Exercising Faith During Adversity
Bishop Henry Fernandez Preached on 5/23/2023Revelation 2:19
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45:03
Summary
Bishop Henry Fernandez encourages believers to view life's challenges as a spiritual workout designed to make them wiser and stronger, urging the congregation to move from passive hope to an active, exercising faith.
Key points
- •Adversity is not a sign of God's punishment or lack of faith, but a gym for spiritual growth where believers are perfected.
- •Life requires effort and pursuit; passive 'good luck' is not the biblical way to achieve God's purposes for your life.
- •Serving others and enduring trials with patience are the hallmarks of a maturing faith that God commends.
- •Exercising faith protects against spiritual fatigue and ensures you are prepared for the greater responsibilities and challenges of your next level.
- •The 'good fight' of faith is not about harming others but about the internal and spiritual tenacity to confront obstacles and finish your race.
Scripture
Faith
Trials
Spiritual Growth
Perseverance
Purpose
Life application
Identify a specific adversity you are currently avoiding or complaining about, and instead of asking for it to be removed, ask God for the strength to 'engage the fight' and learn the specific lesson it is intended to teach you.
Reflection questions
- In what areas of your life have you been hoping for 'good luck' rather than exercising the effort of faith?
- When you face trials, is your first instinct to assume you have sinned or are cursed? How does today's message change that perspective?
- Are you currently experiencing 'spiritual fatigue'? How might consistent 'exercise' in God's Word help you regain your strength?
- Looking at the church in Thyatira, how can you ensure your 'latter works' exceed your first works in service to others?
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Full transcript
0:00father we thank you
0:03that this is your moment now to speak to
0:06us
0:08and to leave us with
0:10enough information that will get us
0:12through the week
0:14I pray for those who are streaming and
0:16those who were in the building that they
0:20would listen attentively
0:22and that you will anoint me
0:25as the chosen vessel for the hour
0:29that you would think with my mind and
0:31speak with my vocal cords
0:34that every word
0:37every thought
0:39will be divinely inspired by you
0:44and that any works of darkness
0:47will be nullified today
0:50it will not operate
0:52it will not function
0:55in its assignment
0:58has been voided
1:01we must be better we must be greater
1:04and we must tap into
1:07what you have prepared for us
1:11in the next stage of Our Lives we thank
1:14you for this word
1:15and we give you praise for it in Jesus
1:18name and everybody shout amen come on
1:21let's give them a praise
1:23and you may be seated in the presence of
1:26the Lord
1:29I'd like to attend attend to the Book of
1:32Revelations
1:34chapter 2 revelation 2.
1:39in Revelation 2
1:42verse 19.
1:46the Bible says I know your works
1:50your love and faith and service and
1:52patient endurance
1:54and that your latter works
1:58exceed the first
2:02so for a brief moment I'd like to talk
2:05to you about exercising your faith
2:07during adversity
2:11every one of us will experience
2:14adversity at some stage of Our Lives and
2:19what do you do when you're faced with an
2:22adversity
2:24when you're faced with a crisis
2:26of all
2:28types
2:29what do you do
2:32you just stay there play dead
2:36and let the enemy win or do you exercise
2:38your faith and how do you exercise
2:41your faith
2:43you see life is more about making
2:45efforts in pursuit of things
2:49instead of you just
2:51standing still
2:54hoping for good luck to find you
2:58I want you to hear that
3:00life is more about you making efforts or
3:04efforts in pursuit of things
3:09rather than you just stand in still
3:11hoping for good luck to find you it is
3:14amazing how so many people of faith
3:17believe more in good luck
3:21than the process faith will take them
3:23through to get what they want
3:27on the wall of the sanctuary
3:30to my right which is your left
3:33there's a sign over there
3:36years ago I spoke those words in the
3:40womb of this Auditorium
3:42and it says life is a journey
3:45of experiences that make you better
3:48wiser and stronger
3:52spend your time figuring out what
3:55lessons you can learn from the
3:57challenges of life
4:01life is full of experiences
4:04full of experiences
4:06and those experiences will make you
4:09better wiser and stronger
4:12those experiences were never designed to
4:15make you bitter to make you unwise and
4:20to make you weaker
4:22some of us that's what we think we think
4:24the challenges of life are there to
4:28weaken us
4:30or to allow us to lose our strength our
4:33god-given strength but that's not true
4:36it's interesting that the letters that
4:40was sent to the churches in Revelations
4:42chapter 2
4:44in particular the letter that was sent
4:47to this church in uh
4:50tayatira this particular Church the
4:53letter that was sent to them commended
4:56them for their works
4:59the scripture says that I know your
5:02works your love and faith the Bible says
5:08and your service and patient endurance
5:11that your latter Works exceed the first
5:17according to God he knew how much they
5:20loved him and how much they kept the
5:22faith and served with patience and
5:26endurance
5:28what is God saying about you
5:30what is God saying about the Faith's
5:33Center
5:34is God saying about the Faith Center
5:36that you know he knows our works and
5:39that our works are of Love think about
5:43that
5:44of love
5:46because in an environment of love you
5:49will find all of the the fruit of the
5:53spirit
5:54kindness patience endurance
5:57long-suffering
6:00when a church is in love when a church
6:02operates in the spirit of love I'm not
6:04talking about hating one another
6:06backbiting and tearing down each other
6:09and so forth not just in the building
6:11but when you exit the building when you
6:13log off
6:15what are your works like
6:18what's coming out of your mouth
6:20and if you tend to get smart with me
6:22this morning well I don't say it what's
6:24your thoughts like
6:27you may not say it but what are your
6:29thoughts like
6:31God commended this church and said I
6:35commend you for your Works they have to
6:37be doing something
6:40not just saying that they're Christians
6:42not just saying that they're believers
6:45at the end of the day what you want God
6:47to say to you well done good and
6:52faithful servant a servant who was
6:55consistent in their faith Journey
6:58he says I know your Works your love your
7:01faith and your service your faith if I
7:04had time I would break it down because
7:06it's talking about your love for him
7:09your love for the people what about your
7:12faith
7:13did you allow your faith to get weakened
7:15by the circumstances of Life what about
7:18your service service this church served
7:23the Lord serve the Community Serve the
7:26church serve the body of Christ
7:28if you're a follower of Jesus Christ
7:31let's examine examine your service
7:34are you serving in Ministry
7:37are you doing something for the
7:39betterment of God's kingdom are you
7:42volunteering doing something are you
7:45just one of those believers who feel
7:48that that your responsibility as a
7:52Christian is just to come and absorb
7:55everything you can get
7:58but never give back
8:01think about that
8:03and I hate to say we are kind of in that
8:06society today
8:08the younger Society the generation
8:12so demanding
8:14so demanding and this is not to knock
8:16them so demand and the entitlement
8:21I deserve this I need to get this and in
8:25one sense that's true but what about
8:28your service
8:30what about the sweat of your forefathers
8:33let's not forget maybe you've got your
8:36doctorate today your master's degree
8:39today and you're making six-figure jobs
8:42and so forth and you're doing wonderful
8:44but what about your forefathers what
8:47about that mother who cleaned the
8:49people's toilets to send you to college
8:54never owned a home made all the
8:57sacrifice to get you
9:01what about your service what are you
9:03giving back
9:04oh what are you giving back to that
9:07mother
9:08your mother is still alive your father
9:11is still alive
9:13how much of your earnings
9:16have you redirected to the seed that
9:20gave you what you possessed today
9:23how many of your parents in this moment
9:26as you're watching
9:28suffering don't know where the next meal
9:30is coming from
9:32while you're driving your Mercedes
9:36while you're living in your condo
9:39you may not like me you may not like me
9:41I'm a voice take it up with him
9:48we've got to get back to
9:50servanthood
9:52and this church was commended
9:55for what they did commended for their
9:57patient endurance
10:00not like our generation today when
10:02everything quickly and if they don't get
10:04it they're out
10:07having the spirit of endurance
10:11the tenacity to fight and to keep on
10:14fighting until you win
10:16and then he says that your latter Works
10:20exceeded the first in other words they
10:22kept improving you see the letter even
10:26stated that each of their Works exceeded
10:30their prayer works that got better and
10:33better and better their efforts or their
10:35hard Works sharpen their skills and made
10:39them a better people they got rewarded
10:42for their efforts according to the
10:45scripture and their commitment to remain
10:48faithful even when tested and what I
10:52really want to know for this church
10:54today are you remaining faithful when
10:58you're tested
11:01when you're tested in your faith walk
11:04when you're tested in your personal life
11:06are you remaining faithful
11:09when you're tested in your relationships
11:12when you're tested in your finances are
11:14you remaining faithful are you quitting
11:17are you giving up on life the false
11:20Assumption of of the life of a follower
11:22of Jesus Christ is this if you're faced
11:26with obstacles you are not having and
11:29you're not having a victorious day you
11:31know it's because of several things we
11:34come up with all these assumptions that
11:37if we are faced with obstacles and if we
11:41are not having victories every day it's
11:45because of number one we have sinned
11:49if we're not having victories every day
11:52we must have sinned or we have uh we
11:56don't have enough faith
11:58people come and say you don't have
12:00enough faith
12:01right others will say you are not
12:04imitating the Giants in the faith
12:07so people will say the reason why you're
12:09not succeeding you don't have Fernandez
12:11crazy faith
12:13and to make you feel that that unless
12:16you have Fernandez Faith or some other
12:19Giants of the faith uh you know their
12:22faith and perhaps you're not in the will
12:24of God you're not doing things right
12:26number four and this is a big one you're
12:30under curse
12:32have you heard people say that to you
12:34because you're struggling in life or
12:36maybe something is happening to you oh
12:38you understand
12:40come on now don't leave me out here we
12:42know we got a lot of island people up in
12:44here today and you know that's prominent
12:46Islands
12:48something bad any little thing they see
12:52weird odd well you know
12:57you'll curse
12:58you wake up one morning you see a black
13:01cat through your window oh Lord
13:04it's a curse it's voodoo
13:08poor cat have nothing to do
13:11with your problems
13:13Clover to God
13:17and number five we say that God is
13:19punishing us
13:21for our past bad actions
13:25you ever heard that
13:27reason why you're going through what
13:28you're going through now God's punishing
13:31you you reap what you sow
13:34so with that mindset
13:36you have a tendency to believe that your
13:38faith Journey watch this is more about
13:41your pursuit of your own happiness and
13:45self-gratification
13:46instead of pursuing Jesus Christ and the
13:50path that he has designed for you
13:54instead of saying my journey in the
13:57faith reason why I read my Bible the
14:00reason why I believe in God the reason
14:02why I go to church the reason why I
14:04stream the reason why I'm living this
14:07Faith Life is because I want my life to
14:11be in alignment with the will of God for
14:14my life
14:15it's not about me getting everything I
14:19want all the time
14:22not about that
14:24it's not about me saying I want to be
14:27happy all the time I hate to bust your
14:29bubble there's no such thing as being
14:33happy every day it's a lie
14:37it's a lie
14:40I want to get up every day and I want to
14:42be happy
14:43and if I'm not happy I must be doing
14:45something wrong a God is punishing me
14:48no
14:49you can't get up every day
14:52and say life is a fairy tale it's not
14:55you got to work your way through life
14:58you've got to save God what are your
15:00will for my life and he'll take you
15:02through so many Journeys that he like
15:05the disciples he took them through so
15:07many ups and downs one time you told the
15:09disciples he said meet me on the other
15:11side he told them to go in a boat and he
15:14knew well that the boat was going to be
15:17in a storm
15:19why are you sending me into something
15:22that you know what threatened my life
15:25he knew it
15:27yet he told them to go in a boat that
15:32will encounter Danger
15:34what would God tell you to take the path
15:37that you're on knowing very well you
15:40want to come up against some Liars some
15:42backbiters
15:43some people who hate your guts
15:47some hard difficulties people who will
15:49betray you
15:51why
15:52why would God tell you to marry that
15:56person known very well that that person
15:58were going to test the ounce every ounce
16:01of Jesus in your life
16:06why would God tell you to do that
16:09knowing very well
16:12that that person was going to test your
16:14salvation
16:14[Music]
16:16yet
16:18he will send you into some path
16:20for his own Glory oh god oh somebody
16:26needed to capture this man
16:28so the topic today suggests that our
16:32journey through life is more of a
16:34workout
16:35it starts with the word exercising
16:39the definition of the word exercise is
16:42number one a process or activity carried
16:46out for a specific purpose don't miss
16:50that
16:51secondly activity requiring physical
16:55effort carried out to sustain or improve
17:01health and fitness in this case
17:05you exercise in your faith
17:08is to help you
17:10develop and sustain your spiritual
17:16and fitness health
17:18that God puts you through things
17:21to perfect you
17:24to get you into the work out of life
17:28to work out
17:31I remember
17:33a few times I would go into the gym
17:36and I would go
17:38and got my phone and because I got so
17:41many things coming at me text messages I
17:44need to respond to and I hired this
17:47trainer
17:48and
17:50um
17:51every time he'll tell me to do something
17:53I'll do it then every time I get a break
17:56my phone and I go on my phone and I'll
17:59be checking
18:00and then he left me for a moment I think
18:04he had to go to use the bathroom or
18:05something like that and he came back and
18:07he saw me texting and you know what he
18:09said to me he said Henry
18:11you're just like these women it's true
18:13story
18:14this is what he told me I'm just telling
18:16you what he told me
18:17you see you're just like these women
18:19they come in the gym
18:22with their nice sexy workout outfit and
18:27he's Henry when you look at it if they
18:28spend an hour in the gym he says about
18:31half hour is spent on their phone
18:34they're not working out
18:36here's the point you can get in a gym
18:41but all if all you get in the gym is
18:43taking pictures on the mirror and doing
18:45your stuff that's not working out
18:48just because you come into the church
18:53work with me here just because you're in
18:56the building that's because you say
18:59you're a Christian don't mean you're
19:01working out your faith
19:03you can have a form of godliness but
19:06denying the power thereof oh somebody
19:09ought to give God praise here
19:13you see Having the courage to exercise
19:15your faith on a daily basis will help
19:18you to avoid two things write this down
19:21he'll help you to avoid it Having the
19:23courage man to exercise your faith work
19:26it out work do something about it just
19:28don't talk about you're a believer
19:30just don't talk about you go to church
19:33just don't talk about you believe in
19:35Jesus Christ
19:37you got to work your faith
19:39and if you have the courage to exercise
19:41your faith on the daily basis
19:43it will help you to avoid two things
19:45number one spiritual fatigue
19:49that's extreme tiredness
19:51that will result
19:53in mental and spiritual exertion
19:58that that you've got to get to that
20:00place where you don't get spiritual
20:01fatigue and some of you do have that
20:03right now
20:04spiritual fatigue
20:06that you're tired
20:09mentally
20:11you're still in the body of Christ but
20:13you just don't even believe the Bible
20:16anymore
20:17you don't
20:19it's amazing
20:21we go to church you'll hear you're
20:23streaming it's amazing we believe in the
20:25Bible half the time we don't read we
20:27don't even read it
20:28so that's why Satan is coming at us and
20:31put in all kinds of stress on our minds
20:34with our own personal lives and we don't
20:36know how to combat that because we we
20:40don't have the information
20:43we don't know how to fight back
20:45we don't know we don't know what kind of
20:47a wage to put on to become better as a
20:51Believer so spiritual fatigue we doubt
20:54God we we panic when we're tested
20:57like the testimony you heard today we
20:59Panic we quickly abort things
21:03when there's life in it
21:06we are quick to take the enemy's report
21:08but whose report are you going to
21:09believe
21:10number two
21:12it help us
21:14from being
21:16unprepared for the next level of Our
21:19Lives that will bring greater challenges
21:23whenever you have the courage to
21:26exercise your faith you'll avoid the
21:30idea of being unprepared because the
21:33first
21:34test or the current test is now
21:36preparing you for greater things yet to
21:38come that's why the scripture says in
21:41Revelation that they were commended for
21:44their latter works the lat The Works
21:48that they're doing now and in the future
21:50was greater than the prayer works
21:52because they worked their faith in the
21:56moment
21:58how in God's name are you going to
22:01handle greater things in your life when
22:04you keep flunking the current test
22:10if you if you cannot handle watch this
22:13oh thank you Lord if you cannot handle
22:16the stress of dating a person
22:20you can't even handle that
22:22you can endless stress of going on a
22:25date peacefully and and and learning to
22:28accept the other person's opinions and
22:30learning to get that other person
22:32getting on your last nerve you don't
22:34even live with them you just with them
22:37for a moment and you are stressed out
22:39and you can't stand them and you get
22:42ticked off and you are arguing and you
22:45want to kill them now if you cannot
22:47handle that while you're dating how are
22:50you going to marry them
22:52[Applause]
22:57because you ask most married people who
23:00will tell you the truth the only reason
23:02why we have not yet committed murder is
23:05because he would get us in trouble and
23:07the law will get us in trouble
23:09and all the married people say
23:13and a lot of you not saying amen because
23:15you're sitting right next to your spouse
23:17and you know I'm telling the truth
23:20[Laughter]
23:26they interviewed Billy Graham's wife one
23:28time
23:30and that little fragile woman you know
23:33she's very skinny small woman and they
23:37were interviewing her
23:38and they said everybody knows Billy
23:40Graham
23:41America's evangelist America's Prophet
23:43the world's prophet he's such a humble
23:46man
23:48and uh the reporter says
23:51Mrs Graham
23:52has there ever been a a moment of
23:55thought
23:56of divorce and Billy Graham
23:59and she paused for a moment
24:02and she said divorce no murder yes
24:06[Applause]
24:17if you cannot handle
24:20the stress
24:22a budget in a five thousand dollar
24:24budget per month
24:26if you're pulling your hair out
24:29if it's causing tension in the home
24:32if your pressure has been elevated
24:35because you cannot manage
24:38a five thousand dollar budget
24:42how are you prepared then
24:45to handle the increase you're praying
24:46for
24:48God I need it to be twenty thousand
24:50dollars a month
24:52you have to learn
24:54to handle the adversities of the moment
24:57so that work in your faith It prepares
25:01you so when greater one comes
25:04because you're praying you may be
25:05praying God I want children I want
25:07children that's wonderful and I'm
25:09praying that you will have children
25:12but are you really prepared
25:14you talk to parents
25:17when they get into that teenage stage
25:21you have to learn to prepare yourself
25:23through every stage of life that you go
25:27through so your journey as a Believer
25:29will require you those two things
25:33and and require you to avoid those two
25:35things I should say spiritual fatigue
25:37and being unprepared for the future so
25:39the moment you come to the realization
25:41that nothing is wrong with you when
25:44you're faced with adversities that's the
25:47moment you look at the challenges of
25:50life as opportunities to become a better
25:54person
25:57[Applause]
26:00I am who I am today because of all of
26:05the past experiences that I've went
26:07through as a human being it has
26:10sharpened my skills to bring me where I
26:13am I don't know who God sent me here to
26:15talk to today but I'm telling you
26:17whatever you're going through you need
26:19to embrace it you need to work your
26:21faith you need to say God I'm going to
26:23exercise faith in this I'm going to
26:25exercise patience in this I'm going to
26:27make sure my love is demonstrated in it
26:30God because somehow I believe you have
26:32greater in store for me
26:34are you hearing me everybody
26:37so as I try to uh just kind of go
26:40through a lot of stuff and wrap this up
26:42after all our ultimate goal is to become
26:45all that we can be for the glory of God
26:47that's our goal please don't ever forget
26:49that faith is a requirement to live life
26:53on the earth you cannot go through life
26:55without faith this has nothing to do
26:58with you being a Believer or not
27:01as a human being you cannot go through
27:04life
27:05without demonstrating faith
27:08you you need Faith every single day
27:11that's why Romans 1 17 says for in it
27:15the righteousness of God is revealed
27:19from Faith to Faith
27:22in everything we do the righteousness
27:25that's the right things of God the will
27:28of God will be manifested in us and then
27:33it says as it is written those of us who
27:36are followers of Jesus Christ shall live
27:39by not by anxiety
27:42not by stress
27:44it's amazing how we're stressing
27:47ourselves out unnecessarily
27:51that we must live by faith so whatever
27:53adversity you're faced with right now
27:55where's your faith
27:57where's your faith maybe you have a job
28:00crisis situation where's your faith on
28:02that problem
28:04maybe you're dealing with your children
28:05where's your faith maybe it's a
28:07financial situation where's your faith
28:11where's your faith
28:13because it is in that the righteousness
28:16of God is revealed second Corinthians 5
28:207 says for we walk by faith and not by
28:24sight in other words we don't walk by
28:25what we physically see because we're
28:28seeing a lot of stuff we don't like
28:33we don't
28:35we're seeing a lot of stuff in
28:36government we've seen a lot of stuff in
28:38our society we don't like
28:41but where's our faith
28:43we are to live by faith every day so I'm
28:47sent here this morning to encourage
28:49those of you who are worried about
28:50tomorrow your worried about next week
28:53your word about how you're going to pay
28:54your bills you're worried about how
28:55you're going to send your kids to
28:57college in a few months you are worried
28:59about how you're going to get out of
29:01that situation maybe you're worried
29:02about your relationship or will you ever
29:04get married or maybe you're worried
29:06about the business failing I'm here
29:08today to tell you to exercise your faith
29:12because you ought to live by faith every
29:15day I know what you see it doesn't look
29:18good but you have to call those things
29:20that are not the way you see them
29:24come on now
29:25that's it you got to tell yourself okay
29:28you know what I don't feel well today I
29:31don't think you know maybe maybe maybe
29:32it's this maybe it's that but you got to
29:34speak to yourself I'm Healed by his
29:37stripes I am already healed
29:40you got to say well I believe that God's
29:42going to make all things possible for me
29:44so I'm speaking into my future I'm
29:47speaking into my life I'm speaking where
29:49I want to go I see what I see in front
29:53of me it doesn't look good I'm not I'm
29:56not ignoring it it's there I see that
30:00but I live to where I want to go
30:03oh y'all don't get the man
30:08so remember
30:10every adversity is an opportunity
30:12to love
30:14and to appreciate God more
30:17and it's also an opportunity to become
30:20stronger wiser watch this and an
30:22eyewitness to the power of God
30:26here's what Paul stated in second
30:28Timothy 4 7. Paul said in second Timothy
30:324 7
30:34it tells us three things
30:36the three things he says I have and I
30:38love this and this is where I kind of
30:39close and I want to pray for you man
30:41Paul said
30:43I fought
30:45a good fight
30:49I had a conversation with god some years
30:51ago
30:52when reading this and if you're like me
30:54I don't know maybe you don't talk to God
30:56this way but I talk to God this way I I
30:58have to say to him I said I read what
31:01Paul wrote first of all this was words
31:03of encouragement to a younger preacher
31:05called Timothy
31:07he was trying to encourage Timothy Paul
31:09who have been in the ministry Paul who
31:12has walked through some dangerous
31:14situations Paul who've been with the
31:17very strange Saints who one side of
31:21their mouth they will bless him on the
31:23other side they will curse him and
31:25criticize him the same people who said
31:27I'm supporting you it's the same people
31:30who will try to do things to take his
31:32life
31:34Paul had the experience of being through
31:37a lot of stuff and dealing with a lot of
31:40Crisis and facing death
31:43and now this is Young preacher taking
31:45over the church
31:47and Paul is trying to deposit in this
31:50young preacher not giving him a false
31:52sense of hope and I pray to God that
31:55those of us who are older than this
31:57generation will not give these younger
32:00people false hope
32:02that come into the faith and being a
32:05Christian that you will live happily
32:07ever after everything is going to be
32:09okay even when you come into the church
32:12that everybody in the church is so
32:15wonderful it's so nice they're so great
32:17and they love on you and they'll embrace
32:20you that's a lie we have got a whole lot
32:22of Hypocrites in the church
32:25just like the Bible days
32:27[Applause]
32:29people will smile in your face and stab
32:32you in your back at the same time
32:36all had to say I fought a good fight in
32:39other words Paul said I had to fight my
32:42way through
32:46trying to say to God that doesn't make
32:47any sense
32:49from a Christian Living this life why do
32:51we have to fight
32:53can you just give it to me
32:59but notice what he says it's all about
33:01attitude
33:03because God had to show me he said Henry
33:05there's one word you're missing
33:08because all I was focused on was the
33:12word fight because the way I grew up the
33:15word fight from an island means somebody
33:18is going to get caught
33:21somebody's gonna bleed
33:24come on now y'all look like y'all come
33:26from no Beverly Hills we come from the
33:28hood come on now
33:30good get bloody
33:31[Applause]
33:36when I grew up we didn't have guns we
33:38had knives
33:40now it's sophisticated could fight back
33:44dead
33:47where I come from you take our knives
33:49machete
33:51Cutlass that's what we call them and
33:54we're gonna fight somebody gonna bleed
33:56today why do we have to engage in a
33:59fight I was just focused fight fight
34:01fight
34:03but he said Henry look at the word
34:05good
34:07fight
34:10any day you change your attitude like
34:13this fight isn't to kill me
34:16it is to perfect me
34:19ah
34:20y'all not ready man
34:22it is to perfect me
34:24so every day you fighting man and you're
34:26doing your stuff it ain't killing you
34:29touch your neighbor say you're not gonna
34:30die
34:32because it's a good fight
34:35it's a good fight man in other words
34:37when you're fighting the devil man and
34:40you just kind of Defending yourself and
34:43you're like blocking all the stuff that
34:45is throwing at you man and so forth man
34:47and you fighting back when you're done
34:49you just walk out of the fight like John
34:50Jefferson I'm fine
34:53that's good I'm good
34:56rather than child I don't know man
35:00I'm so tired of what the devil is doing
35:02to me I'm so sick of just going through
35:04this man no it's a good fight
35:08it's for your good all things
35:12it's for your good all the Betrayal is
35:15for you good some of you have no idea
35:18people who left you it was for your
35:24it works for your good man
35:30so there are three things out of that
35:31verse
35:32that I want to share with you first of
35:35all Paul says You must engage in the
35:37fight
35:38so you've got to exercise engage come on
35:41now
35:42whatever life was thrown at you engage
35:44in it
35:46confront it
35:48will never get rid of something you
35:50won't confront
35:53I don't care what it is
35:55confront it don't run away
35:59from it
36:01it came knocking at your door
36:05don't ignore it
36:08open the door
36:11all right
36:13this is what God purposed for me
36:16okay
36:18it's the death of a loved one
36:20all right
36:23okay
36:24I'm ready
36:29I'm leaving you it's a divorce
36:37[Applause]
36:41kids disrespecting you and acting the
36:44fool hanging out with the wrong company
36:46with drugs okay
36:51okay
36:52[Music]
36:54okay you hit with a legal case
36:58somebody's suing you
37:01unjustly
37:03okay
37:05yo boss
37:07wrote you up and you know
37:10it's an attack
37:13you go to work
37:17[Applause]
37:23I'm ready now
37:25whatever it is
37:28you're going through a financial crisis
37:30right now
37:32okay
37:35so I'm afraid
37:39I need five thousand dollars every month
37:41to pay bills
37:43I only have 3 500 I'm short 15.
37:47okay
37:48[Applause]
37:51but I believe
37:53I'm not gonna complain
37:57all right
38:01I may have to
38:04cooked chicken today
38:09or if I can't even afford the chicken
38:12whatever
38:14I can find
38:16I won't complain
38:18I will fight the good fight
38:21[Applause]
38:23I'm gonna fight the good fight you're a
38:26pastor
38:27you're a minister
38:29and things ain't going well for you
38:33engage in the fight
38:36you can't just show up
38:39in the gym
38:41when don't work out
38:44you know what's the problem with us
38:45Christians I'm gonna tell you the
38:47problem with this Christian
38:49all we have is Christian clothes on
38:57we need to get to the place
38:59where we take off all this Mass
39:09and just be real
39:15that you fighting like the person next
39:17door you
39:19all of us in a fight
39:23and no suit listen I don't care how sexy
39:27you look
39:30if you don't go on the machine
39:36and I see it all the time I see people
39:39come in the gym
39:40and they never move the weight
39:42same weight
39:44every single week
39:46you're not gaining muscles like that
39:49if every week
39:51you just play it safe
39:54I don't want to step out in faith
39:57how are you going to grow
39:59how are you going to grow
40:01I'm telling you engage in the fight
40:05finish the fight
40:08finish the fight
40:10don't lose faith during the fight engage
40:14and finish it
40:17I made a commitment to myself
40:21I just turned 59 last week
40:24and I told myself
40:26[Applause]
40:29when I check out of here
40:32there ain't gonna be nothing left for
40:36your boy to do
40:42it I'm done
40:44because I'm gonna finish my race
40:47I'm letting know because here's the
40:49thing here's the thing when you leave
40:51here look at me
40:53you're not coming back
40:55there's no do-over after death
40:59so whatever you can do now
41:03somebody shout now
41:06do it now
41:09but you got to exercise yourself through
41:12the adversity buy your heads with me
41:13father
41:14I am so glad I got through this message
41:17today
41:19teaches your people how to
41:22get through the adversities
41:25I think somebody's watching today they
41:27thought maybe they're doing something
41:29wrong and
41:31Maybe
41:32it's a curse Maybe
41:36somehow you've turned your back against
41:37them
41:40but you have allowed whatever
41:42has confronted them
41:45to be the tool to make them greater
41:51help them to see what they're in as
41:54something good for them
41:58this is for a few people
42:01God help them to see that whatever
42:03they're dealing with
42:05it is for their good
42:09and they must engage in the fight
42:13they have to exercise they have to deal
42:16with the issue find the scriptures that
42:19will strengthen them and Empower them to
42:22be better
42:23bless them I pray
42:26I pray that somebody will listen to this
42:28message over and over maybe go and
42:30listen to the message as we posted on
42:33social media so they can hear it bombard
42:35their hearts with it all week
42:39all week
42:41so that they
42:43can be strengthened thank you for them
42:47listening and embracing this word I
42:49believe they have enough now
42:50to take them through this week I believe
42:53somebody's going to look at life
42:55differently
42:56as of this moment
42:58that whatever they're going through
43:00that God you've designed it
43:03for their good
43:05I pray a special prayer for those who
43:07don't know yours Lord and Savior that
43:10perhaps maybe this message will prompt
43:12them to say I'm willing to surrender my
43:14life over to God
43:16I'm willing to let him Lead Me
43:20now that's you today whether you're
43:23streaming in this room
43:25you don't know the Lord as your savior
43:26and you'd like to give him your life
43:28it's very simple the Bible says you
43:29believe in your heart you heard a
43:31powerful message today
43:33what is stopping you from just saying
43:36yes to him
43:37when you believe then the Bible says you
43:40confess in other words you confess that
43:43you're a sinner you know it meaning
43:44you've fallen short of the glory of God
43:46you're not really what he wants you to
43:48be and you want to come in alignment
43:51with his word so you confess Lord that
43:53you're a sinner and that you're willing
43:55to surrender and and to be submissive to
43:58his will and then the third thing you do
44:00Empower yourself
44:02read his word pray every day
44:04go to church
44:06you know be a part of the body of Christ
44:09in the kingdom of God
44:11you can't self-govern yourself as a
44:13believer
44:14there's no such thing you need a
44:17spiritual leader over your life
44:19if you're willing to do that would you
44:20repeat after me the sinner's prayer say
44:22Lord Jesus
44:24I am a sinner
44:25I Repent of my sins
44:28I embrace the free gift of salvation
44:32and today I am born again
44:35in Jesus name
44:37amen can you give the Lord a hand of
44:40praise for these people
44:44please stand everybody please stand
44:46everybody did you get anything from that
44:48word today amen you go out and you
44:52Embrace whatever challenges you're faced
44:55with knowing that your God is with you I
44:58hope that you will join us on Wednesday
45:00for our service in person