00:00:00.000 - 00:00:24.640

[ Music ] [MUSIC] ♪ The world is bleeding, it's inside ♪ ♪ Oh yeah, it's hard to know ♪

00:00:24.640 - 00:00:34.340

♪ What the man has seen ♪ ♪ I know, 'cause now I'm here ♪ ♪ And I know, I'm here ♪ ♪ Oh yeah ♪

00:00:34.340 - 00:00:48.100

♪ Praise the Lord, praise the Lord ♪ ♪ Let the earth hear His voice ♪ ♪ Praise the Lord, praise the Lord ♪ ♪ Let the fierce and the raging ♪

00:00:48.100 - 00:01:02.200

♪ O come to the Father ♪ ♪ Through Jesus our Son ♪ ♪ And hear Him come ♪ ♪ All ye bravely in love ♪

00:01:02.200 - 00:01:16.360

♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪ ♪ And worship Him ♪ ♪ To the King of kings ♪ ♪ How good is the sound ♪

00:01:16.360 - 00:01:29.620

♪ The melody shall be heard ♪ ♪ O say can you see ♪ ♪ By the dawn's early light ♪ ♪ What so proudly we hailed ♪

00:01:29.620 - 00:01:42.960

♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪ ♪ Whose broad stripes and bright stars ♪ ♪ Through the perilous fight ♪ Let the people rejoice.

00:01:42.960 - 00:01:56.760

Welcome to the Father, through Jesus the Son. And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.

00:01:56.760 - 00:02:10.760

Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done. And make a rejoicing, through Jesus the Son,

00:02:10.760 - 00:02:24.960

the purer and higher and greater will be. How wonder, how tranquil, in Jesus we see.

00:02:24.960 - 00:02:56.640

Praise the Lord. Let the earth hear His voice. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the people rejoice. All now unto the Father, now Jesus the Son.

00:02:56.640 - 00:03:26.960

I can't help but glory, pray that he has come. Amen. Amen. [Silence]

00:03:26.960 - 00:03:47.680

May we bow our heads. [Silence] Gracious God our Father, speak. [Silence]

00:03:47.680 - 00:04:04.640

The words that you would have us hear [Music] The grant that we may have listening ears [Music]

00:04:04.640 - 00:04:26.480

and that we may be not only hearers but doers also. [Music] This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ. [music]

00:04:26.480 - 00:04:56.480

Amen. I want to thank Sister Griffin for that gracious introduction. Remind her that we tape our services so that we'll have a record of that. I certainly look with a great deal of pride and satisfaction each year when the women are in

00:04:56.480 - 00:05:39.100

charge for they all so always carry on in such a wonderful way not only on this day but every day. I want to invite your prayerful attention to three passages of scripture. And ye shall hallow the 50th year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof. It shall be a jubilee unto you, and ye shall return

00:05:39.100 - 00:06:11.620

every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family." Leviticus the 25th chapter and the 10th verse Leviticus the 25th chapter and the 10th verse. The next passage Isaiah the 61st chapter the first three verses the spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good

00:06:11.620 - 00:06:38.640

tidings and to the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that abound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto

00:06:38.640 - 00:07:03.160

them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for morning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went into the

00:07:03.160 - 00:07:25.800

synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read and that was delivered unto him the book of the Prophet Isaiah and when he had opened the book he found the place where it was written the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor he sent me to heal the

00:07:25.800 - 00:07:51.640

brokenhearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." The subject of the message, "Proclaiming Liberty," "Proclaiming Liberty."

00:07:51.640 - 00:08:24.840

The scripture passages, which serve as a basis for the morning message, are taken from the law, the prophets, and the gospel, as we think of these as main sections of the scriptures, some of the main sections. from Leviticus representing the law, the passage from Isaiah representing the

00:08:24.840 - 00:09:04.640

prophets, and the passage from Luke which was read for our morning scripture also from the Gospels. Proclaiming liberty is the task of the people of God in every period. Its relevance is not limited to a particular time in history, it is for every condition and circumstance. On this annual Woman's Day observance, we do well

00:09:04.640 - 00:09:44.140

to relate these scripture passages to the status of women as well as to the status of the church. Much is said today about the freedom of the female in current literature and conversation. The woman is identified with the oppressed minorities of our country. Historically it has been true that women have been

00:09:44.140 - 00:10:17.540

denied the right to vote. They have not been permitted to serve on juries. They have not been permitted to hold certain jobs. And when they have held jobs that are also performed by men, they have not been given the same pay. They have received less pay. So our government has developed what is known as Title IX,

00:10:17.540 - 00:10:50.100

which is designed to correct these inequities based on sex. And we also have the Equal Rights Amendment, which is to guarantee to women equal opportunities. I think that the position of the black woman, however, is somewhat unique.

00:10:50.100 - 00:11:27.300

Winner Cummings says that black women are often discussed but never understood. I hear some amens on that, ladies. I expected to hear some from the men. She has been the strong stabilizing force in black family life, in the church, and in the community.

00:11:27.300 - 00:11:45.860

Listen to this poetic description of the black woman. I am a black woman, tall as a cypress, strong,

00:11:45.860 - 00:12:05.380

beyond all definition, still defying place and time and circumstance, assailed, impervious, indestructible, look on me and be renewed.

00:12:05.380 - 00:12:28.560

The liberty which is spoken of as related to the black woman is liberty which in the truest sense of the word is needed not just for black women or for women but Kind of liberty which is needed for everybody

00:12:28.560 - 00:12:52.560

All sexes all peoples and it is liberty which is available for everybody Proclaiming liberty throughout all the land is the theme for this day. And the language of scripture is in

00:12:52.560 - 00:13:08.520

Leviticus the 25th chapter in the 10th verse, "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land." Now these are not just idle words. This is a divine command.

00:13:08.520 - 00:13:22.400

It's a heavenly mandate given for all God's people Because freedom is God's gift God decrees that every person be free

00:13:22.400 - 00:13:40.700

This is the meaning of Jubilee For the Jubilee year Which is a part of This scripture passage it is related to the Jubilee year

00:13:40.700 - 00:14:07.900

It's described in that 25th chapter of Leviticus. It was a year that was to come every 50 years. Every 50 years, all slaves were to be set free. Every 50 years, all land was to be returned

00:14:09.740 - 00:14:30.100

to the family of the original owners. Every 50 years, all debts were to be forgiven. The land was to remain idle that year. And so in carrying out the year of Jubilee,

00:14:30.100 - 00:14:43.680

the admonition is given, proclaim liberty throughout all the land, For this is the year of Jubilee. The Jubilee year was ushered in

00:14:43.680 - 00:14:56.400

with the sound of a trumpet. It was a year of freedom for all. It was a time of rejoicing. For Jubilee was not an accident in history.

00:14:56.400 - 00:15:21.940

It was God's gift to his people. It was the spirit of the Lord at work in human history. The God who delivers Israel out of Egypt demands that his people be free. Jubilee, emancipation, proclaim liberty throughout all the land.

00:15:21.940 - 00:15:48.740

The God of Exodus is also the God of Easter. He brings his people out of Egypt so that they may be free to live their own lives. God demands that we be free to be ourselves. That which denies us the opportunity to be ourselves is oppression.

00:15:48.740 - 00:16:14.340

Oppression is the obstacle that seeks to prevent us from being what we ought to be. It is that stumbling block that prevents us from being who we ought to be. Jubilee is possible because it is God's decree. Freedom is God's gift.

00:16:14.340 - 00:16:34.060

The land belongs to God. The people belong to God. And the forgiveness that comes, comes from God. Freedom is not something that slave masters give to their slaves.

00:16:34.060 - 00:17:04.860

It is that which God gives to his people. Freedom embraces divinity and humanity. And our forefathers well understood this. And it is well for us to consider the fact that freedom is something that comes through

00:17:04.860 - 00:17:33.620

the spirit, one's own free spirit. Now sometimes there are those who we find who feel threatened by freedom. I can remember when our oldest daughter first went away to college. She was going away from home, going to Boston for the away from home a long time, first

00:17:33.620 - 00:17:56.300

time, and she was only 17. And I remember some of my friends, some of the ministers, one minister in particular, close friend of mine, some people in the church, saying, "Well, aren't you afraid to send your daughter that far away from home, way up in Boston, way up in that big city, when you

00:17:56.300 - 00:18:19.020

don't know what's going to happen?" I said, "Well, we've had 17 years, and if we haven't done our job now, it's a little too late to start thinking in that way. That there comes a time when the bird has to leave the nest. There comes a time when we have to cut the apron string and

00:18:19.020 - 00:18:46.300

so one ought not feel threatened by freedom. God intends for us to be free. God made the bird and gave the bird wings to fly, to be free. Our forefathers recognized this even though bodily speaking they were prisoners in the house of bondage. They sang Jubilee Jubilee oh my Lord Jubilee what is the

00:18:46.300 - 00:19:09.260

matter with the morner oh my Lord devil is in the amen corner oh my Lord Jubilee. They had a vision of what freedom really is and here today as as we hear the word in the air, as we have this observance

00:19:09.260 - 00:19:26.860

in the midst of our bicentennial year, we're celebrating 200 years of our existence as a nation. And even just this past week, we received news that reminds us of the fact

00:19:26.860 - 00:19:42.300

that when we think about the words, proclaim freedom throughout the land, that there are still some segments in our lives as a nation, some segments even in our lives

00:19:42.300 - 00:20:01.140

here in Austin that are not fully free. We've just received the decision from the Fifth Circuit that is related to educational advantages. A decision that has to do with making certain

00:20:01.140 - 00:20:14.020

opportunities available to all people. And this particular decision has to do with browns and blacks because those were ones, the ones that weren't quite getting access to all of the

00:20:14.020 - 00:20:27.900

things that were provided. And so as we think about it as, as, as a community, we need to think also about what it means to be free psychologically.

00:20:29.380 - 00:20:46.380

Doesn't make any difference what we may have. If somehow our minds are enslaved, we are still in bondage. Now it was one thing to get the children of Israel,

00:20:46.380 - 00:20:57.820

bodily speaking, out of Egypt, but it was also altogether something different to get Egypt out of their minds. Every time they got a chance,

00:20:57.820 - 00:21:25.180

Whenever a problem came, they were always saying, you know, we wish we could get back to Egypt. If we were back in Egypt, we wouldn't have to worry, even though things were rough back there, we wouldn't have to worry about bread, we had garlic and leeks and onions and all of those things back in Egypt. It was very difficult to get Egypt out of their minds. And so the kind

00:21:25.180 - 00:21:52.780

of liberty that is to be proclaimed not only involves a kind of psychological freedom, the freedom of the mind, we also need to consider kind of economic freedom where we are free to work, free to do whatever job we can do, kind of political freedom, kind of geographic freedom where we can go and do whatever

00:21:52.780 - 00:22:19.020

we want to do that is in keeping with what we should do. Yes, this is freedom, but you see freedom involves faith, it involves knowledge, it involves action. For the year of Jubilee to proclaim liberty throughout all of the land involves, you see, having faith in God because it is God who gives the decree,

00:22:19.020 - 00:22:53.660

it is God's gift. It involves knowing what to do and how to do it. It involves having the courage to make the right choices. Now I think it's expressed again in words that come from our forefathers. They grasp the idea that freedom is self-conscious action. When they sang, "Oh Mammy, don't you cook no more, you are

00:22:53.660 - 00:23:22.660

free, you are free. Oh rooster, don't you crow no more, you are free, you are free. Oh hen, don't you lay no eggs, you are free, you are free." So freedom has to do with the exercise of self-conscious action. Freedom means openness. What does it mean to proclaim liberty throughout all the land? To proclaim a kind of

00:23:22.660 - 00:23:48.860

openness. That's what freedom means. And if there's anything we are really caught up about in this age, it is we are fighting against a closed society. Freedom means to have openness. Openness not only in our thinking, but openness in now doing. Freedom means that the prison door is open and one walks into the

00:23:48.860 - 00:24:26.340

future. The door on the past is shut and the future is open. Freedom means release from all worldly conditions. Release from all worldly conditions. That's what it really means to be free. When you can rise so that you are above the earthly cares in such a way that they do not serve as hindrances to your spirit, then

00:24:26.340 - 00:25:02.700

one is truly free. Like the song says, "I want to live above the world, though Satan's darts at me are hurled. Proclaim liberty throughout all the land. Now before we can proclaim liberty, dear sisters and brothers, one has to be free. So freedom to be oneself, one cannot give that that he does not have. We have to be

00:25:02.700 - 00:25:29.760

free ourselves before we can proclaim liberty throughout the land. The Prophet Isaiah describes this liberty when he says that the Spirit of the Lord is upon me for he has anointed me to preach the gospel. In other words Isaiah is saying I'm free and because I am free I also have a divine compulsion to share that

00:25:29.760 - 00:26:01.320

freedom with others to be a channel of that liberty that God has given me to be a channel for others. This also means that we are to be about the Father's business, that of opening blinded eyes, for one cannot be fully free until blind eyes are open and we can have a vision, a vision of ourselves. We can have a vision

00:26:01.320 - 00:26:33.740

of reality. That's what it means to be free. It means also in Isaiah's experience that his lips have been touched by the divine. It means that the burden has been rolled away, the burden of earthly cares, and he exchanges that burden, so to speak, for the burden of the Lord. This freedom Jesus is because you see Jesus is

00:26:33.740 - 00:27:01.080

freedom. He fulfills in human history liberty for all. So the freedom that we possess is not just for ourselves alone. When I was a boy I thought that many times when we are young and we do not really understand what freedom is, we talk about when we come of age. The girls were saying when I get to be 18, the boys when

00:27:01.080 - 00:27:31.160

I get to be 21, that when one comes of age that one has the liberty of doing whatever he wants to do or she wants to do. That's not real freedom. Real freedom is to be so constrained by the Spirit of God, though that one has liberty that there is something within that causes us to live a certain kind of life. It's good

00:27:31.160 - 00:27:57.080

tidings to the meek. It causes us to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Freedom, Proclaim liberty throughout the land. Proclaim it because you possess it. Proclaim it because you have a desire to share it with others. It's not enough.

00:27:57.080 - 00:28:30.760

It's not enough to be free in our spirit unless we are about trying to make this a world in which all people are free. The Jewish wedding ceremony has something of that in it because at a certain point in that service the groom breaks a glass and the breaking of that glass symbolizes the fact that that couple in

00:28:30.760 - 00:28:51.680

their married life can never be fully happy until as long as there are others in the world that are not fully happy. That our freedom and our happiness must be related to others. We are just a part of the continent.

00:28:51.680 - 00:29:03.680

What affects others also affects us. And that's what Isaiah is talking about. That's the prophetic word. And that prophetic word is embodied in Jesus Christ.

00:29:03.680 - 00:29:19.860

As he walks into the synagogue on that day, He says, "Today is this fulfilled in your ears." That if you would be free, it's not based on one's bank account.

00:29:19.860 - 00:29:44.700

It's not based on how we can move about bodily. It is based on our relationship to Jesus Christ. For he is the one that gives us the spirit of freedom to proclaim and once you get it from him it is something that no one can take away.

00:29:44.700 - 00:30:03.020

When should one get it? When should we get it? Well there may be some in the audience today who say well I hear what the minister is saying but I'm young now.

00:30:03.020 - 00:30:14.520

I want to get my fling out of life. Then I'll be like Sister So-and-so, or Brother So-and-so. When I get to be their age, I'll be living the good life.

00:30:14.520 - 00:30:27.840

What is the time? Some say, well, the best time to do it is just a day before you die. But you don't know when that day is gonna be.

00:30:27.840 - 00:30:40.160

What is the best time? What is the right time? The right time is right now. And that's what Jesus is saying in the synagogue.

00:30:40.160 - 00:30:56.080

Now is the accepted time. Now is the year of jubilee. Freedom for you, yes, but freedom right now, not tomorrow. Not in some false by and by.

00:30:56.080 - 00:31:10.940

But the freedom I'm talking about, the joy, and the hope, And the love is yours right now. That's for every person at this very moment. Now is the time of freedom.

00:31:10.940 - 00:31:24.360

And when somehow one gets this, when one has this possession, when the joy of the Jubilee experience is your personal experience,

00:31:24.360 - 00:31:36.460

you share with others. It's like those women who came to the tomb, and they came there with heavy hearts, but when they came there,

00:31:36.460 - 00:31:50.580

they received a word of hope that lifted their spirits, because the one that they came to see, that one had risen. And as we read, Paul goes on to describe it

00:31:50.580 - 00:32:03.140

in the book of Ephesians by saying that he led captivity captive, that he led a host of captives, that those who were prisoners,

00:32:03.140 - 00:32:14.500

prisoners of evil desires, prisoners of those things that would destroy, those who were in bondage to Satan, that through his death and through his resurrection,

00:32:14.500 - 00:32:25.800

he opened the prison doors and led them out of hell on a heavenly journey. He led captivity captive. That's what he does for us.

00:32:25.800 - 00:32:43.300

Every step of the way, he leads us if we would but follow him and unite with him in proclaiming freedom throughout all of the land. Doesn't matter how alienated one may be from society,

00:32:43.300 - 00:32:58.580

how disturbed one may be, Somehow when Jesus comes, he changes that picture. There is a woman down at the well, and she comes to the well because she's a woman

00:32:58.580 - 00:33:10.700

that has a terrible reputation in the community, and so she comes to the well in the middle of the day when others aren't expected to be there because she doesn't want to face the humiliation

00:33:10.700 - 00:33:23.920

that comes whenever she enters into a crowd. She's just coming to be alone. But when she gets there, she finds Jesus. She's a prisoner.

00:33:23.920 - 00:33:39.840

She's a prisoner of a life that is a life of degradation. Somehow she has all of these constraints. But as she comes there to the well, she finds the master. And as she encounters the master,

00:33:39.840 - 00:33:53.220

he opens that prison door. And though she came for water to put in a picture, he put fresh living water in her soul. And she goes from that well so filled with joy

00:33:53.220 - 00:34:05.840

that she forgets about the picture she brought there. And she goes to proclaim that freedom throughout all of the land. Come see a man that has told me all about myself.

00:34:05.840 - 00:34:23.240

Come see a man who has lifted the burden of my heart. Come see a man who has wiped the tears from my eyes. Come see a man that has made me a new creature. She proclaims freedom.

00:34:23.240 - 00:34:39.560

She proclaims liberty throughout all of the land. And that's what we need, is to be sure that we have an encounter with Jesus. Doesn't matter what time it comes in our lives.

00:34:39.560 - 00:34:50.960

If it hasn't come for you, now is a good time. Because Jesus is present, he knocks on the door of every heart. He comes as our eternal companion,

00:34:50.960 - 00:35:02.000

and wherever you have to go, there's some hills along the way. But if you have to encounter hills, he will go with us over those hills.

00:35:02.000 - 00:35:15.880

And there's some deep valleys there, but he'll walk with us even in the dark valley. To be able to say, "If Jesus goes with me, I'll go. I'll proclaim his freedom anywhere.

00:35:15.880 - 00:35:31.440

For he'll be heaven to me wherever I be, if he's there. If Jesus goes with me, I'll go anywhere." As we sing that, we invite you to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.

00:35:31.440 - 00:36:07.240

It may be in the valley where countless angels fly It may be in the sunshine where I am peaceful fly But this one day I know, getting it on the fair If Jesus goes with me, I'll go anywhere

00:36:07.240 - 00:36:35.460

If Jesus goes with me, I'll go anywhere 'Tis heaven to me wherever I be ♪ It is that I counted up heaven and earth ♪ ♪ It's close to birth ♪

00:36:35.460 - 00:36:58.180

♪ If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere ♪ ♪ If baby I was carried ♪ ♪ The blessing word of God ♪ ♪ Above the learning hills ♪

00:36:58.180 - 00:37:17.240

♪ Of new mountains in the sky ♪ ♪ And low beneath our love ♪ ♪ To heaven's host we'll say ♪ ♪ And Jesus knows we've been ♪

00:37:17.240 - 00:37:36.040

I'll go anywhere. Everybody! If Jesus goes with me, I'll go anywhere. 'Tis heaven to me wherever I be.

00:37:36.040 - 00:38:04.620

If He is there, I can't get up from the knee. ♪ His cross to bear ♪ ♪ If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere ♪ ♪ If Jesus goes with me I'll go anywhere ♪

00:38:04.620 - 00:38:45.220

♪ 'Tis heaven to me wherever I be ♪ If he is there, I counted a privileged year. Crossed or back, if Jesus goes with me, I'll go. [singing]

00:38:45.220 - 00:39:17.440

Now as the persons here in the pulpit, if you'll march down to the rear of the sanctuary at this time. For the closing, I want to make one announcement while we are preparing to do that. That is that we are approaching the time for our Congress, the National Congress, when we are to select messengers for our Congress.

00:39:17.440 - 00:39:55.960

The Sunday School at BTU Congress. We want that the Sunday School will meet Brother Lee, where's Brother Lee, and select your messenger for that Congress and that the training union will also meet as soon as possible and select your messenger. We want that the meetings are held that all of the leaders of the Sunday school

00:39:55.960 - 00:40:17.480

departments and the training union departments will have an opportunity to select the delegate that represents the Sunday school our training union. This is the procedure which I've asked that you follow in past years and we want it followed this year as soon as possible so that we will have that matter

00:40:17.480 - 00:40:48.380

properly taken care of. [MUSIC PLAYING] Thank you. Thank you.

00:40:48.380 - 00:41:23.660

[Music] The Woman's Day observance special service this afternoon is at three o'clock. Jones who is general chairman and sister Richard who is the co-chairman chairperson rather that is at three o'clock we ask that all of you be back

00:41:23.660 - 00:41:57.700

at three o'clock as well as at seven o'clock this evening remember 3 p.m. this afternoon and 7 o'clock this evening this is woman's day all day Usher's do you know the count for the women we had hoped to have 300 women do you have the count brother Hendricks 305 305 women all right well

00:41:57.700 - 00:42:21.280

shows you women how you need the meat so we have 305 together and we hope that we will have three at least that number all day in our services this was a goal that we had said. May we bow our heads. Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling and present you faultless before his glorious presence with

00:42:21.280 - 00:43:03.280

exceeding joy to the only wise God our Father be glory and majesty dominion and power now and forevermore amen [ Silence ] [BLANK_AUDIO]