Sifted but Secure

0:00 Today's message is entitled, Sifted But Secure. Luke chapter 22 is where I want to preach from for just a couple of minutes. Short sermon today, Luke 22. Thankful to the Lord that this is the last Sunday of 2025. Amen. That God has blessed us to see. Luke chapter 22 is a significant chapter because it leads into the final days of Jesus' life, his earthly life, as it were. It is near the end of his assignment on earth. And there are a number of things that are happening and occurring during this time. It is in chapter 22 that the chief priests and scribes are discussing how to kill Jesus.

1:09 In today's vernacular, that's the ministers and the deacons trying to figure out how to get rid of the pastor. The religious leaders of the day are trying to kill Jesus. And one of the disciples, Judas, has been influenced by the enemy to even betray Jesus. And it is in the 22nd chapter that the disciples argue among themselves about which of them is the greatest. What's significant about that is really what they're saying to themselves. Who's going to take over the ministry after Jesus is gone?

1:50 And in the midst of all of this is what happens in verse, I want to read for just a moment, verses 31 and 32. And it says, And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed Satan, has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you. that your faith should not fail. And when you have returned to me, strengthen your brethren. Amen. I want to talk to you, if I could give a tag to this message, I want to call it the Sifted But Secure Saints.

2:34 Look at your neighbor say, Sifted But Secure. Tell the person on the other side, this time tell them for real, have an attitude about it. Sifted but secured. This is, in fact, an interesting passage to me. It is something I preach for on many occasions, and God told me to talk to you about this again today. Jesus is talking to the disciples. They are bickering among themselves about who's the greatest. It's really who's going to take over the ministry after Jesus. has left.

3:16 They said, who's the greatest among them? And Jesus said, let me tell y'all something. Stop bickering among yourselves about who the greatest because everybody has their own assignment. I think that's something you need to understand. You look at your neighbor and say, you got an assignment. Don't play a hate on me. You got your own assignment. Go ahead, tell them. Don't come in my lane. I won't come in your lane. I won't try to be you don't you try to be me function in your own lane he says I have this I have given to you each your own kingdom your own zone as it were just the way I've worded it in the past that when you get in your zone when you get in the thing that God has called you to do can't nobody do you better than you Yeah! Can nobody be a better First Baptist Church of Glenarton pastor than me right now. What's wrong with some of y'all?

4:17 Y'all not clapping. Y'all need to clap. that's my zone that's that's my gifting it's my call it's the anointing that God has given to me it is the assignment and there comes a day that my assignment will end and I thought I would have talked to all of you today because 2025 has been a difficult year we've had some difficult days some challenging moments some difficult times but God told me to tell you those difficulties are about to come to an end. Who am I preaching to today? You've been crying, moping. You've had hard days, difficult days, lonely days, challenging times. You've been lied on, treated bad. But God told me to tell you today, let's get ready to launch into 2026. Because 2025 is coming to an end.

5:13 Go ahead, tell your neighbor that 2025 is coming to an end. you're about to step into 2026. Somebody say, I'm about to step into my destiny. I'm about to step into the next phase of my life. I'm about to step into the next assignment that God has for me. I'm about to step into my next call. I'm about to do what it is. God, see 2025, what it did is it prepared you for 2026. That's what 2025 was. It was designed to prepare you for where God is about to take you. Or somebody ought to know that's a great news. That's a great word today. And so somebody said, well, how did he do that, Pastor? What was that? I'm glad you asked the question. I'm glad you're wondering. That's what I'm getting ready to tell you. Because 2025 was a year of sifting.

6:06 God used 2025 to sift you. As a matter of fact, the devil desires to sift you. Amen. But what does that mean, Pastor? I'm glad you asked the question. Here's what sifting means. Sifting is an agricultural term. It's a term that farmers use for when they are separating the wheat from the tares and the wheat from the chaff. So here's the deal. Here's what you got to understand. God used 2025 and used Satan to let Satan sift you like wheat, like a farmer sifts wheat. Matter of fact, look at verse 31. Let me just talk about this for a moment. Verse 31, the Lord said, Simon, Simon, indeed, Satan has asked for you. In the Greek, here's what it means. He says he's asked for y'all. It's not just an individual.

7:00 He asked for y'all. See, just by virtue of the fact that you is a member of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden and you have been trying to be a disciple and make a disciple because you've walked in that vein and you wanted to be the best disciple you could be and you wanted to help prepare other people to be disciples, the devil has asked for y'all by name. But you're still here. He thought he was going to take you out, but tell yourself, I'm still here. He thought he would defeat me. He thought he would make me quit, walk away, turn my back on the kingdom, but I'm still here. Somebody say, I'm still here. Okay, thank all both of y'all for saying that. I appreciate that very much. We've been sifted. We've gone through a sifting. And by the way, what fascinates me about this passage is that Jesus says, the Lord said to him, Simon, Simon, indeed, sure enough, for real, Satan has asked for you by name.

8:02 Some of y'all need to understand, your name has come up in the corridors of hell. You know why? Because you, you don't know this. The devil knows something about you that you don't know about yourself. if you ever get to your assignment in life, if you ever get to the thing that God has called and created and anointed you to be, you represent a serious threat to the devil's kingdom. And you don't even know it. You don't even recognize that if you ever get to that place and ever walk in that assignment and ever become what it is God is destined for you to become and ever do what it is he's called you to do, ever do anything else that whatever God's called you to do when you get there you will reap real serious damage to the devil's kingdom and you don't even know it you don't even you don't even recognize how anointed you are you don't even recognize the call that God has on your life he called you to do more than just do that job that you go and do from nine to five You got an anointing on your life.

9:10 You got a destiny on you. And you know what's great about it? Can't no devil in hell stop you from getting to the place that God has destined for you to become. No devil can stop you. Amen. Don't you know he's not going to sit back and watch you walk into your destiny? He's not going to sit back and let you become what God has called and destined for you to become. He wants to make sure he's going to put you through a sifting. Somebody say, I'm about to be sifted. So what does that mean? I'm glad you asked the question. You see, here's the deal. Here's the deal. When wheat grows, there's also some stuff that grows with the wheat that's not wheat. There's some tares that grow with the wheat. It's not real. It's poisonous. The tares are poisonous if you were to eat it. The tares want to act like they are imitators.

10:08 They want to pretend like they are wheat, but they're not wheat. So the farmer must go through a process of separating the real stuff from the not so, that's not so much real. The wheat from the tares, the wheat from the shafts. Oh, y'all missed it. Okay, let me break it down to you. See, you the real thing. So the devil wants to find out if you are truly real. Some of y'all got to go through a sifting so we can separate the real people from the people in your life that are not so real. Do y'all know that everybody in your life is not genuine and not real and everybody's not called to be a part of your life? some of y'all will never get to where God wants you to be because you haven't developed the ability to get some people out of your life that don't mean good for your life.

11:06 And so the bottom line is here that there's a sifting process that we got to go through. There's a sifting. The devil wants to sift you, and God permits the sifting. God allows the sifting. Why does he allow the sifting? What does sifting mean? How does it go about? I'm glad you asked the question. You see, the farmer takes a sifter. It's a sifter. It's a device. It's like a plate with holes in it. and the farmer puts the wheat and the tares and the shaft all in the sifter, and then he shakes and agitates. It's a shaking that goes on. That's what some of you are going through right now in your life. God is allowing you to be shaken. There's some hell going on in your life. There's some trouble going on in your life. Your finances are funny. Your kids are giving you trouble.

11:59 Your spouse ain't giving you nothing. I mean, it's just some sifting. Oh, y'all heard that right there. I tried to sneak it in, but y'all heard it right there, didn't you? It's a sifting that goes on. It's a shaking that goes on. It's a shaking. Some of you have a shaking going on in your life that is creating a problem. and the purpose of the shaking and the sifting is to separate the wheat from the tares and the wheat from the shaft. And then the farmer, after they shake and irritate, they toss everything in the air. The wind blows away the tares and the shaft, but the wheat comes back to the sifter. It's the real thing because it comes back to the sifter. You say, well, why do I keep going through hell after hell after hell?

12:55 One thing after another after another. Here's why. Because you are the real thing. The real thing comes back to the sifter. Y'all ain't hear what I'm saying either. If you are not real, you get blown away. If you're not the real thing, there's a whole lot of people who started with church a while back, but something happened and they got blown away. They don't come back to church no more. You don't see them in the choir anymore. You don't see them worshiping God anymore. They don't come to church. They don't worship God anymore because they were not the real thing. They came here for all the wrong reasons. They came to church because they were looking for a spouse. They came to church because they were trying to build their multi-level business. Y'all ain't hear what I'm saying. But that's not what this church is for. That's not what this church is about. Don't come and talk to me about Amway or any other thing that you're trying to build a business for. I came here to worship the Lord God Almighty.

13:53 I came here to get my walk right with God. I came here to give him the praise and the glory. I came here to learn about my call, my assignment, and my gift. And I don't want to know about your business. I don't know. somebody say there's a shifting look at your neighbor say you got to go through a shifting tell them behind you i got to go through a shifting there's some shaking going on there's there's a whole lot of stuff god's trying to clean me up in my life out of god's trying to get you to a place to get the stuff that's not good for you out of your life amen and you keep coming back to the sifter because you're the real thing tell your neighbor I am the real thing baby I might not look like it but I am for real somebody say I am for real somebody give praise to God that I came back to the sifter It used to bother me when I think about the people who were once here that are no longer here.

15:03 It used to bother me. I used to say to myself, I wonder why I don't see so-and-so anymore. How come I don't see that person no more or this person anymore? It used to irritate me, bother me, frustrate me, disappoint me. But you know what? God told me to be grateful for the people that are still here. I don't want the people that are not real to be still here Amen Matter of fact, I want to preach the hell out of you And I want to preach until if you ain't real, you can't stay I want to preach so that you get tired of me talking about Jesus And you get tired of me declaring his goodness and his mercy That you say, I don't want to hear no more of this Because if you ain't real, I don't want you here I'm trying to build not a full church, but a pure church. I'm not trying to keep the pews full. I'm trying to get people who are sold out, made of mine, committed to the Lord.

16:01 That's what I'm trying to do. Go ahead, high five your neighbor, say I'm real today. I might not be real tomorrow, but I'm real today. Tell somebody I'm the real deal right now. All the hell I done been through, lied on, cheated on, treated bad, talked about, gossiped about, but I'm still here. Through thick and thin, I'm still here. Through hell and high water, I'm still here. I thought about quitting. I thought about stopping. But something inside of me would not let me stop. Something inside of me kept getting me up in the morning and saying I gotta get back to church. Something inside of me would not let me stop. I can shout right there.

17:00 I can spend the rest of the message just shouting. Because when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all that he has done for me, my soul cries out, hallelujah. Thank God for what he's done in me, through me, with me. I don't know who I am. 25 is coming to an end. You've been going through some sifting and you are still here. God's got destiny for you in 2026. go ahead damp up five or six people move out of your seats and tell them I'm still here, damp them up and tell them I'm going somewhere hit them up and say I've got a call I've got a destiny I've got an assignment hallelujah I may not look like much but I've got an anointing on me I may not be like much but I've got an anointing on me, I don't know what he's got for me to do but I've got something on my life for me to do Hey!

18:10 Hey! When I think of the goodness of Jesus, when I think about what he's brought me through, when I think about the doors he's opened, when I think about the prayers he's answered, when I think about what he has done, The devil thought you were going to quit when you got sifted. But I'm still here. Go ahead, tell your neighbor. The devil thought he was going to take me out, but I'm still here.

18:53 Tell him, Bolly, I'm still here. I'm still here. still got a smile on my face still got a dance in my hand my feet I still got a clap in my hands he tried to take my joy but I still got joy he thought he thought that if I had a little trouble I would turn my back on God Now sit down.

19:34 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Somebody say, I'm still here. Tell yourself, I'm still here. I'm still going through the sifting. But the sifting is about to end. By the way, hallelujah, the sifting is coming to an end. And I'm about to enter into 2026. And when I enter into 2026, here is why I'm able to enter into 2026. In verse 32, Jesus says, but I have prayed for you. I wish I had some people who are grateful that Jesus has prayed for you.

20:25 Is there anybody here that knows that the Lord Jesus has prayed, interceded, called your name out before God? He says, I prayed for you. I made intercession for you. And, oh, I love it when God puts his, it says, but, but. Anytime God puts his but in it, it's a big deal. But, but, but, but, but. God got a big old but. Anytime God puts his but in it, it means something's about to shift. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord has delivered them out of them all. Anytime you see but, something's about to change. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Right here, verse 32, but I have prayed for you. You've been sifted, but there's a shift. I've prayed for you. I've interceded for you, Jesus says. Here's why we can enter into 2026, because Jesus has prayed for us.

21:21 And what did he pray? He said, number one, I'm praying, number one, that your faith should not fail. Don't you know it is your faith that moves God? It's your belief and confidence in God. Whatever you do, do not let the enemy take your faith. Amen. Believe God through thick and thin. Believe God. Know that he's a way maker. Believe it is your faith that causes God to move on your behalf. It's your confidence in God. I don't know where y'all are, but I believe God. It doesn't matter what happened, what comes down the pike, what goes on in my life. I believe God. I know he's a way maker. I know he's a miracle worker. I know he's a problem solver. I know he's a mind regulator. I know he's a heart fixer. I know that he is a deliverer. He will do whatever it is he wants to do. I believe God.

22:13 I look back over my life and I see the moments and times and the situations where God has answered my prayer. Y'all can't make me doubt him. I know too much about him. I've seen him by faith work miracles on my behalf. He says that I'm praying, number one, that your faith will not fail. And guess what? I declare to you that your faith will not fail. You done believe God too many times for you to turn your back on God right now. But he said, not only did I pray that your faith not fail, he says, when you have returned to me, that's an important point. Here's the second thing he prayed. He says, I know you're going to return to me. And I don't know who I'm preaching to, but somebody's in here today that you need to know that this is your day to return. You have straight and y'all might as well stop acting like y'all ain't never backslid. Everybody in here done backslid.

23:07 Matter of fact, somebody on your row is probably in a backsliding condition right now. Go ahead and look up and down the row and see if you can figure out who it is. Who is it that done wanted to do something they ain't had no business doing? Look up and down. Go ahead. Don't be looking at me. Look up and down your row. I ain't the one. I'm talking about somebody on your row who are contemplating, who wanted to do something they didn't have no business doing, Thought about doing something they shouldn't be doing. Look up and down your row and see if you can figure out somebody who desires something they shouldn't desire. Who made plans to do something they didn't have no plans doing. Go on and preach, Pastor. Look up and down your row for that. Whoever it is that their heart has strayed from God. And God called me to tell you today, it's time for you to come back home.

23:59 Oh, you coming back. You might as well come on back today. You coming back. You know what? Because there's something down inside of you that will not let you stay away from the God that saved you and delivered you and brought you out. Something down inside of you that's beckoning you. I don't know where you are, but you might as well come on down and say, you know what? It's me. I need to get right with God right now while I have the activities of my limbs. I might as well come on and say yes to God now while I'm in my right mind. And I might as well go ahead and say yes to him now. Don't be ashamed or embarrassed or don't be afraid. Just say yes to God. It's not an accident that you're here. He brought you here. I know somebody invited you. Maybe somebody picked you up and drove you here. But it's okay. You know you belong to the Lord. The devil can't have you. God's got his name on you.

24:53 And you might as well come on and receive the forgiveness that only Jesus can give to you. and say yes to Jesus and get right with him right now while you have the activities of your limbs. I'm not done. Y'all sit back down. Sit back down. That's what I did. That's what I did at the eight o'clock service. This is a different service and a different time. Somebody is going to come up right now, even in the middle of my sermon, because I still got another point. But thank y'all for being ready. Thank y'all for watching at the eight o'clock service and trying to be in place. But just wait just a few moments. Don't rush your brother while I'm trying to preach here today. Don't rush me. I stopped early at 8, but I'm going to give them the full dose at 10 o'clock here today. Amen. People came up at 8, but I just want somebody to get saved right now. If they want to get saved, want to get right, I just want to give them an opportunity to come and get it right with God right now.

25:51 While you have the activity, who am I preaching to today? Well, you need to get right with the God who spared your life. You should have been dead. That gun should have went off. You should have been in an accident. You should have got cancer. You should have had AIDS. You should have died. But he spared your life.

26:13 Who am I preaching to today? Come on right now! Come on right now! Who am I preaching to today? Who am I preaching to today? You might as well come on and get right with God right now. Y'all sit down. I'm just in the middle of my message. they just getting saved in the middle of my sermon Come on, I see you. Come on, amen.

27:09 Amen. Somebody else, come on. Y'all sit down right on the front row right there. Sit them down right there because I still got another point to go. Bring them. Amen. There's some more coming. Here you go, baby, right here.

27:35 I'm so proud of you. That devil tried to keep you in your seat, but he can't have you. Who else is supposed to be down here? Who else? Go ahead, ask your neighbor. Are you supposed to be down there? Ask him. Ask him. Ask the person sitting next to you. Are you supposed to be down there too? Thank you. We're going to keep making seats. Come on, we've got some more seats right here.

28:35 Just come on down here. Amen. Y'all help me thank the Lord for those who have come. I got one more point. And you can still come while I'm preaching. And the scripture says, when you have returned, strengthen your brother. God has brought you back. And a part of what y'all's role is going to be is to tell others how God brought you back. Your assignment will be to strengthen others. Can I tell y'all something? The reason you've gone through the hell you've gone through is so that when you get through it, you'll be able to help somebody else go through it. Do I have a witness anywhere in the camp?

29:33 Is there anybody here that knows that I'm going through what I'm going through so that when I get through it and when I get on the other side, I'll be able to tell other people how God brought me out of the mess when I was in the mess, when I was in the mess. Somebody say amen. When I was in the mess, amen, thanks be to God. He brought me out, and if he brought me out, he can bring you out too. Who am I preaching to today? Somebody better get this in your heart. Get this in your mind. You're going through what you're going through. When you get on the other side, you're going to help somebody else. That's the whole reason you're going through it. And if God brought you through, he can bring somebody else through. Can I get an amen? Go ahead, tell your neighbor, strengthen your brother or your sister. Strengthen somebody. help them know that God can deliver them if he delivered me.

30:32 Amen. All right, I thought y'all would shout on that point. That's a good point right there. That's something to dance about right there, that God brought me out and gave me the strength to help somebody else come up out of it. That's worthy of a shout, amen. Oh, I know why y'all not shouting, because y'all still in the middle of your hell, but it's okay, you coming out, in the words of Oprah and you coming out and you coming out and you coming out and you coming out and you coming out and you gonna be delivered and you gonna have an anointing and you gonna have a word and you gonna have entrance and you gonna be able to help somebody else. You gonna get somebody saved and you gonna get somebody saved and you gonna help get somebody delivered. You've gone through what you're going through so when you come out, you will help strengthen somebody else.

31:20 Amen.