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welcome pleasant grove family and thank you for joining us for today's virtual worship experience we are happy to have you with us sing along with our praise team and get into the word with our pastor dr sammy j dao leave a comment in the thread and let us know where you're worshiping from remember to like share and subscribe at the grove atlanta on facebook twitter instagram vimeo and youtube at the grove we are transformed people transforming the world hey family let's get ready for worship well hello family come on into the virtual sanctuary as we kick off today's online worship experience pray that you've had a phenomenal week and that god has as always has continued to show god's self faithful kind and strong in each and every one of your lives we're so grateful to god for the way he continues to meet us even in virtual space as we continue navigating these unprecedented times we pray that you and your families are doing well and that you're safe but we are so grateful to god for keeping you another week and gifting you gracing you with the opportunity to gather virtually with us as we worship our lord and savior jesus christ well don't forget i need you to like share and subscribe you can find us on all of our digital outlets and platforms at the grove atlanta that's on facebook instagram youtube twitter vimeo when you head over to youtube make sure you hit the subscribe button and the bell so that you get notifications every time we drop new digital content we are so excited about all that god is doing and continuing to do in our lives individually and in the life of our church god is continuing to transform us and expand us and we are so grateful to him for that if you're worshiping with us for the very first time we want to say to you welcome to the grove drop us a comment let us know who you are where you're worshiping with us from how you found out about us and who invited you so that we can all say hello to you give you a virtual hug and let you know just how excited we are to have you sharing together with us in worship today church family as we prepare to begin worship today let's recite together now our vision and mission statements and we read together we are a progressive community of believers being transformed by god and transforming others through spiritual development radical generosity holistic wellness social witness and community engagement our mission is to be transformed people transforming the world well i'm gonna move out of the way so we can head to the choir loft as our music ministry gets us started in worship today to lift our hands and give them glory we come to lift our hands they give them praise hands and everybody him praise all right all right all right come on and clap your hands everybody all right that's my favorite part i want y'all to break out in the dance for jesus come on come on come on we come to do our dancing magnify we come to do i dance thank you magnifying and give it break if you have a hallelujah hello hello hello hello hello we bless god for our music ministry and the way they continue to literally usher us into god's presence each and every time we gather virtually well church family it's time to worship the lord through giving we literally have an opportunity to give back to god a portion of that which he is entrusted to us a dime from every dollar ten percent the first fruits of our increase we bring into the storehouse so that there will literally be meat resources in god's house let me thank you for your overwhelming generosity in 2020 and the way you are continuing to sow and to give and invest in god's kingdom even as we've started this brand new year we're working on an annual report document that will show you just how amazing you were in 2020 and how god continued to bless us and expand us it'll also give you a forecast our projections for what the 2021 year will be but we bless god because we know that each and every time we honor god in our giving god returns those gifts back to us in ways that we can't imagine he doesn't just give back to us more physical resources more money but he gives us health and strength and joy and peace and so we don't give grudgingly we don't give out of necessity but with cheerful grateful and glad hearts we sow back into god's kingdom so back into the work that god is calling us to do there are a number of ways that you can give here at the grove you can give traditionally via cash or check or money order you can mail those tours or drop them in our mailbox slot we're located at 566 whitlock avenue northwest marietta georgia 30064. or you can log on to our website pleasantgrove.org slash give you can give easily and securely via our website or you can download the givealifi app and in few quick steps you'll be done however you choose to give it's entirely between you and god we just want to make sure that we do our part to be radically generous faithful responsible stewards of god's resources that he has entrusted to each and every one of us well as we prepare to worship the lord through giving and to continue in today's online worship experience let us prepare to recite together now our radical generosity confession and we read together i bring all of my tithes and offerings into the storehouse so that there will be meat in god's house i believe that the windows of heaven will be opened and blessings poured out that i won't have room enough to receive according to malachi 3 and 10. i am a cheerful giver and bring my tithes and offerings willingly according to second corinthians 9 and 7. i will practice radical generosity and random acts of kindness in my family my church and my community i decree and declare that my life and the lives of those connected to me will be transformed because of my obedience in jesus name amen well church family it's the fifth sunday it's the first fifth sunday of 2021 and i am so grateful to god for the opportunity to use our fifth sundays this year to introduce us to or to expose or to to provide a platform for voices in our congregation to bless us with the word of god and today i have one of the groves most faithful ministers long-time minister serves in so many areas absolute heart of service of ministry and i'm excited that she's sharing blessing with us the blessing us with the word of god today we have reverend lashaun ray who is coming to bless us with the word of god today and trust me you don't want to miss this word so get your bibles ready get your devices ready get your your phone if you're going to take notes pen and paper whatever you're going to do to ready your heart to receive this message as i believe reverend ray is going to bless us today let's head down to the pulpit as reverend ray brings us today's message you're the god of miracles signs and wonders we believe in your power we believe in your we believe in your power yes you are i believe you were yes you are we believe in your power anybody believe that he's a miracle worker i've seen you do it time and time again you're miracle oh yes you are oh we believe in your power may the word to my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy inside o lord my strength no lord my redeemer and the church says amen amen as i look back over the last year and the situation of covet 19. what i remember is the initial reporting of the virus was back in december of 2019 and when it started spreading rapidly in china it became an epidemic because the virus then spread across several countries and affected many people it was then classified as a pandemic here we are in a pandemic a pandemic that's not only caused worldwide over 96 million cases but is also the reason for over 2 million deaths during this time we have learned a lot of things not everyone who speaks on the virus is an expert we are at at least our best when we're giving back and helping others we're still learning how to redefine normal what it takes to become entrepreneurs etc etc etc but most importantly i think we've learned how to pray and how to apply the word of god into our lives like never before in talking to friends and family we would always end our conversation with at this point all we can do is pray and seek god for healing and protection when we say that are we really praying are we really seeking god's face in seeking god on the message for today i hear one word and that word is if so the title of our message this morning is if if is one of the smallest words in the english language and at the same time the biggest word in the bible it can have some of the biggest effects on or in a person's life the dictionary defines if as such introducing a conditional stipulation the cause or reason or motive for something to happen the word that evokes a response for action when if statements are made they are generally followed by a then statement the then statement tells that what can or what will happen to fulfill the if statement that was said before as children we're told if you do this then you could do that if you eat all of your food then you may have dessert you may go outside to play if you clean your room as adults one of the most things that we look forward to if you clean up your credit then you can get that house if you eat right and exercise then you can lose weight all of these are conditional stipulations there are some big ifs in the bible as a matter of fact it is recorded that jesus used the word if 574 times in our four gospels and he always put the if on man and never on god first john 1 7 a clause says if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with the other first john 1 and 9 if we confess our sins he is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness matthew 9 29 says if i may be may touch the hymn of his garment i shall be made whole john 12 32 says and if i be lifted up from the earth i will draw all men unto thee did you hear the dens in there these are a few of the ifs in the bible but to me one of the biggest ifs in the whole bible can be found in the scripture for today second chronicles 7 14. and it reads as follows if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my faith and turn from their wicked ways then will i hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land remember if is the conditional word it gives a condition that must be fulfilled before a result is seen god says if we then he will if we will then he will if my people which are called by my name god's people are called by his name here god's reputation is involved this was a necessary if and it was addressing god's people and not to the sinners exodus 19 5-6 says now therefore if ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then shall ye be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine and in deuteronomy 14 god says for thou art a holy people unto the lord thy god and the lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself above all the nations that are upon the earth we church are peculiar people and we have obligations to fulfill jesus said that we are the salt of the earth and if we lose our saltiness we lose our worthiness we are god's representatives the people which are called by his name jesus says ye are the light of the world let your light so shine that god may be glorified by your light if your light has gone out how great is your darkness god's representatives people call by his name god's representatives are chosen people called to be holy people but christ will not be glorified unless his representatives his chosen people his holy people glorify him by the life lived for him we have become like israel who forgot god and became proud and ungodlike and we've forgotten who we belong to therefore god is saying today if my people if my representatives if my chosen ones if my people which are called by my name will humble themselves humbling before god a humbling which comes from when we look within when we place our lives alongside of christ's life when like john the baptist we say i am not worthy to unlace his shoes this is a humility like the prodigal son demonstrated when he came home to the father's house in rags and properties saying i have sinned against heaven and earth and am no more worthy to be called thy son this is the publican's humility when he felt unworthy to approach the throne but barely within the temple he said oh god be merciful to me a sinner humility is recognition that by ourselves we are nothing but because we are created by god and in his image and our believers in christ we have infinite worth and value true humbleness does not produce pride but thankfulness humbleness is a condition that god requires humbling before god precedes revival if my people will come down off their lawfully places they're better than thou attitudes their hearty spirits their self-satisfied positions their ungodliness and humble themselves humility is the turning of the whole heart the whole soul to god there is not a spot on earth be it so remote from which the heart cannot turn to god the poor the crushed the broken sorry-hearted can go directly to god in prayer prayer is how we communicate with him the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much prayer is our way of expressing our thanks supplications our adorations and our confessions to god when we sincerely pray bodies are healed when we sincerely pray wells walls are torn down when we sincerely pray people are lifted god wants us to be constant communication with him pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways god wants us to pray without ceasing god wants us to seek his face god wants total commitment god wants to lead our paths matthew 6 and 33 tells us to seek ye first the kingdom of god and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you yes the things that you tried to obtain but couldn't did we see god first the decisions that were made but turned out to be the wrong ones did we see god's face seeking god first is just like a ship in a storm being guided to shore by the light from the lighthouse the light helps the ship to steer clear of the rocks and hazards in the water seeking god first helps us to steer clear of the rocks and the hazards laid out by the world it allows us to have a guide to go by god wants us to seek his face i know there are many postures as to which one may take to pray but when we last when was the last time you actually got down on your knees to look up to god another condition god wanted is for the people to turn from their wicked ways wicked ways are anything that we do that's against the will of god wicked ways are what god wants his people to just turn away from he wants us to stop doing what we're doing wrong stop going where we're going wrong stop saying what we're saying wrong stop living how we're living wrong bottom line just stop acknowledge that we've sinned and repent god wants us to repent isaiah 63 and 19 says we have come before as thy whom though never bears rule we have become ungodlike you see solomon was praying for grace and mercy solomon was praying the same prayer that some of us need to pray sometimes asking god for his grace and mercy even though we have done wrong lord please forgive us even though we have gone astray lord please forgive us even though we deserve judgment lord have mercy upon us god's answer to us is just as it was to solomon if if if my people would humble themselves if my people would pray if my people would just seek my face and if my people were turned from their wicked ways then will i hear from heaven then will i forgive their sin and then will i heal their land many times we want god to answer our prayers and we want them answered right now but sometimes the answer is if you then i if you then i it may be if you stop smoking if you stop gambling if you stop cursing if you stop cheating if you stop lying stop backbiting if you stop covering stop killing stop stealing stop taking my name in vain just stop we are god's chosen ones if we would stop being disobedient if we would stop wholemongering if we would stop being selfish if we would obey those in authority over us if we would just do god's will then when will he hear from heaven then will he wipe out diseases then will he make our enemies our footstool then will he stop our children from killing one another then he will show us peace and then he will heal our land if a small two little word yet demands large reactions if a word that causes the greatest minds to ponder and take notice so if god had not so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son then we would not have the right to the tree of life but because he did send his son and because his son did give his life and because on the third day morning jesus rose with all power in his hands we are entitled to the tree of life jesus's death his burial and his resurrection gives us that claim no ifs no ends and no buts about it jesus can fulfill the if statements in our lives he is the then statement to answer all conditions as i come to a close if we ever needed the lord before we sure do need him now so i implore ye my brothers and my sisters to repent to turn from your wicked ways to humble yourselves and to pray to seek the face of the lord and that then he may heal our land as a matter of sickness and all diseases revival will come when people humble themselves and pray forgiveness comes when people humble themselves and pray healing comes when people humble themselves and pray then will he hear then will he hear then will he hear from heaven and forgive their sins ye have humbled yourselves when ye have prayed when you seek my face when you meet my conditions my conditions then will i hear and forgive your sins your ungodliness then will i heal your lands if we then he ponder on those four words church if i then he if i then he father god in the name of jesus lord i thank you for a word o god i pray that it has been planted on good ground oh god lord god i pray that we will continue to lean and depend on you father lord god we give you all the praise and the honor and the glory that if we would just humble ourselves and pray if we would turn from our wicked ways lord god if we seek your face then you will heal our land and we thank you on today oh god we give you the praise the honor and the glory in jesus name amen we bless god for such a strong and powerful word from reverend lashawn wright if we then he what a powerful word one that i hope you'll chew on you'll meditate on this week one that i hope blesses you and continues to transform your faith perhaps you're watching today and you've never accepted the lord jesus christ is your personal savior you've never asked him to come into your heart to come into your life to save you to change you to live in you perhaps you're watching today and you say pastor dao i'm saved i know i'm saved but i literally need to hit the reset button on my relationship with god or perhaps you're watching and you say pastor i need a church home i need a church family a place where i can connect and anchor myself as god continues to transform my life so that i can do all that he's destined and designed for me to do and to become exactly who he wants me to become if any of the three of those apply to you you need to accept jesus christ as your personal lord and savior you need to hit the reset button on your relationship with god or you desire to become a part of our church family i want you to log on to join pleasantgrove.org joinpleasantgrove.org there you're going to find space for you to share some information with us about who you are how you got connected with us and the decision you're making today for the lord jesus christ i want you to know we can't wait to reach out to you to let you know how excited we are to welcome you to the family of faith and the family of pleasant grove i'm excited to be your pastor the more than 2 000 people connected with our church are excited to welcome you as part of our family you don't have to go another moment another second without connection to jesus christ or to god's church head over right now to join pleasantgrove.org share some of your information so that we can reach out this week listen you don't know what a difference it makes to be in relationship with jesus christ and to have a church family that you know loves you and cares about you there's no better place than right here at the grove and we can't wait to welcome you head over to joinpleasantgrove.org and we look forward to seeing you there real soon world church family i pray that you have been phenomenally blessed by today's online worship experience i want you to know i love you there's absolutely nothing you can do about it first lady and i miss you immensely and we can't wait for that day when we can all gather in this place again in person to worship our lord and savior jesus christ but until that time i want to bless you as i always do as we prepare to depart worship come here let me bless you real good may the lord make his face to smile upon you and be gracious to you may the lord lift up the light of his countenance round about you and grant you his peace and may the lord bless you in your going and in your coming and you're rising and in your settling in your labor ending your leisure and your laughter and in your tears until that day when we will all gather at the feet of jesus there will be no more sunrise or sunset may the lord god bless you and keep you forever is my prayer as always in jesus name amen have a great week family we love you you