The Now Sayers (February 25, 2024)

The speaker expresses gratitude for God's mercy and the sacrifice of Jesus. They emphasize the importance of acknowledging Jesus' resurrection and the presence of the Holy Spirit. They discuss the upcoming celebration of Resurrection Sunday and the significance of it falling on the fifth Sunday, symbolizing God's grace. They refer to Psalm 118 and encourage everyone, regardless of their group or position, to declare that God's mercy endures forever. They emphasize the need for repentance and recognizing God's mercy as a nation, particularly in the context of the United States. They also discuss the role of reverence and honor in worshiping God. The speaker calls for inclusion and acceptance in the body of Christ, urging against exclusion and prejudice based on demographics or worship style. They highlight the importance of welcoming and embracing those seeking redemption and healing. In this hour, we give honor once again to our Father and to our God for his tender mercies and his loving kindness. We certainly want to give acknowledge to his only begotten Son, Christ Jesus, who was crucified for the sins of the world. I'm so grateful this morning that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but shall have everlasting life. We proclaim that Christ Jesus is resurrected from the dead and has ascended to the right hand of the Father. That's so important. We just don't acknowledge that he was on the cross but that he got off the cross and got up out of the grave and then he ascended to sit on the right hand of the Father. And we are so grateful this morning as well that the Father did not leave us comfortless. We thank God for another promise, that his Holy Spirit is present with us now. Regardless of what we're thinking about when we gather on this line and regardless of what we're going through, the highs and the lows, the ebbs of life, we can declare right now, we who are on this call, that the Holy Spirit is with us now. Hallelujah. And we continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will continue, hallelujah, to saturate the very places where we are while we're on this call. This morning I invite you to go with me again to Psalm 118. As we prepare ourselves to recognize and celebrate Resurrection Sunday on the last Sunday of next month, hallelujah, we're in the last Sunday of this month of February but we're marching forward. I believe that as we prepare our minds and our hearts for Resurrection Sunday, it's going to be very powerful. I believe that. And it's going to be powerful because Resurrection Sunday will be celebrated on the fifth Sunday. Hallelujah. The number five is symbolic for grace, God's unmerited grace. So having Resurrection Sunday on a fifth Sunday, I believe it's going to be a powerful reminder in a very evident way for all of us, individually and collectively, that the gospel message is a covenant of and promise of the Father's unmerited grace that he has bestowed upon us through his son Christ Jesus. So with that in mind, we refer you back to Consider With Us verses one through four of Psalm 118. As I read, I pray that God will bless the hearers of his word and those who are prepared to do the work of the Lord. Beginning at verse one it says, O give thanks unto Yahweh, for he is good, because his mercy endures forever. Let Israel now say that his mercy endures forever. Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endures forever. Let them now. Hallelujah. Let them now that fear Yahweh say that his mercy endures forever. This morning as I consider these first four verses of Psalm 118, it is fascinating to me to consider the eloquence of the psalmist and the measure taken as we read the verses to identify three distinct groups as noted in our text this morning. In verse two he sends a message to the nation. He says that Israel now say that his mercy endures forever. In verse three he sends a message to the Arianic priesthood. He says let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endures forever. But then he goes on in verse four and he sends a message to his people. I believe that we stand in that position right now that he's sending a message to us this morning. Let them now. Hallelujah. Let fear Yahweh say that his mercy endures forever. For all of us who are on this call and we are in places and positions and seats of authority and power and influence that's distinct and diverse. Hallelujah. As we represent the body of Christ. But regardless of what group we think we're in. Hallelujah. I believe this morning that the psalmist is addressing the same message as he applies it to every group that is listed in verse two, three and four when he says let us now say that mercy endures forever. And in this hour of God's great revival. Hallelujah. I sincerely believe that the Holy Spirit is simply wanting to remind us that his gospel message is still one worthy to be considered by all of us. Regardless of which group you think that you're in. Hallelujah. Whether or not you're in the priesthood or whether you're in the nation or whether you're just by yourself. He wants us to consider this mercy. The message that mercy endures forever. And I believe that as we move toward an election later on this year that it's a message that has to be considered by every nation. But more importantly, a message that needs to be considered by those who are the United States of America. And I'm here to declare that regardless of America's financial power, her military strength, her business acumen, her intellectual abilities, America still needs to be reminded that righteousness exhausts a nation. But sin is a reproach. Sin is a disgrace. Sin is an embarrassment to any people. And family, America ain't too large to fail. And she ain't too powerful to repent of her sins and declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah. America has to say it's a nation. That's what Israel had to say then when the psalmist wrote it. America now has to say His mercy endures forever. The same message that is given to the nation is one also to be considered for every minister of this blessed gospel, everyone who's a part of this ministry of reconciliation, those who are filled with the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. Yeah, yeah. We all need to. We all need to. We all need to declare the salvation of the Lord and say that His mercy endures forever. Again, I'm so thankful for Elder Bobby, and he's been driving home the point. As we consider John's prophetic warnings in the book of Revelation, and Elder Bobby keeps driving this point that the time is at hand. Hallelujah. The time is at hand. The time is at hand for us to get it right and to make it right with the soon-coming King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. And as we consider our text this morning, the psalmist is again, he's sending us a message, a message to the nation in verse 2 and a message to the priesthood in verse 3 and a message to his people, those who fear the Lord in verse 4. And he wants us to know that the time is at hand to declare that His mercy endures forever. And for those of us who are His people, when we look at that verse and it says that those who fake Him should now say that His mercy endures forever, that word fear, hallelujah, it doesn't mean afraid. It doesn't mean terrified. It doesn't mean scared, but it points to reverence. It points to honor. It points to respect. If we had to say it all over again, we probably would say it like this. Let them now that revere. Let them now that honor. Let them now that worship Yahweh say that His mercy endures forever. I believe that in verse 4 lies another reminder that regardless of whether we feel like we are valued in society, hallelujah, as the Bible just talked about it, that I'm black and I'm proud because God is still forming me. Hallelujah, He created me as His workmanship. Hallelujah, and He's continuing to bless me to do greater works. So I'm proud about God who is forming me and continue to form me to conform to the image of His Son Christ Jesus. So whether or not we feel valued in society or not, or in the church or not, we who revere the Father, we who honor the Father, we can know right now that we are included, hallelujah, in His plan of salvation through Christ Jesus. We are welcoming in this place. We who fear the Lord, we who revere the Lord, we who honor the Lord, we who worship the Lord. We are reminded that He loves us so much that He already said His Son, the best gift, the eternal and final sacrifice for our sins. And I'm so glad this morning that when the Psalms got to verse 4, I believe that He's preaching the gospel message to us. And that gospel message says that there is no exclusion in Christ Jesus. I believe that Brother Paul kind of picks it up when he wrote in Galatians, the third chapter, verses 28 and 29, Brother Paul said that there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one, hallelujah. You are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be cross, then are you Abraham's seed. And it is according to the promise. So today, family, in case we have gotten sidetracked with the cares of this life and possibly a little upset about who is not inviting us to the party, who is not inviting us to their homes, who is not inviting us to their social events, hallelujah, this morning we can be encouraged that we have something far better than being accepted by those who are in the know. This morning, because we are of Christ, we who are the seed of Abraham, we who are the children of God by faith and heirs of the promise, we have already, hallelujah, we have been accepted by the Father. And right now, we are all included. And he has not left us fatherless. We're all included. We're all included. And I sense often that there is an attitude of exclusion that has crept its way into the body of Christ. And often we want to invite people to the church, but we don't want to invite them into our company. There's a distinction. We want to get them in for obvious reasons, but when it comes to getting to know them in a very real way, we don't want them to get too close. Too often we have ignored those who have come to the house seeking shelter, seeking redemption, seeking reconciliation, seeking to be healed, seeking to be made well. And we ignore them because they don't fit the particular demographic profile that we are accustomed to. We have shunned people and belittled people because of what they were wearing or not wearing, how they approach God in their own unique way. We have belittled and shunned people because they don't worship like us. We have marginalized, ignored, and gifted leaders from serving in greater capacity within the priesthood, within the ministry because of their gender or because of their intellectual acumen. But today I believe that God is saying, hallelujah, that I am a God who came through my Son, Christ Jesus, to save the world. I'm not excluding anyone. We have to get past this attitude of exclusion that has demeaned and debased those wanting to have a closer walk with the Lord. But verse 4, Psalm 118 says, let them now, hallelujah, that fear the Lord, say that his mercy endures forever. I just want to remind us this morning that the verse does not call us to fear man. The verse does not call us to be intimidated by leadership or by circles of power. The verse is a beckoning call unto worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth through sincere reverence unto Yahweh, Abba, Father, our heavenly Father. The gospel message is one that seeks to embrace those who also have a past. But in Christ Jesus, they have a bright future. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Yeah, we came to him, and when we came to him, some of us had a dark past. But as he is the light and the light of the world, hallelujah, he has called us into a bright future. Hallelujah. Right now, we know that we are part of those. Yes, we are. We are those who came to Jesus as we were. But when we met him, when we were overshadowed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we could no longer stay like we were. Anybody and everybody who has ever had an encounter with the Lord Jesus, anybody who has been touched by the Holy Spirit, we can no longer be the same. We're different now, regardless of our past, regardless of our sins, regardless of our jacked up and jilled up situation. Hallelujah. All of that. I brought it in with you this morning. I just want to remind you, all of that is forgiven. And a new life in Christ Jesus is embraced. Embrace it right now, that you are being conformed not to the things of this world, but you're being transformed by renewing of your mind unto greater awareness. In verse 9 through 11 of chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians, the scripture reminds us, so let's don't get it twisted. Let's don't get caught up in the doctrine of exclusion. Let's go to that chapter, chapter 6 verse 9 through 11 of 1 Corinthians that says, that says, No you not, that the unrighteousness shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves of mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And this next verse right here, that's verse 11, this is the one that really gets it straight for me. It says, Am such with some of you. I know that we don't like to deal with it at times, but like Paul said, And such were some of you. We were all of these people that he identified. And such were some of you who had the past, but Christ has given us a future. And Paul says, And such were some of you, but you are wash, but you are sanctified, but you are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. And again, we can come as we are, but we just can't stay as we are, because if any man or woman be in Christ, their new creations and old things are passed away, and behold, all things become new. Thank God that he's not following the doctrine of exclusion. He's come to save us all. And yeah, we came with dirty clothes on, but we got washed in the blood of a crucified one, and then we got clean, and we got, if you will, we got blood clean, because of the work of Christ on the cross. So it should be clear to us this morning that this gospel is a message to those who have an ear to hear, regardless of their nationality, regardless of their economic status, regardless of their education, their gender, whosoever will come. Let them come. Jesus, he teaches us this, Matthew 28, verses 19 and 20, and Jesus says, Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Thank God for this message, this reminder that he has died for us, but he's given us a great commission, hallelujah, on his way to ascend back to the Father, and the commission was to go and teach all nations. So once again, as we close out Black History Month, we have a message from the Father that I'm not the God of exclusion, because in my master plan was a message to go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. We're included this morning. The families, I bring this message to a close. I want to draw your attention that regardless of which group the psalmist was addressing, in verses 2 through 4, Psalm 118, the psalmist keeps using the word, now, hallelujah, now, I want you just to focus on that word, now. In verse 2, he writes, In verse 3, he writes, In verse 4, he writes, And I like that word, now, because it is a reminder that we can call upon the Father all the time, at any time. And now means now. Now means now. Now, let's all forget this, hallelujah. Now means now. Now means being in the moment. And family, I encourage you this morning, don't miss the moment. The moment is now. Don't, don't miss the moment. Don't miss the moment. Now is being in the moment. And at times, we, we fail to live in the moment because we are too preoccupied with what happened yesterday, or what may happen tomorrow. But the Lord is encouraging us right now to know. Don't miss the moment. In the Father we live. We move and we have our being in the moment, in the now. That's what the now is. The now is living in the moment. It's praying in the moment. It's praising in the moment. It's loving in the moment. It's forgiving in the moment. And the Father is always working in it. The Father is always working in the now. Matter of fact, I was reminded of the prophet Isaiah. Chapter one, verses 18 through 20. And the prophet says, come now, and let us reason together. Says the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devised with a sword. The mouth of the Lord has spoken it. And again, he's saying to us, don't miss the moment. Come now, come now, come now, and let us reason together. Family, I believe that the final message, hallelujah, the final point which needs to be emphasized is that the Father has called us out. He's called us out of the miry clay. And he's called us out of the darkness. And he's called us out of the negativity, hallelujah, into his marvelous light. And he has called us to be now-sayers. Hallelujah, let that resonate with you right now. Now-sayers. Not nay-sayers, but now-sayers. Not negativity, but now-sayers. Not I'm going through, but now-sayers. When we get backed up in a corner and don't know what we can do, that's when we need to be now-sayers. In the moments of crisis, that's when we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds and become now-sayers and proclaim, hallelujah, as the Psalms did, let them now that fear the Lord, say, his mercy endures forever. In the moments of despair, that's when we should invoke the presence of the Father as a now-sayer and encourage ourselves in this, now unto him. Glory be to God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. Now-sayers, now-sayers. In the moments of hardship and trouble, that's when we need to go straight to now-sayer and declare that I called upon the Father in distress. He answered me and he set me in a large place. His mercy endures forever, forever. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.