Intentional Integrity
Rev. Dr. Omar Williams Preached on 8/10/2025
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Summary
Rev. Dr. Omar Williams explores Psalm 26 to define intentional integrity as a life of wholeness and consistency, urging believers to trust God for vindication during trials rather than relying on self-defense.
Key points
- •Integrity, derived from the word integer, refers to being whole, unbroken, and remaining the same in every environment.
- •When facing public accusations or rumors, we should avoid self-defense crusades and instead take our case to God, who knows the absolute truth.
- •True integrity requires a reflective life where we examine our relationships, our associations with others, and our private worship.
- •Adversity is never an excuse to act out of character; how we behave in hard times is the true test of our spiritual maturity.
- •A secure relationship with God allows us to remain stable even when we do not see immediate answers to our prayers.
Scripture
Character
Scripture
Discipleship
Trials
Worship
Life application
This week, practice reflective discipleship by ending each day with a few minutes of self-examination, asking God if your words and deeds matched your faith in every environment you entered.
Reflection questions
- Are you the same person at home and work as you are in the church sanctuary?
- In what areas of your life are you currently tempted to defend yourself rather than letting God vindicate you?
- How do your closest friendships influence your walk with God - do they push you toward holiness or pull you away?
- What impurities is God currently trying to refine out of you through your current trials?
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Full transcript
0:00Amen. Amen. I want to call your
0:00attention to Psalm chapter 26.
0:02Psalm chapter 26. You may you may be
0:05seated. Psalm 26. I'll read in your
0:08hearing verses 1 and two of Psalm 26.
0:11Greetings to everyone in the house. So
0:13good to see you. Amen.
0:17Psalm 26. Reading verses 1 and two in
0:20your hearing. It says, "Vindicate me, O
0:24Lord, for I have walked in my integrity.
0:28I have also trusted in the Lord. I shall
0:31not slip. Examine me, O Lord, and prove
0:35me. Try my mind and my heart." Thank
0:39you, me. The sound is good. I want to
0:42speak to us today for a little bit on
0:44this thought. Intentional
0:47integrity.
0:49intentional
0:51integrity.
0:54The appointments of Clarence Thomas and
0:58Brett Kavanaaugh to the US Supreme Court
1:02sparked significant nationwide
1:06political debate. To this day, the
1:10nation is still divided in opinions
1:13about their situations.
1:16Both men faced serious allegations of
1:20sexual misconduct from Anita Hill and
1:23from Christine Blazer Ford respectively.
1:28And who can forget the earnest and the
1:31emotional testimonies that these women
1:35provided?
1:36And likewise, who can forget the eager
1:39and the emphatic defenses that both men
1:43offered in the face of national
1:46spectacles in 1991 for Thomas and 2018
1:51for Kavanaaugh. And though both men were
1:54cleared by the FBI
1:57uh and they were confirmed by very
2:00narrow margins in deeply divided Senate
2:03votes, though their cases were settled
2:07legally, people to this day remain
2:10divided about them. I tell you this, I
2:13would hate to be in any of their
2:15positions because your business, whether
2:18you are on the side, whether you are the
2:20the woman that has to talk about an
2:22abusive situation or the man who feels
2:25like you are innocent in all of this and
2:28and the question in people's mind are
2:32who are we to trust?
2:35Who can say where the truth lies?
2:38because it becomes a matter of his word
2:42against hers.
2:44And all that you and I can do is to
2:47speculate about the accounts that are
2:51provided for us on the witness stand.
2:54Who knows where the truth lies? Only God
3:00knows the true story. Only God is the
3:05true witness in circumstances like those
3:08because he sees every situation. He
3:11knows every heart. He knows every story.
3:14And he holds the moral arc of justice in
3:18his hand. This, brothers and sisters, is
3:22where David was that prompted the
3:25writing of Psalm 26. David wrote this
3:29psalm in response to a season of public
3:33accusation, public persecution where he
3:36was named the persona nonrada. He became
3:40public enemy number one because of a
3:44narrative that was banded about him,
3:48what people had to say about him. And if
3:52you have ever been there, you know how
3:53uncomfortable that space is, don't you?
3:56where you have shared a story of what
3:59has happened to you but somebody else
4:02says it didn't happen to you or somebody
4:05has said you did so and so and you are
4:07saying I did not do so and so it is a
4:11very tight place to be in when nobody
4:14else knows the truth and it's your word
4:17against their word whether it's on the
4:20job or in your family and you stand
4:23accused of something or somebody you
4:25know stands accused of something. How do
4:28you navigate those curious circumstances
4:31in your life? Well, David writes to us
4:36about how we navigate these situations.
4:41And David's example says to us, the last
4:44thing you want to do is to go on a
4:46self-defense crusade. Is to begin to go
4:49around and to try to tell everybody your
4:53side of the story. You know, you know,
4:56there's this tension whenever there's a
4:57rumor or gossip about you and you walk
5:00into a room and you feel that everybody
5:03knows your business and you just want to
5:05start going to everybody to say, "I
5:07didn't do it." But if you start doing
5:09that, you begin to realize that a lot of
5:12people didn't know your business and you
5:14just told them your business.
5:16So David says, "When we find ourselves
5:20in these moments, don't try to defend
5:23yourself. Remember that you've got a God
5:26who's got your back. What a friend we
5:29have in Jesus. All our sins and our
5:32griefs to bear. What a privilege it is
5:35to carry everything to God in prayer.
5:38When nobody knows the truth, I'm glad
5:41God knows the truth. When everybody has
5:43to speculate, I'm glad God does not have
5:46to speculate because he has all the
5:48information in his hand.
5:51So David goes to God in the middle of
5:53this humiliating situation, this public
5:56spectacle where opinions are divided
5:59about him. And he goes to God and he
6:01brings a prayer. And the first part of
6:03his prayer is a requested exoneration. A
6:06requested exoneration. Verses 1 and two,
6:09David goes to God and he says to God,
6:11"Vindicate me, oh God." That is to say,
6:14God, since you are the one who knows the
6:17truth, I want you to clear my name. I
6:20want you to set the record straight. Can
6:23I tell you this, brothers and sisters,
6:25that God's ways might be slow, but God's
6:29ways are sure. And let me tell you this,
6:32when your name is being dragged to the
6:34mud and people begin to question your
6:36reputation, don't get nasty. Don't try
6:39to do uh to others what they did to you.
6:42If you just trust God in time, he will
6:46cleanse your name. Am I talking to
6:47anybody here? He will bring you out. I
6:50is do I have a witness in here? Is
6:51anybody in here who has had to walk
6:53through a season when you have had to
6:56listen to people take talk about
6:58defamatory things about you but
7:01eventually God cleansed your name and
7:03you came out better than you were
7:05before.
7:07>> He says exonerate me Lord and he says to
7:10God I want you to exonerate me God. I'm
7:12praying this prayer because I know
7:15myself. I live with integrity says David
7:17verse uh in verse one he says I live
7:20with integrity and this word integrity
7:22it's it's the same root word as integer
7:25which means whole something that is
7:27whole something that is unbroken
7:30something that is unimpaired something
7:31that remains the same in whatever
7:34environment it is placed can I tell you
7:37every child of God must strive for
7:41integrity every child of God must strive
7:43for that sense of soundness ness, that
7:45sense of wholeness that we are the same
7:48person wherever we are. We are the same
7:51person in church on a Sunday morning.
7:53We're the same person when we walk in
7:55the school room uh on a Monday. We're
7:57the same person on the job. We're the
7:59same person at home. It is a duplicity
8:01and hypocrisy that turns a lot of people
8:04away from God when they see those in our
8:07lives. But I want to be a Christian with
8:10integrity that I am the same person
8:12anywhere I go. The same loving person at
8:16church cannot be the mean-spirited
8:18parent at home. You can't be praying and
8:21laying hands on everybody in the church,
8:22but at home you cuss your family members
8:24out. Am I talking to anybody in this
8:26house? You in here and you're rocking to
8:28CC whiners, but then when you get among
8:31your friends or on your own, you turn on
8:33Beyonce. Am I talking to anybody here?
8:35I'm talking about integrity where your
8:38words and your deeds are one.
8:41You're one person in every situation. Uh
8:44integrity is what makes morality works.
8:47What it's what keeps the the saint
8:49ticking no matter where they are. It is
8:51integrity of worship that enables us to
8:55worship in a sanctuary or to worship in
8:58a church that we had to uh borrow or to
9:00worship in a fellowship of. But wherever
9:02we are because we are one and we are
9:04whole. I can worship God anywhere. I can
9:08praise God at any time because I've got
9:11integrity.
9:12>> Hallelujah.
9:13Somebody shout integrity in the house.
9:16We practice what we preach. Our words
9:20and our deeds must match up. And David
9:22says, "Not only do I have integrity, but
9:24I trust in the Lord." He says, "I can
9:27have integrity because I trust in the
9:29Lord." Now, this word trust in the Lord,
9:31Batash, it means that he leans on God.
9:34He places his full weight on God. And
9:38this is interesting to me because to
9:40trust God in this context means I lean
9:44on God. And here's what I know about
9:46God. He is a firm foundation.
9:50He is called the rock of all ages. He is
9:53he is firm. He never shifts. He never
9:55moves. So the reason I can be one and I
9:58can be whole is that I'm leaning on a
10:01God who never shifts, who never changes.
10:04So I can praise him anywhere. I can
10:07glorify him anywhere. Because as long as
10:09I'm leaning on him, wherever I am, God's
10:13posture never changes. So if I make my
10:15bed in hell, I can have integrity. If
10:18hell surrounds me, if I flee to the
10:20uttermost part of the earth, wherever I
10:23am, as long as I'm leaning on Jesus, I
10:27can have integrity in God because God
10:30never shifts. He never changes position.
10:33The Lord that we serve never slumbers or
10:36never sleeps. He says, and so David goes
10:38on to say, not only do I have integrity,
10:40not only do I trust God, but therefore I
10:44will not slide. I will not slip. I will
10:47not backslide. I may not be able to
10:50gather with everybody in one service.
10:52And while we are waiting to get back in
10:54the sanctuary, I'm not going to slide.
10:56I'm not going to shift. I'm not going to
10:58move out of place. Why? Because I'm
10:59learning how to lean on Jesus. Is there
11:01anybody in the house that can say, "I'm
11:03learning how to lean and depend on
11:07Jesus. He's my friend and he's my guide.
11:11I'm learning how to lean." When
11:13everything else moves, God never moves.
11:17Hallelujah. On Christ, the solid rock I
11:20stand.
11:22All of the ground is sinking sand. As
11:25long as God is faithful to me and I lean
11:29on him, I will not slide because he
11:33holds me. He anchors me. He moves on in
11:36verse two to say, "God, examine me." And
11:39John MacArthur writing on verse two, he
11:41says, uh, David says, "Examine me. Prove
11:43me. Try And all of these are invitations
11:46for divine scrutiny. They are saying to
11:50God, try me, Lord. Even if it means
11:52testing me, refining me, purify me. Can
11:56I tell you why God allows some tests to
11:59continue in our lives even when they
12:02make us uncomfortable? Because God has
12:05got to allow those situations to try us,
12:09those situations to test us. Will you
12:11leave God because he doesn't clear your
12:14name immediately? Will Will will you
12:15step away from God because he doesn't
12:18come through immediately? It tests your
12:20faith. It tests your resolve. It is easy
12:23to shout in the good times. But can you
12:26shout in the bad times? Yeah, it it is
12:29easy to offer a praise when everything
12:32is going your way. But what about when
12:34things are not going your way? is easy
12:36when you are popular. But what about
12:38when you are the unpopular person
12:40because of something that people have
12:42said about you? Can you still praise
12:44God? David, it is easy for you to praise
12:47God when the women are singing, "Saul
12:50has killed his thousand, but David is
12:5110,000." But can you praise God when all
12:55you have around you are the walls of a
12:57cave? Can you still glorify and worship
13:00God? And that's a question for us today.
13:02Can you still praise God in the middle
13:05of your test and and your trial? Can you
13:07still praise God until he comes through
13:09for you?
13:11Integrity in God. David says, "Test my
13:14faithfulness, God. I offer you the test
13:17of my faithfulness cuz I know that what
13:19you've done in me, I will remain
13:21faithful no matter what." He says, "Test
13:23my temper, my psyche, test my thoughts,
13:26test my emotions, test all of me, God,
13:29because all that can happen to me in
13:32this test is that you take out of me the
13:35weaknesses that you don't want to be in
13:38me anyway." Because when God has tested
13:41us, he has a way of pulling some
13:44weaknesses out of us. Some some some
13:46Yeah. Yeah. Somebody ought to begin to
13:48embrace the test. Because every time God
13:51places us in a test, he is taking some
13:54impurities of us and putting some
13:56strength in us. I come out of every test
13:59stronger and more resilient because God
14:02takes some weaknesses out of me. And he
14:05places some strength in me so that I can
14:08bear it
14:10>> with the Lord on my side. So David says
14:13to God, he says to God, "Exonerate me,
14:15Lord. Try me, test me, and then let the
14:20world know that I am not guilty of what
14:23Saul said I'm guilty of." And how many
14:26in this house know that in the same way
14:28that God came through for David, he will
14:31come through for you? The question is,
14:34can you maintain your integrity while
14:37you are in the test?
14:40Hallelujah.
14:42So he be he continued his prayer. There
14:44is a requested exoneration. Number two,
14:46there is a reflective
14:49examination. There's a reflective
14:50examination. In verses 3 to8, David
14:53begins to reflectively
14:55examine himself before the Lord. He
14:58begins to reflectively examine himself
15:01and his ways before the Lord. And can I
15:03tell you that in this dynamic life that
15:07we live, this everchanging life of ours,
15:11reflection is an important part of the
15:15journey of disciplehip.
15:17We only get better at living this
15:19Christian life to the extent that we are
15:22reflective Christian. That is to say
15:25that I must take an action reflection
15:28action model of disciplehip. My life is
15:32ongoing. I am acting. I'm behaving. I'm
15:35thinking. I'm speaking words. I'm
15:37reacting to situations. But then at the
15:39end of a day, I need to take some time
15:42to reflect upon God. I need to take some
15:45time to reflect upon my life. What did I
15:48do today that might not have been
15:51pleasing to God? What did I say today
15:54that may not have represented God in the
15:58way that God ought to be represented?
16:00And then I must endeavor with the help
16:03of the Lord to make sure that tomorrow
16:06when I face that same situation, I
16:09emerge better than I did today. Am I
16:11talking to anybody else here? I I I need
16:14a life that is reflective
16:17in which I examine myself. And I think
16:20that sometimes we are going too fast.
16:23We're moving too fast. And God is
16:25saying, "I need you to slow down for a
16:29little bit so that you can have these
16:31seasons of reflection, these seasons of
16:35self-examination. You are doing too
16:37much. I want you to slow down so you can
16:40take some time to reflect and examine
16:43your life."
16:46Huh? That's why Paul says, "Examine
16:49yourselves
16:50whether you be in the faith and prove
16:53your own self." I think a lot of us are
16:56more attuned to examining other people
16:59than we are to examine ourselves. But if
17:02we pause every now and then to judge
17:05ourselves, to examine ourselves, to look
17:08into our own hearts, we would catch some
17:11things early.
17:14Examine yourself. Nudge neighbor, tell
17:16them, "Examine yourself." David began to
17:19examine himself. He says firstly, he
17:21began firstly to examine his
17:23relationship with God. He says, he said
17:25to himself, I have a secured
17:28relationship with God. And can I tell
17:30you this is so important right here? It
17:32is so important that we have a secured
17:35relationship with God. Why is this so
17:37critical? It was crucial for David
17:40because in a situation where God did not
17:43come through immediately for him, he did
17:46not declare his name immediately. He did
17:48not deliver David immediately. David had
17:51to be secured in that relationship with
17:54God where he could say that I focus on
17:57God's loving kindness. I may not hear
18:00God, but I know he loves me. Am I
18:02talking to anybody in this house? He He
18:04may not do all that I'm asking to do
18:06immediately, but I know that God loves
18:09me. And can I tell you, you must be
18:12secured in God. That no matter how long
18:15God takes to do what you're praying for,
18:18uh what you're asking for that you can
18:21know that God still loves you.
18:26>> I was telling the the the first service
18:28this morning that one of the thing that
18:30irks me
18:32uh is being in any kind of relationship
18:36with insecure people.
18:38Oh, that one is tough. Any witness in
18:41the house? Oh, that one is tough. You
18:44You know the person that you you called
18:46them yesterday and today was busy and
18:49you couldn't call them and then the
18:51other day was busy and you couldn't call
18:52them and when you called them on the
18:54third day, they give you an attitude.
18:56You know that person, right? And and
18:57they have the tenerity to to say, "Oh,
18:59you you you you haven't called me in
19:02such a long time." If if they are from
19:04Jamaica, they say, "You dashed me away.
19:08and and and and that's insecurity. You
19:11can't thrive in that kind of
19:13relationship and you certainly can't
19:15thrive in that relationship with God.
19:17You have to know that God loves you.
19:20That is loving kindness, his mercy, his
19:22grace, his love. What can separate me
19:25from the love of God?
19:28>> He always loves me. So when I don't hear
19:30him, don't see him, don't feel him, I
19:32know that God loves me. And I know that
19:35God has a way of making all things work
19:37together for good to them that love God.
19:41Not only does he know that God love him,
19:43but David is resolved that while he is
19:46going through that he's going to live in
19:49God's revealed truth. He ensures he says
19:52to himself because I have integrity. No
19:55matter how long God takes to come
19:57through, no matter how long my prayer
19:59takes to be answered, no matter how long
20:01it takes for the situation to be
20:02resolved, the one thing I know is God
20:04loves me and I'm going to love him back.
20:07And because I love him, I'm going to
20:09live in obedience to him. Let me tell
20:10you this, adversity is never an excuse
20:13to act out of character.
20:16How you behave in the hard time tells
20:19more about your character than how you
20:21act when the times are good. Can you
20:23love him on the mountain and still love
20:25him in the valley? Can you praise him in
20:27a sanctuary and still praise him in a
20:29fellowship hall? Can you do that? That
20:32shows the strength of your character.
20:36>> I feel the Holy Ghost here. He says, "I
20:38will live in God's revealed truth."
20:41Brothers and sisters, I had a
20:42conversation with someone recently and
20:44they said to me, we were talking, they
20:47were talking about someone who uh their
20:48life consistently does not reflect God.
20:51And the person was saying, "I know the
20:52person loves God, but they I can't
20:55understand why they're alive." And I
20:56said to the person, I I I don't know.
20:58That bothered me a little bit because I
21:00know love makes you change.
21:03Oh, I'm changing. I've been changing a
21:05lot of things these last five years. So,
21:07I know love makes you change. When you
21:10love somebody enough, you are going to
21:12change and you are going to act
21:14differently. Do I have any witness in
21:16the house? Has anybody ever been in love
21:18and love makes you change? Yeah. And I'm
21:21not talking about the the the shortterm
21:24change that you did. You act like you're
21:26kind until you got married and you got
21:28back to your mean ways. No, I'm talking
21:30about you changing long-term. Love makes
21:33you change. And when you love God, it
21:36makes you change your life to please
21:38God.
21:39>> So, I've come to the conclusion that not
21:42everyone who says they love God really
21:44love God. There are those who have a
21:46strong desire and strong emotions toward
21:49God, but they don't really get to the
21:50place where they love God. You can have
21:52a strong desire and still walk away from
21:55him. Like the rich young ruler who had a
21:57strong desire, he ran after Jesus. But
22:00when Jesus said to him, "It's going to
22:02take a sacrifice to follow me." He says,
22:04"I can't do this, God. I'm going back
22:06out. I'm I I I have a desire for you,
22:08but I can't. Am I talking to anybody?
22:10When you love him, you will change for
22:12him." And that's a part of a secure
22:15relationship. God loves me and I love
22:17him back. Let's move on to the second
22:18thing. So he said my relationship with
22:21God. Check. Number two, he says my
22:23relationship with ungodly people. Oo,
22:26this one is difficult. Now David said
22:29because I love God,
22:31my best friends can't be ungodly people.
22:36Because I love God, my best friends, my
22:40Tidest allies can't be ungodly people.
22:43Now, he's not saying that we should be
22:45mean-spirited and not be cordial and
22:48friendly with everyone. No, that's not
22:50the point. We ought to be because the
22:51only way we can show people the love and
22:53the grace of God is if we're loving to
22:56everyone. But what he's saying is when
22:58it comes down to it, the people who
23:00influence you, the people who are in
23:02your ears can't be people who are
23:07opposite to what you believe in.
23:11So David said in this he says Lord I I
23:15will not uh in verses four and five I do
23:17not associate with evil people. I do not
23:20congregate with evil people. He's saying
23:23I don't get into intimate friendships
23:26with them. Why Aristotle helps me to
23:28understand this because Aristotle said
23:30he asked what is a friend? And then he
23:33answered his own question. He says it's
23:35a single soul dwelling in two bodies.
23:40unquote. What Aristotle is giving us is
23:43the idea that friendship is not just
23:47some empty conversations. No, it is a
23:50deep intimate bond that binds binds two
23:54souls together so much so that they
23:56become one in ideal, one in ideas, one
24:01in how they carry themselves. They
24:03identify the same way. So in other
24:05words, if I'm trying to be godly, how
24:08can I have my best friend as somebody
24:12who their entire life is about un am I
24:15talking to anybody here? It's it's like
24:17it's like our parents used to say to us
24:18when we're coming up, show me your
24:21company
24:22and I tell you who you are. Or the
24:25proverb put it this way, he who walks
24:27with wise men will be wise, but the
24:30companions of fools will be destroyed.
24:33Or Paul says it this way, evil company
24:36corrupts good habits. I feel the Holy
24:39Ghost in him. If I'm trying to love God,
24:43I have to hate some things.
24:46>> So he my relationship with God. Check.
24:50How I separate from the ungodly. Check.
24:53Number three, a sanctified approach to
24:56worship. How do I worship God? He he
24:58talks now about his personal worship to
25:01God. He says, "I worship God with a
25:04purified conscience." When I when I get
25:07before God in my personal worship, I go
25:11before God. And he says, "I wash my
25:12hands in innocence. I I ask God to
25:15cleanse my heart. I ask God to cleanse
25:18my mind. I ask God to cleanse my life. I
25:21ask God that if there's anything in me
25:24that is impure, take it out of me. I I
25:27make sure that whether I'm by myself,
25:30then I worship God." And then he says,
25:31"I walk around the altar and I give
25:34worship to God. I don't care who sees
25:36me. I don't care who is looking on. And
25:38that altar can be anywhere." Because
25:39here's the deal. When David was saying
25:41this, he was not in the tabernacle. He
25:44was in a cave. I feel the Holy Ghost in
25:46here. That means this kind of worship of
25:48God can take place anywhere. It can take
25:51place while you're rolling down the
25:53highway, down the freeway, down 441,
25:55whatever your local street. Is there
25:57anybody who has ever been in their car
25:59and just worshiping God and the song got
26:02so good to you and you began to bob and
26:05weave in there and you began to clap
26:07your hands and you got to a traffic
26:09light and you were so caught up in your
26:11worship that you didn't even realize
26:13that those people in the car next to you
26:15who couldn't hear what you were
26:17listening to who going to feel the God
26:19embracing you were looking and laughing.
26:21But I couldn't care less because my
26:23worship purifies my heart.
26:27I feel the Holy Ghost in here. I can
26:29praise God anywhere. I can wait. Do I
26:31have anybody here? I can worship God
26:33anywhere because I have integrity even
26:36in my worship.
26:39>> And when I come in the house of God,
26:42don't think I'm going to give patty cake
26:44praise to God. No. David says, I come
26:46with a worship that proclaims the work
26:48of God and gives my gratitude to God.
26:51When I get a chance to worship God, you
26:55are going to know that I've been with
26:56him all week. You are going to know that
26:59I've been in his presence. You are going
27:01to know that God has done something in
27:03me because the redeemed of the Lord
27:07can't keep quiet. Let the redeemed of
27:09the Lord say something. Let the redeemed
27:12of the Lord praise him with hearts of
27:14gratitude. Let those who have felt the
27:17presence of God. Oh, we glorify the name
27:20of God.
27:22>> Hallelujah. Lastly, he examines his
27:26relationship with the house of God. He
27:28says, "I love being present in God's
27:31house, and I love God's presence in
27:34God's house. I I love to be in God's
27:37house. I love to be where the presence
27:39of God abides." And I don't know about
27:41you, but I love being in God's house. I
27:43love to to gather for worship with the
27:45people of God. I I love God's house.
27:48That is why when we were virtual, it
27:50didn't work for me at all because I love
27:52being in the house of God. I love
27:54getting together with the people of God.
27:56I love God's glory in the house. I love
27:59God's abstract glory that resides in the
28:01house. But I love to see God's glory in
28:04the worship of the people of God. I love
28:07to feel God's Am I talking to anybody
28:09here? Is there anybody in the house that
28:11has ever come to the house of God and
28:13you felt down? you felt distressed. You
28:15felt discouraged. But when you came in
28:18the house and you heard Sister Samantha
28:20lift that song or Dr. Gibs or or the
28:22praise singers and and you heard
28:24somebody come over to you and lay a hand
28:26on your shoulder and begin to pray for
28:29you and you feel the presence and the
28:32glory of God. I love to be in the house
28:35of God. Do a heavenly witness in the
28:37house. It's a part of my integrity.
28:39Wherever we worship, I'm gathering there
28:42for worship. And I'm coming with a voice
28:44of praise. I'm not coming just to watch
28:46what others do. I'm coming to glorify
28:49the name of God.
28:51>> Hallelujah. Somebody holler, "My worship
28:53is for real." Come on, tell your
28:55neighbor, it's for real. It doesn't
28:57matter where we gather for worship.
28:59David was not in the sanctuary. He was
29:01in the in a cave. But he said, "I still
29:03love God's house and I still love God's
29:06presence and I still love God's wherever
29:08we gather for worship. I'm coming with a
29:10heart of thanksgiving. I'm coming with
29:12my hands lifted up. I'm coming with my
29:14mouth open to give God glory and honor
29:18for everything that God has done." Is
29:20there anybody in here want to take a 30
29:22seconds right now and just open up your
29:23mouth, throw your hands back, your heads
29:25back, and just give the Lord glory. I'm
29:28glad to be in God's service. I'm glad to
29:31be in God's presence. I'm glad to be in
29:33God's house. One more time.
29:37I've come with integrous worship.
29:39Hallelujah. I've come to give God the
29:41same glory. I'd give him in a special
29:44sanctuary. I've come to bless his name.
29:46I've come to magnify him. Bless the
29:49Lord, oh my soul. And all that is within
29:52me, bless his name.
29:55Hallelujah.
29:57Hallelujah. I got to close this message
29:59here, brothers and sisters. So his
30:01prayer, his prayer, there was a
30:03requested exoneration. There was a
30:06reflective examination. I love God.
30:09Check. I love godliness and I don't
30:12associate with evil. Check. I I have my
30:15personal time of worship. Check. And I
30:17love to gather in the house with God's
30:20people. Check. I love those things. But
30:22but then he closes the prayer in verses
30:259 to 12. And he prays now for a redeemed
30:28eternity. He says, "God, do not gather
30:31my soul with sinners, nor my life with
30:35bloodthirsty men." You've got to hear
30:37me, brothers and sisters. We don't like
30:39to talk about separation in our world.
30:41But you got to know this, that there is
30:43a separation. And that separation, there
30:46is a distinction between God's people
30:49and those who choose not to be God. Am I
30:51talking to anybody here?
31:00on destiny united and that day there is
31:03going to be a great separation because I
31:05hear the Lord saying that when that day
31:07comes he will separate the wheat from
31:09the tears and he'll separate the sheep
31:11from the goat. David says Lord when that
31:14day comes I don't want to be gathered
31:18with evil people. I don't want to be
31:19gathered with the ungodly people. I
31:22don't want to be gathered with those who
31:24have spent their lives living a sinful
31:26life before. Can I tell you this? Not
31:28even sinners want the eternity of
31:31sinners.
31:32>> You've got to hear me. That is why
31:34everybody thinks that they're going to
31:36heaven when they die, no matter how they
31:39live down here. But David says to God,
31:41"God, give me a righteous, eternal
31:43destiny because I've strived while I'm
31:46down here to live a life that is
31:48pleasing in your sight. So when I die, I
31:52am looking forward to going where you
31:54are. I'm looking forward to gather with
31:56the saints on the side of Jordan. Am I
31:59talking to anybody here? I'm looking
32:01forward to going where the wicked will
32:03cease from troubling. I'm looking
32:05forward to going where the weary will be
32:07at rest. I'm looking forward to going
32:09where all of the saints of the ages will
32:13sing and we will sit at the feet of
32:15Jesus and be blessed. I don't know about
32:17you, but that's my heart's desire. I can
32:21have hell down here, but I'm not going
32:23to go through hell down here and then
32:25have hell for all eternity. No, no, no.
32:27I might catch hell down here, but I'm
32:29going through hell so I can get to
32:31heaven. Do I have anybody in this house?
32:34I feel like preaching in this place.
32:36Somebody ought to shout it in here. I
32:38may go through hell, but I'm on my way
32:40to heaven. And there's a day of
32:42rejoicing that's waiting for me. Shout
32:45glory if you believe it in this place. I
32:48feel the Holy Ghost in here. So because
32:51I'm looking for a glorious future, I'm
32:53living with purpose in the present.
32:55Verses 11 and 12, he says, God, at the
32:57end of his prayer, he says, God, after
32:59I've said my amen, this is what I'm
33:02resolved to do after my prayer is over,
33:05this is what I'm resolved to do. After
33:07the service is over, I'm going home to
33:09live with integrity. Verse 11, I will
33:12live in my integrity, says David. While
33:14I'm living through trials, I will live
33:16with my integrity. While I'm waiting to
33:19get back in the house, I will live with
33:21my integrity. While I'm waiting for my
33:23case to be tried, I will live with my
33:25integrity. Is there anybody in here that
33:27is determined? I don't know what is
33:29coming, but one thing I know, I will
33:32live with my integrity. God, you can
33:36count on me to be faithful in the house
33:39and be faithful in my house and be
33:42faithful to your church. I feel the Holy
33:45Ghost in here. I will live with
33:46integrity. I will seek God's mercy. And
33:50then verse 12, he says, he says, God,
33:53I'm standing on level ground. I am
33:55determined to stand on level ground.
33:57That is to say, I'm determined to be
33:59stable in God. I'm determined to have
34:01some stability. I refuse to bounce up
34:04and down. I refuse to be in and out. I
34:07refuse to be carried with all the waves
34:10of my emotions, but I'll stand still and
34:14see the salvation of the Lord. I feel
34:17the Holy Ghost. Do I have any
35:18mouth. Oh, magnify
35:21the Lord with me and let us exalt his
35:26name together. I command my soul to
35:30bless him. I command my mind to praise
35:32him.
35:35I bless the Lord.
35:38Shout glory in here. Let's stand
35:41together in the house. Bless the Lord,
35:44oh my soul. Come on. And everything that
35:47is within me, bless his holy name. If
35:50that's your resolve in the house right
35:52now, throw your hands up in the air and
35:55begin to bless him right now with my
35:57hands lifted up, with my mouth praised,
36:01with a heart of thanksgiving. I will
36:04bless the Lord
36:09wherever I am. I'll praise him. Wherever
36:11I be, I'll praise him for his love
36:15surrounds me like a sea.
36:20Lift up the name of Jesus.
36:25Lift him up.
36:28Lift him up. Lift him up. All ye people,
36:32lift his name high. Let the name ring
36:35out in the sanctuary. Let the name that
36:39has all power ring out in the sanctuary.
36:42Let the name that has all glory ring out
36:45in the sanctuary. I will bless the Lord.
36:50Hallelujah.
36:52Wherever I am, I'll bless him. Wherever
36:55I am, I praise him
36:58for his love surround me. Come here.
36:59position may praise singers for his love
37:02surrounds me like a sea. Hallelujah. His
37:04loving kindness is all around me.
37:07Hallelujah. His mercies are new every
37:09morning. Great is his faithfulness.
37:12So although the fig tree will not
37:14blossom, although there is no herd in
37:16the stall, although there's no fruit in
37:19the vine, in other words, although I'm
37:21going through a season of a downturn,
37:23but yet still I'll praise him and I'll
37:25bless him for I know whom I have
37:28believed.
37:30And I am persuaded.
37:32>> Hallelujah.
37:34>> And in my persuasion,
37:36I will have integrity
37:38>> because I trust him. I will have
37:40integrity because I believe him. I'll
37:43have integrity because I know he'll come
37:45through. I'll stand with integrity
37:48wherever I am.
37:50I want to open this altar right now to
37:52somebody. Jesus is the ultimate
37:54fulfillment of Psalm 26. He lived with
37:57integrity. Wherever he went, he was
37:59doing good. Wherever he went, he was
38:02doing the will of God. When they hated
38:04him, he did the will of God. When they
38:06reviled him, he didn't answer them. But
38:08he kept on doing the will of God. And
38:09here's the deal. His Holy Ghost is in
38:11this house right now. He can vindicate
38:14you. He can justify you. He can wash you
38:18through the power of the Holy Ghost. and
38:20he can strengthen you
38:22to keep walking in your integrity
38:25until your change comes. I open this
38:28altar right now to somebody who does not
38:29yet have the Holy Ghost. You need the
38:31Holy Spirit. You need God's spirit to
38:34help you to walk in integrity. And maybe
38:37maybe you have the Holy Ghost, but but
38:39you just need a double dose of strength
38:41in the house today so you can go back
38:43home. You can go back on the job where
38:45they lied on you and you can live a life
38:48of integrity
38:50>> that no one can deny.
38:53>> Hallelujah. I open this altar right now
38:55to anybody,
38:56>> anybody who wants to come to the Lord
38:58right now.
38:59>> Hallelujah. To live a life of integrity,
39:03faithfulness before God.
39:05>> I am the same everywhere I go. Why?
39:08Because the God I trust and the God I
39:10serve, he is the same yesterday,
39:13today, and forever.
39:17Pray singers, why don't you lift that
39:19song to the Lord right now? Even as we
39:21have this altar open right now, Jesus
39:25can give you integrity.
39:28His grace
39:29>> can enable you to live an integrous life
39:32before him.
39:35>> Yes.
39:36>> And the hill
39:38Yes. A hard to
39:42>> I've started out.
39:43>> Oh, I've started out
39:46>> a long time ago.
39:47>> A long time ago.
39:49>> I've made up
39:53>> made up my mind.
39:54>> In my mind.
39:56>> Oh, Jesus.
40:00>> Yes.
40:04>> Yeah.
40:05>> I am. I'm safe
40:08and secure.
40:11>> I have decided
40:14>> to make Jesus
40:15>> to make Jesus to make him
40:20>> my choice.
40:22[Music]
40:25>> You know the road is rough. Yes.
40:29>> And the going gets tough. And the hills
40:33>> And the hills
40:35are so hard to climb.
40:39>> Well, yes. But I started
40:42>> a long time a long time ago
40:46>> and I made a
40:49>> made up my mind.
40:54>> With Jesus strongest
40:59harm.
41:00I am saved
41:04and secure.
41:06>> For I for I decided
41:10to make Jesus Jesus
41:13>> make Jesus my
41:18yes. Oh,
41:20you know that
41:22>> the road is rough
41:23>> and the going
41:25>> and the going
41:28the hills are
41:30>> they are so high to
41:36started
41:39>> a long time
41:42>> and I've made up
41:44[Music]
41:46made up my mind. Oh, with Jesus strong
41:50heart.
41:53[Music]
41:54>> I am I'm safe.
41:56>> I am safe.
41:58save and secure.
42:01>> Cuz I
42:03decided
42:04>> I've decided
42:06>> to make Jesus
42:08>> to make him my choice.
42:12[Music]
42:13Oh,
42:15you know the road is rough
42:18>> and the going the
42:22>> and the hills
42:23>> the hills
42:25are hard to climb.
42:28>> Oh yes. Oh yes. When I started
42:31out a long time ago,
42:33>> a long time ago.
42:35>> And I made up
42:39>> I made up a mind.
42:42[Music]
42:43with Jesus strong
42:47where no tempest can harm. I'm safe
42:53and secure
42:56for I am
42:59>> to make Jesus
43:00>> to make Jesus
43:02to make him.
43:07Sing it again for you know
43:10>> you know the road is rough
43:13>> and the going gets
43:14>> and the going
43:16and the hills so high
43:17>> and the hills
43:20are hard to climb.
43:23>> Oh
43:25started out
43:26>> long time ago. a long time ago.
43:30>> And I made
43:32up
43:33>> my
43:36[Music]
43:37Jesus strong arms with nostus.
43:45[Music]
43:52[Music]
44:02Oh
44:04Lord, I can't even
44:08walk.
44:09>> Yes. Without you,
44:10>> without you holding
44:13my head, the mountain,
44:17[Music]
44:20>> they are too high.
44:22>> They're too high.
44:25And the valley
44:27[Music]
44:31down
44:34on my knees.
44:36>> I've learned to stand.
44:37>> Lord, I' learned
44:41to stand.
44:43>> I keep
44:45[Music]
44:48walk
44:50without you.
44:52in my
44:55>> Let's sing it again. I can't even walk.
44:58>> I can't even
45:01walk even
45:03>> without you holding you.
45:07>> My hand,
45:09>> you know the mountain
45:13>> is too high.
45:14>> It's too high.
45:16Sometimes I will be
45:22[Music]
45:24down
45:27on my knees.
45:29>> I've learned to stand
45:33to
45:37>> because I can't even
45:40walk
45:42without you. You holding
45:46fire.
45:47>> Let's see one last time.
45:50>> I can't even walk.
45:53>> I can't even walk without you without
45:57you.
46:01The mountain
46:05[Music]
46:07high
46:07>> and the valley
46:12there are
46:17down
46:19on my knees
46:22>> Lord
46:26to stay
46:28>> because I can't
46:31[Music]
46:33walk
46:35without you holding
46:39my hand.
46:45>> Let's lift those hands and thank the
46:46Lord tonight. Today
46:52hand.
46:54But I have confidence
46:57>> that he holds my hands.
47:00>> That he leads the way.
47:02>> That he leads me through the valleys of
47:05the shadow of death
47:07>> and he leads me in the way everlasting.
47:10>> Hallelujah.
47:12>> I can walk with integrity.
47:15>> I can walk with my integrity.
47:19>> I can live with my integrity.
47:21>> Yes, Lord. because I serve an unchanging
47:24God.
47:25>> I want to challenge us this week out of
47:27Psalm 26
47:29that with trust in God,
47:31>> with prayer in God, with a resolve to
47:35wait on God and to stand stable in God,
47:38we can find that place of integrity
47:43even in the face of the adversities that
47:47may come our way.
47:49Be that same person in God
47:52>> in church,
47:54>> at the mall, on the college campus, on
47:58the job, wherever you go. Represent your
48:01God well.
48:03>> Intentional integrity.
48:06>> Intentional
48:08integrity. We want to thank God for one
48:09soul that received the Holy Ghost today.
48:12>> And even though we're going to close,
48:14>> Hallelujah. Even though we're going to
48:16close because we have another service
48:17coming in, but we believe God that even
48:20now, even if we got to go to the
48:22overflow room,
48:23>> that's where the soul got the the lady
48:25got the Holy Ghost this morning.
48:26Hallelujah.
48:27>> That even if we got to go to the
48:29overflow room and continue praying that
48:31God can baptize somebody else with the
48:34Holy Ghost.
48:35>> He is that kind of God.
48:38>> Hallelujah.
48:39>> Hallelujah. I feel excited about him.
48:41Can we just lift our hands for 30
48:43seconds and just praise him and thank
48:44him right now. Thank God for who he is.
48:47Thank God for his word. Thank God for
48:49his grace, his power, his mercy, his
48:52saving ability.
48:54>> Hallelujah.
48:55>> And if anybody needs water baptism, we
48:57got a we got a we got a a mobile pool
49:03>> that we can baptize you in water in the
49:06name of Jesus. Hallelujah.
49:08>> Hallelujah.
49:10That's the kind of God that we serve.
49:13>> That is why we can live with intentional
49:17>> integrity before God. Let's pray.
49:19Father,
49:21thank you Lord for the way you visited
49:23us today in this house.
49:26We know you spoke with us. Didn't our
49:29hearts burn within us? We know you
49:32challenged us.
49:34The world will make us feel it doesn't
49:39take all that. New forms of religion
49:42without the power of God, the changing
49:45power of God will say to us, you don't
49:49have to do all of that.
49:52But Lord, I pray that your word will be
49:54the highest authority in every one of
49:56our lives.
49:58And we'll do what your word says. And
50:01your word calls for us to be people of
50:04intentional integrity
50:06that we will resolve within ourselves.
50:09David said, "I will so many times."
50:11Because his intention was to live a life
50:14of integrity before you no matter who
50:16else was failing. Lord, I pray that this
50:20resolve will be ours today. that through
50:24the power of the Holy Ghost and the
50:26authority of your word,