Fully Devoted to Christ
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 1/14/2021
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49:40
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez calls believers to a life of total devotion, emphasizing that every word and action should be done in the name of Jesus to ensure a life of peace and eternal gain.
Key points
- •True devotion involves living every moment for the cause of Christ, such that both life and death result in gain for the Kingdom.
- •Spiritual worship is not merely music or emotional expression, but the act of presenting one's body as a holy and living sacrifice.
- •A committed Christian life requires intentional focus on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, and commendable.
- •Total devotion means being 'crucified with Christ,' where self-interest dies so that Christ can live and lead through the individual.
Scripture
Discipleship
Holiness
Spiritual Growth
Worship
Purpose
Life application
Take a spiritual inventory of your words and deeds from the past year. This week, consciously choose one area-such as your speech or your social media presence-to bring into full alignment with the character of Jesus.
Reflection questions
- If you were to die today, would your recent works speak well of your commitment to God?
- In what ways have you allowed the stresses of this year to cause you to drift from spiritual disciplines like prayer and scripture?
- What self-interests are currently competing with Christ for the throne of your life?
- How can you practically practice 'whatever is just' in your daily interactions with others?
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Full transcript
0:00devoted to christ let's start out with
0:00um philippians 1
0:00verse 21 it says
0:04for to me to live is christ
0:07and to die is gain
0:10the apostle paul made this bold
0:14statement and he said for me to live
0:19it is christ i'm i'm going to fully
0:21devote my
0:22entire life to the cause
0:26of christ and then he says
0:30and to die is to gain
0:33this was an amazing way to
0:38write down or to document his
0:41commitment to the faith
0:44he was actually saying if i live i'm
0:48doing it
0:48for christ and when i die
0:52i am actually doing it for christ
0:54because
0:55i am going to gain my reward
0:58when i get to heaven what an amazing way
1:03to live your life as a believer
1:07that you're living it for the cause of
1:10christ
1:12you are fully devoted to god in
1:15everything that you do everything that
1:18you do
1:19because according to what paul is saying
1:22for me to live in other words
1:23for him to breathe
1:26god's air for him to be on the planet
1:31it is for the cause of christ
1:34are you hearing me so you have to ask
1:37yourself the question
1:39whatever you're doing now whatever you
1:41have done
1:42in 2020 was it
1:45for the cause of christ
1:49or was it for selfish reasons
1:54or was it to promote the kingdom of
1:56darkness
1:58instead of the kingdom of light and then
2:01according to paul
2:03you know will your dying
2:06gain you anything in the life
2:09after when you die do you have
2:13peace with god are you at peace
2:17knowing when you die that you're going
2:20to
2:20gain a crown of righteousness that
2:23you're going to hear
2:24god say to you well done
2:28good and faithful servant
2:31because make no mistake about it every
2:34one of us
2:35will eventually receive a reward from
2:38the lord
2:39for the works that we do on the earth
2:42you know there's a song our seniors
2:45would sing
2:46may the works i do
2:49speak for me so the question is
2:54the things that you are doing the works
2:57you are doing
2:58are they speaking for you are they
3:01speaking well
3:03of your commitment to god where you're
3:06fully devoted to god you're sold out to
3:08god
3:10or
3:13is your commitment in question if you
3:15will
3:16or are you ashamed because
3:20you're not really doing the will of god
3:23you're not really in the will of god
3:27so i would hope that you and i today
3:32will live the life that paul
3:35um you know lived and
3:38documented in in uh philippians 1
3:4221 where he actually
3:46was saying it it makes no difference if
3:49i live
3:49i'm doing it for christ if i die
3:53at least i know while i was living i did
3:56the works
3:57i did my part in pleasing god
4:02and now that i die i don't have to worry
4:05that i'm going to be in eternal
4:07damnation
4:08i know that god
4:12is going to reward me are you hearing me
4:16so i i hope i hope you and i
4:20will understand that it is our duty
4:23to live for christ it is our
4:27responsibility to make sure
4:30that we're fully devoted to him
4:33completely
4:34devoted to him let me take you to
4:39colossians 3 17.
4:43we're talking about being fully devoted
4:46to god here
4:47being completely sold out to him
4:51uh here we find paul again
4:55bringing to our attention
4:58what we ought to do because remember he
5:02said before in philippians
5:04he said whatever you do or whatever he
5:06did
5:08in life was for christ and
5:11he is assured that when he dies
5:14that he is going to gain some things
5:20so then he says here in colossians 3 17
5:24and whatever you do pay attention now
5:28whatever you do in word or deed
5:32do everything in the name of the lord
5:35jesus
5:36given thanks to god the father
5:40through him now this is amazing
5:43please listen i i hope you're getting
5:46this man
5:47paul is saying whatever you do so the
5:50question right now
5:51is what are you doing and
5:54the things that you're doing in word or
5:58deed is it
6:01done to glorify god
6:04all the things you did this year
6:07all the people you met the conversations
6:10you've had with them
6:12all the postings you did on social media
6:15all the events you have attended you
6:17know all the things that you have done
6:19the things that you thought in your mind
6:23the places you've been the environment
6:25that you had
6:26influenced over how did you handle that
6:32how did you function into those
6:35environments
6:36think about that for a moment as we come
6:39to the close of another year
6:42another season god is thrusting us
6:45into a new year you have to
6:48listen to me carefully you have to pause
6:51for a moment
6:52and take inventory and assess what you
6:55have done
6:57so far these last 11
7:00and a half months to make
7:04sure that the way you're living
7:08it is for christ and
7:12knowing that when you die there's a
7:14reward
7:15there for you the moment you die
7:19you want to know that there is
7:22a reward for you
7:26are you hearing me so he says whatever
7:28you do
7:30in word or deed let's talk about that
7:33for a moment
7:34in word what words are you speaking what
7:37words
7:38have you spoken in the entire year
7:43um and the are those words
7:46given life or are those words this
7:49destroying people or yourself
7:52think about that the words you speak
7:57must be able to give life to yourself to
8:00people
8:01and they must be done in the will of god
8:07and of course your deeds now it's not
8:10just what you say
8:11because a lot of people say stuff but
8:13they're just not doing
8:15what they're saying so paul is making it
8:18clear
8:18here whatever you say and whatever you
8:21do
8:22do everything in the name of the lord do
8:25it in
8:25the character of god the nature of
8:29god the will of god that's really what
8:32he's saying
8:34and i and i and i want to be honest man
8:36some of us
8:37and i'm including myself this year we
8:40haven't
8:41said all the right things and we haven't
8:44done all the right things
8:46but here's what i'm so excited about
8:49it is the fact that god has given you
8:52and me
8:53another opportunity an uncommon
8:56opportunity to end the year
9:00right and to cross over into 2021
9:05with the right attitude
9:08are you hearing me how many of you are
9:11so
9:12committed to making sure that you are
9:15going to be
9:16fully committed to god in 2021.
9:20do i have a witness out there can i get
9:23somebody if it's just even one
9:26maybe this other person who is in in
9:30in atlanta or probably somebody right
9:32here in miami or fort lauderdale
9:34deerfield
9:35maybe they don't they don't even care
9:37about what i'm saying maybe they're not
9:38interested in being fully devoted to
9:41christ
9:42committed to him and they don't want to
9:44be sold out but but i believe there's
9:46somebody
9:47in some other parts of the world the
9:50country
9:51this region who will say henry i
9:55want to be fully committed to god in
9:582021
10:03that's my testimony that is my
10:06commitment
10:08that i want to make sure whatever i say
10:12and the things i do
10:16i want to make sure i do them in the
10:19name
10:20of the lord jesus ah
10:24glory to god i want to make sure i do
10:27that
10:28because yes we can listen and i know
10:30some of you are thinking
10:31well you know henry you know you've been
10:33preaching man this stuff for a long time
10:35and
10:36you know you make it sound so easy but
10:38it's hard man we can't
10:40do this and you know you know we
10:43it's impossible for all of our words
10:46to be done in the name of the lord jesus
10:50because
10:51there are times man i just want to say
10:54some stuff
10:55that i know jesus is not pleased with
10:58hello do i have a witness out there
11:02do i have a witness out there where
11:04somebody can be
11:06honest to say look henry
11:09this year listen i am not going to sit
11:12up here
11:13and watch this service and make you
11:17or everybody else think that every word
11:21i
11:21spoke they were spoken in the name
11:25of jesus no no it's not true
11:28there are words we have spoken they were
11:32spoken
11:32in the name of our name our character
11:36our anger our bitterness
11:39and can i just be real and some of the
11:42words we
11:43spoke we don't even want anybody else to
11:47hear them
11:48hello talk to me here now
11:52you see this scripture paul is really
11:55throwing it to the believer for us to
11:58examine ourselves
12:00are we that fully committed to god that
12:02even the things we say
12:04and the things we do will be done
12:07in the name of jesus so that means your
12:11steps must be
12:12ordered by jesus everything you do
12:15must be ordered by god that's why you
12:17have to fully devote
12:19yourself to him your life everything you
12:22do
12:23you have to be driven by the holy spirit
12:26the the holy spirit has to be your guide
12:29by the way he's a comforter he's a guide
12:32that's one of his purpose on the earth
12:35is
12:36to guide you so lord guide my words and
12:39guide my deeds
12:43that should be the cry of every believer
12:46and it's not too late to do that it's
12:48not too late to do that
12:51before the end of 2020
12:54because let's tell the truth man this
12:57year
12:58we have said some things we know we
13:01don't have no business saying
13:02hello can i have some real people to say
13:07ouch you know
13:10come on now we've said some stuff you
13:13know you've been cussing
13:14yeah yeah i said it you know you've been
13:16cussing
13:17i mean i'm not even saying cursing you
13:19know i'm talking about cursing
13:21you know you have said some stuff out of
13:23your mouth that you're like oh
13:25jesus don't repeat it to nobody
13:29you know you have said some hurtful
13:32things
13:33about people you know you have used your
13:36mouth
13:36in conversation and uh you know
13:40and instead of building people up in
13:43those conversations that you've been
13:45having throughout the year
13:46you've said some stuff man that you know
13:50you know uh jesus is not in that
13:56come on now jesus is not in that
14:00he wasn't in that conversation you had
14:03when you were
14:04gossiping and destroying and cutting
14:06down that person and
14:08and and maybe what you were talking
14:10about
14:12was uh true and you know you were just
14:16calling it out okay however
14:19it still doesn't change the fact that
14:21paul is saying
14:23whatever you do he didn't say some of
14:25the things you do
14:27you know do them in the name of the lord
14:31jesus
14:33that whatever he is saying everything
14:37are you hearing me everything and
14:40you are having a fit over what i just
14:43said
14:43because what you were saying is henry
14:45come on this you're getting close to the
14:47end of the year
14:48and don't mess with me henry because you
14:50just you making this thing
14:53sound like it's possible for all of us
14:57to say the right things
15:01because we're led by god do the right
15:04things
15:04because we're led by god but henry it's
15:07impossible
15:08so you say but it's not
15:11because the same paul said in
15:14philippians 4
15:1513 he said i can do
15:19all things wait a minute all things
15:22include in
15:24what he wrote in colossians 3 17
15:27and whatever you do that word whatever
15:31is talking about all things
15:34you can do whatever according to
15:37philippians 4 13
15:39you want to do through christ
15:42who strengthens you it is god who's
15:45going to give you the ability
15:47to be fully devoted
15:50to god to be fully committed
15:54to god
15:57it is jesus your connection
16:00your relationship with jesus christ
16:04getting in the word that's why i don't
16:06know i keep asking myself the question
16:09how do people go month after month
16:13all throughout this year all throughout
16:16the pandemic
16:18no word little bit of word in them don't
16:20take up their bible
16:22you know just live off two hours or so
16:26of word once a week how do people do it
16:29i don't get it how do they get up every
16:32day
16:32and just go through 24 hours
16:36minding their business and getting in
16:39other people's business
16:40saying stuff and doing things
16:44without the leading or the influence of
16:48the holy spirit
16:49how do they do that i don't know because
16:52i know i could not
16:53survive i know i could not at the end of
16:59the day
17:00say when i die
17:03i will gain because
17:07i believe i would have had missed
17:09opportunities
17:10i wouldn't be able to see the uncommon
17:13opportunities
17:14hidden in
17:17the issues of my life
17:20are you hearing me so when you
17:24think it's impossible for you to do
17:27all things and say all things
17:31in the name of the lord so he's pleased
17:33with you
17:35then you're calling paul a liar because
17:37he says
17:39i can do all things through christ
17:42who strengthens me we have the ability
17:46we can do this tell yourself i can
17:51yes you can you can do it well romans 12
17:541 we know it is a very familiar passage
17:57of scripture
17:58paul again speaking and he's saying
18:01i appeal to you therefore brothers of
18:04course he's relating
18:06to vote um gender
18:09he's saying here by the mercies of god
18:12to present your bodies
18:14as a living sacrifice holy and
18:17acceptable to god
18:19which is your spiritual worship
18:23catch that real quick now
18:27when you present your body to god
18:31you present it according to him how
18:35in holiness listen your
18:38worship doesn't necessarily mean
18:42only to do praise and worship this is
18:45where the body of christ has gotten it
18:47wrong
18:47okay you know praise and worship we go
18:50crazy over it fine
18:51i believe in that i think it sets the
18:54tone for the rest of the service so okay
18:56so people get all excited about okay
18:59we're
18:59doing praise and worship and you know
19:02you cry and you
19:03bow down and you worship and you lift
19:05your hands and you dance and you do all
19:08those things
19:09and you now you're saying to yourself
19:11okay when i do those things
19:13those are the things that god would use
19:16to bring me closer to him but not
19:19according to what paul
19:20is saying here paul says what makes
19:24worship spiritual oh
19:27this is good are you hearing me man
19:31what makes worship spiritual
19:35is when you present your body
19:38to god how in holiness
19:41righteousness if i had time i would
19:45you know try to break down the
19:47righteousness of god because so many
19:48people
19:49think the righteousness of god is a
19:52dress code or they place
19:53more emphasis on how you dress
19:56and yes i believe that as a christian
20:00you ought to dress appropriately you are
20:02to dress
20:03in such a way it give no offense i get
20:06that
20:06but ladies and gentlemen you can dress
20:10like a saint you can dress like what
20:13they
20:14say is holiness which is a false sense
20:16of holiness
20:17you can dress with it with your your
20:20sleeve of your
20:21shirt all up to your neck nothing's
20:24showing
20:24now you may be like in the middle east
20:26just your eyes no
20:28not even your cheekbones you can dress
20:31in a way that you deem yourself
20:35righteous but
20:38if it's not based on the righteousness
20:41of god
20:42because righteousness has nothing to do
20:45with a dress code
20:48it has everything to do with
20:51you watch this living a life
20:56that is pleasing to god whoo that is
20:59good
21:00that is good you see so many people
21:03think this faith journey is a difficult
21:05journey to
21:07to complete no it's not
21:10i'm telling you man if you do it in
21:13christ
21:14then it becomes easier because the holy
21:16spirit
21:17is guiding you so he says here let me
21:20repeat the
21:22verse 1 of romans 12 i appeal to you
21:25therefore brothers
21:26by the mercies of god to present your
21:28bodies a living sacrifice
21:30holy and acceptable to god which is your
21:35spiritual worship
21:39one translation will say reasonable
21:42reasonable
21:45the only way based on
21:50how filthy and sinful we are
21:54our reasonable service
21:58the only thing that comes
22:01close to being equal
22:04oh glory to god to what
22:08god has done for us
22:12is to worship him by
22:15presenting ourselves
22:18in the righteousness of god to god
22:22so that he can accept us oh
22:25this is good this is good
22:30that's listen when you present your body
22:33under god
22:36now you are you now you are making that
22:38true confession
22:41that you are
22:44fully devoting yourself unto god
22:49that you are sacrificing the desires
22:52of the flesh and the cravings
22:55of the mind in exchange
23:00for being right with god
23:04are you hearing me being fully committed
23:08to god
23:08when you're fully committed to god it
23:11changes your
23:12entire outlook on life
23:17i'm telling you it changes your entire
23:20outlook in life
23:22and it's not too late for you to get on
23:25the right
23:26side before the end of the year
23:30but you have to make the decision nobody
23:32can make that decision for you
23:35nobody it's unfortunate that that so
23:37many people have allowed
23:39the pandemic and the changing of the
23:42norm
23:44you know to really mess them up i mean
23:47they've lacked commitment earlier i
23:49i told you i say so many people they go
23:51through the year
23:53without praying they go through the day
23:55without
23:56praying and reading the bible they just
23:58go through their
24:00month each month
24:03doing life having very little regard
24:07about their spiritual development and in
24:10most cases
24:11is when their backs are against the wall
24:14that's when they try to play god
24:16play church play like the desperate
24:20and and and they get frustrated because
24:22you know they may get
24:23quick fixes for a moment but you see
24:26they don't have watch this they don't
24:29have that spiritual
24:31encounter with god
24:34that will make them make the statement
24:36like the apostle paul
24:38for me to live is christ
24:42no matter what i'm going through when i
24:45live
24:45through my situation i'm living for
24:48christ
24:49well what did christ go through when he
24:50was living on the earth
24:52everybody didn't like him hello
24:54everybody didn't care much about him
24:56they criticized him
24:58and they'd set traps for him even his
25:01very own betrayed him
25:03and then he suffered and he was
25:05crucified
25:06and he died come on now so for me to
25:09live is to go through the same things
25:13that christ
25:14went through because i know when i die
25:18glory to god i'm going to gain some
25:21stuff
25:23and back to what i was saying previously
25:25there's so many people
25:28throughout this year have allowed the
25:31issues of life
25:32including the pandemic to weaken their
25:35faith
25:36they're no longer committed they don't
25:40even stream
25:40services that much because now to them
25:44well i guess that scripture that says
25:46don't forget the assembling of the
25:48saints
25:49is no longer relevant because we're not
25:51going to no church no more
25:53we're not going to the building so we're
25:54not supposed to do that well what are we
25:56doing here
25:57i thought this was assembling ourselves
26:00together virtually
26:02i thought that's what we're doing
26:05i thought when the scripture teaches us
26:07that we are to develop in our faith and
26:09we are to
26:09mature as young christians and
26:13mature and become stronger and rooted in
26:15the word of god
26:16i thought that's what we're supposed to
26:18do but so many
26:20of god's people
26:23cannot say for me to live it's christ
26:27it's actually for me to live
26:31is pay my bills is
26:34find a woman find a man keep my marriage
26:37together
26:39help take care of my kids education
26:42um build my business build my career
26:46try to deal with my medical issues and
26:48challenges
26:50and so forth uh you know i just want to
26:52get through this pandemic i just want to
26:54go travel i want to do this
26:55i mean that that's their lifestyle
27:00and i hope i hope i hope this message is
27:03convicting you right now
27:05listen to me man of god listen to me
27:07carefully woman of god
27:10if you find yourself on this day
27:15the 16th day of december 2020
27:22where you find yourself not
27:25living for the cause of christ not being
27:27fully devoted
27:28to christ because you have
27:32allowed yourself to drift away from the
27:34truth
27:36it's not too late get back
27:40on track get back on track
27:43listen you're not that good
27:47where you can outsmart god
27:51you're not that perfect you don't have
27:54it
27:55all together you don't have enough
27:58backup plans that if god
28:03would turn his back against you
28:06if god would shut off his grace over
28:09your life
28:11that you will survive ah i am telling
28:15you
28:16i'm telling you notice he's not looking
28:18for perfection
28:20he's just looking for sincerity
28:23there's a difference you just being
28:26honest to yourself
28:28saying god i gotta change my life
28:31god i put i gotta put you first i gotta
28:34seek first the kingdom of god and his
28:36righteousness
28:37so that oth other things can be added
28:40unto my life god
28:44i want to make sure that my mind is
28:47focused it's fixed on the things
28:50that would bring you glory that should
28:53be your cry
28:55because if it's not you are
28:58you are literally threading on
29:05serious grounds
29:08you are actually on the verge
29:13of something hitting you
29:16that it will humble you
29:20hear me today
29:23you ought to be like the apostle paul
29:25everything you do
29:27your life must be hidden in
29:30him oh you hear me
29:34what kind of a life have you lived in
29:352020 i'm not talking about
29:37the life that people want you to live
29:39the life that you want to live
29:40i'm talking about the life that christ
29:42wants you and me
29:44to live what's on your mind what's on
29:48your heart
29:49what have you been focused on
29:52these last 11 and a half months
29:56are you fully devoted to god because if
29:59you're fully devoted to god
30:02fully committed to him there are some
30:05things that you will produce there's
30:07some things that are going to come out
30:08of you my friend that
30:11they they they're going to be godly
30:14that's why paul said in philippians 4 8
30:18and verse 9 and this is this is this
30:21listen this has helped me for years
30:25this scripture have helped me stay
30:27focused because
30:28the distractions are there
30:32trust me they are there do you know how
30:34many people
30:36who were with us in the sense that they
30:38were
30:39in the word but of course there are
30:42things they're
30:43issues that has caused them to drift
30:45away from the word
30:47some hurt by church some hurt by people
30:50some hurt by co-workers
30:51you just i mean life it's life but
30:54for me to live
30:58is christ glory to god
31:02philippians 4 8-9 it says finally
31:06brothers again both gender
31:09finally at the end of the day
31:12when it comes to the bottom line
31:15the conclusion is whatever
31:19is true whatever is honorable
31:22whatever is just whatever is pure
31:25whatever is
31:26lovely whatever is commendable
31:29if there is any excellence
31:33if there be any worthy of praise
31:37think about these things that you have
31:40learned
31:40and received and heard and seen
31:43in me practice these things
31:47and the god of peace will be with you
31:50now i want to jump out of my chair and
31:53go in the sanctuary
31:55do my dance on the stage so that brother
31:59mickey
31:59and brother jeremy and the others can
32:02dance and play
32:03so i can dance and come right back here
32:06and try to teach this word cause i'm
32:08telling you
32:09like james brown i feel good
32:14i'm telling you man i feel
32:17good are you feeling this
32:21are you feeling this man i feel good
32:24he is saying at the end of the day stick
32:27to what's true
32:29because you can never be fully devoted
32:32to god
32:33if your mind is polluted with lies
32:36is polluted with fake news is polluted
32:40with everything else than the truth
32:47because when you focus on these things
32:49that i'm about
32:50to list that paul listed in his writings
32:54you're going to see that there's an end
32:57result
32:58so he said whatever is true true
33:02stick to truth don't always believe what
33:05you've heard
33:08don't always believe what you sense
33:12don't always believe don't always let
33:15someone else poison you
33:17about anything and i'm talking about
33:19anything
33:22don't allow the society and the news and
33:25the stuff that you've heard
33:26people and the little clicks that you
33:28have don't
33:29allow those groups to twist truth is
33:33truth this is something that we have
33:35lost the ability
33:38to distinguish truth
33:42from lies fiction
33:46propaganda he said stick to the truth
33:50whatever is honorable because we must
33:54give honor
33:55and oh don't let me start with that do
33:57not let me start with the word
33:59honor we have lost that
34:03at all levels children no longer
34:07honor parents the way the bible says
34:10they are
34:10on appearance children are disrespectful
34:14to parents
34:16and i know you may think well you just
34:17don't know my mom or my daddy no
34:19no no honor your parents
34:25give honor to your spouse
34:28not now that's that's something i could
34:30preach
34:31give honor to your spouse well you don't
34:35understand my spouse don't deserve it
34:37i'm just telling you what paul is saying
34:39he says
34:40finally whatever whatever is
34:44honorable you have to give honor give
34:47honor
34:47especially when somebody is doing right
34:52when somebody has has
34:55worked on their character or worked on
34:57their personality
34:59a work to do what is right
35:02they have worked their life to do what
35:05is right
35:06honor them honor your boss
35:09honor your supervisor honor the
35:12authorities
35:13that are over you honor honor honor
35:17we've lost that honor spiritual leaders
35:21honor the brothers and sisters of the
35:24faith
35:24whatever is just just
35:28don't let me start with this now man
35:31whatever is
35:31just if paul was here during this
35:35last two years in this political climate
35:38paul would would really rebuke the
35:41believer
35:42the church especially those who call
35:45themselves
35:46evangelicals paul would have said
35:51whatever is just don't fabricate lies
35:55don't twist the word of god just to
35:58advance
35:59certain religious agenda justice must be
36:03served
36:03equally to everyone come on now whatever
36:07is just
36:10if you're going to be fully committed to
36:12god he's going to force you because
36:14in all of us there's some racism
36:19in all of us in all of
36:22us and we have to die daily to get rid
36:25of it
36:27die daily it's right in the church
36:29whatever is
36:30just right is right wrong is wrong
36:34and you don't ever lean justice
36:37come on now right on
36:40the wrong side just to advance your
36:43agenda and we've seen this
36:45we've seen people who see wrong and will
36:49not call it out all because they are
36:51loyal
36:54i don't want anybody to be loyal to me
36:57and and not call me out when i'm wrong
36:59as long as it's done
37:01in an honorable way call me out
37:04you know henry that's wrong and if i
37:06don't humble myself god's gonna take
37:08care of me
37:11but if i'm if i'm living for christ when
37:14you call me out and it is
37:16factual it is just okay all right i just
37:19humbled myself
37:20but but whatever is just
37:24and in this country we need justice
37:28we need justice that's what paul is
37:32saying
37:32whatever is pure pure
37:35not contaminated with with with our lies
37:39and
37:40our hidden agendas and so forth no
37:42whatever is pure
37:44whatever is lovely oh my goodness
37:48i'm i'm getting all excited here man i'm
37:50running out of time man
37:52he says whatever is commendable when was
37:55the last time you commend someone for
37:58doing something
38:01we always want to pat on our shoulders
38:04when was the last time
38:05as an adult you said to your parents
38:08thank you for what you have done
38:10children young people you're watching
38:12when was the last time mommy i
38:13appreciate you daddy i appreciate you
38:16on to whoever raised you when was the
38:19last time
38:20you said to your brothers and your
38:21sisters thank you for all that you have
38:23done
38:24when was the last time you said to your
38:26co-workers your supervisor your boss
38:28the person who's responsible god placed
38:31them on the earth
38:32to help you make a living so you can
38:35raise your family and
38:36take care of your obligations your
38:38financial obligations on the earth
38:40when was the last time you just said
38:43thank you not only that when was the
38:46last time
38:47based on the works they have done
38:50you commended them
38:54because we're so quick to criticize but
38:57very few people want to commend
38:59when was the last time you said good job
39:01great job
39:03man that was really good and meant it so
39:08he said whatever is commendable
39:10if there be any excellence if there be
39:12any worthy of praise
39:13then he said think on these things all
39:16the things i just mentioned
39:18think on these things and then he says
39:23what you have learned and received and
39:26heard
39:26and seen in me whoa
39:30paul was bolding the power saying now
39:32listen now i'm not going to tell you to
39:33do something that i
39:35myself is not doing
39:39think about that think about that for a
39:42moment
39:43that's how each and every one of us
39:45should be we should be so
39:47sold out so committed to god
39:51that we can say to the world and
39:54everybody around
39:55us do the things you see me do
40:00the things that i practice the things
40:03that i've been
40:04teaching you the things that i have
40:07said in conversations around you
40:10the things you've heard and seen in me
40:13practice
40:14those things let me ask you a question
40:17i wonder if you would say to someone
40:21i want you to
40:24practice the things you saw in me
40:28or you saw me do in
40:312020 from january to this very moment
40:36would that person say wow
40:39that's amazing i saw
40:44truth i saw you as an honorable person a
40:48just person
40:49a pure person a lovely person
40:53i commend you for the outstanding life
40:57that you've lived before
40:58me would they say that about you
41:04because according to paul he was bold
41:06enough he's saying
41:07whatever you see whatever you've heard
41:13i want you to practice those things
41:15because when you do all of that
41:17when you do the things i'm telling you
41:19to do and when you look at my life
41:22and see that the things i've been
41:23telling you to do that you ought to do
41:26them
41:27then god's peace is going to be with you
41:31[Applause]
41:32i'm so excited about this man god's
41:35peace hello follow me stick with me
41:39god's peace is going to be with you
41:42listen to me i rather have god's peace
41:46around me in my life than somebody
41:50handing me a million dollars
41:52and you may say you only say in that you
41:54please somebody hand you a million
41:56dollars
41:56you will take it notice what i said i
41:58didn't say i wouldn't take the million
42:00dollars
42:01but if the million dollars is given to
42:04me
42:06to choose between that
42:10and the peace of god oh i'll tell you i
42:13will take the peace of god any day
42:15because i may take the million dollars
42:18but
42:18if i don't have the peace of god i'm
42:20going to lose it
42:21live in misery i'm going to be out of
42:24the will of god
42:25and then when i die
42:28i'm not going to be able to gain
42:30anything because
42:32what will it profit a man to gain the
42:35things of the world
42:37and lose his soul
42:41are you with me so it's so important
42:43that you and i
42:47fully devote ourselves listen it's it's
42:50not too late man
42:52it's not too late you still got time
42:55fully devote yourself for the cause of
42:57christ
42:59are you hearing me fully commit in
43:02yourself
43:03it's a dying it's a dying of oneself
43:06well
43:07here's what he said paul again i love
43:09paul man
43:10paul in galatians 2 20 he says i have
43:14been
43:14crucified with christ
43:17it is no longer i who live
43:21but christ who lives in me
43:24and the life i now live in the flesh in
43:27the flesh you're not talking about some
43:29spiritual life after
43:33i lived by faith in the son of god who
43:37loved me and gave himself for me
43:41i'll finish with this because this is i
43:43got more scriptures but i got to stop i
43:45gotta stop
43:46man i gotta stop cause some of you
43:48already
43:50you're sleeping i can't believe you're
43:52laying in that bed
43:53i'm preaching good i'm fired up
43:57you in that kitchen and some of you in
43:59the bedroom
44:01and you fast asleep look at you i'm
44:03gonna pray for you man
44:05galatians 2 20 crucified with christ
44:10what is he saying that the same
44:13process that christ went through i've
44:17embraced
44:18that kind of life
44:21because i no longer live for myself
44:23listen that's the key
44:25stop living for your own self-interest
44:30that's what paul was saying stop living
44:32for your own self-interest
44:34live for the cause of christ then he
44:37says
44:38it is christ who lives in me and the
44:41life i now live
44:42in the flesh he's talking about the
44:43fleshly life he said the things i
44:46do i want to make sure the works
44:49i do it will speak for me so that when i
44:53ask you to follow
44:54the examples that i have laid
44:57those examples will be a reflection
45:01of jesus christ this is good man
45:07this is good man so you want to know how
45:11to close this year
45:13devote yourself to god be
45:16fully committed to him
45:19fully committed to christ
45:22give him your all man and watch
45:26him bless your life i could go
45:29on and on you're sleepy
45:33it's about time for you to go to your
45:35bed
45:37and i just want to pray for you father
45:39thank you
45:40[Music]
45:42i've done my part
45:45i delivered the mail
45:48it got to their mailbox
45:53it's for them to check their box
45:57receive it open up the word
46:00and let it empower them somebody just
46:03got a spiritual email
46:05this rich word was sent
46:09directly to them to tell them yes
46:12they can finish 2020 strong
46:15yes lord they can finish this year
46:19being fully committed to you even though
46:22they haven't done so
46:25the rest of the year
46:27[Music]
46:29i pray that your anointing will rest
46:32upon them
46:33i pray father that before they ask you
46:37for another miracle
46:38before they ask you for another
46:40breakthrough before they ask for
46:42things god they will ask you
46:45now to give them the strength
46:50to believe that they can do this
46:55that they can live for you
46:58in this life that would bring you glory
47:02so that when they die with assurance
47:06they can say i'm going to gain
47:10in my death bless them now i pray thank
47:14you lord
47:17during this pandemic people they stayed
47:20with us
47:21they watched our services
47:24they fellowshipped with us they've been
47:26empowered
47:28many can be honest if it was not for
47:31this
47:32ministry they don't know how they would
47:34have gotten through this pandemic
47:37every service brought a rhema word to
47:39them
47:42thank you for touching them thank you
47:44lord for those who faithfully
47:46supported our ministry
47:48[Music]
47:49many who gave and it's not that
47:53some had it in such
47:56great ways that they could just easily
47:59give it
48:01some it was a sacrifice some
48:04have made the decision given their tithe
48:07and their offerings is a non-negotiable
48:10part of their lives they don't even
48:11debate that anymore
48:14they have just gotten into the habit of
48:16saying god here's your tenth
48:20i don't have enough anyway
48:24and my given is proven that you will
48:28provide for the faithful
48:32bless our given this very moment
48:35as we sow our seed i pray
48:39that lord that their storehouses will
48:41never be empty
48:44your ministry the needs will be met
48:49even in the midst of a crisis
48:52because it was in the midst of a famine
48:55that isaac
48:56sowed his seed
48:59because it's a biblical principle bless
49:02them in their given now we pray
49:04in jesus name amen
49:07amen i'm going to do something on this
49:11wednesday tonight
49:15because there's no more wednesday night
49:16services for the rest of the year
49:20um our next service will be on sunday
49:23hope you can join us join us um
49:27then we'll have christmas eve service
49:31i hope you'll be a part of it it's going
49:33to be fun starts at 8 o'clock christmas
49:36eve 8 p.m and then
49:39on december 27th we'll have our sunday