Sermon #B651_Agitate
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Dr. Byrd: Allow me if you will,
to invite you to turn to your
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Bibles to the book of What
book everybody? [Congregation:
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Matthew] Come on, talk
to me like you mean it.
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Matthew, what book did I
say? [Congregation: Matthew]
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Let's go to chapter 25 then
we're going to go to familiar
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scripture that has been quoted
in some form or fashion
throughout this service.
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Matthew chapter 25,
we're going to verse number 31.
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Matthew chapter 25 verse
31, the word of God says--
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if you have it, let
me hear you say, "Amen"--
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the word of God says in
Matthew chapter 25 verse 31,
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"When the Son of Man shall come
in his glory, and all the holy
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angels with him, then shall
he sit upon the throne of his
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glory. Before him shall
be gathered all the nations,
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and he shall separate them one
from another as a shepherd
divided his sheep from the
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goats. And he shall sit the
sheep on the right hand but the
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goats on the left. Then shall
the King say unto them on his
right hand, "Come thee, blessed
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of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world.
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For I was and hungered and you
gave me meat. I was thirsty and
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you gave me drink. I was a
stranger and you took me. I'm
naked and you clothed me.
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I was sick and you visited me. I
was in prison and you came upon
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unto me." Then shall the
righteous answer him, saying,
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"Lord, when saw we thee a
hungered and feed thee or
thirsty and give thee drink?"
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In other words,
"When did we see you?
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We saw when thee a stranger
and took thee in or naked
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and clothed thee or when saw we
thee sick or in prison and came
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unto thee? The King answers
saying to them, "Verily, I say
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unto you, in as much as you have
done it unto one of the least of
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these my brethren, you have done
it unto me. Then shall you say
also unto them on the left hand,
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the goats, "Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire
prepared for the devil and his
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angels. For I was a hungered
and you gave me no meat.
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I was thirsty and you gave me no
drink. I was a stranger and you
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took me not in. Naked and you
clothed me not. Sick and in
prison and you visited me not."
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Then shall they also answer him,
saying, "Lord, when saw we thee
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a hungered or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or sick or in
prison and did not minister unto
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thee?" Then shall he answer
them, saying, "Verily, I say
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unto you, in as much as you did
it not to one of the least of
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these, you did it not to me and
thee shall go away into
everlasting punishment,
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the righteous into life
eternal." In harmony with the
theme, Dr. Lou Ellen,
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we speak on the
subject, "Agitate".
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Father, bless us now, speak,
your servants here and when the
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appeal time comes, move by your
power, sprinkle out your grace
and do what you do.
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We give you praise in advance,
Lord. Forgive us of our sins in
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the name of Jesus. Let everyone
say, "Amen".[Congregation:
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Amen.] Everyone repeat after
me, say, agitate. [Congregation:
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Agitate] Come on say it like you
mean it. Say, agitate.
[Congregation: Agitate]
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All right, quickly. This message
stands as a warning message
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and this text a
warning message from God.
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A warning message
that Jesus is coming back
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but in today's world it's
hard to hear and see warnings,
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whether good or bad because
there's so much distraction in
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our world, we can't hear or see
a thing. A police siren is
sounded but we don't hear a
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thing. An ambulance siren
is sounded but we don't hear a
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thing. A tornado siren is
sounded but we don't hear a
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thing. That distraction and
bombs are all around us but we
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don't see a thing. But in
this text, in this chapter,
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Jesus gives us a warning and
He provides a backdrop for His
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second coming. He lets us know
that He is coming back real soon
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but he is not coming back for
the fickled. He's not coming
back for the wishy-washy.
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He is not coming back for
the vacillating or the wavering.
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He's not coming back for those
who are straddling the fence
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but He's coming back for those
people who are not ashamed of
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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For the power of God unto
salvation so in this, His last
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recorded parable. Jesus presents
this final message and He
presents it in simplistic terms
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drawing a comparison between
sheep and goats and He says
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that He's going to
separate sheep from goats.
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Do I have a witness in
this place? [Congregation: Yes]
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Now, throughout scripture
contracting views a comparison a
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common place. The wheat must
grow with the tares. Saints are
compared with sinners.
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Right is just opposed against
wrong. Heaven is contrasted with
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hell. Jesus is
pitted against Satan.
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Jesus also used comparisons,
an opposite when He spoke of
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following Him. Remember, it was
Jesus who said, "He that is not
with me is against me."
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In Matthew 7, He speaks of two
gates; one is broad and one is
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narrow. He speaks of two roads;
life and death. Two kinds of
fruit; good and bad.
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Two kinds of
people; wise and foolish.
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Two foundations; one is on
the rock and one is on the sand.
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Two houses; one that will
stand at one that will fall.
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So, it shouldn't be strange to
us that Jesus would speak up two
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types of animals and compares
sheep with goats because there
are distinct differences between
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the two. Physically, sheep tails
hang down; goats tails go up.
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Sheep are grazers; goats are
browsers. Sheep eat tender grass
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and clover; goats eat
leaves, twigs vines and shrubs.
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Most sheep grow wool and need to
be sheared annually but most
goats have hair coats
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that do not
required shearing or combing.
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When sheep face challenges, they
stick together and look to the
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shepherd. When goats face
challenges, they run away.
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Sheep become stressed out when
they are separated from their
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flock members but goats
like leading sheep astray.
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In fact, meat packers have
an interesting name for goats.
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They would train an old
goat. They would name him, Judas
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because the purpose of this
goat is to lead the sheep to the
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slaughter house. But I don't
know about you, but I don't need
anybody leading me to the
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slaughter house. I don't want to
be in church all my life and be
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a goat. I don't want to hang out
with goats. I don't want to be a
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scapegoat. I don't
want to be a Billy goat.
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But I want to be the sheep that
God asked for me to be because
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when I'm a sheep, I believe I've
got a shepherd. The word promise
me that the Lord is my shepherd.
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I shall not want. Are
you hearing what I'm saying
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everybody? Now, quickly, in
verse number 33, the Bible says,
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that Jesus will sat the sheep on
His right hand and the goats on
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His left hand. But why does He
sit sheep on the right and goats
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on the left? Is there something
today specific about the left
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and the right? It was
Jesus who let us know that,
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"You shall see the son of
man sitting on the right hand of
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power and coming in the clouds
of heaven," which means then the
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right side, biblically, typifies
honor and blessing. The Bible
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then says, "Jesus, He was
received up into heaven and now
He sits at the right hand of
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God. So, then there is honor
and blessing on the right side
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but the left side typifies
disfavor and less favor.
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In the text in verse 41, we read
it, "Then He also say them on
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the left side, "Depart from me
ye cursed into everlasting fire
prepare for the devil and his
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angels." At the second coming,
there's going to be a reward for
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His sheep, His followers
and they will be in position
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and He's going to tell
them to enter into His kingdom.
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Why is He going to tell them?
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What is the reason that He is
going to say, "Enter in my
kingdom," is simple.
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He says, "Because when
I was hungry, you fed me.
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When I was thirsty, you
gave me something to drink.
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When I was homeless, you took me
in. When I was naked you gave me
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some clothes. When I was sick,
you visited me. When I was in
prison, you came to me."
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Then the sheep are going to
say, "Well, Lord, what are you
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talking about? When did we ever
feed you? When did we ever give
you something to drink?
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When were you ever sick,
in prison? When did we come to
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you?" Jesus is going to say, "In
as much as you have done it unto
the least of these.
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Thee have done it unto me.
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In other words, whenever you did
one of these things to someone
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who was overlooked or ignored,
that was me. You did it for me."
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But then He's going to turn to
His left and He's going to turn
to those goats and say,
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"Depart from me ye
cursed its everlasting fire.
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Prepare for the devil because
when I was hungry you don't give
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me any food. When I was thirsty,
you didn't give me anything to
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drink. When I was homeless, you
did not take me in.  When I was
naked, you gave me no clothes.
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When I was sick, when I was
in prison, you did not come and
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visit me." Then the goats are
going to say, "Master, what are
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you talking about? We never saw
you hungry. We never saw you
thirsty. We never saw you
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homeless. We never saw you're
naked. We never saw you're sick.
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We never saw you in
jail. We never saw you."
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But He say, "In as much as you
didn't do it to one of the least
of these, you did it to me."
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The goats will go on to
everlasting punishment and the
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sheep-- the text says--will
go on to everlasting life."
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Now, here's my punchline today.
Your eternal reward is not based
on what you do for you.
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Your eternal reward is based on
what you do for those who cannot
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do for themselves. That's
what social justice ministry is,
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focusing on the least, the last,
the unlucky and the left out.
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Those that don't focus on the
least of these, they are going
to be lost in the text.
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Jesus says, "Sheep will be saved
and goats are going to be lost."
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But it's not just Matthew 25,
it's all throughout scripture
where Jesus challenges
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the religious authorities
rebuking them for their
self-serving self-promoting
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ways. He upsets the elite by
spending time with the poor and
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the marginalized. He heals those
considered unclean and returns
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them to wholeness. He eats with
the under privileged and treats
them with class and dignity.
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He listens to those who had been
disregarded and those who have
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been deprived. He questions
current laws and challenges the
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status quo. As a result, He
becomes the target of those in
authority and ultimately,
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those authorities kill Him.
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But despite knowing He would
die, because Jesus was born to
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die, He would be killed by
the very people He was trying to
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help which goes on to show the
people you helped the most
appreciated the least.
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Jesus shows us that there are
times when we got to stand up.
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There are times when we
got to speak truth to power
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and we have to do it
in constructive meaningful
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and unyielding ways despite
the possible consequences.
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Just as God is righteously
angered over oppression and
injustice, so should we.
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But have we lost our way? Have
we become more concerned with
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big lights, big crowds,
big donors, rather than mercy,
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justice and love? Have we been
more calmed, more interested in
knowing who's who of our world
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rather than
helping the least of these?
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Are we more focused on being
politically correct as opposed
to been evidently experient.
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Matthew 25 infers that social
justice is to look after the
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least of these. Micah 6:8 says,
"Do justice, love mercy and walk
humbly before God."
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But our little Proverbs 31:8 and
9, it says, "Open up your mouth.
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Open up your mouth for
the mute if the calls of all.
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Open your mouth, judge
righteously and plea the calls
of the poor and the needy.
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According to a new
Oxford American dictionary,
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social justice is justice in
terms of the distributions of
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wealth, opportunities and
privileges within society.
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Aristotle in his
work politics and he said,
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"Justice ensured that
individuals both fulfilled the
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societal roles and receive what
was their due from society."
What is one's do? It's nothing
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hard. It's nothing difficult but
it's the fact that everybody has
the right to education.
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The right to healthcare. The
right to social security. The
right to public services.
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The right to the fair
distribution of wealth and the
right to equal opportunity.
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[Congregation: Yeah.]
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But as long as the chief concern
is for the rich to stay rich
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and not share the
bounty with the least of these,
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we will continue to live in a
society of turmoil and strife.
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I'm here today to remind
and let somebody know that
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because those with power are
obsessed with staying in power
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rather than sharing their power
and influence with and for the
good of other people,
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our society is
headed for destruction.
00:15:06.20\00:15:08.84
As long as the informed are
purposeful in keeping many of
the marginalized uninformed
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and misinformed, our world
is headed for an implosion.
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To believe our social ills in
our world have gone unattended
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for too long and it's only a
matter of time before the
have-nots confront the haves in
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a manner that will produce
casualties of a serious kind
resulting in the large goal
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outcome of a system predicated
upon the notion that the least
of these, don't matter.
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Be not deceived, justice
is not the same as a quality
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because equality presumes that
all persons have equal standing
on which to receive aid.
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But justice requires
us to humble ourselves.
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To provide others with the same
opportunities and benefits that
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we have. Jesus is calling
us to be sheep not goats.
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Good fruit not bad fruit
to stand for the right not for
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wrong. To help the least of
these. To speak up, speak out
and speak truth to power.
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To engage in
social justice ministry.
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Jesus is calling us to agitate,
to agitate a system that is
slavest, sinister and sorry.
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To agitate is to
make somebody nervous.
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To agitate is to arouse public
concern about an issue in the
hope of prompting action.
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To agitate is to
stir or disturb something.
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This agitation is
not just for our country.
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It's not just for our community
but it's also for our church.
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We as members of God's
church have an obligation,
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a mandate to work in social
justice just as Jesus did.
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We must be angry at
instances of injustice.
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Speaking in love to our
friends, neighbors, legislators,
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our nation and our world when
we see what wrong done to others
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particularly those who don't
have the strength or the means
to defend themselves.
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Then we as a people of faith,
we need to express the anger of
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love. The anger that gives us
holy boldness to defend what is
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right. Now, I know I'm meddling
but I'm going to go here.
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Far too many people in the house
of God who profess to love the
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Lord. Our only
concern with me myself and I.
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But we cannot send checks for
disaster relief and avoid
examining the lifestyles
00:17:43.59\00:17:51.27
that contribute at least in
part to some of these natural
00:17:51.30\00:17:56.04
disasters. We can't do hunger
walks but refuse to change our
consumerist lifestyles.
00:17:56.07\00:18:02.48
We can't sit in
church and say, "amen",
00:18:02.51\00:18:06.92
but turn a blind eye and a deaf
ear to the Christ of erroneous
00:18:06.95\00:18:12.59
exploitation, prejudicial
profiling and malicious
00:18:12.62\00:18:17.73
maltreatments. We can't just
send our tithe and offering to a
church system which simply says,
00:18:17.76\00:18:25.73
"Give me" and not speak yet, not
speak out against the same
system that fosters misogyny
00:18:25.77\00:18:33.81
and discrimination
irrelevant an inertia.
00:18:33.84\00:18:38.35
We cannot only observe
racial quotas on committees
00:18:38.38\00:18:45.35
in place of seeking racial
justice in the work of the same
committees. [Congregation:
00:18:45.39\00:18:53.90
Yeah.] How are you going to
be like Jesus and not agitate?
00:18:53.93\00:18:58.67
How are you going to be a
Christian for 50 years and not
do anything for the
00:18:58.70\00:19:04.61
marginalized? How are you going
to be a Seventh-day Adventist
all your life and not help the
00:19:04.64\00:19:09.98
oppressed? The greatest sermon
ever preached is the one that is
00:19:10.01\00:19:14.92
lived. Jesus is not impressed
with how well we know the word
00:19:14.95\00:19:19.15
but He's most pleased
with how we live the word.
00:19:19.19\00:19:22.02
Jesus is not concerned so
much with our standing in the
00:19:22.06\00:19:27.13
community as much as He is about
whether we're making a
difference in the community.
00:19:27.20\00:19:31.03
Jesus it's not so much concerned
about our memberships in clubs,
00:19:31.07\00:19:37.14
fraternities, sororities as much
as He is about us doing
something to help release the
00:19:37.17\00:19:41.94
these. [Congregation: Yeah]
00:19:41.98\00:19:43.24
To the same clubs,
organizations, fraternities and
00:19:43.28\00:19:47.18
sororities, you can't
subscribe to this foolishness
00:19:47.22\00:19:49.95
that one must pull oneself
up by their own bootstraps.
00:19:49.98\00:19:54.29
Some people don't have
bootstraps to be pulled up from.
00:19:54.32\00:20:00.56
What are we doing? What are
we doing? What are we saying?
00:20:00.60\00:20:07.00
What are we agitating? Do
something. If you can't run,
00:20:07.04\00:20:14.24
walk. If you
can't walk, shake a leg.
00:20:14.28\00:20:16.78
If you can't shake a leg, wiggle
a toe but do something and yet
00:20:16.81\00:20:22.38
sometimes we, people of faith
are inclined to do nothing. We
00:20:22.42\00:20:28.79
wait. We watch. We look to
see if somebody else would do
00:20:28.82\00:20:31.56
something. Then if they take the
heat on social media, we say,
"Oh, look at them, poor them."
00:20:31.59\00:20:36.97
But the kingdom of God, suffered
violence but the violence takes
00:20:37.00\00:20:45.71
it by force. Be a voice,
not an echo. Take a stand.
00:20:45.74\00:20:51.65
A man who stands for
nothing will fall for anything.
00:20:51.68\00:20:56.45
Stand up for what is right
even if you have to stand alone.
00:20:56.48\00:21:01.92
Martin King said that injustice
anywhere is a threat to justice
00:21:01.96\00:21:08.43
everywhere. If God before
us, who can be against us?
00:21:08.46\00:21:13.07
No weapon formed
against you shall prosper.
00:21:13.10\00:21:17.24
It won't work but they that wait
upon the Lord. God, shall renew
00:21:17.27\00:21:23.14
our strength. They shall mount
up on wings as eagles, run and
not get weary-- you're in the
00:21:23.18\00:21:28.42
right place. You're
in the right position.
00:21:28.45\00:21:30.15
You've got to do something and
I'm so glad that 2,000 years
ago, Jesus did something.
00:21:30.19\00:21:39.83
I'm so glad that Jesus
agitated the status quo.
00:21:39.86\00:21:45.00
That Jesus didn't
go along to get along.
00:21:45.03\00:21:47.74
I'm so glad that Jesus wasn't
afraid to call Pharisees and
00:21:47.77\00:21:54.24
Sadducees, vipers. I'm so glad
that Jesus turned over those
money tables in the temple.
00:21:54.28\00:21:58.71
I'm so glad that Jesus called
Zacchaeus out and call him out
for unlawful practices.
00:21:58.75\00:22:06.02
I'm so glad today that
Jesus told us the importance of
00:22:06.05\00:22:10.93
helping others through the
parable of the prodigal son.
00:22:10.96\00:22:13.33
I'm so glad that Jesus has
challenged us to help the least
00:22:13.36\00:22:19.97
of these. I'm so glad that
we have people like Michael Eric
00:22:20.00\00:22:23.94
Dyson. That we have
organizations like adventist for
00:22:23.97\00:22:27.28
social justice who remind
us to help the least of these.
00:22:27.31\00:22:30.71
I'm so glad that Jesus told us
goats won't inherit the kingdom
00:22:30.75\00:22:39.59
but sheep will. But I'm so
glad troubles don't last always.
00:22:39.62\00:22:44.96
That weeping, may endure
for nights but joy comes in the
00:22:44.99\00:22:53.70
morning time. I'm so glad that
after the rain, the sun is going
00:22:53.74\00:23:00.71
to shine again. I'm so glad
today to know that behind every
dark cloud there's a silver
00:23:00.74\00:23:05.58
lining. I'm glad to know that
Jesus is coming back. That the
wicked will cease from
00:23:05.61\00:23:14.12
troubling. The
weary will be at rest.
00:23:14.16\00:23:18.09
I'm so glad that one day
justice is going to be served
00:23:18.13\00:23:25.53
and serving the Lord is
going to pay off after a while.
00:23:25.57\00:23:31.37
The sheep will be separated from
the goats. The sheep will have
00:23:31.41\00:23:38.25
everlasting life. The goats will
have everlasting damnation. He
is coming back again.
00:23:38.28\00:23:44.29
Glory, hallelujah. Bless His
name. Lift Him up. He is coming
00:23:44.32\00:23:52.46
back again. The God I served has
called us to afflict the
comfortable and comfort the
00:23:52.49\00:23:59.23
afflicted. That God that I
served has called us to agitate
00:23:59.27\00:24:07.21
what is wrong. Pastor Byrd I
can't speak like you. I can't
speak like Dr. Dyson.
00:24:07.24\00:24:14.82
I can't advocate like adventist
for social justice, but you do
00:24:14.85\00:24:22.99
something because Lord, if you
can use anything, you can use
me. Do I have a witness in this
00:24:23.02\00:24:32.73
place? Thank you very much for
tuning in to this week's Breath
00:24:32.77\00:24:37.14
of Life broadcast. We hope and
pray that you've been blessed by
Dr. Byrd's inspirational
00:24:37.17\00:24:41.74
message. If you would
like to hear this sermon in its
00:24:41.78\00:24:44.25
entirety, please feel free to
visit us at www.breathoflife.tv.
00:24:44.28\00:24:50.09
Or, call us at (256) 929-646
00:24:50.12\00:24:57.39
[End]
00:24:57.43\00:25:02.36
[MUSIC]
00:25:02.40\00:25:08.07
Congregation: [Applause]
00:25:08.10\00:25:16.58
We still haven't come
down from the mountaintop
00:25:16.61\00:25:18.98
as we recently concluded our
fall revival in our Nation's
Capital, Washington, DC.
00:25:19.01\00:25:24.65
Each night the Word of God was
preached and at the close of our
time in Washington, DC
00:25:24.69\00:25:30.99
we were blessed to witness 53
people surrendered their lives
to the Lord through baptism.
00:25:31.03\00:25:37.73
“I Love being a father,
nothing makes me happier.
00:25:37.77\00:25:42.64
Like, waking up seeing my
daughters, and I just know that
00:25:42.67\00:25:46.88
I had to--- I had to bring my
family here. Dr. Byrd he
baptised me and her together.
00:25:46.91\00:25:54.78
You know? So that meant alot to
me, and I'm glad we are young
and we really want this.
00:25:54.82\00:26:02.72
For our children
and for ourselves.”
00:26:02.76\00:26:05.73
“Man!  Dr, Byrd has been an
inspiration to me because he
knows the Bible inside out.
00:26:05.76\00:26:13.97
His words, his continuous flow.
He gives me inspiration in the
things that I do, to know that--
00:26:14.00\00:26:22.11
You know? I'm on the right path.
I'm just not there yet but I
know I'll get there though."
00:26:22.14\00:26:29.72
“I just been getting
feed more and more and more
00:26:29.75\00:26:33.32
and more. Just learning
more and more about the Bible.
00:26:33.36\00:26:36.99
Learning how to live,
learning how to eat right.
00:26:37.03\00:26:41.40
You know? Oh Lord.
00:26:41.43\00:26:44.20
It's just-- It's just--
00:26:44.23\00:26:46.63
It's just so awesome.”
00:26:46.67\00:26:49.37
We are excited to see God
continue to transform lives with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
00:26:49.40\00:26:55.08
We are mindful however that we
can't do this work without your
00:26:55.11\00:26:59.35
help. Each and every
contribution helps us to keep
sharing God's Word.
00:26:59.38\00:27:04.45
Please make your tax deductible
gift payable to Breath of Life
00:27:04.49\00:27:09.49
by mail, at Breath of Life PO
BOX 5960, Huntsville, AL 35814
00:27:09.52\00:27:17.27
Give us all call the
number is 256.929.6460
00:27:17.30\00:27:23.61
Or you can visit us
online at www.breathoflife.tv
00:27:23.64\00:27:29.98
[End]
00:27:30.01\00:27:35.52
Social justice is embedded
in Breath of Life's commitment
00:27:35.55\00:27:41.69
to carry this wonderful
gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:27:41.72\00:27:45.29
I believe in social justice.
I believe in equality of all
00:27:45.33\00:27:53.17
people. And I also believe that
Jesus died and His blood was
spilt for all of us.
00:27:53.20\00:28:01.18
With that in mind, I've had the
privilege most recently of
authoring a sharing book
00:28:01.21\00:28:10.12
entitled Free. I want to
encourage you to secure your
copy of this sharing book, Free.
00:28:10.15\00:28:16.89
Which shares how Jesus is
the ultimate freedom fighter
00:28:16.93\00:28:23.23
and that we, His
people, should all be free.
00:28:23.26\00:28:27.47
www.breathoflife.tv
00:28:27.50\00:28:42.52