I'm Apart of Something Bigger

I'm a part of something bigger. You may be seated in the presence of our God. I am a part of something bigger. Because the Bible tells us in the context of a society where truth has been absent, consistency has been forgotten, and possibilities given to the poor, while provisions given to the rich, God shows us a potter, potter whose work made them who they are. Potter whose work provided for them. A potter whose work work gave them solace. God says, that's where your greatest sermon will come from. Your sermon will come from someone who's been overlooked, someone who's been cast aside, someone who no one wants to talk about. And God says, that's where, you know, go down to the powder size. Let me say something very quickly because this sermon is not a sermon for all of us who act like we got it together. You look good, you smell good, but it ain't for you. This sermon is not for those who think your faith is perfect. This sermon is not for those even in Jerusalem. This sermon is for all of us who've been cast aside, overlooked in the valley. And God is trying to get a word through me to you today that God needs you to work in the Valley. Now let me say this now, this valley that I'm talking about, before some of y' all tune me out and jump to somebody else. This valley is not about broke folk, economically suppressed folk, or sexually confused folk. Because, Reverend, when you read the text, the potters in the valley are really interesting people. The powers in the valley are people. I'll bring it to us. Who read their Bible once a week and call it Christianity. That's Valley People. Valley people are people who come to church every Sunday and get nothing more than a handshake. That's Valley People. Our Valley people are youth who get cast aside because they know how to tweet to Jesus and may not know how to pray like Grandmama did. That's Valley people. Valley people are women who come to church and get oppressed in patriarchal systems and are told to be sat on the second pew and forget. The Bible tells us their sons and daughters will prophesy. That's Valley. Our Valley people are men who come to church and don't feel like it's okay to lift their hands because people don't think it's manly. That's Valley people. And God said the greatest word you'll get will not come from the church folk, will not come from stuck up folk when it comes. I'm not talking to any Valley people in the building. And when you testify, notice the Potter was not being a potter at church. The potter. Oh, my God. Was being a potter at his house. Okay, See, it does not start at church, Pastor. It starts at the house. Oh, my God. See, the problem. Oh, my God. The problem with our society today is not the sermons at church, not the availability of the pastor, not the open doors of the church. But it starts at the house. The potter was not being a potter at church. The potter. See, it starts at our houses, Reverend. If you want to fix our society, if you want to change people, it does not start at church. It starts. See, here it is. Fine. White folk ain't killing black people. Negroes ain't learning about God at house, at the home. I wish you talk to me. Black women are not being taught how to dress provocatively on television. It's cause Mama got four friends calling them uncles walking in and out the house. And Mama ain't being Mama at the house. Brothers ain't learning to dress like they dress and talk like they talk and switch and twitch at church. It's because Daddy ain't showing up at the house. We don't know about W.E.B. du Bois and Benjamin Mays and Howard Thurman and Mama's grandmama. Grandmama who prayed for you and had you on their mind and can sing those hymns and say, before I'll be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave. Not because they won't teach it at school. Cause Daddy won't sit down and put sun on his lap and say, at this house, we gonna do it. The reason we got so many suicides, depressed college students, people struggling with their identity, is because folk won't teach anybody how to be themselves at their house. I know, I know. You grew up without a father. You grew up without a mother. You didn't go to college. But if you want to see change start, it doesn't start at church. Matter of fact, Joshua put it like this, Pastor Joshua stood in front of the people at the middle of the crossroads. And Joshua said, you know what? Y' all can serve the gods of culture. Y' all can serve the gods of your past. Y' all can serve the gods of the Euphrates. But Joshua said, here it is. But that's for me and my house. Uhhuh. That's Bible. We don't serve the Lord. I'm kidding, Pastor. I wonder how to close this. And I've learned the best sermons come from your own experiences. Can I tell y' all a story? My last. Last October is probably the worst month of my life. I'll call pastor about this. Probably one of the worst months of my life. And I never forget one Sunday. I went to church one Sunday, and I love preaching. I love Jesus. I love preaching. I love ministry. I walked in church and I preached. Priesthood, church and pastor, someone, this preacher came up to me and said, justin, you don't have a voice for black people. No joke. I can't turn a lot. She said, you don't have a voice that black folk will listen to. She said, you're too sedate. I'm sitting there, I'm going through a whole bunch of stuff. I'm like, oh, Jesus, really? Like, I'm in a relationship. I want to ask this girl to marry me. And I'm about to go to that next level. And I'm sitting there like, only I'm going to provide. Only I'm going to do this is with my voice. And I. I'm told by a black person, you can't preach to black people. So I'm scared. So I go to church. Good afternoon. My pastor asked me to pray. Pastor, when I say I prayed, I prayed. I prayed till Jesus came down. Told me to get off. I knew, boy, pray. So I was like, if you don't like my voice, Jesus going to love this voice. I'm going to pray. So, pastor, there was a man at church that Sunday, that Tuesday, my pastor and I went to visit him in the hospital because he had fallen gravely ill. He actually passed away a month ago, but he felt. Felt gravelier. And so we got to the hospital, pastor, and I'm down. I'm going through a whole bunch in my life, my school, everything. And I get to the hospital, and this man who's laying on his bed can hardly move, reach his arm up. My pastor's talking. He looked at me and said, come here, young man. I said, yes, sir. He said, sir, you prayed on Sunday. I'm like, yeah, thanks, Deacon. I did pray on Sunday. He said, no, no, no, no, no. You prayed on Sunday. I said, thank you, sir. He said, justin, a lot of preachers got a fancy hoop. A lot of preachers got a fancy suit. A lot of preachers know how to make scripture sound real good. But he said, justin Mark Clay. Justin Mark Clay, you. You got a voice. And so use your voice and don't let anybody take it from you. Come on, time to. That's all my words. Is somebody here this morning? I'm looking at some marg play in the building. And my word to tell you this morning is that you've got a voice and God needs you to work your play? Is there anybody in the building that can say forget you together I'm gonna work my play Until God comes and gets me? I dare somebody, Anybody know my Jesus will empower you? Won't he do it? I said won't he do it? Won't he do it? Won't he do it? I don't know what your it is? But won't he do it? Won't he do it? If you know he will? Tilt your head back? Open up your mout? And give God your best praise? Give God your best shout? Give God your best stream? Work your way? Work your plan? Work your yeah, yeah? Sorry, that's just my voice to make the devil mad? Yeah, yeah, yeah? It.