Participants: Carlton P. Byrd
Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000193A
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00:06 Today, Dr. Byrd speaks on the topic "Do Your Job."
00:10 And now, here he is, speaker/director of Breath of Life Ministries, Dr. Carlton Byrd. 00:18 PB: Take your Bibles. Go with me to the book of Mark, and we're going 00:22 to go to chapter 1, and we're going to go to verse number 1. As we read today in your hearing, 00:28 Mark chapter 1, verse number 1. The Word of God says to us, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 00:36 the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, 00:42 which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, 00:49 make his paths straight." Everybody say "straight." Aud.: Straight. 00:53 PB: John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 00:58 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him 01:05 in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle 01:12 of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one 01:19 mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 01:26 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." 01:34 Today our message is entitled "Do Your Job." Do your job. Father, in the name of Jesus, bless us now as 01:47 we preach this Word. I invite and plead with your Holy Spirit to come now in this place. God, I seek no 01:54 glory of my own, but we give all honor and glory and praise to You. Forgive us for our sins, and when the 02:01 appeal time comes move in this place by Your Spirit and by Your power. It's in Jesus' name we pray, 02:07 begging for forgiveness of sin. Amen. Do your job. I'm an avid football fan. 02:20 Any other football fans in this place? All right. I grew up in South Florida, so in growing up 02:27 in South Florida I grew to love the Miami Dolphins. [Aud. reaction] 02:34 PB: I didn't get too many amens. [Aud. reaction] 02:39 PB: Now, if I had said the New York Jets or Giants, I probably would have gotten 02:44 church, you don't want to be sacrilegious. Come on, say amen. 02:48 But I grew up loving the Miami Dolphins. But let the record reflect, they are still-- 02:55 whether you like them or not; hate if you want--the only team on record that has had a 03:02 perfect season on record. Come on, say amen. Aud.: Amen. 03:09 PB: All right. Now, when basketball season is over, professional sports gets a 03:18 little boring to me. Baseball does not do it for me; watching nine innings of lifeless 03:29 baseball does not produce any energy, excitement or enthusiasm for me. Do I have a witness 03:39 in this place? [Aud. reaction] 03:41 PB: So it's during this time of year where I long and look forward to the upcoming NFL season. 03:50 Now, one of the greatest rivals of the Miami Dolphins are the New England Patriots. 04:01 [Aud. reaction] PB: That's Sister Alston's team. [Aud. reaction] 04:06 PB: They play in the same division; they play in the same conference, but I can't stand the Patriots. 04:19 [Aud. reaction] PB: Now, the Patriots won the NFL championship this past year. I'm not hating, 04:30 but to their critics it was only one because of Deflate-Gate. This was the accusation that the Patriots 04:44 intentionally underinflated footballs in the AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts--the 04:53 game they had to win to get to the Super Bowl. They beat the Colts, went on to the Super Bowl, 05:01 beat the Seahawks on the last play of the game, and now they're the reigning NFL champs. Now, 05:12 despite whether you like them or not, despite whether you think they cheated or not, despite whether 05:20 you think they had an unfair advantage or not, the Patriots are really good. They have a good team, 05:30 a good star quarterback in Tom Brady, and they have a no-nonsense, say-little coach in Bill Belichick. 05:42 Now, since Belichick has been the coach of the Patriots, his team has enjoyed 14 straight winning seasons. 05:52 They've enjoyed 12 playoff appearances, 6 AFC championships, and they've won 4 Super Bowl titles. 06:04 Pastor Byrd, what does all this have to do with the sermon? Because you don't even like the Patriots, 06:12 and that is true. [Aud. reaction] PB: Hang with me for a bit. I did some reading on Belichick. 06:19 Belichick's success, which has been the team's success, is based on the premise where he calls it a 06:32 "Do Your Job" philosophy. This Do Your Job philosophy is for all coaches, all front-office workers, 06:43 all players." He says, "Everybody do what you're supposed to do; stay in your lane; and work hard." 06:57 He says, "If we do it well, we win. If we don't do it well, we lose. So Do Your Job." The employer 07:12 that has employees says Do Your Job. The parents who give their children household chores say, Do Your Job. 07:29 Jesus, before He left this earth, left us with a simple similar mantra: Do Your Job. Everybody do what 07:45 you're supposed to do; stay in your lane, work hard, and we win. Jesus' version of Do Your Job was 07:57 "Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. 08:06 Teaching them observe whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." 08:12 Do Your Job. Now, when I think of Do Your Job, and I apply it to biblical personalities, 08:20 many individuals come to mind. Adam's job was to name animals; Noah's job was to build an ark; 08:27 Joseph's job was to be secretary of agriculture; Moses' job was to lead the people out of Egypt; 08:34 Caleb's job was to spy out the land; Joshua's job was simply to just march; Gideon's job was to fight; 08:42 Naaman's job was to dip in some water; Mordecai's job was to train and prepare Esther; David's job 08:50 was to kill Goliath; Solomon's job was to build the temple; Hezekiah's job was to stay on the wall. 08:57 Everybody had a job, and they were to do their job. Now we shift, and we come to the New Testament. 09:06 Things take on a different philosophy because now the Messiah, Jesus, the Christ, comes into the picture. 09:16 Jesus has a stated job. Matthew 1:21, "And she shall bring forth a son." "Thou shalt call his name Jesus, 09:25 for he shalt save his people from their" what, everybody? Aud.: Sins. 09:30 PB: But before Jesus comes, there's another person who has a job. His job was to be the forerunner. 09:39 His job was to be the way-preparer. His job was to be the modern-day Elijah. His job was to be a 09:46 precursor to the coming of Jesus Christ. His name was John the Baptist. Now, John and Jesus both had been 09:56 consecrated for God's service from their mothers' wombs, which means they had a job, they had a purpose, 10:02 before they were even born. I wish I had a witness in this place. [Aud. reaction] 10:06 PB: Even their names mean they were divinely selected. Both sets of parents, both mothers-- 10:12 who were cousins by the way--had been told by angels of the significant roles that their offspring 10:18 would play in the redemption of people. Both of their births were in a sense miraculous. 10:25 John was born of Elizabeth, who had been long barren and considered incapable of conceiving children. 10:33 Jesus had been born of Mary, a virgin who had conceived through the Holy Ghost. Both John and Jesus 10:43 complimented each other as much in their differences as in their similarities of their commitment to 10:49 righteousness, to truth, and the kingdom of God. John preached the judgment; Jesus preached the good news. 10:58 John wore camel's hair; Jesus wore a seamless robe. John baptized with water; 11:06 Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost. John's ministry was rural; Jesus' ministry was urban. 11:15 John basically stayed in one place; Jesus, because he's omnipresent, went everywhere. 11:21 John performed no miracle; Jesus restored sight to the blind. John ate wild honey and locusts; 11:31 Jesus ate traditional food of His culture. John's lifestyle was that of a hermit; 11:37 Jesus was more of a social being, going to banquets and feasts and dinners when he was invited. 11:43 Between Jesus and John the Baptist there were enough similarities and differences to satisfy the 11:50 religious palates of any sincere searcher. What a team. John the Baptist and Jesus. 12:00 But the interesting thing, as I study Mark chapter 1 is, they both had a job: John, 12:07 to prepare the way of the Lord; Jesus, to seek and to save that which was lost. 12:15 But today let's focus a bit more on John and his job, because it's John's job that 12:21 sets the stage for our jobs today. Now, anytime God is getting ready to do something big, 12:28 God sends a messenger to foretell what He's getting ready to do. He sent Noah to preach 12:36 "It's going to rain." He sent Elijah to tell Ahab and Jezebel of their impending doom. 12:43 He sent Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh. He sent Jeremiah to cry aloud to the people. 12:49 You will remember that God promised to send his messenger before the children of Israel as 12:54 they journeyed through the wilderness to the Promised Land. You will also remember, friends of mine, 12:57 that years later the prophet spoke of the coming Day when there would be another journey through the 13:03 wilderness and Moses would lead the way. Another Moses, rather, would lead the way. Isaiah, chapter 40, 13:10 verse 3 tells us that John is this messenger, because it speaks the same language of Mark chapter 1, verse 3. 13:18 "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord." So then the people knew 13:32 there was going to be a messenger. They knew a forerunner to the coming of God, but the people were 13:40 waiting for the appearance of a prophet like Moses. They weren't looking for somebody like John. 13:47 They weren't looking for somebody with camel's hair, sporting a homemade leather belt, eating locusts and honey. 13:57 They were looking for somebody in a shirt, a suit, and a tie. I mean, the King of kings, being ushered in by 14:09 somebody who eats bugs and honey? John wasn't a religious scholar. John didn't have letters behind his name. 14:19 John was not the most intellectual man. You wouldn't look at John and expect him to be the forerunner 14:27 of the Most High God. John was a blue-collar guy. Ordinary brother. Regular fellow. And here is the God 14:37 of the universe calling John to be His chosen mouthpiece to foretell the world about His soon-coming Son. 14:45 You all don't hear what I'm saying. But that's just like God, always rooting for the underdog. 14:52 Always pulling for the last, the lost, the least, the unlucky and the left out. God often chooses 15:00 people in His service that other people don't like. [Aud. reaction] 15:05 PB: God uses ordinary people. People like you and me who are willing to do as He commands. 15:11 Because God chooses to use what we would call foolishness to make those of us that think we're 15:17 wise truly look foolish. Man looketh on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. 15:23 Man sees pretension but God sees commitment. Man sees desecration but God sees dedication. 15:30 God is sovereign. God can do what He wants, when He wants, where he wants and how He wants. 15:38 God's thoughts are not our thoughts. God's ways are not our ways. The rabbis had the best robes, 15:45 but John had camel's hair and ate locusts. The Pharisees could pontificate in prayer, 15:51 but John preached the Advent message. The Pharisees and the priests could hoop in their sermons, 15:57 but John had the Holy Ghost. [Aud. reaction] 16:01 PB: John preached the Word of God. John preached the message. John was not a salesman. 16:10 He didn't try to sweet talk you into anything. John wasn't a politician trying to make his words 16:15 match into whatever the popular opinion of the day because John knew you couldn't be popular and 16:19 prophetic at the same time. John didn't care what people thought of him. He didn't care what people 16:27 said about him. John preached a message that would hit you straight in your heart. John would say, 16:34 "I'm not just another guy trying to get you to come to church." But John says, "I've got a special job. 16:42 I've got a special calling." John said, "I've got a divine directive: Prepare the way of the Lord. 16:52 Make the paths straight." John's job was to be the forerunner, the precursor, the predecessor to prepare 17:03 the people for the coming Messiah. That was John's job. But you know what? We also have a similar job. 17:11 Jesus gave us the great Gospel Commission. Everybody, do what you're supposed to do. Do Your Job. 17:20 Stay in your lane. Work hard, and we win. John was to prepare people for Jesus' first coming, 17:29 and our job is to prepare people for the Second Coming. [Aud. reaction] 17:34 PB: Now, this is one of my old-school sermons. If there were ever a time where we needed 17:41 to do our job, it's now. Let me try that one more time. If there were ever a time where the 17:51 people of God need to do their job, it's now. If you look at what happened in this world just this week, 18:01 you have to ask yourself: what in the world is going on? I mean, when people are-- 18:08 can I preach this a little minute? When people aren't safe in prayer meetings, 18:13 you know we're in trouble. I mean, prayer meetings? I mean, we're talking about greater security now, 18:20 in the church. Talking about more cameras now in the church. Talking about, we may have to get metal detectors 18:26 in the church. Who would have thought that in 2015, black people wouldn't be safe in a church on Wednesday night? 18:35 [Aud. reaction] PB: This isn't the 1960s. This isn't 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. 18:43 And you know what? It isn't, 'cause it's worse. The young man said he wanted to kill black people 18:53 He said he wanted to cause a race war. Not only is it bad that he wanted to start a race war, 18:59 but he wanted to start it in the church! [Aud. reaction] 19:03 PB: Let me throw this in. I know this is taped, but I'm going to say it anyhow. 19:07 Please know that for just as many people who shun his actions, there are just as many people 19:13 who support his actions. [Aud. reaction] PB: What in the world is going on? But not only that, 19:22 2015 with all of our sophisticated intelligence. How is it that two prisoners can escape a 19:31 maximum-security state prison and in three weeks only one was found, shot and killed yesterday? 19:37 But the other is still on the loose. What kind of world do we live in, where a prison worker 19:44 can develop affections for mass murderers, and feel the urge to help theme escape by providing 19:52 them with tools to escape. She knows they're plotting to kill her husband. 19:56 She's going to drive a getaway car and all of a sudden she gets cold feet. 20:00 How is it that a prison guard can provide them with other items, aiding their escape in exchange 20:06 for some paintings? Man, I'd have bought you some paintings. 20:10 What in the world is going on? We've had three global terrorist attacks on yesterday. 20:19 In France, a severed head is found hanging from a fence; a decapitated body is found in 20:28 the suspect's van. In Tunisia, three men open gunfire on beachgoers, leaving 37 dead, 20:36 36 wounded. In Kuwait, ISIS claimed responsibility for a blast that killed 25 people 20:44 at a Shiite-affiliated mosque. But all of this is overshadowed by yesterday's 5-4 decision 20:53 of the Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States, which potentially 21:02 threatens religious freedom. You've got people saying, "Well, it doesn't affect me." Yes, it does. 21:09 And when religious freedom is threatened, you know what's next. "And he shall speak great words 21:15 against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, to change times and laws: 21:22 and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." 21:28 You've got the Pope calling for unity; reconciliation of all faith groups and denominations. 21:36 And I was taught as a little boy, whenever you hear peace and safety, know there's sudden destruction. 21:40 Dragon--I'm going to preach it. Others may not preach it, but I'm going to preach it-- 21:47 "The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, 21:53 which keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus Christ." Hallelujah, somebody. 22:00 Church, we've got a job to do. [Aud. reaction] PB: Prepare ye the way of the Lord. 22:09 I may be by myself, but I'm going to prepare the way. [Aud. reaction] 22:14 PB: Be the forerunner. Preach the gospel, in season and out of season. I hear people tell me, 22:21 "Pastor, folk don't want to hear about the true Church. I've got 130 witnesses and testimonies 22:26 in San Antonio, Texas, that will hear this gospel! [Aud. reaction] 22:32 PB: Preach the gospel, whether it's popular or not. Aud.: Amen. 22:40 PB: Preach the gospel, whether you like it or not. [Aud. reaction] 22:44 PB: Preach the gospel. Do Your Job. Our world is secular. Our world is postmodern. Our world is different. 22:55 Our world is not Christian. Our morals are low, our churches are dying, our people are sleeping in church. 23:05 Do you realize what's going on? Wrong seems right. Right seems wrong. Do Your Job! 23:15 People are getting tired now. Folk are getting tired. Folk tired of revelation without relevance. Folk are tired of plastic, 23:25 phony, lifeless, flat, comatose ministry. People are tired of coming to church and getting hollered at. 23:32 People leave church, and they don't even know what the message is about. People are tired of seeing the 23:37 emphasis of policy placed over the needs of people. People are tired of never getting delivered from their problems. 23:43 People are tired of being unable to come to a church where they can share their burdens and problems, 23:50 simply because they are afraid of what other folk may say after they come clean. 23:57 [Aud. reaction] PB: Folk are tired of judgmental, legalistic, finger-pointing folk finding holier-than-thou attitudes. 24:06 People are getting tired of watching all these preachers, hearing about tithe there ain't nobody getting blessed but the preacher. 24:16 [Aud. reaction] PB: Folk getting tired of coming to church, no transformation. Leaving the same way they came. 24:25 We've got to get the point, back to the books. We've got to get back to the point where we believe in this Word. 24:34 I believe in this Word. I believe I can step on demons. I believe I can tread on serpents. 24:42 I believe that God's got the power to speak to somebody's life and lift them up off their 24:48 sickbed of affliction. I'm the top, not the bottom. The head, not the tail. Above, not beneath. 24:55 The lender and not the borrower. If you don't believe this Word, then get out of my way, in the name of Jesus. 25:04 [Aud. reaction] PB: God is coming back for a people without spot or wrinkle. He's coming back for a 25:12 people that believe in this Word. Not only do they believe in this Word, they believe in this work. 25:18 They believe in this--what, everybody? Aud.: Work. 25:20 PB: I'm tired of folk bashing the church. Do Your Job. Stay in your lane. Work hard, and we win. 25:30 I said, Do Your Job, stay in your lane, work hard, and we win. We will win against this 25:38 fight against sin. In the Lord's work today there are a great variety of jobs that 25:45 need to be done. Not just jobs around this church, but jobs that need to be done in the 25:51 lives of people. Somewhere today there's a sick child who needs medicine but his parents 25:58 can't afford it. Somewhere today, there's a boy who needs a new pair of shoes but his 26:05 mom and daddy can't afford it. Somewhere today, there's a child that nobody wants. 26:11 Somewhere today, there's a meal that needs to be fixed. Somewhere today, there's a house 26:19 that needs to be painted; grass that needs to be cut; lights that need to be kept on. 26:27 Somewhere today, there's a person that needs to be shown some kindness. Somewhere today, 26:35 there's an older person who needs help. Somewhere today, there's somebody on dope who 26:42 wants to get off. Somewhere today, there's a teen mother who is overwhelmed and feels like giving up. 26:49 Somewhere today, there's a God-ordained marriage between a man and a woman that's on its way to divorce court. 26:59 Somewhere today, there's someone who wants to go to heaven, but they just don't know how. 27:07 Look around you. Look at yourself. Look in the mirror. Learn to see people the way God sees them. 27:16 Learn to look around with the eyes of God; see their hurts, see their needs, see their longings. 27:25 People need hope today. Do Your Job! There are a lot of people who work and they're very busy 27:34 around the church. But I'm not sure they're doing the Lord's work in the Lord's way. 27:39 [Aud. reaction] PB: You see, I've learned. I'm very busy, but I've got to make sure I 27:43 maximize my time. There's busyness without fruitfulness very often in the church, 27:49 and it may be because people are busy working not in the Spirit but in the flesh. 27:54 It may be because they're too lazy to really do it well, or it may be because they're really 27:59 not evangelizing or edifying; they're just busy. 28:08 >: Thank you for joining us for another exciting broadcast. 28:12 We'd like you to partner with us as we offer the Breath of Life to a dying world. 28:17 All of our sermon titles and DVDs can be purchased at www.BreathofLife.tv. 28:24 Until next time, God loves you! |
Revised 2015-08-13