Let me ask you a question, how many of you God made good today?
Amen.
Did he wake you up this morning?
He gave you another chance to give him a praise.
And we're here tonight to give God all the praise.
We're going to do what we came to do, amen?
Praise the Lord, amen.
We're going to have a prayer by our own Pastor Raffert and Amen Skipchick, our own Pastor Michael Blue, and followed by that the Praise and Worship League team is coming, but I see the choir.
They gonna sing.
Y'all wanna sing first?
You got a song?
Give us a song and then they come.
Try that.
Come on and get on your feet.
And look at the neighbor, tell him, say, your miracle is on the way.
Come on, come on, get on your feet and tell him, say, your miracle is on the way.
How many looking for a miracle this week?
Tell your neighbor this week.
Yeah, that's right.
Your miracle is on the way.
Act like it's Sunday.
Your miracle is on the way.
Everybody sing.
Your miracle is on the way.
Tell your name.
Your miracle is on the way.
Tell them.
Your miracle is on the way.
Look at me now.
Tell them, see.
Your miracle is on the way.
All right, pray to the Lord.
Come on, we're standing for prayer.
Come on, your miracle is on the way.
Praise God.
If you let him say yes.
Yes.
Oh, yes.
Yes Yes Lord Yes Lord Yes Lord Yes Lord Yes Lord
Yes, Lord.
Have your way.
Lord, have your way.
Oh, have your way.
Now, father, we do thank you
We thank you, God, you are great and greatly to be praised.
We lift our hands and we bless your name.
We tell you thank you for your goodness, for your loving kindness, your excellent greatness.
We open our mouths and we are not ashamed of what you have done for us.
And we thank you right now.
We give you the glory.
We give you the honor.
We give you the praise.
That is due your name.
Lord, it is you that have blessed us all day long.
You have kept us, God, with your power, and we thank you for it now.
Now, Lord, we pray and we supplicate in your presence even now, and we ask you to help us.
Touch our spirit, soul, and body, and help us, Lord, every step of the way.
in the name of Jesus.
Lord, we thank you for the victory.
Thank you for the fruit of your spirit.
Thank you, Lord, for joy and peace.
Thank you, God, for giving us and helping us and making us more than conquerors.
We thank you now.
Now, Lord, touch your people.
Help the saints everywhere, even in this place.
Lord, touch us, God, this meeting.
Help us every night.
Touch and send your word.
Lord, let your... Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Oh, God, let your people rejoice in the God of their salvation, in the name of Jesus.
And we thank you now.
Send your word.
Hey, thank you.
Send your word.
Hallelujah.
Send your word.
that the people of God might be blessed in the name of Jesus.
And Lord, we thank you.
Hey, we thank you.
Hey, thank you.
Hallelujah.
Lord, we thank you.
We give you the glory, the honor and praise.
We thank you for it all.
Help us tonight, we pray.
And God, we're careful to give your name the glory.
and all the glory belongs to you.
Now, Lord, let this people praise you like never before.
Let them clap their hands, God.
Let them lift their hands.
Let them open their mouths and praise you for all the great things that you have done in the name of Jesus.
And we thank you now.
Hey, hallelujah.
Ah, we're waiting on you.
Hey, oh, glory.
Hey, we're waiting on you.
Ah, thank you.
We're waiting on you.
We need your help.
We thank you now.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Put your hands together and bless the Lord.
Ah, give him the glory.
Give him the honor.
Give him the praise.
And magnify his name.
Hallelujah.
Amen.
Hallelujah.
We'll be reading from Saint John chapter fifteen.
I am the true vine and my father is the husband man.
Every branch in me that bear if not fruit, he take it the way and every branch that bear fruit, he purchased it that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now, you are clean
Abide in me and I in you, as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine.
No more can you except ye abide in me.
I am the vine and you are the branches.
He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.
For without me you can do nothing.
Abide, if a man abide not in me,
He is cast forth as a branch, and he is withered, and men gather him, and cast him into the fire, and they are burned.
If ye abide in me, and my word abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be given unto you, the word of the Lord for the people of God.
Hallelujah.
Praise the Lord, everybody.
If y'all not ready to praise him, it's okay.
It's a warm up.
Praise the Lord, everybody.
Hallelujah.
We might be tired, but he's still worthy.
Hallelujah.
He's not tired of you.
Hallelujah.
God, we thank you because you are Alpha and the Omega.
You are the beginning and the end.
Hallelujah.
Guess what?
He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
And we celebrate you tonight.
Hallelujah, Jesus.
You are Alpha and Omega.
You're the beginning and the end.
You're the same yesterday, today, and forever.
I praise your name.
You are alpha and omega.
You're gonna sing yesterday, today, and forever.
I praise your name.
Hallelujah.
Holy, holy.
You are worthy.
Of my praise.
Sing hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
Holy, holy.
Lord, you are worthy.
You are worthy.
Of my praise.
You are Alpha and Omega.
You're the same yesterday, today, and forever.
I praise your name.
You are alpha and omega.
You're the beginning and the end.
You're the same yesterday, today, and forever.
I praise your name.
Sing mighty are the works of your hands.
I praise your name.
Sing, mighty are the works of your hands.
Mighty are the works of your hands.
So mighty are the works of your hands.
Mighty are the works of your hands.
Your name is above all names.
God, you're worthy of all my praise.
You're worthy of all my praise.
Your name is above all names.
God, you're worthy of all my praise.
So mighty are the works of your hands.
Sing hallelujah.
Hallelujah.
So mighty are the works of your hands.
Mighty are the works of your hands.
So mighty are the works of your hands.
Mighty are the works of your hands.
Oh.
Nobody like you, Lord.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
Everybody sing, oh.
Sing, nobody like you, Lord.
Nobody like you, Lord.
Lift your voice, cry, oh.
Oh.
Nobody like you, Lord.
Lift your voice, sing, oh.
Oh.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
Nobody like you, Lord.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
Because your name is above all names.
Anybody believe the hallelujah?
You're worthy of all my praise.
So mighty are the works of your hands.
Mighty are the works of your hands.
So mighty are the works of your hands.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
Hallelujah.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
Everybody sing.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
Lift your voice, sing, oh.
Sing, you are the King of kings.
You are the Lord of lords.
Everybody cry, oh.
Sing, you are the King of kings.
You are the king of kings.
God, you are the Lord of lords.
You are the Lord of lords.
If you believe it, sing oh.
Hallelujah.
Oh.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
Nobody like you, Lord.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
Nobody like you, Lord.
There's nobody like you, Lord.
No one to love you like him.
Hallelujah, Jesus.
No one that consider you like him.
Hallelujah, Jesus.
When you wasn't thinking of yourself, he thought of you.
Hallelujah, Jesus.
God, we thank you because there's nobody like you.
Won't you just lift your hands up as we worship today.
How many know there's nobody like the Lord today?
Nobody like the Lord.
Hallelujah.
Amen.
Nobody else can do for us what he does.
Lord, there's no one else like you.
And for that, we want to take a moment, God, just to worship you and just to give you thanks for who you are.
We honor you today.
We give you praise for who you are now.
We magnify your name.
Can you put your hands together?
Yeah.
Can you come on?
Come on and put your hand together and bless him right now.
Come on.
Bless him.
Bless his name.
Bless him.
Come on and bless him.
Bless him.
If you're going to sing it, sing it.
Don't mess with it.
I mean, we're going to sing it now.
Oh, oh, oh.
Oh, y'all waiting for me to help you.
Nobody like you, Lord.
Everybody say, oh, oh, oh.
That's what they were waiting for.
Nobody like you, Lord.
Come on, say it.
Nobody like you, Lord.
I want to hear you say, on your mouth and say, how many know?
Say, oh.
Put a march on it.
Everybody say, oh.
Nobody like you, Lord.
Nobody like you.
Help me.
Nobody.
We're talking about the
And just lift your hands and worship me.
God, we worship you because there is.
You say, I am that I am.
You say, there's none other beside me.
If there be another God, you know not of him.
So today, God, you, there is no one else like you.
You're El Shaddai.
You're the everlasting God.
You are the Prince of Peace.
You're the wonderful counselor.
You're the everlasting father.
You're everything we need.
You're a wonderful counselor.
So we worship you and we magnify your name right now.
In Jesus name, amen.
Come on, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
Clap, clap.
You may be seated in the house of the Lord.
God bless you.
Praise the Lord.
This time, Superintendent Gibson is coming to have words and then our district missionary is coming.
Praise the Lord to greet us, amen.
Amen, can we give God praise tonight?
In our district meeting.
Thank God for all of you that are here as I was sitting there and we was just trying to get here as quick as we can.
But I did, I saw the state trooper and folks started slowing down a little bit.
But by the grace of God, we made it.
And I praise God tonight.
Thank God for all of you that are here.
And as I was saying, said, well, we at the headquarters church tonight.
Crestview used to have to come to Panama City.
Now, Panama City is coming to Crestview.
We'll praise the Lord.
And I thank God by the grace of God that we made it.
And thank God for all the pastors that are here.
Thank God for our superintendent.
Amen.
Our District Missionary Cooper, God bless her.
I know she on fire because she done been to the Women's Convention.
Praise God.
Thank God for technology.
For those of us that weren't able to travel, thank God for technology.
Now don't y'all let technology make you lazy.
Don't let technology make you stay home.
We're in our district meeting, is that right?
It makes a difference when you're sitting at the house.
Well, I better, I'm going to give greetings.
Well, praise the Lord.
I just want to encourage the people of God as we come to bless the Lord.
And I heard the choir singing hallelujah.
Do you mind thanking God for the hallelujah praise?
Thank God for the hallelujah praise.
It's hallelujah in China.
Whatever language, Hispanic, it's all hallelujah.
I thank God that God fixed it that way because some of us having a problem speaking English.
Well, I give greetings tonight.
God bless you.
I thank God and I believe God is gonna move in this meeting tonight.
Amen.
Because I know that there is a word from the Lord.
Amen.
God bless each of you.
And I thank God that he allowed us to be in Crestview, Florida one more time by the grace of God.
God bless you tonight.
♪ The all we need thee ♪ ♪ Aria, we need thee ♪ ♪ Oh, bless me now, my Savior ♪
♪ To thee ♪ Let's make it personal.
♪ I need thee ♪ ♪ Oh, I need thee ♪ ♪ Every hour I need thee ♪ ♪ Hopeless ♪
Me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.
Bless the Lord, hallelujah.
For he is worthy of all our praise.
And I just thank God today because we need thee.
In everything that we see going on in our world today, all the chaos, all the gondoling, and everything else, we need God tonight.
We need God this minute.
We need God the next second, the next hour, the next month, the next week.
Because we don't know what's going to happen to us when we walk out of here tonight.
Tonight may be our last night.
But let's give him praise, honor, and glory that are due to God this night.
Amen.
Bless y'all.
Amen.
Praise the Lord.
Amen.
God bless you.
We're so glad to be here.
Let me say something.
I'm extremely happy tonight.
You know what I'm happy about?
Praise the Lord.
I see all the pastors except maybe one in our district.
Amen.
Now that really makes the superintendent happy.
Amen.
Praise the Lord.
I'm gonna go down the list and when I call your name just stand so the folk can see you.
Then I'm gonna give you a brief history on what this is all about for some of you who are not familiar with what this is all about.
Amen.
I got folk in my own church don't know why we do this.
Amen.
Praise the Lord.
We have tonight, praise the Lord, our Antioch Temple Church of God in Christ.
Emeritus Superintendent Gibson.
What's staying, Superintendent?
Amen.
We don't have with us Bible Way Church of God in Christ, Minister Nathaniel Davis.
He's busy working.
But we have myself, yours truly, for First Church of God in Christ, Superintendent Parker.
What about Glorious Gospel?
I wish he was down here, but he's back there.
Amen, praise the Lord.
Come on down here, pastor, if you don't mind.
Bring that other fellow with you.
Amen.
Then we got the House of Praise Church of God in Christ.
Come on, Pastor Sam Raffert.
Yeah, yeah, come on, come on.
Victory Temple Church of God in Christ.
Okay, Michael Blue.
Pastor Michael Blue.
Where he at?
There he is.
There you go.
New, that's right.
I'm sorry, new, sir.
New.
Yes, sir.
New.
I did see that.
In the Army.
He come out of the Army, so that's okay.
Okay, let me do this, then make sure I get this right.
New Zion Temple, Church of God in Christ.
Pastor Wallace Tinsley.
All right there, y'all mask up.
All right, Paw Street, Church of God in Christ.
Pastor Walter L.
There he is.
Amen.
Pentecostal Temple.
That's Chaplain Woods.
He's working tonight.
Praise the Lord.
Spirit Field Church of God in Christ.
Where we at?
In the house.
He's going to preach for us tonight.
Amen.
Praise the Lord.
Right briefly and then we're going to move on and do something and get out of the way because we want to hear the word.
Anybody want to hear the word?
People say you that don't know let me tell you something.
This is coaching and what we do We do it at the not at the first of all at the national level
All the churches in Church of God in Christ go to Memphis, Tennessee.
We get together ever so often for various occasions.
Then we bring it down to the state level.
We go to Jacksonville.
And then we bring it to the district level.
And he said, we are the headquarters church in Panama City District, first Church of God in Christ.
Let me hear you.
Is anybody in the house?
You get to host the district.
Do y'all understand that now?
For some of you that been in the dark, come on in the light.
All right, praise the Lord.
That was a quick, brief synopsis of what this is all about.
Amen, praise the Lord, I get that here.
Well, what is that all about?
You part of something you don't know.
I just enlightened you.
Amen, praise the Lord, amen.
God bless you tonight, amen.
We gonna do something and we gonna do it quickly.
Amen.
Tonight we want to be a blessing to pastors, know what they have to do.
Praise the Lord that we've already done it, already given my special offering, and I'm going to give some more.
Amen.
We give our church reports, should have.
If not, we need to do that now.
for the Word of God.
Anybody ready to hear the Word?
Amen.
Praise the Lord.
Amen.
His bio is in the program if you have one.
So let me not waste my time reading to you what you can read.
And you probably already read it.
Amen.
People kill me with that.
You go to funerals and tell them, they give you, tell you, take a silent moment to read the bish where folk read it when they sat down.
I leave that alone.
I got a sense of humor in everybody.
It's a humor.
I'm sorry.
Humor.
Oh shoot, that didn't come out right.
But anyway, praise the Lord.
Amen, amen.
Anyway, let me say this about this preacher.
This man helps me in the district.
He is my God.
I don't know how to describe it.
I was thinking about it that day.
Me and Sister Parker talk about it all the time.
Chairman Howard.
His position in the district, he's my assistant.
Anything I need done, and what really blesses me, he'll get it out, he'll get the email out, he'll get a text out.
It's almost like I said it.
Praise the Lord.
I mean, you know what I mean?
It's minus the humor.
Amen.
But he's a dynamic person.
Amen.
Married to a beautiful woman of God.
Amen.
And both of them, we talk, I know Chairman Howard and myself talk at least three or four, what about three, four times a week, Sister Howard?
If not more.
wake up in the morning.
I said, let me call Chairman Howard.
Amen.
So I get my coffee and I call him.
I'll come down here to the church and we talk.
Praise the Lord.
Amen.
And we have a great rapport.
Amen.
And I'm excited.
And he can preach.
Oh, y'all know that already.
You folks come from over there in Caribbean with him.
Would y'all just stand for a moment, please?
These folks followed this man.
That's big volumes.
Y'all hear what I'm trying to say?
And care if you're out there in the woods.
Y'all can be seated, amen.
Them folks got someone, they come out, someone come out in the woods.
I said, how would I, you do that?
Amen, but he's that kind of person.
He never meet a stranger.
He treat everybody the same, and I love it.
I just love his personality.
I love him as a man of God, amen, amen.
The choir's gonna give us a selection, amen, when the choir is done.
The next voice, you'll hear that after our speaker for this evening.
Amen.
Our chairman, Pastor Tony Howard.
Amen.
The blood still works.
Come on and praise him.
Come on and give him some praise.
The blood still works.
How many of you know the blood still works?
Come on and praise him then.
Come on and bless his holy name.
Let us pray.
Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank you again for this wonderful, beautiful, precious day that you gave us, Lord God.
Father God, as we come before you on this hour, we give you praise, we glorify you, we magnify your name.
The Psalmist David said, I will bless the Lord at all times, and your praise shall continue to be in our mouths.
Lord God, we just thank you today.
You say that men ought always to pray and faint not, to pray without ceasing, and the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much.
So Father God, we come this afternoon not in our own righteousness, but in the righteousness of your son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who has bestowed upon us, Lord God, the righteousness that we can come before your throne with boldness, Lord, and make our requests and petitions made known to you, Lord God.
So Father God, you know each and every one here tonight.
You know our hearts, you know our petitions, you know our requests.
We lift them up before you, Lord God.
And even when we don't know how we ought to pray, we thank you for the Holy Ghost who will pray for us with groanings.
So we thank you tonight, Lord God.
Father God, as I stand in this sacred position tonight, I pray that you let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight.
Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer,
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen.
Come on and put your hands on it.
Give the Lord some praise.
Amen.
You may be seated in the house of the Lord tonight.
First and foremost, I want to give honor tonight to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I give honor to our superintendent tonight.
Come on and put a hand on that for our superintendent.
Edward Parker, a man.
Thank God for him and.
And we thank God for this district meeting to our district missionary, a man.
To our emeritus Superintendent John Gibson.
To my lovely wife, First Lady Howard, thank God for her and the members of Spirit Field that came along with us, amen.
To all the pastors, ministers, elders, missionaries, deacons, all of you in your respectful places tonight.
I also want to give special honor to my special guests, brothers and sisters that came out to be with us tonight.
Last but not least, I give honor to our bishop in his absence tonight.
Amen.
So I try not to be before you very long.
Normally, when I say that, I get a little laughter from my group.
It's very few, but they being nice tonight.
Amen.
Anyway, we're going to move about, and we're going to do the business that the Lord has called us here to do tonight.
I want to come at you tonight.
I'm going to come at you.
Our key theme verse is, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day, for the night is coming when no man can work.
But I'm gonna back up and I'm gonna read verses one through five from John the ninth chapter and it says, and as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sin, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day.
The night cometh when no man can work.
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Our theme scripture, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day.
The night cometh when no man can work.
The King James Version, which is my version of choice,
It's one of the only versions that says I must work the works.
Most of all other translations says we must work the works.
For example, the King James Amplified version says we must work the works of him who sent me while it is day.
Night is coming when no man can work.
The NLT, New Living Translation, reads, we must quickly carry out the task assigned to us by the one who sent us.
The night is coming, and then no one can work.
New International Version, as long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.
Night is coming when no man can work.
Last but not least, Amplified Classic reads, we must work the works of him who sent me and be busy with his business while it is daylight.
Night is coming on when no man can work.
Our theme for this week and our national theme is we've got work to do.
Now why don't you just look around at two or three people and tell them we've got work to do.
Let me start by saying that Jesus understood God's plan for his life to be a must.
It was a must, it was not an option.
I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day.
The night cometh when no man can work.
Jesus was driven by a passion and a desire to do, first of all, what God wanted him to do in life.
Jesus said, I came down from heaven not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which He has given me, I shall lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which sees the Son and believeth on Him may have everlasting life.
And I will raise Him up at the last day.
You see, Jesus was driven by a strong sense of personal responsibility to fulfill God's task for his life.
And he made that task one to which he gave the greatest priority.
Even as a child in the temple, Jesus said to his parents, didn't you know that I must be about my father's business?
What should be rolling off all of our tongues and out of all of our mouths is, I must be about my father's business.
You see, Jesus sensed an urgency to do the mission of God while it was still day.
Jesus said that there were things that he had to do and must do while it is day.
Because the night cometh when no man can work.
Now stay with me.
And just like Jesus, we haven't got much time.
The day is for a spin.
It's not that I ought to, it's not that I could, it's not that I should, it's not that I might, but it's that I must be about my father's business.
We got work to do while it is day because the night is coming when no man can work.
Not during Jesus' time on earth and some of us are old enough to remember that people used to work from daylight or from sunup to sundown.
And they really didn't need to know anything about daylight savings time when it came to working because all they knew was that work was from sun up to sun down.
Somebody ought to say amen.
And so Jesus was using this real life example that everybody listening was able to understand and to comprehend.
And he said, I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day, the night cometh, when no man can work.
You see, oftentimes Jesus spoke in parables like this, and a parable is simply an ordinary earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
In this statement, Jesus understood that opportunities for service and doing good don't last forever.
And so today was the most effective time to work, but it was also a limited time.
In an era without electricity, night was by necessity a time when less work could be done on account of the darkness.
Now God never designed, created, or planned for us to just sit around and do nothing.
From the beginning of time, God planned for us to be busy doing something.
Even before the fall, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden and told him to tend to the garden.
He had a job.
He had work to do.
The Apostle Paul even spoke a word in 2 Thessalonians, the third chapter, bear with me.
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
For yourselves know how you ought to follow us.
For we behave not ourselves disorderly among you, neither did we eat any man's bread for naught, but wrought with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you.
Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us.
For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
That would change a whole lot of young people's status today if their food source was cut off.
For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.
Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus that with quietness they work and eat their own bread.
No world
In all creation from the Garden of Eden to heaven in the future, does it ever say that God created us to just sit around and do nothing?
Mark Twain wrote, never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
Ephesians 5, 15, and 16 from the NIV Bible says, be very careful then how you live not as unwise but as wise, redeeming every opportunity because the days are evil.
The Greek word translated redeem is a form of the word that means to bow, to purchase.
It usually refers to Jesus Christ purchasing our salvation.
Redeeming the time is not referring primarily to the hours and minutes of the Christian's day, but rather to the opportunities that we have to serve God.
He has given us only so many hours, so many days on this earth to use as opportunities
to serve him.
How much of your day is used to serve him?
How much of your day is spent telling others about him?
How much of your day is spent teaching your children's God's ways?
I read the heartbreaking story of a little boy whose dad was always busy.
One day the boy asked, Dad, how much money do you earn in an hour?
Them patient dads say, I don't know.
I guess I make about $50 an hour when I'm working.
Now, don't bother me.
I'm busy.
After a couple of weeks of doing odd jobs around his neighborhood, the little boy approached his dad one evening and said, Dad, here's $25.
Can I buy 30 minutes of your time just so we can play together?
You see, the time that we are given is not ours.
It belongs to the Lord, which he has entrusted unto us.
Can you give him a little of it?
He bought it with his blood.
Can you store it somewhere tonight?
Because our time is not ours.
It's his.
The Apostle James said time is like a vapor, just for a moment.
He reads, go to now, ye that say today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain.
Whereas you know not what shall be on tomorrow, for what is your life?
It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
For that you ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or do that.
One of the greatest destroyers of dreams is tomorrow.
Tomorrow I'm gonna stop this.
Tomorrow I'm going to start this project or that project.
The Bible says, boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Alexander Graham Bell said, the only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.
It is the ability to get started.
You see, there is a saying that goes, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
God created us with a purpose for a mission that we must quickly carry out the task assigned to us by the one who sent us because the night is coming and then no one can work.
Jesus had to be speaking of the fact that there were people all around him that needed saving and he only had a short window of opportunity
to reach and touch them.
The Bible says in Hebrews 9, 27, familiar scripture, and it is appointed unto all men once to die, but after this to judgment.
You see, judgment follows death.
There is no time for any decisions about God after death.
The Bible says in the book of Psalms, as for the man, his days are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.
It is no wonder then that the Psalmist said in Psalms 90, so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts under wisdom.
You see, you can't buy life insurance for a dead person.
Even so, there is a time when the window of opportunity for salvation is eternally closed.
We should be working the works of Jesus while we still can, while the window is still open.
Jesus said again in Matthew 28, 19, and 20, you know it, go ye 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've commanded you, and Lord, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
You see, we need to stay faithful to our assignment, knowing that God is with us every step of the way.
For that reason, we gotta go back to the old time way.
we gotta start back hitting the hedges and the highways.
Jesus said, go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the haught and the blind.
And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou has commanded and yet there is room.
And the Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and the hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled.
Now why did he tell us this?
Watch this because the people started making excuses.
Just like many are doing today, making excuses.
I say this and I hope not to offend anyone.
We know we have a lot of people watching on Facebook and Facebook is popular.
I prayed about Facebook and social media after I got back after we came out of COVID.
and everything, and I said, well, people keep telling me they're watching it on Facebook.
Maybe I need to shut down Facebook.
And so I prayed about it, and I prayed about it.
And the Lord, the Holy Spirit spoke to me.
The Holy Spirit will talk to you if you talk to Him, if you pray and fast.
And the Holy Spirit say, they've always had social media.
He said, they always had TV and the radio.
He said, if they wanna come, they gonna come.
Am I right about it?
Now, no disrespect to those watching, because we love for people.
We're trying to get the message out.
But I heard it like this.
Sitting home watching the message is like sitting beside a TV with a fireplace on it.
You see the fire, but you can't feel the warmth of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus said, there's one coming after me that shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
Am I right about it?
So why did he tell us that?
Because they were making excuses.
The Bible says, and they all with one consent began to make excuse.
The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it.
I pray that they have me excused.
Another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them.
I pray that you have me excused.
Now you know that's a big excuse still.
Going to go out and try some oxen at night.
And another said, I have married a wife.
And therefore I cannot come.
So that servant came and showed his Lord these things.
Then the master of the house being angry said to the servant, go out quickly into the streets and the lanes of the city.
Now come on and look at your neighbor and tell him we got work to do.
Because the night is coming when no man can work.
I'm going to preach in a little while.
Jesus is not talking about a physical harvest of fruits and vegetables.
He's talking about spiritual harvesting of people.
He's talking about the harvest of souls for salvation.
And the main reason why there are only a few workers in the harvest field is because we don't see the harvest, watch this, like Jesus does.
The Bible says that when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd.
You see, the Bible teaches us that there is great joy in heaven over one sinner that repents.
Now watch this, it doesn't mean that everyone has to go to far away places to serve in missions, but everyone has a role to fulfill in God's harvest field.
Think of all the people you see every day.
Families, friends, neighbors, work associates, saints of God, that's our mission field.
And we are responsible to them and for them.
Can I ask y'all a question?
When was the last time you shared the gospel with a friend, a co-worker, or a neighbor?
The field is the world, and there are some crack and meth addicts that need deliverance.
There are some alcoholics that need to be delivered.
Can I preach it like I feel it?
There are some liars, there are some crooks, some ho-mongers, some fornicators, some adulterers, some bike bottles.
Watch this, and some of those were some of you at one time.
There were some haters out there that need Jesus.
Some single parent families that need a helping hand.
We got work to do.
We all need a little help every now and then.
And if it had not been for the Lord who was on our side, there are some on welfare who's not faring very well.
There are those who are stumbling in dark paths of sin, who stands in the need of salvation.
There are those who are downtrodden with the cares of this world, and we need to offer them Jesus, who is far better than anything that the world has to offer.
We got a sign outside of our church, and oftentimes my wife will come up with something, and she'll put on it.
We was in prayer service last night, and I say, the sign has been empty, so we need to put something on it.
And then they just come to me like this, very simple, Jesus is down.
Jesus is the answer.
Whatever your situation is, whatever your problem is, whatever we run up on anybody, whatever's going on in their life, whether they're home-mongers, bite-biters, adulterers, fornicators, drunkards, crackheads, madheads, Jesus is the answer.
We gotta let them know that Jesus said, come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.
For I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
We got work to do.
The Lord is looking for someone he can trust to get the job done.
God is looking for some dependable and loyal people who are not in it for self gain, but for the gain of others.
All of us from the pulpit to the door must be prayerful and diligent in our work for the kingdom of God.
All of us ought to make kingdom building our business.
We got work to do.
Not only are we to pray for others to go into the harvest, but we ought to become harvesters ourselves.
The Lord is looking for someone he can trust to get the job done.
I'm almost finished.
God is looking for some dependable and loyal folk who are not in it for self gain, but for the gain of others.
So my question tonight,
How concerned are you for your brothers and sisters?
Can I preach it like I feel it tonight?
Where were you when your brother was hungry?
Where were you when your brother was thirsty?
Where were you when your brother was a stranger?
Where were you when your brother was homeless?
Where were you when your brother was naked?
Where were you when your brother was sick?
Where were you when your brother was in jail and prison?
Jesus said, inasmuch as you did it for the least of these, my brothers, you did it
Also unto me.
Jesus is saying, don't worry about it if you don't receive any pats on the back.
Remember, you're doing it for me.
Jesus is saying, don't worry about it if your efforts are not recognized.
Remember, you're doing it for me.
Jesus is saying, don't worry about it if they don't want to pay you.
Remember, you're doing it for me.
And Jesus is saying, don't worry about it if they talk about you behind your back.
Remember, you're doing it for me.
And don't worry about it if they don't appreciate you.
Remember, you're doing it for me.
In fact, our rewards in heaven will be determined by the way we treat others.
Those who are hungry, those who are homeless, those who are poor, those who are diseased, those who are imprisoned.
Verily I say unto you, and as much as you have done it unto one of these, a list of my brethren, you have done it unto me.
The apostle Paul said, and as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto some men.
Let us do good to all men, as therefore we have opportunity to let us do good unto all men.
Amen.
Especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
But don't forget the all part.
Oh, we can bless each other, but sometimes you need to go outside the wall.
I wish I had some help tonight.
What we do for others, we do for Christ.
It's only what we do for Christ that's gonna last.
Jesus says, when you saw me a stranger, you took me in.
When you saw me naked, you clothed me.
When you saw me sick in prison, you came to me.
Jesus said, inasmuch as you did it for the least of these, my brethren, you also did it unto me.
We got work to do, because the night is coming, and then no man can work.
So as I go to my seat, I'm reminded of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah had a heart for the work of God.
They tried to intimidate Nehemiah and the people of God.
They ridiculed him, they mocked him, hoping to shame him and make him lose heart in rebuilding the wall.
In chapter four it says, but when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious, completely enraged, and he ridiculed the Jews.
He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, what are these feeble Jews doing?
Can they restore it for themselves?
Can they offer sacrifices?
Can they finish in a day?
Can they revive the stones from the heaps of the dust and rubbish, even the ones that have been burned?
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, even what they are building, if a fox should get up on it, he would break down the stone wall.
And Nehemiah prayed, hear, O our God, how we are despised.
Return their taunts on their own heads.
Give them us as a prey in the land of captivity.
Do not forgive their wrongdoing, and do not let their sin be wiped out before you, for they have offended the builders and provoked you.
So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together to have a site for the people had a heart to work.
Then in the sixth chapter, now when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall,
And there was no breach left in there, although at that time I had not set up doors in the gates.
Sandballot and Gasham sent word to me saying, come, let us meet together in Chaperon in the plain of Ono.
But they were planning to harm me.
So I sent messages to them saying, I am doing a great work and cannot come down.
Why should the work stop while I leave to come down to meet with you?
Everything they tried failed to stop Nehemiah and his team from rebuilding the wall.
Nehemiah said, I'm doing a great work.
It was a great work because it was a work for God.
Watch this, Satan will bring problems to delay God's work.
When we get busy doing God's work, the devil will do all he can to delay us or to prevent us from getting the job done.
Satan sometimes uses things to distract us from what really needs to be done.
Distraction is defined as something that interferes with our concentration or something that takes our attention away.
We have many believers today who are loyal to Jesus and the gospel.
They profess their love for God and they do things out of their love for him.
These people get excited about God's kingdom and His work, but they have the tendency to get easily distracted from the work that God has called them to do.
These men tried almost everything in the book to distract Nehemiah from doing what God had called him to do.
So I just come out tonight to encourage somebody.
I just stop by to tell somebody we got to stay on the wall.
When you're doing a good work, don't come down.
Now come on and look at your neighbor and tell him I'm doing a great work.
And I can't come down.
I gotta go to my seat now.
But whenever you start a work for God, whether it's teaching a class or preaching a sermon or just witnessing about the goodness of God, not to mention pastoring or building a church, some will begin to feel threatened.
Remember, the enemy doesn't want you to succeed in anything that you do for God.
Somebody will start asking questions about your dedication.
What's he or she teaching?
Oh, what are they doing over there?
Oh, why they shout so much?
I don't like the way they teach the Bible.
But here's the deal.
They hating, but they couldn't find Genesis with a magnifying glass.
And they still think the book of Job means job.
Well, I stopped by tonight to tell somebody.
Stay on the wall.
We got work to do.
Can I preach it like I feel it?
You can be the one cleaning the church, cutting the grass.
And the funny thing is, nobody else wanted to do it.
But just as soon as you started doing it, somebody will always be trying to criticize you about how you're doing it.
You missed a spot.
You forgot this.
You forgot that.
Why are you doing it like that?
Are you getting paid to do it?
I wouldn't do that if I were you.
Well, let them talk.
Let them make plans to try and stop you.
When you're on the wall, you're doing a good work.
People will lie on you, they will talk about you, they will plot against you.
But do me a favor, stay on the wall and don't come down because we got work to do.
I heard the Apostle Paul said, if God be for us,
who can be against us.
When you're all about God's business, Satan will always try to hold you back.
Jesus said a thief cometh not, but to steal, kill, and destroy.
But I've come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.
Tell your neighbor, we got work to do.
No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise up against thee in the judgment thou shalt condemn, because greater is he that is in you.
than he that is in the world.
He will always challenge your commitment to stay on the wall.
But thanks be to God, which giveth us a victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren,
Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of your Lord.
For as much as you know, your labor is not in vain.
We got work to do.
We must work the works of him that sent us while it is day.
For the night is coming when no man can work.
We gotta stay on the wall.
We gotta put our foot down like Nehemiah and say, why should the work stop?
I'm doing God's work here.
I was called for this.
I was created for this.
Pastors, stay on the wall.
Church, stay on the wall.
We got work to do.
The night is coming when no man can work.
The Nehemiah, he was a focused man.
Nehemiah was a man on a mission.
a mission directly from God about rebuilding the wall.
He was focused and determined to complete the task that was not going to be distracted.
We must have the same attitude as Nehemiah did at this time.
He basically said to these men, go away, stop bothering me.
I'm too busy working for God.
I'm not going to allow you to distract me from the work that God has called me to do.
Some of us have gotten distracted from the mission.
Jesus knew that the night of the cross was coming.
And he had to press on while it was still day and do the works of God, the Father who had called him.
The same is true for us.
Our time here is limited.
Our night will come when there is no more possible to demonstrate the glory of God.
God is saying to us,
Now is the time.
Today is the day.
We are called to be light in the world to those that have lost their ways.
Too many are lost today, having been preoccupied and distracted, careless about life.
treated careless by others, miscalculated.
Some made some bad decisions, but they all need the light of the world.
We got work to do.
Jesus had a passion to help those that were lost in suffering.
For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
So as I go to my seat, we got to stay focused.
Don't get distracted because we got work to do.
Stay on the wall.
Don't come down.
And when it's all said and done, if God be for us, who can be against us?
Because greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.
We need to keep telling the story.
For God so loved the world,
I wish I had some help tonight.
Y'all gonna help me finish?
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him will not perish.
He loved the world so much that he sent his only begotten son.
He came down through 42 generations, born to the Virgin Mary.
When he became a young man in his ministry, he opened blind eyes.
He opened deaf ears.
He opened dumb tongues.
The lame began to walk.
He raised the dead.
Don't you know when you're doing a good work for the Lord, people will get jealous.
You got to have some haters.
They began to hate on him.
They had a midnight court.
In that midnight court, they had some haters, some liars.
They lied on him.
Yes, they did.
And they whipped him all night long.
And early the next morning, they took him out and laid him down on his old cross.
But he said, no man taketh my life.
I got power to lay it down.
I got power to take it up again.
They stood him up on that old rugged cross on Mount Calvary.
He said, if I'm lifted up, I shall draw all men unto me.
And he died.
He died.
They buried him in a sealed tomb for three days and three nights.
He laid in the tomb, but early
Early, early Sunday morning, he got up.
I said he got up with all power, power to heal, power to deliver, power to set free.
He's gone back.
He's sitting on the right hand of the Father.
interceding on our behalf.
All you gotta do is put one foot forward and he's sitting interceding on your behalf.
We got work to do because one of these days, by and by, he's coming back after a church without spot or wrinkle.
We got work to do.
There are many that are still lost, waiting on you, you, you, you, and you just to speak to them, just to witness to them, just to talk to them, just to treat them like somebody, just to love them.
God say, with love and kindness, have I drawn thee.
With love and kindness, have I drawn thee.
Look at your neighbor, say, we got work to do.
We got to show some love.
It was love that got you here tonight.
It was love that got you where you are.
If somebody would have told you down and beat you up about what you was doing, some of us would still be lost now.
We got to use wisdom.
Now, I don't know about you, but I got lost family members.
I got children not doing what I would like for them to be doing.
I got family members.
I got friends that I left in the streets that's got us sold.
We got to do some harvesting.
We got work to do, church.
We got work to do.
We standing.
We'll let one of y'all do this.
Come on, come on, while you're standing, while you're standing.
We got work to do.
We don't need to look around at nobody else.
This message was for each and every one of us to do a self-examination.
Sometimes we make it hard and difficult.
Most of the time, it's the people you're checking out in line.
in the store.
All you gotta do is show a little love.
People are going through today.
You may not want to believe it, but folk are having hard times.
They can have money and still going through.
Money don't solve everything.
If they don't have Jesus, they're going through.
Y'all know that?
So God have given us work to do.
And we gotta work while it's day.
Day meaning while Jesus have allowed us to be here.
We can't wait until he comes back.
These folk need to be saved.
Amen.
We gonna offer anyone here today, tonight, I'm believing everyone here tonight wanna go see Jesus.
But just in case,
We want to get an invitation.
There's one here this evening or tonight that don't know who Christ is.
You've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Tonight, let me say, you don't want to go home and lay down here in your bed and don't know him.
For tomorrow, the Bible says, what is tomorrow?
It's just a vapor.
What is your life, brother?
Just a vapor.
Tomorrow is not promised to you.
So this evening, while we're here, won't we all just bow our heads in a word of prayer.
Eternal God, our father tonight, we thank you for this message.
We thank you for this word.
We've got work to do.
Lord, if you said I must work the word of him that sent me, where does that leave us at?
That means we've got work to do, Lord.
We thank you that we're still here, you left breath in our bodies.
So we can tell somebody about your goodness.
We don't need to criticize people, and be judgmental about people.
But with love and kindness, you draw people.
So Lord, I pray tonight that you will touch the hearts and the mind of all.
All those that are tuning in on Facebook, touch their hearts and mind.
Thank you for this word.
And for these, we that are here, I believe, God, you've given us a challenge to go out and tell somebody about the goodness of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for this word.
We give you all the praise, the glory, and honor for it tonight.
In Jesus' name, amen and amen.
Come on, put your hand together and give God a praise for this word tonight.
Amen.
Come on, clap again.
Didn't our pastor Howard preach tonight?
You didn't know you were going to get this tonight, did you?
Oh yeah, you come out here, thought you guys going to hear just a service.
No, this man brought a message straight from God.
We got a message tonight.
We got a word from God.
We've got work to do.
Amen.
Tell somebody I'm on the wall, and I ain't coming down.
Amen.
He said so much, I'll be seated, because I preach all over again.
Sit down.
I don't want to do that.
All that was for us tonight.
Come on, say it.
Say it.
Sing and say it.
Your labor, your labor, your labor, your labor is not in vain.
Don't you know that your labor, your labor, your labor, your labor is not in vain.
Hang on in there.
Tell somebody, hang in there.
Hang on in there.
Your labor.
is not in vain.
Don't you know that your labor, your labor, your labor, your labor is not in vain.
God bless you tonight.
Amen.
Your labor is not in vain.
And any minute I tell you why I'm doing it, I'm still doing this.
My church folks heard me say all the time, Chairman Howard,
And I'm 75 and trying to quit, but God won't let me.
Y'all ain't hear what I said.
You know why?
Because I believe God still got work for me to do.
I really do.
Praise the Lord.
Amen.
I don't know how people can quit now.
when the world is in the shape that it's in.
People are dying, they don't know Jesus, and I believe our primary objective ought to be to tell them about Jesus Christ, and not about all these other things that we have.
Let me quit, let me quit.
God bless you tonight.
Praise the Lord.
Thank you, Chairman Howard.
What an awesome work.
Clap one more time, bless him.
All right, we're gonna come back, praise the Lord.
We're not gonna hold you here tonight, cause we're coming back tomorrow night, our district missionary.
All right, come on, come on.
She's coming on tomorrow night.
They meant the women gonna come and serve on tomorrow night.
Amen.
I think I sent out some saying there's a special offers and that's for the district missionary and then you got one for Friday night for the superintendent.
Amen.
Let me say that just in case you didn't know what I was trying to say.
Amen.
Praise the Lord.
Amen.
Let me just say we amen.
We serve you.
And during this time in the district's annual meeting it is that's when you show your appreciation towards your leaders.
I didn't say that earlier but that's really what this is all about.
Amen.
I won't say that again.
Amen.
That's when you show your appreciation toward the missionary and the superintendent.
I won't say that again.
Amen.
All right.
God bless you.
Amen.
Our hearts and minds are clear again.
No my mind ain't clear.
I am so glad brother Ben.
Pastor Ells man you know you.
I call him the chief.
Amen.
I'm so glad to see all of these pastors.
Amen.
These elders, praise the Lord.
Come on, Elder Johnson down here.
Uh-huh, and that gentleman next door, next door there to you, right next to you.
Yes, sir.
Praise the Lord, my friend.
Come on, let's stand.
We're standing.
Praise the Lord, Chairman Howard, going to come and give us the benediction.
Praise the Lord.
Just come back tomorrow night, OK?
That's why I don't want to hold you tonight.
Come on, Chairman.
Till we meet.
Till we meet again.
May his peace be with you.
Till we meet.
Till we meet again.
Till we reach that distant shore.
And we'll shed a tear no more.
May he give you strength to endure.
Till we meet.
Father God, in the name of Jesus, until we meet again, we thank you, Lord.
We thank you for what you've done here tonight.
I know, Father God, you touched somebody's heart.
I know you spoke to somebody, Lord.
because the reason I know it, because you said your word will not return until you void, but that it would accomplish that, for wherefore you send it, Lord God.
Help us, Father God, to realize that every morning when we wake up and open our eyes, that we got work to do, because you have unfinished with us, Lord God.
Give us a word, Father.
Speak to us.
Speak to your people.
Help them to realize they don't have to be preachers and missionaries and evangelists and all that to speak a word, Lord God.
we can witness, Lord God.
And help us, Father God, to always remember, if need be, we must work on ourselves.
Help us to always remember that, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature.
Old things are passed away.
Behold, all things become new.
So I ask you to bless your people as we depart one from another, but never from your presence.
In the precious name of your Son, Jesus the Christ, we pray.
Amen.