Dr. R.A. Vernon - Party through Your Pain
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00:00 I need your phones out!
00:02 Take your phones out, put the light on!
00:04 Let's go!
00:06 Take your phones out!
00:15 We already started, light up the earth!
00:17 Light it up! Light it up! Light it up! Light it up!
00:27 Let your light shine! Let your light shine! Let your light shine!
00:32 Let's take it up!
00:34 Say, "Pick me up!"
00:36 "Turn me around!"
00:38 "Place my feet on the ground!"
00:42 "You heal my heart!"
00:47 "Change my name!"
00:49 "Forever free!"
00:54 Shout it out! Everybody, all of you!
00:57 I will bless the Lord.
01:01 At all times.
01:05 His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
01:09 I'm going to try it again for the people in the back.
01:11 I will bless the Lord.
01:13 At all times.
01:16 His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
01:20 One more time. Three people didn't say nothing. I don't know what's happening in your life.
01:23 I will bless the Lord.
01:25 At all times.
01:27 His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
01:32 Do me a favor, hit five people, slap them a high five and tell them, "Party through your pain."
01:36 Go ahead.
01:38 That's the wrong person. They ain't trying to party.
01:42 No, five people. Tell five people, "Party through your pain."
01:49 Go ahead and take your seats in the Lord's house.
01:53 Party through your pain.
01:55 I was dealing with this dilemma.
01:59 How do you preach and encourage?
02:02 How do you emancipate?
02:05 How do you help alleviate?
02:08 How do you do all that and not emasculate?
02:11 How do you come across as being pastoral and prophetic without being pejorative?
02:18 How do you navigate without being nebulous, uncertain, nebulous?
02:24 How do you walk through what's happening in this world?
02:27 How do we walk between celebrating and also mourning?
02:32 How do we move between pain and partying?
02:36 And is it possible to do both?
02:40 The sweet psalmist of Israel, David, has something to say about that.
02:44 He does. It's in Psalms 34.
02:46 I got to give you some context.
02:48 You guys know I don't preach in the middle of the movie.
02:52 I got to give you some context.
02:53 I don't like starting in the middle of the movie.
02:56 I'll walk out first.
02:57 If I miss the first five minutes, I'm not going in.
02:59 I need some context.
03:01 And let me just give you some context.
03:02 David is on the run from his past.
03:05 David bust a move with Bathsheba.
03:08 He shouldn't have bust.
03:09 He knew that girl was married and slept with her anyway.
03:11 And even though he loves God, he didn't put himself in a predicament because the sword never left his house.
03:17 Now, his children are acting bugged out.
03:20 His predecessor trying to kill him.
03:22 Saul jealous of him because of the obvious anointing that's on him.
03:26 Matter of fact, his life was just in danger.
03:29 He had to fake crazy in front of a bimble-ack just not to get killed.
03:33 He had to play crazy.
03:34 Lean on somebody and say, "You do what you got to do."
03:36 Go ahead. Praise God. Amen.
03:37 You'd be surprised who had to go through some stuff to do what they had to do.
03:42 I was telling people, "Pray for your mom and daddy."
03:44 Some stuff you saw them do, they was just doing what they thought they had to do to survive.
03:48 A bimble-ack is after him.
03:51 He had to fake or feign crazy just to survive.
03:55 Now, he finds himself in a cave, in a doolam, in a doolam inside of a cave.
04:00 Yes, he does.
04:01 He's in a cave.
04:02 And a few of his dogs, his loyal dogs, even though the whole world is after him, his family is shifted on him, kings trying to kill him,
04:10 a few of his dogs said, "We stand with you, David's mighty men of valor.
04:14 These guys are the truth. They never left him."
04:16 Now, all of them are in a cave together.
04:19 And David, let me just try this again, he's on the run.
04:22 He's on the run from his past.
04:24 Saul is trying to take him out.
04:25 His kids don't even like him.
04:27 They raping each other, half killing each other, trying to kill him.
04:31 One son literally trying to kill him.
04:33 His son trying to kill him.
04:35 Talk about being in a bad space.
04:37 And now he finds himself geographically positioned in a cave, in a doolam, and as opposed to feeling sorry for himself, writes a song.
04:47 You do know that the Psalms are songs.
04:51 We tend to say them, but really we should sing them.
04:56 David is in a cave.
04:57 Stay with me now.
04:58 Whole world is against him.
05:00 He need no Lord.
05:01 Couldn't be no darker right now.
05:03 Looks around at his guys, and as he's in pain, remains pastoral.
05:09 And says, "Hold up now, these guys looking at me."
05:12 Because really, your light shines best when it's darkest.
05:17 Yeah, yeah, the stuff you made out of really won't come through until you're in your darkest day.
05:22 Yeah, your babies are watching when it's all bad.
05:25 Your babies are watching when daddy didn't act like a fool.
05:27 Your grandbabies are watching when the whole thing then fell apart.
05:31 Somebody in the family got to show the Jesus they talk about.
05:35 Here David is in this cave.
05:37 His guys are as scared as him.
05:39 He just faked crazy in front of a bimble egg not to get killed.
05:43 Now they're on the run again.
05:44 They went to gaffe.
05:45 That didn't work.
05:46 Every place they go, there's a hit out on his life.
05:48 And so now they're hiding in a cave.
05:50 And David looked around and saw the guys looking at him and said, "You know what?
05:53 If I'm going to lead, I got to lead right now."
05:56 And David writes a song and says, "I will bless the Lord at all times.
06:04 His praise shall continually be in my mouth."
06:10 And the guys are looking like, "Is he singing?"
06:14 I mean, we're on the run and he's singing.
06:16 He said it again, "I will bless the Lord at all times."
06:20 Writing a song, "I will bless the Lord."
06:23 The question that begs asking is how can you sing in the dark?
06:30 I feel like preaching to somebody.
06:31 Maybe that that's why the psalmist says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
06:38 All you in the land, serve the Lord with gladness."
06:41 Here's the part you know, "Come before his presence with singing."
06:45 Wait a minute, pastor.
06:47 Sometimes I don't feel like singing.
06:48 Matter of fact, pastor, I can't sing.
06:50 The Bible does not say, "Come before his presence with good singing."
06:53 It says, "Come before his presence with singing."
06:57 Now I understand why I have love when I sing, "Hold to his hand," because that's what I heard
07:02 grandmama singing walking around in the house.
07:05 She'd be singing, "Hold to his hand," and "I need thee, Lord, I need thee."
07:10 And this little light of mine, you better have you a song.
07:13 When the world is pressing up against you, Paul said, "With spiritual songs."
07:19 I'm not talking about "Silly of Me."
07:21 I'm not talking about no Luther right here.
07:23 I'm not talking about no Anita Baker right here.
07:25 I'm talking about some songs that speak to your spirit.
07:28 I'm sorry, hit two people and say, "Sing your song."
07:31 Go ahead.
07:32 The devil wants you to stay quiet, but you better get you a song.
07:36 David said, "I will bless the Lord," watch this, "at all times."
07:42 At all times.
07:43 That's kind, that's kind of a nagginess to Paul in Philippians 4 when he says, "Rejoice
07:49 in the Lord always."
07:51 What you want me to do after that, Paul?
07:53 "And again," I say.
07:55 I feel like preaching in my own church.
07:57 It's my birthday, I'll preach if I want to, praise God.
07:59 It's the world church's birthday, I'll preach if I want to.
08:02 Pastors, next week I'm starting this party seven days early.
08:06 We're going to party like it's 1999.
08:09 The devil is trying to shut our mouth and keep us from partying because we're in pain.
08:15 But for the last time, or maybe the last time, hit somebody and say, "Party through your
08:19 pain."
08:20 Go ahead, praise God.
08:21 Yeah, David says, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again," I say, "Rejoice."
08:29 Pastor, I don't feel that because I ain't no robot and I ain't no super saint.
08:33 Sometimes I don't feel like rejoicing.
08:35 And sometimes I look around, there's nothing to rejoice about.
08:38 He a trip, she a trip, they a trip.
08:41 I'm hurting, I'm broke, I'm lonely, my mama a trip.
08:44 There's a lot going on in my life.
08:46 And you askin' me, I praise a lot of time.
08:48 I praise most of the time.
08:50 But the text tells me to praise the Lord all the time.
08:52 And it says, "Rejoice in the Lord always."
08:55 I rejoice most times, but sometimes I don't feel like rejoicing.
08:58 Please tell me how it's humanly possible to praise the Lord always.
09:03 And please tell me how you can bless the Lord at all times.
09:06 I want you to write this down and don't forget it.
09:08 The praise can be continual because the source is immutable.
09:13 That was better than you understand.
09:16 Let me try it again.
09:17 The praise can be continual because the source is immutable.
09:22 Immutable, unchanging.
09:24 Immutable, always the same.
09:27 Immutable, always the same.
09:29 Immutable, always the same.
09:32 The source can be continual because the source is immutable.
09:37 You see, because God don't change, that means when everybody else start changing,
09:42 I can keep my praise going 'cause I'm not praising them, I'm praising Him.
09:48 Yup, yup, yup, y'all know.
09:50 I feel like preaching to somebody.
09:53 Tell me something else or somebody else that never changes.
09:59 Yeah, pastor, we've been married 30 years.
10:02 Girl, you ain't seen 31 yet.
10:04 Yeah, you don't know what he might do.
10:06 You don't know what she might do.
10:08 I love her. I trust her, but she's not Jesus.
10:10 Oh, no, my mama loved me, but mama can be a trip.
10:13 I had friends that said they'd always be my friend, but life happened.
10:16 Matter of fact, they died on me.
10:18 They left. Stuff happened.
10:20 Can I tell you why I would not be in this world without Christ?
10:23 'Cause He's the only thing that never changes.
10:28 He's the only thing that's consistent.
10:31 Great is thy faithfulness.
10:33 Morning by morning, new mercies I see.
10:37 All that I needed, thou hast provided.
10:40 I don't have no saints in here that understand the power of praising God.
10:45 I don't know how you can be in this world without Christ.
10:49 I told the 9 a.m. service, I tell y'all all the time, I'm a trip with Jesus.
10:55 How you making it without Him?
10:57 You didn't hear what I just said.
10:59 I'm a trip with Jesus.
11:02 I'm a trip with the Holy Spirit, but He is the hope of glory.
11:07 He's the only thing I got to hold on to.
11:11 And without Him, what would I have?
11:14 'Cause people are funny.
11:16 Even people who love me are funny.
11:19 But God is right there.
11:21 So David, in the midst of all of this says, "I need something that I can always focus on."
11:29 And say, "When this goes awry, I ain't got to go crazy.
11:34 When none of y'all come through for me, I got something I can keep my eyes on.
11:38 I have a source that's immutable and unchanging."
11:45 I thought that was so powerful.
11:47 Let me tell you something.
11:48 The Bible says in verse 2, "I live and breathe God, even when things aren't going well."
11:53 Hear this and be happy.
11:54 "I live and breathe God, even when things aren't going well."
11:58 Oh, you grew up on King James.
11:59 "My soul make its boast in the Lord."
12:03 I forgot you grew up on King James.
12:05 "My soul will make its boast in the Lord."
12:07 But I like the message.
12:08 It does.
12:09 It says, "Even when things aren't going well."
12:11 Y'all just missed that.
12:12 "Even when things aren't going well."
12:14 Can I tell you something that you ought to thank God for?
12:18 And this is going to bless your life.
12:19 "When things aren't going well."
12:21 In light of the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
12:26 In light of two unnecessary funerals in this place.
12:30 In light of the madman shooting people in Maine.
12:34 In light of the earthquakes in Afghanistan.
12:37 Pastor, what you talking about?
12:38 A worldview?
12:40 That I'm going to train you to understand.
12:42 That while we swiping and watching Instagram, lives are being lost.
12:47 And can I tell you what should make you sadder?
12:49 I don't know what makes me sadder.
12:51 The shooting or the indifference.
12:54 The shooting or the numbness.
12:57 The apathy.
12:58 There are people sitting here, 25, ain't studying what happened in Maine.
13:02 Here, I'll tell you the truth.
13:03 Don't even really know now what I'm talking about.
13:05 Don't know nothing.
13:06 How you got your phone on all day but never look at the news?
13:11 How do you not know that a brother just walked in a bowling alley in Maine and just shot people?
13:16 10, 12 people then went to another spot and just shot people.
13:19 That's somebody's baby.
13:21 And we're sick in Cleveland over our baby who was unnecessarily shot.
13:25 Two young men and that got us in pain.
13:28 But coupled with all of that, you got to deal with the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
13:34 And even though it's not sexy, it's substantive.
13:37 It got to be preached.
13:39 You got to ask yourself what's going on whenever something happens in Israel, put on your eschatological glasses.
13:45 Your eschatological glasses.
13:47 Eschatological, eschatology, eschatology.
13:51 Future happenings.
13:53 When something's happening in Israel, even if you're 13, say, "Wait a minute, something's happening in Israel."
13:58 That's the apple of God's eye.
14:00 Wait a minute, pray for the peace of Israel.
14:03 The question that they're asking, "Is that the same Israel that Abraham's talking about?
14:09 Or is this a new kind of Israel with a new kind of agenda?
14:14 And is apartheid any better in Israel than it is in South Africa?"
14:20 And just like South Africa held South Africans in apartheid and Nelson Mandela went to prison 27 years fighting apartheid.
14:29 Because you claim Jesus or claim Jehovah, but you keep Palestinians in apartheid.
14:40 And Palestine didn't bomb or start a war.
14:47 Hamas did.
14:50 Hamas is a zealot group of people in the Palestinian area, but it does not represent all of Palestine.
14:58 So what does Israel do?
15:00 We're cutting off all your water.
15:02 We're cutting off all your electricity.
15:05 But babies still gotta eat.
15:07 And a Palestinian baby has as much value as your beautiful black baby does to Jesus.
15:15 So we gotta pray and ask God to give us wisdom.
15:20 No, Hamas shouldn't have done that.
15:23 At the same time, should thousands of people not have water?
15:27 And how much power you got, Cleveland, when they can just cut our water off and our power, black people?
15:34 Y'all not hearing me.
15:35 It makes you think about Marcus Garvey, doesn't it?
15:38 Who says you need to own your own land and have access to your own water and access to your own power because if they can do it there, they can do—
15:48 Y'all not—
15:51 Y'all don't wanna go to class today.
15:53 Y'all don't wanna go to class.
16:02 And so pray for Israel, but pray for Palestine.
16:08 All those lives have value in the sight of God.
16:11 Couple with that, a brother just shoots everybody in Maine because he thinks he can't—
16:17 How do you handle that?
16:18 How do you party through so much pain?
16:21 And should you party in the midst of so much pain?
16:25 And so watch this.
16:26 All this is happening.
16:27 It could give you—it could give you a melancholy mindset.
16:31 But as opposed to feeling sorry for himself with everything going around, going awry around him, David got the nerve to say in the next verse, let's try not to shout, "O magnify."
16:43 I feel like preaching.
16:45 O magnify.
16:47 O magnify the Lord.
16:49 O magnify, from the Hebrew word, "godol."
16:53 Godol, godol, I thought it was amazing, means to advance.
16:57 It means to bring up.
16:59 It means to increase.
17:01 It means to lift.
17:03 Let me try it again.
17:04 O godol the Lord with me.
17:07 O bring up his name.
17:09 O advance his name.
17:11 O lift his name.
17:13 Pastor, are you responsible for getting people to Jesus?
17:17 Oh no, he didn't call me to save nobody.
17:19 He called me to be a good lifter.
17:21 He said if I be lifted up, I'll draw.
17:25 All I come to do is lift him up.
17:28 I come from the Baptist church.
17:30 We used to sing a song, "I wonder who will help me lift."
17:34 I wish I had.
17:36 Do I have anybody here that would help me lift his name?
17:40 His name is above all names.
17:44 To advance, to lift, to promote all of you with these Jesus word church sweaters on.
17:52 You know what you're doing?
17:53 Advancing his name.
17:55 No, we only charge you what it costs us to buy him.
17:57 We're not trying to make no money.
17:59 Ties and Offers take care of this house.
18:01 I'm like give it to him as cheap as you can.
18:02 Why?
18:03 Because I just want people walking around with the word.
18:05 In the beginning, what's the word?
18:07 I want people walking around with Jesus shirts on.
18:09 I want Jesus conversations.
18:11 Y'all think I'm being too deep.
18:13 Girl, that is a cute purse.
18:15 Oh, praise Jesus.
18:16 Y'all just missed that.
18:18 Girl, where did you get that skirt?
18:20 Oh, God is good.
18:21 I just paid my tithes and worked hard and you think it's cute.
18:24 Girl, if it wasn't for Jesus, I wish I had some men and women.
18:29 Hit three people.
18:30 Say his name.
18:31 Go ahead.
18:32 There's power.
18:33 There's power in that name.
18:36 Oh, magnify.
18:39 Oh, magnify.
18:41 Oh, advance.
18:43 Oh, lift up.
18:45 Oh, I love it.
18:47 Oh, magnify the Lord.
18:50 The because of that same verse says with me, try not to run out of here.
18:55 Let us exalt his name together.
19:01 Wait a minute.
19:02 First of all, oh, good dog.
19:06 Oh, advance.
19:08 Oh, lift.
19:09 Oh, praise.
19:10 Oh, say.
19:11 Then he adds a caveat.
19:13 Don't just do it by yourself.
19:15 Do it with me.
19:17 Okay, y'all miss your shot.
19:19 Let us exalt his name together.
19:22 Oh, let us.
19:24 Wait a minute.
19:25 You do know there's a such thing as personal praise.
19:27 Nothing wrong with that.
19:29 I don't know about you, but I praise him in my house.
19:32 I do.
19:33 I praise him in my living room.
19:34 I'm so glad they got these cordless phones.
19:36 I told you because I know people thought I was crazy.
19:38 Now, they think I just be on the phone.
19:40 I don't be on the phone.
19:41 I'll be telling Jesus in my car.
19:43 Thank you.
19:44 I don't have nobody.
19:45 Do I have anybody here?
19:46 People think you'd be on the phone.
19:48 Yeah, my kids have finally left me alone after 20 years.
19:52 The grown ones know who daddy talking to.
19:55 Now, I said, "Listen, the only person who understand me in this house right now,
19:59 the only person who gets me today,
20:01 because I tried to talk to all y'all, ain't none of y'all feeling me.
20:04 So, I'm going to have a little talk with Jesus.
20:06 Is there anybody?
20:08 Oh, magnify.
20:10 So, there's nothing wrong with personal praise.
20:14 But here, the psalmist calls for corporate worship.
20:18 He calls for together praise.
20:20 Okay, wait a minute.
20:21 I forgot.
20:22 The early service is different.
20:23 I got my business people.
20:24 The YF is here.
20:25 Okay, good.
20:26 All these young people.
20:27 But let me tell y'all something.
20:29 This wouldn't have worked at 9.
20:30 It'll work at 11.
20:31 How many of y'all been to a club?
20:34 There it is right there.
20:35 Yeah.
20:36 All y'all come into repentance.
20:37 I'm a liar class after this.
20:39 Praise God.
20:40 Amen.
20:41 Now, how many people been to a club or a party at the house?
20:45 Let me ask you a question.
20:48 How come you just couldn't dance by yourself with nobody over there?
20:52 You could have got the same playlist from the DJ.
20:55 Yeah, Big Shaq is a DJ.
20:56 He could give you his whole playlist.
20:58 Say, "Play this in your living room, just you by yourself."
21:00 Let me ask you a question.
21:01 Why do you go to the club?
21:03 Or why did you go since y'all trying to act, say?
21:05 Praise God.
21:06 And why do you have a house party?
21:09 Why do you call everybody else over?
21:11 Why do you grab like seven of your cousins when certain songs come on and it's time to line dance?
21:15 Because even though you could do it by yourself, there's another energy.
21:19 There's another--you know, when you--when your bra's behind you and you--that's an alpha thing.
21:34 Y'all don't understand.
21:35 But I'm saying there's something about when it's a bunch of y'all together.
21:38 There's a certain excitement and a certain energy that you can't feel by yourself.
21:44 Can I tell you during our birthday, the first thing that I love about the Word Church?
21:49 The Word Church, write this down, gives me partners in praise.
21:53 Y'all miss it.
21:56 It's the only church that I can come sit on a row, look down at seven total strangers who don't even know me, and say, "Hey, y'all, let's magnify."
22:09 I wish y'all had--
22:12 Some of y'all looking at me crazy.
22:15 The Word Church gives me a place to praise.
22:18 The Word Church is the only place I can touch people I don't know and ask them to repeat stuff after me.
22:24 If I do that on my job, I'm fired.
22:26 I do that at the mall, I'm arrested.
22:28 But when I come in church, it's a bunch of crazy people just like me who know if it had not been--
22:37 Oh, I gotta get out of here.
22:43 It's at church that I get me some praise partners.
22:48 It's at church that there are like-minded individuals who can identify with my plight.
22:54 It's at church that all of us know He woke us up this morning.
22:58 It's at church that we know it was the blood.
23:01 It's at church that we know we've been saved by grace.
23:05 It's at church that we know God is the source of our joy.
23:09 It's at church that people don't look down at me or look at me strange.
23:13 Do me a favor, hit three people and say, "Oh, magnify."
23:24 Y'all gonna make me--
23:26 I'm trying to hold it 'til next week.
23:27 I'm trying to hold it.
23:28 I'm trying to hold it.
23:30 I'm trying to hold it, but I'm feeling--
23:32 Oh, magnify.
23:34 And so do me a favor, those of you that are part of the frozen chosen, those of you who
23:39 don't like people touching you too much, those of you who like a quiet service, there are
23:43 better churches than the Word, because most of us got college degrees and good jobs, but
23:48 all of us remember we didn't have a dime in our pocket.
23:51 All of us remember we were sleeping in beds we shouldn't have slept in.
23:55 All of us remember we were dating Negroes who had no class, and the Lord gave us another
24:02 chance, and we don't come here on Sunday to be cute, but we come here to magnify.
24:08 [applause]
24:12 [groans]
24:16 Woo!
24:19 Magnify him.
24:21 Magnify him.
24:23 Take 30 seconds all across this country, open up your mouth, in your house, in your living
24:30 room, grab your husband, grab your kids, find you a praise partner, and magnify.
24:36 [applause]
24:39 Okay, sit down.
24:41 Sit down.
24:42 I said sit down.
24:44 I said sit down.
24:46 I said sit--
24:48 [applause]
24:56 Slappery people say, "You don't know my God, no."
25:00 What the Lord has done.
25:04 [applause]
25:18 [applause]
25:25 We gotta--we gotta--we gotta see the time it is.
25:30 We gotta--we gotta--we gotta go, y'all.
25:34 [applause]
25:43 Oh, wait a minute.
25:45 What time do the Browns play?
25:46 Four o'clock?
25:47 Oh, shoot, let's go.
25:48 All right, so--
25:49 [applause]
25:58 Not only does the Word Church give me partners in praise, but the reason why I love our church,
26:08 I do, and relevant churches across the country--it's our birthday, so I'm being a bit selfish,
26:13 but relevant churches in general, but specifically the Word Church.
26:16 The reason why I have to do this and come is because not only does the Word Church provide me partners in praise,
26:22 but secondly, the Word Church provides me perspective.
26:26 Y'all sit down for a minute, let me work.
26:28 Sit down.
26:29 Or stand up.
26:32 Touch your neighbor and say, "I'll be back up in one minute.
26:34 I'm gonna sit here for a second."
26:36 Say, "I'm just gonna get some rest.
26:38 I'm gonna get a little rest, 'cause I'll be back up on the next point.
26:41 I'll be right back."
26:42 So, I'm just sitting on the bench for a minute, catch my breath 'cause I'm going back in the game to praise.
26:47 In one second, amen, I'm just--just a little 30-second timeout, that's all.
26:51 30 seconds, not even a full timeout, I'm jumping right back up in a minute.
26:54 It provides me perspective.
26:56 Now, watch this.
26:57 I said I wanna read my Bible more in front of you this coming year because you do know that David does not write all of the Psalms.
27:05 Be careful, pastors.
27:06 David said, "David said."
27:07 Be careful when you're preaching the Psalms.
27:09 Moses wrote a few.
27:11 David writes many of them.
27:12 Those are called Davidic Psalms.
27:15 But he doesn't write all of them.
27:16 Moses writes a couple, and Asaph writes some.
27:19 A-S-A-P-H, Asaph, he writes some.
27:22 He wrote the 73rd.
27:23 I wanna give you something because look at me.
27:25 Asaph says something, and I was reading it, and I thought, "Everybody here can feel this."
27:30 Can I just read it?
27:31 I don't wanna paraphrase it.
27:32 Psalm 73, verses 11 through 16 from the Message Version says, "What's going on here?
27:37 Is God out to lunch?
27:39 Nobody's tending the store.
27:41 The wicked get by with everything they haven't made, piling up riches.
27:45 I've been stupid to play by the rules."
27:47 Come here, singles.
27:49 Yeah, what has it gotten me?
27:51 A long run, a bad look, that's what.
27:53 A slap in the face every time I walk out the door.
27:55 If I had given in and talked like this, I would have betrayed your dear children.
27:59 Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache.
28:02 Look at me.
28:03 All I got was a splitting headache.
28:05 He says, "I'm trying to play by the rules.
28:07 I'm trying to do right.
28:09 Pastor is telling me certain things about Scripture and keeping myself as a single person.
28:14 Everybody I know doing what they wanna do seem like they're doing okay."
28:18 Yeah, and here I am trying to keep myself together, and I only got three more years of cute left.
28:27 Maybe four, 'cause stuff is starting to fall and turn and drag, and I'm right at my—I
28:33 got like maybe four years at the most of cute left of just playing.
28:40 And my children, I raised them right, but they all doing wrong.
28:45 You would think I never raised them.
28:48 You would think they was just orphans.
28:50 You would think they had no guidance.
28:52 I'm not gonna lie to you.
28:53 They don't come to the Word Church.
28:54 I come.
28:55 They know.
28:56 I brought them when they were little, and maybe whatever.
28:58 I'm telling you, they sleep with who they wanna sleep with.
29:00 You name it.
29:01 And I tell you, nothing's right, and I'm sick of it.
29:04 I feel stupid.
29:05 And the psalmist says, "Talk about feeling low.
29:08 Talk about wanting to give up."
29:10 He says, "I was really done with God and church."
29:13 The next verse, somebody gonna take off running, "Until I went to the sanctuary."
29:20 Until I got to the sanctuary.
29:23 The devil made one mistake.
29:25 He let me get to church.
29:28 It had been a rough week.
29:30 I was slipping.
29:32 Keith, keep calling me.
29:34 Look at a single citizen.
29:36 You know who Keith is.
29:37 Go ahead.
29:38 Different, different social security number, but same guy.
29:40 Different person, but same Keith.
29:42 Keith calling.
29:47 I was, I'm slipping.
29:48 It was, it was a trip.
29:49 I ain't gonna lie.
29:50 My mind was playing tricks on me because I'm loving this girl, and man, talk about side
29:56 chicks.
29:57 I could have 12 of them.
29:58 Easy.
30:00 But I'm trying to do what Pastor Teach and this word, it's a lot.
30:03 And I was, I was falling because I'm really trying to be faithful and she don't show me
30:07 no honor.
30:08 Yeah, make love to me like I'm a child when she feel like it.
30:12 If I've been a good boy, maybe.
30:14 When the scripture says her body's mine and mine is hers, but I gotta be perfect just
30:18 to make love to her.
30:19 I'm telling you, and they coming at me, this Instagram stuff.
30:21 I'm telling you, I'm young, I'm tripping, it's wrong.
30:24 Kids, money.
30:26 I know what I could do if I feel like it.
30:28 I used to do it and I'm trying to be right.
30:30 I was slipping until I went to church.
30:35 Until I went to church.
30:37 Church.
30:39 The sermon, the word of God, the Christian camaraderie, the Christian camaraderie, excuse
30:46 me, the Christian camaraderie, it's what's keeping me.
30:49 It's, it's, it's walking in and seeing your El Torino's and these guys that have been the
30:54 truth and never fell off the wall for 20 years.
30:56 And I went to college and came back and he was still standing there and still helping
31:00 people, seeing elders and, and pastor Lady Vernon and people.
31:04 And, and, and it showed me, cause truth be told, pastor, you're the first cat I ever,
31:09 ever met in my life really liked his wife.
31:12 Yeah, really liked her.
31:14 Like not just frontin', making love to her, chasing her, sexy, all that.
31:17 I'd never seen it.
31:18 Didn't see it in my house.
31:19 And when I came to church and you and all these guys and I, I see you, Elder Gullies
31:23 and Monique's, I see you, Brother Campbell's and his wife, 50 years.
31:26 I see you, Elder Carr's and Elder Dee's.
31:28 I, I, I see, I, I see you, Elder Mackley, raise your hand, and, and, and Elder Mackley,
31:34 his wife, 40 years married and still making love and kissing and traveling.
31:38 I, I, stand up, you're supposed to.
31:40 Do a jumping jack, do a jumping jack.
31:42 Do a, yeah, yeah, yeah, get it, get it, get it.
31:46 Go Mackley, it's your.
31:49 Oh, Sookie, Sookie, watch this.
32:03 He says, he says, "I saw the power of church."
32:09 The power of church.
32:10 There's a book I gave you years ago, and when I give you something, read it, man.
32:14 It's called "Slave Religion and the Antebellum South" by Roberto, and when I tell you slave
32:19 religion, the invisible institution, the invisible institution in the antebellum south, one of
32:25 the books I had to read during seminary days, but I always revisit it because the church
32:29 had to be invisible, because slaves had to sneak to church.
32:33 It was the invisible institution, and that invisible institution still has power because
32:39 now that invisible institution has become visible, and how visible was it last week
32:45 when I stood on this same stage and said, "I see all you Delta sisters back there.
32:49 Yeah, I did it for your sister," and I said, "I need all of you to bombard, yeah, Prosecutor
32:54 O'Malley's phone.
32:56 Send him emails.
32:58 Send him emails by the dozens.
33:00 Be respectful."
33:01 By the way, the secretary said, "Everybody was so respectful."
33:04 I said, "Go on, Word Church."
33:06 I said, "The Word Nation know what they're doing."
33:09 They had never seen that.
33:11 Most of the time, emails come in, people cussing and making demands, and we're going to do
33:15 this, so everybody was so respectful, they said.
33:17 That's what tripped them out.
33:18 I said, "Please, everybody, we don't like what happened with dear Amanda, with her imperfect
33:23 self.
33:24 Nobody had a right to kill her.
33:25 I'm not going to leave this alone until I go as far as I can.
33:28 Yeah, when it makes it, I'm prophesying, when it makes it to a grand jury, I'll let the
33:33 grand jury have the final say, and then I'll say I did my best.
33:36 But until then, I'm not stopping."
33:38 So watch this.
33:39 All of you sending these emails, I'm thinking maybe by the end of the day, about 10.30,
33:42 my phone will ring, "Secretary, Pastor, Prosecutor O'Malley is on the line."
33:46 I said, "Right now?
33:50 Right now?"
33:52 I said, "Hello?"
33:54 So he said, "Dr. Vernon, what's going on?
33:57 We can't breathe.
33:58 We can't—" My secretary is, "I'm serious."
34:00 He's like, "What's going on?
34:02 I don't even know."
34:03 I said, "Well, now you know.
34:04 Praise God.
34:05 Yeah, you know.
34:06 Yeah, yeah, you."
34:07 And again, see, I'm not going to play Warrensville, who's kind to me.
34:12 I'm not going to play O'Malley to try to be big, bad preacher.
34:15 Everything I've asked him to do, he's done.
34:17 Yeah, and he's on it.
34:19 "Pastor, tell us more."
34:20 Mm-mm.
34:21 I'm going to let the case be the case.
34:22 They're informing me.
34:23 They're telling me.
34:24 I know a lot more than I'll say publicly because I'm not trying to grandstand.
34:27 I want justice.
34:28 I don't want to mess it up talking too much.
34:31 But just know, to the family, to everybody watching, this thing is moving.
34:36 Mayor Sellers called me yesterday.
34:38 Detectives, you name it, it's not going to die under some pile of papers.
34:43 Her life is going to mean something.
34:45 Domestic violence has to stop.
34:48 Domestic violence has to stop.
34:51 [applause]
34:55 You don't even know almost what you're shouting for.
34:59 This case would have maybe fell apart, but the church...
35:03 [applause]
35:06 Y'all didn't hear what...
35:07 We do more than cook chicken and shout.
35:10 A church on fire, a church with purpose, can swing elections.
35:16 A church with purpose can make prosecutors wake up.
35:20 A church with purpose...
35:22 [applause]
35:26 One church.
35:29 And don't fool around and let the black church and black sororities and fraternities get together.
35:35 The two oldest institutions in the black community are sororities, fraternities, and the black church.
35:41 We don't owe nobody nothing.
35:43 You're not paying us.
35:44 You can't tell us to shut up.
35:45 You can't stop us because we are self-funded.
35:48 We are black.
35:49 We are beautiful.
35:50 We are sane.
35:51 And you can't stop us.
35:53 [applause]
35:56 Woo!
35:57 [applause]
36:14 Word of church, church gives me perspective.
36:17 You walked in here today and you and him are thinking about perspective when Jack had to close them two caskets on Dominic and Joshua.
36:28 Perspective, he called me, just texted me yesterday.
36:31 I was at an event.
36:32 He texted me.
36:33 He's taking a little quick break.
36:34 He said, "I just want to know when your birthday is, Pastor."
36:36 I said, "April 23rd."
36:38 He texted me right back and said, "That was Dominic's birthday."
36:41 [applause]
36:42 I said, "Me and you are supposed to be together.
36:45 We both had Irish twins.
36:46 My two oldest, Shanae and Dominic, are the same age for a couple of months before one has a birthday.
36:51 Same as Dominic and Joshua.
36:52 They were 21 and 22.
36:54 And so what do you do when you got to decide which casket to close first?"
36:59 And I'm standing there in the middle thinking about my three boys and trying to help him to figure out do we close the youngest first or the oldest first.
37:05 I'm looking at him trying to feel his pain.
37:07 Mourn with those who mourn.
37:10 And so, Pastor, why does he keep texting you?
37:12 Because I keep giving him perspective.
37:14 "Pastor, but he don't go here."
37:16 So what?
37:17 His two sons got killed at the same time.
37:19 I ain't got time for who's a member.
37:22 Sometimes God just tells me, "Help him!
37:25 Help him!
37:26 Make sure he don't shoot himself.
37:29 Make sure he don't jump off a building.
37:31 Give him enough love and understanding and Jesus teaching.
37:35 A good church gives you perspective."
37:38 [applause]
37:43 I've been telling y'all for years, one lady hugged Lady Vernon.
37:46 One lady hugs Lady Vernon every Sunday and said, "I hug you every week to give me strength to go home to a husband I can't stand.
37:55 But when I hug you, I just feel like I can make it one more week."
37:58 It tells singles, "I can do this.
38:01 Yeah, I need food and water and Jesus.
38:03 I don't have to have sex to live.
38:06 I'm not getting a temporary feeling and another soul tie in my heart just so I can feel guilty 10 seconds after he's done."
38:16 Perspective!
38:21 That my kids aren't right, pastor, but they don't have a right to take all my joy.
38:26 I said this at a Bible cast.
38:28 I'm all out of order now.
38:29 I'm finished.
38:30 Here's what's crazy.
38:32 The Lord told me to ask you this question.
38:34 Is there anybody in the world, starting with who you're sleeping with, your spouse or your children, that have a right to dictate your total joy?
38:44 Even kids that came out of you.
38:46 Let's say you raised them right, trained them, but they want to sleep with same sex or everybody at the same time, menage a trois, rob, steal, don't go to church.
38:54 Do they have a right, even if they came out of you, to dictate your life's happiness?
39:01 So because they came out of you, now you're not going to ever be happy till they get right?
39:05 You're not going to ever smile and enjoy life and vacation with your husband and say, "I'm going to pray.
39:10 Yes, I'm going to cry sometime, but I need perspective that nobody, even that which came out of me, should control my joy because they're going to do what they're going to do.
39:22 I still got to live because he is the source of my joy.
39:27 In him I live."
39:33 I'm going to quit while I'm ahead.
39:34 Not only does the Word Church give me partners in praise and not only does the Word Church give me perspective, you'll love this, but the Word Church pushes me to prayer.
39:46 I'm going.
39:47 I won't even try to finish.
39:48 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.
39:52 It's on the screen.
39:53 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.
39:55 Look at David singing, "This poor man cried."
39:58 He's singing this.
39:59 He's just not saying it.
40:00 He's writing a song in front of his dudes.
40:02 "This poor man cried."
40:04 Y'all know I'm going through something.
40:06 Y'all know my kids can't stand me.
40:07 Y'all know Saul is after my head.
40:09 Y'all know Abimelech tried to take me out.
40:11 Y'all know they wouldn't take me in Gath.
40:13 Y'all know I'm on the run from my past.
40:15 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him.
40:20 I want to call this church.
40:21 I like the NLT.
40:22 In my desperation, I prayed, and the Lord listened.
40:26 He saved me from all my troubles.
40:29 In my desperation, I prayed.
40:31 Look at me, teenagers, outsiders, YF, primetime, seasoned saints, beautiful guests today.
40:40 Most of you don't pray enough.
40:43 Most of what you want from God, you don't even ask Him for every day.
40:49 First prayer after I adore Him, after I adore Him, after I adore Him every morning, first prayer every single day,
40:56 "Lord, watch over Victory Rose Vernon."
40:59 Before my children, "Lord, keep her. Let her live to be about 100.
41:02 Lord, if one of us got to die, let it be me.
41:05 Let her be at my funeral. I don't want to be at hers."
41:07 In a perfect world, God, can we both turn 90-something and raise our—
41:11 Ushers, help me. I know babies running out. Ushers, help me.
41:13 This is just too important.
41:14 Somebody run out. This is important.
41:16 Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me.
41:18 The question is, look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me.
41:20 Baby, baby, baby, I pray for you every day.
41:23 And here's what I'm asking God.
41:24 God, please let her live to be a centurion.
41:29 Now, my prayers don't manipulate God's will.
41:34 Because I pray it does not mean it's going to happen.
41:37 But at least I can say I asked.
41:42 And then I pray for my kids from oldest to youngest.
41:47 Every day, starting with Dominique, down to Mama.
41:49 We call it Victory Mama. Down to Mama. By age.
41:52 Every day, Lord, watch over them.
41:54 Lord, watch over their spouses.
41:56 Lord, my two coming grandchildren, please healthy.
41:58 Please, what I want from God, I ask for.
42:01 I don't just hope. He said, "Whatever you ask."
42:04 Y'all not hearing me.
42:06 He says, "You have not."
42:12 Do y'all not understand what I'm telling you?
42:14 Some of what you don't have is because you're swiping in the morning.
42:19 You checking your phone.
42:21 You checking your likes.
42:23 And there's a God above who says, "Call unto me,
42:28 and I will show you great and mighty things you've never seen."
42:38 With that in mind, I don't got no screaming me today.
42:40 Look at me.
42:42 With that in mind, tomorrow, tomorrow, you watching this months later, that's okay.
42:47 But tomorrow, Cleveland time, right now, at 6 p.m.,
42:51 everybody is to stop eating.
42:54 Enjoy today. Watch the game.
42:56 Eat breakfast. Eat lunch. Have dinner around 5.30.
42:59 At 6 o'clock, this church is in consecration.
43:02 That's why we having hallelujah today with the kids.
43:05 I ain't got time for candy and stuff Monday night.
43:07 They need to consecrate too.
43:09 Take their phones. You grown, right? They're not.
43:12 Yeah, they're grown. Look at the kids voting against me.
43:15 So what? I love them.
43:17 Yeah, no phones, no social media for 48 hours.
43:21 I could have said 7 days, 5 days.
43:23 We will maybe again, but the Lord told me something attainable.
43:26 That most people here, if you put your mind to it,
43:29 drink plenty of water, and when you get hungry,
43:32 just start thinking, "My soul hungers and thirsts
43:37 after righteousness. He that hungers."
43:41 Why do you wait every day, pastor, about 6 days a week,
43:45 other than Sunday to 12 noon before you eat every day?
43:48 Yes, intermediate fasting is helping with everything I'm trying to do physically,
43:51 but also it taught me there's a spiritual component.
43:54 Every day around 12, I start to feel the hunger,
43:56 and I remember, "He that hungers and thirsts after righteousness
44:00 shall be filled."
44:02 "He that hungers and thirsts after righteousness."
44:05 If you get real hungry, eat a piece of orange,
44:09 eat a banana. You cannot justify Chick-fil-A.
44:12 [laughter]
44:15 I don't want to hear--I started getting dizzy, pastor,
44:17 so I had to get a 12-piece.
44:19 [laughter]
44:20 Yeah, I was getting dizzy, so next thing I know,
44:22 I was 12-piece and a milkshake.
44:24 I was getting dizzy. It was God told me, "Get a 12-piece."
44:27 No, that was the devil.
44:29 Yeah, you can't justify a donut.
44:32 Absolutely nothing sweet.
44:35 Absolutely no sugar.
44:37 At minimum, a little fruit.
44:39 At minimum, no stars, but I'm thinking those who can--
44:42 Come on, let's worship. I got stuff.
44:44 Y'all look at me. Look at me.
44:45 Who's going to try your best?
44:47 [cheers and applause]
44:49 I'm calling this church to two days of nothing but water.
44:55 Monday night at 6.
44:57 And, uh, Monday night at 6.
45:00 Pastor, do we stop Wednesday at 6?
45:02 No, don't do that.
45:03 Let's come to church. No 12 noon this Wednesday.
45:06 Seasons, things, be obedient.
45:08 Fight your way. Come to me.
45:10 Everybody, jam this place at 7.
45:12 Pastor John Hannah.
45:14 [cheers and applause]
45:15 Whoo! If you don't know, you will know.
45:19 Hannah--Pastor Hannah is known for prayer.
45:25 He'll have 12 hours of prayer at his church.
45:28 MegaFest, everyone is invited.
45:30 Bishop Jakes, everybody, bring Pastor Hannah.
45:32 Whenever you want the place wide open.
45:33 He was just in South Africa.
45:34 Check his Instagram.
45:35 I haven't seen a picture like that.
45:37 Had to be 5,000, 6,000 people losing their mind last week
45:41 as he was ministering.
45:42 The power of Africa.
45:43 You guys know I went to Ghana.
45:44 I'm going back, and I may take some of you with me.
45:46 I'm going to Ghana.
45:47 I feel like we need to do a trip to Ghana,
45:49 and I'll give you a year's notice,
45:50 and we're going to go to Ghana.
45:51 I want y'all to see what a prayer mountain looks like.
45:54 [speaking in foreign language]
45:57 Oh, I love prayer.
46:01 So don't eat.
46:02 Staff members, everybody, elders,
46:05 we're going to eat after Wednesday night.
46:08 I want everybody to come in church wide open
46:11 so that when he starts to preach,
46:13 and you haven't eaten in a couple days,
46:16 and this magnifies with me together
46:20 the power to our guests,
46:22 my beautiful Delta sisters in sorority,
46:24 you come back.
46:25 Anybody, pack this place.
46:27 Tell everybody you know.
46:29 And after service,
46:30 you can just wait until Thursday morning
46:31 if you want and break your fast,
46:32 or you can eat some soup that night, whatever,
46:34 but who's going to fight to do it with me?
46:37 Everyone stand, and we're going home.
46:39 Watch this.
46:40 Don't walk. Don't walk out.
46:41 Don't walk out. We're done.
46:42 Don't walk out.
46:47 Not only does the Word Church push me to prayer,
46:50 finally, y'all going to love this,
46:52 the Word Church is a place
46:55 where I get to party through my pain.
47:00 Look at me. I'm done.
47:03 So, Pastor, Israeli conflict,
47:05 Israeli conflict,
47:07 had to bury my spiritual, beautiful daughter, Amanda,
47:10 unnecessarily, been fighting for justice for her,
47:14 and top of that, had to go to court with another member
47:17 and just show my face down at court,
47:19 and then I had to,
47:20 and then the detective called me,
47:21 the mayor called me while I was sitting in court,
47:23 literally, I had to run out the courtroom,
47:25 and I was there for one reason,
47:26 had to run out,
47:27 and then I look at the news and find out
47:29 Brethren lost his mind in Maine,
47:31 and because I care about God's people and the world,
47:34 which you may ignore, it drops my spirit,
47:37 because I'm thinking about somebody's husband
47:39 just shot for no reason.
47:40 Don't walk right now if you don't have to.
47:41 Please don't walk.
47:42 Somebody's husband just shot for no reason.
47:44 Somebody's wife just shot,
47:45 and I'm dealing with all of that,
47:47 and I'm trying to figure out
47:48 and make sure Jack don't lose his mind,
47:49 and he texting,
47:50 but then on the top of that, wait a minute,
47:52 it's the church's birthday.
47:54 Wait a minute.
47:55 Then my secretary calls,
47:56 you know they put you in the Hall of Fame
47:58 at East Tech Saturday.
47:59 That was last night.
48:00 I said, wait a minute.
48:02 I'm serious,
48:05 and I said, God, am I supposed to be sad
48:08 or are we supposed to party?
48:10 And then the Lord spoke and said,
48:12 if you wait for everything in your life
48:16 to line up before you party,
48:20 before you celebrate,
48:22 you will never celebrate.
48:25 He said, in the midst of what you're going through,
48:28 have some fun with your family.
48:31 Love your church.
48:33 You still got to keep living
48:35 and party through your pain.
48:37 Praise through your pain,
48:39 and so I show up last night.
48:41 Didn't even have my suit and stuff ready.
48:42 Wasn't thinking about it.
48:43 They remind me,
48:44 East Tech, the greatest high school in the world.
48:48 My alma mater is putting me in the Hall of Fame,
48:51 so we get there last night,
48:52 and my church done bought two tables,
48:54 so my deacons and elders and my family,
48:56 my sister, my kids,
48:58 everybody I love around these tables,
49:00 and they come get me and say,
49:02 Dr. Vernon, since you're one of the inductees,
49:04 you get to sit at the important table,
49:06 and so I got up and went to the important table.
49:10 Me and Lady Vernon sitting there.
49:12 Ain't nobody talking to us at the table,
49:15 and we keep looking back at our family having fun.
49:20 I was like,
49:22 I'm going back to sit with my family,
49:27 'cause it's my party.
49:29 It's my party.
49:31 It's my night,
49:33 and I'm going to hang around people I love
49:36 during this low, sad season.
49:39 I will bless the Lord at all times.
49:42 His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
49:47 It's rough right now, Word Nation,
49:49 but open up your mouth as a congregation
49:52 one good time and pray!
49:58 Bless His name.