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[silence] [music] ...whose sins are forgiven, whose transgressions are pardoned. [audience murmurs]

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Then I confessed my sins to you. I did not conceal my wrongdoings. I decided to confess them to you, and you forgave all my transgressions. [inaudible] Deacon Owens now leads us in the invocation.

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Master, we come with bowed head and humble hearts, Thanking you for so many of those glorious blessings that you have showered upon us. Bless us and keep us, we pray.

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Go with us throughout this day. Bless us with such blessing that we stand in need. We pray for those that are less fortunate than we, those that upon the beds of affliction

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touch and heal their bodies. And let them go about doing good, if it is your blessed will. And bless mankind around the world.

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Let them love you most. So if you better submit their ways to you, care and your keeping Lord have mercy Savior have mercy upon us if you withdrew mercy Where shall we go?

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bless this service as the man of God shall come to us and Deliver the message and let our hearts burn within and we'll be glad we came this way In the name of Jesus our Lord we pray man

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What we called Father's Day as well as the Juneteenth. So it has double significance for us as we have the privilege of greeting one another this morning on this Lord's Day for this is a day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

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Now having greeted one another let everyone get a hymnal. Everybody we want to sing on this day in a glorious way Faith of our fathers. Let me see the hands of the fathers in our audience fathers

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Yes, all right faith of our fathers brother Ponder is going to lead us and direct us as we sing and want everybody we want all Both the ladies as well as the men to join in singing this in a great way [Music]

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192, hymn 192. [Music] ♪ In the name of our fathers living still ♪ ♪ In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword ♪

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♪ O our hearts be filled with joy ♪ ♪ Whene'er we hear the glorious word ♪ ♪ In the name of our fathers who we've made ♪ We will be true to thee, we'll dare.

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Our hearts are staying in gracious God, While still in our unconscious fear, Our sweet, sweet, and gentle dreams stay. [Music]

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♪ For God, for He ♪ ♪ Faith of our fathers, holy faith ♪ ♪ We will preach to Israel now ♪ ♪ Faith of our fathers, we will love ♪

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♪ All men and all in all our strife ♪ ♪ And reach them o'er the throng of power ♪ ♪ By thy great wings and virtuous might ♪ ♪ May Alma Mater's glory reign ♪

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♪ We will be true to thee, dear Alma Mater ♪ - You may be seated. [ Background Sounds ] And it came to pass after these things that Neboth and Jerusalite had a vineyard which

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was Jerold, hard by the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Neboth, saying, give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house, and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it.

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Or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And they both said to Ahab, the Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. Nahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which they both, the Jerusalites

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had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed and turned away his face and would eat no bread. I have read to you the first Kings 21st chapter,

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the first through the fourth verse. - What a friend we have in Jesus. What a privilege it is to carry all our sins and griefs to him in the blessed fellowship of prayer.

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And we call upon you now to assemble here around the altar as we unite our hearts in prayer. We'll be led in our prayer today by the Reverend Gary McNeil,

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who was associated with us as a ministerial intern during his divinity training at Yale University. He's recently completed his work there, graduated in May, and will be sent forth in our services later today

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to serve as a mission corps worker. We're privileged to have him to lead us in the prayer today. - And we bow our heads. Almighty God, we thank you for this day

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that we're here to celebrate the inheritance of our fathers. The fathers that have gone on before us for many generations, we ask you to help us understand what they went through, what they did and the faith and the values that they passed on to us.

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We especially thank you for this Father's Day. We thank you for the special day we celebrate in our part of the world, a unique day of Juneteenth. These two days stand out to us, are part of our heritage.

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Help us to keep them ever alive, close to us and close to Thee. Lead God and direct us in everything that we do. As we worship You, help us to know that we are not alone, that we do have You as a Father, And we do have our fathers to give us lessons and see by their character and their way of

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life that we too can follow in their steps. We thank you for the people that have gathered here around the altar this morning. Be with them in their walks of life and they live and work with their families and people at the workplace.

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Help us to be better servants for you, better stewards of your care. Lead, guide, and direct us in everything that we do, and help us to understand the inheritance of our fathers. We ask these things in your name and in your son's name.

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Amen. [ Silence ] [MUSIC PLAYING] (eerie music)

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(ominous music) (eerie music) (eerie music) (eerie music)

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(ominous music) (eerie music) (soft music) (door creaking)

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[ Music ] [ Music ] [MUSIC] [ Music ]

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[ Music ] ♪ And leave it there ♪ ♪ Behold, behold ♪ ♪ That mighty Lord God ♪

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♪ What saith the Lord, O Moses said ♪ ♪ That mighty Lord God ♪ ♪ In the house my youngers born there ♪ ♪ Let my people rejoice ♪

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♪ O God, O God ♪ ♪ When in your need and prayer ♪ ♪ We are called, we are called ♪ ♪ Let my people rejoice ♪

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♪ No more shall vain bondage toil ♪ ♪ That life we won't know ♪ ♪ Let them come out with Egypt's flower ♪ ♪ That life we won't know ♪

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♪ Oh God, oh Lord ♪ ♪ Make our Egypt proud ♪ ♪ We're old, we're old ♪ [music]

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We worship the Lord now in the dedication of our gifts that every one of us give according to how the Lord has prospered you. He that giveth sparingly shall reap sparingly. He that giveth bountifully shall reap bountifully. So let us all give according to how we have purposed in our hearts. I do take that seriously about the welcome back home part.

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It didn't take me any time to figure out where the Ebenezer was after driving into town. I appreciate the chance to be here. It's been a whirlwind trip. I only got into Texas last Wednesday and as all of you know my folks live over in Lufkin,

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Texas in the Piney Woods. So I had to spend a couple of days over there visiting these relatives who have had children since I've been off that all I remember is they sent me wedding or birth announcements and now these little kids are running around and all this kind of stuff.

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So things happen when you go away. Sounds like many things have happened with you here at Ebenezer too. I've heard you've been getting some more people into the place. The Liberation Sunday seems to be going great.

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Guns that you do in February. And I just appreciate the chance to be here and to be commissioned from what I consider my flagship church or my home church or church that I really grew up in a mighty way in. I also like being here on Juneteenth too.

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They somehow don't, it has not managed to make itself known up there in the northeastern part of this country. It's almost like doing some missionary work just telling them what Juneteenth is. send your letters up there please or tell who you know and I'll do my share

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too. So I will be commissioned at the 11 o'clock service I'd if y'all are here for that I'd love for y'all to be here as well and thanks again for the homecoming. Let's all say amen. Sometimes we have the men who are the elders of the congregation of the women to stand on the mothers on Father's Day I guess

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Brother Hawkins may be the one is brother Edmondson back there. No, I don't brother Hawkins you stand brother Hawkins is possibly one of the older men of the congregation. He was on our program last Sunday and on stone of help our TV program the pastor interviewed him this coming Sunday today I will be interviewing

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Thank you very much brother sister Valetta Wilson sister Valetta Wilson today Well, this is a great day in many ways because on Juneteenth I can remember when I was a boy

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that was quite a day people would would quit their jobs if they couldn't get off on Juneteenth and Go to the park and have a big celebration because this is the day that Many of us in this section of the country received our freedom. The war was over earlier but it took some time for it to get around from plantation to plantation and

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we need however to thank God for what happened back at that time and remind ourselves and rededicate ourselves To the fact that the freedom struggle goes on it's not over [ Pause ]

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[MUSIC PLAYING] [Music] [Music] ♪ Lord of lads ♪

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♪ Lord of lads ♪ ♪ Who will rise with thee in victory ♪ ♪ Oh Lord of lads ♪ ♪ To sleep all day ♪

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♪ And never cease to pray ♪ ♪ The song of my heart will go by your night ♪ ♪ You'll be there, you'll be there ♪ ♪ There's no need to worry, you're guardian angel ♪

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♪ Guardian angel ♪ ♪ Guardian angel ♪ ♪ Revives his name, gives you victory ♪ ♪ The guardian angel ♪

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♪ Just keep your faith, you'll never cease to pray ♪ Just walk, walk right before Him, don't be afraid. Give me faith, give me faith, there's no need to worry, for God will be our helper.

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I never worry, I never fret, my God Almighty has never failed me yet. Though beauteous God, I know of every bar, for God never fails.

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Not even a lady, now, but a daughter of men. A daughter of men. In her eyes and feet, a young man, for him, a daughter of men. Just keep away the nasty children.

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Just walk up, boy, for him, and boy, for her. If we dare, if we dare, there's no need to cry. Come on, let's dance. No need to cry.

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I'm not afraid to die. I've got my Lord, and now he's on my side. Daily I trust him. Never shall I doubt him.

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For God never fails. Don't you believe now that God never fails. ♪ The Lionel Man ♪ ♪ He rides with me, he gives me great joy ♪

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♪ The Lionel Man ♪ ♪ Just keep the faith, the rest is to play ♪ ♪ Just follow the fight, you'll learn to play all right ♪ ♪ Give it to him, give it to him ♪

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♪ There's no need to worry ♪ ♪ The Lionel Man ♪ ♪ The Lord will bless ♪ ♪ The Lord will bless ♪

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♪ He'll march with me ♪ ♪ To meet the angel with ♪ ♪ The Lord will bless ♪ ♪ Just keep the faith ♪

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♪ And never cease to pray ♪ ♪ Just walk on by ♪ ♪ Or you'll never know your day ♪ ♪ He'll be there, he'll be there ♪

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♪ There's no need to worry ♪ ♪ The Lord will bless ♪ ♪ He'll be there, he'll be there ♪ ♪ He'll be there, he'll be there ♪

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♪ There's no need to worry ♪ ♪ The Lord will bless ♪ ♪ Yes, he'll be there ♪ ♪ He'll be there, he'll be there ♪

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♪ There's no need to worry ♪ ♪ The Lord will bless ♪ Amen, amen. For our invitation number of Father, I stretch my hands to be, I want to use the other tune.

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I think you're familiar with that for that particular song. Let me invite your prayerful attention to this word as recorded in the first Kings, the 21st chapter and the third verse. And Naboth said to Ahab, "The Lord forbid it me that I should give the inheritance of

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my fathers unto thee." The subject of the message, the inheritance of our fathers. Some things are handed down from generation to generation. They comprise the family heritage,

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a precious possession, a heirloom. They become ours not because we have earned them, they are left to us. They are willed to us.

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This particular event in our text is about what Naboth received through his father's will. will. He was in possession of property which had been in the family generation after generation. It was as Naboth expressed it, the inheritance of my father's. A short time ago I was contacted

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about efforts that were being made here in Austin to locate families with farms that had been in the family for a hundred years, having passed from generation to generation. It is important that we have precious possessions that are passed on.

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Too often, it is the case that I have seen families who have received things that their parents and relatives treasured. They worked hard for, sacrificed for,

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really wanted them to be kept and passed on and on. And they have, even before the funeral, taken steps to dispose of those very precious possessions. So there is a tendency on the part of some people

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to get rid of what their ancestors had. It's considered old. It's antiquated, outmoded, out of date. They have no appreciation of what has been achieved

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by their ancestors. And they part with it as soon as possible. Like the prodigal son, they want what is coming to them now so that they can dispose of it.

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They're in a hurry to get rid of their portion of the father's inheritance. Naboth here is worthy of honor. He rightly deserves a conspicuous place in history

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because of his willingness to be guided by the father's will. Naboth's father has willed him valuable property and it so happens that it is situated near the royal palace.

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And since it is near the palace, King Ahab wants it for himself. is approached concerning parting with it and he says no to the king. God forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my father's. Life is a gift to be used according to the father's will. Life is like a garden, it's a vineyard we have inherited. Naboth had nothing to do

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with acquiring the property, it was left to him. And we have nothing to do with our coming into the world. The conditions governing our birth are predetermined, prearranged.

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The traits that we have inherited, we have nothing to do with that. We did not select our fathers. we did not select our grandfathers.

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These things are sort of a bequest to all of us, in a sense, in debt to the fathers, our progenitors, our ancestors. Naboth recognized this and purposed in his heart

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to be true to the father's will. Ahab appears on the scene to negotiate with Naboth. You see, Naboth is a subject, he is a servant. Ahab is the ruler, Ahab is king.

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Naboth is Mr. Average Citizen. Ahab is the establishment. Ahab represents the power structure. Ahab tries to make a deal with Naboth.

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And he tells him that he would be willing to make a trade with him. He would be willing to exchange one piece of property for another.

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He's, you know, the words he said, "Look, I'll give you a better vineyard for it." Our heritage is a most precious possession. It is because of our heritage that we are what we are.

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It is the key to understanding ourselves. Our heritage is the vineyard in which is harvested the memory of the race. Our heritage is the mystery of our history.

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Ahab wants to make a trade. Exchange one vineyard for another but Naboth says no He says God Forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my father's God forbid

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That I should part from that which he wills that I should keep God forbid that I should part from that which he intends for me to preserve Life Life is a gift and God forbid that it should be traded for mere

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existence mere human existence Life has meaning and God forbid that it should be taken lightly life Should be taken seriously Yes, it is a gift of vineyard

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Which should be kept Another approach is made by King Ahab to Naboth Said if you will not accept a trade I Will give you the worth of it in money

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Remember this is the Proposition of these are propositions that are made by the king I'll give you a good price for it. In fact, I will pay you above the market price

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Ahab is of the opinion that money will buy anything. There are many people like that today But there are some things That money cannot buy There are some things so precious

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so meaningful that they cannot be purchased at the marketplace and yet they are essential to our well-being. You know many of our parents

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did not have material possessions to give us. They did not have the wealth in terms of the things of this world to pass on to us. But they passed on to us that which was far more valuable than that.

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they gave us an understanding of life and an appreciation for those things that matter most, those values that should be utmost in the life of those persons who would aspire to that which is good, true, and beautiful. So Naboth here says, "I cannot give you the inheritance of my fathers. I will not

00:31:08.080 - 00:31:24.120

apart from it for any price. And our fathers have left for us a holy legacy. For you see, life is a legacy expressed in the father's will.

00:31:24.120 - 00:31:45.520

We are debtors to those who have preceded us. Our legacy is the vineyard of freedom and we must not trade it for the pleasures of Egypt. The vineyard of freedom is not to be sold for any price.

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It is too precious. Our legacy is the prize possession that our fathers have bequeathed to us, that legacy of freedom.

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And when we look at our own history as we have the privilege at this particular point in our lives, this point of time on this, what we traditionally call the Juneteenth,

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as we look at our history, we must recognize the fact that our fathers were engaged in a struggle for freedom. We look at this country and we have 1776, when the fathers of this nation were involved in the struggle for freedom.

00:32:34.360 - 00:33:12.380

But even when the Emancipation Proclamation was written and when we emerged as a people in this country free from England and we were declared independent and the like, that the struggle for black people in this country was still going on because we were not free, we were still slaves. And our fathers from the very beginning were somehow engaged in a struggle for freedom, of fighting to be free.

00:33:12.380 - 00:33:36.640

That precious gift of God, that legacy that should be enjoyed by all of God's children. This is a part of the struggle of our fathers as a nation. It's part of the struggle of our fathers as black people in this country. It was a struggle not only for freedom, but a struggle for unity.

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We were broken and scattered and there was a struggle for unity to to get together and that struggle still goes on. it should not be sacrificed for any price in a material way. The struggle for equality. Equality is a treasured commodity in the vineyard of life. It's

00:34:04.640 - 00:34:39.040

part of the legacy of our fathers. Freedom, unity, and equality. And so many people today are willing to sacrifice it for a mess of potage. So many are willing to sacrifice the heritage in order to get some material advantage for themselves just for a moment, something that will pass away rather than to

00:34:39.040 - 00:35:09.960

dedicate themselves to that which is ongoing, that which is lasting. The heritage of our fathers is that living faith. Naboth was just an ordinary citizen but he was not ashamed of his heritage. In fact he was dedicated to keeping it. Our choir sang just a few moments ago one of the great spirituals of our race

00:35:09.960 - 00:35:37.560

go down Moses. We don't hear those too much now. We hear a lot of other things we don't hear too much those that's that's a part of our heritage. Some of us want to forget that. We celebrate Liberation Sunday and I hear people say you know I don't want to remember that. That's all over. I want to forget that. We can't

00:35:37.560 - 00:35:57.560

forget our history. You know some people you know once they get an education their fathers, their mothers spoke broken English and they didn't get much schooling but they struggle and they struggle so that they could get some and then they get ashamed of their fathers and their mothers. They don't want to

00:35:57.560 - 00:36:32.320

honor them. They don't want them to see their free be with their friends because they are embarrassed by the kind of language that they speak. Well, that's a part of our heritage, and we can never really be ourselves, and we really can't receive or achieve our destiny until we have the proper appreciation for our history. Naboth recognized that, and Naboth somehow, as he tells

00:36:32.320 - 00:36:56.520

in the vineyard of life, neighbors recognizes it and dedicates himself to it in such a way that when the king comes before him and offers to negotiate with him, he says no, no. You know we have some people we call them Oreo cookies. They're willing to forget.

00:36:56.520 - 00:37:22.480

They don't they don't they don't they don't want to have anything that reminds them of being really a part of black people They're so happy once they are accepted that they want to surrender their heritage But all of the people of God somehow have a unique and precious Heritage that they ought to be proud of and we ought to treasure it and we ought to perpetuate it from generation to generation

00:37:22.480 - 00:37:41.720

There ought to be some things we treasure Some things we keep and that's not only true as the people that ought to be true in our lives Or there be some things that are worth living for that are to be kept And we are expected to live

00:37:41.720 - 00:37:53.080

You know and Live in such a way that we make our own unique contribution for you see

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If Naboth had been like some of us he would have been inclined to get a large sum of money for the vineyard and retire and Take it easy

00:38:06.360 - 00:38:21.100

But he says I cannot but he says God forbid that I should give you the Inheritance of my father's the vineyard is

00:38:22.120 - 00:38:59.420

to be utilized. The vineyard is to be cultivated. There is work to be done lest it become overrun with weeds and become a wasteland. We are expected to live in such a way that we cultivate this vineyard. Life is obedience to the father's will. Neighbor refuses to comply with Ahab's request and of course

00:38:59.420 - 00:39:33.100

Ahab becomes unhappy. He goes home, goes to bed, turns his face to the wall. He's depressed. In walks Queen Jezebel and she says to him what's wrong honey and he tells her you know I went down to make a proposition with neighbor concerning the vineyard that he has which is near the palace and I offered to trade him a

00:39:33.100 - 00:40:00.680

piece of property for it, another piece of land?" He said no to that. I went a step further and I offered to pay him far above the market price for the land and he said no to that, that there was not any thing that I could give him in the way of money for that. And she said, "Oh I'll take care of that. Look you're the

00:40:00.680 - 00:40:35.380

king. I'll handle that just leave it to me. And she went on and had letters written proclaiming a feast to which Naboth was invited and honored and then he was accused of blasphemy man was stoned to death and then she told Ahab that he could go on and take possession of the property.

00:40:35.380 - 00:41:14.620

Well this may appear to be a tragedy for Naboth died for what he believed. Martin Luther King says that we need to have some things worth living for and if you don't have things that are fit to live for that you don't have anything to die for. But if we have something that we are willing to live for that same something ought to be something to die for. There's a song, "This is worth fighting for.

00:41:14.620 - 00:41:29.820

Didn't I build that cabin? Didn't I plant that corn? Didn't my folks before me work for this country before I was born?" To be willing to live and to give ourselves in such a way that we're willing to make the

00:41:29.820 - 00:41:52.440

supreme sacrifice, that's what we see in Naboth. And that when we are willing to do that, when we are willing to make the most costly sacrifice that there is a reward that somehow history is on our side for somehow even though Naboth goes on into eternity that God sends his prophet Elijah who says

00:41:52.440 - 00:42:20.060

that where the dogs lick the blood of Naboth will they also lick your blood. That somehow the justice is on our side that God and eternity somehow will rise up and bless us when we live a life that is honoring our heritage and the most precious part of the heritage that we have received is the faith of our

00:42:20.060 - 00:42:50.260

fathers. It is this that God honors us when we somehow obey the father's will, the heritage of our fathers, that which is bequeathed to us involves somehow keeping the Father's will, doing what the Father wants us to do. And all of us somehow are under the judgment of our Heavenly Father, that he has willed for

00:42:50.260 - 00:43:23.700

us to work here in this vineyard, that he has placed for us to till until we are called from labor to reward and somehow in the very last judgment that we will be measured according to how we have kept the Father's will. I cannot, says neighbor, I will not give you, God forbid that I should give you the inheritance

00:43:23.700 - 00:43:52.320

of my Father. And when we are faithful, when we are faithful to that which is good, when we are faithful to that which is lasting, when we are faithful to the eternal values that somehow in the end God speaks in that last judgment, I hear the voice of the Master saying to those who have been faithful in working in

00:43:52.320 - 00:44:24.000

that vineyard who have kept the vineyard that they have been given come ye blessed of my father inherit inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you since the foundation of the world father I stretch my hands to thee it is with the Father's help, it's the Father's goodness, it's the Father's inheritance

00:44:24.000 - 00:44:55.940

that enables us to work in his vineyard. And we invite you now to accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life in being faithful to the Father's will, in somehow being that one that will be true to the inheritance of our fathers. We invite you to come now as we sing, "Father I stretch my hands to thee, no

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other help I know, if thou withdraw thyself from me, oh whither shall I go?" [ Music ] ♪ I can hold it alone ♪ ♪ Forever I'll stretch ♪

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♪ My hands to thee ♪ ♪ Forever and I know ♪ ♪ Forever I'll go ♪ ♪ Till home, dear home ♪

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♪ I turn from thee ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ [ Music ] [BLANK_AUDIO]