Take The Light To The Cities
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 9/22/2024Isaiah 9:2-4
Loading…
0:00
54:54
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez challenges the church to stop living in spiritual self-centeredness and instead carry the light of Jesus Christ into the cities through discipline, authentic character, and the fruit of the Spirit.
Key points
- •Jesus is the 'Great Light' prophesied in Isaiah, representing revelation and truth for those living in spiritual ignorance or the 'shadow of death'.
- •Believers are called to be the light of the world, which requires them to be visible and active ('a city on a hill') rather than hidden or exclusive.
- •True light is demonstrated through the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.) rather than religious labels or outward appearances.
- •Being the light requires spiritual discipline and commitment, contrasting with the 'undisciplined' nature of many modern Christians compared to other faiths.
- •Authenticity is key; believers must stop 'faking it' and admit they are sinners saved by grace to remain relevant to the world.
Scripture
Discipleship
Evangelism
Spiritual Growth
Purpose
Character
Life application
This week, identify one 'dark' area in your life-such as a toxic workplace, a difficult family relationship, or a personal habit-and intentionally display the fruit of kindness or patience there, rather than reacting with worldly frustration.
Reflection questions
- In what ways have you been tempted to hide your light or keep your faith 'exclusive' to church settings?
- Which fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) do you find most difficult to display at your workplace or at home?
- Bishop Fernandez spoke about the lack of discipline in the modern church; how can you prioritize 'temple duty' (attendance, study, and giving) more consistently?
- How can you be more authentic about your flaws so that others are attracted to God's grace rather than intimidated by religious perfectionism?
Have a question about this sermon?
Ask our AI and get an answer with citations.
Full transcript
0:00so great to see all of you here uh this
0:04morning welcome to the Faith Center and
0:06those of you who are streaming God bless
0:09you thank you for joining us and uh can
0:12we thank God for the leadership team
0:16here at the Faith
0:18Center my wife Pastor Carol pastor tman
0:22and Pastor L tman come on thank you
0:27thank you and it's great to see my good
0:30friend here this morning with us
0:33congresswoman Debbie Osman
0:37Schulz yes you will hear from her in
0:41just a moment do me a favor if you have
0:44a printed Bible would you turn to Isaiah
0:48chapter
0:499 if you have electronic Bible which
0:52most of us hopefully by now that's what
0:54we carry
0:57around uh Isaiah chapter 9
1:01and uh when we look at
1:06that there's a lot of
1:09information
1:10in verse 2 to verse
1:134 I won't spend time reading all of
1:18it
1:19um I would just encourage you to go in
1:22your own personal time to read
1:26it but in it there's a statement
1:31or a part of it that I want to read it
1:33says the people who walked in
1:37darkness have seen a great
1:41light let me read it
1:43again the people who walked in darkness
1:47have seen a great
1:51light so if you will allow me for just a
1:54few moments to talk to you about taking
1:58the lights
2:00or the light I should say to the cities
2:02taking the light to the cities as you're
2:06aware for the rest of this year our
2:09church is committed to taking the light
2:15of Jesus Christ to the city our
2:17message the message of
2:20hope the message that says for God so
2:24loved the world you may not like
2:27everybody in the world
2:30you may have your own personal opinions
2:33about
2:34people what they do what they say how
2:38they live their
2:39lives but John 3:16 simple says for God
2:43so loved the
2:46world who was he talking about he was
2:48talking about the
2:50unbeliever was talking about people who
2:52didn't
2:53believe in him and so the prophet Isaiah
2:58prophesied the people who walked in
3:02darkness have
3:05seen a great light not just an ordinary
3:08light but a great
3:10light
3:12so this is a powerful statement because
3:15it speaks of people who have not yet
3:18embraced Jesus as the
3:21Messiah has not yet Embrace Jesus as the
3:26Messiah in the Bible if you look at the
3:29word Darkness it often
3:32symbolizes ignorance blindness to the
3:36truth and separation from God's
3:40revelation so let's be clear when we're
3:43talking about Darkness here uh we're not
3:46talking about you know the difference
3:48between day and night or the inability
3:53to physically see your way through an
3:57environment throughout what I'm about to
4:00say in this theme when we say taking the
4:03light to the cities we are actually
4:07saying that there is no Revelation
4:09there's no understanding of who God is
4:13so therefore we must take that light we
4:17must take that
4:20Truth uh to the cities verse two shows
4:24us that God's ultimate goal he wants all
4:28of his people to come into the knowledge
4:31of his promises and his plan for their
4:35lives because you and I need to make no
4:38mistake about it God wants all of his
4:41children to come into this Marvelous
4:44Light and this light has to do with us
4:49understanding that he loves
4:51us and as a church sometimes I think we
4:54forget
4:55that we forget that the mission of the
4:59church is to give people
5:03Hope come on
5:05now it's to give people hope so the
5:10light of Jesus Christ shining in the
5:14darkness means that it should be uh a
5:18light that will will shine if you will
5:22in the dark places of Our Lives offering
5:26transformation and
5:28Hope that's the purpose of the Gospel
5:32that the light of Jesus Christ can be
5:35shown in the darkness of man's heart so
5:40when you look at Isaiah chapter 9 again
5:43verse two it says the people who walked
5:45in darkness have seen a great light now
5:48watch this it says Those Who dwell in
5:51the land of the shadow of death upon
5:55them a light has shined
6:00so I want you to see this because the
6:02latter part of that verse is very
6:03important here those who dwell in the
6:06land of the shadow of
6:08death those who dwell in the land of the
6:11shadow of death these are people are
6:13taking risk these are people who at the
6:16verge of Eternal
6:18damnation the message that Isaiah has
6:21given to the church here is simply this
6:25those people the light is shining on
6:28them
6:30so it makes you
6:31wonder why are some of
6:34us choosing not to shine the
6:38light on
6:40people who may have a different opinion
6:43of who we
6:44are why do we choose to not Shine the
6:48Light of Jesus Christ in the dark areas
6:52of this
6:53world why have we become such a group of
6:57people who are selfish
7:00and and and try to make God this
7:03exclusive God watch this now and I know
7:05it's going to really mess up your
7:07theology this God who only hangs out
7:11with the
7:16perfect when he says here this is the
7:20word he says here those who dwell in the
7:23land of the shadow of death upon
7:27them upon them
7:30a light is
7:31shined John 8:12 let's go there John
7:348:12 it says then Jesus spoke to them
7:37again saying I am the light of the world
7:40he who follows me shall not walk in
7:44darkness but have the
7:46light of
7:49life so what Jesus is saying he is the
7:52light we know he is the light so because
7:55he's the light he's living on the inside
7:57of us he's then telling us that we must
8:00follow him because once we follow him we
8:04won't walk in ignorance to the truth we
8:07won't walk in darkness we won't become
8:10these group of people who don't want to
8:12shine the light of
8:14Jesus to certain people so Matthew
8:185:14 let's go there Matthew
8:215:14 it says here you are the light of
8:24the world you're the light of the world
8:26you're the CU Jesus is in us how many of
8:29you can confess that you are you you
8:31believe in God come on raise your hand
8:33you believe in God all right so you
8:34believe in God so if you do believe in
8:36God here's the question that I need to
8:38ask you according to Matthew 5:14 he
8:41says you are the light so if you believe
8:43in God God is in you Jesus is in you
8:46then you are the light of the world
8:48watch this a city that is set on a hill
8:51cannot be hidden so so your light you
8:54can't hide
8:58it are you following me here you you you
9:01can't hide it the light of Jesus Christ
9:04is in you and what Matthew is saying you
9:06cannot afford to hide that light so the
9:10mission of the church what's the mission
9:11of the
9:12church you ever think about that what's
9:15the mission of the church it's not just
9:17to come on a Sunday morning or what
9:18whatever day you gather in your temples
9:21or your house of worship it's not just
9:23to come and hear a pastor priest or
9:26whomever you know um you you believe in
9:29whatever religion you're part of it's
9:31not just to go there and to say let's
9:34worship what's the mission of the church
9:37well God's mission for the church is
9:39very clear and it's unchanging it is to
9:42bring the light of his message to every
9:47generation and I'm going to tell you
9:49something if we don't start passing on
9:53scripture to the Next Generation I
9:56wonder what this this world is going to
9:58be like
10:0020 years from
10:01now come on think about it 20 years from
10:05now the lawlessness that is in our lives
10:09the lawlessness that's in the land can
10:11you imagine if God if go you know some
10:15people you know you define God your way
10:17I'm not here to debate that but can you
10:19imagine if there is no God
10:22Consciousness left in our
10:25society I mean for those of you are like
10:28my age group you know you know I'm 60 so
10:30I I can't relate to 20y old
10:33stuff and I know I'm not the only one up
10:35in
10:36here I mean I see 20-year-old do stuff
10:39I'm
10:41like yeah I can't relate to some of the
10:44stuff they do the way they
10:47think come on parents help me out here
10:52man 20 year old the way they think you
10:56know and and because I am a ref form
10:5960-year-old guy I I I can't I can't you
11:03know train and deal with my children the
11:06way my parents dealt with me cuz I'll go
11:10to
11:13jail can we get a witness
11:16parents I I mean times have changed you
11:20know when my parents you know you know
11:22were dealing with us as little kids we
11:25they weren't threatened by imprisonment
11:28they they could beat us and and get away
11:32with it yes now you
11:35can't so I can't relay to 20- year olds
11:39the way they
11:40think so the mission is to change the
11:45heart of men and women so from time to
11:48time the early
11:49Apostles what they did their job was to
11:53make sure the light of Jesus Christ
11:55would constantly
11:57shine in places where there were no
12:02Revelation that's where we're at now
12:05there's no revelation of who God is in
12:07the earth anymore so unfortunately
12:09there's a battle for the souls of
12:12humanity we see it at all levels now the
12:16battle for the souls of humanity they
12:19two forces fighting the forces of
12:21Darkness the forces of light the forces
12:24of God and the forces of
12:26Satan and it's crept into the hearts of
12:29men and women today the evil stuff that
12:32people do
12:34today it's
12:36crazy you turn on the news every day and
12:38you're thinking what would make somebody
12:42do
12:42that what would make somebody say that
12:46come on now so Satan the adversary is
12:49seeking or he seeks to blind people to
12:53God's truth he uses every tool at his
12:57disposal
12:59digit digital platforms I should say
13:02social media entertainment education and
13:05even uh influences within the church to
13:08keep people in
13:11darkness right now
13:14everything the enemy of our soul is
13:18using to Blind us from the
13:21truth digital
13:23platforms you know 30 years ago we
13:27didn't know what Facebook was
13:30Instagram um um Tik Tock
13:36um what else Snapchat
13:39Snapchat what
13:41else
13:44what's X and and what else
13:48Trends threads
13:59and I'm not knocking
14:01technology because I tell you what 30
14:04years from now what's going to be
14:06inventing is going to make Facebook Tik
14:08Tok and all the stuff look like
14:12Pac-Man y'all
14:14[Laughter]
14:16remember I'm going way
14:19back you young people don't know what
14:21that is you know but that's what he's
14:25using and he's using it in a very
14:29divisive
14:30way to win our souls
14:33over aiming to lead us away from the
14:37Abundant Life that God has offered us
14:40but God's light God's light offers to us
14:44much more than darkness in the
14:49world his his message to us is
14:52love and sometimes unfortunately even in
14:55the church that's why I mentioned before
14:57that Satan is even using the church
15:00influencing the church to become a part
15:04of the
15:07darkness that that we've become so
15:11hateful
15:13indifferent that he's using the church
15:15to become a part of the
15:18Clutter we forget in our identity that
15:21we're the light and wait a minute you
15:23don't have to force anybody to accept
15:25your
15:26faith listen to me Church you don't need
15:30to force anybody and threaten anybody
15:33you don't need to be unkind to anybody
15:36just because they reject what you
15:41believe there's no need for us to paint
15:45God as somebody who is sensitive to his
15:50feelings that because you reject him
15:54he's ready to destroy
15:56you I know we haven't heard that
15:58preached in long
16:00time you cannot compare God's
16:03personality to human
16:08personality he's all God he's not needy
16:13he's not desperate he doesn't frown when
16:17you don't like him or you don't receive
16:19him he knows who he is he's in a class
16:22all by himself he knows you need him
16:28more than and he needs
16:30[Music]
16:32you so just wake
16:35up don't get all been out of shape
16:39man when you see people don't receive
16:42your God just be the light that's all
16:45you have to do let's go to John 10:10
16:48because you see the enemy of our soul he
16:51comes out or he comes to to take from us
16:54we need to understand that the Bible
16:56says the thief the thief does does not
16:59come except to steal to and to kill and
17:02to destroy but here's the words of Jesus
17:05but I come that they might have life and
17:08that they might have it more
17:14AB you know what what what what Jesus is
17:17saying
17:19hey your my the adversary Satan he
17:23listen I I know you like him I know
17:26everything he's telling you to do you
17:28feeling good
17:30and all that stuff that you're doing
17:32it's good man he's going to tell you to
17:35party do drugs he's going to tell you to
17:37do all kinds of stuff and like I told
17:39you last week in part one I told you
17:43that there's a whole lot of stuff that
17:47the Bible doesn't say verbatim that
17:50those items are
17:54wrong there's certain things we
17:57do the Bible is not saying it's wrong
18:00there's nothing in the scripture
18:01remember last week I told you there's
18:03nothing in the Bible that says smoking
18:05is
18:10wrong I see some of you ready to smoke
18:12right
18:13now you're like what what smoking is
18:18that wrong all this time I could be
18:23smoking so before you go and light that
18:26stuff out there you know before you do
18:30that
18:31now it's not in the Bible that says Thou
18:35shalt not
18:38smoke
18:42[Applause]
18:50is watch this it's not in the
18:54Bible that
18:56says you know uh um certain items you
19:01shouldn't do however there's one
19:04scripture that allows you to be very
19:07cautious of what you put in your
19:09body because the Bible says your body is
19:12the
19:15temple the
19:17temple so therefore be careful of what
19:21you put in your temple because what you
19:24put in the temple can also
19:27defile the the
19:30temple so God wants you to live a long
19:33healthy
19:35life he doesn't want you to speed up the
19:38process in destroying the
19:41body so he has empowered men and women
19:44to become doctors and people who can
19:47research things and those research shows
19:52that smoking is dangerous to your health
19:56so because it's your temple
19:59you don't
20:01smoke because it's your temple you don't
20:05do certain things to it right you don't
20:09do certain things to it in the Bible oh
20:11here's another one there's nothing in
20:13the Bible that says Thou shalt not go to
20:18the
20:25clubs so before those of you love to
20:29club or go Club in before you walk out
20:33of here and say we going next
20:35Friday before you go out of this church
20:38to say the pastor gave you a license to
20:40go to the
20:42club let me qualify that because it's
20:46your
20:48temple what you do is you don't want to
20:52defile the temple because the scripture
20:55also says what does Darkness has to do
20:58with
20:59light so there has to be a difference
21:02between you and the unchurch you and the
21:08unbeliever your talk has got to be
21:11different you got to choose the placees
21:14you go so that you don't become an
21:19offense come on now that's really what
21:22I'm talking about here that is the light
21:25that you and I should be demonstrating
21:28so Ephesians 5:8 says for we were once
21:31in darkness we were once in
21:34darkness come on now we used to party we
21:38used to get down in the
21:41nightclub come on how many of you used
21:43to go to nightclub in here come on now
21:44don't be don't don't don't don't don't
21:46lie now you know you used to be in the
21:50club half of you are a bunch of Lies up
21:53in here
21:58used to
22:00party well let let me put it this way
22:03then let strike the word nightclub how
22:05many used to party how many of you used
22:07to party see I see I know you are
22:15lying for you were once in darkness but
22:18now you are the light in the world watch
22:22this live as children of light just live
22:25it you can you cannot be in Christ and
22:29live like the
22:35darkness I know this may be boring to
22:38half of you it's boring I don't come to
22:40church to hear it
22:43is so let's bring the lights to the city
22:46I'm almost
22:47through those of us who have experienced
22:49the Light of Christ must
22:51carry carry it to the cities of the
22:54world Isaiah 60 ver 1-3 encourages us
22:58here's what it says are you ready for
23:00this it says arise arise Shine for the
23:03light has come and the glory of the Lord
23:08has risen upon you carry the
23:12light carry the light that's our duty
23:16man carry the light so how we going to
23:19carry the light
23:21arise and
23:23shine shine in your
23:25homes shine at the workplace I don't
23:29care how toxic that place is
23:33shine in school or at school
23:37shine in politics
23:41shine in business
23:44shine while taking the bus
23:48shine while in traffic don't participate
23:51with the finger are the
23:57signs sh
24:00shine when somebody aggravates you to
24:03bring the other negative twin out of you
24:10shine are you hearing me this morning
24:13would you look at the neighbor and say
24:15just shine sh just
24:18shine just shine
24:21man that's all you got to
24:23do so as we carry the light of Jesus
24:27Christ we must proclaim the good news
24:29that says repent of your sins we
24:32understand that all have sinned fell
24:34short of the glory of
24:36God all right so be careful our job is
24:39not to go around and say well you know
24:41you're a
24:42sinner you know what you did you know
24:45and and we start naming every sin that
24:49people have committed that's not our
24:53job that's not the message of the Gospel
24:56just repent cuz you know what you did
25:01you sure
25:02did you know what you
25:05said you know the life you're living all
25:08I'm going to do is to present Christ to
25:10you and then you just receive him or
25:13reject
25:14him that's on you I did my job I let my
25:19light shine come on now so justest as an
25:23athlete or athletes prepar diligently
25:26for the Olympics we must see see
25:28ourselves as spiritual athletes trained
25:31in the word of God and ready to take on
25:34the light and to take it the world we
25:38are in this spiritual battle and our
25:41task is to go into the world preach the
25:44gospel and train others to continue the
25:46work of spreading the light of Jesus
25:49Christ to the world second Timothy 4:2
25:53says preach the word watch this preach
25:55the word not your feelings
25:58amen not your religious truths or
26:02beliefs not what your parents taught you
26:06not how you grew up not how you feel
26:09what you think what your preferences are
26:13it says preach the word be prepared in
26:15season and out of season correct rebuke
26:18and encourage so you know when you hear
26:21the word and the word corrects you don't
26:24get
26:25offended CU that's the purpose of the
26:27word don't get offended when a preacher
26:30speaker or you're in a group Bible study
26:33and the word hit you don't get
26:35offended cu the purpose of the word the
26:37purpose of growing the purpose of coming
26:40to church is to correct you you
26:42certainly don't want to go to a house of
26:44worship where they tell you everything
26:46you want to
26:51hear it is not good for a
26:55parent to tell their children children
26:58everything they want to hear and not
27:01correct
27:03them sometimes you're going to be
27:06rebuked that's okay as long as it's done
27:09in love and then in Courage with with
27:12great patience we must carefully give
27:15these instructions so here's what
27:17Matthew 28:19 says and to to verse 20 go
27:20ye therefore make disciples that's why
27:23we need to go to the
27:25cities the message that Jesus l left his
27:28disciples the simple this Go Make
27:33Disciples not come to the
27:36temple and sit with your fancy
27:42clothes not just come to get your
27:44blessings and when you leave you care
27:47nothing about the
27:49world he says Go Make Disciples of All
27:52Nation Nations baptizing them in the
27:54name of the Father the Son and the Holy
27:56Spirit teaching them to OB erve all
27:58things that I have commanded you so here
28:03are four key um
28:06commitments that helps us to be the
28:10light of the of Jesus Christ four
28:12commitments key commitments that helps
28:15us to be the light of Jesus Christ
28:18number one we ought to follow Jesus or
28:21following Jesus I should say cannot be
28:24self-serving following Jesus cannot be
28:26self-serving Matthew Matthew 9 excuse me
28:29Luke 9 sorry 23 if any desires to come
28:33after me let him deny himself and take
28:37up his cross daily and follow me number
28:41two following Jesus requires commitment
28:44and
28:45discipline if you're going to follow
28:47Jesus it's going to require commitment
28:49and
28:50discipline so for those of us who are of
28:53the
28:54faith are you
28:56committed and are you discipline to that
28:59commitment number three following Jesus
29:02requires training and recruitment 2
29:06Timothy 2 Paul speaking to the young
29:08preacher Timothy here's what he says he
29:11says and the things you have heard me
29:15say in the presence of many witnesses
29:17and Trust to Reliable people who will
29:22also be qualified to teach others so you
29:26got to be willing to be
29:31tutored you know CU you're not careful
29:33we church
29:36people some sometimes the hardest people
29:38to
29:40train hardest people to train especially
29:44we who call ourselves
29:47Christians without me being so offensive
29:50to you and I hope you don't get all
29:53ticked off about this but if the truth
29:57be told we're a bunch of undisciplined
30:01people and before wait wait don't don't
30:03I don't want you to clap because it's
30:05not a it's not something we should
30:07Rejoice over or or celebrate and
30:10belittle other people about it's for all
30:14of us to examine ourselves we are truly
30:19undisciplined and I'll tell you why very
30:22undisciplined we lack commitment and we
30:25lack discipline
30:28and we are the
30:30first to criticize and point to other
30:35denominations or other people of Faith
30:38willing to correct
30:40them because they don't believe in our
30:44God when they're disciplined I told you
30:47before some years ago I preached a a
30:50series of messages on the titled the
30:52five most prominent religions in the
30:55world I did an in-depth study of it and
30:58I preached it and I showed how all of
31:02these religions started and what they
31:05believe in and so forth then I shared
31:09how committed all four of them
31:12are one of them us very
31:17undisciplined I can put an Iman or a
31:23Muslim a je Witnesses a 7day Advent I
31:27can put religion
31:28up there people who represent many
31:30religions on this stage and I can put a
31:33Christian next to that person and I
31:36would ask all of them to defend your
31:38faith and tell me what you believe and
31:41quote scriptures and so forth I promise
31:44you the one who would probably
31:47disappoint is the
31:51Christian they may disagree with
31:54me we don't read our Bible
31:59we don't we're undisciplined we're not
32:02trained to become disciples to
32:05duplicate we are trained to receive
32:09blessings self
32:12centeredness we come to God to get not
32:15to be trained to
32:20multiply prove me
32:24wrong it's quiet up in here God
32:31very
32:33undisciplined those are the religions
32:35they come to their synagogues and their
32:37temples on
32:48time if mass or worship is
32:5210:00 they're in their
32:55seat at 10:
33:00and they're
33:02committed they know their
33:05faith they believe in their faith
33:09they're committed at all
33:12levels and because we are not exposed to
33:15the light we're quick to criticize well
33:17you
33:18know reason why those people we come up
33:20with all excuses why those people are
33:22more committed than us
33:25why and you're talking about you belie
33:27in God very undisciplined God can't even
33:31count on
33:36you
33:38can't you read his word whenever you
33:41feel like you go to church whenever you
33:43feel like you give to support the temple
33:47whenever you feel like you you ever
33:50wonder why Jewish people um you ever
33:53wonder why the Muslims you ever wonder
33:55why 70 Adventists you ever wonder why
33:58they don't have to have concerts and
33:59different fundraising
34:02events to fund their
34:04mission because their people are
34:10disciplined they to beg them it's a part
34:13of the temple Duty it's a part of their
34:16responsibility to support but we have
34:17very disciplined and I know I've lost
34:20half of you online and in the building
34:22cuz anytime a preacher start talking
34:24about money
34:30very
34:31undisciplined oh but we can shout oh you
34:34let me tell them to play that Horan
34:36right now and let's dance and let's just
34:39start running around here I mean 3/4s of
34:43you ready to shout even those of you
34:45came in at
34:4710:45
34:56and all now you know what look at your
35:00neighbor and say you got to love him you
35:01got to love him cuz he's telling the
35:04truth see see what I told you you see
35:07how the organ revived the
35:10room y'all were dead quiet when I was
35:13telling the truth a while
35:15[Applause]
35:17[Music]
35:18ago but you got to love
35:21me you got to
35:23love me got
35:29so so let me do this and I promise you
35:33I'm
35:34done uh oh where's my notes here oh
35:40Jesus okay that's what technology does
35:44to
35:45you okay I'm getting it oh just bear
35:50with me one second
35:55here when all fail
35:58[Music]
35:59[Applause]
36:00[Music]
36:06always come
36:07[Music]
36:07[Applause]
36:10prepare so here's some practical steps
36:13and then I'm going to pray for as many
36:16of you who'd really want
36:18to
36:20be we didn't give me number four uh what
36:23did I give you before okay thank you you
36:26following man you're following you're
36:28following so I gave you number one
36:31following Jesus cannot be self-serving
36:34number two following Jesus requires
36:37training and recruitment
36:40number uh
36:43three okay it's on the screen let me
36:46just find number three I'm just need to
36:48find it
36:49myself okay number four okay it's right
36:53there following Jesus requires renewing
36:56of the Mind and consistency thank you so
37:00much let's go home with this now when I
37:02say go home not leave the building I'm
37:04talking about my sermon has ended number
37:07one prioritize weekly Church
37:11attendance if you're going to shine into
37:14the
37:15world you must see the importance of
37:17coming to the temple or
37:20streaming with technology
37:23now the virtual viewers are much as much
37:26important as we are that you have to
37:32prioritize weekly attendance scripture
37:34to back it up Hebrews 10:23 not giving
37:37up meeting
37:39together as some are in the habit of
37:42doing it's a nature back then in the
37:44Bible days some had the the
37:48habit of
37:50saying I don't need to
37:52gather church is not that important you
37:56know I can do everything else don't get
38:00into the practice where you forget the
38:03coming together it's important number
38:06two be a reflection of the fruit of the
38:09spirit be a refle be a reflection of the
38:12fruit of the spirit that's how you shine
38:14your light what are the fruit of the
38:15spirit Galatians 5:22-23 it says but the
38:18fruit of the spirit is Love In other
38:22words our job is to show love to the
38:26world are we are we loving
38:29people are you loving at home are you
38:32loving in the marketplace on your job
38:34are you loving to people when you come
38:36here are you loving when you go out in
38:40the streets cuz that's that's the fruit
38:43we carry that's who we are and then it
38:45says joy
38:48joy we we we can take the light of Jesus
38:51Christ when we possess love and joy and
38:55forbearance having the ability
38:58to
39:01tolerate and to have you know long
39:05suffering or just being able to not get
39:10so easily upset or
39:16edgy I may disagree with you but you
39:18know what I have patience that one day
39:21you may see the
39:23light no you know what you're driving me
39:26crazy but
39:28I'm not go you know what cuz I remember
39:31when I was ignorant too I I remember
39:34when I used to cuss and fight and
39:39no I'm going to wait this out I want to
39:43see God change
39:45you kindness kindness kindness goodness
39:52faithfulness this is what we it's not
39:55how you dress
39:58it's not the Bible you carry it's not
40:00the label you carry do you
40:03love that's the light do you have joy at
40:07the workplace are you the most miserable
40:10person in that
40:14office do you have
40:17peace do you have forbearance what about
40:20kindness what about goodness what about
40:23faithfulness that's the fruit that you
40:25are to carry
40:27women of God that's the fruit you ought
40:29to carry that fruit you ought to show it
40:32into the entire world listen your job is
40:35to say look man I love you whether it's
40:39to the person you're dating the person
40:41you're married to your children it's the
40:43same thing at the workplace no matter
40:46what you go through in life and please
40:50don't hate me for this ladies stop
40:53blaming your ugliness and the evil that
40:57you do on your hormon stop
41:02it stop
41:05it and you know I'm telling the
41:09truth we're giving excuses for our
41:11ungodly Behavior well you don't know
41:14what I'm going through I get it I get it
41:16I understand man but sometimes yes your
41:20body go through changes
41:22fine but don't blame don't be nasty to
41:26people
41:27and while you men were laughing let me
41:29talk to you for a
41:33minute because our fruit is Joy love
41:38peace forbearance watch this kindness
41:43goodness if you were a born again
41:46believer as a
41:49male your job is to Shine the
41:53Light what about
41:55goodness how how many of you are sitting
41:57in here as men and
42:00streaming that you you're in here you're
42:02streaming and you're saying you're a
42:04part of the light you believe in
42:07goodness and
42:09kindness how is it that you can say
42:12that when you
42:16struggle to support your
42:19daughter your
42:22son you have
42:24children who has never heard from you in
42:27a long time nobody clap I don't want you
42:30to
42:32clap because this is not a
42:35moment to belittle
42:37anybody I want the word to pierce your
42:40heart if the light is in
42:43you how is it that you can sit
42:48comfortable and say that you've been
42:50transformed by the word of God and
42:53you're not kind because that's a part of
42:55the fruit
42:59that that that that you're that you
43:01don't have goodness because how is it
43:03you allow your children to be on the
43:06planet not knowing who you are not
43:09having conversations with you having
43:12multip of broken
43:14promises how is it that you can wear
43:17clothes and have a nice car in the
43:20parking
43:22lot living in a nice
43:26place doing all that you want to do and
43:30your
43:31children cannot get resources from
43:37you because you blame it on the
43:40woman you blame it well because you have
43:43a toxic relationship with the woman
43:46those are your children like the
43:48heavenly father there's a whole lot of
43:51stuff we've done to
43:52him yet he supports us every single day
43:57every day and if he supports us every
44:00day with our unfaithfulness I don't care
44:04what circumstances you find yourself
44:06with as a man if you really want the
44:09light to shine in you and you want the
44:13cities to see that light do what is
44:17right because it's not a good reflection
44:19watch this when unchurch people know
44:22that you profess to be a
44:25believer and the word words on the
44:27street is you don't take care of your
44:30kids because if that's the case you're
44:33not living up to the fruit of the spirit
44:35you're certainly not kind cuz you don't
44:37give your kids
44:43nothing you
44:45don't now you may choose not to come
44:47back next week cuz you don't like this
44:50guy you know you're probably logging off
44:53now but you got to be kind
44:57and it starts at
45:02home you can you
45:05cannot they not go like
45:08this you cannot be
45:11kind to another woman that you're taking
45:13out on a
45:16date and you are whining and dining
45:20her and your kids don't know where the
45:22next meal is coming from
45:29[Music]
45:31number three be authentic and
45:34relevant be authentic and relevant it's
45:38time we Christians stop faking
45:41it look hey ain't nobody in here ain't
45:44nobody streaming none of us are perfect
45:46including the preacher so let's get that
45:48straight ain't none of us perfect let's
45:51be
45:51authentic we're all Sinners saved by
45:54grace period done in the story so don't
45:58look for any perfect people in this
46:00house so let's be relevant oh you're
46:03doing something bad that God don't like
46:05okay I'm not here to condemn you cuz I
46:07used to do that too let me just pray for
46:10you so you get Deliverance let's just be
46:12relevant the only way people are going
46:14to be attracted to our faith is when we
46:16become
46:18relevant number
46:21four financially support the work of the
46:25church Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:7
46:29each of you should give what you have
46:31decided in your heart to give not
46:34reluctantly under compulsion for God
46:38loves a cheerful Giver you have to
46:40decide you become the light when you say
46:44God you've blessed me so therefore I'm
46:46going to sustain the ministry remember
46:48what I told you
46:49before other people of faith that we
46:52quick to judge oh
46:57they support their
46:59work they support it and I know it's a
47:02very tense thing
47:04because we we don't like it so we we
47:08shut down the moment it comes to
47:12offering how do you
47:14expect God's work to
47:17continue how do you
47:20expect and then okay let's justify this
47:23before I give you the final one number
47:25five
47:27let's say you are worried about
47:30preachers and churches who steal
47:33money and use it inappropriately that's
47:36a fear argument I'm not talking about
47:39the unbeliever saying that because they
47:40GNA say a whole bunch of stuff but for
47:43people of Faith let's say that's the
47:45argument then all you have to do is
47:48God's gave you he gave you Common Sense
47:50whatever Ministry you're part of you
47:52look at it look at it look at how the
47:55ministry is oper
47:57operated
47:59look if you see where you're not seeing
48:03where the funds are there no
48:07accountability one guy he's the head of
48:10everything there's nobody he's
48:12accountable to or a woman whoever if
48:14she's the leader of the organization
48:16then you can say wait a minute there's
48:18no structure because in everything God
48:20wants us to do there ought to be
48:22structure and if you see
48:25that then support now if you don't see
48:28it then you use your
48:31brain and go somewhere where you know
48:34people be accountable but don't use that
48:37as an excuse because you're not
48:43disciplined like men who are not
48:45disciplined who are unwilling to support
48:48their children because they say their
48:51child's mother is crazy no she's not
48:53crazy you are undisciplined
48:57that's all it is and you're using an
49:00excuse same thing in the church we use
49:03an excuse I'm going to finish with
49:05number five because I see that you
49:08prefer Pastor tman to preach than Bishop
49:11for just a looks on your face you're
49:14like I can't wait for tman to be up here
49:21preaching number
49:23five stand firm in the faith
49:28even
49:30when you fall
49:33short stand
49:34[Music]
49:36firm even when you fall
49:38short this is the amazing thing I love
49:41about
49:44God all of us at some point in time will
49:46fall
49:49short and this is the wrong that the
49:51church have done when people fall short
49:55and they do things wrong we're ready to
49:58kick them
50:01out but you I listen to me maybe this is
50:04offensive to
50:07some I don't
50:09care what you have
50:12done listen to me I don't care what
50:15you've
50:16done I don't care I'm not
50:20God I don't care what you have
50:22done I want you to know God is still in
50:27love with
50:30you yes he
50:35is and he wants that light to be in you
50:39would you bow your heads father I thank
50:41you this
50:44morning that I was able to share with
50:46you people the importance of this
50:50light we're going to take this light to
50:53the cities of the
50:54world that's why we are are praying for
50:58all cities in Broward
51:00County because we don't want to take
51:04religion to them we want to take the
51:07fruit of the spirit to
51:09them so we ask you now that you will
51:12change
51:14us forgive us of the sins that we've
51:16committed all week long or sins that are
51:20unconscious we have no idea we can't
51:23even remember forgive us of those sins
51:26we pray Let each of us look into our
51:30hearts and
51:32find where we have walked in
51:35error where we have disconnected
51:38ourselves from you so that we
51:42can be reconnected to
51:45you I pray for the many men and women in
51:48this auditorium
51:50today who desperately need you who wants
51:53to change their hearts their lives
51:57I pray that you
51:59would let them sense your
52:01presence let them know
52:04that you're after them you do not want
52:08to see
52:09them destroyed or frustrated or
52:15lost you came that they have life in
52:21abundance till it overflows
52:26while your head bowed and your eyes are
52:28closed if that's you this morning and
52:30you say Pastor you know what this
52:32message really touched
52:35me and I have to
52:38say I want him to change me I want him
52:41to transform me this the kind of light
52:45sir I want this the light I
52:48want if that's you I'm not even going to
52:50ask you to come down front we're going
52:53to pray for pastor tman and I we're
52:55going to pray for the general church and
52:58those online at the end that's how we're
53:00going to close it
53:01out but wherever you are seated if you
53:04say Pastor today's message was for me
53:09would you pray specially for me right in
53:11the comfort of your row your seat I want
53:14you to stand just go ahead and stand no
53:15one looking around just just go ahead
53:17and stand if you believe that God spoke
53:20to you
53:21today just go ahead and stand thank you
53:24just go ahead and stand I'm going to do
53:25this quickly
53:27I'm going to do this quickly just go
53:29ahead and stand
53:31father thank
53:33you that maybe all of us didn't get it
53:37but there's a few people in this room
53:40they received it they got
53:44it and by them standing they're saying
53:47to you
53:48change
53:50me wash
53:53me cleanse me
53:56make me in right standing with you you
54:00know their situation you know what part
54:02of the sermon touched them today I ask
54:08you that you will Empower them to be the
54:12light that while other people may
54:15discredit them and say there's no change
54:17if they trust you and begin to walk out
54:20the
54:21word
54:23yes the light will shine through
54:26them may the light now shine at home
54:32workplace the market place in business
54:36at school wherever they go and we give
54:40you all the praise the honor and the
54:42glory for it in Jesus name amen can you
54:46give the Lord a hand of
54:48Praise come on can you give God
54:52praise amen