I Can Speak For Myself

0:00 Brace yourself and buckle up. You are about to hear a life-changing, history-making, world-defining message from the New Birth Podcast. Tell everybody you know, things will never be the same. give him some praise in this place come on if he's worthy of the glory he's worthy of the honor from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same come on help us lift up the name of our god this morning hallelujah you're worthy come on worthy is your name god come on come on open up your mouth and begin to speak well of him come on come on just begin to lift your hands in worship Come on, come on. Come on, Newberg. Come on. Worthy is the Lamb.

0:51 Worthy is the Lamb. Come on, open up your mouth and give Him glory. Come on. Come on, open up your mouth and give Him the fruit of your lips. He's worthy this morning. He's worthy this morning. He's worthy this morning. He's worthy this morning. He's worthy this morning. Come on, from the depths of your soul, come on. Cry out to worthy. He's worthy this morning. Come on, from the depths of your soul, come on. is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is the Lamb. Hallelujah, God. We come even now thanking you for the privilege to gather one more time at your throne of grace. God, we don't take it for granted that you woke us up this morning and You started us on our way.

1:51 God, we thank you that last night was not our last night, but that you touched us with your finger of love. And God, we thank you that you protected us from dangers seen and unseen. God, you kept us through many dangers, toils, and snares. And God, today, we've come to give your name, praise, honor, and glory. Holy Spirit, have your way in this place. Do what you do best. Breathe on us anew, God. Hallelujah, God. We receive the presence of the Holy Spirit in this place. Have your way. Move from heart to heart. Move from breast to breast. God, do something today that will transform our lives. And we give you the praise, the honor, and the glory.

2:46 And the people of God together said amen. Come on, won't you give God another big shout of praise in this place? Hallelujah! Hallelujah! It is indeed an honor and a privilege to be able to stand behind this very sacred desk at one of the most incredible and impactful congregations in the world. Come on, New Birth, won't you give God praise for the legacy of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Come on, help me give God praise!

3:23 Come on, look at somebody and say, I love my church. Now help me give God praise for my big brother, your shepherd. Help me give God praise for Pastor Jamal Harrison Bryant. Amen. I am so incredibly blessed to be his little brother. Amen. I have followed him everywhere he's been. He went to Morehouse, so I went to Morehouse. he pledged Kappa so I pledged Kappa he was a national youth director for the NAACP so I became the national youth director of the NAACP and I am honored that God has blessed us to continue to share in ministry and he is a brother beloved and I thank God for him I am truly blessed for this privilege and the honor that he has given me today to share in this glorious ministry I praise God for the bride by his side help me give God praise for First Lady Dr. Carrie Bryant. Come on give God praise for Lady Kay. I praise God for my sister. We love her. We thank God for her. She has made him better. Amen and I am grateful for the two of them are a force in the kingdom of God. I bring you greetings all the way from New York City. Come on any New Yorkers in the house. Well we're still celebrating the Nixon Five. Amen. Come don't hate celebrate amen we praise the lord on behalf of the greater allen ame cathedral of new york i praise god for the opportunity to serve that glorious congregation who celebrates 192 years this year come on give god praise for the greater allen cathedral of new york and we have been wedded together greater allen cathedral and new birth cathedral have been wedded together over the years, and so I'm so honored that we continue to live out this legacy. I am not here by myself, but I am grateful that the rib that God has given me is here with me. Help me celebrate God for Lady Brea Tilford Green, my beloved wife. I praise God for you, my prayer warrior, my covering. Amen. I

5:35 praise God for the opportunity to serve in ministry with my wife as she leads our women and girls and continues to be a blessing to my life and to the kingdom of God. Well, New Birth, let's go to work this morning. Amen? To all of my friends and family who are here, God bless you, watching online. I'm just so happy to be here. Amen? Grab your Bibles. Let's go to the heart of the matter in the Gospel according to John.

6:01 Gospel according to John, chapter number 9. Hallelujah. Gospel according to John, chapter number 9, verse 1 reads thusly, As he walked alone, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, Rabbi, who sinned? This man or his parents that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither this man nor his parents sinned. He was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who has sent me while it is day because night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. and when he had said this he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes saying go wash in the pool of salome which means scent and then he went and washed and came back able to see the neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask is this not the man who used to sit and beg some were saying it is he others were saying no but it is someone like him he kept saying i am the man but they kept asking him then when then how were your eyes opened and he answered the man called jesus made mud spread it on my eyes and said go to salome and wash then i went and washed and received my sight the word of the lord for the people of god thanks be unto god come on somebody ought to give god praise for the word hallelujah but look before these three moments that are yours and mine i want to speak to you from this sermonic theme i can speak for myself just look at somebody say i

8:10 can speak for myself. You may be seated in the presence of the Lord. I can speak for myself. Give God praise for all the deacons and ministers here at New Birth. Writer, novelist, and college professor Toni Morrison was the first black woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature and was known for her groundbreaking work of bringing to the forefront silent stories of black life in America. From her first novel, The Bluest Eye, which chronicled the story of a young black girl who prayed for blue eyes because she believed that this was the standard of beauty. To Song of Solomon, which followed the journey of a young black man living in Michigan who embarks on a journey to uncover his family's past in the deep south to discover his true identity. to Beloved, which describes the horrors and psychological trauma of slavery in America. Morrison's commitment to addressing the original sin of this country is why her books are on the top 10 most banned books in America.

9:16 Because the truth is hard for people to accept. The revisionist-in-chief intends to rewrite the pages of our history by attacking our museums in order to eradicate the rich legacy of a people who have come over a way that with tears have been watered. The assault on voting rights and democracy is an attempt to erase the legacy of a resilient people who sang in the heat of the antebellum sun, up above my head I hear music in the air, there must be a God somewhere. The dismantling of diversity equity and inclusion that has cost 600,000 black women their jobs as an effort to diminish the legacy of a people who believe their way to freedom because they knew trouble won't last always from Accra to Atlanta and from Haiti to Harlem the freedom dreams of our ancestors brave the dark night of despair and ushered in the hope of a new day with a revolutionary spirit because they were bold enough to speak for themselves.

10:22 Our freedom did not come as a result of one person signing the Emancipation Proclamation, but through the courageous efforts of a people that said before, I'll be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave and go home to my Lord and be free. Because when you make up in your mind that you are no longer going to wait for anybody to do for you what you can do for yourself, you become dangerous to the enemy. As long as you go along to get along, people don't have any problems with you. But when you decide to accept that nobody is going to do for you what you can do for yourself and you know that to thine own self be true, you become a threat to the status quo. I came to speak to somebody today who has decided to walk boldly in your freedom because you are not going to allow the enemy to hold you back into bondage any longer.

11:17 Somebody here needs to know that free people are a threat to the plans of the wicked. The devil is on your trail, not because of where you went to school, not because of who's in your family, but because he knows how free you are. The devil can't stand a free worshiper. The devil can't stand someone who understands that no matter whatever I went through, I'm still gonna press my way to the house of God. I don't care what I went through this past week. I'm not going to allow anybody or anything to stop me from getting to the house of God. Because I'm like David. I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. Is there anybody in here this morning that came to make the devil mad? I refuse to go back into bondage. If you wanted to keep me hostage, you should have stopped me before.

12:12 I came to new birth this morning. But since I'm here, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Look down your row and tell you're sitting next to a free person. I'm free indeed. I no longer bow. No more chains holding me. I'm free. yeah freedom is your birthright you were created to live in freedom you were destined to work in freedom i dare 500 of you just to shout i'm free my child is free my marriage is free my finances are free I don't care what the devil tried to do to hold me down but I came this morning to give God's glory that every chain is getting ready to break. Every stronghold is getting ready to be canceled. Where are my worshipers who came to church this morning to get free? Open your mouth. Lift up your foot.

13:28 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I went through too much to get this freedom. I cried too many tears to get this freedom. I stayed up too many nights praying for this freedom. This freedom belongs to me. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You press your way here down I-20 because you're free to worship. I don't need anybody to pump me here. If the praise scene doesn't sing another note, if the organ doesn't play another sound, I will bless the Lord. AT ALL! all times.

14:23 Freedom is in this house. Toni Morrison said the function of freedom is to free someone else. I dare you this morning to give God praise for the freedom of the person sitting next to you. If you knew what kind of week they went through, you would be running around this church. But I believe by faith that the devil's attacks have just been canceled. I'm free. Freedom is contagious. Grab your neighbor's hand and say, neighbor, you are free. You are free from addiction. You are free from bondage. You are free from slavery. You are free from debt. You are free from depression. You are free from anxiety. you are free from cancer from the crown of your head to the soul Hallelujah.

15:27 Hallelujah. Oh, bless his name. I feel freedom just moving in this place. Is there anybody here? Somebody shout out free. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That's why I love this text in John chapter 9. Here we are in the middle of the three years of the ministry of Jesus. And the gospel writer unveils for us a new scene in the story of the revelation of Jesus as the Son of God. In John chapter 1, Jesus is revealed as the Word made flesh. In John chapter 2, Jesus is revealed as the miracle worker.

16:26 In John chapter 3, Jesus is revealed as the gateway to eternal life. In John chapter 4, Jesus is revealed as the living water. in John chapter 5 Jesus is revealed as the Lord of the Sabbath in John chapter 6 Jesus is revealed as the bread of heaven in John chapter 7 Jesus is revealed as the source of rivers of living water in John chapter 8 Jesus is revealed as the light of the world But now in John chapter 9, Jesus is revealed as the divine healer. The Bible says, as Jesus was walking alone, he saw a man who was blind from birth. This man's freedom was on the line.

17:23 After living his entire life faced with a condition that robbed him of sight, his commitment to keep showing up to sit outside the temple daily places him in proximity to possibility this was just another day for this blind man who was relegated to the social position of a beggar because he was unable to work for himself in the agrarian society and every day he sat outside of the temple hoping that someone would have something to spare him on their journey. But this day, everything changed for him. Something unusual was getting ready to take place on his behalf. Just because he showed up to the temple. And far too often we think that in order for God to do something in our lives, we got to have it all together.

18:20 We assume that for God to move on our behalf, We have to manipulate our lives to fit some narrative that others have defined for us. We believe that if we are not living up to the expectations of others, then we are not worthy of God's intervention in our lives. We internalize the misconceptions that if we are not perfect, then God cannot use us for his glory. But I've come to let you know this morning that God honors the faithfulness of those who just keep showing up. God rewards those who diligently seek him you may not know all the 66 books of the Bible but thanks be to God you know he's a burden bearer and a heavy load sharer I don't know every song in the hymn book but I know he's a rock in a weary land and a shelter in the time of a storm that's why beloved I'm so glad that you made it to church this morning I'm glad you watching on the streaming right now because nobody knows how hard it was for you not to lose your mind this week.

19:33 Nobody understands how many days you had to stay up all this week just so you could keep your mind from going crazy. nobody knows that you had to suffer just so you could be able to put your child through school and pay tuition for college another semester that's why you ought not judge people by how they show up for church this morning you don't know what they had to go through just to put on the mascara just to put their clothes on you don't know the pain in their body they had to endure just to drive to church this morning.

20:18 And even with all the trauma you've endured, you still show up for your family. Your co-workers have no idea the kind of stuff you go through at home, but you still show up to work on time and have a smile on your face. God told me to tell you this morning to expect the unusual.

20:46 You are in proximity to possibility. Stay right where you are. Keep showing up. Don't stop right now. If nobody else applauds you, pat your own self on the back. If nobody else celebrates you, celebrate yourself. I'm going to keep showing up. in good days, in bad days. When I feel like it, when I don't feel like it, I'm going to keep showing up. the disciples asked Jesus what was it that caused this man to be born blind was it because he sinned or was it because his parents sinned and Jesus says neither he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in it.

21:49 you ought to look down your row and say, God's going to get the glory out of my story. This is just a test because you are preserved for a purpose. Here the disciples are trying to investigate the cause of his condition. They're trying to figure out what is it that caused him to be in this predicament. And ain't that just like church, always want to know your business, Always want to know what's going on in your house. Always want to know what's happening in your marriage. Stay out of my business. You don't know what God is getting ready to do through my life. You don't understand that God has preserved me for a purpose. this ain't got nothing to do with sin it's got everything to do with the Savior whatever you're going through right now it really has nothing to do with you it has everything to do with what God is trying to work through your life stop worrying about what other people think about your life don't be concerned about what they got to say about you why they keep showing up to church why they can't stay seated why must they keep being loud and shout don't worry about what they say because you don't they don't understand that god is about to get the glory out of your life this is the last time you're gonna see me in the shape that i'm in because when god gets through with me i'm gonna look at my hands and my hands will look I look at my feet and they will too.

23:44 Is there anybody here that came to give God glory? God, I want you to use me anyway. Anyhow, I want to be used for his glory. Take my diagnosis and use me for your glory. So that somebody will know by his stripes I am healed. Use me for your glory. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah. Stop blaming everything on your parents. Some of this stuff you ain't inherit.

24:38 Some of the stuff you close by yourself. But God told me to tell you, he's getting ready to cancel every weight. He's going to cancel every debt. The bloodline stops with the burden and your bloodline stops with you. Every generational curse is getting ready to get canceled. I declare and decree, if you open up your mouth, God is going to stop every satanic attack that was meant for your family. I can't hear nobody. Open up your mouth. Speak your last name. Speak your family's name. My bloodline is covered with the blood of Jesus. My family is covered by the blood of Jesus.

25:39 Open your mouth and give him glory. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You ain't shouting like you're the last one in your family to have to deal with depression. Divorce will not follow your children. Cancer will stop in your bloodline. Glory! hallelujah oh bless his name hallelujah oh bless his name thank you Lord Jesus some of you been carrying some stuff you thought it was because of what your grandma and granddaddy did but God said no I had to go through it so that I can get the glory.

26:42 I want the glory. I desire the glory. I demand the glory. I want the glory. The Bible says that Jesus spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Hallelujah. And spread it over the man's eyes and said, go wash in the pool of Siloam. not only beloved are you in proximity for possibility not only are you preserved for a purpose but watch this you are also prepared for the promise Hallelujah.

27:34 When Jesus turned water into wine, he simply spoke. When Jesus told the man who had been sitting by the pool of Bethsaida to go into the pool, he simply spoke a word. But this time he does more than speak. He spits. Jesus shows us that this miracle will not only involve a word it's gonna come with a weight mud carries weight it is formed when liquid meets dirt which creates a substance heavy enough to be felt and thick enough to stick before the man could receive his sight Jesus had to put something on him to prepare him for his next. Sometimes the promise comes through a process. God wants to know, can you handle the weight of the assignment before he gives you the work of the assignment? In this season, God is building your strength. That's why you got to get it out the mud. You ain't had no silver spoon. It ain't always been easy, but you had to fight for everything. Everything you have, you fought for. Everything you had in your house was because you prayed for it. Stop being so sophisticated and so bougie that you think it's because of your job, that you are where you are.

29:10 But thanks be to God that he anointed your head with oil and your cup overflows. I wish I had somebody in here that can give your God glory because you came through the mud. You had to fight through the dirt. You had to sit with the weight of the assignment. Stop trying to want everything to come through instant gratification. You will not be wealthy overnight. It takes strategy to build your business. You will not be elevated without any experience. Stop trying to run past every step of the process and go with God because God is trying to take you somewhere that eyes have not seen and that years have not even heard I'm going somewhere that's why the weight feels heavy that's why the load feels burdensome because I'm going somewhere and when I get to where I'm going I'm going to wipe off every dirty thing I'm going to wipe off every sticky thing I'm going to wipe off every burdensome thing.

30:36 Is there anybody here that knows God is calling you to a season of intentionality? You better walk with intentions. You better go with intentions. You better show up to the polls, not just in November, but anytime there's an election. You better show up. Why? Because we have an assignment. The Bible says, I'm almost done, that he came back able to see. And the neighbors and those who had seen him before, as a beggar began to ask, is this not the man who used to sit and beg? some were saying it is he others were saying no that's someone that just looks like him but he decides to speak up for himself he says I'm not gonna let a rock cry out for me but if you knew how long I had to sit on the side begging if you knew how long I had to cry myself to sleep if only you knew how many days I wanted to give up on my marriage then you would understand why I gotta speak up for myself.

32:16 God has given me the power to proclaim. Watch this. There was nothing wrong with his voice. But because now he had vision, he knew how to use his voice. And too many of us don't know how to use our voice because we don't have vision for what God is getting ready to do in our lives. But I came to preach to 500 entrepreneurs who know that the vision God has given your business is getting ready to give you voice to speak to another generation. Open up your mouth and begin to speak well of him. I can hear him saying amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost and now I'm found.

33:16 I was blind, but now I see. Is that your testimony? Don't you know when I look back over my life and I think things over, I can truly say that I've been blessed. I've got a testimony. That's why I came to church today. I've got a testimony. I can't be quiet. I've got to open up my mouth and give God glory. Is there anybody here that came to make the devil mad? Open up your mouth. Give your God some praise. From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same.

34:15 He's worthy. He's worthy. Come on, new birth. You ought to testify. Has he been good? Has he made a way? Has he opened doors? You ought to testify. Has he healed your body? Has he made you well? Has he delivered you? You ought to testify. Speak up for yourself. I can't hear nobody. Open your mouth. Shout. Shout. the s'a a t ch ' $!

35:00 I can't hear nobody Has he been good? Has he opened doors? Shout Shout Speak up For yourself Shout For your family Shout Shout for your finances. Shout for your church. Shout. Oh, bless His name.

35:49 Oh, bless His name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. With no music musicians, I just want to hear the sound of worshippers who can speak up for themselves. You ought not go to work and be ashamed of the gospel. Stop being afraid to identify as a Christian. Be who you are! Hallelujah. Oh, bless his name.

36:33 Come on, lift that hand and worship him. He's been waiting to hear from you. He's been waiting on you to open up your mouth. Stop waiting on somebody else to worship on your behalf. mama may have, papa may have but God bless the child has got their own worship come on open up your mouth come on speak for yourself speak on behalf of your family ask for me and my house we will serve the Lord Satan get your hands off my family Thank you. Oh bless his name come on and worship him speak for yourself speak for yourself come on he wants to hear the fruit of your lips Hallelujah.

37:42 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Can't nobody testify like you can testify. Can't nobody talk about what he's done in your life like you can. Hallelujah.

38:04 Hallelujah. God has placed a mantle on the ministry of new birth to speak to the nations. This is a global ministry. God has given you a global mandate to speak up for the lost. Let's speak up for the downtrodden. Let's speak up for those who are oppressed. it's the weight of your ministry God has called some of you who've been sitting in the back he's calling you to come forward in the name of Jesus you thought if you don't tell anybody then people won't judge you they won't look at you differently but God says your testimony is ready is what I need to free some other people who have been bound by the same things Stop trying to act like you ain't never been addicted to anything.

39:19 Stop trying to act like you ain't never went through anything. Stop trying to act like you never had to survive some trauma and some horrors. God is birthing some prophetic voices in this house. Hallelujah. I felt the Spirit of the Lord so heavily as I was preparing for this message that God is raising up new prophets and prophetess in the house of the Lord. You go on social media, there are so many content creators talking about nothing. and with all that God has done in your life if you made one video testify you would go viral for the kingdom of God God is calling us to birth new communicators for the kingdom.

40:28 Watch this. I didn't say you got to be the pastor of new birth. You have a pastor. But God has given you a microphone to your family and to your friends and to your neighbors and to your co-workers. God is calling us into a season of revival. I am deputizing you as a digital evangelist. Hallelujah. Stop being ashamed of telling people that you're on the Lord's side.

41:11 Imagine if God was ashamed about you. But God says, I love you any way you are. I'll clean you up from the inside. I'll take all the dirt off of you. I'll take the mud off of you. I'll make you brand new. every hand lifted in this place.

41:35 God, I pray even now that you would release new vision into this house for everyone under the sound of my voice. That God, that you would give them vision to use their voice to advance your kingdom. God, they would use their colleagues and their businesses to usher in a new era of kingdom economics. God, that you would use their gifts and their creativity to open up new streams of revenue and opportunity so, God, that they would be able to be a blessing to your people. God, in the name of Jesus, I pray for their children, that their children would walk boldly when they go to school and will not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

42:31 God you will use our voice to advocate for freedom for our people and God when we get to November you will not allow any of us to sit at home but God we will all lift our voice and go to the polls and vote so that freedom can roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream Thank you. we receive it even now we believe by faith it's already done in Jesus name come on every glad heart shout amen come on every glad heart shout amen come on give them praise very quickly and I'm headed to my seat beloved God is raising up a generation that will not be afraid to use their voice to advance the kingdom of God everything that God has given you in real estate in entrepreneurship in creativity God is going to use you to advance the kingdom of God.

43:52 And beloved, in 86 days, we are going to the polls to vote. 86 days. Come on, give God praise for that. 86 days. we're going to change the trajectory of this nation. The number 86 means to cancel something out, to course correct. And I believe in 86 days, God is going to course correct. God is going to change the trajectory of this nation. I'm believing by faith that there are 300 of you who will join me by planting a seed of $86, dollars even now believing by faith that god would use your voice god will use your platform god will use your gifts god would use you at your business not for your glory but for his glory that everything you have your your medical business your your your creative business your design business your t-shirt business god will use everything that you have to cancel out the plans of the wicked.

45:04 I'm believing by faith today that 300 of us are going to join and partner by faith and give $86 even now. The multiple ways to give are on the screen. Go to newbirth.org. Those of you watching online, the Lord has deposited this into your spirit and you got to speak for yourself. I'm not asking anybody else to do it. I'm asking you to do it. If you can't do it, that's fine. Get as close as you can to 86. I'm believing by faith that we are able to do this together collectively I don't know the protocol beloved but I just believe by faith that if you just are able to lift that seed as high as you can lift that instrument, lift that phone, lift that envelope, lift that wallet come on lift it towards heaven God in the name of Jesus I thank you for each and every giver God I thank you for each and every gift Lord I ask that these gifts will be used to change and to shift the trajectory of our future God that you are able to give us new vision bless our businesses bless our families bless our marriages God bless our children bless our careers God bless everything that our hands touch God because we are no longer going to be ashamed of being bold and courageous about you.

46:27 In Jesus name we pray that the people of God together say amen. Come on won't you come even now wherever you are and plant your seed right here at this altar. Come on and touch.