BREATH OF LIFE
MINISTRIES PRESENTS:
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SERMON #593 - "What's
Happening to the Church"
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[BREATH OF LIFE THEME Music]
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PB:  Let's go to First
Corinthians 16, verses 13 and
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14. The Word of God says, "Watch
ye, stand fast in the faith,
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quit you like men, be
strong. Let all your things be
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done with charity." So
I only have two verses, '
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cause we don't need
to be long. Don't have to
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be everlasting to be eternal.
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The New International
Version puts it this way,
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"Be on your guard.
Stand firm in the faith.
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Be courageous and be
strong. Do everything in love."
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Our message and
challenge today is entitled
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"What's
Happening to the Church?"
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What's happening
to the church. Father,
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bless us now. Hide
me behind Your cross.
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Speak through me to
speak to Your people.
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Forgive us of
our sins, and, Lord,
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I don't know what
You're gonna do and how
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You're gonna do it,
but during the sermon,
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Lord, just do it.
We lift up Your waiting
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congregation that
they may hear Your still,
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small voice speak to
them today. It's in Jesus'
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name we pray. Let
everyone say amen.
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Aud.:  Amen.  PB: 
And amen. What's happened
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to the Church? Now
before we answer this
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question we must
first ask ourselves about
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the context to which
this question is asked.
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Because many
different answers can be given
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to this question
based on the culture,
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customs and context
of the one speaking.
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If you're a
conservative and you ask, what's
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happened to the
Church? They'll tell you the
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Church is too
worldly. It's too liberal.
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Too much entertainment.
All these screens,
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all this music, all
these gimmicks. It doesn't
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take all that. But if
you ask a liberal what's
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happened to the
Church, they'll tell you the
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Church is antiquated,
archaic, outdated, old,
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irrelevant, and
waxes in obsolete ministry
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practices that don't
impact the 21st-century person.
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If you ask a
theologian what has happened to
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the Church, they'll
tell you it's lost its
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theological power. The
gospel is being watered
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down and the academic
strength of the Word is
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not being
articulated enough. There's too
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much style and no
substance. But if you ask
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a practitioner, or
somebody who's just trying
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to make it, what's
happened to the Church,
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they'll tell you,
look, I don't need all the
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big words. I don't need
to know what the Hebrew,
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Greek or Aramaic say.
I just need me some Jesus
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to help me to make it
from day to day. My kids
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are out of control, my
marriage is on the rocks,
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my bills are due, my
money is low, and I just
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need to know that I
can make it. Same question,
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but two different schools
of thought for the answer.
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But for me today, I
want to be, go beyond the
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liberal and the
conservative; go beyond what
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the theologian or the
practitioner has to say,
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and see what Jesus has to say.
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Now before we go any
further on what's happened
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to the Church, I
believe it's necessary to
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be reminded of what
the Church is and what
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the Church is not.
First of all, the Church
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is not an exclusive
club. The Church is an
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inclusive
fellowship. In other words,
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the Church is not
a closed society but
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an open
fellowship. Do I have a witness
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in this place?
Number two, nobody's better
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than anybody else in
God's Church, because
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the same blood of
Jesus that's flowing in my
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veins is the same
blood of Jesus that's
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flowing in your
veins. The same Jesus that
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died for you is the
same Jesus that died for me.
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There are no big Is or
little yous in God's Church.
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So because nobody's
better than anybody else
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in God's church,
there's no superior race in
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God's Church. Red and
yellow, black and white,
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all of us are
precious in God's sight.
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Jesus came to this
world to save sinners.
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Not white
sinners, not black sinners,
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not red sinners,
not yellow sinners,
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but He came to save all sinners.
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Number three, the
church is not a favored group.
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The Bible says, for
God so loved the world.
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The Bible does
not say, for God so
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loved only the
Church. Make sure you
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understand First
Peter 2:9, when it says
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we are a chosen
generation. Yes, we're a
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chosen generation,
but our chosen-ness
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does not mean that
we have had conferred
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upon us some special
honor in the sense of
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being favored; but
rather it means that we
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have been chosen by
God to be His servants,
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to the service of
mankind; which is why
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Pathfinders were
taught, "and we are
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servants of God
and friends to men."
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Number four, the
Church is not ours.
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We may have the
title and the deed to
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the property, but
God and God alone has
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the title and the
deed to the spiritual body,
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which is the living
Church. It was Jesus, remember,
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who said "Upon this
rock I'll build my Church."
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So let me let you know
something. I don't care
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how long you've been in
the Church. I don't care
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how much money you've
given the Church. This is
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God's Church, not
your Church. Not my Church,
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but God's Church. Do I
have a witness in this place?
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Now that we've been
reminded of what the Church
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is not, let's talk
about what the Church is.
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The Church is the
family of God. The family of
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whom, everybody?  Aud.:  God.
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PB:  Which means, one
doesn't really join it,
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but one is born in
it. But to be born in the
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Church you have to
follow the imperative of
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Jesus and be born
again. Number two, the
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Church is an
imperfect fellowship. It's not
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made up of perfect
people, but people who
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are striving for
perfection. There are no
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perfect churches. Let
me say that one more time.
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There are no
perfect churches. God has no
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perfect churches
because there are no
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perfect people. All
have sinned and come
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short of the glory of
God. I tell people all
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the time, if you find
a perfect church please
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don't join it,
because you gonna mess it up.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
 But I'm so glad that
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I serve a God who can
take our imperfections
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and He can change
us. I wish I had somebody
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who knew what I was
talking about. If any man
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be in Christ, he's a
new creature. All things
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are passed away; all
things shall become new.
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It doth not yet
appear what we shall be, but
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we know that when He
doth appear, in a moment,
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in a twinkling of an
eye, we shall be like Him.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
But the last characteristic
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that I will mention
today regarding what the
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Church is expresses
the Church's purpose. Now
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"purpose" refers to
that for which something
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is created. Purpose
is why something exists.
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The purpose of food
is to nourish the body.
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The purpose of clothing
is to cover up the body.
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The purpose of water
is to replenish the body,
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and the purpose of
the Church is twofold.
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Number one, it is
to fulfill the Gospel
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Commission of
Matthew 28: Go ye therefore
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and teach all nations
and then baptize them.
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Now we talked about
number one last month,
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so today, as we begin
this new month, we talk
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about number two, the
purpose of the Church.
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It is to serve
humanity. We are here to help
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meet human need. The
Church, as the redeemed
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and redemptive
fellowship, is the physical
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presence of Jesus
Christ in this world.
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When Jesus was on this
earth, He met people's needs.
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Ellen White makes it
clear that Christ's method
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alone will do more
than anything. He won
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people's confidence,
then He bade them follow Me.
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As Christ's representatives,
as His followers
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and servants, as His
physical presence in the
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world we should follow
His example. Spread the
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gospel, and meet
people's needs. But I'm afraid
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the Church has gotten to
the point that the Gospel
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Commission in our mind
only means going door to door,
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handing out tracts and
flyers. I like that, and
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while evangelism does
include this, evangelism is
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a more broad, or
broader and deeper than this.
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Because evangelism
also includes how we witness
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in our interpersonal
relationships, in our business
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and professional
activities, in our civic social
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responsibility, and it's
the latter that I believe
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the Church has forgotten.
What's happened to the
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Church? In our society
today, in our context today,
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the Church has become silent.
The Church has become quiet.
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The Church has become
neutered. The Church has become
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castrated to the issues
that plague our society.
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The Church has not placed
primacy on meeting human needs.
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What do I mean, on
Black History Sabbath?
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The Church used to
be the mighty voice of
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God in the civil
rights movement that spoke
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out against the
social ills of the day.
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The Church used to
be the gathering place
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for civic
meetings, general assemblies,
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and civil
disobedience rallies to protest
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the social and
humanitarian abuses of the day.
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The Church, and
from the Church's pulpit,
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or the place where it
was preached. Darkness
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cannot drive out darkness.
Only light can do that.
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Hate cannot drive out
hate, only love can do that.
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It was from the
Church, where it was preached.
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In the end, we will
remember not the words of our
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enemies but the
silence of our friends. And so
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I get concerned--and I
know you're gonna quote me,
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but that's all
right--when I hear people say,
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don't mix church and
politics. Let me be clear today:
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When you speak about
social justice, that's
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not politics. That's
meeting a human need.
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[Aud. reaction]  PB:
 When you speak about
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fighting the AIDS
epidemic, that's not politics,
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that's meeting a
human need. When you speak
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about the Black
Lives Matter movement,
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the Blue Lives Matter
movement, the All Lives
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Matter movement,
that's not politics. That's
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meeting human need.
When you speak out against
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the senseless
killings of black youth at the
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hands of police, and
then the senseless killings
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of police at the hands
of black people, that's
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not politics.
That's meeting human needs.
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But let me needle this
a bit more. When you speak
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out against the unrighteous
use of words to denigrate
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and castigate people
from African and Caribbean
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countries like
Haiti, that's not politics.
00:12:14.73\00:12:19.20
That's meeting
human needs. Somebody say,
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you'd better be
careful what you preach.
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You on TV, on Breath
of Life. I don't care!
00:12:23.24\00:12:25.81
If God be for us,
who can be against us?
00:12:25.84\00:12:31.75
[Aud. reaction] 
PB:  When you speak out
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against the immoral
deportation of immigrants,
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separating them from
their spouses and children,
00:12:37.15\00:12:41.22
that's not politics.
That's meeting human need.
00:12:41.26\00:12:45.86
When you speak out
against those who oppose the
00:12:45.89\00:12:49.06
Dreamer movement,
that's not politics.
00:12:49.10\00:12:53.84
That's meeting human
needs. It's not a child's
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fault that they
were born in America.
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No one asks to be
born, you're just born.
00:12:59.37\00:13:02.41
But after you've
been born, the Church has
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a responsibility
to meet human needs.
00:13:06.31\00:13:12.39
[Aud. reaction] 
PB:  Pastor Byrd, what's
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happening to the
Church? The Church is not
00:13:14.66\00:13:18.16
speaking up. I'm not
just talking about what
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we eat, what day we
worship on, or what happens
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when we die. I'm also
talking about how we live;
00:13:26.94\00:13:30.07
how we should be
treated, and how we serve our
00:13:30.11\00:13:33.88
fellow man. Church,
we've got a problem.
00:13:33.91\00:13:37.38
We still live in a
society where the rich get
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tax breaks and the
poor get back breaks.
00:13:40.05\00:13:42.68
We still live in a
country where, depending on
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where you live, you
can't count on police
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protection but
rather police harassment.
00:13:48.56\00:13:51.63
We will live in a
country where you can't
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go to the airport or
the store because you're
00:13:53.70\00:13:55.23
afraid you might be
separated from your family.
00:13:55.26\00:13:57.63
We live in a country
where you have to work twice
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as hard to make it
simply because you don't
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come from the right
family, the right zip code,
00:14:01.87\00:14:03.64
the right schools, or
you're not the right color.
00:14:03.67\00:14:06.64
And somebody's gotta
stand up. Somebody's gotta
00:14:06.68\00:14:13.15
use their platform to
stand up and speak up.
00:14:13.18\00:14:18.05
Somebody's got to man
up! And it's time for the
00:14:18.09\00:14:21.89
Church to stand up,
speak up, and man up.
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I must confess today,
I praise God for people
00:14:27.50\00:14:30.70
like our honoree. Sir
Patrick Allen, who have
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had their foundation
in the Church and are now
00:14:33.90\00:14:35.84
being used by God to be
a mighty voice in circles
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I'm not in; at tables
you're not sitting at;
00:14:38.71\00:14:42.91
in board rooms we're
not invited to. Somebody's
00:14:42.94\00:14:46.28
gotta be a modern-day
Daniel. [Aud. reaction]
00:14:46.31\00:14:48.82
PB:  And praise God,
we've got a Daniel in
00:14:48.85\00:14:53.76
the Queen's
court. Come on, say amen.
00:14:53.79\00:14:55.32
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
 Somebody said, do you
00:14:55.36\00:14:59.83
know the queen?
Yes, vicariously through
00:14:59.86\00:15:01.66
Sir Patrick Allen.
Come on, say amen, somebody.
00:15:01.70\00:15:04.97
[Aud. reaction] 
PB:  So I tell people.
00:15:05.00\00:15:06.90
I tell people, 'cause
you know, I get letters.
00:15:06.94\00:15:09.80
You know I get letters.
I have a lot of fan mail.
00:15:09.84\00:15:12.11
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
But if I didn't get fan mail,
00:15:12.14\00:15:17.95
that would mean I'm
not doing something right.
00:15:17.98\00:15:19.95
Are you hearing what
I'm saying? I tell people,
00:15:19.98\00:15:22.12
don't hate where he
is. Celebrate where he is.
00:15:22.15\00:15:27.16
You see, I did a little,
a little looking at this-
00:15:27.19\00:15:29.76
-speaking of hating on
people--I believe hating
00:15:29.79\00:15:31.73
is the result of
a slave mentality.
00:15:31.76\00:15:34.40
[Aud. reaction]  PB: 
It's not just a crab mentality.
00:15:34.46\00:15:37.80
You can't be free.
If you gonna be free,
00:15:37.83\00:15:41.44
I gotta be free. And
if you can't be free,
00:15:41.47\00:15:43.51
I can't be free. No.
It's a slave mentality.
00:15:43.54\00:15:46.54
In other words, the
psychological chains are
00:15:46.57\00:15:49.31
still on, even
after the physical chains
00:15:49.34\00:15:51.68
have come off.
Oppression: those are the people
00:15:51.71\00:15:55.25
where they've been
given psychological consent
00:15:55.28\00:15:58.09
to their own
slavery. There are some folk
00:15:58.12\00:16:00.72
who feel you can't
change the system. Why?
00:16:00.76\00:16:04.03
The chains are
still on their minds.
00:16:04.06\00:16:08.00
Let me tell you
something. Young people,
00:16:08.03\00:16:10.10
listen to me good.
The old folk will tell
00:16:10.13\00:16:11.77
you this. Back in
the day, everybody did
00:16:11.80\00:16:15.50
not like Martin
Luther King. [Aud. reaction]
00:16:15.54\00:16:18.81
PB:  Let, let,
let's be real. Everybody
00:16:18.84\00:16:21.24
running around
clapping now, but back in
00:16:21.28\00:16:23.78
the day,
everybody did not appreciate
00:16:23.81\00:16:26.61
Martin Luther King.
Every black person did
00:16:26.65\00:16:30.29
not support
Martin Luther King. Now,
00:16:30.32\00:16:33.79
they on the
bandwagon now. Just like when
00:16:33.82\00:16:36.99
Barack Obama ran
for president. Oh,
00:16:37.03\00:16:38.36
he won't win; he
won't win. Then when
00:16:38.39\00:16:40.06
he won, praise God.
Barack Obama! Nah, nah.
00:16:40.10\00:16:42.60
[Aud. reaction] 
PB:  Some black folk,
00:16:42.63\00:16:46.50
back in the day,
thought that King was
00:16:46.53\00:16:49.87
causing trouble.
But I'm so glad that
00:16:49.90\00:16:54.74
Martin Luther King
didn't let that stop him.
00:16:54.78\00:16:58.15
If he did and had,
we'd still be in physical
00:16:58.18\00:17:02.32
and legal chains
of slavery right now.
00:17:02.35\00:17:05.22
That's why I say to
the governor general:
00:17:05.25\00:17:06.92
Keep doing what
you're doing. Don't worry
00:17:06.96\00:17:09.12
about what people
say, keep doing what
00:17:09.16\00:17:11.13
you're doing.
Continue to speak up.
00:17:11.16\00:17:13.33
Let me tell you
something: Everybody
00:17:13.36\00:17:14.73
in this place, don't you
forget where you come from.
00:17:14.73\00:17:17.10
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
 If we had gone along
00:17:17.13\00:17:19.67
to get along with
every issue of injustice,
00:17:19.70\00:17:21.64
where would we be?
Some people think that to
00:17:21.67\00:17:24.31
follow Christ, we have
to take a vow of slaughter
00:17:24.34\00:17:26.21
and suffering.
Roll over and play dead.
00:17:26.24\00:17:30.58
But King said it
best: Freedom is never
00:17:30.61\00:17:32.61
voluntarily
given by the oppressor.
00:17:32.65\00:17:34.82
It must be
demanded by the oppressed.
00:17:34.85\00:17:37.39
That's biblical. Even
Jesus went in the temple.
00:17:37.42\00:17:41.52
Even Jesus went in the
church, and He took a whip,
00:17:41.56\00:17:44.73
and He cast out the
moneychangers and made
00:17:44.76\00:17:48.76
His church a den of
thieves. In the spirit of
00:17:48.80\00:17:51.80
black history, as we
talk about the black Church,
00:17:51.83\00:17:54.60
let me remind you.
Listen to me, young people.
00:17:54.64\00:17:57.01
Our black congregations
have a rich history.
00:17:57.04\00:18:00.08
People who speak
negatively about the black
00:18:00.11\00:18:03.48
Church are often
uninformed. I didn't want to
00:18:03.51\00:18:07.35
use the word
"ignorant," but uninformed about
00:18:07.38\00:18:10.52
the principled history
of the Church. In fact,
00:18:10.55\00:18:13.62
the oldest institution
in the black community
00:18:13.66\00:18:16.79
is the Church.  [Aud. reaction]
00:18:16.83\00:18:19.19
PB:  Before black folk
had formal organizations
00:18:19.23\00:18:22.86
to protect against
the evils of slavery,
00:18:22.90\00:18:24.57
the black Church
kept the flame of freedom
00:18:24.60\00:18:27.80
burning in their
hearts. When slavery and
00:18:27.84\00:18:30.44
oppression
dehumanized our forefathers,
00:18:30.47\00:18:32.57
when discrimination and
segregation degraded them,
00:18:32.61\00:18:35.31
it was the black Church
who taught 'em how to sing.
00:18:35.34\00:18:38.38
I'm gonna sit at the
welcome table. I'm gonna
00:18:38.41\00:18:41.98
feast on milk and
honey. I'm gonna sing and
00:18:42.02\00:18:45.12
never get tired. One
of these days. When our
00:18:45.15\00:18:47.39
fathers were weak
physically and spiritually;
00:18:47.42\00:18:49.86
when our mothers were
robbed of hope, the words
00:18:49.89\00:18:52.39
of the preacher pushed
them on with Walk Together,
00:18:52.43\00:18:55.40
Children. Don't you
get weary. Don't you ever
00:18:55.43\00:18:58.93
forget that from the
black Church came singers
00:18:58.97\00:19:01.97
like Mahalia
Jackson. [Aud. reaction]
00:19:02.00\00:19:04.24
PB:  Marian
Anderson. From the black Church
00:19:04.27\00:19:06.54
came educators like Benjamin
Mays, Mary McLeod Bethune.
00:19:06.57\00:19:10.21
From the black
Church came politicians like
00:19:10.25\00:19:14.72
Adam Clayton
Powell and Barack Obama.
00:19:14.75\00:19:17.72
From the black
Church came civil rights
00:19:17.75\00:19:20.26
leaders Martin Luther
King and Medgar Evers.
00:19:20.29\00:19:22.89
From the black
Church came preachers like
00:19:22.92\00:19:27.23
Gardner Taylor and
Elder Charles Bradford.
00:19:27.23\00:19:29.40
From the black
Church. The past of the black
00:19:29.43\00:19:32.60
Church has been
fruitful and productive.
00:19:32.63\00:19:34.94
But the question
begs asking: but what's
00:19:34.97\00:19:37.57
happening to the Church now?
00:19:37.61\00:19:39.97
Let me tell you
this: The black Church
00:19:40.01\00:19:42.78
can't afford to
face the future by being
00:19:42.81\00:19:44.45
a weak imitation
of a country club.
00:19:44.48\00:19:47.02
The black church
building can't just
00:19:47.05\00:19:51.25
serve the church
membership but must also
00:19:51.29\00:19:53.42
serve the persons in
need in our community.
00:19:53.46\00:19:56.19
The black Church
must strive not only to
00:19:56.22\00:19:57.96
serve the
classes but the masses.
00:19:57.99\00:20:00.76
That means black
people, which people,
00:20:00.80\00:20:03.20
red people, yellow
people, and all people.
00:20:03.23\00:20:06.43
[Aud. reaction]  PB:
 The Church cannot be
00:20:06.47\00:20:09.87
silent on issues of
racism, war, poverty or
00:20:09.90\00:20:13.17
injustice. The
Church must speak up.
00:20:13.21\00:20:16.58
Don't worry if
people get mad, speak up!
00:20:16.61\00:20:20.18
Don't worry if
money gets low, speak up!
00:20:20.22\00:20:23.89
Don't worry if
budgets decline, speak up!
00:20:23.92\00:20:26.89
God will take of
you. Ellen White said,
00:20:26.92\00:20:30.23
we have nothing to
fear for the future,
00:20:30.26\00:20:32.76
lest we forgot how God
has led us in the past.
00:20:32.79\00:20:37.80
The Bible is full of
military terminology.
00:20:37.83\00:20:41.30
We're told to put on
the whole armor of God,
00:20:41.34\00:20:43.74
in Ephesians 6. We're
told to be good soldiers,
00:20:43.77\00:20:46.78
in 2 Timothy 2. We're
told, Jesus is our Captain,
00:20:46.81\00:20:50.21
in Hebrews 2. But
too many Christians think
00:20:50.25\00:20:53.31
that the Body of
Christ is not supposed to be
00:20:53.35\00:20:55.18
a militant body waging
aggressive warfare against
00:20:55.22\00:20:58.29
the devil. But it's
high time that we face up to
00:20:58.32\00:21:02.56
the fact that God has
not just called us to giddy
00:21:02.59\00:21:05.79
church gatherings,
meetings where food is served;
00:21:05.83\00:21:10.03
or denigrate into
prosperous social clubs full of
00:21:10.07\00:21:13.20
people caring about
nobody but themselves.
00:21:13.23\00:21:16.04
But God has called
the Church to war against
00:21:16.07\00:21:21.14
the works of
darkness. War against racism.
00:21:21.18\00:21:25.05
War against
injustice. War against poverty.
00:21:25.08\00:21:29.15
War against AIDS.
War against cancer.
00:21:29.18\00:21:31.45
The Church is God's
physical representation
00:21:31.49\00:21:35.26
in the world. 
First John 3 and 8 tell us
00:21:35.29\00:21:39.19
that Jesus came
to destroy the works
00:21:39.23\00:21:41.20
of the devil, but
some folk read this text,
00:21:41.23\00:21:43.53
Jesus came to destroy
the works of the devil,
00:21:43.57\00:21:45.53
and they say, we
don't have to do anything
00:21:45.57\00:21:47.37
because Jesus
already did it all.
00:21:47.40\00:21:49.47
But that's foolish mentality,
00:21:49.50\00:21:51.67
because if the
works of Satan were
00:21:51.71\00:21:53.31
completely destroyed, why is sin
00:21:53.34\00:21:55.21
accelerating at
such a rapid pace?
00:21:55.24\00:21:58.11
Jesus wants to
destroy the works of
00:21:58.15\00:22:00.88
Satan through His Body, here on
00:22:00.92\00:22:03.55
this earth.
Jesus wants to destroy
00:22:03.59\00:22:05.85
the works of Satan through us.
00:22:05.89\00:22:08.76
Somebody's still not getting it.
00:22:08.79\00:22:10.33
Let me try it
this way: Whenever we
00:22:10.36\00:22:13.46
pass out
anointed literature, we're
00:22:13.50\00:22:16.70
destroying the works of Satan.
00:22:16.73\00:22:18.70
Whenever we give Bible studies,
00:22:18.73\00:22:21.37
we're destroying
the works of Satan.
00:22:21.40\00:22:24.24
Whenever we preach
what thus saith the Lord,
00:22:24.27\00:22:27.58
we're destroying
the works of Satan.
00:22:27.61\00:22:31.08
Whenever we speak
out against racism,
00:22:31.11\00:22:34.32
we're destroying
the works of Satan.
00:22:34.35\00:22:37.89
When we preach,
whenever we preach that
00:22:37.92\00:22:40.76
it's wrong to
favor one race over
00:22:40.79\00:22:42.99
another race,
we're destroying the
00:22:43.02\00:22:45.46
works of Satan.
Whenever we preach that
00:22:45.49\00:22:48.83
it's wrong to call a country-
00:22:48.86\00:22:50.47
-and I dare not
say what it was called-
00:22:50.50\00:22:52.43
-a negative
country, we're destroying
00:22:52.47\00:22:55.97
the works of
Satan. When we speak out
00:22:56.00\00:22:59.07
against police
brutality, we're destroying
00:22:59.11\00:23:01.94
the works of Satan.
When we provide health
00:23:01.98\00:23:04.81
care to everybody,
we're destroying the
00:23:04.85\00:23:07.38
works of Satan. When
we challenge the fact
00:23:07.42\00:23:10.15
that the rich are
getting richer and the
00:23:10.19\00:23:12.39
poor are getting
poorer, we're destroying
00:23:12.42\00:23:15.12
the works of Satan.
When we preach abstinence
00:23:15.16\00:23:17.43
to our single young
people, and combat AIDS,
00:23:17.46\00:23:20.13
we are destroying
the works of Satan.
00:23:20.16\00:23:23.13
Whenever we have
support substance groups,
00:23:23.16\00:23:25.90
abuse groups, support groups for
00:23:25.93\00:23:28.17
substance-abuse
users, we're destroying
00:23:28.20\00:23:30.01
the works of
Satan. When we teach that
00:23:30.04\00:23:33.34
the ground is
level at the cross,
00:23:33.38\00:23:35.68
we're destroying
the works of Satan.
00:23:35.71\00:23:38.75
Let me be clear
today: We don't destroy
00:23:38.78\00:23:40.62
the works of Satan
with our silence to abuse;
00:23:40.65\00:23:44.25
our indifference to
immigration; our consent
00:23:44.29\00:23:48.29
to racist
rhetoric; our complicity to
00:23:48.32\00:23:51.93
tragic tweets, or our
ignoring the me-too movement.
00:23:51.96\00:24:03.37
We don't destroy
the works of Satan with
00:24:03.41\00:24:06.98
meaningless,
irrelevant church programs,
00:24:07.01\00:24:09.38
insulated social
activities, or sitting
00:24:09.41\00:24:11.55
in our comfortable
pews week after week.
00:24:11.58\00:24:15.45
Religious
activities--listen to me good-
00:24:15.48\00:24:18.05
-will never do damage
to the kingdom of hell.
00:24:18.09\00:24:21.02
The Church must
destroy the works of Satan
00:24:21.06\00:24:25.59
by taking aggressive,
militant action against it.
00:24:25.63\00:24:30.27
And so, I close with
what the Apostle Paul
00:24:30.30\00:24:32.50
said in our text.
"Be on your guard.
00:24:32.53\00:24:35.50
Stand firm in the
faith. Be courageous.
00:24:35.54\00:24:40.44
Be strong. Do
everything in love."
00:24:40.48\00:24:45.91
Paul closes out
this letter to the church
00:24:45.95\00:24:49.52
at Corinth, and he
gives an exhortation
00:24:49.55\00:24:52.15
which is
applicable to all Christians.
00:24:52.19\00:24:54.99
It contains five
brief imperatives, four
00:24:55.02\00:24:57.76
of which are closely
related. Taken together,
00:24:57.79\00:25:00.86
these four
imperatives remind us the
00:25:00.90\00:25:02.90
purpose of the
Church. But more than that,
00:25:02.93\00:25:06.07
Paul gives us
through this text an example
00:25:06.10\00:25:08.17
of a metaphor of a
church as an army at war.
00:25:08.20\00:25:11.97
The four
imperatives here have a military
00:25:12.01\00:25:14.04
background and are
like a commander's orders
00:25:14.08\00:25:16.78
to his soldiers. This
shouldn't surprise us,
00:25:16.81\00:25:19.21
because Paul uses military
language in Ephesians 6,
00:25:19.25\00:25:22.95
when he tells us to
fight against the devil.
00:25:22.98\00:25:25.19
Because he says,
"We wrestle not against
00:25:25.22\00:25:27.06
flesh and blood but
against principalities
00:25:27.09\00:25:29.39
and powers, against
rulers of the darkness,
00:25:29.42\00:25:31.06
spiritual
wickedness in high places."
00:25:31.09\00:25:32.93
But in First
Corinthians 16, Paul tells
00:25:32.96\00:25:35.53
us more than who we're fighting.
00:25:35.56\00:25:37.13
He says it's
more than what kind of
00:25:37.17\00:25:38.73
armor to put on, but
he tells us how to fight.
00:25:38.77\00:25:41.40
This war is not
physical. This war is not
00:25:41.44\00:25:46.98
against people, per
se. It's a spiritual
00:25:47.01\00:25:50.01
battle to liberate
people from the spiritual
00:25:50.05\00:25:52.55
forces of evil. So
although this war is
00:25:52.58\00:25:57.22
not physical,
it's still a real war;
00:25:57.25\00:25:59.72
a war with real
objectives, real rules,
00:25:59.75\00:26:02.72
real casualties, real
victories, and real defeats.
00:26:02.76\00:26:05.09
But number one, Paul
says, "Be on your guard."
00:26:05.13\00:26:08.43
Be on your what,
everybody? Aud.:  Guard.
00:26:08.46\00:26:10.20
PB:  Come on, be on
your what, everybody?
00:26:10.23\00:26:11.63
Aud.:  Guard.  PB: 
In other words, he says,
00:26:11.67\00:26:12.97
be alert. This
means to be watchful,
00:26:13.00\00:26:14.74
because there are
enemies in the area.
00:26:14.77\00:26:16.81
Remember, if the
soldier fell asleep or
00:26:16.84\00:26:18.57
allowed himself
to be distracted,
00:26:18.61\00:26:19.91
The enemy could
infiltrate or surprise,
00:26:19.94\00:26:22.18
be a surprise in
his attack, and our
00:26:22.21\00:26:24.71
lives would be
lost. So Paul is saying,
00:26:24.75\00:26:26.61
we've got to be
spiritually alert.
00:26:26.65\00:26:28.48
We live in a
spiritually hostile environment,
00:26:28.52\00:26:30.42
so we must live
with our guard up.
00:26:30.45\00:26:33.29
Number two, Paul says,
Stand firm in the faith.
00:26:33.32\00:26:35.52
That means you
gotta dig in. You gotta do
00:26:35.56\00:26:37.79
what, everybody?  Aud.:  Dig in.
00:26:37.83\00:26:39.59
PB:  And dig in is
stubbornly refuse to
00:26:39.63\00:26:40.96
give ground. Notice
that the specific area
00:26:40.96\00:26:42.96
in which we're
supposed to stand firm is
00:26:43.00\00:26:44.53
in our faith. This
refers to the context
00:26:44.57\00:26:46.90
and content of our
faith. The truth of Scripture,
00:26:46.94\00:26:50.07
the message of the
gospel. Christian militancy
00:26:50.11\00:26:52.17
involves being
uncompromised about the truth,
00:26:52.21\00:26:55.91
which is why I say in
evangelism, if God said it,
00:26:55.94\00:26:58.45
that settles it. A
man who stands for nothing
00:26:58.48\00:27:00.85
will fall for
anything.  [Aud. reaction]
00:27:00.88\00:27:03.42
PB:  Number three, be
courageous, be strong.
00:27:03.45\00:27:05.45
The King James
Version, if you read it, it says
00:27:05.49\00:27:07.96
"Be strong like men."
But don't misunderstand
00:27:07.99\00:27:10.99
what Paul is trying to
say. The contest is not
00:27:11.03\00:27:13.03
between men and women
but between acting like
00:27:13.06\00:27:15.23
grown-ups and acting
like children. You see,
00:27:15.26\00:27:18.70
when children see
the enemy, they run.
00:27:18.73\00:27:20.50
BuT when you act like
a man and you're strong
00:27:20.54\00:27:24.21
like an adult, it
means you've got to get ready
00:27:24.24\00:27:26.44
to suffer. If you
stand for the right,
00:27:26.47\00:27:28.58
if you stand
against what's, uh, popular,
00:27:28.61\00:27:30.38
if you speak truth to
power, be ready to suffer.
00:27:30.41\00:27:35.05
But Paul says, be
courageous. Be strong.
00:27:35.08\00:27:38.59
And then finally,
number four. He says,
00:27:38.62\00:27:40.39
do everything in love.
This is a key difference
00:27:40.42\00:27:42.92
between biblical
militancy and worldly militancy.
00:27:42.96\00:27:45.96
Worldly militancy
says winning is the only
00:27:45.99\00:27:48.43
thing that matters,
even if the end justifies
00:27:48.46\00:27:50.83
the means. It thrives on
hate and fosters cruelty.
00:27:50.87\00:27:54.24
But biblical militancy,
uses as its controlling
00:27:54.27\00:27:58.44
ethic love. Love is
what should motivate us to
00:27:58.47\00:28:03.51
"Thank you very
much for tuning into this
00:28:03.55\00:28:06.05
week's Breath of Life Broadcast.
00:28:06.08\00:28:08.15
We hope and pray
that you have been blessed
00:28:08.18\00:28:10.09
by Dr. Byrd's
inspirational message.
00:28:10.12\00:28:12.72
If you would like
to hear this sermon in
00:28:12.75\00:28:14.32
its entirety, please
feel free to visit us at
00:28:14.36\00:28:17.03
www.breathoflife.tv or
call us at 256.929.6460.
00:28:17.06\00:28:26.47
- END -
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