WISDOM FROM A SAGE: My Six-Decade Journey with God

By Samuel J Gilbert

WISDOM FROM A SAGE is "partly memoir and partly my sharing of tips and lessons learned as a preacher of the Gospel, pastor, and family man. I have intentionally written this book for preachers and pastors, not only because I am one, but also because I have discerned what my role is as an elder in pastoral ministry. I have discerned that building up

• Language: English
• Publisher: Urban Publishing House LLC
• Release date: Dec 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9780578348292

Book preview

WISDOM FROM A SAGE

ADVANCE PRAISE

Dr. S. J. Gilbert, Sr. was blessed with a towering ministry. He made a difference because of what he had going for him beneath the waterline. He was a man of prayer and devotion. He honored God in private, and God honored him in public. His personal devotional life reaped public dividends in powerful preaching and pastoral care. He had a game-changing ministry.

-Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, Senior Pastor, Friendship West Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas

In a church world where change is constant and stability vanishes, the legacy of Rev. Dr. Samuel Gilbert, Sr. abides as a rock of wisdom, sagacity, and solidity. The old Romans spoke of a person's gravitas, that weighty quality of person and presence that is impossible to define, but everyone knows it when it is present. Dr. Gilbert possessed it in abundance, and in days when ministry faces unusual velocity of change, he stood like a rock tower of good sense, sound advice, and enduring perseverance. Read this book, and ask God that we might embody a fraction of such durability.

-Rev. Dr. Joel C. Gregory, Professor of Preaching and Director of the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching, George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

It goes without question that the book Wisdom From a Sage, My Six-Decade Journey with God by the late Dr. Samuel J. Gilbert, Sr. is a must-read for clergy of all walks of life, as well as the many who strive for a wholesome family life.  Tracing the footsteps of a giant of a man, though no longer with us, gives living and lasting principles for life as a Man or Woman of God whether in the pulpit or the home.  If its pages are embraced, one will readily discern it was kissed by the Divine before and since Dr. Gilbert's homegoing.  May the contents of his memoir touch your lives for years to come, as he certainly touched mine in my ministerial and family journey.  

-Rev. Dr. Jimmy D. Hunter, Senior Pastor, Toliver Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Waco, Texas

Nobility describes the life and ministry of Dr. Samuel Gilbert, Sr. He was a source of inspiration to and information for his fellow clergy. He modeled sermonic preparation, spiritual discipline, love of people, and justice fighting! A tremendous gift to the Body of Christ!

-Rev. Dr. Joe Samuel Ratliff, Senior Pastor, Brentwood Baptist Church, Houston, Texas

I hear it...This is his orchestra, his symphony, resonating in every note of this memoir of a life well-lived. Dr. S. J. Gilbert Sr., my godfather and mentor, brings forth dynamic principles from which those of us who are committed to ministry can embrace. His thought-provoking moves enable us to sense the academic as well as the spiritual wisdom of this Legend. Framed from a practical posture, Dr. S. J. Gilbert, Sr. leaves with us a genre that every preacher needs to hear and experience. If you listen, you too will hear.

-Rev. Dr. James E. King, D.Min., Founding Pastor, The Land of Promise Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia

To be sure, it was nearly impossible to be in his presence without experiencing the wisdom of his years. Whether he verbalized it, or we simply visualized it, Dr. S. J. Gilbert, Sr. took seriously his responsibility to positively impact the generations who encountered him. Although his voice has been silenced by the enemy we call Death, the pages of this document still provide for us the opportunity to be guided by the devotion and discipleship that ordered his steps for the many years of his life and ministry. God richly blessed the world with the life of this Sage. May we continue to be blessed by the legacy he has left us in the words of this necessary publication.

-Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby, Senior Pastor, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, Houston, Texas

Seldom are spiritual sensibilities and practical principles so concentrated in one source. Dr. S. J. Gilbert, Sr. is such a source. Wisdom that is rooted in education and reinforced with experience is generously and graciously shared from the pen of a generational prophet. I enthusiastically recommend this work to every preacher. 

-Rev. Dr. Delvin Atchinson, Senior Pastor, Westside Baptist Church, Lewisville, Texas

I strive to become what Dr. S. J. Pop Gilbert, Sr. instilled in me. To be what he became. A man of character. A minister of consecration. A messenger of content. A model of commitment. Read this book and you will know, one like Solomon walked among us.

-Bishop James W. E. Dixon II, Presiding Prelate, Kingdom Builders Global Fellowship, Senior Pastor, The Community of Faith Church, Houston, Texas

A SON OF A SAGE

Prior to 2021, Dr. Samuel J. Gilbert, Sr. had a vision to write a book.  In God’s time, his eldest son, Dr. Samuel J. Gilbert II, undertook the momentous task of becoming Chief Editor, assembling a team who also felt the weight of this daunting assignment.  Under Dr. Gilbert II’s wise oversight, Dr. Kenyatta R. Gilbert became a trusted diplomat who ensured all processes would run smoothly. Mrs. Chiara Robinson, the Executive Assistant, took on multiple administrative tasks as a skilled problem-solver. Ms. Dannie Royal, Dr. Gilbert, Sr.'s secretary, became the quiet strength, supporting where necessary. Assuming such a divine undertaking produced spiritual fruit that inspired our souls to give even greater service to the development of this book. Dr. Gilbert, Sr. committed us and this book to the Lord in prayer.

Dr. Gilbert II has one of the deepest passions for his father that a son could ever have. We witnessed that phenomenon, as we heard expressions of his desire to honor the life and legacy of his father with this book. When God places a burden on our shoulders, it is lifted, but in God's time. Without a son-warrior, the victory of publishing Wisdom From a Sage would have never been achieved. God silently thundered the word sage in Sam's soul and the title of this book was born.

-Derrick I. Temple, Sr., Ph.D., MBA

Founder, Urban Publishing House, LLC

WISDOM FROM A SAGE

WISDOM FROM A SAGE

My Six-Decade Journey with God

Samuel J. Gilbert, Sr.

publisher logo

Urban Publishing House, LLC

Wisdom From a Sage

My Six-Decade Journey with God

Copyright © 2021 by Samuel Jackson Gilbert, Sr., Samuel Jackson Gilbert II

Houston, Texas 77007

All Rights Reserved.

Samuel Jackson Gilbert, Sr. asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or without written permission from the author or Samuel Jackson Gilbert II. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission from the author or Samuel Jackson Gilbert II.

Samuel Jackson Gilbert, Sr., and Samuel Jackson Gilbert II have no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and do not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version Bible, New International Version Bible, and New King James Version.

Chiara Robinson - Cover-Concept Design

Mary Armanious - Graphics Cover Design 

Samuel Jackson Gilbert II – Chief Editor

Kenyatta R. Gilbert – Editor-in-Chief

Gladys Lewis – Online Editor

Derrick I. Temple, Sr. - Copy/Line Editor

Hardback ISBN: 978-0-578-98108-6

eBook ISBN: 978-1-0879-9092-7

Printed in the United States of America

First published by Urban Publishing House, LLC

P.O. Box 1684

Oxnard, CA 93032

urbanpublishinghouse.com

805.609.4951

Contents

ADVANCE PRAISE

A SON OF A SAGE

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE: Life and Ministry

1 My Family Was Poor, and I Didn't Know It

2 A Match Made in Heaven

3 God's Hands in the Mix

4 Integrity Says a Lot About Who You Are

5 Ministry at the Mountain Church

6 Growing in the Preaching Life

7 A Minister's Duty in the Time of False Teaching

8 Wounded by Others

9 12 Things to Leave Behind

10 Words to the Wise

11 CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER

PART TWO: Tributes

12 Family Tributes

13 Clergy Friends

14 Clergy Spouses

15 Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church

16 Clergy

17 Political Leaders

PART THREE: Sermons From Our Sage

NOTE

18 The Ministry of Reconciliation

19 What's in the Cup?

20 Amos, a Prophet of Justice

21 The 'Amness' of Jesus Christ

22 Stay in Your Own Lane

23 Lessons From a Fallen Leader

24 Little Preachers and Big Preachers

AFTERWORD

FOREWORD

One of the major teachings of Scripture is the fact that sages are uncommon. Solomon is mentioned for his wisdom, in part, because seldom did one find someone in whom the wisdom of God dwelled. Indeed, wisdom like that came once in a generation or even once in many generations. It allowed him to reign, to build, to guide. His wisdom provided a foundation on which not only he but all around him could thrive. Even though this wisdom was so rare, it was never meant to die with Solomon. It was meant to be passed down to others. It was meant to be shared. Wisdom dies unless it is shared with others.

Solomon was willing to pass along that mantle, to disseminate the refulgence of divine wisdom to all who would listen. We need not look too deeply in the longest production from the great king to discover this truth. In the very first chapter of the book of Proverbs, the writer utilizes this phrase, my son. The sage knew his task was to pass along the greatness of wisdom to others. Indeed, through the transference of wisdom, he was claiming new children, those who would be enlightened by wisdom’s illuminative power and shine light upon the world. Though Solomon was rare, there have been others who have picked up the cause of sagacity to claim new children through wisdom’s inexorable productivity.

Dr. S. J. Gilbert was a sage who, like Solomon, appears once in many generations. His life bespoke the power of this ancient divine wisdom that has been bequeathed to many generations, though only taken up sparingly. Dr. Gilbert was a dutiful son, an inspiring brother, a loving husband, a caring father, and a prodigious pastor. His influence, his wisdom, will ever extend beyond the grasp of his hand and the vision of his own eyes. He planted many flowers whose blossoms he will never see, yet they shall blossom. He has made a profound impact not only in the city of Houston but in the world. He now belongs to the ages as one who was known to eternity before he left.

I do not need any other witnesses outside of what I can tell you in my own history. Pastor Gilbert is my grandfather in the ministry. He was my pastor’s pastor. And I, like so many others, am the beneficiary of this sage’s giftings.

Pastor Gilbert loved young preachers. When I was young, he walked before us with integrity, modeled for us the need for education, and, as a wise counselor, mentored us intimately. The books could not be written to contain the greatness of the investment of wisdom I gained from him. I will always be grateful to have been not only his student but in Solomonic fashion his son who could take up the mantle of wisdom and pass it along to others.

In this work, you will find a memoir and a mere modicum of the great wisdom of this sage. When you read it, allow the words of this sage to invest in you so that you too may take wisdom’s mantle. And if you do, you will become more evidence of the impact of this sage’s surrender to Christ and his willingness to carry forward the Solomonic cause.

-Rev. Dr. Ralph D. West

Senior Pastor, The Church Without Walls

Houston, Texas

INTRODUCTION

In the last six decades of professional ministry, I have delivered more than three thousand sermons; pastored churches with memberships as few as thirty and as many as two thousand five hundred; mentored several hundred preachers; served as a denominational executive; established a minister’s conference in the South’s largest city; and parented four successful children with my loving wife of more than sixty years, Alyce.

This book is partly a memoir and partly my sharing of tips and lessons learned as a preacher of the Gospel, pastor, and family man. Now I should note upfront, based on the different roles I have been blessed to play in the lives of people—husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, counselor, board executive, etc.—that a broader audience might benefit from reading this book. However, I’ve intentionally written this book for preachers and pastors. Not only because I am one but also because I have discerned what my role is as an elder in pastoral ministry. I have discerned that building up preachers and encouraging them to give their all to God is a part of my ministry calling and gift.

Though an elder, I see myself as a life-long learner who loves to grow. I have discovered that ministry is not work for lazy people, and doing ministry each day has left me with little time to sit and give focused attention to writing a book about the many things God has done in my life and with my life. In taking on this assignment, I expected to grow, and I have. Experience has taught me that you can’t grow people if you don’t grow yourself.

This book is a long time coming. In fact, I was not sure it would ever come to life in my lifetime. But God is faithful. God left me here for a purpose, and part of that purpose, I believe, is to impart the wisdom I have gained over the years. Wisdom has sustained my life and work. The original title I had in mind for this book was Lessons From an Old Man. I have been called Elder Statesmen, A Seasoned Preacher, and some ministers affectionately call me Pop. But another title many have bestowed upon me that I am humbled by and honored to wear is Sage. Sages are keepers of wisdom; and thus, after consulting with persons I respect, this book's title emerged.

Wisdom is given to those who ask for it. The Bible says in James 1:5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you" (NIV). Wisdom is God-given, a time-tested gift of grace, that is revealed from studying life and meeting with God daily in prayer and searching the scriptures. Not all of my ideas are original, but they all come from some aspect of my life experience and from observing ministers since I was a little boy, first learning from my father, who was himself a minister who preached and mentored preachers.

Every chapter of this book will not look the same. But all relate in some way to the preacher’s life and role as a servant of God’s people. Some chapters are mostly biographical. Some will simply offer folk (people) wisdom and rules for the road. This book’s content is comprised of sermons I’ve delivered; talks at preaching conferences; lectures I have given in family life classes; life lessons learned from teachers and preachers who mentored me; interviews I had with young ministers; and conversations I’ve had with veteran clergy confidants. And still, others will be candid personal stories of my interactions with family members, congregants, and community leaders.

What you hold in your hand is a book about the highs and lows, mountains and valleys, trials and triumphs the Lord has seen me through. It’s about one preacher’s life, who despite it all, continues to count blessings. My testimony is consistent: God has been faithful to me as I have tried to serve Him.

PART ONE: Life and Ministry

MY FAMILY WAS POOR, AND I DIDN’T KNOW IT

The Butcher Pen Community

From Cotton Patch to College

The Dean of Preachers

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

Friendship Is the Key to a Lasting Marriage

The Lesson in Waiting

Happily Married but Staring at Death

GOD’S HANDS IN THE MIX

The Cookie Company

God’s Plan Is Better than Ours

 Building a Strong Family

INTEGRITY SAYS A LOT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE

When the Truth Hurts

Building a Sure Foundation

Perseverance and Persistence Is Key

MINISTRY AT THE MOUNTAIN CHURCH

Learning the Ropes

The Spirit of Pentecost

God Places Pastors

WOUNDED BY OTHERS

Early Ministry Influences

The Black Church and Leadership Development

Denominational Leadership

The Politics Game

GROWING IN THE PREACHING LIFE

God Working Behind the Scenes

Developing Your Preaching Requires Pre-Planning

Manuscript or No Manuscript?

A MINISTER’S DUTY IN A TIME OF FALSE TEACHING

The Plague

The Prosperity Gospel

12 THINGS TO LEAVE BEHIND

CONCLUSION OF THE MATTER

AFTERWORD

Rev. Dr. Kenyatta R. Gilbert

1

My Family Was Poor, and I Didn't Know It

Life in the 21st century is tough and not for the faint of heart. The world has become more volatile, uncertain, and unstable. We have seen many advances in