Sunday Morning Worship Service by Adam Akers First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN) Kind: sermon Scripture: Genesis 11:8, Genesis 12:1, Genesis 13:17, Genesis 11:4, Hebrews 11:8-10, Genesis 12:1-4, Genesis 9:20-25, Genesis 11:28-32, Genesis 12:1, Genesis 12:4, Genesis 25:7, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 2:37, Acts 2:38, Acts 2:39 Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/adam-akers--sunday-morning-worship-service-68 Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page. Free to copy and share with attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------ You may be seated today. So good to be here in Knoxville, Tennessee. This church stands as a landmark to everyone that sees it. This church stands as an example of what Pentecost and being apostolic is all about. And I give honor to this great church. You don't walk into a facility like this without knowing that there was some hard work and uh many people who helped out and who made it what it is. And so I give honor to this great church. I give honor to you. Why don't you give yourselves a hand today? Give you honor today. Amen. Give honor today to uh my pastor back home, Pastor George Acres. Uh Pastor Whitley has already said he'll be with you all here in just a couple of months. And I know he is looking forward to that. And missing my wife dearly this morning. Uh especially with her expecting our first child. I don't even know how to act right now. Uh, so if I jump and dance about it, it may not have anything to do with what's going on other than the mere fact that God is a good God. And uh, we are looking forward to Ellis Acres joining us in November. We're very excited about that. And just so very excited. I miss her. Give her honor. And what a fantastic pastoral team this church has been blessed with. I can tell you FAC Knoxville, you are blessed with the best. You are blessed with the best. You'll find that in with my contemporaries, Pastor Anthony Mcool and Pastor Nate Whitley, that they have such a hunger and desire for truth. Uh they have such a drive uh and a passion for truth and for the word of God. and uh to Pastor Mark Mcool, you will not find a man on earth who has more of a pursuit for excellence. In fact, I'm reminded of Daniel in the Old Testament. The Bible says that Daniel was promoted because of the excellence he wanted to display for the Lord. And I when I think about that scripture, I I see that embodied in Pastor Mark Mcool. uh he he not only uh is a fantastic leader here, he is a fantastic leader on the national stage. Uh he ordained me as a minister many years ago and he also was a part of my wedding. So if I don't preach good today, you can blame him. He's been involved. He's been involved. And then to the pioneer, God bless Bishop and sister Makul. What a pioneer [Music] spirit. There would there would be no us if it were not for Bishop and Sister Mcool today. And I I give them double honor and the highest honor today. If you'd stand at this time for the reading of the word of the Lord. If you have your Bibles, you can be turning to that first book, the book of Genesis, chapter 11. Genesis chapter 11. Amen. Pentecost Sunday here at Knoxville, Tennessee. What a great opportunity this is. I'm excited. God's got something for you today. I want you to know that from the onset that God God knew you would be in this room today. God knew you would be here at this moment, at this time. And and God's got something for you today. Genesis the 11th chapter. We'll just read one verse in this chapter, verse number eight. If you have that, would you say, "Amen." Amen. The Bible says, "So the Lord scattered them abroad from then upon the face of all the earth, and they left off to build the city." Somebody say, "Scatter." Hop over just one chapter. Genesis 12, verse number one. The Bible says, "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee." So, previous verse, he told him to scatter. Now, we're here just a few verses later in the very next chapter, and God told him, "Get up and go." Somebody say, "Get up and go. One more verse for your reading. Just the very next chapter, chapter 13, verse 17. The Bible says, "Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee." You seeing a pattern here? He told him, "Scatter." In chapter 11, very next chapter, he said, "Get up, Abram." And then in the very next chapter, he said, "Arise and walk." Somebody say, "Arise and walk." Today, I want to minister. I I want to do more than preach to you today. I want to minister to you. Arise and walk. Would you Would you help me pray God's continued blessings over this house right now? Heavenly Father, we love you. We magnify your name. We give you glory and honor and praise. We thank you, Father, for the spirit that we have already felt here in this place today. God, we ask Lord that you would continue to pour out your blessings today upon us. And Lord, we'll give you all the glory and honor and praise. We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Why don't you clap your hands one more time. Now, why don't you add your voice to that and somebody give your hallelujah unto the Lord. Amen. You may be seated today. Our story today begins in the most unlikely of places. In fact, the story of the man who would be named the father of the Christian faith begins with an entirely different religion. Abraham was from a lineage of pagan worshippers. Now this goes to show that God does not call perfect people. Rather, God continuously perfects those who have answered his call. And he has called every single one of us here today to a promise. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are a far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Again, I say we are all called. And rather than waiting until we are perfect, it is by his spirit that we are perfected in our pursuit to become like Christ. Having left from one of man's greatest achievements thus far, the Tower of Babel is the first recorded skyscraper in man's history. And now the whole earth had one language and the same words. As the people journeyed from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shannar and settled there. They said to each other, listen to this. They here's what they said. Let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build us a city and a tower whose top will reach to heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves. Otherwise, we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." Just before this scene of building a tower whose height would ascend into heaven, God sent a flood of water as judgment for the wickedness of man. So Noah built an ark to the saving of his family and the current version of the animal kingdom, just as God had instructed him to. 40 days and 40 nights of continuous rain. One month and 10 days of continuous rain, the sending of a dove to indicate the waters had finally abaded and dry land was once again present. And with his bow in the sky, we are promised that God would never bring a flood of water again to cover the earth. So with man's new opportunity, get this, we've just seen a great deluge and we've just had a great flood and God has essentially pushed the reset button for mankind. And the first thing that we do is attempt to make a name for ourselves. Instead of serving the God of all power and the God of all might, we want to make it about us. Instead of making sure that we are living by his commandments and and and and obeying his perfect laws, we want to make it about us. One of the most common flaws among mankind is to make it about ourselves. Everyone is the main character in their own story. Just ask them. And if you want the truth, look no further than your own opinion. We know what's best for us. Maybe you've heard a couple of these sayings. We we say stuff like uh you do you and I'll do me. Or or we'll say to each his own. Or or maybe you've heard it said, "I've got to take care of me." We are constantly reminded of the necessity of self-care and the pride that comes in self-reliance. And so in Genesis 11 and4 the Bible says and they said go to let us build a city and a tower whose top may reach into heaven and let us make us a name lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And in doing so in this single act there was a wickedness born that we are still fighting today. From this single line of selfish thinking came the study of stars and false religion. They will tell you that if you were born in the year 1990 that you were born in the year of the horse. Or if you're born in this month then this is your star sign. And now to some of us that may sound just like a daily gag reel or something mildly entertaining to help brighten the day. But there are those who base their entire life's decisions based on the phases of moons that do not even belong to our planet. And you say, "Well, what's the big deal? No harm, no foul. What's what's the big deal?" But it was in this moment, this building of the tower that it it led to pagan worship. Here's what it led to. It led to child sacrifice and idols made of wood by the hands of man. Fortune tellers, palm readers, crystal ball gazers and enchantments. The beginnings of ancestral worship tied to animal spirits. Years and months alike, separated and categorized into false destinies, putting all of their faith in the spirit of an animal. In 2008, I had the privilege of traveling abroad to Taiwan, and I saw the effects of what happened 4,000 years ago. I was in the apartment where we were staying, and while I was looking over the balcony, I saw a man pick up a trash can full of money and he burned it. Now, me and him are not in the same category because I've got bills, right? He picked up an entire trash can of money and threw it into the fire. Now, he was sincere and believed in what he was doing. He was sincere about his action of faith. But I'm here this morning to tell you that he was bound by spiritual darkness. I watched that day as he poured money into a fire and he made his prayers to his ancestors. And today I still make prayers for all of those who are bound in spiritual darkness. But maybe it's not the burning of money and and and and and and maybe it's not, you know, that particular section of spiritual darkness, but any belief that leads to bondage is spiritual darkness. And if we're not careful, the bondages of today will lead to the false worships of tomorrow. And what looks like just building a tower, it will turn into child sacrifice and the burning of money. Spiritual darkness will bind you to your very soul. This line of selfish thinking will bind you in whatever way it can. So, let me put it where we're at here today in America. There are bondages of loneliness because when you're lonely, your self-worth is low. And when the spirit of loneliness hits, your value isn't as high as it should be. And when value isn't high, you will sell valuable things at a discount. And so in the name of taking care of your loneliness, we will sell our body for the discounted price of companionship. But but but not just loneliness, there are bondages of depression. How how many times have you heard someone talking about changing their medication because they are in a state of depression? And so in the name of taking care of me and making a name for ourselves, letting me take care of me, we will sell our emotions for the discounted price of entertainment leading to a false sense of peace. So when the movie is over and the entertainment is finished, we feel just as empty as before. But not just loneliness and and not just depression, but bondages. Can I talk to us Americans for a minute? Bondages of independence. We have a culture that promotes I'm an independent man. We have a culture that promotes I'm an independent woman. And then we wonder why the divorce rates are so high. Can I tell you, you were never built to handle life alone. And there is power in community. There is power in the body of Christ. I find encouragement when I come to church and maybe I'm having a bad day, but then I begin to lift up my hands with the saints of God and I see somebody begin to dance and I hear somebody begin to shout because there's power when we are better together. I've come to talk to somebody this morning and tell you what God told Abram. You don't have to leave here the way that you walked in. That you may have walked in here low, but you can leave here with a promise that'll have you walking in the heavenlies. You've just got to be willing to say, "Today is the day that I get up from where I am, and I begin to walk after the promise that God has set before me." We have to be willing to get up from where we are and move into a different dimension. We have to be willing to get uncomfortable if we're ever going to see what God has for us. Nothing powerful ever came from comfort. Nothing of God ever came from staying where you were. We've got to be willing to get up and go. Look at what Hebrews said about Abraham. The Bible says, "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out, somebody say go out, into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, he obeyed." And he went out, not knowing whether he went. God said, "Get up and go, Abraham." And Abraham said, "Okay, where are we going?" And God said, "I'm not telling." said, "Okay, well, I'll walk anyway because I know that God's ways are higher than my ways." It continued on that by faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. I'm not living this life based on what I can build. I'm living this life based on what he can build through me. I'm not here to serve me, but I'm here to serve King Jesus this morning because I understand God is greater and his promises are greater. This thing right here, it's better than any drug. This thing right here is better than any feeling of the world. Oh God, I'm here to tell you, God's plan is better than pornography. God's plan is better than anything that this world has to offer. It's time to get up and walk to the promises of God. Somebody clap your hands and give Jesus praise. We just got to be willing to arise and walk. And so God told him, he said, "I want you to go to a place called Canaan. I need you to understand this morning that before we move forward, anytime you hear the word Canaan, as in speaking of the place, that it was the promise of God for Abraham. It was God's promise for him. God even told him, he said, "It'll be a land that's flowing with milk and honey." This this land called Canaan, it was a place where God would provide everything that he needed. Can I tell you, as long as you're walking with God, he's going to provide everything everything that you need. But it wasn't just a good place. And it wasn't just a place of provision. This place was a place of protection. Canaan was a good place. And so, as we quote passages of apostolic renown, I would call them, we pull from Genesis 12, the first four verses. Many of you will know this. as soon as I begin reading it. Now the Lord had said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, and unto a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing, and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that cursseeth thee. And in thee, in you, Abraham, shall all the families of the earth be blessed." So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him and Lot went with him. And Abram was 70 and five years old when he departed out of Han. We read that scripture and it is for any Christian believer this holds a special place in their heart because God is coming to Abraham and he's saying get up out of where you are and go into the promise of God. But I've come this morning to tell you firstly, Abraham was not the first person that God tried to get to go into this good place called Canaan. While Abraham was called, he was not the first person that God tried to get to a place called Canaan. We read the story about the flood and we referenced it earlier how that Noah had built an ark to the saving of his family. Eight souls were saved by water. There was Noah, his three sons, and then their four w their all of their wives together. So there's four men and four women, eight souls saved by water. And the Bible says that once the flood had abaded and the waters had abaded and and and things were starting to go back to where the earth was livable, the Bible says after that, Noah had built an altar and he did what was right. I'm going to tell you what happens. The moment you try to do right, sin is going to try to creep in. Hear this preacher today. The minute you decide to make up in your mind that today is the day that I'm going to take it to the next level. I promise you sin is waiting around. Temptation is waiting just around the bin. For the Bible says that as soon as as soon as he was done praying and as soon as he was done interacting with God, Genesis 9 20 and Noah began to be in husband men and he planted a vineyard and he drank of the wine and he was drunken and he was uncovered within his tent and ham. But notice how it qualifies Ham. It says, "Ham, the father of Canaan." Because God chose Ham first. He said, "Ham, I want you to end up going to a place called Canaan, but because he allowed sin into his life." The Bible continued that Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and he told his two brethren without, and then the other two brothers, Shim and Jeth, they took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father, and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine and knew not and knew he did know what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, "Cursed be Canaan, a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren." You have to understand that God first chose Ham, the son of Noah. He said, "You're going to have a son one day, and his name will be Canaan. That is who I want." But sin interrupted the flow of what God was trying to do. And a curse was brought upon him. But I've got good news this morning. God is greater than the curse of sin. I've come here this morning to tell you, you don't have to settle for second best. You don't have to settle for an almost walk with God. But God is greater than the curse of sin. Somebody clap your hands right now. Give Jesus praise. If he's brought you out, why don't you take a moment and give Jesus praise? If he's ever forgiven your sin, why don't you take a moment? Because God is greater than the curse of sin. You're looking at somebody this morning who should have been taken, but God was greater than the curse of sin upon my life. You're looking at somebody who shouldn't be standing here today. But God is greater than the curse of sin. It's time to arise and walk into God's promise. Oh, hallelujah, Jesus. Oh, hallelujah, Jesus. There is no sin that God cannot forgive. There is no sin that God cannot forgive. I I'm going to speak boldly this morning. I It doesn't even matter if you've sinned this morning. He's in this room right now. And the name of Jesus is greater than any sin that you've committed. Don't you let the devil lie to you and tell you that you have to take a a a second place to God's plan in your life. I get encouragement when I read the Bible because I realize that these great characters messed up a time or two. Have you ever read about a man named David? He was the man after God's own heart. He was the man who literally wrote half of the book of Psalms, but he messed up time and time again. And God was greater than the curse of sin. The preacher on the day of Pentecost, he has one of the most roller coaster relationships with God that you've ever seen. One minute God told him, he said, "Peter, God," he said, "Bless you, Peter." He said, "Upon this rock I'll build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." And then in the very next moment, Jesus turns to him and says, "I rebuke you, Satan. Get thee behind me." Up and down and up and down. And when I read these, it would be easy to say, "Oh, well, well, well, that's that's them." And they're called. Can I tell you something? You are called this morning. You are called to greater things. God is calling you to a Canaan today. And so even through sin, God's plan didn't change. Just because Ham didn't want to do what was right doesn't mean that the promise went away. God still had this land called Canaan. God still had this special place called Canaan. And so just because Ham messed up doesn't mean that it went away. And so when Ham didn't work out, God chose another of the sons of Noah. He chose Shim. So Shim begat Arfaxid. Begat is just a Bible way to say he had a son. So Shim begat Arfaxid and Arfaxid begat Salah. And Solah begat Ever. And ever begat Paleleg. And Paleleg begat Rayu. And Rayu begat Sur. And Surak begat Nahor. And Nahor begat Tara who was the father of Abraham. Now Tara had three children. Abraham, Nahor, and Hon. And so here he goes and Terara's just doing what he's supposed to do because God's picked somebody else. And so God says, "Tara, I need you to go to Canaan land." And so Tara takes his three sons with him. And so it's Tara and then he's got his three sons, Abraham, Nahor, and Hon. And they're just on their way doing what God told them to do, traveling to Canaan land. But in a moment, things changed forever. Because in a moment when Tara has all his sons and they think they're doing what's right, and they are, and they're marching on on the way that God has told them to, grief and tragedy befalls when Tara's youngest son, Han, dies. Following God does not exclude you from the struggles of life. David would write. He said, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies." He said, "Yay, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Just because you're walking with the God of light, does not mean that you will not experience dark times. Here's what the Bible says. Watch this now. Genesis 11 28. And Han died before his father Tara in the land of his nativity in of the Caldes. And Abram and Nahor took them wives. The name of Abrams wife was Sarah Sarai. And the name of Nahor's wife Milan, the daughter of Hon, the father of Mila, and the father of Iska. But Sarai was barren. She had no children. And Tara took Abram, his son, and Lot, the son of Ham, his son's son, and Sarai, his daughter-in-law, his son, Abram's wife. Somebody say, "Hey," now Han, remember that's the son that has just died. Watch what happens. And they went forth with them from the Calades to go into the land of Canaan. They're going to Canaan. Everything is good. But they came. They came unto Han and dwelt there. Watch this. Now, his son named Han dies and they're on their way to Canaan. But instead of following God's plan for their life, they stop and build a city and they name it after his dead son. The Bible says in the days of Terara were 205 years and Terara died in Ham. Let me tell you this morning that we will never possess what God has promised until we stop building cities around what we have lost. You're going to lose some things in life, but that does not negate the place that God is calling you to. And so, in the name of Jesus, I've come to tell somebody who may be going through a season of loss, it is time to arise and get back to Canaan. We need to possess what God wants us to possess. Ah, God have mercy. He has not called you to build a city around your grief. He has not called you to build cities around what you've lost. But in the name of Jesus, you can possess Canaan. It's time to stand up and say, "I'm marching forward. I may have lost some things, but I'm going to move forward. I may have been through some things, but today I'm moving forward." Somebody clap your hands all across this house. Come on. If I'm preaching to you, you ought to give God a great praise. Uh if you've lost some things, you ought to give God a great praise. His promise is still on you. Oh, hallelujah. He was on his way to Canaan land. He was where? He was on his way to where God was trying to get him to be. But he suffered loss. And instead of moving on, he built a city. And he then he names the city after his grief. He told him, "Can I tell you something? I'm not a grief counselor this morning. I don't claim to be one. And your grief is valid. What you've lost is real. Your grief is true. But it should never stop the promises of God and your life. There is life beyond the loss. To be totally transparent with you, I thought when I was a young man that I would get married and we'd have a whole slew of kids and, you know, we'd preach or pastor or something. I just wanted to serve God. And we're marching on. And I remember the day that my wife first told me she was pregnant several years ago. And I remember the day that we lost that baby. And I I remember thinking, God, what's going on here? I'm I'm following your plan. I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. And and I I built myself back up. And I said, you know what? It's okay. Let's keep moving. And few more years go by. And then later on, she tells me again, we're pregnant. And oh my goodness, we were so elated and so excited because God had given us a child and we lost that one, too. And I remember thinking, God, what are you doing to me? Am I not doing what's right here? Am I not am I am A am I doing Am I doing something wrong? Have I done something to upset you? But the voice of God spoke and said, "It's not about your loss. It's about moving forward." And I remember back in back in January, my father, he he began to preach about praising through your pain and giving God glory even through even in spite of of of what happens in life. And I remember in that moment, it was at the turn of the year this year. I can remember getting up and saying, "You know what, God? I'm going to give you glory no matter what." And I begin to dance in the presence of God. I didn't care who was looking. I didn't care. I said to myself, "I'm going to get up and go to where God has called me." Two months later, my wife made the announcement that we were pregnant again. And to this day, I carry this as a reminder that God is faithful and God is true. Can I tell you something, church family? We got to learn to get up and move on. We've got to learn to say it's worth praising God again. I wonder what's behind your next hallelujah. I wonder what's behind your next praise. Oh, hallelujah. Musicians come. I feel the Holy Ghost in this place because it wasn't until after. Somebody say after. It wasn't until after that Ham had sinned. But God was greater than the curse of sin. Somebody say after. It wasn't until after Han died and his father had built a city around his grief that now we arrive at infamous scripture. And the Bible says in Genesis 12:1, "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house unto a land I will show thee." He was telling him, Abram, don't you be like your father. I just got a good feeling that today is a good day to break a generational sin. I I just got a feeling that today is a good day that says, you know what, my mom and dad fell in sin, but that doesn't mean I have to stay here where they failed. In the name of Jesus, we're getting up today. In the name of Jesus. Oh, I feel Holy Ghost energy in this house. I feel like somebody's getting ready to stand up and say, "Today is the day that I move on and I go and possess what God is calling me to." Oh, God. Sin ran in my I know you've heard it before. Sin ran in my family until it ran into me. God, you got to get something made up in your mind and understand God is greater than the curse of sin. You got to get something in your mind this morning, made up that says, "God is greater than what I've lost and what I've been through." And then you got to be like Abram where he said, "Get thee out of thy country. Get out of this place." Just because the former generation has made that mistake, does not mean that you have to make that mistake. He said, "Get out of thy country and from thy kindred and from thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee." It's time for us today and God is calling us today to get up and to get out of where we are to arise above where we are currently at and say, "Today is the day that I move forward." Some of you in the room today may say, "Well, preacher, that sounds good, but I've lived the prime of my life, and I'm kind of beyond that really." Genesis 12:4. So, Abram departed as the Lord had spoken unto him. Lot went with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he departed out of Han. He was 75 when God called him. You keep reading several chapters later Genesis 25 and7 the Bible says and these are the days of the years of Abram's life which he lived andund three score and 15 years that's the biblical way of saying 175 years God gave him another hundred years after the promise he was 75 years old when God's promise came to him. He was 85 years old whenever God encouraged him. He was 100 years old when his first son Isaac was born. God, thank you for not waiting till I was 100. I mean, I got faith, God, but thank you, Lord. He's 100 years old when Isaac was born. He was 160 years old when Jacob was born. Jacob, who would become the namesake of God's chosen people. Can I tell you, it is never too late to get up from where you are to arise and walk and follow after God. You may be in this room this morning and you're saying, "I've been through a lot, preacher. So was Abram." But in the name of Jesus, God has got a promise on your life. And so on this Pentecost Sunday, I close by reading just a couple of passages. For when they were when the day of Pentecost was fully come, Acts 2, chapter 1. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord and in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind. And it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them clothing tongues like as a fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. And so Peter starts preaching. He starts telling them what they need to hear. And the Bible says, Acts 2:37, "Now when they heard this, they were pricricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?" Then Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you." Because God is greater than the curse of sin. So everybody needs baptism. God is greater than the curse of sin. And he has a calling on everybody. Repent. Be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Stand to your feet with me this morning. Watch this. Watch this. Because he didn't stop there. He told him in the same spirit that Abram had, he said in verse 39, "For the [Music] promise, for the land that flows with milk and honey." My God have mercy. For the land that I have called for you, the promise, it's not just for you, but it's for your children and to all. Somebody say all. To all that are a far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. I've come to tell you this morning that there's not a person in this room that I'm not preaching to. Hear me. Hear me. God has a divine plan for your life. You may not see it. You may not even know what it fully is yet, but God has a Canaan land just for you today. And Abram didn't know where he was going. And you may not know where you're going right now, but in the name of Jesus, I'll tell you what the first two steps are. arise and walk to get up out of where you are and say, "I'm not going to live this way anymore." You've got sin in your life. You've got something you've been battling with. You need to say, "Today is the last day of this struggle. And today is the first day of the rest of my life." Can we lift our hands and love the Lord right now? All across this room, that's it. Go ahead, lift your hands right now all across this place and begin to use your voice in the name of Jesus. Uh, right now in the name of Jesus, uh, I open up this altar to anyone who would be willing to stand up, walk this way, and say, I've got better days ahead. Would you come with me and would you begin to walk into the promises of God in the name of Jesus? That's it. Go ahead. That's it. Let faith arise in the room right now. God's got a kingdom. God's got a purpose. I'll shake off despair as I sing out your name. A victory dance. I will dance out in faith. I will crush disappointment and break every chain. All of my fear I will turn into grace. Shake off despair as I sing out your name. A victory. I will dance out in faith. I will crush this morning and break every chain. Hold up my fear. I will turn it to grace. Shake off this as I sing out your name. A victory. I will dance in I will crush this and break every chain. Break every chain. Every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. I've got a reason to praise the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. I won't be quiet. I won't be quiet. My God is alive. How could I keep it inside? [Music] Praise the Lord, oh my [Music] soul. All of my fear I will turn into grace. Shake off despair as I sing out your name. A victory dance. I will dance out in faith. I will crush disappointment and break every chain of all of my fear. I will turn into praise. Shake off despair as I sing out your name. A victory I will dance out in I will disappoint and break every chain. All of my fear I will turn into every share as I sing out your way. Victory I will dance out and break. Our trust is the one that can break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Every chain break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Break every chain. Cuz I've got a reason to [Music] praise the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord, oh my soul. I won't be quiet. I won't be quiet. My God is alive. How could I keep this? I won't be quiet. I won't be quiet. My God is alive. How could I keep it inside? I won't be quiet. I won't be quiet. My God is alive. How could I keep it inside? [Music] Praise the Lord, oh my soul. Would you lift your voices unto the Lord right now? Would you thank him for the call to arise and go forward? We have been called. We are chosen and we will be faithful in the call of God.