00:00:00.000 - 00:00:10.140

[no audio] [President John F. Kennedy] Hearts. [All] We lift them up to the Lord. [Kennedy] Let us pray.

00:00:10.140 - 00:00:30.480

Oh, gracious God our Father, we lift up our hearts to you and grateful praise for the multitude of your mercies, for the blessed opportunity that is ours to gather in the house of prayer. We pray that you will guide us in this service of worship

00:00:30.480 - 00:00:47.400

Forgive us of our sins renew the right spirit within us and Grant that each one of us may worship you in spirit and in truth the glory and honor of thy name

00:00:47.400 - 00:01:20.000

We ask through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Good morning and welcome to the worship of God I'm gonna ask this brother over here to join us in the center section if you will, please sir

00:01:20.000 - 00:01:48.060

[MUSIC] All right, let us all turn to hymn number 308, Hallelujah. [MUSIC] Hallelujah.

00:01:48.060 - 00:02:19.540

[MUSIC] [MUSIC] ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪

00:02:19.540 - 00:02:46.760

♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ Lord I love you, Hallelujah ♪ ♪ For I love you, hallelujah ♪ ♪ For I love you, hallelujah ♪

00:02:46.760 - 00:03:14.600

♪ For I love you, hallelujah ♪ ♪ I will serve thee, hallelujah ♪ I will serve thee, hallelujah. I will serve thee, hallelujah.

00:03:14.600 - 00:03:36.520

I will serve thee, hallelujah. I will praise thee. I will praise thee, hallelujah. I will praise Him, hallelujah.

00:03:36.520 - 00:04:01.520

I will praise Him, hallelujah. I will praise Him, hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

00:04:01.520 - 00:04:34.880

Hallelujah, hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah. ♪ Hallelujah ♪ - Our scripture lesson today is taken

00:04:34.880 - 00:04:56.160

from the book of Psalms, 38th chapter. O Lord, rebuke me not in thy wrath, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger, neither is there any rest

00:04:56.160 - 00:05:12.040

in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head, as in heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness.

00:05:12.040 - 00:05:26.080

I am troubled. I am bowed down greatly. I go mourning all the day long, for my lions are filled with loathsome disease, and there is no soundness in my flesh.

00:05:26.080 - 00:05:42.380

I am feeble and sore-broken. I have roared by reason of disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before thee, and my groaning is not hid from thee. My heart paneth, my strength paleth me.

00:05:42.380 - 00:06:07.180

As for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers, my friends, stand aloof from my sore, and my kinsmen stand afar off. They also that seek after my life lay snares for me, and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things and imagine deceits all the day long.

00:06:07.180 - 00:06:39.660

But I, as a deaf man, heard not, and I was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and standeth in whose mouth are no reproofs. For in thee, O Lord, do I hope thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. This is our time of prayer together as we gather around the altar.

00:06:39.660 - 00:07:07.660

Let every one of us unite our hearts in the blessed fellowship of prayer. What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear. What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.

00:07:07.660 - 00:07:44.960

teach us to pray. With the request of the disciples to Jesus, As we pray let us not only Present to God our personal concerns, but let us remember others their needs our world

00:07:44.960 - 00:07:57.120

May we bow our heads. Oh Gracious God our Heavenly Father We

00:07:57.120 - 00:08:16.760

bow reverently in your presence with hearts of gratitude because of the many expressions of your loving kindness. You have blessed every one of us.

00:08:16.760 - 00:08:41.040

You've given us life, a reasonable portion of health and strength. You've given us freedoms to enjoy and privileges to share. And so we say thank you. Thank you for the gift of this day, for the privilege of being ushered into another week.

00:08:41.040 - 00:09:00.220

We know that because of our righteousness we don't deserve any of these things. We're all sinners. We've all missed the mark. We've all fallen short of your glory but because of your graciousness we are

00:09:00.220 - 00:09:21.920

permitted to be here and So we pray that you would Equip us for your service purge our hearts from all ill will and from envy and malice Give us pure hearts clean vessels to be used in your service

00:09:21.920 - 00:09:48.880

Lord we do not know what we face in another week. Some of us may be uptight, some of us may have problems that are too much for us to solve, but you know what they are. And we present them to you right now and we ask that that whatever may be the struggle and whatever may be the obstacle that we may be able to

00:09:48.880 - 00:10:24.480

claim the victory in your name. We pray for this church. We pray for those who are sick, who are in hospitals today. We thank you for those who have experienced the measure of recovery. We pray for those families that are bereaved. Oh Lord we thank you that you are a physician who cares about every one of us and that

00:10:24.480 - 00:10:56.720

you have the power to heal not only the infirmities of the flesh but of the mind and of the spirit have mercy upon us and bless us we pray not only for this church but we would pray for your people everywhere those who confess you as well as those who do not own you and we pray that we may be your instruments

00:10:56.720 - 00:11:26.240

that we may be the light shining in darkness we pray for the suffering people of South Africa. We pray that your spirit may reign in that situation. We pray for freedom and for peace and for justice and not only for the people of South Africa but we would pray for the peoples of our world. For that day when

00:11:26.240 - 00:12:01.400

men shall beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks and study war no longer. Oh Lord have mercy upon us and bless us as we go forth to face the challenge of a new week. Help us to go with you with our hand in your hand and with the blessed assurance that all will be well, we ask in Jesus' name, Amen.

00:12:01.400 - 00:12:12.820

- Yeah. (chuckles) (soft music) [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:12:12.820 - 00:13:22.280

♪ (ominous music) [music] [The sound of a man walking, a woman walking, and a man walking.] [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:13:22.280 - 00:14:01.440

[ Music ] ♪ Bless the Lord, oh my soul ♪ ♪ And all that is within me ♪ ♪ Bless his holy name ♪

00:14:01.440 - 00:14:40.820

♪ Bless the Lord, oh my soul ♪ ♪ And all that is within me ♪ ♪ Blessings for the evening ♪ ♪ He has come with peace ♪

00:14:40.820 - 00:15:09.580

♪ He has come with peace ♪ He has conquered death and is gone in faith. He has conquered death. He has conquered death.

00:15:09.580 - 00:15:27.580

♪ He has born with me ♪ ♪ As His holy name ♪ ♪ Oh, that's all ♪ ♪ Oh, that's all ♪

00:15:27.580 - 00:16:09.580

♪ And all that lives within me ♪ ♪ Is His holy name ♪ [ Music ] [music]

00:16:09.580 - 00:16:38.300

Amen, amen. We worship the Lord now in the dedication of our gift that every one of us give as the Lord has prospered you. Brother Franklin will lead us in our offertory prayer. Eternal God as we come to this period of giving, giving our tithes and our offering gifts, we ask

00:16:38.300 - 00:17:05.940

the Lord bless those who are to give and those who may not have anything to give and may it come back threefold Heavenly Father and Heavenly Father we ask the Lord bless those Heavenly Father who are less fortunate than we are we shall give you the praise for everything as we give Amen

00:17:05.940 - 00:17:31.300

Brethren this is an announcement to you concerning men's day all of the men's day Captains and co-captains, please see brother Clifton van Dyck and brother Leroy Davis and the for you today If you have not received your packet all waiting for you. It's very important that you get it today see them

00:17:32.060 - 00:17:52.700

Immediately following the service and get your packet. That's very very important. Men's Day is the second Sunday in August The Concord Chapel Choir will present its annual musical Sunday, that's the first Sunday. That's next Sunday 4 p.m in addition to

00:17:52.700 - 00:18:14.120

Their presentation will be another by the First Baptist Church of Sagin, Texas For whom they performed last year. They will be presenting part of that program And you asked to attend you asked to be a patron. We want you to give a liberal offering of the patron this is a manifestation of our support of our

00:18:14.120 - 00:18:34.060

Music ministry and our young people this announcement is coming from sister Rowena Jackson Now all of the mission circle presidents and officers of the Brotherhood will meet at the church Monday August the 5th at 6 p.m. To make plans for the Mary Hill Davis State Mission week of prayer

00:18:34.060 - 00:18:50.560

Keep that in mind. That's August the 5th You see the announcement concerning men's day with Reverend Kay Alfred Sloan of The Tulane Baptist Church, New Orleans, Louisiana as the guest speaker the

00:18:50.560 - 00:19:11.680

messages will be brought both the 8 o'clock and the Regularly 11 o'clock service. We will not have an afternoon service You will notice I'll sick and I'll shut in brother Thomas E Wallace is at Holy Cross he

00:19:11.680 - 00:19:34.200

Was in good spirits when I saw him on yesterday brother Isaac Chapman underwent surgery. It was an intensive care when I was there on yesterday but the surgery seems to have been successful at Seton Medical Center and Brother Alvin Patterson underwent surgery and it was in good spirits

00:19:34.200 - 00:19:53.740

Sister Alice Foster is in St. David's Hospital. I Saw all of them and their others here listed here who are not in the hospitals who in homes Let's remember them in our prayers and our visits Now it's very very important that the membership would do this

00:19:53.740 - 00:20:15.900

It's not enough for the pastor and one or two others to visit all of us are members of a family So let's not only remember them in our prayers, but in our visits and not just those who happen to be in our particular Organization or something of that nature, but who belong to the family of God here at Ebenezer. Let's remember our sick and

00:20:15.900 - 00:20:29.900

Shut in Now at 11 o'clock we will have the morning worship service at the Association. We've been engaged in that during this week and

00:20:29.900 - 00:20:47.460

at 730 We ought to have the closing worship service and the pastor is to preach It's Brotherhood night. So we want all of you there the sanctuary choir will sing

00:20:48.460 - 00:21:01.680

And since this is Brotherhood Night, I want all the brothers, the deacons and trustees, don't just go on off and and not let me see you there. You let me see you there. That's

00:21:01.680 - 00:21:19.940

one way that you can show your support not only of this service, but of your church and of your pastor on tonight. The Brotherhood has recently been reorganized here at our church. So we certainly want our brothers since it's a brotherhood night to sort of shine forth in your presence and we want our entire membership

00:21:19.940 - 00:21:33.180

To be there in large numbers, so we would appreciate your presence all of you at the Association Tonight now the president of Bishop College is speaking in the 11 o'clock service

00:21:33.180 - 00:21:44.380

Dr. Lassiter and at 3 o'clock the Reverend today Reverend Bacon NW Bacon is Delivering the memorial service. Those are the activities

00:21:44.380 - 00:22:16.540

for this particular week Now I don't have any cards for any guests do we have persons who are worshiping with us not members of this church if so Would you stand that we may recognize your presence? All right, would you give us your names please?

00:22:16.540 - 00:22:48.420

All right, I visited with sister Kennedy here these are Larry's children I believe if you give us your name, please sir All right, we're delighted to have you all to worship with us this morning and we extend to you words of welcome from our church family with the hope that the service will be a source of inspiration and strength. I'd like now for some members near those persons who stood as visitors

00:22:48.420 - 00:23:04.680

to shake their hands as an expression of our welcome. Oh we're glad you're here. Thank you so much. God bless you. (audience laughing) (soft music)

00:23:05.680 - 00:23:49.960

(soft music) [music] [Music] [ Music ]

00:23:49.960 - 00:24:34.420

♪ All to Jesus I surrender ♪ ♪ All to Him I really give ♪ ♪ I will ever worship Him ♪ Love and trust in His presence may be.

00:24:37.420 - 00:25:18.440

I surrender all. ♪ All to Thee, my ♪ ♪ Blessed Savior ♪ ♪ My surrender ♪

00:25:18.440 - 00:25:41.440

♪ All to Thee ♪ ♪ All to Jesus ♪ ♪ I surrender ♪ ♪ All freedom is ♪

00:25:41.440 - 00:26:04.440

♪ Entire ♪ ♪ Worldly pleasures ♪ ♪ All forsaken ♪ ♪ Take me Jesus ♪

00:26:04.440 - 00:26:28.440

♪ Take me now ♪ ♪ I surrender ♪ ♪ I surrender all ♪ ♪ I surrender all ♪

00:26:28.440 - 00:26:52.780

[ Music ] ♪ All to Thee my ♪ ♪ Blessed Savior ♪ ♪ I surrender all ♪

00:26:52.780 - 00:27:23.660

♪ All to Jesus ♪ ♪ I surrender ♪ ♪ Holy Savior ♪ ♪ Many I ♪

00:27:23.660 - 00:27:45.660

♪ Many will bow ♪ ♪ All is given ♪ ♪ Through it all ♪ ♪ The power of God ♪

00:27:45.660 - 00:28:13.660

♪ I surrender all ♪ ♪ I surrender all ♪ ♪ I surrender all ♪ [ Music ]

00:28:13.660 - 00:28:38.620

♪ All to thee my ♪ ♪ Presence, my Savior ♪ ♪ I surrender ♪ ♪ All to thee ♪

00:28:38.620 - 00:29:01.620

[church bells ringing] Amen. As we continue our sermon series based on the book of Psalms, we invite your attention to Psalm 38.

00:29:03.620 - 00:29:23.580

to read Three verses in that particular psalm first is verse eight I Am utterly spent and crushed I Grown because of the tumult of my heart

00:29:23.580 - 00:29:40.660

Verses 21 22 Do not forsake me O Lord. Oh my God be not far from me Make haste to help me. Oh Lord my salvation

00:29:40.660 - 00:30:15.320

The subject a deathbed testimony Sickness is a part of life Sooner or later, all of us experience sickness. Something happens that serves notice that there is disorder.

00:30:15.320 - 00:30:38.340

A part of the body is not functioning as it should. Sickness is related to disease. The word "disease." We are not at ease.

00:30:38.340 - 00:30:52.140

We are in a state of dis-ease. We're not comfortable. We cannot rest. We are not at peace because we are sick.

00:30:52.140 - 00:31:36.100

something is wrong. Psalm 38 is the prayer of a person who is critically ill or as my grandmother would put it deathly sick. Sickness is a signal that something is wrong. It may begin with a slight pain, with soreness, or some expression of discomfort. It may continue and become progressively worse to the

00:31:36.100 - 00:31:50.620

to the point that we are compelled to remain in bed. The hours may stretch into days, and the days into weeks, and sometimes the weeks into months,

00:31:50.620 - 00:32:15.700

and the months into years. How we react to our sickness reveals the nature of our character. This psalm is important for every one of us because sickness is a part of life.

00:32:15.700 - 00:33:05.160

And if none of us has been seriously ill before we leave this world, It is the case that all of us at some time will be sick. So really what is important here as we consider this psalm is to recognize that how we react to our sickness reveals the nature of our character. When some people are sick they are mad with everybody because they're

00:33:05.160 - 00:33:46.360

sick. They're mad with the world. Some people when they become sick they quickly give up, they despair. Some when they are sick become angry with God. So this particular psalm is helpful because it gives us a vivid description of a person who is critically ill. Here is a person who has explored countless remedies, many medicines have been

00:33:46.360 - 00:34:25.400

applied instead of getting better the condition has become steadily worse. So the patient cries unto the Lord. This psalm is a prayer. It is a lament. The patient believes his illness is due to God's action. His sickness is believed to be an expression of divine anger. His sickness is the results of the chastening

00:34:25.400 - 00:35:00.520

of the Almighty. So as you read the psalm here the patient is a victim of the errors of the Almighty. In other words as he lies on his sickbed and meditates on his condition he is convinced that he is getting what he had coming to him. He realizes that he brought it on himself. Now all sickness is not intended by God but it is permitted

00:35:00.520 - 00:35:30.280

God. In his omnipotence God has permitted it. It's so arranged that if we violate certain laws we must suffer. Now we may violate the laws of good health as much as we please. We can eat whatever we want to eat. We can eat as much as we want to eat but when we eat something that we ought not eat it lets you know about it.

00:35:30.280 - 00:36:06.300

Sooner or later we have to pay for it and sickness may serve as a discipline to warn us. It may serve to strengthen us to make our lives better. Sickness warns us that something is wrong in the body that needs attention and it should be corrected in order for us to be restored to a state of health. Now sickness is

00:36:06.300 - 00:36:43.060

prevalent. Hospitals, health care centers, convalescent homes, clinics all remind us of the presence of sickness. Drugstores, doctors, nurses, all of these remind us of sickness. Every pain in our body, no doubt someone who listens to me now has some pain. We all no doubt recognize some physical weakness, some disorder. There is

00:36:43.060 - 00:37:22.520

some signal that we have that reminds us of the presence of sickness. Now in his sickness the psalmist cries unto the Lord. He says, "Lord, rebuke me not. I am sick. There is no soundness in my flesh. There is no health in my bones. Now this is no slight illness. Not only has it afflicted him on the outside, not only can you

00:37:22.520 - 00:37:51.180

notice that there has been a change as far as the skin of his body is concerned, but he says it's all in my bones. So this sickness has reached to the very depth of his existence. He's critically ill. This sickness seems to be a sickness unto death. He says so to speak I have done everything I know to do. I have

00:37:51.180 - 00:38:26.800

tried everything every human remedy I know it's oh Lord I'm presenting the case to you my iniquities have gone over my head here I find myself in it over my head there's nothing I can do I find myself with a burden that is too heavy for me to carry. Now what happens, what happens when sickness becomes a burden

00:38:26.800 - 00:39:08.820

too heavy for us to bear? Well this man, the psalmist here, cries unto the Lord, take your burden to the Lord and leave it there for if you trust and never doubt he will surely bring you out. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. Now I said this sickness has has brought the sufferer to the depths of despair.

00:39:08.820 - 00:39:30.500

Now some of us know how it is when you've just been sick a short time. I hear some people say, "Rev. I just can't, I'm just not accustomed to being sick and I just can't deal with this." Sometimes they've just been sick just for a day or two. But But here is a man who has been sick for a long time.

00:39:30.500 - 00:39:58.000

He has a protracted illness and he has gone down, down, down. And here he is on the deathbed and we listen to his testimony. As he talks with the Lord, he has come to the very depths of despair. And the wonderful thing about it is when you have, we have gone as low as you can go.

00:39:58.000 - 00:40:26.080

That when there's no, no human resource that can somehow reach your case, that when you are really down there as low as you are, as you're, as possible for you to go, that there is one to whom you can call and cry in your despair. And he says to the Lord my wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness

00:40:26.080 - 00:41:01.420

In other words Lord I know what got me here, it's my foolishness And I confess that it was my waywardness and my disobedience that put me in this condition I'm utterly bowed down and prostrate all the day I go about mourning. Lord I am as low as I can go. My loins are filled with burning and there is no soundness in my

00:41:01.420 - 00:41:40.480

flesh I'm troubled by aches and pains I am utterly spent and crushed I've given out I'm utterly spent I don't have any more strength I'm utterly spent I'm crushed my hopes are shattered and I've grown because of the tumult of my heart. You know, sickness brings a sense of alienation.

00:41:40.480 - 00:42:15.380

Alienation. Strangeness. You don't feel that others feel and share what you share. Oh, they come to the bed and then they say I hope you get well and all of that but there is a sense of alienation of you know you just don't know how I feel and we really don't.

00:42:15.380 - 00:42:39.760

We may try to put ourselves in that position but there's always a sense of alienation. The sufferer feels that there is a great distance between himself and others. Even though you may be in the same family, there's a sense of alienation where there is sickness.

00:42:39.760 - 00:43:12.320

And there's a strangeness in the relationship. You know, the moment someone becomes ill, there's a certain strangeness that develops. And many times you can't do what you used to do, you can't be where you used to be, you don't feel like you used to feel and there is a sense of alienation.

00:43:12.320 - 00:43:44.360

And so he feels, he feels, this sufferer does, that he is not as close to the eternal as he once was, that he's close to God. He feels God is far from him now. I don't know why it is, but when you get sick many times, you just feel that God isn't as close. Some people say, "Well, I didn't come to church because I didn't feel well." They go other places

00:43:44.360 - 00:44:08.240

when they don't feel well. But somehow they just can't make it to church. That they somehow In other words, there ought to be coming more, it seems to me. You know, if they really believe in the Lord. But somehow they feel that the Lord is farther away, and there is a great distance that is now between you and the Lord.

00:44:08.240 - 00:44:37.240

Sense of alienation. And certainly you get that with the people that you once associated with, because you don't see them as often as you used to see them. Most of the time you get sick the first day or two, then the minute will come, but the longer you stay ill, the fewer visits. And we somehow have the practice of putting the person off somewhere.

00:44:37.240 - 00:45:12.960

We put them in the hospital, we put them in the nursing homes, we put them in isolation wards, and if they have some dreadful or some unusual disease we we are very careful and we make our visits few that's just the nature of sickness but he prays to God he recognizes that there's a distance here and so he engages in prayer

00:45:12.960 - 00:45:38.120

because he wants to bridge the gap, he wants to be in in tune with the infinite. He wishes to have fellowship with the eternal, he wants to enjoy holy community and so the sufferer who has descended to the depths of despair reaches up to God from his deathbed, he prays to God, he chooses to talk with God about his

00:45:38.120 - 00:46:09.060

condition. No matter what may be our condition, how dreadful it may be, you can always talk to God about it. For it's on his bed of affliction now that he talks to the Lord and this is what he says, "Lord, all my longing is known to you. My My sighing is not hidden from you.

00:46:09.060 - 00:46:33.420

My heart throbs. My strength fails me. And the light of my eyes has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from me because of my plague, because of the malady

00:46:33.420 - 00:47:02.620

that I have, the people that used to come around me don't come around anymore. Those who used to be associated with me are not there anymore and I'm avoided because of the plague. That's the nature of sickness. We have a problem today, AIDS. AIDS is a dreadful disease and we haven't found out yet

00:47:02.620 - 00:47:22.160

just what causes it. And people are becoming more and more concerned about, I want, I want to be sure that, you know, I'm going to be careful what I do here and what I do there because if you get this, there's no... [ Silence ]