Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen. God is a good God. He's worthy to be praised. Thank you, Sister Acosta. Can you all keep playing for me for a few moments? Thank you so much. Thank you so much.
I know it's Sabbath and there's a lot going on this weekend. It's Mother's Day weekend, graduation weekend, many places. May God take our time with announcements. May God take our time with announcements. Y'all took your time with the special music, and the clock is not going to rush me today. Amen. Give me two hours of your time. I'm just teasing, but we're not going to be rushed today. Amen.
But there's a word from the Lord today, and I want to share with you what the Lord has to say. We have been in a sermon series for the past few weeks entitled "The Methods of Jesus," and understanding the methods of Jesus. Our sermon series has been based on the Ministry of Healing, page 143, when Ellen White says that He mingled with people. He desired their good. He had compassion for them, ministered to their needs, and bade them come follow me.
We have talked about mingling. We've talked about compassion, and today we're going to talk about the church that meets needs. The church that meets needs. I know our scripture reading today was read from the book of Matthew, chapter 9, verse 35, but I want to read for the sake of this message today from the book of Mark, Mark chapter 5. If you will go there with me. You don't have to stand because it is a lengthy passage of scripture that I'm going to read today, Mark chapter 5, and I want to begin reading at verse number 22.
Mark the fifth chapter and verse number 22. When you found it, please say, "Amen." If you're still looking, just say, "Wait on me." I heard you. I'm waiting. Mark chapter 5, beginning at verse 22. I will read from the New Living Translation of the Bible. You can follow along in whichever version you have. Mark chapter 5, beginning at verse 22.
And here is the word of the Lord. Then a leader of the local synagogue whose name was Jairus arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet pleading fervently with him, "My little daughter is dying," he said. "Please come and lay your hands on her. Heal her so she can live."
Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. A woman in the crowd had suffered 12 years with constant bleeding. She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them. But she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse.
She heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe, for she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." Immediately, the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed from her terrible condition.
Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him. So he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?" His disciples said to him, "Look, this crowd is pressing around you. How can you ask, 'Who touched me?'" But he kept on looking around to see who had done it.
Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over."
While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, "Your daughter is dead. There is no use troubling the teacher now." But Jesus overheard them and said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith."
Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn't let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. He went inside and asked, "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn't dead. She's only asleep."
The crowd laughed at him, but he made them all leave. And he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. Holding her hand, he said to her, "Talitha Kumi," which means "little girl, get up." And the girl, who was 12 years old, immediately stood and walked around. They were overwhelmed and totally amazed.
Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened. And then he told them to give her something to eat. This is the word of the Lord. This is the word of life, the grass withers, and the word of our Lord endures forever.
Now, this probably isn't the case, but that's a claim that is a self-evident truth. This is a claim that seems strong to you and to anybody. So, Beatrice and I are going to preach this. I would like to repeat a few words about the plan that we were brought for this while all made your intentions.
I'm going to cross this stage. God, that you will make clear to us your will for our lives. For I ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.
The church that meets needs. The church that meets needs. A retired Seventh-day Adventist woman in an African country did not wish to stop ministering in retirement. Her community needed healing because of the ravages of HIV and AIDS. The most urgent need was that AIDS orphans didn't have adequate nutrition.
In 2002, she and her church started feeding the children in the community a solid meal six days a week. They started with 50 children, and as of 2012, were serving 300 children per day. They led them to start a preschool. And now 45 of those children are attending other services, including distributing clothes from ADRA, sharing vegetables and maize from a garden that they maintained, and taking care of the sick.
They started a skills development program for women who teach one another skills that help them earn a living. This demonstration of the love of Jesus sprung a new church. There were five members in the beginning, and as of 2012, 160 were attending. God provided means for building an orphanage and a new church building in 2012.
What a powerful and practical example of how meeting the needs of the community is so important for Christians and even the church. This word, need or needs, can be defined this way: a necessary duty, an obligation, or it can be defined as a requirement.
The Bible gives us some instructions on how we should meet the needs of others. Can I share with you what the Word of God says? The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 28, "Let no thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor doing honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to share with anyone in need."
The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 19, verse 17, "Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deeds." The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 22, verse 9, "Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor."
And in Philippians chapter 2, verse 4, the Bible says, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." Did you hear what I just said, church family? The Bible says, "Let each of you not look only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
When serving and meeting the needs of people, it is not about you; it's about somebody else. It's quiet today. Jesus steps off the boat near the shore of Capernaum. His disciples are still reeling from the harrowing encounter with a demon-possessed man in Decapolis. As usual, a crowd is there to meet him, eager to get his attention.
Individuals in the throng just want to be near Jesus. Immediately, he asked for help. This time, by a ruler of the synagogue. And according to our text this morning, Mark chapter 5, verses 22 to 43, that is exactly what happened. Jesus was on his way to Jairus' house, who was a ruler of the synagogue, to minister to his needs when he, Jesus, was interrupted.
And church family, let's be honest, let's tell the truth, let's shame the devil, and let's face it, church family, none of us like interruptions. I don't like interruptions. You don't like interruptions. And all of God's children don't like interruptions.
Here are some of the reasons why some of us don't like interruptions. And here are the excuses that some of us make to avoid interruptions. We are too busy. We have things to do. We have places to go and jobs to get done. We set goals for ourselves, and we want to meet those goals.
And oftentimes, interruptions can get in our way. For example, if someone comes with a need or with a request for help, it can be annoying sometimes. It's not convenient for us. But can I share something with you? The greatest opportunities to minister to the needs of others are when we're going through interruptions.
Let me try it again. The greatest opportunities to minister to the needs of people come through interruptions. I'm going to try it again until you get it. The greatest ministry opportunities come through interruptions. Hello, lights. I can't get no amen today. Let me try it one more time.
The greatest opportunities to minister to the needs of people come through interruptions. Okay, let me help you out. In the book of Mark chapter 10, verses 46 to 52, and in the book of John chapter 5, verses 1 to 9, Jesus has a moment where he's going to meet the needs of somebody else.
In Mark chapter 10, verses 46 to 52, you know that story of blind Bartimaeus. He's been blind all his life. And he's calling on the Son of David. The Bible says he simply says, "Son of David, have mercy on me, O Lord." And the Bible says that the crowd, the church folk, told him to shut up, told him to be quiet. He doesn't, Jesus, he does not have time for you.
But the Bible says he kept on calling for Jesus and said, "Have mercy." In fact, it said he got even louder when they told him to be quiet. And Jesus, on his way to doing something else, was interrupted by the pleas of the blind man. And the Bible says Jesus summons this man and tells him, "Come to me."
And the same folk who told him to be quiet, who told him to shut up, who told him that Jesus did not have time for him, guess what they did? They told him, the blind man, "Go see what Jesus wants, because he wants to see you." And Jesus asked the blind man a question, "What do you want me to do for you?" And guess what? He said, "I just want to see."
And Jesus said, "Because of your faith, you're going to get your sight back." That's one story of Jesus being interrupted. And in John chapter 5, verses 1 to 9, we see another interruption by another man who had been laying on his back for 38 years. And all he could do was look up.
And Jesus asked him a question, "Do you want to be healed?" And the man says, "I want to be healed," but Jesus says, "Take up your mat and walk." And because Jesus was interrupted and asked these questions, the man, the Bible says, took up his bed and walked.
Brothers and sisters, I just told you that the greatest need to minister to people's needs, the greatest opportunity to minister to people's needs is at the point of interruptions. I came past here to let somebody know on this Sabbath afternoon, if God decides to interrupt your business to help somebody else, you need to do it.
Because we live our lives to hear one word: "Well done." We don't live our lives to be recognized by somebody else. We live our lives to hear one word, and that is "Well done." So brothers and sisters, interruptions are great. Interruptions are good. Interruptions can be a blessing in your life.
But here's the real question. What if somebody interrupted you on the Sabbath to help somebody? What you gonna do? You gonna say, "Well, it's a Sabbath. I can't do it. Can you wait until sunset?" Jesus said, "It is lawful." Come on, Barbaritas. "It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day."
Oh, I can't get no amen right down through here. Now, you want me to explain that? Stay with me, because I'm going somewhere. But here's what I need you to understand. I'm almost done. Here's what I need you to understand. Church family, notice in both of these cases, Jesus asked what they wanted, even though it was obvious what they wanted.
And even if it wasn't, Jesus would still have known what their needs were anyway, because he's Jesus. By asking these questions, he showed respect to these men. He showed that he was listening to them, and by listening, that he cared about what they were struggling with.
Many of you have been in situations where people just wanted to talk to you, and you just simply listened to them? It makes people feel needed when this is displayed. Church family, too many churches think they already know the answer. They already guess or assume what the needs of the people are in the community.
When we put forth the effort of talking to people about their needs, it lets them know how much we care, because people don't know how much you know until they know how much you care. Here's what Sister White tells us in the book "Welfare Ministry." Here's what she says.
Remember that you can break down the serious opportunities by taking a personal interest in the people whom you meet. Christ took a personal interest in men and women while he lived on this earth. Christ took interest in people while he lived on earth.
I think I told you a few weeks ago, as we began this sermon, when we talked about mingling with men and women, I told you that the reason why the scribes and the Pharisees had issues with Jesus, it wasn't because of what the Bible says about the law. I told you that their issues with Jesus were because of him eating with sinners.
Remember that text I showed you in the Bible where they said, "How can this man eat with sinners?" They were frustrated with Jesus because he was doing real ministry. And in our text, it reminds us that no matter who you are, Jesus will stop what he's doing to care about you.
Because as a church, while meeting the needs of people, we must go deeper. We must go with everybody. We must go deeper. As a church, we must go deeper. Why should we go deeper? I told you last week, week before last rather, that the last commission of Christ is the first work of the church.
But here's what the Bible says in Mark chapter 2 and in John 4, verse 18. Mark chapter 2, Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking. So he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts?" And in John 4, verse 18, "For you have had five husbands, and you aren't even married to the man you're living with now. You certainly spoke the truth."
Jesus, as the Lord, knew more about the people than they knew about themselves. There are many accounts in the gospel where Jesus showed that he not only knew what people were thinking at the present, he knew their histories as well.
One of the greatest pieces of wisdom I got going into pastoral ministry was to get to know your people. Go sit down with them and not talk about church work, but get to know them and their family members. Get to know the background of their situations. This is what Jesus did.
By getting to know people, and by getting to know people, he understood how to meet their needs. You can't evangelize what you don't befriend. I'm going to say it again. You can't evangelize what you're not befriending. Amen, lights. You got to get to know people.
We had a wonderful health fair last Sunday. I was so excited when I came up here last Sunday for the health fair. My wife and I pulled up in the parking lot and we saw all those cars. I said, "Oh man, it was a wonderful occasion." People showed up.
But can I ask the question? I wonder how many other folks would have come if we had taken a Sabbath and did it. It's lawful to do good on the Sabbath. Amen, somebody. Because a lot of people go to church on Sunday, but on Sabbath, it's good to come out of our comfort zone and do more on the Sabbath.
I know we're going to have a lot of amens on this one, but I still love y'all. Let me rush on to my conclusion. During the pandemic in April 2020, University College in London, England published an article entitled "Do Something Great."
The article gives 10 benefits of helping others. This encouragement can be helpful to the church while meeting the needs of others. And I want to share with you those 10 benefits. Can I share them with you real quick?
Here's the first one: Helping others makes you feel good.
Helping others creates a sense of belonging.
Helping others gives you a sense of purpose.
Helping others keeps things in perspective.
Helping others is contagious.
Helping others can help you live longer.
I didn't know that. So, you're saying if I help somebody, I'm going to live longer? Yeah.
Because, listen, my prayer, y'all, my prayer is, you know, the Bible talks about how all of us ain't going to sleep, right, before Jesus comes. I said, "Lord, I want to be one of those ones that don't go to sleep." Because I want to be able to, you know, see you.
You know, if I go, I'm still going to see you. But I want to be able to witness that alive. Amen. Amen. So, I'm going to continue to help somebody so I can live longer.
Here's number seven: Helping others will give you a sense of renewal.
Helping others will boost your self-esteem.
Helping others will create stronger friendships.
Helping others could help you change your own outlook and attitude.
Maybe you stopped being so mean to some folk. Start doing some stuff that changes their attitude about life. Come on, say amen.
The church is the backbone of the community. Amen. At least when I was growing up, the church was the backbone of the community. People depended on the church.
And now that social media has developed, and we have social media, I hear more negative stuff about the church than I do about the positive stuff about the church. As a church family, we got to turn that corner so that the church can have its rightful place in helping others.
Those who are in need. There was a Sabbath school lesson in 2016 about community. In fact, the sermon series that I've been preaching, I got some of the information from the Sabbath school lesson.
You know, a friend of mine told me, "Keep your Sabbath school books. They make great sermons." So, amen. So I did that. I kept my Sabbath school lessons and just started writing sermons from them. Amen. It cuts down on my time. Come on, say amen.
Don't congratulate. Amen. Amen. Don't hate, congratulate. And so the Sabbath school lesson talks about helping the church that meets needs, and it gave three styles of needs.
But the Sabbath school lesson suggested we should choose one as a church. It gave three styles of needs. The first style that it gave was the settler style, which focuses on meeting the needs of the community around the church.
The second one is the gardener style, which is developing ministry ties with the neighborhoods outside of our church immediate area.
And the third one was the shepherd style, which is serving one targeted population rather than a specific geographic neighborhood.
Now, the Sabbath school lesson at the time suggested the church should pick one. But I want to suggest that we pick all three. Here's why.
Number one, the settler style, which focuses on meeting the needs of the community around the church. We got a whole community right here in our backyard. And we should take some time and go out and tell folk about who we are.
And here's what I suggest. Don't go with a certain tone. We're going to thank you, Jehovah's Witnesses. Mm-hmm. Go into the neighborhood and knock on some doors and introduce yourself. And get to know them and tell them about our church.
I also suggest that we do the gardener style, which is developing ministry ties with our neighbors outside of our immediate church area, church family. There are individuals that we can learn from.
Oh, I can't get no help today. It's rough today. It's rough. We can learn from others. Just because we have the truth does not mean we can't learn from others.
Because Jesus says, "I have individuals who are not of this fold that I'm going to bring in myself." In other words, you ain't going to do it; I'm going to do it, Jesus says.
And here are some of our claims. Ah. I'm going to go to church on Sunday. I ain't going to deal with them folk. You want to know what some people say about us as Adventists? We stuck up. We too caved in. We think we know it all.
Somebody on social media one time called us a cult, which we ain't. We love Jesus. We believe in the Bible and the Bible only. God is calling us to build relationships with people outside of our faith.
Because here is what I'm tired of as a pastor. I'm tired of us having evangelism crusades and only us show up. Mm-hmm. I'm wasting God's resources to have a crusade and y'all show up.
Because the first commission of Christ, the last commission of Christ is the first commission of the church, which says, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost and teach them to observe all things I've commanded you and lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the world."
Jesus did not say go and baptize other Adventists or baptize each other. He said go baptize other folk. Ain't nothing wrong with re-baptism. Nothing wrong with it. But I want to see us fill this church up.
And I believe that we can do it if we go out and do the work. But here is what we have to do, church family. Not only should we rejoice when we baptize them, but also we need to keep them.
Because just like baptism is important, retention is important as well. It's so sad when people join our church and they get baptized one Sabbath and then the next Sabbath we don't see them anymore.
God has called us to keep people in the church. And the only way we're going to do that is if we follow the methods of Jesus. That's why Sister White says, "Christ's method alone brings true success."
She didn't say that just to say it. She said it because she meant it. Christ's method alone brings true success. Mingle with people. Desire their good. Have compassion on them. Win their confidence.
If you haven't met nobody's need, you ain't shown compassion on them, you haven't won their trust, they ain't coming to your church. That's just plain and simple.
So I suggest that we do number one in meeting the needs of the community around us. And also, developing ministry ties in the neighborhoods outside of our immediate church.
What do I mean by this? We got a church right down the street, Real Hope. Have we tried to create some ties for Real Hope? That's another way of winning people in our immediate area.
And here's the last thing. The shepherd's style, which is serving one target population rather than a specific geographic neighborhood. God has called us to do this work.
And while it's the pastor's responsibility to help and teach, it's your responsibility to win. Because sheep win sheep. Let me say that one more time. Sheep win sheep.
Sheep win sheep. The pastor warned me into the Seventh-day Adventist church. A lay person did. And because that lay person warned me into the church, I'm still here 25 years later. Ain't left yet. Don't plan on leaving. Amen.
I mean, the best thing God got. Amen. Let us be the church that wins people and keeps people. Not just see names on e-Adventists. We don't see those people become the church, but they are members.
Let's be the church that keeps them. I'm done, musicians. I'm done. I'm done. Proverbs 16:3. The Bible says, "Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed."
John 9, verses 4 and 5 reminds us, "We must quickly carry out the task assigned to us by the one who sent us, because the night is coming when no one can work."
Verse 5: "But while I am in the world, I am the light of the world." You want Jesus to come? You tired of this world? You want to pray for me? You tired of this world? You tired of seeing death and sickness and heartache and pain and suffering?
You tired of going to funerals? You tired of cancer? You tired of Mother's Day that your mother's not around anymore and you can't celebrate your mother because she's not around no more?
You tired of Father's Days where your father's not even living anymore? You tired of watching Fox 5 and Channel 2 and Channel 11 and CNN and seeing the war overseas and seeing what's going on here, right here in our own city?
Aren't you tired of this stuff? I mean, Fanny Lou Hamer said, "You got to be tired of being sick and tired." That's what she said.
But can I give you the remedy for us today as a church? If you sick and tired of being sick and tired and being sick and tired of the stuff, the evilness that's going on in this world, here's a remedy.
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come." It is time to get out of the pews and do the work.
I'm going to say that one more time. It is time to get out of the pews and do the work. It is time to get off the pews and do the work.
You show me a church who refuses to do the work, I'll show you a church who will not grow. Because guess what? They ain't coming to us. We got to go get them. They ain't coming to us.
If you think they gonna come to us, then you just keep on thinking that. We got to go. That's what Jesus said. That's what the Bible says, y'all. I didn't say this. I didn't make this up.
This didn't come from Pastor Cousins. This came from the Bible. We a Bible-believing church, aren't we? That's what the Bible says. I didn't say this. I didn't make this up.
Christ has already given us the remedy of winning people to him. Here's my question. Why are we making it so hard? He's calling us to do this work.
In a couple of months, we got the evangelism revival. Our own pastor is going to stand behind this desk night after night for a few weeks and preach the word of God.
And guess what? If you were able to do Bible work, do it. Pastor has been telling us I got Bible studies in my office. How many have gone to the office to get some Bible studies? Don't raise your hand. Don't even do it.
That's a question for your heart. If you're serious about finishing the work of God, then you would do what you need to do to finish the work. I want to go home, y'all. I'm tired of this world.
I'm tired of destruction. I'm tired of seeing bad stuff on the news. I want Jesus to come. And we as pastors, we can't do it by ourselves. It takes a collective effort to do it.
And here's another thing. I may get in trouble for saying this. I'm going to say it anyway. Stop trying to win folk to doctrine and win them to Jesus.
The first thing we want to do is throw a book in their hand about the three angels' messages or the great controversy. Those are great books. We must give people milk first before giving them meat.
Some folk can't handle the meat right now. It's our job to teach them. God help us. Help us from trying to convert individuals to the denomination and help us to convert them to Jesus.
Because it's the gospel that changes. I believe in the Sabbath. I don't worship the Sabbath. I believe in the health message. I don't worship the health message.
I believe in the three angels' messages. I don't worship the three angels' messages. I believe in the spirit of prophecy, but I don't worship it. I worship Jesus.
Because at the end of the day, every knee gonna bow. Every tongue gonna confess that he is Lord. Christ's method alone brings true success.
And here's my appeal today and I'm done. If you want to follow Christ's method to give you true success in winning souls, I want you to stand on your feet. I want to follow Christ's method.
We got a perfect message, y'all. We can't keep it to ourselves. We gotta tell the world so Jesus can come. I know some of y'all ain't gonna like what I said, but don't get mad with me.
Take it up with Jesus because he gave it to me to say it. And I follow the Holy Ghost. I follow what Jesus tells me to say. But if it's in his word, it deserves to be heard.
If it's in the book, we need to take a look. My next appeal is simply this. If you want Bible studies and you want to know more about this man named Jesus, I invite you to slip out the aisle right now and come down here right now.
I want Bible studies. I want to know more about Jesus. How he came. How he loved people. How he healed the sick and raised the dead and how he died for our sins.
Because Paul tells us if we confess with our mouths and believe in our heart that Jesus Christ is Lord and God raised him from the dead, we shall be saved. Salvation.
God kept salvation to himself so that no denomination can own it. Salvation is for him alone.
Let's pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank you for this commitment today. Thank you that we stand all over the house and we are saying we want to follow the methods of Jesus.
We want to mingle with people. We want to have compassion for people. We want to meet their needs so they can trust us to help them to follow you. Seal our decisions today, we pray. In Jesus' name.
May we stand before your benediction. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift the light of his countenance upon you and give you his peace. In your going and your coming, in your laboring and your leisure, in your joy as well as in your sorrow, your laughter and likewise in your tears until that day when we shall meet the Lord face to face and cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts."
Until that day, my brothers, my sisters, go in joy, and may the very God of love, peace, and joy go with you henceforth and forevermore. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Please be seated for a moment of silent meditation as we prepare to go. Let's keep in prayer Sister Elder Velox. Elder Velox is not feeling well today. I believe she is watching. Elder, we are praying for you today.
And also, happy Mother's Day to all the mothers. Amen. To all the mothers, happy Mother's Day. Enjoy your weekend. Enjoy your weekend. God bless you.
on May 13, 2024
