Let it Play Out, Rev. Dr. Lisa Ashe

0:23 because if you don't do it, it won't get done. In Jesus' name, amen. to Pastor Wesley and his moment of the season of Say La, to Dr. Judy, to the brothers and sisters who share the burden and blessing of preaching, the diaconate, all of you here, and to the choir. Y'all look good and you sound good. I'm going to be honest, I had a cup of coffee and a Coke because I worked all night last night and I didn't leave the hospital until 8 a.m. and y'all gave me more energy than that Coke and that coffee, so I'm grateful for it. I'm also representing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the Samuel Duet Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University on this HBCU weekend to all my sororers and my Virginia Union folk. Good evening. And just to my family at Alfred Street, happy Black History Month, guys.

1:33 There is a word from the Lord. And it's found in the New Testament, the book of Mark. We're going to go to Mark chapter 6. It's a story so familiar you probably don't even have to read it with me. But we're going to start at verse 30. Mark 6, verse 30. And I'm reading from the New King James Version. Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And he said to them, come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they didn't even have time to eat. So they departed to a deserted place and a boat by themselves. But the multitude saw them departing, and many knew him and ran there on foot from all cities.

2:34 They arrived before them and came together to him, him being Jesus. And Jesus, when he came out, saw the great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things. When the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him and said, Listen, this is a deserted place and it's getting late. Send them away that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves some bread, for they have nothing to eat. But Jesus answered and said to them, You give them something to eat. And they said, Shall we go and buy 200 denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat? And Jesus said to them, how many loaves do you have? Go and see. And when they found out, they said five and two fish. Jesus commanded them to make all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. And they sat down in ranks in hundreds and in fifties.

3:42 And when he had taken, he being Jesus, the five loaves and two fish, he looked up into heaven, blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and the two fish he divided among them all. And so they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about 5,000 men. While we have our time tonight, we're going to talk about letting it all play out. Letting it play out. You may be seated. Let it play out. This is the first day of Black History Month, as we said, and we're talking about deep roots. And we've heard all the stories, just as the Bible told us, to pass it down to generations.

4:39 I like that I'm in the tech generation, though, if I'm honest, because now we get to see videos and photos of what happened. Google pointed this out to us. I don't know how many of you have seen the Google commercial or ad for Black History Month, but they did an ad or commercial that shows the most searched, talented for Black History Month. And I was in from the start because they started with the queen. The first person on the video was Beyonce. And they showed her Coachella performance. It was the most searched performance. They showed the most searched tennis player, Miss Serena Williams. They showed the most searched ballerina, Misty Copeland. The most searched poet, Maya Angelou. The most searched dunk by Michael Jordan. The most searched athlete, LeBron.

5:34 And I reflect, as I reflect on these great people, and I watch those videos and pictures, I can't help but think about someone that may have been left off the list. someone who we unfortunately and far too soon as you know lost this week Kobe Bryant and his daughter and the other families on that helicopter all of you know who Kobe Bryant is he was known for having the mamba mentality because he was the ultimate competitor and kept the desire to win He once said, everything negative, pressure, challenges, is all an opportunity for me to rise. And while he had five championships, 15 All-Star game appearances, four All-Star MVP awards, two NBA Finals awards, and a regular season MVP award, he was known, as we recollected this week, for being a great dad. He himself said he was a girl dad, and he was so proud of that. And so it was not surprising that he was on his way to a basketball game with his daughter. He was a winner, and he loved to win. But I would argue that even more than his will to win was really his will to persist. That persistence is what made him great. We don't quit. We don't cower. We don't run. We endure and we conquer. These are his words. We don't quit. We don't cower. We don't run.

7:16 We endure and we conquer. It's a persistent attitude. It's the same attitude as many of the greats that I talked about just a few moments ago. And he was willing to let the game play out in the face of defeat, in the face of struggles, no matter what the score was, no matter how many games they may have been down in a playoff series. He wanted to let it all play out. He felt that if he could compete, that he had a chance to win. That's really what the Mamba mentality was all about. And I just want to know tonight if we could have a little of the mamba mentality with what God has called us to do. That if we could keep going even in the face of adversity, could we let situations that seem difficult or impossible just go ahead and play all the way out? I just stopped by to tell somebody tonight that I don't know what you're going through, but you need to just let it all play out. I don't know what financial hardships you're going to meet. I don't know what's in the building, but you need to just let it play out. I don't know what hill your relationship has to travel over, but you need to let this thing play out. Don't quit. Let's just have a little mamba mentality and let it play out. This is what I believe Jesus was teaching the disciples today, to just let things play out. Let's set the stage. The journey actually starts out earlier in the chapter. They were coming from Nazareth, and Jesus was teaching and healing, and he was in his own town, and they rejected him. That would be like me in Philly and them rejecting me. I was like, where'd they do that at? They said, is this Mary's son? Aren't they, isn't he just a carpenter?

9:23 And so after that, Jesus then calls the 12 disciples. He commissioned them to preach. He sent them out two by two. He told them to travel light and trust the Lord. And they went on their way to preach. While they were healing and fulfilling their mission, they got word that John the Baptist was killed. And then now they're all coming back to Jesus. So they've healed, they've preached, they've lost someone, and now they're coming back to Jesus. And Jesus says to them, let's go across the lake to a quiet place. The people see where Jesus is going, and they decide to go there on foot, because they could tell where he was going on the lake. And when he saw how many people it was, he was moved with compassion. He knew their pressing demands had to be prompted by great knees. So they told Jesus, listen, we need to send these people away because it's getting late. And Jesus told them to go ahead and feed the people. And Jesus said, And the disciples said, it's like 5,000 folk here.

10:39 I think we should send them home. That's too many people. The disciples' solution was to get rid of the need by getting rid of the needy. But Jesus saw a different solution, and he wanted them to see it too. So he wanted to let this thing all play out. So if we look at what happens, can we learn just four things real quick? What happens when we all just let it play out, and then we can go get some dinner. That sound okay? The first thing that we see, don't give reasons not to do it. Jesus tells you to do something and you letting it play out don't give reasons not to do it when Jesus told him to feed all those people they had what I call a a e i o u response um you ever talk to someone or ask them a question they act like they don't what happened was they don't know what words to find They have 50, 11 reasons why they can't do it, and they want to send them out all at the same time they get caught up.

11:51 Well, this was the disciples. They had 50, 11 reasons why this feat in these people was not about to happen. Now, it was some reasonable responses. Let's be honest. Not all the reasons were bad. Maybe they were just being kind. I mean, it was late. The people were weary. They were hungry. They could just let them go. I mean, the disciples got to ride on a boat over there. These people ran and walked over there. Maybe sending them home was an act of kindness. Maybe, you know, they've been here since 730. They've actually been here since 645 because they had to get a parking space. We shouldn't stay here that long. They can go home and get something to eat there. This sounds reasonable. But Jesus says, no, feed his people. Maybe it was more practical. They were tired. They were grieving. John was just killed. Maybe that's why they didn't want to do it.

12:51 We all know what it's like to be tired. I'm tired right now, if I be honest. I was trying to talk Siobhan into doing this tonight. Her and Dr. Judy said no. Maybe they felt that they didn't have enough resources. I mean, to be honest, what they had was almost laughable. It's 5,000 men. Now, notice I didn't say 5,000 men, women, and children. The Bible just says at least 5,000 men. It don't necessarily account for the women and children, so it says at least 5,000 men. So it's at least 5,000 people, and they have two pieces of catfish in five rolls. That wasn't even enough dinner for the 12 disciples. That's not even enough dinner for me on a bad day after work.

13:45 So maybe they didn't feel they had enough resources. I mean, I can't even pay my mortgage, and you want me to give what, Jesus? But he tells them, use what you got. Maybe they have it, but they still think it's too much money. I mean, they said it was 200 denarii. Now, if you recall, one day's work was one denarii. So let me get this straight. You need 200? I had to work 200 days? That's more than half a year to feed for one meal? That just seems like that might be too much. That might be a little too much. and then maybe they were just feeling themselves a little bit. Keep in mind, they had just met with Jesus to tell him all the good things they had done. They told him that they preached the gospel.

14:42 They told him that they cast out demons. They told him that they healed the sick. He had just called and ordained them and they got all of this stuff done. Maybe they felt like they could lean on what they've already done. Maybe they felt like they gave enough that week and they didn't have to do anymore. We've already done so much this week and now you want me to feed all these people? I just listed all the things I've done. I paid my tithes last week. I volunteered on a Tuesday. I showed up at Bible study and that's not good enough, but we can't rest on past service. We can't be satisfied with volunteer work we did before we got. We get new mercies every day. So every day might be a new mission.

15:34 So let me play devil's advocate because there are a number of reasons of why you might be hesitant. A con. Maybe you feel like you don't know how. Reason number one, God told you to. Reason number two, maybe you feel like them, you don't have enough money. Pro, God told you to. Number three, maybe you feel like it's not going to work anyway. Pro number three, God told you to. Maybe four, I don't have enough time. Pro number four, God told you to. Reason number five, I'm tired. That's nice, but God told you to. Reason number six, I'm sick. I got the flu. My back hurts. My knees ain't working. That's nice, but God told you to. Reason number seven, I'm going to be honest. I just don't want to do it. Well, pro number seven, God told you to. Reason number eight, God told you to.

16:29 Reason number nine, God told you to. Reason number 10, God told you to. And I just want to know, does anybody have a good enough reason to tell God no? Don't give reasons not to do it. You got to let this thing play out. When God calls you and tells you to do something, don't give reasons not to do it. Secondly, remember past dilemmas. Remember past dilemmas. After they were just commissioned, they healed the sick, I told you, and they cast out demons. And the reason that people were following Jesus was because all of the miracles they just saw him do. They ran into all kinds of problems and situations. And now we get here and you want to send the people away? This seems too big. I mean, let's just run the list real quick because we're in Mark 6. In Mark 1, Jesus cast out an unclean spirit and the people of Capernaum said, what new doctrine is this? In Mark 2, he healed Peter's mother-in-law and then later that night, he healed those who were demon-possessed and the demons weren't even allowed to speak. In Mark 2, he also healed a paralyzed man and forgave. In Mark 3, he took care of a withered hand and he did it on a Sabbath. In Mark 4, he calmed the storm and people had to ask the question, who could this be? In Mark 5, he healed the issue of blood of a woman, and then he went ahead and raised Jairus' daughter from the dead. So it stands to reason that if you've seen God do all of this, why are you hesitant now in Mark 6? And I just want to talk to someone tonight who might be in Mark 6. Didn't God heal you in Mark 5? Didn't he open up

18:38 the windows of blessing of heaven and pour you out a blessing in Mark 4? Didn't he mend your marriage in Mark 3? In Mark 2, didn't he make those ends meet? In Mark 1, didn't he work things out for your good. Oh, let me remix Psalms 37 real quick. I once was young and now I'm getting a little bit older, but I've never seen, I've never seen, I ain't never seen the righteous forsaken. Come on, Ty, Trevitt. If he did it before, he'll do it again. Same God back then, same God right now. And the more you've seen God do, the more you ought to know what God can do. And that just leads me right on to point number three. You need to be reassured that God's going to live to deliver. don't give reasons not to do it remember past dilemmas and be reassured that god's going to deliver when jesus saw all those people he had them sit down in an orderly fashion by groups and he took the two pieces of catfish and five rolls he held them up he blessed them broken, and he feeds at least 5,000 people. And I'm going to be honest, I like the way Jesus did this. I mean, he could have rained down manna from heaven. We've seen that before. He could have just given them some wine. We've seen that before. But he takes what they have, and he blesses it and he uses it. He takes what they have and he blesses it and he uses it.

20:33 He didn't change it into something different. He didn't even give them something new. It's what they have, he blesses it and he uses it. And I'm so glad that God takes what I have and he blesses it and he uses it. Even in my mess, even when I ain't right, he'll use me just as I am. Even when the rain takes my curls, he'll use me just as I am. God's going to get what he wants by using what you got. He'll use what you got and get what he wants.

21:19 And so he does that. And the Bible says they all ate and were full. It wasn't even an appetizer. And there were 12 baskets left over. Look at God being God. That more than you think or ask is real. They took up fragments. He didn't waste it. And I like that too, because God doesn't waste resources. So they used it all up, and they saved up the fragments. Now, some of you may not know this, but a few months ago, I became a parent. So I am the mother of a seven-month golden doodle. There she is.

22:11 That's Essie. she's rambunctious and she is surely as stubborn as she is cute and I don't know how she got my DNA But she is independent, stubborn, and always wants her way. And if you know me, unfortunately.

22:39 I mean, it's my house, right? So we go back and forth on a daily basis about what's going to happen and when it's going to happen. I mean, I pay the mortgage. I pay for her food. I pick up all her droppings. even when she has a toy spread out on all four levels she still decides to eat my pillow and so I was trying to figure out how I was going to win because for the past five months she's been giving me a run for my money I took her to the old school town for dogs I said I need some training and the trainer told me that I was a punk Thank you. I'm from Philly. I ain't never been told that. But when I see her face, I just melt. And I'm like, okay, it's all right. But then I've gotten to the point where I'm like, I'm going to win. It's my house. And so we go back and forth. We go back and forth.

23:42 And I finally figured out it wasn't the training. It wasn't the fact that I told her every morning that I pay the bills. You're going to do what I say. I figured it out. It wasn't even the fact that I take her to daycare. I figured out how to win. I bribe her. For children and animals, I'm not above bribery. So when I need her to get in her crate, or stop biting my ankles, or destroying the pillows, or whatever mischief, like eating the Christmas tree that she's gotten herself in, I bribe her. I give her a treat. She's so used to it now that if I just go and reach in the bag a kibble, she stops in her tracks. When I take the kibble into my hand, she automatically runs up the steps to her room and gets in her crate with the cutest face like she just wasn't chewing on my Uggs.

24:40 She's so trained that all I gotta do is shake the bag. If she's on the fourth floor and I'm on the second and I shake the bag, she comes running because she knows she's about to get a treat. and it's come to pass that now if I just walk near the bag, she looks. Pavlov was on to something. So if I put my hand on it, she runs to the crate. Even if she's being a bad girl, if mommy goes near the bag, she knows what's next. She is going to get a treat. If I shake it, she's going to come running. And if she just thinks I'm in the proximity, she knows she's about to get a treat. Y'all think I'm still talking about my baby and her treats. Even when we're in a bad situation, if God just puts his hands on it, we know he's about to deliver. If he shakes up the situation, we know he's going to deliver.

25:38 If he just comes near us, we know that he can deliver. I've done it so much, she just knows. And God's done it so much, we ought to just know. He's blessed us so much We ought to just know That he is going to deliver I'm just about done And it's almost time to eat We're going to be reassured That God's going to deliver We're going to remember Past dilemmas We're not going to give reasons Why we don't do it And last We need to retreat for downtime Retreat for downtime Jesus didn't forget about the rest. That was the reason why they got on the boat in the first place. And so as soon as this was over, he departed and retreated for some downtime. And we ought to do the same. It's a part of self-care and rest.

26:35 Say la like our own pastor, because if you're gonna keep serving, you need some self-care. When I was in med school, one of my first calls, my 30-hour shift, I learned something valuable. The resident at the time, she looked at me and she said, you got 29 more hours left. We're going to be here for 30 hours. So I need you to do three things. Eat when you can, sleep when you can, pee when you can. Eat when you can, sleep when you can, pee when you can. And it sounded weird, but I was scared. So I listened. So every time we got a break I got a snack I relieved myself and I rested and now at about 15 hours into the shift there was an emergent surgery that surgery lasted eight hours I had to stand there fully gowned for eight hours retracting for eight hours I was so glad for those snacks and that bathroom break and the rest that I had eat when you can sleep when you can relieve yourself when you can Jesus knew when it was time to work and he knew when it was time to rest but also notice that he went to pray he went to relieve himself of the burdens of the day and the project he just accomplished the hard day drove Jesus to prayer not from prayer. Productivity does not replace prayer. Productivity in your ministry or your mission or in your church product does not replace prayer. So rest and pray. Eat when you can.

28:25 Sleep when you can. Relieve yourself when you can. And when you're letting it all play out, don't give reasons not to do it. Remember past dilemmas. Be assured that God is going to deliver and retreat for downtown in prayer. Thank you.