For A Brief Moment
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Derrel Strickland
In his sermon, Pastor Strickland emphasizes the idea that God has given the church and individuals a "brief moment" to act and fulfill their responsibilities, urging listeners to pray, repent, and engage with the world around them. He reflects on the importance of recognizing this moment in time as a chance to make meaningful changes, both personally and within the church, to contribute to the greater mission of spreading faith and hope.
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
Introduction
n the current landscape of the Church and society in America, many people ponder questions that resonate deeply within their spirit. Is it too late for America? More importantly, is it too late for the church to fulfill its purpose? These questions echo the struggles faced by the Jewish nation in biblical times, particularly during their rebuilding process as illustrated in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
A Brief Moment of Favor
In Isaiah 9:8, there is a poignant verse that reminds us that God can extend favor even in difficult times. The text speaks of a brief moment of favor shown by God to leave a remnant. This revelation invites contemplation on our own lives: Do we recognize the brief moments of favor in our own daily experiences? The essence of this moment can lead to revitalization, even amidst challenges we may be facing. The question arises: are we prepared to seize these moments? The tragic reality is that many individuals overlook opportunities because they feel unprepared or uninformed.
Walking Hand in Hand
An essential aspect of unity is captured in the statement, "We don’t have to see eye to eye as long as we walk hand in hand." This powerful sentiment highlights that while agreement may not always be present, collaboration and support can yield strength in addressing communal issues. In our spiritual journey, it is vital that we come together, especially in this brief moment of opportunity, to strive for a collective goal without losing sight of individual perspectives.
The Significance of Our Time
We often hear younger generations claim they have plenty of time to get involved or make impactful decisions. Yet the reality is that life is fleeting. In the grand scheme, even a century is merely a brief moment. Today is the day of salvation, and in that context, it is clear that we must act now, not later.
Lessons from Luke
Turning to Luke 7:27, we learn about John the Baptist, who was tasked with preparing the way for Jesus. He faced rejection from the religious elite, yet the people who were marginalized embraced his message. This dynamic draws attention to societal patterns where those considered outcasts respond readily to the call for repentance, while the so-called righteous struggle to recognize their own need for spiritual renewal. The message here is clear: societal norms and expectations do not dictate spiritual truth, and everyone has a role in responding to God's call.
The Need for Participation
The metaphor of children in the marketplace playing games serves as a call to action. Regardless of the celebrations or mourning in our communities, the invitation is clear: participation is mandatory. We cannot remain passive spectators; we must engage with the issues around us. God has provided us with a brief moment to act, and how we respond can determine the outcome for ourselves and future generations.
The Call to Repentance
Just as Ezra prayed intently for his nation, today we are encouraged to invite change through prayer and repentance. It is essential to acknowledge our part in the collective failure to uphold God’s commandments. Recognizing the need for healing and a fresh start can ignite a newfound passion for the mission at hand. Through prayer and genuine reflection, we can address not only personal shortcomings but also collective issues in the Church and society.
Engaging with the Moment
It is crucial to evaluate where we stand, not only as individuals but as a community. What is the trajectory of our cultural landscape? Are we enabling a world that bears no reflection of the truths we profess? As challenging as these questions may be, they are necessary for growth and renewal.
Embracing Our Responsibility
Ezra's situation draws attention to the necessity of action following repentance. Genuine spirituality is not solely about personal piety but also embodies taking responsibility for our communities. The call for revival is marked by active participation in furthering God’s kingdom here and now. This responsibility extends beyond the Church setting and compels us to infiltrate aspects of society where light is needed the most.
Conclusion
As we contemplate the moments God has granted us, it becomes evident that our response is crucial. Are we willing to engage fully with this brief moment? The choice lies in our hands, and we must ask ourselves: how will we use this opportunity? Whether through prayer, repentance, collective action, or seeking divine guidance in our endeavors, it is time to utilize this moment to advance God’s purpose for our lives and communities.
Let us be reminded of the weight of our moments and strive to make a difference, trusting that God will guide us as we navigate through our shared journey. The moment is now; the choice is yours.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Reflect:
What does the phrase 'brief moment' mean to you in terms of your spiritual journey and decisions?
Pastor Strickland mentioned the importance of repentance, prayer, and fasting. How can these practices change how you live every day?
Connect:
Share a time when you felt a sense of urgency in your faith. How did you respond?
Discuss how walking 'hand in hand' can be more powerful than agreeing on everything. How can we apply this in our daily interactions?
Apply:
What tangible actions can you take this week to align more closely with fulfilling the Great Commission?
How can you make a conscious effort to seize the moment and not let time slip away?
Let's pray together for wisdom and strength to act with the time we have been given!
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Historical Context of Ezra and Nehemiah
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are set during a pivotal time in Jewish history, after the Babylonian exile around the late 6th century BCE. When Babylon fell to the Persian king Cyrus the Great, the Jews were allowed to return to Judah and rebuild their temple. This era marks a significant transition from exile back to autonomy under Persian rule.
Ezra: Ezra was a scribe and priest who led the second wave of returnees from Babylon around 458 BCE. His mission was to restore religious law and covenant fidelity among the people. Ezra's leadership emphasized the importance of aligning with God’s laws and re-establishing a communal identity centered on worship and obedience. This reflects a broader historical shift towards a more structured, written-based religious practice that emphasized the Torah.
Nehemiah: A contemporary of Ezra, Nehemiah served as a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I of Persia. In 445 BCE, he was granted permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city's walls—a critical defense and a symbol of civic pride for the Jews. His leadership was marked by practical governance and a focus on renewing the city’s infrastructure while facing opposition from surrounding enemies.
Together, the narratives of Ezra and Nehemiah depict a period of hope and reconstruction after decades of displacement. They highlight the struggle of maintaining faith and identity amidst external pressures and internal disagreements.
Cultural and Political Environment: The Persian Empire at this time was vast and allowed a degree of local autonomy in exchange for loyalty and tribute. This environment allowed the Jewish community to self-govern to an extent and focus on religious and cultural revival.
Understanding these historical and cultural contexts enriches our comprehension of their significance to contemporary faith practices, echoing themes of renewal and the importance of seizing God-given 'moments' in our lives.
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Title: "God's Big Hug"
Hey kids! 👋 Have you ever thought about how much God loves you? Let's talk about it!
Story Time: 📖 Imagine you have a new friend at school named Alex. You heard that Alex is really mean and always yells at people. So, you're scared to talk to Alex. But one day, you have to work together on a project. Guess what? You find out Alex is actually super nice and loves to share snacks! You realize what you heard about Alex wasn't true at all.
Sometimes, we think God is like that too. We might think He's always angry or waiting to punish us when we make mistakes. But that's not true!
The Bible Truth: 🙏 In the Bible, Jesus tells us that God is like a loving father. He's not waiting to catch us being bad. Instead, He's always ready to give us a big hug, just like your mom or dad!
Here are some cool things about God's love:
He's our shepherd who takes care of us 🐑
He helps us when we're hurt, like a good doctor 👨⚕️
He's happy when we come back to Him, like in the story of the lost son 🏠
He forgives us, even when we've done something really wrong ❤️
Think About It: 🤔
How does it make you feel to know God loves you this much?
Can you think of a time when you felt God's love?
Prayer: 🙏 Dear God, thank you for loving us so much. Help us remember that you're always there for us, ready to give us a big hug. We love you! Amen.
Activity: 🖍️ Draw a picture of God giving you a big hug. You can hang it up to remember how much He loves you!
Remember, kids: God loves you more than you can imagine, and He's always ready for a big hug!
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Some of you know that a while back, I preached a series on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah and shared a lengthy series. It is on our website, so you look it up. But one of the things that, as I was preaching that series that I saw, I saw a great correlation to the Church of America and to the jewish nation. I see some of the same things they struggle with, or they struggled with, we're struggling with today.
And I'm going to attempt to summarize a number of these thoughts, questions. Is it too late for America? More importantly, is it too late for the church? Is it possible to finish the great commission?
What is my responsibility? What is your responsibility, and where do we start? I want to direct your attention to one verse, initially in Isaiah, chapter nine, verse eight.
But now. Now for a brief moment, favor has been shown by the Lord our God to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery.
For a brief moment, do you think we can have a revite? Ezra said we got a window, and he called it a brief moment.
Is it too late?
See, I believe that God has given America. But more importantly than America, I believe he has given you and he has given me, and he has given the church a brief moment. A brief moment. How long will that moment last? I believe a lot will depend on the response of how we respond to that moment.
I love the statement by Tim Hill. He's former general superintendent of the Church of God. I know that was not his official title. That's what we would call it in the assemblies. But I love this statement.
He says, we don't have to see eye to eye as long as we walk hand in hand. Let me read that again. We don't have to see eye to eye as long as we walk hand in hand. I'm glad that we don't always have to agree. I said, I'm glad that you don't always have to agree with me, and I don't have to agree with you.
I'm glad we don't have to do that. But as long as we can walk hand in hand. Friends, during this brief moment. I said, during this brief moment. And I know some of you, especially youngsters over there.
You say, I'm young. I got plenty of time. Well, do you walk through the cemetery. And you notice there's some in there for just real young folks. But even if you live to be 100, the Bible says, that's a brief moment.
If you have a hundred years, that's a brief moment. And guess what? That moment is all that you and I have. This moment is the only moment we have. That's the reason the book says today.
It's the day of salvation. Go with me to Luke now. We're going to be coming back to Ezra in that chapter, but go with me to Luke, chapter seven, verse 27.
Luke 727.
Where it says this.
Behold, I send him a messenger before your face. Who will prepare your way before you. This was Jesus speaking about. Who? John the Baptist.
He said, I tell you, among those born of women, none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. And when all the people heard this, tax collectors two. They declared God. Just having been baptized with the baptism of John.
In other words. Now, please, if you happen to be a tax collector, I'm not slamming you. But in biblical days, that was considered the scum of the earth. You know those people. Tax collectors.
Now, why was that? Because they were given, from what I understand, the money that was over the required amount. If they could get 200 out of you. And you only had to turn in 100, guess who got to keep it? So those people were not thought of very highly.
But they accepted what Jesus was saying. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves not having been baptized by him. Now, what type of baptism was this? It was called the baptism. What?
Of repentance. Baptism of repentance. And so you had the ungodly. That was willing to be baptized by John. Because they were repenting of their sinfulness.
But the religious people, they didn't think they needed it, and they rejected it. And then he says this. To what then, shall I compare the people of this generation? Let me, for the sake of this message this morning. So how shall we compare the people of this moment.
This brief moment that we have? And what are they like? They're like children sitting in the marketplace and calling one to another. We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We sang a dirge.
And you did not weep. For John the Baptist has come, eating no bread. And drinking no wine. And you say, he has a demon. The son of man has come eating and drinking, and you say, look at him, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
Yet wisdom is justified by all her children. Now, what in the world were they saying? He said, these religious people, they are not paying attention. And if you notice, it says the two extremes. Let me go ahead and say, I want to ask your forgiveness in advance of.
Because, see, I found out it's easier to ask forgiveness than ask permission. So I'm going to go ahead and ask your forgiveness because I'm sure I'm going to offend some of you today. Go ahead and say, o me. Okay, accept it, because I've already asked forgiveness, and I'm not going to ask your permission because, see, there's no way you're going to please both sides. See, he had John the Baptist lived out in the wilderness, spent all his time fasting.
And there's some people didn't like him because he was one of those. But then you had Jesus that went to all the parties, the weddings, all those things, and they thought he was a glutton. I'm going to tell you, being spiritual, you're not going to please both sides, and both sides are never going to meet.
You heard me right? I said both sides never going to meet. Now you say, well, what did he mean there when he said, we played the flute for you and did not dance? We sang a dirge and you did not weep? Well, he was telling, whatever's going on.
We got some of you see, the dancing was weddings, okay? This was a game that the kids played. Let's have a wedding. And at a wedding, in the jewish culture, you party. Sometimes they last a week.
Remember the water and the wine? Right? There had been several days. They run out of wine. So they knew how to party at a wedding.
But then they said, we played a dirge. Now, what in the world's a dirge? That was a funeral march. That was a funeral march. And kids could play funerals.
But guess what? There were some people saying, I don't want to get involved. I don't want either one of them.
And I believe that God is telling us this morning that he's given us a brief moment and we don't have to be total agreement as long as we walk hand in hand.
Because the very next thing Jesus did was he shared a story. Not gonna read that entire story, but let me just read a couple verses with it. In verse 36, one of the pharisees asked him to eat with him. And he went to the Pharisees. Now, Pharisees, one of those religious people.
And in that religious, as they reclined at the table. A woman of the city who was a sinner.
Now, many people think she was probably a prostitute. But the word sinner there means someone that's devoted to sin. How many knows. Religious people don't like the sinners. How many knows that?
Christians. The Bible says, you got to love them. And this sinner came to him. And when she learned that he was reclining at a table in the Pharisees house. Brought an alabaster flask of ointment.
To a point I'm making, that she went to Jesus. She took her moment. She took her moment and Jesus forgave her. Aren't you glad for that brief moment. That the Holy Spirit brought conviction upon you?
And you asked him to forgive you, regardless of how sinful you were? You might not have been one of these, that you were devoted to sin.
But the Bible tells us that we're. Remember what to say there in Isaiah that we read, he went, they were slaves. And the Bible says, we're slaves to sin. So I'm thankful for that brief moment. That the Holy Spirit moves upon us like it did that woman.
And so what did Jesus mean? He used the illustration of them playing. Illustration of them doing nothing.
And people didn't want to join in. They did not want to participate. How many knows that we're going to have to live this life whether we want to live it or not? This is our moment. This is our moment.
I ran for political office twice. I wasn't elected either time. But both times, the things that bothered me, the political process didn't bother me. What bothered me is all those godly people said, pastor, you know, the church is not supposed to be involved in politics. Now, this is my opinion.
You don't have to agree with it. But if we had been involved more in politics, we wouldn't be in the mess we in. We wouldn't be in the mess we end. Okay? And I'm going to tell you, God said, listen, I played the flute for you to dance.
And you didn't want to dance. I played the dirge, and you didn't want to participate in that. Because we doing our own thing. But think about it. For this brief moment, God has given us an opportunity.
You say, well, why did you do that? Because I'm one of these. I can't sit back and do nothing. And I know some people say, well, what about separation, church and state.
That's not in the constitution. It's not in the Declaration of Independence. It was written in a letter. Written in a letter. And even if it was part of the constitution, this supersedes constitution.
I said, this supersedes the constitution. And so I want to tell you, when God plays and wants us to celebrate, I want to celebrate because this is the moment I have when he tells me it's time to mourn. Because something that's worth mourning about. How many knows that there's some things that breaks God's heart and we should mourn with those and we need to be involved. We need to do it.
Abraham Lincoln is probably. I shouldn't say probably. He is my political hero. Now, I know he's a little bit older than I am, but he's my political hero. I want to share a couple of his quotes.
He said, my concern is not whether God is on our side. My greatest concern is to be on God's side. For God is always right. And then he said this. Now, this was way back in the 1860s.
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves. We did not take advantage of the moments. So again, we ask that question, is it too late for America? Is it too late for the church to finish the great commission?
Doctor Leonard Sweet, he's from another denomination, actually, he's Methodist. He has a lot of accolades, but he's one of the vice chairs of the global pastors network of who I ministered for last week, he made this statement. The church really doesn't need vision statement. Jesus gave it 2000 years ago. Go and make disciples.
Go and make disciples. So for this brief moment, we have the opportunity. I said, for this brief moment, we have the opportunity. But what are we going to do with it? Luke, chapter 19 says this, verse 41.
And when he drove near the city, Jerusalem, he wept over this was Jesus. And he said, would that even you, would that you, even you had known on this day the things that make for peace. But now they're hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you, ingested every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave 1 st upon one another because you did not know the time of your visitation.
Now, we know that a lot of times God uses events to tell his story. But what was he speaking of here? What was he referring to. He was referring to the destruction of the temple that was to happen in 70 AD. He was right near the temple at the outskirts when he quoted this.
When he said this, he was referring to the destruction of the temple. Again, that was happened in 70 AD. Now, it depends on which date that you want to use. When Jesus died. The two popular dates is he died in ad 30.
Some say AD 33.
But whichever it is do you use, he's then 37 to 40 years later. How many knows in the scheme of time? That's a brief moment. Let's just say he said, 40 years from now, this building is going to be torn down. Now, while researching this about the destruction of the temple, I ran across something that was quite interesting about God's calendar.
I know a lot of you saying, pastor, you've been talking a lot about the jewish calendar. Well, the more I talk about it and look at the jewish calendar, I'm convinced that God's. That's a calendar God's using, not yours or mine. And after I looked at this, this is another proof, because I looked up the word of the destruction of the temple, and the day that it happened on was called Tishbah. You see?
What in the world is that? That's the 9th day of Av. Tish Abav, the 9th day of Av. That's a month in the jewish calendar. That month is either latter part of July or August in our calendar.
Now, you say, how does it change? Because we don't follow the lunar calendar. They do. We follow our solar calendar. And so they're.
How many have ever noticed that the day of Easter changes every year? Why? Because the jewish calendar changes every year. 9th day of AV falls in that category. Now, this is what I found out about Tishbov.
It's called the saddest day in the jewish calendar. It is known by some as the day that's destined for tragedy. The day is preceded by three weeks of mourning and the reading of the Book of Lamentations. Now, why would they read the book of Lamentations? Because Jeremiah wrote that as Jerusalem was being destroyed the first time.
Now, I see you talking. You probably tell me I'm pronouncing it wrong. I know, but see, I'm about pronunciation. The way I'm spelling, it's a very narrow minded person that can only spell the word one way. So if I'm telling it wrong, speak to some of these jewish people.
They'll tell you they're right. But I got the date right. Okay, the idea. But it's the day that's preceded by three weeks of mourning and the reading of the book of lamentations. Because the book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah, lamenting over the destruction that he was seeing of Jerusalem.
But I want you to look at the events throughout recorded history that happened to the jewish nation on Tish ba haf. The first time was the return of the ten spies from the promised land. You know this story. Joshua and Caleb said, we can do it, but the others said, no, we can't. And that began a process of lack of faith, self dependence, and a lack of obedience.
Because of that day, because of that report, they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. When was the next time the first Temple was destroyed? In 586, on the day of Tishbooth, the second Temple was destroyed. One Jesus was predicting on Tisha Bahav, 70 ad. And then in 135 ad, there had been a revolt and the revolt was defeated.
And that's 135 ad. And over 500,000 Jews were killed. Actually, the estimate was 580,000 Jews. And following that defeat, the roman commander plowed the side of the temple and the surrounding area under. Boy, it makes what Jesus said right on, doesn't it?
It's not going to be standing. It's going to be destroyed. The first crusade, 1096, the Jews were expelled from England. In 1290, the Jews were expelled from France. 1306, Jews were expelled from Spain.
1492.
Guess when Germany entered World War one. On the day of Tishbov in 1914, the beginning of the Holocaust, 1941, on the day of Tishbove, where one third of the jewish population was destroyed. In 1942, the beginning of the deportation of the Jews from Warsaw to Treblinka, where between 700,000, 900,000 Jews and 2000 Romania were killed in the gas chamber, you say? Well, that's ancient history. Well, in 1994, the bombing of the jewish community center where a number of jews, 85 exactly, were killed and over 300 injured.
Yes, that was on Tish Bahav. Now I know some of you saying, pastor, that sounds more like a conspiracy theory than anything else. Where did you get that? I looked it up on Wikipedia. I can tell you Wikipedia is not going to try to line anything up with the word of God.
I said they're not going to do it. So I have to assume that everything that it said there is legit. The day of mourning. The day of mourning.
But what after? What did Jesus do after he wept over Jerusalem?
If you continue reading, in verse 45 of 19, it says this. And he entered the temple and he began to drive out those that sold. Order of translations say, money changers, saying to them, it is written, my house shall be a house of prayer. But you've made it a den of robbers or a den of thieves.
I've shared this thought several times recently, but it's heavy on my heart. So let's go back to Ezra. Ezra, chapter nine. Now I want to back up to verse five.
And at the evening sacrifice. This is Ezra. Ezra. At the evening sacrifice, I rose from my fasting. How many knows that prayer usually goes with fasting?
With my garment and my cloak torn and fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands to the Lord, my God, saying, o my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God. For our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day, we have been a great guilt. And for our iniquities, we, our kings and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering and to utter shame, as it is today. Verse eight, we already read.
But let me read it again. But now, for a brief moment, favor has been shown by the Lord our God to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hole within his holy place that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves, you say. Wait a minute. He was come through.
He had been slave all his life, but we're slaves. But he wasn't talking about being slaves necessarily under Babylon. He was talking about the bondage that his nations was under. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia to grant us some reviving, to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Jerusalem, in Judea and Jerusalem.
And now, o our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments. Did you notice Ezra? What? He said he repented.
Ezra had not been part of the problem.
He had been in bondage all his life.
And as I told you a few weeks ago, I struggle accepting responsibility for something I'm not responsible for. But I can tell you our government and our churches and many of us as individuals have not taken advantage of the moment that God has given us.
And if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. I said, if you're not part of the solution. Now, you say, well, wait a minute. What are you talking about? See, you know how the Bible describes Ezra?
He said he's a scribe skilled in the law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given and the hand of the Lord God was upon him. That sounds pretty good guy to me. The hand of God was upon him. He was a scribe. He studied the word of God.
We would say he was a devoted Christian. Now, I know it wasn't a Christian that day, but we would describe him as a devoted, godly man.
But all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit did not move in the Old Testament. That's the way it does in you. But he was convicted.
I said he was convicted. And he fell on his knees and spread out his hands and prayed and repented to God.
He was determined that he was going to take advantage of his brief moment, because if you read chapter ten, verse one, while Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and cast himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women and children gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. Why did they weep? They were under conviction. They were realizing that they had wronged and they had forsaken God, just like what happened. Remember when Moses told the ten, listen, you're going to have to stay here and all die off.
Oh, hey, but we can go in. He said, no, too late. You had your opportunity. You had your brief moment. And Ezra was telling his people, we have a brief moment.
Now, nearly three years before the civil war, Abraham Lincoln made this statement, and I'm going to quote it then I'll use more current language. He says, if we could first know where we are and whether we are trending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it. Now, what's he saying? He says, if we don't know where we are, we don't know how to get to where we want to go. And if we cannot look or where we're trending or our tendencies.
And I can tell you as a person that loves America, I see us tending in the wrong direction. Amen. We're going away from goddess, but God has given us a brief moment. So we ask the question, because we got to know where we are before we can know which way to go. Where is America morally?
Okay, let's bring it a little bit closer. Where is the american church today?
Again, I'm not going to call names, but I can tell you there's many of America's churches that are going down the tubes because they're doing just like the jewish people did. They follow in the ways of the world, whether in the ways of God. That was what he was crying about. He said, we're just like the world. So.
But God has given us a brief moment.
Well, we can't speak of all these churches. Well, where's Octopusemi? Where is more than that? Where are you? We have to determine where we are before we can determine how we're gonna go to where we want to go, because that brings the next question.
Where are we trending? Or in today's culture? Which way are we going? Where are we headed?
When I look at America, I see a quote from Mario Morello. Now, this quote was from 2023, so it was prior, before we knew who was running this election. This was his quote to a letter in the Church of America. It says this. The media is a malicious mouthpiece of these tyrants.
The media has sold its soul to radicalism and will tell whatever lie it takes to protect its agenda.
So where is America today?
Where are churches today? Because many are following the worldly agendas, which was exactly what led the nation of Israel to Babylon. They were following their world.
I have to ask the question, where's Oxford assembly? And when I ask this, I'm so proud of what God has done through and in Oxford. Simile. Thank God for your outreach last week of accepting so many kids to adopt. In Uganda again, I was privileged to teach and preach.
In Tobago, we had a missions team geared up, supposed to win last week to Georgia to help a church up there, but had to be canceled because of storm. And even though it wasn't needed, we had our gym open for people that needed help and refuge. And Chris Mikkelsen, evangelist, and I encourage you to be here next week. He preaches to thousands. When I say thousands, many thousands of people in Pakistan.
So praise God where we are. But how many of you think we can do a little bit more, huh? How many think we can do a little bit more? You say, why? Because we got a brief moment.
Huh? We've got a brief moment. And I know some of you. Some of you say, well, pastor, you're getting ready to quit. No, I'm not quitting.
I'm not quitting. I'm stepping aside because we got a brief moment to do something greater. And we need somebody younger and stronger to go to the next level because our time is running out.
I'm not quitting. I just want to do things a little bit slower. And I know some of you say, pastor, if you do it any slower, you'll be stopped. That's the reason I'm retiring. Amen.
Why? But praise God. God's given us what? A brief moment. Brief moment.
What? To finish the job. I said to finish the job.
So I ask you, what about you? Where are you? Are you satisfied? Or do you need to do more not to earn salvation. How many knows we can't do enough to earn salvation?
It's not to get brownie points, but to finish the job that God told us to do. Where are we trending? I think if you ask where you are, then you know what you need to do, because your trending becomes more evident. 41 days before Lincoln was assassinated. After the war was over, 41 days after he was.
Before he was assassinated. Now, if he'd have said this after he was assassinated, it had been even more powerful. 41 days before he was assassinated, when most people would have been basking in glory.
They just had four years of terrible civil war, and he had won. Lincoln gave a speech not gloating over his victory, but he was urging for the american people to repent. To repent because he said that would be the only thing that would heal the land.
In my humble opinion, if he had not been assassinated, the rebuilding of our war torn nation would have been much smoother and much more effective.
But as I quoted Tim Hill earlier, we don't have to see eye to eye as long as we walk hand in hand. Now, I've got to wrap this up, but Ezra gave four steps. Ezra gave four steps. How to use this brief moment.
Two of them I'm gonna tie together because I don't know which one come first. See, he was praying and fasting, and then he went to repentance.
But I believe prayer will drive you to repentance, and repentance will drive you to prayer. But that's where it starts, through prayer. And then he went to work. I know that's a four letter word, work.
We don't like it, but how many knows? We got a brief moment. And growing up on the farm, if you had the hay in the field and it was getting ready to storm, you had that brief moment to get the hay in the barna. Had a brief moment to get the semi loaded with watermelons. God's given us a brief moment to finish the task.
Then the fourth thing was, we need to seek God's help. You say, well, that's part of prayer. Yes, it is. But let me remind you, say, well, that was the Old Testament. We don't live in the Old Testament.
How about using Jesus an example? You think he's worthy?
He didn't need to repent, but he prayed a bunch. He fasted a bunch. He said, I have meat to eat that you know not of.
And he was always going about his father's business. He was always doing what's next. He set the example of walking godly by being baptized in water, and he didn't need to repent. But when he was on the cross, what did he say about the restless world? He said, forgive them, for they don't know what they do.
Now, I can tell you, they didn't realize they were killing the king of kings, lord of lords. But I believe that a lot of America has been blinded, and they don't know what they're doing, and they need to pray. So Jesus did those. He prayed, he fasted. He set the example.
And he did not start to work until he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now, I know some of you say, well, I don't know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but they haven't speaking in tongues. I don't know that Jesus spoke in tongues, but we know that the spirit descended upon him. I said, the spirit descended upon him, and he did not begin his ministry until he had it. Ezra didn't want to do it all by himself.
He said, God, I need your help.
Now, if you think you can do it all by yourself, God bless you. I know a lot of people say, you don't have to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You don't need the holy spirit to go to heaven. No, you don't. But you needed to go to Walmart, huh?
Amen. So we need to do it. And so again, we ask the question, what will we do with this brief moment? Regardless of how long the brief moment is? See, I thought it was a brief moment when I was growing up as a kid, and we preached, Jesus is coming any minute.
But what will you do with your brief moment?
How long will the moment last? Those of us that have ministered in Cuba, we know that at any moment, it could stop.
Our moment may be very, very, very brief.
And the job's not finished by the worship team. In coming. I want to close with a simple story that some of you've heard me tell before. There's some kids playing, and they found a baby bird that fall around the nest. And they was trying to figure, well, what can we do with it?
Cause it was feathered, but, you know, couldn't take care of itself. And kind of the leader who happened to be a bully. Heaven knows that bullies have a tendency to lead. He got the word. Said, I got an idea.
You know, brother Ben, he was known throughout the town as somebody with great, great, great wisdom. He said, let's fool the old mandev. They said, how you gonna fool the old man? He's smart. He's wise.
He said, see this bird? He said, let's take it to him and let's hide it in our hand. And ask him which hand it's in. And he'll probably guess that. But then we'll ask him, is the bird alive or is it dead?
He says, it will be alive. But if he says alive, I'm gonna squeeze it, and he'd be dead, so he'd be wrong. Now, some of the kids didn't want to do that. But they said, okay.
Hey, Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben, what have I have in my hand? They said, it's a bird. Which hand is it in? Put's you in your right hand.
Well, is it dead or is it alive? The wise man looked at him and said, it's in your hand. So what we do with this brief moment is in your hand and in my hand.
It's not in everybody else's hands. It's in your hands. So what will you do with your brief moment? If you're like the woman that was a sinner, it's in your hands. If you want to receive forgiveness, only you can ask for it.
Your mama can't ask for it. I can't ask for it. But only you. It's in your hands. And if you see the mess that our world is in, you say, what can we do?
What can we do? We can pray. We can repent. We can fast. We can ask God for his anointing.
And we can get to work. Because our moment can be very, very brief. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your word.
God, I believe you've given America, you've given the church a few more moments to finish the task.
God, there may be those this morning that you're giving. This moment might be the only moment. They have this moment to seek forgiveness.
Father, help them to respond because it's in their hand. And, God, we ask you to minister by your prayer, by your touch, your anointing in your spirit, that you would give us wisdom to see where we are, to see where we're trending and to take advantage of this brief moment. We need to pray. We need to fast. We need to seek your face.
We need your holy spirit, we need to repent. God, minister to us today as we ask you to do that in Jesus name. We're going to worship the Lord, and if you need to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, come on down and let's pray with you. If you want to just make yourself an altar here or where you are and repent, you say, wait, I didn't do it. It doesn't matter.
We're all guilty of allowing things to go on that shouldn't be, and we have a moment to do something about it. This is your opportunity that you in your hands this brief moment. Let's worship Lord together.
