Lift Up The Shield Of Faith
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 7/29/20241 Peter 2:9, Ephesians 6:16
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39:55
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez exhorts believers to lift up the shield of faith to protect themselves from the enemy's attacks, warning that dropping this shield through offense or worldliness leaves one vulnerable to destruction. He calls the church to reclaim its 'saltiness' by living as a united, protected, and Christ-centered community.
Key points
- •The church is defined by God as a royal priesthood and a holy nation; allowing the world to define the church's identity is dangerous.
- •Faith is not developed through complaining or superficiality, but by personal devotion and hearing the Word of God daily.
- •The shield of faith, modeled after the Roman scutum, is designed to cover the entire body and extinguish every fiery missile of the enemy.
- •Many believers have dropped their shields due to church hurt, hypocrisy, or lost hope, leaving them vulnerable to spiritual attacks.
- •Christians must actively defend the church's reputation and live as 'salt,' rather than participating in public criticism or worldly drama.
Scripture
Faith
Holy Spirit
Discipleship
Community
Purpose
Life application
Commit to a daily personal devotion time to 'pick up your shield' by reading Scripture, ensuring your perspective is shaped by the Word of God rather than social media or societal opinions. When faced with criticism or conflict this week, choose to be your 'best self' and refuse to engage in backbiting or public complaints about your spiritual family.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life (family, health, finances) do you feel most vulnerable to the enemy's 'fiery darts' right now?
- Have you allowed past hurts from 'church people' to cause you to drop your shield of faith? How can you begin to heal?
- Are you using the tools of darkness (gossip, anger, pride) to fight your battles, or are you trusting in God's protection?
- How can you better 'defend the church' and represent Christlike values in your workplace or social circles this week?
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Full transcript
0:00lift
0:01up the shield of
0:06faith I want to encourage you to never
0:08lose sight of who we are as a
0:11church because if we do we open
0:15ourselves up to others defining our
0:19identity as a
0:22people anytime we leave the definition
0:26of who we are to people that's very
0:29dangerous
0:30according to 1 Peter
0:331 uh excuse me 1 Peter chap
0:362:9 here's what it says in the word of
0:39God it says that uh but you are a chosen
0:44the Bible says you are chosen people
0:47he's talking about the church a royal
0:49priesthood a holy nation God's special
0:53possession that you may declare the
0:55Praises of him who called you out of
0:58Darkness into his Marvelous Light so
1:02this scripture makes it absolutely clear
1:06that we have a choice we have a choice
1:09number one we can choose to remain in
1:13the darkness or we can embrace the
1:16wonderful light that Jesus offers us to
1:18live
1:19in there's only two
1:21choices we can remain in the darkness
1:24remain ignorant to the love of Jesus
1:27Christ or we can come into this this
1:30Marvelous
1:31Light and unfortunately many of us who
1:34are in the body of Christ we have lost
1:35sight of this Marvelous Light that Jesus
1:40offers us I think we get so caught up in
1:44feeling the burden of the afflictions
1:47that we go
1:49through and acting as if we were never
1:52told that we're going to be afflicted as
1:54Christians and so we don't get to live
1:59the marvelous marous light or live in
2:01The Marvelous Light that Jesus you know
2:04says he was going to give us he said I I
2:06come I come that you might have life to
2:09the full till it overflows somehow we
2:12have forgotten that so we live in this
2:15Darkness so there's only two choices so
2:19I encourage you to join me and so many
2:21others to come into this light that I'm
2:24preaching about this morning if you're
2:27serious about
2:28maximizing your opportunities in life
2:32and you really I mean really want to be
2:35fulfilled spiritually physically
2:39emotionally and mentally as well as
2:42financially then I want to urge you to
2:44come out of the darkness and come into
2:47the light this Marvelous Light of what
2:50God wants us all to have so believe me
2:54when I say to you it is possible to live
2:57a fulfilled life it
3:00is as a Christian it is possible to live
3:05a fulfilled
3:07life who told you that being a Christian
3:10is
3:11boring where did you to get this idea
3:13from that going to church and
3:15fellowshipping in the kingdom of God is
3:19boring you see you and I need to
3:22understand this that even in a world
3:24that is clouded by the darkness of
3:28ignorance we can live in the
3:30light we can live in the light living
3:34outside of the community protected by
3:37Jesus's blood exposes us to the fiery DS
3:43of
3:44Satan when you and I come from under the
3:47Pavilion or the umbrella of God's
3:50covering and try to live in the darkness
3:53you're going to
3:54suffer you're going to suffer listen to
3:57me you cannot play dirty like the
4:01darkness if you're going to survive as a
4:04Christian walking in the light you
4:06cannot use the tools that Satan gives
4:10you to fight you're going to
4:13lose when David was going to fight
4:16Goliath they tried to give him the
4:20weapons that they used to fight with the
4:25Philistines come with these heavy swords
4:28and heavy shield and heavy
4:30garments but David recognized that that
4:33when you're fighting a battle with god
4:36God doesn't need your help he knows how
4:39to fight battles for
4:41you so a lot of times what we are doing
4:44is we we are participating in the
4:47darkness and we're using the tools of
4:49the darkness just to survive in
4:53life and perhaps that's the reason why
4:55we're losing look at what Ephesians 6:16
4:58tells us it tells us to lift up the
5:01shield of Faith to protect ourselves
5:03from the devil's attack it says Above
5:06All Above All lift up the protective
5:10shield of Faith with which you can
5:13extinguish all the flaming arrows of the
5:17evil
5:19one what you have to understand about
5:22this particular verse is the Roman
5:25soldiers their Shield was designed to
5:28cover the entire enire body defending
5:31them from the fiery missiles of the
5:35enemy that was a purpose of their
5:38shield and you and I need to understand
5:41that we have something called faith and
5:45faith is backed up by the word the Bible
5:47says faith comes by what hear it's not
5:50by
5:52complaining it's not by trying to
5:55present yourself as someone who's deep
5:57and spiritual the only way you develop
6:00faith is by hearing the word of God each
6:03and every day you studying it for
6:05yourself not just when you come to
6:06church you hear the pastor reading it
6:09but you're going to have to have a
6:11personal devotion with God you're going
6:13to have to spend quality time with God
6:16studying his word and the more you do
6:18that is the more now you create this
6:22Shield like the Roman soldiers when they
6:24go to battle there was a shield that
6:27protected them that when the fiery darts
6:30of the enemy would come at them that
6:33Shield is there here's my question to
6:35you today are you exposing your entire
6:39life to the
6:41enemy because you don't have the shield
6:43of
6:45faith maybe some of you have put up the
6:49protective shield of your own
6:53opinions the opinions of
6:55society the opinions of your friends but
6:59what she do you have to block the fiery
7:02darts of the enemy that is coming at you
7:06and so we as a church must understand
7:08that the enemy continues to Target
7:11us he's going to Target if you're a part
7:14of the church he's going to Target
7:18you CU he doesn't want the church to be
7:21relevant today he doesn't want us to
7:23have power he doesn't want us to be
7:26carriers of the message of Hope
7:30he would love for all of us in here to
7:32be fighting backbiting and just just
7:35doing all kinds of crazy stuff and for
7:37the world to look on the inside and say
7:40that those are a bunch of crazy people
7:43the devil would love
7:46that because we won't shine our light
7:51anymore but the only way we can be that
7:53light is if we have that protective
7:56shield of Faith so therefore it is
7:59critical that we lift up that we lift up
8:03the shield of Faith together to
8:06extinguish these
8:10attacks stop allowing your life and the
8:14body of Christ to be exposed to the
8:18enemy we've got the word the word is
8:23powerful Stop opening up your homes your
8:26place of business and your entire family
8:29to the enemy all because you're not
8:32putting up the shield of
8:34Faith you've got the shield of your own
8:37opinion you got the shield of
8:39frustration you've got the shield of and
8:41some of you are so frustrated you're so
8:43Blinded By The Darkness that you're
8:45doing everything that the darkness is
8:47doing you curse you
8:49swear all these things not knowing the
8:52when those fiery dos because he's going
8:54to come like that woman he's going to
8:57come at you he's going to test test you
8:59with your children he's going to test
9:01you in your da in life he's going to
9:03test you in your marriage he's going to
9:05test you in your health he's going to
9:07test you in that business he's going to
9:09test you on that job he's going to test
9:11you with the neighbor he's going to test
9:13you with brothers and sisters in the
9:15church he is going to test you when you
9:16get on the airplane he's going to test
9:19you with that Uber driver he's going to
9:21test you with everything he
9:24can I promise you
9:29what do you have up could you bring that
9:31sheet for me please what do you have up
9:35what do you have up to protect yourself
9:39thank you to protect yourself from the
9:42fiery darts of the enemy I need two tall
9:45gentlemen you're one would you come here
9:48please who else is over six six uh foot
9:52who else two tall guys come on now we we
9:55know we got them in here you're over six
9:56all right good we got another one thank
9:58you thank you
10:00do me a favor
10:01[Music]
10:03here yes hold hold this like
10:09that thank
10:13you all right hold that all right then
10:16just stay right there I want you to come
10:18around come around you stay right where
10:20you are stretch it out as much as
10:23possible hold it up now as a
10:26shield what I want you to understand
10:29understand is
10:33this you
10:35are either living on either side of the
10:40word of
10:44God you cannot
10:47live on the side of God's
10:51protection and at the same time be a
10:55part of the darts that's coming
10:59at God's
11:02people you can't do that you have to
11:06choose which side are you going to be
11:08on so if you're on the Lord's
11:12Side you have to stay on the Lord's Side
11:15and Trust the
11:17process but what gives you the
11:19confidence of knowing that God is with
11:23you is when you have the shield of
11:27faith that no matter what the enemy
11:30Target at you no matter what he throws
11:32at you you know that all of those tricks
11:37got to be processed through the word
11:42first and the Bible says no weapon no
11:45darts that's coming at you nothing
11:48that's formed will prosper it doesn't
11:51have the ability to get through the
11:54shield of
11:56Faith oh somebody's not hearing me this
11:58morning
11:59[Applause]
12:03so you and I must lift up the shield of
12:07Faith every single time in your life I
12:11don't care what you're going through
12:12lift up the shield of faith that is why
12:15I love this church the Faith Center this
12:18is home because it is called the body of
12:21Christ why because we have the shield of
12:25Faith but the problem is is when you
12:28drop it just stand right there and drop
12:30it jump it to the
12:34floor when that protective shield of
12:37faith is no longer
12:39there You're
12:44vulnerable this is how the enemy is
12:47attacking many of you and he's shooting
12:51stuff from his side and it's hitting you
12:54it's hitting you in every direction and
12:57it's robbing you of your your best self
13:01because you do not have the shield of
13:05Faith cuz the body of Christ or in the
13:08body of Christ we find safety from
13:11destruction watch this when we possess
13:14the shield of Faith yes we do we can
13:19find safety in Jesus Christ when we have
13:24the shield of Faith now some of you have
13:27laid down your Shield of Faith because
13:28you you have been damaged watch this in
13:32pursuit of finding god let's talk about
13:35that quickly some of you have been
13:37damaged so you're living your life now
13:40without
13:42protection you're just operating and
13:45yeah you call yourself a Believer and a
13:47Christian but but but but we don't even
13:50know which side you're
13:52on because there's nothing to separate
13:55you to to say well you know she's on the
13:59Lord's Side he's on the Lord's Side
14:01because there is no wall of
14:05protection you see there's no wall of
14:07protection you've been damaged you've
14:09been damaged man you've been damaged
14:12because you watch this you've been hurt
14:14by church
14:16goers I want to talk to those of you
14:18who've been hurt by
14:20churchgoers you've allowed watch this
14:23you are pick it back up again please you
14:26are really doing well man sweetly saved
14:29and you were serving God and you were
14:32doing your thing and of course the devil
14:34man he was he was shooting at you
14:38B I can't do it right Bam Bam whatever
14:42it is yeah I mean he was doing this
14:46thing and you were on your side and you
14:48were protected because you trusted in
14:51God you read your word and you spoke the
14:53word of God over your life and you said
14:55I'm covered by the blood of
14:57Jesus but maybe you went to a church it
15:00could be even even be this
15:02church and somebody in the church did
15:07you something wrong not
15:09God
15:12people and because of that you dropped
15:17it so you've been hurt by church
15:20people you've been hurt and turned off
15:24by the hypocrisy of the
15:26church CU you see a lot of crazy stuff
15:28in the church church I get it understand
15:30that and you can't deal with it number
15:33three you have lost
15:36hope number two well number one is you
15:40have been hurt by
15:42churchgoers number two you have been
15:45turned off by the
15:47hypocrisy of church goers follow me
15:52now I'm the one with the notes
15:55here you got that yes sir number three
16:00you have lost hope in God's love care
16:03and
16:04protection you know how many of you are
16:06sitting here and streaming right now you
16:09have lost hope in God's
16:11love you have experienced some stuff in
16:14life and you're questioning how could
16:17this God says he loves
16:20me and Stand By and Watch Me
16:26suffer you've lost love in his uh hope
16:29and his love you don't even think he can
16:32take care of you anymore you don't even
16:35think that he can protect you anymore so
16:38you live
16:40unprotected
16:42unprotected because somehow you didn't
16:46get what you wanted when you wanted it
16:49oh you prayed and if you're on the fast
16:52with us how many times have you fasted
16:54God you know I'm fasting for this and
16:57and you knew it you could send said
16:59there was a quickening in you and you
17:01knew that God was going to do
17:04it but it never
17:07happened it never
17:11happened you prayed for God to heal your
17:14body you're still
17:16sick you prayed for God to give you a
17:19financial
17:20breakthrough and You' done everything
17:23that you know how to do watch this
17:25you're 40 now and you've only tied for 6
17:29months in your entire
17:35life and one Sunday you just come and
17:38you throw $100 and you're like well the
17:40preacher said if you sow if you give it
17:43shall be given back to you pressed down
17:46shaking together running over ain't
17:49nothing running in my
17:52life come on now you prayed for God to
17:55send you a
17:57spouse and and all you're
18:05getting you're like
18:08God come
18:11on you pray for God to save your
18:15marriage and it's going and getting
18:18worse or you may end up in a divorce
18:21what whatever you prayed for because
18:23some of you have lost
18:26hope number four
18:29watch this you didn't
18:31see the church's relevance
18:35today you don't see it do you know how
18:39many of you are streaming you you no
18:41longer see the relevance of the church
18:44today isn't amazing that in the kingdom
18:47of darkness they're coming up with all
18:49kinds of groups all kinds of
18:53organizations coming
18:55together and they're fellowshipping and
18:58doing everything thing stadiums are
19:00being packed out with
19:02concerts with people on stage literally
19:08naked don't act like you don't know what
19:11I'm talking
19:12about literally
19:15naked naked it's the culture today
19:18that's fine that's okay I mean if that's
19:20what you like and fine that's but but
19:22but people will go and pack out stadiums
19:24and pay a whole bunch of
19:27money to go see their favorite celebrity
19:33perform pack it
19:36out now we're getting so comfortable cuz
19:39our Shield is
19:40down and we wonder why in the church we
19:45been attacked and we have no power to
19:48defend
19:49ourselves is because instead of putting
19:53up the shield of
19:56Faith where we're protected
19:59we don't really see what's coming at us
20:01some of you all you do is live to tell
20:04what the devil has been
20:07doing how do you know for detail what
20:10the devil is doing when the shield of
20:13Faith should be blocking all of that
20:16stuff yes sir are you getting anything
20:19out of
20:20this maybe your wall of protection is
20:24down maybe it's down so please do not
20:28judge the church by past
20:32teachings or societal
20:36narratives if you must judge use the
20:40word of God as a
20:42standard use the word of God as a
20:44standard I'm almost through here John
20:467:24 instructs us do not judge by
20:49appearances do not judge by appearances
20:52but judge with right judgment the word
20:54of God so when you don't see the church
20:57functioning the way it's supposed
20:58supposed to
20:59be could be very well the shield of
21:02faith is
21:03down and we're not lifting it up anymore
21:06what we're lifting up is the drama in
21:10church the drama in each other the drama
21:14in our brothers and sisters and some of
21:17us should be ashamed that right now if
21:19you look in your social media feed
21:22there's a lot of propaganda about the
21:24church is on your feed that you posted
21:31one of the things about my parents God
21:32bless their heart they're gone now one
21:34of the things I love about them and I'll
21:36never forget this I even tell my family
21:38that my wife my kids one of the things
21:41my parents taught me they were committed
21:44on this they
21:47say whatever is happening in the
21:49Fernandez
21:52house do not take it to the
21:55streets why is it that some of us love
21:59telling the world a private business I
22:02have no
22:03idea and when the world turn around and
22:06use it against
22:08us in this social media
22:11age we have
22:14no common sense to say God I'm going to
22:17lift up the shield of
22:19Faith cuz I want to block myself from
22:22the fiery dots of the enemy keep it
22:25right there so it is critical that you
22:28create an environment in the church
22:31where people feel taught and not judged
22:35where people feel taught and not judge
22:38the gospel Ministry is about
22:41transformation and we must come together
22:43to understand its purpose and
22:45believe in its purpose fully believe in
22:48its purpose and share it with those who
22:51are on the outside of the church now
22:54watch this as we close the seven month
22:57of this year we have five more months to
23:00go I hope each of you will see yourself
23:04as a valuable part of the kingdom of God
23:06and encourage you to embrace the core
23:09values of love unity respect within the
23:12church so that we can convey and impress
23:16the
23:17unchurched that we are protected from
23:21the devil's firey
23:24missiles look at what Matthew 5:13
23:29says it says you are the salt of the
23:33earth but if the salt loses its
23:38saltness how can it be made salty again
23:42watch this it is no longer good for
23:46anything except to be thrown out and
23:50Trampled Under the foot in other words
23:53because we no longer have the shield of
23:55Faith as a church watch this
23:59the church has no more relevance it's we
24:02we like everybody there's nothing
24:04separating us we
24:07just we're just living like everybody
24:10else we just being like everybody else
24:14cuz salt the salt is
24:18gone have you ever tried to cook without
24:22salt some of you just love too much of
24:24it
24:26anyway in other words the T taste is
24:29obvious something is missing could it be
24:32that something is missing in the
24:34church because our saltiness is
24:38God our ability to love our ability to
24:42embrace our ability to forgive our
24:45ability to be the light is now gone so
24:50let me say this to you cuz I'm trying to
24:53close this down quickly here I'm going
24:55to skip over some of my notes I want you
24:57to join me this is the charge I'm going
24:59to give you I want each of you to join
25:02this Army of
25:03believers who are ready to lift up the
25:06shield to Faith who are ready to live
25:09for God ready to build his church ready
25:12to support with their skills and
25:16resources so let's do this let's do this
25:20let's do this together number one when
25:23we pick up the shield of Faith number
25:27one I want us to be our best
25:30self when the shield of faith is there
25:34be your best self don't worry about
25:37what's happening don't worry about
25:40what's on the other side trying to fight
25:42you trying to slow you down who's
25:45criticizing you who's trying to backstab
25:49you no whatever the enemy is doing just
25:53be your best self the greatest
25:57way to kill your enemy
26:01ego it is when your enemy is working
26:04hard to get your
26:05attention and you don't see
26:08[Applause]
26:12them when they're working hard to
26:15destroy you you're not talking about
26:17them you don't even recognize that
26:20they're there all your mind is focusing
26:22on he been successful he been great he's
26:26doing what God has ordained you to be is
26:29anybody hearing what I'm saying in the
26:31room or
26:32streaming be your best self number two I
26:36want you to possess a Christlike
26:39attitude let's do that together be the
26:43salt just don't be religious in
26:46church when you go out there in the
26:48marketplace put up the shield of faith
26:51on the job I understand that demons and
26:54devils are on the job but stop working
26:59with them stop being a part of it stop
27:02promoting the devil stop promoting the
27:05tricks you be the light cuz I promise
27:09you if you put the shield of Faith up
27:12you will tell yourself I don't care what
27:14they do to me nobody can fire me out of
27:17this place unless God permits it nobody
27:21can shut or closed doors unless God
27:24permit
27:26it so you just got to be yourself man
27:29then you got to defend the
27:31church defend the
27:33church yeah defend the church cuz you're
27:38a part of the
27:39church defend the church stop talking
27:42bad about the
27:44church stop I don't care my family can
27:48tell you this my family can tell you
27:49this I got five
27:52siblings all of us six of us we
27:56crazy all of us we crazy
27:59crazy but for me to go to the public and
28:02talk about my family it ain't going to
28:06happen it ain't going to happen cuz
28:08that's family now we may disagree
28:13internally but I ain't going to go on
28:15the street and Bash my
28:17family we may disagree as a
28:20church but you don't go out
28:23there in the
28:25marketplace and when they start dogging
28:27out the Church you're participating in
28:31that how you going to show them the
28:34light how are you going to show them the
28:37light what would happen if all your
28:39co-workers would just bust those doors
28:41open this morning and come right in this
28:44church to
28:46sit and watch you
28:48clapping what you singing what you
28:52praising
28:53God will they recall a conversation in
28:56the cafeteria
28:59when you talk bad about the
29:02pastor when you talk bad about the
29:04ministers when you talk bad about church
29:07people will they recall that how can you
29:11lead watch this how can you lead a
29:16wounded
29:17lamb to the shepherd when you are the
29:20cause of the
29:23wound when you cause the wound when you
29:26cause the damage
29:29no defend the church and proudly call
29:33the church
29:35home this is
29:38home this is home you may not like what
29:41I'm about to say the club is not your
29:46[Applause]
29:47home I said it the club is not your
29:55home it's not your
29:59home I know you feel like you go up in
30:01the club and you moving and and you
30:04getting it down I know I can't dance but
30:06you get the point what I'm
30:08saying it's not your
30:12home just like the prodigal here's
30:14what's going to
30:15happen The Prodigal left
30:19home had money and thought he was doing
30:22good cuz some of you you know what
30:24you're doing I don't need God
30:28I don't really need Garden church right
30:29now I don't need him cuz guess what you
30:31got a six figure job you got a nice
30:35Degree come on now you got everything
30:38man you got a nice car you got your own
30:41place you're single you don't need
30:44nobody to help you with it or maybe
30:45you're dating maybe you're married and
30:47you're doing wonderful and you got
30:49everything going my goodness if I check
30:52your page right now all kinds of photos
30:55just you know just you you know just
30:59doing all that kind of stuff man I mean
31:01you showing off who you are watch this
31:05I'm going somewhere with this that's all
31:07wonderful and you're looking fine and
31:09you're in the prime of your
31:13life and you're showing the whole world
31:15that you are
31:17successful so here it is you are risking
31:21it
31:22all cuz you are bragging H when was the
31:26last time you've been to church when was
31:27when was the last time you took up your
31:29Bible when was The Last Time You Prayed
31:31when was the last time you literally say
31:34God I got to serve in the Kingdom you
31:36can't you can't remember because you are
31:39busy doing your thing you're busy doing
31:42life you're busy partying you're in the
31:45club and you're tired so I can't go to
31:48church but Monday morning you drag
31:51yourself to work because you are
31:54partying and you're having fun but baby
31:57let me tell you something
31:58as long as your Shield is down you keep
32:01on
32:03dancing cuz one day one of them darts
32:07that the devil been shooting at you
32:09because you have no protection it's
32:11going to hit you and when it hits you
32:14who you going to call on who you going
32:17to run
32:18to who you going to run
32:20to who you going to run to somebody
32:24shout you better run to Jesus
32:30thank you gentlemen I'll close it I'm
32:33not finished but I got to close
32:35it cuz y all want to be out of here by
32:4312 but don't
32:46ever expose what you have worked
32:51for because you have no
32:54shield and I don't know who God sent me
32:56here this morning to talk
32:58to you have worked
33:01hard where you are today it took a lot
33:04for you to get out of where you come on
33:07up to where you are you fought your way
33:10through
33:11life and you finally have
33:16peace and you tell me you tell me that
33:19you're going to now expose
33:23yourself for the devil to hit you
33:28young man you better get that Shield of
33:31Faith
33:33man you better get that Shield of
33:36Faith cuz you can
33:40run but I'm telling
33:43you when God says enough is
33:49enough do you know how many people died
33:52listen to me this is dangerous how many
33:55people died
33:58not taking heed to the word of
34:00God and they're lost
34:03forever only for a couple of years of
34:07good
34:09thing good
34:11thing good
34:13thing dancing and partying like the
34:16prodigal having fun eating and rioting
34:20the Bible says having fun so you keep
34:23mocking me you keep mocking we preachers
34:27keep MO mocking all of us who are in
34:29church I see it all the time dogging
34:32keep mocking us are we perfect
34:34absolutely
34:36not did we all get it right absolutely
34:39not but keep on mocking
34:41us I only hope that before you
34:46die you make it right with
34:49God cuz you cannot go before God and
34:52look him in the face and say the reason
34:54why I did not surrender my life is
34:58because you know that guy Fernandez I
35:00didn't like the jacket he had on he was
35:02too flashy he was this he said something
35:04that offended me because if I did things
35:07that were wrong I'm going to have to
35:10stand before the same
35:12God and if you think that he's going to
35:15let me get by just because I have the
35:17title of a
35:18bishop in other words don't bring my
35:22report card to
35:24Jesus take your own
35:26[Applause]
35:30[Music]
35:32bow your heads quickly I got to let you
35:34go bow your
35:36heads but I want to pray for those of
35:38you this
35:39morning who feel that the shield of
35:42faith has been
35:44dropped been
35:46dropped therefore you're not living up
35:48to what God wants you to
35:52be many of you
35:55have kind of sit on the sideline
35:59you love church that's why you're here
36:00that's why you're watching but you
36:02haven't fully committed yourself that's
36:04why I love today because at the end of
36:05the service those of you want to become
36:07members just remain in the sanctuary
36:10Pastor Tedman and I would love to just
36:11talk to you just for a few minutes won't
36:15beong but I just believe in my heart
36:17this morning that with that
36:20demonstration somebody's going to pick
36:22up the shield of
36:23faith and say Lord I
36:25Surrender maybe you don't know him as
36:27your lord and savior today again I'm not
36:30introducing you to religion it's a
36:32relationship with Jesus
36:35Christ if you don't know him or you've
36:37heard of him but you know you you know
36:39in your heart you're not fully committed
36:41to
36:42him would you repeat the Sinners repeat
36:44the sinners prayer after me say Lord
36:48Jesus I am a
36:50sinner I Repent of my
36:53sins I embrace the free gift of
36:55salvation
36:58and I believe that I'm born again I
37:00believe now father I thank you for their
37:03confession thank you for their
37:05willingness to
37:08say I give it all to you God I pick up
37:12my shield of faith and I will block the
37:15fiery darts of the
37:17enemy God I pray that for those who are
37:20connected to this church online or in
37:24this
37:25room that they will sense that you
37:27you're doing a new
37:29thing God please let them see
37:33it it may be different maybe not
37:36understand what is going
37:38on but father help them to understand
37:40the only way they're going to
37:43survive and not miss this next
37:47move is when they have that Shield of
37:50Faith
37:51up so when the enemy comes in their ears
37:55when the enemy comes playing on their
37:57emots ions all of a sudden they'll begin
38:01to know that you're fighting for them
38:04and they'll know that nothing that he
38:07tries to attack them with will ever work
38:13will ever have the ability to destroy
38:15them in their commitment to you so
38:17father I pray for this church that as
38:20people are watching wishing they could
38:22be in Florida with us that as people are
38:25in this room saying I'm fortunate to be
38:28in the
38:29building but this is
38:32home this is
38:34home I'm going to forget my past
38:37hurts and I'm going to embrace this
38:39place as my house of
38:42worship that God youve placed two
38:44leaders here myself and Pastor
38:46tudman that they would submit themselves
38:49under the covering of this
38:52ministry and once and for all without
38:55running or just saying they love the
38:57church but not willing to commit that
38:59they'll say yes to you
39:01today and join and become a part of this
39:04Army putting up the shield of faith I
39:07give you praise honor and Glory thank
39:09you for every person who
39:12participated in our worship even in the
39:16giv thank you that our needs are met in
39:20this house thank you that we're going to
39:22help some
39:23people thank you that the church's
39:26obligations will be taken care of and I
39:29thank you that on Wednesday when we come
39:32back to here Pastor
39:33tudman that God you'll take us to
39:35another level we will not just be people
39:37in church sitting
39:39down but we will get engaged to
39:43become the light we give you praise
39:47honor and glory for it in Jesus name
39:49amen come on would you put your hands
39:51together and give God
39:53praise amen