Do Something

Let me start by saying Happy Father’s Day to all the father’s out there. Shout out to my dad, James Montgomery, I love you and thank you for being a part of my life.

Today is not going to be a typical Father’s Day message, but there is a message for the men.

We are being bombarded with messages and pleas for help. There are the requests for money from

The Starving Children

Feed the Poor

Feed the Hungry

Veterans of America

Firefighters

Police Widows and Retirement Fund

Feed the Hungry

For the animal lovers - the ASPCA

We’re in the season of campaign support requests

And on and on and on

Then there are the requests for our time

March for Black Lives Matter

Poor People’s Campaign

Equality

Women’s Right

LGBTQ Rights - who by the way had a huge win this week with the Supreme Court granting that community equal rights under the law. As if they were not already a part of all mankind. Unfortunately, there are some who don’t treat them with the respect, the consideration and the love due all God’s people.

And so we’re still trying to learn, still trying to mandate, still trying to tell people that just because you don’t agree with someone’s choices or lifestyle it doesn’t give you the right to discriminate, separate, hurt, hang, shoot or other wise kill or maim them, to take away their livelihood or limit where they can live.

And now we have virtual meetings, and services, and conferences, and digital gatherings. Saints it’s a lot and it can be so overwhelming you become paralyzed with what you should do, which way you should go and who you should support with your time and money.

While I’m not here to choose for you, what I am going to do is encourage you to pick one and do it. Pick one and support it. Just start with something. You can’t do everything but, you can do something. You cannot help the whole world, but what you do can mean the whole world to someone.

Turn in your Bible with me to

James 2:1, 17 - 1 KJV My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? 17 NLT - Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

You can’t do it all, but you can do something. The title of today’s message is “Do Something”.

Sometimes finding what to do can be difficult so while I can’t choose for you what it is that you should be doing, I can make some suggestions…so here we go.

The first thing I would suggests to you is that you start with God, He should be first in all we think, in all we give and in all we do. Why? Because, it’s because of God

we are who we are,

we have what we have and

we’re able to do what we do.

Be not weary in well doing for in due time you shall reap a harvest if you faint not.

When you start with God, he will direct your path so you will always be going in the right direction. Jer. 29:11 tells us, “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” In the KJV it says to give you peace—could anybody use some peace right now?

When you start with God, He will make your enemies be at peace and not only that He will make them your footstool. You be at peace, show your enemy love and let it be as heaping coals of fire on their heads.

But you stay in your peace, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, bless those who despitefully use you, bless and curse not.

When you start with God,

He gives power, love and a sound mind,

He is your sufficiency,

He is your strength.

When you try to go in your own power, in your own strength, chances are what you’re trying to do is not going to work out and if it does, it won’t last.

When you start with God, He qualifies you to do what He’s called you to do.

It’s not to say you won’t need to do some preparation

It’s not to say you won’t need to go to school

It’s not to say you won’t need to study

It’s not to say you won’t need to do something

But it is to say God has qualified you to do what He called you to do, now get yourself in the right posture to hear what that calling is.

Get into your prayer closet, take your quiet time with God—notice I said take. We get so busy doing stuff that at the end of the day we can’t see anything tangible from all the time we spent and that’s a day, an hour, a minute we can never get back. You have be purposeful and take time to spend with God, put him on your schedule, go ahead pen Him in, don’t pencil Him in because you can erase pencil, put it in pen and follow your schedule.

I’d suggest you pen Him in early, like at the beginning of your day so he plans your day instead of you. That way, when He changes your plan, you won’t feel like God messed up your day and you’ll recognized, it was perfectly designed.

The second suggestion I have for you may seem out of place in sermon, but I can assure it’s not. In 1 Kings 9:22 we see these words, “But Solomon did not conscript any of the Israelites for forced labor. Instead, he assigned them to serve as fighting men, government officials, officers and captains in his army, commanders of his chariots, and charioteers.”

People of God, Solomon, the son of David, the wisest man that ever lived did not make God’s chosen people slaves, they were soldiers, they ran the government, they were military leaders, they were responsible citizens.

So the second thing I would tell you is VOTE. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! Vote, our lives depend on it.

There are those who are doing their best to make it as difficult as possible for us to vote. People standing in lines, outside, in the heat, in the rain, in a pandemic for 4, 5 and 6 hours to vote.

States reducing voting places from 108 down to 5. Broken machines, untrained workers, requested absentee ballots never being received and as the desire for mail in voting continues to increase 45 refuses to give the post office the requested funds to keep operating. It’s not by accident this is coming at this time and the refusal to help is no doubt self serving.

Vote. There are those who marched before us and endured ridiculous atrocities to give us that right and we have a responsibility to use it in every election, the national elections, but more especially local elections. Over the last few weeks I’ve heard many say, if it wasn’t so important they wouldn’t be working so hard to keep you from doing it.

Voting is the one place where everyone 18 years and older is absolutely, positively, without regard to race, creed, color, socioeconomic status, gender, gender preference, sexual orientation, rich, poor and everywhere in between is equal. Everyone has one vote, your vote does matter and your vote does count.

I want to give you some real numbers from the last presidential election

45 won by votes Blacks didn’t vote

Wisconsin 23,000 in Milwaukee 93,000

Florida 113,000 in Miami 379,000

Michigan 11,000 in Detroit 277,000

PA 44,000 in Philadelphia 238,000

And right here at home

Georgia 211,000 in Metro Atlanta 530,000

People of God, we have a responsibility to be involved in our government. You may be saying “I can’t stand politics” and to that I say, I know I’m right there with you, but I would also say, look where we are as a nation,

Our military is being weaponized against our own people for a photo op

In the midst of a pandemic money that was supposed to go to small businesses, was instead gobbled up by large chains

Our Black men are being murdered in the street in full view of the world by way of camera phones and the perpetrators don’t care

I would say to you, while you may not like politics it’s important that you get involved; while you may not think you matter I’m here to tell you, you matter and we need you to vote.

God warns us in Prov 28:2 that “When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily.” The government is not them, the government is made up of us, the nation, we are the nation the government comes from.

The people in government, are the people who were voted into office by the nation, and they are the people who are supposed to represent and do what’s best for the people of the nation who put them in office to serve. Vote!

That verse finishes saying, “But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability.”

We need leaders who are educated

We need leaders who are experienced

We need leaders who will read

We need leaders who will recognize they don’t know everything, so in turn

will listen to wise counsel

We need leaders who don’t attempt to surround themselves with yes men and yes women who will tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear

We need leaders who are not boastful

who are not prideful

who don’t think more highly of themselves than they ought

We need leaders who possess compassion and empathy for people, all people, not just those who look like them, or think like them, or are in the same socioeconomic status as them

We need leaders who don’t take money needed by the American people and build walls with

We need leaders who don’t separate children from their parents and put them in internment camps and cages, left to sit in their own waste for hours at a time

We need leaders who don’t try to make every occasion, every celebration, every upturn about themselves; while blaming every failure on someone else

We need a government; we need leaders who are of the people, by the people and for the people-- ALL THE PEOPLE.

Saints we need a government that accurately reflects the people it serves. It should not be a room full of White men deciding the maternal care needs of women, it should not be left to one or two Black men to decide the needs of all Black people. Believe it or not, we’re not all the same and neither are our needs.

We are looking for man to fix our problems,

we are expecting man to be fair,

we are wanting to man to do something only God can do.

Saints, people of God, those who believe in the one and only True and Living God, the Creator of the heavens and the Earth and everything in it and on it, the truth of the matter is, God made each and every one of us and He made us perfect, despite our color, our size, our gender or our sexual orientation, despite what we believe about ourselves—God— made—us—perfect. Our spirits were we made in the very image of God.

How can you say that preacher? I can say it because Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” And I can say it because in the beginning—in Gen 1:26a we see these words, “Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;” Then in the next verse it says, “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

So when we look at that person that looks different than us—they were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.

When we look at that person that thinks different than us—they were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.

When we look at that person who doesn’t have the income we have, whether it’s more or less—they were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.

When we look at that person who is younger or older than us—they were fearfully and wonderfully made in the image God.

We are all God’s people and the sheep of His pasture, so it’s only when we can look at a person and see someone that was fearfully and wonderfully made by God, someone who was made in the very image of God, that’s when the world will change. That’s when we won’t need to amend a document and put more laws on the books.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we don’t need the laws, but what I am saying is this, true change has to come in the hearts and minds of the individual, the law is merely a tool that says if you do what’s in your heart you could go to jail for it.

And the church is not exempt, there is racism and sexism in the house of God, where only certain genders are accepted in certain positions. Think back to when we were allowed to gather together; before Corona, when you looked around, how many people didn’t look like you. I saw somewhere that Sunday morning is the time the nation is the most segregated.

But Gal 3 says this; “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Now tell me again why women can’t preach or pastor?

Here on Earth we need laws, understanding the laws are there to keep order and for safety. But let us take comfort and be encouraged knowing that God has judged in our favor and He judges with fairness, God rebukes nations and destroys the wicked.

God has no term limits, He reigns forever, He executes judgment from His throne and He will judge the world with justice and rule the nation with fairness. The shelter for the oppressed is not in the laws of the land, the shelter for the oppressed lies in God, He is our refuge

in times of trouble,

in times of turmoil,

in times of strife,

in times of rioting,

in times of looting,

in times of unrest

in times of racism

in times of hate

in times of destruction

In times like these, we need a Savior, in times like these we need an anchor, be very sure, be very sure, that your anchor holds and grips the solid rock. God is the one in whom you should place your trust, He will never leave you nor forsake you, He will always be with you. When you search for Him, you will find Him, He is always ready, waiting for you to call on Him, waiting for you to call his name

Elohim - the Supreme God

Yaweh - the great I AM

Abba Father

El Elyon - the Most High God

El Roi - God who sees

El Shaddai - God Almighty

Jehovah Jireh - God my Provider

Jehovah Nissi - God my Banner

Jehovah Rapha - God my Healer

Jehovah Shalom - God my Peace

What will you call Him today? What is it you need today? He’s here, He’s waiting for you to call.

He sent His Son to be our redeemer and Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Jesus is the way to the Father, He said “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me”.

Jesus is the answer for the world today, above him there’s no other Jesus is the way.

And finally the third thing; the third thing I’ll leave up to you. If you took to heart the first thing, the second thing while it is very important, was a filler to get you to the third thing. But if you do the first thing, God will tell you what the third thing is.

Trust God, for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than your ways, and His thoughts than your thoughts and His plan for your life is perfect.

It all starts with this, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It’s just that simple.

And I want to leave you with this prayer for our Black men, whose lives continue to be taken like they don’t matter...

Heavenly Father, I come this morning to pray, You said the prayers of the righteous avails much and I am made righteous through the precious, soul cleansing blood of Jesus.

And so I come, I come Lord to pray for the safety and wellbeing of Black men everywhere. You see the injustices, the dangers and the perils they face in their everyday lives. You know their every sleepless night. You see each tear and the heartache they deal with perpetually. Father, Jesus was despised and rejected — a Man of Sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief and so I know you understand our pain.

Lord, I pray you place a hedge of protection around our Black boys and men, I pray Your grace and mercy over our sons, our brothers, our husbands, our fathers, our grandfathers, our uncles, our cousins, our nephews; Lord I pray for every Black man, those I know and love and those I’ve never met, for they all belong to you.

Father I pray You will build them up where they’re torn down, encourage those who are discouraged, Lord lift them from the despair, the depression and oppression they face at the hands of those who would only see and judge them on their outward appearance, never seeing their hearts.

Father, our Black men face discouragement, disappointment, and anger, but I know that You are mighty to deliver. Because of Your mighty hand, You will drive out the forces that have set themselves up against them. You are the Lord, Yahweh, the Promise-Keeper, the Almighty One.

Lord, I know they are not inferior, as some dare to think, for you created them in Your image, and they are Your workmanship. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is in them. Father, I am calling upon You, oh God, to rescue our Black men; to redeem their lives in peace from the battle of hopelessness that is against them. We cast our burdens on You, Lord, we release the weight of them, and You sustain us; You will never allow the consistently righteous to be moved, made to slip, fall, or fail.

Hopelessness lies in wait to swallow them up or trample them all day long. Whenever they are afraid, please give them confidence; help them put their trust and reliance in You. By Your help, God, let them praise Your Word; help them lean and rely on You, let them confidently put their trust in you; Lord help them to not fear.

Father God, please help them to run this race with patient endurance and steady and active persistence, help them run the appointed course that is set before them. Father we rebuke the spirit of fear, for they are established in righteousness. Oppression and destruction shall not come near them. There are those who may gather together and stir up strife, but it is not from You, Father. I declare that whoever stirs up strife against them shall fall and surrender to them. Lord I proclaim, our Black men are more than conquerors through Him Who loves them, through Christ Jesus.

Father, we give You all our worries and cares, for You are always thinking about us and watching everything that concerns us. Our men are well-balanced and careful — vigilant, watching out for attacks from Satan, the great enemy. By Your grace they are standing firm, trusting You, and remembering that others all around the world are witnessing their sufferings and standing and marching with them too. You, God, are full of kindness through Christ and will give them Your eternal glory. In the name of Jesus, I declare they are overcomers by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimonies.

And Father God I ask a special blessing on every earthly Father, those men who have given of their seed and those who have freely and lovingly taken on the mantel of father to any child. Lord continue to wrap your loving arms around them and pour into them more of what they pour out to others. Lord fill them to the brim and even more to overflow into the lives of others.

In the matchless, miracle working and powerful name of Jesus I pray

Amen.