Praise the Lord everyone praise the the Lord and welcome to Wednesday in the word here at Eastern Star Church under the dynamic leadership of Pastor Jeffrey A Johnson Senior this is the place where Jesus is exalted and his word is explained thank you for connecting with
Us here at our main campus 5750 East 30th Street and online it’s not too late for you to tell someone to join us online this is another glor day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it because we serve an awesome Mighty
God who is worthy to be praised let us pray dear gracious and Heavenly Father Lord we just thank you that we get the opportunity to hear your word and that it can be used to renew our minds and Spirits help us to hide your word in our
Hearts and to share it with others as we connect them to your kingdom and Jesus mighty name we pray amen anybody know that the Lord is good and his mercy endureth forever anybody know that the Lord is good and his mercy endureth forever if you believe it clap
Your hands and Shout on this place on today Wednesday we give you glory Jesus you’re worthy and you’re mighty and we tell you Lord you are good somebody shout Lord you are good Hallelujah We bless your name this afternoon Jesus we give you high praise and we clap our hands and shout as the Bible says with a voice of Triumph let’s sing this together Lord you are good Lord you are good and your mercy endureth Forever Lord you are good and your mercy endureth Forever Hallelujah Lord you are good and your mercy endureth forever as long as we live Lord you are good and your mercy enduring Forever people from Ever nation and Tong from generation to generation we were Worship You hallelujah hallelujah we worship you God for who you are oh we worship you on this Wednesday hallelujah hallelujah we worship you for who you are you are go you are so good anybody know the Lord’s
Been good to you Hallelujah let’s sing this again Lord you are good and your mercy in that did Church even on live stream join in Lord you Are Hallelujah One More Time Lord Lord you are good and your mercy in despite what I go through you’re still good Lord you are good and your his mercy and kindness and we don’t deserve people from every nation people from every nation from generation we worship you we worship yes we do God
Hallelujah hallelujah we worship you for who you you every time we lift our hands every time we sing a song We’ll Worship You hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah we for who you are you are good you are all the time all the time all the time you are good
You are good all the time all the time you are good you are good all the time all the time you are good you are good all the time and all the time you are good let’s celebrate the Lord right Here oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together for the Lord he is good and his Mercy endured forever his grace is sufficient and we bless his name and we declare you are good you are good all the time all the time you are
Good you are good all the time all the time you are good you are good all the time all the time you are good you are good all the time all the time you are good people from every nation people from every nation and Tong from generation to generation We Worship You hallelujah
Hallelujah hallelujah we worship you for who you are oh last time we worship we worship you hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah we worship you for who you are right here you are good you are good he’s good better to me than I’ve been to myself he’s good he’s good we worship you with hands lifted
Hallelujah hallelujah we worship you for who you are just because he’s God he doesn’t need to do anything else we worship you in this moment in this present moment Hallelujah and we praise your name forever God we’ll give you the glory and we’ll worship you cuz you’re worthy for who you Are you are good he is a good god he is a good God we declare his name as holy and Righteous Our Father father You Are Holy and we’ll give you glory and we bless your name how father You Are Holy we give you glory and we bless your name Our Father You Are Holy we give you glory and we bless your name how Father you are so holy and we give you glory and we bless your name open your mouth and just tell them how worthy he is in this moment God we love you you’re so worthy of the glory you’re so worthy of the honor you’re so worthy of the sacrifice
We give you a sacrifice of praise with the fruit of our lips Jesus we bless your name and we give you glory and we bless bless your name our father you are worthy and we give you glory and we bless your name father Yes Lord you are so worthy
Oh and we give you glory and we bless hey your name father you are so mighty in this place and we give you glory and we bless your name our father you are so mighty yes you are and we give you glory and we bless your name our
Father hey you are so awesome anybody know that so we give him glory and we bless hey his awesome name our father yes you are you are so awesome in our my Jesus so we give you glory we bless he your Name we give you the glory we give you the glory we give you the glory nobody but you hey and we bless he your name from the rising of the Sun to the setting of The Saint the name of the Lord is worthy it’s worthy it’s worthy
It’s worthy it’s worthy it’s worthy it’s worthy it’s worthy yeah it’s worthy hey it’s worthy is Worthy is worthy every time I lift my hands every time I wake up every time I’m breathing he’s so worthy of Glory he’s so worthy of honor he’s so worthy of power he’s so worthy
Of Praise we love your name we love you yes we do right there open your mouth and Shout real loud God needs to hear from you today he’s so worthy he gets the glory nobody like him nobody like him Nobody Greater nobody bigger nobody stronger
Nobody wiser who can do me like the Lord can nobody but Jesus nobody but Jesus and we bless Our You Are Holy Our Father You Are Holy You Are Holy You Are Holy can you lift your hands in this moment You Are Holy You Are Holy you are Worthy you are worthy you are so worthy of the glory you are so worthy of the power Our Father You Are Holy we give you glory we now bless him with your voice and clap those hands all ye people bless him bless him cuz he’s worthy Hallelujah he’s Worthy Lord let the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts let them be acceptable in thy sight Lord You’re our strength and Our Redeemer in Jesus name we pray amen one more time give God glory in this house he is worthy to be praised we have um already discussed the
Kingdom connection where we prioritize the king’s domain and his right standing and putting that first we seek that first we’ve already looked at the Christ connection the only way to have that right standing with God Is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ’s death burial and Resurrection today we’re going to look
At the church connection and as we look at the church connection I going to ask if you open your Bibles to Psalm 121 Psalm 121 I’m just going to read verse one to you on your own private time with God read the entire Psalm it’s only nine
Verses but listen to what Psalm 122:1 said I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord I was glad when they said unto me let us go to church y’all Psalm 122 is a is a part part of a greater division of Psalms
Psalms are have different divisions to them starting with Psalm 120 all the way to Psalm 134 is the the songs of decrees the songs of ascent these Psalms of ascent and Israel would sing these songs as they would make their way to the house of God the Psalms of ascent and
Psalm 122 is part of that every Jewish man during the time that the temple was standing uh at least had to go to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year if you were an adult male the law of Moses said you had to go three times a
Year had to go on the day of Pentecost on that day of Pentecost they would celebrate God giving Moses the law and other things that God did in the life of Israel then you had to go on uh to celebrate the Passover you had to go to the temple in Jerusalem the Passover
When they celebrated the blood of the Lamb on the doorpost when they were in slavery in Israel and the Death Angel passed over the houses that had the blood on the doorpost which led to their emancipation Liberation and freedom and then the Feast of the Tabernacles is
Another time that they had to go and the Feast of the Tabernacles celebrated what God did in the life of Israel in the wilderness from living in tent from mana on high and water out of a rock and and those were the the holidays so at least
Three times a year you had to go and they would sing Psalms 120 to Psalm 134 and Psalm 122 was a part of that and these are called the Psalms of ascent because they would come from all over Israel they come out of villages and small
Towns and I don’t know if y’all have ever been to Israel but it’s full of hills and mountains and so they would have to make their way over hills and mountains and ascents in order to get there and they would be singing these songs and listen to what David writes
Here in Psalm 122 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord let us go to church when I was in the fifth grade my fifth grade teacher whenever she would give us vocabulary words she would always talk about a working definition because she realized
That when you say any word you can have a hundred different mentalities on what that word means so she said I want y’all to understand where I’m coming from when I mention this word we got a working definition so when you hear me talk about church I know a thousand different
Ideas can come to people’s head but when I talk about church I’m talking about people and place face when I talk about church in the New Testament uh in the Greek Church the word is translated into the English word church is eklesia it literally means to be called
Out and called together I’m talking about the church the people and the place I’m talking about the the the universal invisible church but I’m also talking about the local visible Church the people and the place because the church is made up of people that we are the body of
Christ and the Apostle Paul said that there are many members to the body but there’s still only one body and Paul says that Christ is the head of the church so we’re talking about this this attachment that we have to the to the church the people of God
Cuz some of us want to claim Christ and then disclaim the church something that’s not quite right with that Christ is the head Christians make up the body you claim to be a Christian but yet you have this Detachment from the body any member of your body your physical body
Any member that’s disconnected from the rest of the body cannot survive and cannot live that’s why you have to be connected to the body of Christ to the people the church but church is not just people church is place I was glad when they said unto me let us go not to the
People I’m I’m I’m excited about going to the place to the church is is a place and those of us who claim to be Christians who are Christians who are Christlike then you have to follow if you following Jesus you’re a disciple you following Jesus you going to have to go to
Church we act like we so spiritual you know I got Jesus I don’t need the people I don’t need the place I got G no no no you if you following Jesus you going to go to the place I I wanted to take time and look at in the gospels when Jesus
Matthew Mark Luke and John when Jesus was going to the synagogue and to the temple he was going to the place to the church but that we would be here all day and night just looking at when Jesus went to church but if you just look at
Just a few chapters in The Gospel of Luke you had to follow Jesus the church in Luke chapter 2: 23 Jesus was an infant and his mother and stepfather took him to the temple to be consecrated as the law of Moses said you had to follow him to church in Luke chap 2:42
Jesus is 12 years old his mother and stepfather they take him on celebr celebrate the holiday Passover they go to the church when church is over his parents think he’s hanging out with his cousins and uncles and aunts and they go home and Jesus stayed there three more
Days in the house of God talking to the leaders and the teachers and asking them questions and listening to what they had to say cuz if you following Jesus you going to have to go to church in Luke chap 4:1 15 it says he goes to Galilee
And he goes into the synagogues he goes to church in Luke 4:1 16 he goes after traveling around the nation of Israel he goes back to Nazareth his home and as his custom was he goes into the synagogue on the Sabbath day he goes to church in Luke 4:31 he goes to Capernaum
There he is again he’s in the church in Luke chapter 4 verse 33 he’s in the synagogue the church again there’s a man with an evil spirit and he cast that Spirit out of the man during the passion period in the Gospel of Luke and in Luke
Chapter 21 the last 8 days that Jesus before he would go uh to be to to be on this Earth before he died on the cross and he came in on that Sunday riding on the donkey and Luke said in Luke 23 that every morning he went to the temple every single
Morning if you wanted to find Jesus you had to go to church he went that Sunday morning he went Monday morning he went to church Tuesday morning he went back Wednesday morning he went back Thursday morning and the only reason he didn’t go back Friday morning cuz Friday night he’d be
Dying on the cross for your sins and matter of fact that was when Jesus was so overwhelmed with sorrow cuz he was he became sin he’s so overwhelmed with sorrow and he’s being denied by a friend and betrayed by friend and whipped and beaten great Down the Cross
And in the most difficult times of his life he didn’t go to church less he went to church more he went every day and if you and I are going to claim Christ you cannot disclaim the church he went every day and and I’m just trying
To get us to make sure that praise God you got a connection to the kingdom praise God you got a connection by faith to Christ but you also got to have a connection to the church I was glad when they said unto me there has to
Be you and I got to have this appreciation for our attachment to the church I was glad when they said un to me there are people when they get invited to the church they get mad we’ve all witnessed to people and we invite them to church and some of them become
Sad but as for me I’m with David when I get an invitation to the house of God I was glad when they said there is this Jubilation that he has this excitement that he has this appreciation that he has because of his attachment to the
House of God I was glad when they said unto me let us and I know why he’s glad because he has this reflection of what has happened in the past this ain’t my first time coming to church and because I know what happens cuz he ain’t even there yet y’all and he’s
Excited he just got an invitation they just said we going they said we going to go over these hills and mountains we going to sing these songs on the way up there and he said I ain’t even there yet and I’m excited about it cuz I know what
The church has meant in the past I’ve had some time of reflection on what the church is all about it’s the black church that got us through slavery it’s the black church that got us through lynchings it’s it’s the black church that got us through legal segregation it’s it’s the black church
To help us to overcome Jim crws and Jane crws it’s the black church that inspired US during the Civil Rights Movement I I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of God cuz I know what the church has meant to us historically and I’m I’m excited because
I know what the church has meant to me personally it’s the black church that led me to Christ it’s the black church that baptized me in the name of Jesus it’s the black church that helped me to get filled with the spirit it’s the black church that taught me how to talk
In public it’s the black church that taught me the principles of leadership it’s the black church that taught me how to be a man it’s the black church that taught me how to love my wife the way Christ loved the church it’s the black church that taught me how to raise my
Children and I admonition in the way of the lord it’s the black church that taught me how to get back to the community it’s the black church that taught me how to be generous to the f of God I was glad when they said unto me and it’s not just my reflection of
What cuz I you know what I’m thinking and I know is that you can always tell what somebody’s going to do based on what they’ve already done and it since the black church has already done that black church can do it again matter of fact whatever God has
Done in your life y’all he can do it again I was glad not just because of my reflection of the church but I was excited I had this Jubilation and appreciation because of my expectation my anticipate he ain’t even there yet but I’m I’m expecting some great things to take place I’m
Anticipating something to happen cuz David still has hope faith is the substance of things we expect of things we anticipate of things we hope for it’s it’s not based on what you see but the hope the expectation the anticipation that I know something’s going to happen and I know some people
Stop coming to church because they lost hope cuz you can go long enough without something until you don’t think it can happen that you you’ve gone so long without being loved you’ve gone so long W without money you’ve gone so long without a healthy relationship you’ve gone so long without something in your
Life until you stop anticipating you stop expecting but I and now you didn’t stop coming to church but y’all already know if God did it in the past God can do it again he may not come when I want him but he’ll be there right on time I
Was glad cuz I’m expecting God to do something and and he says I uh you you you got to you got to stay with the church y’all you got to have an excitement about church Church you we we sitting up here waiting till we get here before we get
Excited I was glad at the invitation I had Jubilation when I got invited y’all y’all should y’all should see me before I get here y’all y’all should see me Saturday night and Sunday morning getting ready to go to church y’all y’all y’all should see me laying out my suit
Making sure I got some socks and shoes to match y’all y’all just cuz I know I’m get I’m going to church in the morning y’all I don’t I know I don’t sing a lot publicly here but y’all should hear me at the house singing getting ready cuz I’m getting ready to go to
Church y’all should hear me memorizing my sermon czz I’m getting ready to go to church I was I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus I’m not waiting till I get here and I’m you you got to have some excitement some Jubilation some appreciation because of
Your attachment to the church and I already know what what somebody saying uh somebody saying well well preacher you know I used to go to church but something happened at church and now I don’t I don’t go anymore cuz I I know we do a lot of overgeneralization
When it comes to the church so something happened to us at church and then we overgeneralize make it every church so the church you grew up in something went down church when you went to college something jumped off there uh you got married and y’all went
To a church and it was just a mess so you you’ve had three churches and there are 3,000 churches in America now you think all 3,000 are like the three you were part of cuz you overgeneral and you only do that with church I read two weeks ago there was a
Woman that went into surgery and when she went into surgery the surgeon she he was supposed to remove a hernia and he amputated both legs and when I read that surgeon who’s supposed to remove a hernia amputated both legs I didn’t say I ain’t never going to another doctor no I said I
Ain’t never going to y’all got it you need to hear God’s voice and I know the church is it’s Universal and invisible but it’s also local and visible where does God wants you to connect well I you know bad things happen you Jesus said that in the last
Days and I know y’all going to accuse me of being charismatic but I believe we living in the last days and Jesus said when that happens false prophets are going to rise up and these false prophets are going to have false churches y’all I I was in Long Beach California
This past weekend four churches came together they brought their leaders together and wanted me to to do some things on leadership for their their leaders so I that was on a Friday uh on a Saturday on Saturday then they asked me to stay over on Sunday so I stayed
And preached at Christ Baptist SEC Christ Second Baptist a great church great Minister and they had me in a hotel and I didn’t need use a car rent a car I didn’t need a Uber or LIF everything was restaurant everything just right there so I I walked out of my
Hotel to go get something to eat and when I walked into this restaurant it was full of televisions and and the televisions all had Sports on I said man I’m in the right place at the right time Sports on every TV and so I was situating myself
To sit at a table where I could see a basketball game cuz I saw the Lakers floor I saw the big uh logo of the Los Angeles Lakers in the middle of the floor is it crypto Arena that they play in there and so I’m sitting there
Thinking I didn’t even know the Lakers had a game and so I’m watching the game and I’m like who are these people where’s Anthony Davis where’s Austin Reeves where is where’s D’Angelo Russell who are these people on here I don’t recognize any player in the purple and
Gold in crypto arena with the Los Angeles Lakers label there and then I said wait wait M I don’t know what’s happening here then I I started looking for King James I didn’t see him on the floor and I didn’t see him on the bench and I
Finally realized this is not the Los Angeles Lakers y’all do know a bunch of college teams called Lakers high school teams called there’s a team in the G League called the Lakers but they ain’t got the King on the team and they they had on purple and
Gold they were in the facility they were running back and up down the court they were taking shots but they didn’t had King and I knew that this was not authentic this ain’t real unless you got the king y’all stop believing that every time you see the name
Church that every time you see a facility with that name on it of folk wearing church clothes that somehow they’re in the body of Christ you got to check and see is the King on 16 and I ain’t talking about King James I’m talking about King Jesus he’s Lord of
Lords he’s king of kings and if the king ain’t on the team then you don’t need to be a part of that team that’s why I thank God for Eastern Star Church cuz we the place where Jesus is exalted and if just two or three of us come together in
His name the king shows up and and something else too we we need to understand the socialization of our affiliation with the church socialization we affiliated with church but we try to make it so personal so individual I I’ve I’ve invited Jesus into my life I believe he died on the
Cross I believe got raised from the dead I’ve been baptized and and Pastor I’m I’m a part of the church yeah but you operate as an individual and and not socially you don’t operate as a body you operate as a detached member and y’all don’t misunderstand me it is
Personal I was glad it is personal they said it to me it is personal but y’all it’s also social they said uh it’s it’s social um let us exalt his name together it’s social he talks about in verse four when when the tribes go up it’s not just me myself and I but
The tribes are going up they said let us matter of fact when you’re coming out of these little towns and little Villages coming over the hills and the mountains trying to get to Jerusalem to the temple y’all you don’t want to make that trip by yourself cuz when it got dark it got
Dark and there were Bandits out there and robbers out there so you you want to make sure you ain’t trying to deal with this by yourself let let us go they’re going together singing these songs on the way to the temple cuz they know it’s not just individual it’s not just
Personal y’all it is social I praise God that individually you got it right with God but when you going to get it right with us socially I know that we live in America and we’ve been influenced by Western Europeans with individualism and things being personalized I know know that when
I studied philosophy at Bishop college and and and they they would talk about uh I think therefore I am trying to get me to understand Western European Theology of philosophy that the way I determine my being and my humanity is within myself I think that’s what gives me my
Being but y’all we of African descent you ain’t from Europe we African-Americans we are communal we are social not I think therefore I am we are therefore I am I can’t find my being without you I can’t find my Humanity without you we are therefore I am and
That’s what the church is about the church is not just individual the church is social we are united for the work of the ministry we are the body of Christ listen listen to how the psalmist put it he said when they invited me to church they
Said let us not just me let us go and and when I search the word of God from Genesis to Revelation there are plenty of times it speaks of being social it speaks of communal plenty of times it says let us in Genesis 35 and3 Jacob said
Let us arise and go back to bethl in Exodus 5:8 Moses said let us go and kneel down and and and make a sacrifice to our god in Psalm 95 and6 it says let us go and kneel down to our maker in Galatians 5 and 25 it says let us keep
In step with the spirit in Hebrews 12:1 it says let us lay aside every weight and sin that does so eil easily beset us and let us run the race that is set before us in Psalm 118 and 24 it says let us rejoice today and be glad in 1
John 4:7 it says let us let us love one another because love comes from God in Galatians 6:9 it says let us not become weary in well doing because you shall reap if you don’t faint in Galatians 6:10 it says let us do good to all people especially to those in the
Household of faith in Psalm 34 beginning with verse one it says I will bless the Lord at all times his praise will continually be in my mouth my soul will make its boast in the Lord The Humble will hear and be glad oh magnify the Lord with me
Let us exalt his name together it’s not just you personally it’s not just you individ ually is all of us socially understanding that God wants us to have to understand this socialization with our affiliation with the house of God you know I I was reading just on yesterday the US Surgeon General says
We’re in the midst of another epidemic we know about the pandemic covid-19 he said we’re in the midst of an epidemic right now it’s an epidemic of loneliness that folk throughout this nation are lonely and that loneliness is messing with your mental health that loneliness is messing with your emotional
Health and that loneliness is messing with your physical health because somehow the enemy convinced you you met Jesus you got baptized and you don’t need nobody but Jesus and now here you and Jesus lonely cuz you missed out on the social aspect and here in Indianapolis um we are we’re living in
One of the largest nations in the world United States of America in Indianapolis what are we 13th 14th largest we’re living in one of the largest cities in the United States of America and if y’all listening to me you you at least have some idea of one of
The largest churches in the city Eastern Star Church and you still lonely cuz the enemy has fooled you into thinking it’s just you it’s not just you it is they it is us the tribes go up together God has United us for the work of the ministry let me give you one more
And I’m done and that is we have to have this understanding that we have blessed reception because of our association with the church there are blessings and benefits and benevolence that come in our lives because of our connection to the church in verse one it says I was glad
When they said unto me let us go to the place to the house of the Lord to the church it ends in verse 9 because of the house of the Lord so here you start with the church and you end with the church in between that’s where you find the
Blessings and the benefits and the benevolence that’s where you find what we receive because of our association to church and I know I don’t have time to go through all of them let me just go to verse 7 verse 7 listen what it says in verse 7 peace be within thy walls and
Prosperity within thy palaces when you start with the church and you allow the church to sustain you ongoing then what you find is peace some of us are our mindset is so messed up we are so confused we are so out of it that’s because of your
Disconnect to the church cuz God will give you Jesus will give you peace with God and peace of God the Apostle Paul said because of our sins there was enity between us and God we were the enemies of God but because of the sacrifice of
Jesus down on the cross for us and our faith in him now we’re not enemies of God we have peace with God and when you have peace with God then he gives you the peace of God peace of God is when all hell could be breaking out around
You and it is and you still got peace within you cuz he will he will keep your heart and mind in perfect peace if you keep your mind stayed on Jesus it’s the peace that comes with that and and this is all actually tied into Justice it’s t it’s tied into to
Equality it’s tied into to Justice that’s why he’s talking about the the city of Jerusalem and the justice that King David is going to bring because y’all without Justice there is no peace we’re living in a nation that has Injustice in the justice system and they
Want us to sit on the sideline be quiet and shut up in a in a place of no justice but y’all no justice no peace but if we can start with the house of God and end with the house of God what sandwich is peace in the middle and not
Just peace verse 7 says prosperity and I know some of y’all going to accuse me of Prosperity Gospel whatever that is I believe the gospel is about the death the burial and the resurrection of Jesus 1 Corinthians chapter 15 Paul said this is the gospel Jesus lived then he died on the cross
And then three days later he was raised from the he was buried three days later he was raised from the dead according to the scriptures y’all that’s the gospel but I still believe God could Prosper you you know how I know God will prosper you cuz I was born in poverty I was
Raised in poverty but I ain’t in poverty no more and everything I have God gave it to me people talking about well you know I’m a self-made man and I picked myself up by my own bootstrap Negroes didn’t have boots nor straps if it had
Not been for God on our side we would not have made it everything I have God gave it to me everything I know God taught it to me everything I am God made me where I came from God brought me where I’m going God will lead me if you start with the
Church and stay with the church he will prosper you and then I almost missed this one verse seven I got the peace I got the prosperity I almost missed this within the walls the walls speak of protection I know y’all never been to Israel but in Israel there’s a a wall around Jerusalem
The wall is there for fortitude the wall is is there for protection that when enemies try to come they can’t get to them because there’s a wall that had been established there and what’s Happening Here is we’re understanding when you start with the church and end with the church protection comes with
That we serve a God that when you have this connection to the kingdom and you have this connection into Christ by faith you got a connection to the church that you start with and stay with I serve a God that will protect you y’all didn’t say Amen Jesus said up on this
Rock I’mma build my church and and when I build my church I’m going show you how much the protection is the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against the why would you not want to be a part of the church when the gates of hell can’t even do
Nothing with the church he protects us the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he makes me lie down in Green Path he leavs me beside the Still Waters he restores my soul he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake yay though I walk through
The valley of the shadow of death I’m not fearing anything Pastor all the mess going on in this nation all this stuff happening in our society and in our community you saying you don’t fear anything no I don’t fear anything thing cuz the Lord is with
Me his rod and staff they comfort me I’m trying to show y’all about the protection when you got the Lord on your side here’s what Ken of armmer said Ken of armmer said you know you’re going to be all right cuz you got the Lord as
Your Shepherd in front of you you got his rod and staff on either side of you you got goodness and mercy got your back and on Christ the solid rock I stand all day and all night angels are watching on he protects you I got to close I got to
Close ah I’m just trying to get y’all connected to the church the people and the place start with it and stay with it I’ll close with this um or this was in Mai matter fact last year August of last year the the fires that went through Hawaii through Maui and it was like5
Billion dollar worth of damage it was um more than 2,000 structures that were literally burned down to nothing 20 more than 2200 acres of land fried and burned and in the midst of all of that there was a Catholic Church that was there uh Maria Lana Kila and that church in the
Midst of all that destruction around it all that fire all that heat nothing happened to the church the church stood there just the way it was before the fire everything around was in destruction everything around it was burned but the church was still intact there was a minister priest
That was associated with that church he said this got to be a miracle this is a miracle to bring hope to the people in Maui and he began to boast and brag on the church and he said when the when the when the authorities finally let us go
In the church he said Not only was the church standing but everything in the church nothing was affected he started doing an inventory everything in the church he said none of the pews nothing happened to them he said the altar was still in place he said the Bibles and
The himnos were still everything in the church was still in place he even said we had some fresh cut flowers that were there and and the heat didn’t even bother the flowers he said everything that was in the church was still intact here’s what I’m trying to tell you when
You get in church y’all it doesn’t mean you won’t get in a heated predicament it was doesn’t mean you won’t get in a hot situation but it does mean because you in the church God will protect you do I have a witness in this place come on
Stand with me stand with me and I will say this when Jesus comes back he’s only coming back for one thing not fraternities not sororities not lodes not clubs not institutions of Higher Learning not the Sinners he’s only coming back for one thing the church without spot or
Blemish I want you to be connected to Christ by faith and you can do that right now and I want you to be connected to the church you’re missing out on so many blessings and benefits and benevolence it’s time for you to be saved it’s time for you to recommit your
Life to Christ it don’t take all afternoon we can get you back to work on time preacher I want to give my life to Christ preach I’m already saved but I want to I get I need to be connected to the people in the place of God then meet
Me at this altar right now meet me at the altar right now if you’re online just email us at membership easternstarchurch.org membership at eaststar church.org come on who’s going to do it you are my strength strength like no other strength like no other oh God you reach to Me you are my strength oh God strength like no other today God I can reach strength like no other me Hallelujah to the left come on let’s give God praise honor and Glory you may be seated in the presence of God please be seated in God’s presence um it’s time for the
Offering praise the Lord I’m going to give you an opportunity to get yourself together to give uh you can you can text to give text 45777 with ESC in the message field with your Mount you can mail it to E Star Church 5750 East 30th Street in Indianapolis
Indiana you can go to oh 46218 46218 uh you can go to our website to give easternstarchurch.org or our app click on the give Tab and make your contribution uh or if you’re in the sanctuary you can give any one of those ways or you can give if you as you exit
Our ushers will be there standing at the door I do want to remind us starting what’s today what’s today’s date 31st starting tomorrow all TI this month all of February starting tomorrow every increase you get bring 10% to the Lord I challenge you whether you’ve never tied before whether you hit and
Miss with your tithing whether you started tithing and you didn’t stay with it I just I challenge you for the month of February that every increase if you find $10 out in the parking lot bring a dollar give it to God just every increase you get give give God 10%
That’s the one area the only area I know where God said we can test him we can prove him Malachi 3 and bring that tithe and God said and see w’t I open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing you’ll have room enough to
Receive and then at the end of the 29 days I want you to come back and tell me what God did cuz I already know God is a god of his word so I challenge all of you and this is not just for 29 days this is a place for you to
Start so you can do it and be obedient to God for the rest of your life father receive these gifts as we give them in your name to advance Your Kingdom on this Earth thank you for the church thank you for the body of Christ thank you for the head of the church
Thank you for Jesus and God I pray that all all of us would be excited about what you have done are doing and will do with your church and father help us to overcome this loneliness to connect with other people other Christians in a way that blesses them and blesses
Us and Lord we thank you for the peace that you’ve given us for the prosperity that we operate in and for watching over us and protecting us now receive these gifts as we give them in your name to advance Your Kingdom on this Earth and those that are
Given and those who are for the month of February going to tithe to you God I pray you will pour them out a blessing in such a way that they’ll be operating in the Overflow it is in Jesus name I pray amen amen I believe our fast starts on Ash Wednesday
Goes all the way to Palm Sunday that’s 40 days and I believe it starts on Valentine’s Day am I right about that okay y’all looking sad man y’all fasting is about sacrificing it’s about sacrificing something ain’t quite right with our faith that we can’t go 40 days without a cheeseburger
So Jesus came all the way from Heaven to Earth died on the cross suffered and died bled for us and we can’t give up a ham sandwich some something ain’t quite right with that 40 days don’t come up with your own face it’s not individual and personal it’s it’s social we do this
As a local body of Believers all right so do it the way God revealed it to us as a body to do and we’re going to eat fruit and vegetables beans and rice uh and we’re going to give up everything else so you ain’t got to ask
Can we have if if it ain’t fruit vegetables beans and rice then no but we we’ll have a menu so you can see and all that kind of stuff and um but I want you to at least try it I want you to try step out on your faith
It’s out of all the Christian disciplines this is the most difficult one for me I like to eat eat and I enjoy I I eat as entertainment that’s how I when I want to be entertained I go get something to eat so um I don’t have any
Problem with giving I love to give it’s more blessed to give than it is receive I don’t have any problem with praying prayer I pray without ceas but this fasting pieace but it it’s a sacrifice and I know when we make those kind of sacrifices then God moves on so we’re
Going to fast and pray we’re not not dieting add prayer to your fastor we’ll have a prayer list get your own prayer list add ours to that or and then we we’re going to pray our way for 40 days and just see what God every year Miracles take place in this ministry in
This 40-day period every single year every year and I want to see that happen in in the life of you and your family and our church and Community as well finally Financial Freedom Institute I don’t know what the date for that is I know it’s February so I know I know we
Close so go online when is it the 4th so you got a couple of days you can go online and register for the Financial Freedom I want you to learn how to manage your money from a Biblical perspective y’all I grew up in poverty I got married we were in poverty it wasn’t
Until death do us part it’s until debt do us part and then somebody showed us how to manage money the way the Bible teaches it and from that moment on we moved it took us four years to get out of that and we’ve been out of debt now
For almost 30 years we don’t make monthly payments on things that depreciate and value cuz somebody taught us how to do it I want you to learn those principles so make sure that you get registered for that all right all right I got two minutes to get this
Benediction come on let’s stand I got two minutes we get out on time every week look up here at me let me bless you may God bless you and keep you may God have his face to smile upon you and be gracious unto you may God turn his
Countenance toward towards you and Grant you peace and I pray that God through his holy spirit will bring Jubilation and appreciation about the house of God in your life and I pray that’ll happen today and forever more in Jesus name amen amen praise the Lord good to see
Y’all love y’all thank you for Streaming
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