Giving honor first, to Jesus Christ who is my Lord and Savior.  To our esteemed president Dr. Dale T. Irvin, the Board of Trustees, Executive staff, esteemed faculty and distinguished guest, the NYTS support staff and the honored graduates of the class of 2009.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the family, friends and faith communities for your continued support of these graduates during their long hard struggle to graduation.  I would also like to commend you graduates for your many sacrifices and willingness to go on in spite of the obstacles that were before you.

I deem it an honor to deliver to you, what I feel is a message of hope and encouragement as you take that next step onto that plateau known as ministry.  I know that some of you are tired and have wondered if you would ever make it to this day; and some still wonder what God has in store for you as you sit here today.

However, I’d like to start by telling you a story.  I come from humble beginnings; my father and mother came to this country with $300, very little education and a promise from God.  Pie (daddy) always said if you do right by God, God would do right by you; and he believed it with all of his heart.  For that reason, promises became very important to me and if I make a promise I do all I can to keep it because that is the way I was raised.

I recall about fifteen years ago while walking through Sing Sing I visited the Special housing unit where men are locked up for twenty-three hours a day for violating the rules or fighting.  A man I didn’t know at the time called me to his cell and asked me if he could get into the NYTS Master’s of Professional Studies Program and I told him that based on his status he was not eligible.  Nevertheless, I made him a promise, I told him that when he was released from the unit, if he could work and get a degree and prove that he had changed then I would do all that I could to see that he got into the program.  That was a promise.  Several years later Jules came to me and reminded me of my promise and I told him that I did not forget.  Jules graduated two years ago and is now actively involved in ministry in the prison system and everyone raves about his commitment.

The point of the story is that Jules was in prison but he still claimed his promise.  In the Bible, there are over twenty-three hundred promises from God to humanity and the question before us today is simple, will you claim your promise from God.

Today I am confident in my heart that each one of you is here because of a Divine Call from God.  Therefore, I have come not only to say a Word from the Lord, but also to remind you that today is the day for you to claim your promise from God.

Therefore, I beg that you bear with me for a few moments as I share with you from the historic book of Joshua.

My Sermon Text is:  Joshua 14:12-13 (NIV)

12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

As we look at verse 12 in The King James Version of the Bible it says, “now give me this mountain.”

My Sermon Title Is:  IT’S TIME TO CLAIM YOUR PROMISE

Introduction: Now let us drift backwards into the Biblical past as we find ourselves approximately 45 years after the massive exodus where the Jews had suffered great humiliation during their captivity in Egyptian servitude.  Moses, the Lawgiver and servant of God, is now dead; and God has placed the mantle of leadership on the frail and untried shoulders of Joshua.

Therefore, it is through a series of events and a medley of mishaps that the people of Yahweh have finally arrived at the Promised Land.

Now after they had settled in, it was time for the distribution of the divinely promised inheritance, the land of Canaan.  The responsibility of the distribution of the land was given to Joshua as Head of State, and Eleazar, who was the Spiritual Leader in the Wilderness.

We are now at the point where they are about to divide the land by the casting of lots; (which is a kind of ecclesiastical lottery) wherever the lot fell would determine who received that land.

However, when it came to Caleb, he stopped the whole process and said with a voice of conviction, “There will be no casting of lots for me, because I have the right to choose the land that I want, therefore, Give Me This Hill Country or Mountain.”

Beloved, Caleb was not being selfish or disagreeable.  He was not trying to cause any problems in the community.  However, Caleb had a right to this mountain, because God, through Moses, had promised him the mountain or hill country some forty-five (45) years earlier; and now was the time for him to redeem that promise.

So there he stood, waiting to claim what God had promised to him.  Listen to him as he says, “Give Me This Mountain.”   Oh, my Lord, there must come a time in our life when we are not afraid to claim what God has promised us, whether it be a mountain or a ministry.

Beloved, you have labored faithfully in the vineyard, on the job, in your relationships.  You have been faithful to your calling, and you have been faithful in your stewardship:

You have rolled up your sleeves and given your best for the plans and purposes of the Kingdom of God . . .

You have hung in there . . . and been faithful to family, church and your studies WHEN OTHERS . . . fell by the wayside . . . YOU held on . . .

WHEN OTHERS . . . turned their back . . . YOU held on . . .

WHEN OTHERS . . . withdrew their support . . . YOU held on . . .

WHEN OTHERS . . . recalled, recanted, and retracted their backing of the programs for the kingdom of God, YOU … YES, YOU . . . held-on.

Oh yes, you were steadfast, unmovable and you remained faithful.   So for your faithfulness, you deserve to be blessed by God.  Oh my beloved, it is time to claim your promise.

So the question is, are you spiritually and mentally ready to stand beside Caleb and claim your mountain, your ministry or your mission in life?   Oh can’t you hear Caleb say, “Now therefore, Give Me This Mountain.”  Beloved, we need to remember that Mountains and Ministries belong to the faithful and to those who walk in the will and the way of the Lord, Our God.

So if you’ve come to claim your mountain today, then you need to know something about what you’re about to claim.

Let me remind you … that mountains are high and lifted up because God, the Maker of mountains, has exalted them.   According to I Peter 5:6, there are those who have humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God and in due time have been lifted up.   Come on somebody, I need you to hear me today.

Next, … mountains are stable and hard to move.  Mountains stand firm because they are grounded and fixed and, they are solid because they stand on a firm foundation.

MOUNTAINS ARE NOT . . . carried away by every wind of doctrine . . .

MOUNTAINS ARE NOT . . . inconsistent, irregular . . . unstable and unsteady.

MOUNTAINS ARE NOT . . . fragile, . . . finicky and fussy . . .

MOUNTAINS ARE NOT . . . capricious and careless . . . and they do not run from church to church and school to school.  Oh, can’t you hear me somebody?

And let me tell you something, mountains are considered a place of refuge, and defense.

A mountain is difficult to overtake.  Your enemies cannot run roughshod over you when you have a mountain for a stronghold.  Mountains can also protect you from the floods of life and offer you a place of protection.  They elevate you above the mundane and menial matters of life. When you dwell on the mountain, there are some things that you don’t have to worry about.

However, don’t think for a moment that mountains are a bed of roses.  Farmers consider them to be unprofitable, hard to cultivate, difficult to plow and taxing to till.

Mountains and ministries are not for the faint of heart and the easily discouraged.  Mountains and ministries are not for the dodgers of difficult times.  Mountains and ministries are not for those who will sidestep duty and responsibility.

Therefore, whoever chooses the mountain called ministry must be prepared to meet the rigors and the demands of the mountain because along with mountain choices come mountain challenges.  So … whoever chooses the mountain called ministry must be ready to confront the challenges that are before them.

Those who dwell on mountaintops must be willing to go where others fear to tread and do what others have left undone.  And once you have received your mountain, don’t think that it’s time to sit back and rest on your laurels.  Because, along with your mountaintop rewards come some mountaintop responsibilities.

Caleb was aware that there were some difficult days ahead of him and he knew that the land was still, inhabited by giants. These giants were skillful in battle, competent in combat, and well trained for warfare.  They were mountaintop giants.  You don’t have to be 9 feet tall to be a giant; all you have to do is be in the right place … at the right time … with the right equipment and you can look like a giant oh can’t you hear me somebody.

But with all that Caleb had to face, he was still willing to say, “Give Me This Mountain.”   Are you willing to claim your ministry today?   Caleb knew that by the grace of God he could conquer any enemy.  By the grace of God he could turn those mountaintop giants into molehill trivialities.

Oh Yes … Caleb was inspired centuries before the Apostle Paul wrote Romans 8:31 which says, ” . . . If God be for us … then who can be against us.”   So he armed himself with the grace of God and stood prepared to confront the challenges of the mountaintop giants ready to face the test … trials … and tribulations that come with mountaintop rewards.

Caleb knew that with the strength of God, he could overcome the giants and so he boldly made his request, “Now Therefore, Give Me This Mountain.”    So if you have come here today ready to claim to your mountain called ministry, you must be prepared to meet the challenges of the day.   However, like Caleb, you too, must conquer some giants.

When Caleb and Joshua, along with ten other spies, were sent out from the wilderness of Kadesh Barnea to spy the land, Moses told them . . . “bring back a sample of the fruit from the land . . ..”  And they did; and Moses said, “surely this is a land flowing with milk and honey.”   Oh yes my beloved, there are many rich resources on the mountain.  However, you can’t enjoy the mountaintop fruit until you have conquered at least three mountaintop giants and they are Overconfidence, Ego and Complacency, and I assure you that I know each one of these personally.

THE GIANT CALLED OVERCONFIDENCE . . . The first giant we face when we arrive on the mountaintop is that giant called overconfidence.  He is subtle and shrewd, and will take you by surprise.  Most folks don’t recognize overconfidence until its too late.

Beloved, Getting to the Mountaintop requires a long, hard struggle.  It requires much pain and many sacrifices.  In addition, you may feel that since you made it through the valley and somehow survived, that you can handle anything.  However, just because you made it through NYTS and stand on the hillside of success, it does not necessarily mean that you’re going to be a heavyweight on the mountain called ministry.

I can surely recall, back in the day, when I was running the 220- yard dash for Manhattan College, the School Paper, the Daily News and all the students said I was the favorite over Francisco Cruz of NYU.  Therefore, I didn’t practice as much as I should have because there was no way in the world that he could catch me.  Well, I went to Madison Square Garden, I ran the race and I came in third because I was overconfident and I assure you my beloved that I never made that same mistake again.

THE GIANT CALLED EGO . . . The next giant that we must conquer, called ego or self which, needs slaying daily because ego can be mean and nasty.  According to Pauline Theology, ego is that  “body of death” from which we need daily deliverance.  This is the giant that thinks that mountaintops are for making rulers and potentates.

EGO DOESN’T REALIZE THAT MOUNTAINS . . .

• Are designed . . . to make disciples and not dictators.
• Are designed . . . to make toilers and not tyrants.
• Are designed . . . to make servants and not sovereigns.

Beloved we must remember that {quotes}mountains and ministries are designed to increase our ability to serve the people of God and not to rule over them.{/quotes}

So when you make it to the mountaintop, don’t sit and rule; look around you, evaluate the situation and see how you can best serve the Lord by serving one another.

The giant called ego or self is the primary cause for stagnation in the kingdom enterprise and the ego bruises easily.  Ego always hinders the ongoing ministry of the church because it demands so much attention.

Ego is in constant need of a pat on the back or a proverbial “job well done.”  Jesus said in Matthew 6:5, ” . . . verily I say unto you, they have their reward.”

THE GIANT CALLED COMPLACENCY . . . There is yet another giant awaits us on yonder mountain.  This son of Gath is not as vicious or violent as his brothers.  He might even go unnoticed at first, because he doesn’t rant and rage, like his brothers but he’s still just as deadly.  He’s the giant known as: At-Ease-In-Zion.  His real name is complacency.  And don’t worry because he’s equal opportunity, he messes with everyone who makes it to the mountaintop.  So, I must also remind you today that complacency will rob you of your sobriety and will come after you like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

This giant will trick you into thinking that now that you’re on the mountaintop called graduation, you have arrived, and so you can rest on your laurels . . . because you’ve got it made.  Complacency will convince you that there is no need to study and prepare yourself anymore because you have a degree.  Old folks would say, “Child, just because you got blessed, don’t get beside yourself.”

I am reminded that my Mother had a lot of little knick-knacks or whatnots in the house.  From my perspective, they didn’t serve any purpose.  You couldn’t eat off of them … cook in them … or drink from them.  They just sat there and collected dust.   And in order to dust the furniture mom had to pick them up one-by-one, move them around … dust them off … and put them back again.  I’m sorry to say, but there are some folks in the ministry that are equivalent to whatnots.  They just sit around and talk about their past achievements and that’s it.  They have become whatnots in the faith community.  At NYTS we have done everything we could to place you on the cutting edge of ministry and we hope and we pray that you will not become a “What-not” in the faith community.  So, because of your faithfulness, we have come here today to encourage you to Claim … your … Mountain … Claim … your … ministry … and Claim … your … mission.

Oh yes my beloved:

YOU have . . . been faithful, claim your mountain called ministry.

Been loyal … claim your mountain.

Been dutiful … claim your mountain.

Fed the hungry … then claim your mountain.

Clothed the naked … then claim your mountain.

Visited those in prison … then it’s time … to claim your mountain.

MOUNTAINS ARE IMPORTANT SO LET ME REMIND YOU THAT IT WAS ON A MOUNTAIN THAT . . .

• Noah landed the Ark of God . . . called ARARAT
• Abraham offered up Isaac . . . on Mt. MORIAH
• God spoke to Moses thru a burning bush . . . on Mt. HOREB

IT WAS ON A MOUNTAIN THAT . . .

• Moses received the 10 commandments . . . called SINAI
• Then he looked over into the Promised Land . . . from Mt. NEBO
• Elijah defeated the 450 false prophets . . . on Mt. CARMEL

IT WAS ON A MOUNTAIN THAT . . .

• Saul, the first king of Israel died . . . called:  GILBOA
• and … the holy city of Jerusalem was built . . . on Mt. ZION
• Zechariah prophesied that the feet of the Lord shall stand in the day of judgment on Mt. OLIVET.

Last, but not least, it was on a mountain that the Lord was crucified and they called it Mt. Calvary.   So my beloved, it is because of that old … rugged Cross on Calvary’s Hill that we are Called into ministry and it is because of that Call that we are here today.  So I beg you today, to find the courage within yourself to claim what God has promised you for your life.

So, no matter what you’ve gone through, the sleepless nights, the struggles to pay tuition, dealing with family, job and friends … I know it’s been tough, but I need you to hold on because God has promised you a mountain.  And today is the day for you to claim your mountain, so dust yourself off and stand up.  I said stand up … because, now is the time … yes, that’s what I said … now is the time … this is the time for you time to Claim your promise from God.  Claim your ministry, claim your mission and claim your work in the community.  So I charge you … class of 2009 … to stand with Caleb today, hold your head up high … stick your chest out … and shout so you can be heard, “Give Me This Mountain,” because it’s mine … God promised it to me.

As I close, I am reminded today of the famed words of Kelso Carter and I think most of you know them:

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Thru eternal ages let His praises ring;
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
Standing … standing … standing on the promises of God my Savior;
I’m standing on the promises … standing on the promises of God

Oh my beloved … find the courage to stand on the Promises that cannot and . . . will not fail . . . today is your day; it’s time for you to Claim Your Mountain, Your Ministry and your Mission.

The entire NYTS family has labored long and hard to do all that we can to prepare you for this moment . . .

So go out there into the highways and hedges of your community,

Go out there and help the lost souls, the disenfranchised and the imprisoned,

Go out there and work with the troubled youth and the battered women of our society and do what the Lord has called you to do . . .and NYTS has prepared you to do; minister to the people of God . . . It’s time to claim your promise.