This is one of my all-time favorite sermons. My cousin told me long ago that I should post sermons in this blog...so here goes. The church name has been amended and you will need a working knowledge of Gil Scott Heron's "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" in order to really feeeeeeeeel this one. This was for a church that had recently blended two congregations into one in an inner city and was struggling to work our her new identity.
The Revelation Will Not be Televised
You have chosen for today the text from the prophet Habakkuk 2:1-3 which reads:
1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
3 For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
The text is the centerpiece of a three-chapter book by and about a man named Habakkuk who knew a God named YHWH. As I read this passage repeatedly over the past few weeks, I began to feel as if I were watching some sort of ancient reality tv show. It was a if I were sitting on the sofa watching my wide screen plasma tv (I did say that I imagined it, right?) watching Habakkuk and YHWH having a conversation. Yes, ancient reality tv, that'll preach, won't it? I am sure that it will because don't we all have some level of interaction with our friends on the screen? Isn't there a reason for watching the characters on our favorite reality, fantasy, and other tv shows so intently? We watch as characters' lives unfold, revealing the complexities with which we can relate and from which we often repent in private but won't discuss for fear of judgment by our friends and fellow viewers.
I believe that I have connected my own heartfelt concern for the underdog and for justice with my love of Law and Order (the original, SVU and CSI). Soap operas provide an escape from the humdrum existence that we call life and allow us to live in lovely Genoa City if only for an hour. Jerry Springer and Maury Povich make us grateful for the particular dysfunctions in our families because nobody really lives like that…or do they? Oh and let's not forget the excitement of feeling famous as we sing with the contestants on American Idol. We get a glimpse into other people's lives and that helps us to live out our own. And so it is with the prophet Habakkuk. In this book, we get to peek into his life of prayer and find him bringing his concerns to God and we find God providing the answers…
Habakkuk's people are in trouble - again. They have not been doing right and since Josiah's reform is a thing of the past, Israel is like a child gone buck wild. God is sending their enemies, the Chaldeans to get them back on track and this is troubling to our friend Habakkuk. He is perplexed because even the worst Jews are not as bad as these oppressors, so why not try another technique, YHWH?
Perhaps someone here can relate to the prophet's dilemma. He had people, a mission and an agenda. Has that ever happened to you...as you have made these two congregations one? Perhaps someone here has had an agenda or an idea about how things should be done and it seems like God and your fellow worshippers are ignoring your ideas and your agenda…perhaps someone here wants to know why some churches in the district seem to get more funding and be able to do more than us and it doesn’t seem fair..we pray, we tithe, we study, so why can’t our agenda happen the way we want it to? At this point in the marriage of the two congregations, perhaps the wedding ceremony is not yet over yet and you're asking, "what’s up with this?" Aren’t we all supposed to be the bride of Christ? So why is her dress whiter and why are her bridesmaids thinner and why is her caterer serving surf and turf while ours is serving tuna and ground chicken from foil pans from the dollar store? The bride may be having some wedding jitters this afternoon, because the wedding is not turning out like she thought it would, but hold on – don’t let NB be a runaway bride just yet. There is good news for this bride today.
Habakkuk saw fit to seek God for an answer. He says, "I will stand at my watchpost and station myself at the rampart. I will keep watch to see what he will say to me and what he will answer concerning my complaint." And without commercial interruption, God sweeps onto the screen and answers. It’s like the last few minutes of Law and Order. All of the clues are presented and the lawyers have presented their cases and now we await the judge's answer. Somehow, in that moment, the couch is my watchpost and like a tree planted by waters, I shall not be moved until I know how it ends.
Well friends, that may be fine for watching Law and order, but when it comes to the revelation of God’s plan for our lives, it will come when we seek it and are willing to wait for it. And I have news for us today – God's revelation will not be televised. Now before you have a flashback and pull out a big pick with a fist on the handle, just give me a minute to work this thing out. Remember, Gil said revolution, I’m saying revelation!
For those of you who need one, please allow me to insert a black history moment right here. In 1970, Gil Scott-Heron recorded “The revolution will not be televised” and a rhythmic sliver of truth was told about what was happening to African Americans and what we needed to do about it. The recording was, in my opinion, as prophetic as any canonized prophecy. In this 3 minute recording, Gil Scott Heron calls our attention to the consumerism that seemed to lull our people into a narcotic-induced sleep. He reminded us that the much-needed change for black folk would not come as a result of any of the junk that came to us via the tv. It would not happen just because we sat at home and waited for it to unfold, but rather because we had to go out and make it happen. (my favorite verse: Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and Women will not care if Dick finally gets down with Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people will be in the street looking for a brighter day.)
So what do Gil and Habakkuk have in common? As I see it, they both speak the truth of the situation and tell us what we need to do. Habakkuk told the people that God said write the vision and make it plain. To say write implies that there is one. You can’t write what is not there. You cannot write what has not been given! And it does not say revise or amend...it says write...write something new that I will give you! When two become one, though sometimes you end up with double vision! So what we need to do is regain our focus. YHWH tells Hab to write the vision so that it may be see by the runner who passes by for there is still a vision…
No matter what it looks like in other churches
No matter what your budget is for the year
No matter who is the designated layperson for this or that Sunday
No matter whose child sings solo – there is still a vision
No matter who says they’re quitting church because someone didn’t like their potato salad
No matter who says it can’t be done because Camden just is not ready
No matter what hell comes and no matter how high the water
God says there is still a vision and it will not lie.
But God warns Habakkuk as well. He says, see those folk who seem to be abusing you right now? They’ll get theirs. Just leave the Justice work to me and stick to the vision I gave you. Get your vision lined up with my vision and watch it unfold and see just how I make it happen for you. I’ve got news for you, it won’t require TIVO, DVD, Comcast or Cablevision – No this vision is a divine vision and not a Cable vision.
God’s revelation needs to be written but not on tablets of stone, nor hearts of stone. It needs to be written on hearts that have been broken in Jesus’ name. Hearts that see poverty and weep but also pray and then rise up off of bended knees and put willing hands to work. Hearts that see death and destruction and begin to cry unto God to empower us to make it right. Hearts that see work that needs to be done and not merely the obstacles to getting it done. Those are the hearts that wear the vision. See, folk are in their homes right now watching tv to escape from the pains and paradoxes of this life but God is trying to send answers through NB. You don’t need to secure a 30 minute spot right after Bobby Jones Gospel Hour to reach people because the revelation will not be televised. Yeah, this corner's drug runner needs to be able to see the vision. The number runner needs to see the vision. The child running away from an abusive home needs to see the vision in you. The hungry and homeless need to run by on a Saturday night and see and share in the vision of the feeding ministry. The folk who hung out on Saturday night and are looking for Sunday Morning Asylum at NB need to see the vision clearly and remember, they may be hung over, so the vision cannot be closed captioned, because the revelation will not be televised! They’ve got to see what God is doing when they see how you’re living. The revelation will be LIVE!
You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and drop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on snacks and
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because God's revelation will not be televised.
God's revelation will not be televised.
God's revelation will not be brought to you before the Sopranos and will not be sung by three tenors
God's revelation will not be on Comcast but it will be available on demand!
God's revelation will not be televised.
God's revelation for NB will be not brought to you by the
Host of PTL or the 700 Club.
God's revelation may help you enjoy everyday life.
God's revelation may give you your best life ever.
God's revelation may help you handle your he-motions
But this revelation will not be brought to you by Jakes, Joyce, Joel or Jamal because when it comes to the NB revelation – they don’t know Jack...but y'all do know Jesus! So...pay attention because this revelation will NOT be televised!
God's revelation will not be televised, Brother.
There will be no CNN, no TBN and no TBS nor TNT but believe me
When the revelation comes, you will know drama!
God's revelation is not grown folks radio - it's all folks radio, so don’t listen for Steve Harvey, Michael Basedin or Tom Joyner. It will not be a Tyler Perry production and as for Harpo? Heck no!! This revelation will not be televised.
God's revelation will not be televised.
God's revelation will not come after three installments of 19.95 payable by visa or MasterCard, but the revelation will be priceless.
There will be no slow motion or still life of George W. strolling through Camden in a red-white-and-blue nor in a red, black and Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving for just the proper occasion.
God's revelation will not be televised.
God's revelation will not go better with Coke.
God's revelation will not fight the germs that cause bad breath but it will fight the demons that cause bad life!
This revelation WILL put God (back) in the driver's seat.
This revelation will not make your teeth whiter, but it will make burdens lighter.
This revelation will not stop the violence but it will give you perfect peace.
This revelation has been in syndication since the first broadcast called "In the beginning" and if you just stay tuned you WILL receive a word from our Divine sponsor.
Set your dial to WGOD that’s John-1-1 on the FM dial – In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. God Who? God who said I am that I am and I will be who I will be – there is no shadow of turning with me!
The revelation will not be televised, WILL NOT be televised, WILL NOT BE TELEVISED.
The revelation will be no re-run brothers;
The revelation will be LIVE!
So what is this revelation? The revelation is this – what God has for NB has yet to be seen. The revelation will not be televised, but it will be live and direct. It will not require a cliffhanger but it is an old, familiar story – The revelation is this – God sent his Son to die for a sinner like you and me and the ones all over the city of Camden just waiting to be introduced to the Savior. Why not do like we did in the 60’s and light a Holy Ghost fire in this city and let it burn baby burn! Burn out the hate. Burn out the pain. Burn out the hunger. Burn out the drugs. Burn out anything that is not like God! And out of the ashes...a new beginning shall rise! Yes, THIS revelation will not be televised. This revelation can only be...A-LIVE!
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