Serving in the Kingdom: Don't Forget God, Pass on the Baton

Welcome and Greetings

Good morning church, and every blessing to you this morning. It's so good to see you in the house of the Lord. What a beautiful day we're having in the presence of the Lord. His presence is tangible here — He's already here. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

What an opportunity to come into the house of the Lord and to fellowship with my brothers and my sisters. That's who we are — brothers and sisters in Christ. I give God thanks for this opportunity and for the privilege to share a word today, and for keeping me over the last few months. It's been a tough, challenging seven months of much ministry, and He's given me the strength to be here today.

I greet my bishop, Bishop Douglas, and First Lady Sister Plet. I greet our assistant senior pastor Reverend McClean and all the bishops in the house — Bishop Anderson and Sister Carmen — and all the ministry leads and everyone who turned out to work and serve in the house of the Lord today. Ushers, musicians, the men — give them a round of applause. There's something very unique about when all men worship. Church and pastors' council, brethren, visitors, online visitors — greetings. Bless the Lord.

Theme: Serving in the Kingdom

My theme is "Serving in the Kingdom." That's our theme for the rest of this year in our national church — it's about serving. And I'm going to be presenting a word today that I believe the Lord gave to me about how we serve.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." — Ephesians 2:10

The word "serve" comes from the Hebrew word "eved," and it means to work, to labor, to worship, and to serve.

The Call to Worship God Alone

In Exodus 8, God told Moses to go to Pharaoh — the one preventing His people from serving Him — and to say, "Let my people go so that they can worship me." This is one of the first points of worship and serving that we see in the word of God.

In the New Testament, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness during His 40-day fast (Luke 4), the devil said to Him:

"All this power will I give thee and the glory of them... if thou therefore wilt worship me, all thine shall be."

He wanted Jesus to give up everything. If Jesus had worshiped him, we would have been worshiping him today. Devil is a liar. Jesus answered:

"Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."

The devil is still looking today for those who will serve him. He is competing for God's worship. But we were created from the beginning to worship God, to serve Him and Him only. To God alone is our absolute allegiance — both in worship and servitude. Satan was created to worship God, but pride entered his heart and he was cast out of heaven. Now he's still competing for God's worship.

Lessons from Joshua: How to Serve

After the death of Moses, the Lord spoke to Joshua:

"Moses my servant is dead... Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel." — Joshua 1:2

God had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob a land of milk and honey. He encouraged Joshua:

"Be strong and of a good courage. Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

1. Be Strong and Courageous

To serve in the kingdom will require us to be strong and courageous. It's going to require some strength, brethren. The joy of the Lord is our strength.

He repeated to Joshua several times: "Just as I was with Moses, I will be with you. Do not be afraid." To serve God is to be bold. The righteous are as bold as a lion. A lion fears nothing and no one. Why are we so bold? Because we have the Lion of the tribe of Judah going before us. We're never alone.

2. Love God's Word

God's first instruction was to be strong and courageous. Then, "Don't worry, I'm going to be with you." Then He said, "Meditate on the book of the law." This is what the Lord put in my spirit — how are my people serving me, and how should they serve me?

He said meditate on the word day and night. That is practice. That is commitment. That is intentionality. Because we need the wisdom of God, we need the guidance of God. If we're going to take conquest and do great exploits for God, we need instructions that come directly from the throne of grace.

The word is our compass. Don't only read it — turn it over in your mind, in your spirit. Meditate on it. Keep repeating it. When I was in school and had to do tests and exams, we had to rehearse. What you read doesn't always retain the first time or the second time. We have to meditate on it as we serve.

Jesus said in John 15:

"If you abide in me and my word abide in you, you will ask what you will of my Father and it will be done for you."

So we have to abide in the word — and it needs to abide in us. The living word is Christ, and Christ needs to abide in us. Don't go anywhere without Jesus. We need His word, and He will put His word in our mouths when we need it.

3. Sanctify Yourself

In Joshua 3, He told the people to sanctify themselves. "Clean up yourself. We're going over — the promise is here." It took them three days. This was an act of separation.

It's not enough just to read God's word. It's not enough to just say, "God is with me." There is a positioning, a separation.

"Be ye not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Leave the old things. When you're moving house, you leave behind things that had no purpose in your life. We are the temple of the living God, and we don't need to carry certain burdens with us. I'm a new creation. I'm a brand new man. All things are passed away, and behold, all things become new.

We must be set apart for His service — totally called out. The ecclesia. Some of us forget who we are and whose we are. Who am I? I belong to Jesus. Sometimes you have to say, "Satan, back up." Like I did this morning — my throat was fine, and the last two days... in the name of Jesus, back up. I know who I am. I don't have an identity crisis.

Know who you are and whose you are, because the mind is where transformation takes place. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. When your mind wanders, call it back. There is a spirit of your mind that must come under the power of the Holy Ghost, so we don't fulfill the lust of the flesh. Your mind can take you places where your body can't even go. Call it back. I have the mind of Christ.

4. Love One Another

I love my brother. I love my sister. She rubs me up, but I love her.

"If you love me, keep my commandments."

We have to love one another. Sometimes we may not like one another, but we have to love one another and work on the liking. I'm talking something that I live. You can't be a leader in the church doing anything for God and not love one another. Who are you serving? Choose. God desires a response today.

A Warning: Do Not Forget God

Joshua was a courageous and faithful servant of God. He led great conquests, and the 12 tribes had their portion of land. But in Deuteronomy 6:10–12, Moses warned:

"When the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land... great and goodly cities which thou buildest not, and houses full of all good things which thou filledst not... when thou shalt have eaten and be full, then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage."

Because in Egypt they had been serving other gods. We have an obligation not to forget God. Don't forget your God. Don't forget the God of your parents. Don't forget the God of your great-grandmother.

The Generation That Knew Not God

After Joshua spoke to Israel in Joshua 24, the people said, "We will serve Him. We will serve God. We promise." Good intentions. And the first generation were good — they served God. But Judges 2 tells us:

"There arose another generation after them that knew not God."

They never had a relationship with Him. To "know" someone — husbands and wives, you know what that means, that intimate relationship. They probably heard of Him, but they didn't know Him for themselves. No relationship, no communion, no allegiance.

Why? I asked the Lord, and He said, "Remember, they were supposed to destroy all the inhabitants of the land." Each tribe had responsibility to clear their patch. But you leave the weeds and the tares, and the tares take over. The contamination drew their heart away from God.

Two Contrasting Examples

David — A Man After God's Own Heart

David loved God openly, danced out of his linen clothes, stripped himself in reverence and thankfulness for what God had done. Remember, Saul chased him — how many daggers were thrown at him? He hid in the mountain, hid in the bush. This was the man anointed by God.

So you think you're not going to go through anything because you have an anointing? That anointing is going to get tested. Jesus was tested. We are not better than the master. If the master gets tested, we're going to have to get tested. We don't like it, and we ask God, "Not that one next time." We can reason with Him because we have communion and relationship. But His will will still be done.

Solomon — Wisdom Turned Away

Solomon loved God. God gave him wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. He was the wisest man that ever lived, and the Bible says there won't be any other like him. Not even AI can be like him. I'm not against AI, but it is God we must go to first. Seek the word of God first. Seek God in prayer. The internet is good, but if you indulge in certain things on it, it's not good.

But lots of distractions came — women of other descriptions, other worship, other gods. Their hearts went after wives and husbands God had not approved. They lacked the knowledge of God, and so they began to perish. A people without the knowledge of God will perish.

Generation to Generation

"Generation to generation shall praise your works and declare your power." — Psalm 145:4

Grandmommy, mommy, baby — all of us are supposed to be praising God and declaring His power. The Holy Spirit said to me this morning: "Is this generation today declaring my power? What is missing?" Something's missing.

Each generation must know God for themselves.

A Personal Legacy

My grandmother and grandfather started Light and Life Fellowship. They've passed on to glory. They left a legacy. I remember my grandmother calling me, "Come down to the house." She'd sit me down, make a cup of tea, and we'd talk about history — how they started in Jamaica, how God brought them here, how they did crusades and went to people's houses giving the word. God woke them up; they were quite prophetic, and everything they said came to pass.

If my grandmother had come here and forgotten God, she wouldn't have called me and said, "Sit down and learn where it all started from." That little church is still going on from the 50s and 60s — over 60 years now. A legacy.

Honouring the Windrush Generation

When Joshua's people crossed the Jordan, God said, "Now go and possess it." But they had to fight for it. In the same way, the Lord says the Windrush generation — "I raised them up and I sent them here." They answered that invitation and came. When they came, it was hostile. But it was a promise of God. He gave them big dreams and visions for their families, and because they had a love for God and held on to it, God blessed them. They persevered with resilience so we could sit in this wonderful edifice today. To serve God is going to cost us.

My grandmother used to say they made pudding, they made drops, they cooked food, they raised funds, walked around with a sheet of paper begging for "one one coco." They knew if they put on the pot with salt and water, the Lord could send a piece of yam through Brother So-and-so or Sister Jen. And the Lord provided.

I want to salute the Windrush generation right here:

• You never forgot God.
• You left us a godly legacy — a good one.
• You taught us community.
• You taught us about love.

My grandmother said, "We buy one house and we have heavy rooms, and anybody that came over lived in." Remember: "No dogs, no Irish, no blacks." We have to look back to go forward. What did that generation have that we have lost? We've lost something, brethren. Put your finger on it.

Finding What Has Been Lost

The kingdom of God is precious. Matthew 13 tells you about the pearl, the jewelry that is lost, the woman who searched everywhere for the precious penny. The kingdom of God requires us to come back and find it. Whatever you have lost, find it back.

This generation doesn't know some of the works of God, because we stopped talking, we stopped sharing, we stopped mentoring. Brethren, the word has come to us all today: rebuild the altar.

Grandmothers used to wake them up — 3 a.m., 4 a.m., 5 a.m., anytime the Spirit said pray. Now the kids just want to relax. They don't want you to knock their door; they put up a sign. Back then, Mommy just opened the door: "Get up, Sunday school, get yourself ready." They had fervency, commitment.

Get Back Into Position with Your Children

Some of us need to get back into position with our children. We push them through the gate and they grow up not knowing God. God is dealing with me about it. I paid my own money to send my children to a Christian school — proper Christian school where they read the Bible every day. Right now my grandson is in the nursery part. "Hurry up, Jeremiah — prayer, prayer, prayer."

I'm not saying we have to do that, but we have to do it in the house. That's what Moses said — put the word between the phylacteries, hang it on the wall, put it over your door. I remember the plaque "God is the unseen" — my grandmother had that in Jamaica.

They were led by the wisdom of God, because they knew the next generation had to carry the baton.

Passing the Baton

Many of us love athletics — Usain Bolt, the relay. God is interested in legacy. When it's time to hand over the baton, tell them: "Don't drop it, and don't disqualify yourself." It's not how we start; it's how we finish. Finish well.

"I have run my race, and henceforth is laid up for me a crown of glory." — the apostle Paul

There is a reward. Cheer up.

When the Lord said "Windrush" to me, He also said: "But my invitation is different. The invitation they received was to work for an earthly king. My invitation is for them to work for a greater reward that nothing on earth can compare to." Nothing is lost. God honors your labor. God blessed the Windrush generation because of the legacy of the word of God. If they had come and forgotten God, do you think we'd be in this position now?

Nothing was too hard for them because they wanted a house for the Lord. Everything was built around the church — fasting, prayer, late-night services, family training. Their life was sold out for Christ.

Examining Ourselves

If we compare the way we serve God now to the last generation, what would we see that has changed dramatically? God is looking for our generation and the next to gladly serve Him:

• Consecrate yourself.
• Set yourself apart.
• Work in unity in the house of God.
• Love God, love each other.
• Live a life of sacrifice.
• Go and make disciples.
• Share the gospel — tell somebody God loves them.

"God loves you." "Which God?" — that opens up a conversation. Share your own experience.

Let us examine ourselves. Pause and think about how we are serving. Have we set ourselves apart, or have we got one foot over here and one over there? Are we on the fence? Have we become too comfortable in our lovely churches, just looking forward to coming in, sitting down, and going home again?

We have a great cloud of witnesses. The Windrush generation is looking at us every week. They might not say anything, but they're saying: "This is what we worked for. I hope these young people will build on it."

Rebuild the Altar

God is saying: rebuild the altars that are broken. Take somebody under your wings in your family. Nurture them. Mentor them. Share the word. Start in our own families. If they live far, Zoom them — God gave you Zoom. Call a prayer meeting: "Let us pray together." Build the altar again.

We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, called out to show forth the praises of God. We are to live as living sacrifices. So we need an altar — because there's no sacrifice without an altar.

Prayer Is a Sacrifice

When we go before God in prayer, we're offering a sacrifice — because we are the sacrifice. We offer up ourselves, humble ourselves in His presence, and He does the work. It's a two-way partnership through the power of the Holy Spirit.

A prayer altar in your house isn't a physical thing to build — it's a place where you actually seek the Lord. As you attend to that altar, the fire burns up the sacrifice and the incense goes up to God. But when your fire dies, everything starts to die down in your life.

The Enemy Has Altars Too

The enemy has altars. When certain seasons come, they put fire under their altars. When we walk through town and think, "What a way" — it's because they've put fire under theirs.

When we blow the coal, the fire catches. This generation doesn't know about coal. I spent 12 years in Jamaica from age six. My dad would bring the bag of coal, throw kerosene. If there's no kerosene, you look for brimstone — some fine dry twigs. You light it, and then you fan it. If it dies down, fan it. Fan it with prayer.

"We need the anointing, way down in my soul."

It's only going to happen through prayer. Power comes through prayer. You want power? Prayer. Prayer at an altar. Restore the altar. That's the first thing our forebears did.

This is an intergenerational sermon, if you haven't gathered it yet. Don't forget God. And don't forget to pass God on.

Mentoring the Next Generation

The next generation is depending on us. Each generation needs to know God and all He has brought us through.

Moses mentored Joshua, and Joshua ministered unto Moses. It went both ways — partnership, with the Holy Spirit in the midst. You don't have to rely on yourself; rely on the Holy Spirit to show you how to guide and teach them.

Our beautiful young women and young men have a love for God, but they need to know Him better. There is a place we came from. A young person led me to Christ — she was only a couple of years older than me. I was 14. She said, "Come, let's go." She mentored me, picked me up from the house in Jamaica. We used to go from one yard to another, collecting everybody, and before you know it there was a whole group. I wish our young people could have those days.

Stir Up Your Gift

Joshua knew his calling. You can't be saved for many years and still not know God's calling for you. Ephesians 4 tells us when Jesus ascended, He gave gifts to men. Use those gifts — they are precious in His sight.

• Can you teach?
• Do you love to speak?
• Do you love to encourage?
• Do you love to cook?

This is how we start to use it. Stir up the gift within you. Paul told Timothy, "Stir it up." Some people just think it's going to stir up itself. No — you exercise it. You unpack it. You step out by faith.

A Closing Appeal

Remember who you are. You are a royal priesthood and a holy nation. Holy. Our God is holy. So we must:

• Serve Him in reverence.
• Serve Him in love.
• Serve Him by abiding in His word.
• Serve Him by separating ourselves from the world.
• Serve Him with a love for the things He loves.
• Serve Him because He has been good to you and your forebearers.

Do not forget God. Do not forget to share God with the next generations. Be intentional. Find the time to meet — not just to eat and laugh.

He has paid a precious price for us. He is depending on us to fulfill the work He has called us to do. There's nothing more important than doing the things of God. And where better to start than with your family?

The Times We Live In

We don't know what's coming down the road. There's another system, if you haven't already seen it. There's a shift, brethren. Revelation says, "Let the righteous be righteous, and let the evil remain evil." Whose side are we on? It's not getting better. But God will preserve us. God will keep us. He loves us. We belong to Him.

He kept Israel. He brought them through. He manifested Himself in their midst — a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night. Those who murmured never entered. Those who did not murmur entered the promises and served Him faithfully — until that generation died out and another rose that did not know God. Just like after Joseph. Can you imagine — all Joseph did, and the next generation came and did not know God?

We have to be more concerned for our children and the next generation. How many of them would be raptured if Jesus came now? How many of them pray? A visitor came to me yesterday with one long story of complaint, and I said, "Start with prayer. I can't help you; I need Jesus myself. Start with prayer. Your Bible." It's high time we put away folly. Don't be afraid to talk to your children and guide them, because God is well pleased with that.

Return to the Foundation

We need to return to our roots. The family altar is our foundation in Christ.

"Greater works shall ye do, because I go to the Father." — Jesus

Now is the time for the greater works. We want to see God manifest Himself — the ten plagues, the deliverance out of Egypt, Joshua triumphing over 31 kings. You want to see 31 demons dead? One more.

At Castle yesterday, one of the sisters stood up and said, "I'm tired of the ordinary. I want to see the supernatural move of God." But are we going to see it, brethren? We have to go back to our roots. The foundation is Jesus, His word, prayer, fasting. We can't serve God and mammon.

How the Bible Says to Serve

• Joshua: Serve Him with sincerity and truth.
• Samuel: Serve Him faithfully.
• David: "Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with thanksgiving. Know ye that the Lord, He is God. He that has made us, and not we ourselves."

We don't belong to ourselves. We have a Father. We have an identity. We sing, "I know who I am." So live it. Pass the baton on. Encourage them not to drop it. Say, "I see you're struggling, but God's got you. I see the pressure, but I'm praying for you. Hold that baton. Pass it on to your children."

Closing Prayer

Thank You, Lord. We thank You, Father. We started with thanksgiving. Thank You, Lord, for the Windrush generation and those who have gone on. We thank You that they left a godly heritage for us. We repent that we have not always passed on the baton. Forgive us, Father.

You want to manifest Yourself. You want to do a new thing in our midst. You want to bring change and transformation. You want souls to be saved. You need us to come back to that place — reposition ourselves in You, Lord God, so that the Holy Spirit can do the work He wants to do.

If there is someone here today who doesn't know the Lord and is thinking, "I want to know this Jesus, the one who brought the children of Israel out of bondage — I am in bondage, I feel lost," please come forward. God wants to keep you in His loving family. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. He paid the price for you. He shed His blood for you. He led captivity captive and gave us gifts. He wants to reveal His power in your life, to show you that you are special and He has a plan for your life.

Father, I commit Your people before You. If anyone wants to recommit today — the Lord is saying, reposition yourself. When we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Circumstances, trials, and testings may have caused you to be unable to serve as you would want. Maybe you've given up. Maybe you don't know how to find your way back. But God says, "I am here to help you."

If you're watching online, just say: "Lord, forgive me. Come into my life. Come in today. Come in to stay. Wash me and make me clean, so I can serve You with all my heart."

Generation, you can still pray. You can still encourage. You can still mentor. There's still work for us to do in the kingdom. We thank You, Lord — You haven't forsaken us. You are still stretching Your hand to Your people. You are still our very present help in a time of need.

We seek You for the greater works today. Manifest Yourself, Lord. We will worship You. We will serve no other God but You. Call us out of our comfort zone. Renew in us the right spirit — a heart that loves You. May we be found laboring in Your vineyard. Renew that first love. Rekindle in us the fire of the Holy Ghost — fire to serve. Let us burn for You, Jesus, on the altar of sacrifice in Your kingdom. May we not serve idols, may we not serve mammon. Help us to keep our eyes on You. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Altar Call Response

As Sister Novellet spoke about the Windrush generation, it occurred in my spirit that something transformative had happened in the lives of those persons who came to the shore in those early years. "Choose ye this day" — our ancestors made a choice. And in the process of that choosing was something we never think about or talk about:

In the process of choosing Jesus, they rejected the devil. They left themselves with one option.

A lot of them — most of them — were not saved when they came, but they vowed they would never worship the devil. If they were going to worship, it would be Jesus, because they had no other choice. They had chosen.

An Appeal to the Next Generation

I want to ask the next generation to come. We're going to pray over you. You may not be a preacher today, but you make your choice. There are persons in this house who are not saved, but you're making your choice today. By making your choice, you are rejecting the devil. The day you kneel to accept, it will be Jesus — because you've already denounced the other option.

God is so pleased about the choice that He said: "You've come across the Jordan, and I delivered all the heights in your hand. But the land you are going to, you don't have to fight for, because I've sent the hornets ahead of you." The hornets are wasp-like creatures that sting people and make them run and never come back. That's your destiny — you will not be challenged for it, because God has removed every adversary.

Today you are denouncing Satan. You are rejecting Satan. You are saying, "Jesus, I choose you." The people who said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord" — they didn't yet know God. They knew not God, but they rejected the devil. Only one Person was left for them to get acquainted with.

Some of you say, "But I'm not even saved." I said to somebody the other day, "Leave Saul among the prophets — one of these days he's going to start prophesying." It's not because I was good, but I was walking with some prophets. Stay in the church.

There are calls, places calling you, but you can't go — because you've made a choice. People are reaching out to you, but you cannot — because you've made a choice. It's a spiritual choice. You are not in control anymore, because you have denounced the devil. He has walked away. You cannot choose him now, because you have chosen Jesus.

Dealing with the Rejection

The choice is important, but we want to deal with the rejection today. Because when you reject the devil, only Jesus is left. That's an important part of making the choice.

The next time you pray, "Thy kingdom come, oh Lord," understand — you're not speaking of a kingdom in heaven. You are speaking of your kingdom that you belong to. Everything the King has provided for you is coming, because you have chosen Him.

One last thing before I pray: God has designed everyone and everything to worship. He has not designed anyone or anything to receive worship. If you can't receive worship, you can't respond to worship. That's why celebrities perform on stage and go home and overdose and die — at the highest point of their performance is emptiness, because their worship is not going to Someone who can respond. Make sure your worship goes to God, because He gets sweeter every day.

Prayer for the Young People

Lord, we bring these young people to You now. Mighty God, they're saying: "Jesus, I choose You. I don't know You well enough, dear God, but I know enough about You to choose You. Satan, I reject you. I know you well enough. You've held me down for a long time. I wanted to go and you wouldn't let me go — but I'm free now. I reject you, because I choose Jesus. At school, I choose Jesus. On the play field, I choose Jesus. At work, I choose Jesus. At university, I choose Jesus. Lord Jesus, I choose You today."

Let Your kingdom come, dear God. Father, let these young people understand, Lord Jesus, that You have a whole life planned out for them. You speak to them through Jeremiah 29: "I know the thoughts, the plans I have for you. I plan to protect you. I plan to build you up. I plan to establish you. I plan no harm for you. I have your end planned out."

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. Lay down your load. Cast your burdens upon me, because I care."

"I choose You, Jesus. I choose You, Jesus."

Some of the most formidable youth in the Bible were not less fearful than we sometimes are — they simply gave themselves no option. "If I perish, I perish. Even if He doesn't deliver us, we have nobody else. We will not bow to the devil, because we reject him." Leave yourself with one option, and:

• When you're in the lion's den, He will come in.
• Only He can visit you in the fiery furnace.
• When you're in your boss's office, only He will turn up.
• In the exam room, only He will turn up.

Now may the saving grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ rest, remain, and abide with us all, both now and forever. Amen.