pool of the Bethesda I think he just got tired of being at that
Pool trying to identify with water and he said Jesus Lord have mercy on me the blind man got tired of identifying with being blind and when Jesus came along he said Lord have mercy on me when do you get tired of ident identifying with your sins when do you get tired of
Identifying with your lifestyle at some point in life you got to come to identify with the image of Christ that saves you oh I’m preaching this moment see see the moment you place your faith and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation God implants inside of of you a new
Nature when you got saved what date did you get saved whatever date you got saved and if you haven’t got saved today’s date is a great day and when you get saved you get a brand new spanking nature that’s why the Bible says old things are passed away and behold all
Things have become new in other words you become like Nicodemus you become born Again yes how can a man be born again you become Born Again by trusting in Jesus Christ you come become Born Again by trusting in the one who created your image in the first place so you get a brand new make over see when you are
Saved in order to trust being born again and the new person that you are you got to talk to yourself I don’t mean that you’re crazy right you just got to remind yourself I’m saved hallu I’ve been washed in the blood I got a Bible I got
Jesus I got the word I got prayer I got joy I don’t have to be what I was I need to be who I am and that’s a save person and that’s who you identify with Paul said it this way in Galatians chapter 2:20 he says I have
Been crucified with Christ and it it is no longer I who lives in me but Christ that lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me so Paul is
Clarifying identity by saying that when you you when you come into the union with Christ and what occurred at the cross you died to sin you died to the old self and the sin that you used to commit is dead it has been pierced it has clean has been CLE CLE from your
Soul and your old nature is not you anymore you identify with the cross the cross shapes you that’s why we sing at the cross at the cross where I first saw the light and the burdens of my heart rolled away and it was By that I re and now see that’s a new nature right there you Wen happy when you in your old self you thought you were but when you get saved you really get happy you really get real Joy on the inside when you come to the union with Christ that happened at the
Cross can I tell y’all something it makes no sense for you to go looking for yourself among the dead it it makes no sense for me to go all the way back to June 1980 to try to find the old Jam that’s right that old Jamal was trying to
Steal why would I go back to him when I I have been unionized with Christ at the cross so it’s no need for me to even try to relive who I was when I’ve been given a new nature I’ve been given new identity s what what I used to be is my
Testimony put it put everything in this proper place what you were was at was and is your testimony and it tells how you became saved are y’all listening see the problem with Christianity and Christian identity with Christ is we’re looking for living amongst the dead and Jesus said you got to let the
Dead bury the dead don’t you try to go back to your pre-s salvation days looking for who you were cuz we we know I I remember when I was boy let me tell you something girl if you have seen me we what about who you are now in Jesus
Why you in try why you trying to impress some young girl about how you used to do something why you trying to impress some young man how you used to boy when I was let me tell you something boy let me tell you that ain’t impressive
Amen what they need to know is how to be saved what it means to have Jesus to come into your life stop trying to marry your old ways with your new ways let dead stuff be dead and don’t fear being brand new I think that’s one of the problems
That we have with this new identity we we’re afraid of being brand new because people know us how we were and we’re afraid to let them really see this new person but I want to tell you something don’t you be afraid of the Cross cuz at the cross is where you get
Your power at the cross is where things changed at the cross is where you develop a new image at the cross is where you were raised up with Christ Jesus don’t let that old stuff be continuing to work inside of you and here’s the stale line that people use to try to
Hold on to their old self they say the Lord is still working on me that’s that’s stale makes no sense and you know what it really is it’s an excuse for you to keep on doing what you’re doing all he’s still working on me he working on all of
Us but he want you to be changed transformed new got to let go of that old stuff and when you realize that your old self has had a funeral don’t take no roses to the Grave trying to revisit who you were cuz it’s day ain’t no need to go there nothing is living
There are y’all listening to what I’m saying who I am in Christ is is alive who I am in Christ is rejuvenated who I am in Christ is excited about heaven who I am in Christ is filled with joy and with God Spirit who I am in Christ it looks to the heels
For which cometh my help I know that all my help comes from the Lord who I am in Christ is bathe in righteousness and in the blood of Jesus Christ who I am there is no weapon that tries to form against me it shall not Prosper because I have
Been unionized with Christ at the [Applause] cross verse 24 Jesus says to his disciples he said say if that’s conditional if anyone wishes to come after me maybe he must deny himself huh I thought he said maybe that’s a m oh must deny himself and look at the
Cross huh get it take up the cross get it and sit on the sideline and watch the parade go by oh it says and follow me Jesus talking to his disciples he talking to the 12 he not talking to the crowd maybe some of the other gospels
When they call disciples he’s talking to the crowd but in Matthew he’s talking to the 12 and he’s having an intimate conversation with him with them in Matthew chapter 16 because it’s the 12 that Jesus wants them to understand because it’s the 12 that’s that the disciples now but they going to become
Apostles and the apostles need to understand you got a message that you got to take to the rest of the world if anybody wishes to come after me Jesus they must deny themselves take up the cross and follow me that’s the message that he wanted them to preach so the first point that
We need to understand today about being disciple is you got to come after Christ disciples Do not sit on the sideline watching other people come after Christ they get up off the bench and follow after and behind Christ that’s right because Christ wants you to be a kingdom disciple and a kingdom
Disciple is somebody listen listen who is actively engaged actively engaged not passively but actively engaged in the spiritual pursuit of of developing and submitting to Jesus Christ what’s missing in the church today is disciples all right we we not missing worship we not missing songs we not missing even prayer we missing
Disciples people who have an allegiance to to Christ I wish it was about numbers brother dun it be nice to have a thousand members on the road that’s right but that ain’t that’s not discipleship we we we need people who who are committed to following after Jesus we can have all kinds of
Ministries but if we don’t have disciples who are growing in Jesus Christ and have submitted themselves to the will of Christ then we don’t have real church amen cuz real church is about making disciples we can have we can have a choir day but that ain’t making no
Disciples we can have Us’s day but that ain’t making no disciples we got to come to a place where people love Jesus because he first loved you and you want to take up the cross and follow after him because he put his love on you he
Put his step of approval on you he gave you life he gave you what you have He blesses you we need people to come after Jesus we got a society that is built on followers oh social media oh all social media it’s not about marketing it’s about
Followers and and and and and you are defined on social media by the number of followers you have right you don’t have no follow people ask you how many followers you got I got about 200 well I got about 100,000 huh people are defying You by how many
Followers you have and everybody follows somebody huh I got this guy I follow on social media he got a bus his business called L BBQ and and all he’s doing is cooking oxtail he he he comes on say cooking nothing but salt balls today nothing but
Salt balls I’m popped up today poed up today I got these soft balls on here look at here they they painted ready P ready look at these SE red ail look at these sea war I’m popped up the dir now listen that’s all he talking about that
I just gave you all these lines right there every post ain’t nothing but softballs nothing but softballs that’s all he’s saying now how is it that I can quote that I can qu wot it cuz I’m a follower that’s right listen there’s no need to follow the world when we got the
Supreme leader of all huah when we should be following Jesus we online following somebody that don’t even know Jesus discipleship requires that we be obedient to Christ that’s right here’s the problem with Christianity can I tell you what the problem is the problem with Christianity and I’m gonna help y’all
Real good right about now listen to me real good the problem with us and people is that they are trying to live the Christian Life M that’s what we always been taught that’s right to live the Christian life now I done messed some of y’all up right
There cuz you say yeah I’m trying to live this Christian walk it’s not about you living the Christian Life it’s about Christ Living in you I just saved some of y’all right there just helped all of us out right there because we try to do so much
That’s in line and try to do lock step and we keep stumbling and falling and sitting and going backwards and forwards it’s all because we trying to do it all it ain’t about what you trying to do it’s all about what Christ wants to do in you let me help you understand
This back in the day because I had I always had had hyp sixth grade always had hey and so people automatically assume I was going to play basketball and I like to play basketball cuz I came from a basketball playing Family cousins that’s all they talked about was playing basketball go to
Willet and hey going to the court let’s go play some basketball in my backyard had a basketball go play some basketball kids from the neighborhood came by my house played basketball and and and and you would have thought that I was going to be a great basketball all
Player cuz I played basketball back in the day made the middle school team didn’t play that much but I made the team tried out for the junior high team thought I was going to make it didn’t make it because I didn’t necessarily have the skills to make the team right but I was
Trying to do everything right that a person would do to make the team practicing going to camps looking at great basketball players doing what I needed to do outside late at night with the light on trying to shoot jump shots I was doing everything that I was supposed to do to
Become a basketball player but I never became Levi that basketball player that I had in my mind but if I had had the skills of Michael Jordan man I would have blown up the middle school team how to put the the junior high team to rest I would have made the ninth
Grade team and I made the ninth grade but in ninth grade I’d have made Von I’d have been top star in in cing County if I had had Michael Jordan skills and and the only way that I would have had Michael Jordan skills is if Michael Jordan was inside of
Me it wasn’t if I had read all the books of Michael Jordan watched all the videos of Michael Jordan I still would have never been able to do what Michael Jordan could do but if Michael Jordan could get inside my fingers if Michael Jordan could get inside my feet if Michael
Jordan could get inside my legs if Michael Jordan could get inside my mind I could be a great basketball player all right are y’all listening to what I’m saying it’s not about what you trying to be it’s about what’s already in you and who’s inside of you is Christ Jesus
Christ Our Lord he is the one who strengthens you he is the one who enables you if you give me the fingers of mostar I can play any piece you want me to play if you gave me the minor Einstein I can solve any mathematical
Problem in the world if you gave me the body of aim Elijah one I could dominate anybody in the pain but because I have Jesus Christ on the inside I represent the Savior I represent the Lord which means I have power which means I have everything on the inside to be what God
Wants me to Be last thing you got to take up the cross this is very important you got to deny yourself and you must take up the cross we know the cross to symbolize love and salvation but in Jesus’s day the cross symbolize the enemy it symbol syz a punishment and Jesus hung on a
Cross the cross then versus what it means today was not good in Jesus’s day it was humiliating to be identified with the cross because it meant that you did something wrong WR and you must be punished at the what cross but that’s not what the cross symbolizes for us
Today Jesus said take up your cross and follow me don’t make the mistake that many people make when they make the statement when they’re going through something when they have a burden when they have a trial when they tribulation they say it must be my cross to be
Bear that’s not your cross to bear that’s right cuz you know what we all got burdens we all got problems we all got tribulations it is not your cross to bear it is a problem that Jesus has to help you get through that’s why Jesus says in this life you will have
Tribulation that’s right that’s right you have to carry your cross because your cross identifies you with Jesus when you take up your cross and you carry your cross it means that you have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and savior of your life it means that you identify with the suffering that Christ
Did because he died for you on the cross and when you KCK up your cross you say the Lord died for my sins when you pick up your cross and you carry your cross it doesn’t matter wherever you go you identify with Jesus if you get on a plane and go from here
To California you you got your cross if you pick up your if you carry your cross and you walk from here and go over to F State you telling everybody you come in contact with I identify with Jesus when you pick up your cross and you go to
Work you telling everybody I am a child of God when you pick up your cross and when you go to your family reunions you tell to your family members I am a child of God when you pick up your cross and you come inside this church you are
Telling everybody publicly that I am a child of God you are telling people who you identify with if your friends don’t like you but you got your cross you got all the friendship you need in Jesus if you carry your cross and you identify with Jesus whether they like
You or not that’s okay you like who God made you to be if you pick up and carry your cross it doesn’t matter if people have dropped their standards it doesn’t matter if they’re unethical it wouldn’t matters is that you hold up the cross that you are ethical that you are moral
And you look to Jesus Christ who is your lord and who is your savior it’s about the cross y’all it’s about you identifying with Jesus At The Cross and you say I carry my cross not because I got a problem not because I got a burden but because I’m identifying with the Man
Called Jesus I identify with the man who was born in a manger I identify with Jesus Christ Christ when he was born the angel said glory to God in the highest it means that you pick up your cross and identify with Jesus because Jesus is the
One who heals your body when you get sick it means you pick up your cross and carry your cross and let people know that you trust and lean on depend on the word of God it doesn’t matter if they call you a child of God or not you know
By the way that you carry your cross that I am a child of God and you can’t take nothing from me because I know who I am I identify with Jesus and because I got Jesus and I got my cross not only does my cross tell me that I identify
With Jesus but my cross tells me that I got the Victory and because I got my cross my cross didn’t have a Jesus on it my cross is B because Jesus didn’t stay on the cross uh he died on the cross uh he was buried and put in a tomb but he
Got up so because he’s not on the cross it means you got Victory it means you got hope it means you got joy and I identified with the ren savior who loves me who cares for me who sees about me I love Jesus because he first love me I got my
Cross I wear it proudly because Jesus is my Lord Jesus Is My Savior Jesus is my shepherd I carry my cross because I look to the hills for when cometh my help all my help comes from the Lord because I trust in him who has all power Jesus Jesus ah identify with
Jesus and so whenever you see a child of God who’s trusted in Jesus Christ they got a cross they got a cross they carrying a cross because it tells folk who you are we wear we wear everything else that symbolizes what we represent a lot of us got disappointed
Last week some got disappointed last night going to be a few more people that going to get disappointed because the team that they wear across their chest didn’t make it we we we try to identify with certain groups all right that doesn’t Define your identity so whether your team wins or
Loses that’s right why you sitting at the house moping cuz your team lost that’s right I had to check myself last week I had to say to myself them boys getting paid I ain’t getting paid that’s on them D that ain’t on me I identify above anything else with Christ and whever I
Go I’m carrying my cross and it’s not because I got a trouble in my life cuz if I got my cross that cross is going to help me with my trouble because that cross represents strength that cross represents perseverance that cross represents hope so when I carry my cross I remind myself
That I have everything for life and for living so let’s reverse that concept carry your cross right when you see somebody with a cross around their neck you ought to ask them do you identify with that cross all right all right and if you go home and pull out
Your jewelry and stuff that you have and start wearing your cross more what you’ll be telling people is yes I’m saved this is this is what I believe in come on Sir cuz I believe in what happened at the cross right I’m unionized you know I give y’all a word
Every Sunday that’s y’all word for today I’m unionized with the cross because the cross for me represents Victory that’s what the cross represents for me it represents I have overcome and whatever comes up I’m going to overcome more I’m more than a conqueror through him that loves me so the cross
God that’s your symbol of who you are amen amen you identify with the Cross we all know this cross the CR let stand the cross where I all the light and the burdens of my heart R Away it was there I see my side and now I am am happy all the day can we sing that again at the cross come on at the cross at the cross where I first saw and the burnens and R away it was there it was there I receive woo
Now I am happy come on sing that again sing that from your soul at the cross come on at the cross where I first and the [Applause] burn all the way W it was there I receive receive My S cross come on at the cross where First away it was There I receive and now I am all day Day day and now all day I am happy I have Happ All if you are here today you’ve never trusted in the cross if you never trusted in the cross never trusted and what happened at the cross the greatest act in human history there are never be another great act than what happened at the cross if you never trusted him Jesus Christ who died
On the cross as your lord and savior in house or online this is your moment now how do you do that identify with yourself say to yourself s you a sinner and sinners are to be saved Sinners are to be saved Sinners ought to be saved hallah
So Sinners confess with with their mouth and they believe in their heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead and the Bible says you shall be saved is there anybody here that desires to be saved if you’re looking for a church home we want to invite you to be a part
Of this church family that identifies with the cross you know there are some places don’t have crosses anywhere in the building you don’t know what they believe but we identify with the cross if you’re looking for a church home we invite you if you desire if you desire the
Prayers of the church we want to invite you to come to the altar the Bible says the prayers of the righteous they availeth much if there’s a concern that you want to bring to the Lord today you want us all to join in and be in prayer
With you about it the altar is open now you may come bring your cares and lay them upon the altar there may be somebody in your life that needs prayer we invite you to bring them to the Altar and place them here and let God do the work on their
Life sometime you just have to learn to turn people over to Jesus you try to help them all you can but you can only do so much but the Lord can do all things amen amen amen amen Father in heaven we come today we come to the Altar and we lay our burdens
Down we lay our burdens down before you asking God that you would Minister to whatever Our concern is we pray God that you would help whatever Our concern is we ask God that you would paint over our circumstance situation with your love and with your right rightousness Lord thank you for using me
The best way you could in the situation but here I am saying I don’t have enough but I trust what you are able to do I trust in your power I trust in the hope of your Resurrection I trust that you know the person or the circumstances in which I’m
Thinking about dealing with I trust you God that you know all about it because you created all things so you know exactly what I’m dealing with and I pray God that in the name of Jesus that you would help heal restore live Jus in the name of
Jesus thank thank you so I just tell you thank you in advance I tell you thank you thank you cuz I know you’re able I tell you thank you thank you because I know you already dispersed your angels out and so I tell you thank you because I
Walk in Victory now I feel a lot better Lord cuz I laid it on the Altar and Lord however you choose to use me in the matter I’m available cuz I know you give me the strength I know you’ll give me the thoughts I know you’ll give me the love
Help us all God to be more committed in what we are supposed to do for you I know some time God the will gets the will of God gets muddied by a whole lot of distractions and thoughts and people and personalities but Lord I’m here today to tell you I’m committed to denying
Myself take it up my cross and following after you this is our prayer today in the name of Jesus we all say together amen amen and amen [Applause] amen now I am happy all the day at the cross at the cross where I bur all the light and the
Bur roll away R away it was there my face I received my side and now I am happy all the day one more time yeah at the cross at the cross first all the light and the bur of they all the way I Receive now I am happy all the Day amen amen God bless you God bless you God bless you we’re now ready to give in our offering our tithe and our offering also part of our commitment that us as you can come on down the aisle also a part of our commitment Sunday on next week as we as we think
Ahead as we think into the future as we think about a new Sanctuary we are going to commit ourselves to a one-year pledge amount you will be receiving those amounts in several ways so that you begin to pray over that you’ll receive that by way of email so you can look at
It you’ll receive it in conference on this coming Friday Church conference will be Friday at 6:30 here in the uh Sanctuary you’re going to receive it then we’ll talk a little bit more about it as well and then on next Sunday we’re all going to receive a commitment card
We’re going to commit ourselves to being better MSNBC disciples talk a little bit more about what that means but one thing I want you to pray about this week one commitment want to ask you to be as relent as you can about it I want to ask
That you would see either one person come to Christ in the year of 2024 on your witness and are someone join the church and start them on a pursuit to being a disciple through your leading ask that everybody would make that commitment and the reason why is because disciples are supposed to make
Disciples it’s not the pastor’s job you know what the pastor’s job is to equip you that’s what the Bible says and disciples Go Make Disciples right so all of our commitment next for this year is for you to lead one person to Christ and for one person to join this
Church because of your leading and influence amen amen pray about that this week because that is going to be part of our commitment on next Sunday next Sunday is going to be commitment Sunday also following worship service this morning the leadership academy will meet downstairs at um 10 o’clock and then
Sunday school will take place all over the campus we have Sunday school for any and everybody so we are grateful about your growing this year growing and developing amen I appreciate you all doing your homework on Wednesday night I appreciate that y’ all been paying attention talking about that fruit of
The spirit all right on Wednesday night I’m G to find out how many of you can list the fruit of the spirit without looking at it amen all right want you to know the fruit of the spirit all right that’s that’s a part of our study on the holy spirit is
For us to know the fruit of the spirit amen so I appreciate you keep up the good work amen you’re doing good it means we growing and I’m excited about that all right let’s stand as we pray over our offering as we get ready to dismiss for Sunday
School Father in heaven we thank you for all that our eyes have seen today and all that our ears have heard thank you for everybody who is present in this worship experience we ask God now as we depart from this place but never never never from your presence help us to grow
In your grace grow in your knowledge but most of all God help us to grow in your love and all God’s people said amen amen amen amen God bless you God bless you God bless You
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