Saturday November 4

because from Hebrews 11 and what more shall I say for the time would fail me to tell if Gideon of Barack of Samson and I'm Jeff Star of David also and Samuel and the profits through fake subdued kingdoms Rock righteousness. Obtain promises stopped the mouths of lions clinch the violence of fire escape the edge of the sword out of weakness were made strong waxed Valiant in fight turn the flight the armies of the alien women receive their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured not accepting Deliverance that they might obtain a better. Resurrection father we come to you this morning. It is not about me. This is everything has to be about you and the Son and the Holy Spirit. That's why I ask you now to divest me of Pat and Let Jesus Christ come in that these people not see me, but see the Saviour high and lifted up bless everyone here use me for your glory in Jesus name. I pray amen. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord.

No.

qualities for induction into the Hall of Fame what the Hall of Fame and the definition says it's a group of individuals in a particular category who have been selected as illustrious worthy entitled and skilled in their field. Looking at Hebrews 11, and I said illustrious I said I most these folks are more Infamous than they were a luxurious. Abraham committed perjury twice to a high official Moses committed manslaughter and try to obstruct Justice. Noah was a drunk Joseph with a braggart and a snitch and Gideon fashion and Idol for Israel to worship and David. He was an adulterer a murderer a liar and permitted incest in his household. So if I look at Hebrews 11, I would say that 85% of these people belong on the FBI's most wanted list.

according to be hunted by The Fugitive task force now is Paul asking us to emulate these people. It says in 1st Corinthians, 10:11. These things happened to make them an example for others. These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of History some people who think they are standing firmly should be careful lest they fall

You know. I understand that we are not to emulate these people but to identify with them these examples at times were mean sinful hate-filled and stiff neck. However, I can see myself and all of them. Have I lied constantly? Have I murdered anyone Proverbs 23:7 says if you think it wherever you think that's what you are, so I'm a serial killer. Am I an addict sure the food shopping clothes? If Saphira Etc. Have I committed adultery Matthew 5 since I look at a man with lust guess what? I'm an adulterer. I understand reflection usually are the end of the sermon. Yet I see myself in all these Bible Heroes faulty.

sordid nevertheless Love by God So I had to give a title this sermon I call it. I am Simpson. No, initially just the Book of Judges portrays Israel Israel tremendous victory over the Canaanites. As long as Joshua was alive his Arrow. His Elder is real equaled Unstoppable. Of course as the years went by like us they became weary of conflict and if you can't beat them might as well join them and a desperate people cycle. God calls people. However Fidelity to God only lasts as long as the judge is Ally. So by the time that Samsung gets on the Israel have a separate but equal policy with the Canaanites if you don't bother us, we won't bother you. Guess what it bother God for he stayed in The Exodus 34 observe that. Which I command thee this day behold I drive out before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittites and the parasites and the headlight and the jebusite take heed to thy self left eye Covenant that's down to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land unless it be a snare in the midst of thee. God was not going to settle no compromise. He was foreclosing on Kanan no mediation. Made a promise to Abraham and God always keeps his promises unlike us. Simpson God's 12th and final judge would begin the destruction of the Civilized civilization of the Philistines. Samson is an unlikely candidate to do the passion partying Revenge drove him his Nazarite vow that his mother had kept so diligently.

He shatters the pieces his vowel by touching a dead carcass being less than honest Desiring a Philistine woman and partying with his sworn enemies throughout that narrative. We find Samson transitions from spree killer serial killer arsonist animal cruelty the stabilizer of economies and mass murderer. And this is all before he's called me the judge and judges 15. Simpsons documentary possesses intricacies, we rarely Explorer. I wonder why because it hits too close to home. At times we are laser focused on his numerous exploit sexual or otherwise, but let me tell you something just like us. He's not defined by sinful. No righteous acts. He is human. born in sin shaped in iniquity And I find that my life constantly mirrors Samson's. I perused Sampson's docu-series as I looked over his life I said. Cancel culture comes to mine. And I said what is cancel culture? It came into our Consciousness about 2017 and is simply a boycott of a certain celebrity a brand of company or Concept in bygone days. It was called public shaming. Alright and The people in your community if they thought you had done something incorrect or inappropriate. They would shame you now. They shamed you in different ways one of the ways they did with a tar and feather you that they're behind us. They want to say they would take that black pitched are they use on the street and they would cover you from here all the way down to there and then

and throw up on you. And so you had to walk around tarred and feathered. or maybe they put you in the stocks where they put your head your hands and your feet and then your wonderful neighbors could come along and they could throw rotten fruit at you a bodily fluids anyting newspaper the 1900 wheat left the television castrate you now we say the internet we let the internet whoop you up one side and down the other What does all that have to do with Samsung? Well, let's connect the dots in today's Christian world. We would have cancelled Samsung quick fast and in a hurry, what are you thinking don't you know the right way to do wrong? We don't want the church in this Spotlight. You have put us on blast every night every night you on Tick Tock or Instagram TMZ has an 11 part series on you. You making sexually suggestive comments to the church. Ladies and nobody I mean, nobody will go out with you cuz we go out with you that it's either give it up or get out. The we don't know whether we need to censor you or just Fellowship you or both. So do mine Samson, could you lose the Church's number?

Our religiosity our piety recoils from his actions. Or anyone else's don't conform to what we believe is Holiness. Today's sermon is about you. It's not about me. It's not about the church or what the church thinks about. God has his thoughts.

Oh my three points today or this. God calls everyone and he is not waiting for the church to take them both. Jesus desires relationship and not religion. And God's will will be done in your life. Everybody is called by God. Take a deep breath. Your call. How does God call persons who does God called? Why does he call son to do great things and others to live a simple life. I have a very uncomplicated answer for you. Stay in your lane.

Isaiah 55 8 & 9 says my thoughts are not your thoughts my ways are not your ways declares the Lord just as the heavens are higher than the earth. So my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts Isaiah 46 9 and 10 remember the first events because I'm God and there's no other I am God and there's no one like me from the beginning. I reveal the end from long ago. I told you things and not yet happen saying my plan will stand and I'll do everything I intended to do and Daniel puts a cap on it and Daniel 435 everyone who lives on Earth is nothing compared to God, he does whatever he wishes with the army of heaven and with those who live on the earth opposed him. No one who sells to God. What are you doing? We do not know God's method of calling 1st. Timothy 2 3 and 4 says for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our savior who have all men to be saved to a knowledge of the truth. I know I know you hurting cuz you like we reading God's word and we went to all this trouble sending the angel of the Lord Jesus to announce not once but twice Samson's miraculous birth. Why did he give this. All these explicit instruction explain the Nazarite vow accepted offer if this boy was going to end up squandering his Blessing. Why do that? My Bible says like as a father. His children, so the Lord pity of them that fear Him for he knows what our friend. He remembers that we are dust. Romans, 11:33 says all the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out for who have known the mind of God or who has been his counselor for church folks those two texts kind of kind of hard to swallow. We demand that our leaders be righteous upright morally pure not no guile found in their mouth. And if they do not meet our standard of Excellence.

Just a just a reminder. God called sin cursed full of the devil human being to advance his cause we read over and over again biblical narratives of God's servants who were obedient in the face of threats loss of life and they stood the test. We Elevate them we glorify then we magnify them. We put them next to the throne. But as the Bible says they're human nature eventually comes out. So get that direction ocean out your head that certain biblical person's possessed. No faults or five failing. Once again, they were just like us. How about Joseph Joseph exalted by his father pumped up by his dreams Brock his brothers to levels of envy and jealousy experienced only by Kane Jacob the con man's conman shrew fly Wylie East Saint never saw it coming. Initially Jacob produces a stew worthy of the Food Network Fame and he has he thought eat away his Birthright next he conspires with his mother to receive to receive the blessings contrary to God's command and Elijah who ran faster than Usain Bolt getting away from Jezebel. Have I burst Your Divine Supernatural bubble? Good cuz similar to Bible persons, we had they had good days. They have bad days. They feel depressed. The hell is that their kids they gave the side-eye to their boss and they felt like telling the church off.

Fan has affected all of us. Whether you pray five times a day or five minutes when you think about it, we are still called by God. It just takes a little longer for some of us to respond, but you know the best part. He never stops calling. Jesus desires relationship not religion. Now if we're being honest with ourselves when we first joined the church the FDA shirts and all we heard about were the rules seminars on Sabbath keeping healthy eating tide pants, and let's reams of paper. I heard that religion is centered on a set of organized practices centered that a larger Group shares we felt I can just keep all these rules. God will love me. So the house is spotless before Sundown check food preparation check clothes, press shoeshine check devotional with the family 15 to 30 minutes before Sundown check. And then it became Sabbath morning. a school if we felt like you look.

Church service calling everybody. We know does he was preaching. Sabbath dinner more chocolates and constant looking at all watch asking about Sundown. It wasn't even a ritual to become a habit.

You know, there's some people sitting here right today because they would not know what to do on Saturday if they didn't go to church. We've been doing Sabbath so long we can do what are eyes closed and we did it during the pandemic. consequently routine no relationship relationship from the from the Latin relationship restoration from the old French relacion to connect God wants to connect with you. Maybe that's what's Samson didn't see. There was a disconnect. Ships passing in the night judges 2125 says every man did what was right in his own eyes. Is it was Samson growing up mouth worship talking loud and saying nothing. What is Sampson field on Sunday seeing his neighbors raised $100,000 worth of Hell went on Sabbath your mouth was full of praise God. I love you Lord. You're Everything. Was he confused by Israel's go-along-to-get-along attitude with God's enemies. We're all these rituals and traditions and Customs married performances to placate die. Was it all a sham a fart of a side? Let me tell you something. God does not expect you to perform to win his love. He already loves you from the foundations of the world that lets me forget vacation is not predicated on Merit or performance Merit pay also known as pay performance is defined as a raise in pay based on a set of criteria set by your employer. It is used to give higher-performing employees pay raises and bonuses stock options pay is basically on your performance, but I'm here to tell you today. You are not a race horse. You are not a show dog, and you are not an academy award-winning nominee you and I don't have to I don't have to perform for Jesus. God is not our employer. He is our father whatever he has we have because we're his children so you can stop trying to impress God, okay? He desires a relationship and relationships are messy everybody in your relationship. Maybe it was with your boyfriend your husband a friend boss, but relationships are messy and guess what else they take time.

Relationships have the power to drain you and fill you up again. That's why God desires your presence in prayer because you will get an intimacy with him that you never give it a human being. He desires a transform up as we study his word and he wants to be first last and best in your life.

My last point I'm here to tell you God's will will be done in your life. Now. I know some of yall my God given free will. Okay, let's unpack two words Free Will free and freed will freed free will I do exactly what I want to do what I want to do with whoever I want to do it, but I want to do it. I have no boundaries. Nobody tells me what to do. I do what I want to do. I am independent of anybody Spirit anybody human or spiritual. freed wheel is its diverse has divested of all of this self-centered selfishness. I see myself as God sees me. I appreciate boundaries. I know my limits and I see myself as energy pendant and not independent you found Jonah as a person who exercised his free will but God says and I'll bring the Blind by a way. They know not I will leave them and pass that they have not known I will make the darkness light before them and crooked things straight these things will I do and not forsake them go with me to Jonah Go with me to Jonah 1. Can you buy Bibles folks?

Jonah 1

Now the word of the Lord came on to Jonah the son of a tie saying arise go to Nineveh that great City and cry against it for their wickedness is come up before me but Jonah rose up to flee at the tarshis from the presence of the Lord and went down to Joppa and he found a ship going to tarshish and he paid the fare thereof and went down into it to go with them are the tarsals from the presence of the Lord. Let me just give you a little clue here as you recognize that God will be able to function within your free. God bless the command. Jonah utilizes free will to do so bad now since nothing shocks of surprises God. I speculate the Trinity if you just let me it don't get mad at me, but I thought I start thinking about this Jesus and God about Noah.

Jonah Went a different way. Holy Spirit said we already knew. We know what he did. Said so he said exactly and I have a plan to change his mind.

He's in the boat. Let's create a storm a category. No, no, let's do a category 5 storm. And the wind blew away they always obey us so do the sea creatures. So let us without question. Ask our greatest fish. I know I don't feel well that's the way to do it though. Jesus telepathically contacts the whale with this message swallow Jonah do not eat him. And after he's in your stomach, I want you to go well and eat a huge meal of fish. And let all that gastric acid get on Jonah. I want Jonah covered. I want him burn from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet. And the next day Jonah Nestle. Well, I want you and your friends to go through the water and I want you to leave and twirl and do are we going like this in your stomach?

And then on the third day, I want you to vomit him out on a Sandy Shore. We're all that's saying can get into his sores. Now your pastor. I'm calling your pastor and I had differing opinions about how I presented God's will he said I portrayed God as Petty. I merely saw God as being a firm but fair father not remember when you broke curfew for the umpteenth time. utilizing your free will then your parents exercise their free wheel locked all the doors and windows and left you a note saying you can sleep on the porch. Let's bring this home. God promise you through prayer fasting preaching and bible study. But let's face it. We are rock heads and we choose our own way. Of course. This is not upset God's plan at all. We find Our Lives spiraling out of control and excuse me in as our human plans Circle the Drain circling the drain circling the drain

we are hear God's voice say come on to me.

When the drain can take months days years. We eventually find ourselves doing God's will. And let me tell you something time is on God's side. Now God didn't punish Sampson. He does allow the natural consequences of his sin to catch up with him. Not until he was wretched miserable poor blind and naked the realization set in I've said this before and I'll say it again men do their work and they work on their issues when they are in pain. You know Samson comprehends the situation of is of his own making he starts to take how how can I how can I serve God now I aligned myself with the Devil. Dispossessed of his strength and site like Paul he cries out who will deliver me from the body of this death. But that's still Small Voice Whispers. Those are coming to me. I will in no wise cast out. Today you and I are Samsung our sins overwhelm us maybe we're outside of church in riotous living may be in church becoming exacting and cruel and hard like the Pharisees yet guys will never changes for us. I perceive time and distance brings Clarity in our spiritual walk. Everything coalesced for Samsung while he was grinding grain. And then one day as he wiped the brow as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He felt a little stubble. On his head dermatologist call this the anagen phase of hair growth. It lasts from 2 to 7 years and it determines the length of your hair. Seed of Hope with sewn into Samson's life and as a germinated she knew all was not lost feelings of failure dissipated. I have not thrown him away instead of closeness developed between him and God his blindness no longer the stress temp those muscles that is after he began to get strong against Vitality return to his body. So on his final day as he acknowledge God In Prayer,

You finally acknowledge God not as his employer. not in a transaction but if sovereign The one he could depend on. So we didn't let go.

Almost let go.

depression

Did you call your mom?

almost gave up

Mercy kept me because it kept me and I thank you Lord.

The only person I know that can keep me.

Thank you, Jesus.

When I was down in the house to pick me up.

That was impressed with the Lord.

I titled my sermon. I am Samson. Because we are like Samson. And not just him at times. We like Jezebel Baylor ananias and Sapphira the Rich Young Ruler and Simon Magnus. The appeal today is not about joining The Seventh-Day Adventist Church. But needed a pastor. No I can save you is about coming to Jesus. Just as you are where you been in church 50 years or 5 minutes. It's impossible to clean yourself. That's the work of the Holy Spirit Let Jesus do for you what you cannot do for yourself. I am not calling. Like I said, I'm not calling you to the church. I'm calling you have a relationship, you to come because you need a relationship or you need a deeper relationship. Maybe you kind of let things slide a little bit. Maybe your prayer life is kind of 5-10 minutes. Maybe your Bible study if whatever. All right, but, you know, you need something different, you know, you need Jesus in your experience you admit to yourself that you are powerless over sins and your son manageable. And the only one who can save you is Jesus. So if you believe that today, like I said, I'm not calling for baptism. I'm not calling for Bible study. I just calling you to come to him. All right. That's what we need to come to it's not about me and it's not about you. It's about him.

Cuz I know some of yall was ready to let go. I know you have been I know there been situations in your life where he has been so tempestuous and so tumultuous you wanted if you going to make it the next day. What God is saying? It's yeah, you can make it. That's what they say not by what not by might nor by power. But by my spirit says the Lord of hosts. You can make this your hook up with Jesus. Stop looking up within me and you don't know. Stop hooking up with that alcohol. Stop hooking up with those drugs because they can't save you. They're not even trying they don't want to. All that other stuff is just about money power status privilege. So I'm asking you to come but I said I'm not asking about to get baptized if you been at church 50 years and you know, you need to come come on. All right, you need to come everybody. Come on. Just come on. Anyway, come on. Come on. Come on. We need the Lord wants you. He loves you. He needs you. Come on.

Go ahead.

Heavenly Father your word says The one day you said. bet us Megaman and Orion in our likings suggesting that You would make us. lior character and that we would be like you. When sin came in at distorted your image in US But we thank you Father. We thank you that the word made flesh. Came to dwell amongst us and save us and restoring us your image your character and your likeness father thing. Thank you Father have mercy on our soul. and even though we act like

we don't know you were tired. The message with her today and tells us that those people. walked away But because of your mercy and your grace that flows like a river. Like Niagara Falls is closed and no how no matter how far we go.

Your grace is sufficient. and where sin abound Grace much more abound thank you for thank you for in Jesus name we pray. amen

download chappie

He kept me.

Please stand for the benediction.

Finally brothers and sisters rejoice and for restoration Comfort one another agree with one another live in peace and may the god of love and peace be with you Let the Church Say Amen.

So whatever.

First of all, I want to thank all of you for coming to church today. praising the Lord for that and then we have an invitation is celebrating 60 years of Music Dolores Matthews.

It'll be on November 19th that Sunday at 3:30 p.m. At Zion at Zion Baptist Church. We are encouraging all of us to be there Dolores belongs to us like she belongs to the Zion. Alright, okay, and they are going to need some help downstairs I said.

hi church members if you noticed an announcement earlier, there was a flyer up there for our children's Christmas program sister Liz and sister Olympia there downstairs now working with the children, but they need for a hopefully some volunteers to meet right at

Related Media

Related Sermons