Sunday Morning Worship Service
by Anthony McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Philippians 1:6, Acts 1:4, Daniel 7:25, Acts 1:5, 1 Corinthians 15:6, Acts 23:10-11, Joel 3:9-10, Revelation 3:7

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/anthony-mccool--sunday-morning-worship-service-74
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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I am stirred in my soul this morning I'm excited to be in his house I know it's it's said not to overp spiritualize everything with and I agree but let's overnet when the the sun uh goes down a bit earlier on our according to our watches and it gets darker and uh there's a lot of things that can take place in our mind when this happens and you can look at the different statistics on how this time of year is the cause with the weather and everything else for so many difficulties and then we step into the holiday seasons and this can be yes an exciting time but it can also invoke and flood your mind with a lot of memories or uh those that are not with us any longer or or or or or cherish memories from time past that can do all these things and I don't diminish the importance of those at all and I don't say you know just get over it but or sweep things under the rug from our pastor anything like that but at the same time I I want us to be cautious and I want us to be careful and I first and foremost preach to this guy right here that this time of year we can fall into a bit of a slumber and you know that the Heat's hitting us and it's a little bit darker and this time of year I'm going to put it into neutral or hibernation Zone if you will but I I refuse to let that happen in my life both in the natural and in the spiritual so if you're looking for me to use all the right language just to make sure that I hit all points I I'm aspiring to do so I I refuse not to step in his house and get excited I refuse not to to step in his presence and not give him the glory that he deserves even if I don't feel like it even if I'm a little bit comfortable I've got to I got a feel him not just uh as a matter or a display of of emotion but when I think about the goodness of Jesus and what he's done for me my soul Cries Out Hallelujah and uh let's get let's get going Philippians 1 and6 and acts 1 and4 what an honor it is to be a part of this great congregation I I give honor to this entire church body and it's always the highest honor to to to be able to to to preach from this Podium and I'm inspired by each and every one of you all and we talk about it constantly the greatest sermons aren't from behind the podium but from each and one of you saints of God living this and representing Christ in the day today Philippians 1 and6 being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you he will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ acts 1 and4 and being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise everybody say promise of the Father which sayith ye heard of me I want to preach to you for a few moments this morning on the topic on the subject title of to be continued to be continued if you would bow your heads across this house and let's pray over this sermon Heavenly Father we thank you this morning Lord we thank you for the outpouring of your love and your spirit and your mercy and Grace that taken place in this house already Lord through your word today and Overlook the inadequacies of the speaker Lord through your word today Lord let us feel encouraged let us be inspired let us uh wake up in our minds and in the spiritual to realize that you have something so great for us if we remain faithful to you in Jesus name we pray Amen to be continued this phrase often delivers a powerful punch in television storytelling creating suspense and anticipation among audiences this narrative technique is a tactical pause deliberately used by show creators to Captivate viewers ensuring they return for future episodes at face value these words may seem innocuous but they encapsulate a deeper storytelling strategy that intertwines viewer engagement with the unfolding narrative Arc and imagine being thoroughly engrossed in a TV show the plot reaching its critical mass perhaps a mystery is about to be solved a a villain cornered or a heartfelt moment shared hopefully between two spouses that'll sink in in a second you're on the edge of your seat emotionally invested and then the screen Fades to Black with those Infamous words too be Contin suddenly you're in limbo suspended between curiosity and frustration this strategy deliberately interrupts the flow leaving the story's resolution hanging in the balance it's like pausing in the middle of a thrilling Chase just before the hero makes the daring leap and for the audience this experience can be both exhilarating and exhausting and exasperating the anticipation of what comes next is electrifying you're left piecing together Clues and speculating the outcomes And discussing theories with fellow viewers the sense of incomplete satisfaction fuels your imagination and the longing to tune into the next episode when's it going to be and you folks in the 90s you know at next Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. I got to have the VHS on record just to make sure that I don't miss it and all of you younger generation don't you laugh one second you've got the streaming services where you can just go back you'll never know the struggle and the sacrifice that we endured it's the iterative process of suspense and curiosity that keeps audiences hooked season after season from a production standpoint top continued episode often form part of a larger narrative strategy many successful shows structure their storytelling with Cliffhangers which not only enhance the dramatic tension but also serve as a reliable formula to maintain or Spike viewership figures with every heiring by leaving a plot Point unresolved creators ensure that viewers remember and return to see its resolution oh when's the show going to to air is it going to come back in the fall or is is it going to come back in the spring oh when is that next episode going to air this episodic Cliffhanger model Fosters engagement beyond the screen fans take to forums and social media and discussion groups or you'll see one of the actors on the Today's Show or on one of the late night shows and in their interview you're you're just hoping that they just r R just a a little piece of information that might give you a mle more clarity on what's going to take place this communal speculation becomes a vital part of the viewing experience turning solitary show watching into a shared cultural activity the discussions and theories spun out of these continuations build a community around the narrative feeding the show's popularity and expanding its Universe into the realm of fan culture and this was before my time but I looked up what was the most famous and talked about to be continued episodes or Seasons or uh shows that were so anticipated and I feel like if I ask this question across this house just maybe one or a few might can fill in the blank this was before my time but if I said who shot wow who shot Jr we talk about this communal uh conversation from the show Dallas in 1980 that's been well some of you and I'll look out for you it's been a longer time ago than what we would like to admit but this 2B continued just leaves us in a limbo in essence to be continued represents not just a pause in storytelling but a strategic engagement tool meant to tether viewers to the ongoing tapestry of a Show's narrative it speaks to the intrinsic human love for stories and anticipation of the unknown the drama the prompting the dynamic interaction between creators and the audience and the magic lies and the wait and the longing to know more and the sweet satisfaction of a eventually uncovering the Mysteries that lie ahead and I'm sure each and every one of you can look back to your adolescent life or your young adult life and there was that show that you just had to watch and your mind is flooded with maybe great memories of trying to kick all the family out of the house I I don't want any interruptions I got to make sure the antennas are pointed the right way I've got to watch my show that's coming on and because of these plots and the to be continued I've been in such great anticipation and this is exciting when we're watching a show or reading a book or waiting for the sequel of our favorite movie but when this happens in our own life our attitude towards it is vastly different when the drama and stress of Life hits us from all kind of different directions and there's no immediate resolution unsure what tomorrow is going to look like or sitting there waiting on an answer for multiple months or even a years it's not quite as as thrilling because we like to have control of our own lines we we don't like to be met with anything that lists those words to be continued dot dot dot that's not so great when it happens in my family or at my job or with my finances or with my health we like to have control many of us got on our weather app to see what the temperature was going to be before we walked out the door some of us might have a family gathering centered around the holiday season and we're already looking to see what the weather is going to be nine days from now we we we don't do anything in this modern day unless we we know exactly what the outcome is going to be some of you might even take took a a different route to church this morning based on your GPS display well this Road's got a little bit of red here so I'm going to go this way I don't want to take any chances I don't want anything in my life that I don't have 100% certainty about but God has a scripted plan for every individual's life and because God has created us as individuals with free will we can choose to ignore God's scripts for our lives and follow our own selfish inclinations or we can choose to align our lives with his plans for us and the choice is ours in these seasons of to be continued these can be the most pivotal times in our life on to the extent for which we trust God and it can be a season of growing in strength or it can be a season season where we're slowly incrementally lose out on what God has called us to be and what he has for our life and oh I know it's really easy to preach and we know that all things work together for good to those that love man I can preach that that's good stuff but when you're going through something and somebody says that to you you just want to like I just shut up okay you know it's easy to get behind here and you know I got a a large audience here and I can just kind of say that out and yeah that that's great but when you're receiving the doctor's report or you're dealing with the situation in your family's life or you're dealing with something in your marriage or tragedy has struck your home and your life our response can take a different path and the choice is ours he will utilize our decisions to work toward good outcomes for us and other individuals if we can maintain our faith it's it's easy to to preach about it's easy to say but it's another thing to make that choice to Rejoice if you will in the midst of your circumstances cuz the the enemy would seek to discourage you with every single attack possible and we have to be wise the the enemy the enemy knows somebody like you on a church pew on Sunday morning Sunday night you you are Mighty saints of God it's not going to be a a one- time thing that you're all of the sudden out of the house of God or all of the sudden your marriage is Fallen apart or all of the sudden all the things in your life have scattered no no no no no it's not going to be a one time thing it's a slow chipping away chipping away of hurdles and obstacles and doubts and insecurities and lack of faith and mistakes and shame and lack of focus and not keeping my eyes and having the proper Vision but we must remember he said these things that I've started in you I'm going to finish and in our flesh we we we constantly met with moments this to be continued season where things aren't just moving as quickly as we would like them to be I I want some resolution in this situation I I want some peace of mind over my family in the current state that they're in and it's just not there I'm just met with uncertainty and if Satan can weigh you down consistently he told Peter that I I come to sift you as wheat he wants to sift our faith he desires to sift Every Blessing out of your life just sift your your your your marriage a bit sift your your family a bit sift your morality uh a bit just sift all of the blessings that God has for your life you often hear Bishop talk about uh this verse of scripture in Daniel 7:25 and it says he shall speak great words against the most high and he shall wear out the Saints of the most high you can see this sifting of what it looks like and what uh Jesus was alluding to is just just a constant sifting of the wheed it's not all at once but it it's a it's a stressor here and it's a a mistake here and it's something popping up from your past right here and it's some interpersonal conflict with somebody you had great trust in here and all of these things that tend to Snowball Effect and all of these things tend to accumulate and all of the sudden you find yourself and opposition to so many things and your mind is flooded with doubt and you're weary over many situations and maybe you've lost trust in somebody that you loved dearly and you're trying to reconcile all this with your faith and then some crazy guy with a purple tie and his hair stuck up in the back on Sunday mornings telling you to worship and praise and you're just like what what what don't laugh at that and we're trying to reconcile all of these things in our life in these seasons of to be continued or this situation that there's still no resolution in or this portion of time which is a pivotal deciding point for you and your family and your walk with God lord your your word tells me that you're a Healer but there is just this abrupt pause all of the sudden your your word tells me that you're the deliverer we seen about it I was just running the aisles about it but now it seems like I'm left hanging it says you're the source of my joy but to smile you know I got to do a lot of work was I when I smile my dread has just flooded my thoughts and my minds and my sleep habits and my eating habits due to the uncertainty and we our a book of Acts church we preach about and we say and if we were going to describe our uh ourselves and we identify ourselves as being Apostolic which means uh trying to and aspiring to uh fulfill the doctrines of the Apostles and Pentecostal Believing on the experiences that took place on the day of Pentecost that that power and the Miracles and the signs and wonders are are still available to you to this day and we describe ourselves as Christians following the teachings of of Christ and all of those things are true and we talk about the book of Acts church and when we think about the book of Acts you know one of the things commonly associated with it and rightfully so is being Spirit-filled and he shall receive power and we preach that a lot and it's true but the book of Acts maybe the greatest interpretation of it for our modern day would be to call it the to be continued book in Acts 1 and4 it says and being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which saith ye have heard me for John I could do that I wait for the promise that's no no problem at all that sounds great verse five for John truly baptized with water yeah give it to me but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost let's go not many days yes you did you say days Pro you know maybe 15 20 minutes after the fact would I would prefer but but you you said many days hence H how many is many how how long are we going to have to wait and this till the next season comes out if you will H H how long is many Jesus had been with his disciples he had eaten with them you talk about feeling empowered you know he had prayed with them buddy I could step into a hospital room with Jesus by my side and feel pretty confident right and have a lot of of authority and start thinking that I'm oh yeah I got power prayed with them they seen firstand the miraculous take place I Could Walk on Water I can distribute food I can I can raise the the dead back to life I could make the blind see I can you know me and me and Jesus and Jesus told me he said you know uh go out into all the world man I'm going to every continent and it says every single creature there ain't nothing going to stop me you talk about feeling empowered you talk about feeling inspired I I've seen all of these Miracles I I've walked first I've walked firsthand with the Messiah prayed with him ate with him seen him resurrected he told me to go out into the world and then Jesus ascended to heaven and he said I'm going to give you power not immediately but just just wait after any days I don't know about you but all this is taking place and if I was a disciple all the sudden Jesus has descended and he says not many days hence I'd be like uhhuh how many is many you talk about a potential blow to morale it would be easy for doubt and skepticism to creep in perhaps insecurity the lingering mistakes they had recently made probably begin to creep up in forms of doubt and forms of skepticism and shame and insecurity and uncertainty and lack of confidence and questions being asked and murmuring and conflict and infighting are you sure you heard him correctly not many days hence maybe he's abandoned us or maybe you just misheard Maybe maybe that's all that he was going to do in our lives and now he's just left us all to be here but he said wait he said there's a promise so let that promise be proof in your in your in your current Calamity and your and your current situation that all things are going to work towards what I've promised you I tell you what the conclusion is but there's not a lot of details over all the stuff that's going to take place but there's a promise and Jesus communicates to his people like this that you got to have faith I tell you what the promise is but you've got to maintain your faithfulness your joy your praise your wor worship that's faith in the uncertainty in 1 Corinthians 15 six it tells us that Christ appeared to 500 disciples and commanded them this same command to wait for the promise but what do we know on the day of Pentecost how many were there 120 the promise came initially to the 120 who remained Faith who in the midst of doubt in the midst of skepticism in the in the in the midst of the the waiting game they remained faithful we must be patient and Trust in the plan of God for our lives there is a purposeful Divine delay and even though we might not fully understand when we choose to remain faithful and choose to give God glory and choose to give God our our very best in our praise and in our service in our representation of him of Our Lives we position ourselves for the God's promises even in those times where all he is asking is just to be obedient and trust that he's in control Jesus told the apostles PL plainly that there's going to be this some things that are NE not yet going to be revealed to you there's going to be some things that are unknown to you but let this time of uncertainty be proof that the god you serve is orchestrating some things behind the scenes just like the song says that even when I don't feel you you're working or even when I don't see you I I know you're I know you're moving this to be continued is only for a time but this is the time that you've got to hold on to what I have promised you I've promised you to be to be your deliverer I've promised to be your healer I've promised to make a way when there was no way but if you hold on and if you'll trust the promise is on the way and he's going to release his power upon your life now what does this word tell us to do during these Seasons I I don't have some type of strategic game plan to submit to you today there's not a self-help book that I could give you during these seasons of to be continued and how to anticipate but the scriptural precedent I do have is the disciples continue to gather together together daily and give God praise the greatest thing that you could do in the seasons of uncertainty when you don't know what's going to unfold even when there's doubt even when there's weariness even when there's conflict is to continue to gather into his house with fellow Believers and give God praise say God I thank you God I praise you just like our initial prayer God examine my heart God give me the proper vision give me the proper perspective I know you're going to move I know there's a promise I'm going to keep worshiping while I wait I'm going to keep praising you in this season of the unknown I know there's a promise and I know if I remain faithful that you're going to deliver on your promises Give the Lord a great big hand of Praise You may have been met with a tragedy in your life for just an abrupt climax in the season of your life and you're unsure about what the next step is unsure what tomorrow is going to hold unsure what next year's is going to look like but have faith and trust in God and if you'll be led by his word he's going to lead you and he's going to guide you and he's going to give you that power from on high in Acts 23 we read about the Apostle Paul you talk about an individual who could be defined as the to be continued guy it seems like every chapter and every verse he's either in prison or he's in Athens talking to the philosophers or he's making a tent or he's in chains on a ship about to be Shipwrecked I mean every single chapter is to be continued with the Apostle Paul one particular instance in Acts 23 it says and when there arose a great dissension the chief Captain fearing lest Paul should have pulled in the pieces of them commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the castle they wanted to take out the Apostle Paul he was a a nuisance and causing them all kind of trouble is Guy verse 11 in the night following the Lord stood by him notice and said be of good cheer Apostle Paul's in Chains probably like like yeah great yeah I'm real happy be of good cheer Paul for thou Hast testified as thou has testified of me in Jerusalem okay I'm in good cheer so must thou bear witness also in Rome the Apostle Paul may have thought this was going to be his last night on earth the Al Paul might have thought he was going to die of hypothermia of starvation or they were going to take him out tomorrow but all of the sudden God meets him right there while he's Shackled up and says be of good cheer just like you testified in Jerusalem you're also going to testify in the most powerful Empire to exist in this moment and what I'm telling you Apostle I'm not giving you all the details I'm not telling you what tomorrow or next week or next month going to look like but I'm giving you a promise that I've got something that I need you to do you're going to walk right into Rome and you're going to Bear my name and you're going to tell about the resurrected Savior Jesus I don't have all the details but this promise right here let it be proof that you're going to survive the nights let this be proof that your shipwreck's not going to take you out let it be proof that Viper is not going to put Venom in you that's going to kill you you're going to testify in Rome I've got a purpose and I've got a calling for you and let this promise be proof that the current is not going to take you out and God has a promise for every single one of you under the sound of my voice if you'll remember and getting his word he said I'm going to fill you with power from on high and let this power let this promise for what he's going to do in the future make you realize that in the moment that it's not going to take me out I might struggle a little bit I might have doubt I might have skepticism I might not know what tomorrow is going to hold but I'm still going to give you praise Lord I'm still going to worship your name I'm still going to give you glory I don't understand I've got to do this to make myself smile but I believe I believe you're working all things to your good I it sounds kind of crazy when I say it out loud but God I believe you're working all things to you go give the Lord a shout of Praise right now oh I wonder if somebody get out of their seat say I'm I'm going to testify in Rome I'm going to testify in Rome I've got a calling on my life I've got a purpose on my life God's got something more for me God's got something more for me musicians and singers come a reporter was interviewed doing an old man on his 100th birthday he said what are you most proud of he said well said the man he said I don't have an enemy in this world what a beautiful thought how inspirational this Centurion don't have an enemy in this world he said said yep I've outlived every single one of them there's some things in your life that you just got to survive there's some things in your life that you've got to just keep living there's some things in your life that you just got to keep walking as Pastor Willie told us about last week I don't understand it it doesn't make sense to me but I'm still going to give you praise I'm still going to be like Daniel and open my window up towards Jerusalem every single day time at the same time I'm I'm going to give you praise I've got a madeup mind and I'm determined in my mind that no distraction no obstacle no thing that comes against me is going to deter me because I've got a promise from on high stand with me Joel 3 verse 9 says Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles prepare a war and wake up the Mighty Men let all the men of War draw near and let them come up it says beat your plow shares into swords and your pruning hooks into Spears and let the weak say I am strong oh it's time for a book of Acts Church to wake up here this morning I don't say that as some kind of say that this church does amazing and mighty things but I'm talking about us as individuals for whatever thing we're all facing stuff in our lives and I say that with the greatest deal of humility possible please I'm preaching to myself when I say that it's time for the Warriors to wake up and what I mean by that it's time for us to wake up and realize the power that's been given to us from on high that we've got the holy ghost that we've got that living breathing power inside of us not as something that we should walk around with our heads held high but as something that gets us to our knees knes that we can say thank you Lord thank you God for what youve given me my life is not my own I know that I'm supposed to give you glory but God I also know that you gave me a Ministry to go testify in Rome that I might reach somebody else the most important person in the world is the person next to me and I know that you've called me for such a time as this he said prepare war and wake up the Mighty Men and I know across this house there's Mighty Men and women I know several of your testimonies and it's very humbling to even get up big get up here and preach a sermon when I know what some of you have endured and some of you have gone through and some of you out three times twice my age and out worship me and out praise me in all Capac it's inspiring and I just say this this morning as a reminder to all of us to wake up to realize what God has given us the power that he has for us he said wake up the Warriors this isn't a time for the church to hibernate this isn't a time to kick our heels up this isn't a time to throw it into neutral it's a time to step forward full blast and say God I love you God I thank you God I know you're going to make a [Applause] way again not overp spiritualizing when Jesus went to heal jarus daughter he said made arise he gave her the miraculous need that she needed and then he said give her some meat some things will also help in our lives if you'll take care of yourself get the nourishment if you marriage needs counseling gets counseling if you individual has a need counseling if you if you need something in your life whatever the nourishment is go after it go get it God's going to bless you God's going to work the thing is he said turn your plow shares whatever you got use it to fight with use it to fight with take care of yourself get around around the people of God get around your family get around those things that give you strength don't allow yourself to fall into a stuper of these dark days and long nights and a lot of the things associated with it Whatever It Is get the meat that you need get the nourishment that you need and take pride in it because somebody else's life is dependent on you somebody else's life is dependent on your testimony somebody else's security and safety is dependent upon your ability to fight your children need you your family needs you we need you we need each other don't quit don't quit what you are doing makes a difference but you don't understand I'm tired I don't understand how this makes any sense I see these person over here that they're just I wish my life was like theirs I wish I had that kind of Faith but if I'm honest with you I'm looky to be here he said if you fell weak let the weak say that I'm everybody say that for just a second I'm strong well that does something to you don't it where's the dumb bells smart Bells Revelation 3:7 says and to the angel of the church Church in Philadelphia write these things which sayith that he is Holy he that is true and he that hath the Key of David talking about the davidic bloodline to the Messiah Jesus he that openeth no man can shth and shth and no man can open it God's got this in control go there's there's no power on Earth that has the ability to prevent you to stop you from doing what I'm going to do in your life and he's talking to the church in Philadelphia where they remained faithful and the society around them was degradated and just uh all kinds of turmoil but he said I see you I Know Thy Works behold I I've set before you an Open Door regardless of what's going on around you no man has any influence over it because I've seen you I've seen you keep my word he's telling them in this dire of circumstances I've seen you remain faithful in these seasons of uncertainty and these two be continued I've seen you lift your hands I've seen you give out praise when tragedy has struck your life he said and he said and you've kept my word and you've not denied my name because thou Hast a little strength that's all God's asking this morning is just do you have a a little strength do you have just enough to say God I think I can lift my hands I that might be all I can do right now Lord I I can say that I love you Lord I'm weak but I'm declaring right now that I am strong as we pray this morning I'm praying for an outpouring of his power from on high I'm praying for a rejuvenating and a refreshing in our spirits of the Holy Ghost that that power because it keeps that promise alive it keeps that promise held to me that you're going to move you're going to provide you're going to deliver you're going to make a way you're going to bring resolution I don't know what all the details look like I don't know how many days hence but I know there's a promise I know there's a promise I open this altar right now for somebody that says I'm waking up I'm stepping forward I'm determined to fight I'm determined to use whatever I have to make a difference my family needs me my friends need me my school needs me my workplace needs me Knoxville needs me I know I'm going through some stuff but I know that my calling is not just about me it's about the people around me and I am going to testify in Rome I'm going to testify in r home and I'm holding on to that promise to know that the current Situation's not going to be the end yes Jesus don't let anybody pray alone right now don't let anybody pray alone right now no man can shut it no man can open it only God hold on to that [Music] promise hold on to that promise God give me a spirit [Music] thank you [Music] Jesus if you got just a little strength if you got just a little faith that's all he's asking for you got just a little faith just a little strength that God I've been through some stuff but if I can just get my hands up to you if I can just get my voice to you let the weak say I'm strong I'm going to make it my past doesn't Define me this situation does not define me this circumstance does not define me You' got a calling for me you got a promise for me I know you're going to move that's not who I am I made a made a mistake but God I'm sorry Lord forgive me of my sins and his mercy and Grace oh yeah that doesn't Define me it doesn't Define me yes Jesus yes Jesus yes Jesus