Wednesday Night Bible Study
by Billy McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: Bible study
Scripture: Psalm 127:3-5, Acts 2:38, Proverbs 22:6, 2 Samuel 1:18-20, Genesis 49:3-4, 1 Chronicles 5:1-2, Proverbs 17:6, Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 6:7, Psalm 78:3-6, 2 Timothy 3:15-16

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/billy-mccool--wednesday-night-bible-study-37
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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praise the Lord everyone. >> We greet you tonight in that wonderful name of Jesus. that name that is above every name. God has given him a name that is above every name. And I'm glad that we know that name tonight. And I would like to add my voice to those that have gone before me and say welcome to uh Wednesday night Bible study as we look into the word of the Lord and study the word of God. You've heard the announcements that's coming ahead of us and remember all of that and we'll we'll be be faithful to the house of God. Whether it's a a funeral or whether it's a a fellowship meeting, we're going to be here and we're going to be praising the Lord. We're going to get into the study of the word of the Lord shortly. First of all, uh let's pray together. Father, we thank you tonight for the blessing of being in the house of the Lord. We thank you, God, for all of you, the church family. We are thankful for the privilege we have of studying the word of God together with the family of God. Anoint the lips of clay with the spirit of God. Give what you would have spoken in this service tonight. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Our lesson tonight, I've just entitled it Children, a Heritage of the Lord. Children, a Heritage of the Lord. Uh Psalms chapter 127 and verses 3-5. Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord. Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. That's a that's a mighty powerful statement if you'll just stop to think about that just a little bit. Uh children are a heritage, a heritage of who? Who owns them? Who can claim them? How do we how do we interpret this scripture? below children are inheritage of the Lord. If you're a child of God, you're a heritage of the Lord. You belong to him and and uh he loves you and claims you. So he is we are his and we are heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is his reward. We are the fruit of the womb. We are the children of God. And he's claiming us right off in Psalms 127 verse three. Verse four says, "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of thy youth." Now, we're not only a heritage of the Lord, but we're also are as arrows in the hands of a mighty man. You know who the the mighty one is? Is is is our God and we are the artillery that he's using. And and as an arrow in the hands of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth. You know, we are ammunition for God. We are fruit of God. We're children of God. And he claims us. And he puts us in several different categories that we fit as heritage of the Lord. Happy is the man that have his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemy in the gate. Now, the quiver is that instrument that they strap on and and they put arrows down in that holder and that that that it's called a quiver and they take an arrow out. They can shoot it. They've got several others there that that that just shoot one arrow. That's not all there is. There's more left there. Well, we are as arrows in the quiver of the Lord. He's got each one of us and he's got us in his container. And the reason it's called this, it is placed on the body in such a a position that it's very easy to get to and can reload very quick. Well, we're living in a new day now. But in the day this was written, it was it made great sense because the the arrows were very very uh easy to get to and it was a a pleasant thing to have something so easy to use. Happy is a man that hath his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemy in the gate. It's amazing. Uh, as I've studied the Bible these many, many years, and it's amazing the different analogies, the different comparisons the Lord makes about what his people are to the shepherd. He's he's the sheep. And now then when it comes to warfare, we're we're we're arrows in the quiver of the Lord. And he uses many different analogies, many different comparisons to compare his children. Well, I'll just put it like this. Whatever he needs, that's what you and I are. He We become the the artillery. We become the bow and arrow. We become the sword. We become that which the Lord needs. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Now children are compared and likened unto errors. Era is a small but a powerful instrument. Uh it's a it's not a huge overpowering thing to look at, but the arrow is small, but it's very powerful. Now, the arrow in and of itself can do nothing. It's dead. It's just a lifeless nothing. But when it's put in the hand of the man that's supposed to use it, it becomes a deadly weapon when put in the proper hands. And I want to tell you something. You and I may be a very little use in and of ourselves, but you put us in the hands of the man called Jesus. Then we become a a deadly weapon. Happy is the man that had his quiver full of them. They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Children are like arrows. The arrow is small but powerful. It took only one to slay Ahab. It has a great great deadly use when used in the right hands. That arrow must be sharpened. It must be kept very sharp if it's going to be deadly. An arrow must be sharpened. A child must be educated. Its faculties develop. Note its natural sharpness. Now we've got this comparison of object to a human being. The arrow though is small but it's powerful. It's small but it's sharpened. A child must be educated and its faculties develop. Now then here we've got this comparison again of an inadimate object that is a of no use unless it's in the right hands. But when it's in the right hands, it becomes a very powerful weapon. It only take took one arrow to slay Ahab. The arrow must be sharpened. And he now compares it uh to a child. A child must be educated, its faculties developed. Note the natural sharpness. Now we're looking at something now that if we can look beyond just the written word and see what the implication is. You and I have a great responsibility of guiding our the little ones or children in the ways of the Lord. We'll get to the scripture in a little bit where it says, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he's old, he'll not depart from it." So now then, this arrow that we're talking about is a small but a powerful tool. If it's in the correct hands, an arrow must be sharpened. And that's our job. A child must be educated. its faculties developed and that puts the responsibility upon you and me. We've got a a a responsibility to to train our children, to train our little ones. They'll never know unless you and I take it upon ourselves to train them up in the proper way. An arrow travels a far distance. who can measure the influence of a child. I I don't mean to use myself as an illustration for any uh special advantage. But I can remember many times when I was a just a child, I repented when I was seven years old and and I I believed in the Holy Ghost. I heard him preach about the Holy Ghost, but I knew I didn't have the Holy Ghost. And we we had a special testimony back then. And there was a certain group among us. We didn't have many churches to to go to that believed in the apostolic message. And most of the uh Pentecostal churches we went to, they were trinitarian. But we went because that was the closest thing to what we really believed. And and so uh I would I would testify. I want to praise the Lord for saving and sanctifying me. And I want you to pray for me that I'll receive that good Holy Ghost. Now, I testified to that about four years if my memory serves me right. And I I knew the Holy Ghost was real, but I knew I didn't have it. And I would testify, I want to praise the Lord for saving and sanctifying me and pray for me that God will give me the sweet Holy Ghost. Well, one night in Pascola, Missouri, that's a little town between Hatai and Kennet, Missouri, and and uh I would going to a a little holiness revival. And I testified that one night, I want to praise the Lord for saving and sanctifying me and pray for me that I'll get the Holy Ghost. And when I said that, there was an elderly lady sitting in a little bit further back than I was. And she said, "Yes, honey, and tonight." And that was like a a sword that just split through the air. And I I I have no idea what the preacher preached on that night, but I do know this. I've never forgot that woman's voice when she said, "Yes, honey." and tonight. Now, I I don't know if she got tired of hearing me testify that, but when when I remember what she looked like, she had she had long hair and she pulled it back real tight and did it up in biscuit in the back of her head back back a big knot back there. It looked very nice and but she she was very neat, but you could tell she was a a a holiness person. And she said, "Yes, honey, and tonight." And I I don't remember what that preacher preached that night, but I remember those words, "Yes, honey, and tonight." And I went to that altar that night and and brother Chuck Grave, you heard us talk about him. In fact, Brother Michael Min is is married to a relative of of Brother uh Chuck Grave. and and but anyway, he had just got the Holy Ghost the night before and I had invited uh Chuck Gray and he and my sister, my brother-in-law, and they had a a a country music band called Chuck Bray and the Missouers. And uh Chuck Bray had developed bleeding ulcers and and they thought sure he was going to die. and he came to our house and and I invited him to this revival we were going to and he went to the altar and got the Holy Ghost the first night he went to the altar and I went to the altar the next night and he got down not he didn't just get down beside me but he got down over me and and he was so filled with zeal of having the Holy Ghost fresh and new and he was praying for me and and After a while, I I almost had my head under the altar. We had the old mournerers bench back then and it set out out in front of the platform and you could pray have kneel on both sides of the altar and he got down over me and just about had my head under the altar and and uh somebody was standing at the pull pit and the last thing I remember hearing as I was praying uh somebody or looking over that pullpit said he's got the stammering stabing lips. Well, I I didn't know what stammering lips was, but I knew there was something happening to me that I had never had to happen before in my life. My tongue started rattling off a language that I didn't know what I was saying. I couldn't help what I was saying. But there was something coming out of my mouth. It was praising the Lord, but it wasn't praising the Lord in English. It was in another language that I didn't know what it was. And God filled me with the Holy Ghost that night as I spoke with tongues. Well, here I have got off on telling you about my my personal experience. But this is something that God wants everyone to have. If you do not have the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, you need to get it. I said, "You need to get it." And we may not we not may not preach it as often as we used to, but it it goes together. Repentance, water baptism in Jesus name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. I can give you a quick lesson in in the in the the doctrine of uh repentance and water of baptism in Jesus' name and the infilling of the Holy Ghost in in the the the New Testament in the second chapter of Acts. They were all in the upper room 120. And the Bible said there appeared unto them clothed in tongues like as a fire and it set upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with tongues and as the spirit of God gave them utterance. And then it said there were Jews and devout men out of every nation under heaven there. And some of them started saying they're having a drunken party if they and Peter said these men are not drunken as you suppose. See this being but the third hour of the day, but this is that was spoken of by the prophet Joel in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions. and upon your young men and your servants, sayith the Lord, I will pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy. That's the Holy Ghost experience. That's a New Testament experience. Repent, get baptized in Jesus name. And then he said, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Well, somebody say, "Praise the Lord." >> Hallelujah. Well, I don't I I kind of got off the the beaten path, but when I start talking about this great experience and and my twin brother um he had never repented. As a matter of fact, he uh I had repented when I was seven years old and every time I was in a a revival service when they'd give an altar call, I would be there in the altar. Many a time they would uh I would be the only one in the altar and the preacher would say is there anyone coming is well since there's no one coming we'll all stand and be dismissed and I was kneeling at the altar but I was just a little boy and he didn't consider me uh either worthy or determined enough and they would dismiss until that one night I gave that testimony and that The lady said, "Yes, honey, and tonight." And when the preacher was preaching, I could hear her saying that. And I went to that altar that night and brother Chuck Gray got down over me and he started praying for me and would he just got the Holy Ghost the night before and a little while my tongue started speaking in a heavenly language. And I got out from under brother Chuck Gray's hulk of a body. And I when I came to myself, I was dancing with bare feet on a hard floor. Dust was flying, but I was speaking in tongues. And the first thing I thought of, my twin brother, he never had repented. He, in fact, he'd try to get me out away from the the house and and he'd get me with other boys and he'd try to embarrass me and call me a because I wouldn't say some of the things that they wanted me to say and and try to get me to to talk bad. Well, I thought that night when I came to myself, I was speaking in tongues and I thought if brother Bob could only taste of what I've got tonight, if he only knew what I was feeling, Lord, and I opened my eyes and just a few steps from me, Brother Bobby was dancing and talking in tongues, he got the same Holy Ghost I got on that night because the Holy Ghost had fallen. Let me tell you, it's for you and your children and them that are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call. I'm so glad that I I got it. Hallelujah. Give the Lord a hand clap. Hallelujah. All right. Well, we're we're talking about uh the children of God. They're they're God's heritage. Children, a heritage of the Lord. As an arrow travels far, we can measure the in who can measure the influence of how far a child goes. Now, I started in this direction a while ago going got sidetracked. Um, nobody could possibly imagine a little 11-year-old boy in that altar that I would be preaching that this apostolic message 70 some odd years later. Here I was 11 and I'm right now I I'm 89. And so you can see the 70 some odd years in between and I've still got that same Holy Ghost. I'm still shouting the victory. I'm still proclaiming it's for you and your children and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Well, glory. Its power depends upon the certain strength and judgment with which it sent. We're talking about the error now that is shot. Now, it depends on how far it'll go and how much damage it'll do depending on the power behind it. The man or the person that's got that bow and arrow, how strong he is and the strength with which he pulls back the string and sends that arrow. Well, you and I have the arrow in our hands and we become the weapons in the army of God that we're going to pursue the enemy. as firmly embedded as twig is bent, so it will grow. Let us not send out into the world poison arrows. Let us send the arrow of deliverance. Let us send the arrow that will bring peace and joy and happiness to all those who receive it. Proverbs 22:6, I mentioned a minute ago that we will be referring to this scripture. Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Now, this is putting the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the grown-ups, mom and dad, preachers and teachers. It's our job to train up a child in the way he should go. And if we do that, the Bible said when he is old, he will not depart from it. Now, I would like to correct something that a lot of mistakes are are made. I've heard this quoted down through the years. Instead of saying train up a child the way he should go, they will say the Bible says that bring up a child the way you have it to go. The Bible don't say that. It don't say bring up a child the way you'd have it to go. It says train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old, he will not depart from it. If we'll bring our children up in the way of God, if we'll bring them to church and Sunday school, if we'll bring them to revival and to camp meeting and teach them the way of God, they're not going to depart from it when they get old because it's going to be planting a seed in their heart that you just can't get it out. >> Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 2 Samuel 1 18-20. Also he made them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow. Behold, it is written in the book of Jesser, the beauty of Israel slain upon the high places, how are the mighty fallen. Now, there's a lot of history in in these scriptures that you don't know unless you study the background. He also obeyed them to teach the children of Judah the use of the bow. Now, it is highly believed that when David came on the scene and and uh he went out to see his brothers and and take them food and get a a message to take back to his father how his sons were doing. And and he found out there was no war going on, that they were just at a standstill. And when David came in the scene, he was just a strappling of a boy. And uh he wanted to know why there was no battle going on. Well, uh the the the tried to quieten him down. And finally they said, "Now David, every day at a certain time, there's a giant that comes out and he challenges the Israelites. Send me a man that we may fight together. And if he prevails over me and slays me, then the Philistines will be your servants. But if I kill him, you'll be our servant. Nobody was willing to go and fight this big giant until this little boy David came on the scene and there was no fighting going on. And he said, "Why would I why do I see a battle going on?" And and his brothers tried to quieten him down. And one of his brothers said, "We we know the naughtiness of your heart. How that you've just come down here to see the the excitement of the battle. With whom left thou your your father's sheep in the wilderness is so take." He said, "I left the sheep with the keeper. I came to stay a while. I came to see what was going on. His brothers tried to shoe him off. Tried to send him back home." But the king heard David talking about what God could do. And he called David over to him and and told the king said, "Uh, who who's going to go fight that giant?" And the king said, "There's no man here that's able to do it." David said, "I can do it." And Saul said, "Well, if you're going to go, I'm going to let you put on my armor and let you go fight him." and and he began to put the armor on on David, the the the the boots and the sh the uh lagards and and all the shield and all that. And when he got him laden down, he could hardly move. It was so big and heavy. And he said, "I haven't proven these things." He said, "I don't know how to use a sword. I don't know how to use a shield." He said, "The only thing I know how to I know how to use a slingshot. I was out there fighting. I was out there taking care of my father's sheep and there came a bear out and got one of the sheep and I went out after him and begin to explain what God did through him and his brothers had to consent that it actually had happened and and they when they tried to put him under the weight of the armor, he couldn't use that. He said, "I'll take what God gives me." And as he started out across the the valley and and he took the the slingshot and he had a shepherd's bag and he took five smooth stones and put it in that bag. And when he got close enough to the giant, the giant giant began to ch David said they you send a a a a boy out here to fight. Am I a dog? You send a child out here to fight me. Send me a man that we may fight. I'll tear this boy apart and feed his body to the fs of the David said, "You come to me with a sword and a shield, but I come to you in the name of the Lord God of Israel." And he said, "I will I will send a stone and I'll bring you down and I'll take your head off your shoulders." And that's exactly what he did. He took five smooth stones, but he only used one. And down came Goliath. And David ran to that giant and grabbed his sword and cut his head off and grabbed him by the hair of the head and went wagging that bloody head back to the king Saul. Let me tell you something. God is a God of action and a God of victory. If you'll depend on him and stand on his word, God will deliver you. Give me a hand clap, please. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Well, let me go on here. Also, he made them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow. Now, the reason for this, David used a slingshot and a and a rock to bring Goliath down. And it is strongly believed that they thought after David was able to bring down Goliath with a slingshot, that would be their weapon of choice. You don't need anything else. But later on, they found out that everybody couldn't use a slingshot like David did. And they had to teach their children the use of the the bow, the use of a weapon that they may use that and by the hand and the anointing of God to win their victory. The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places. How are the mighty fallen? Tell it not in g. Now Saul and Jonathan had been slain in battle. And now then David finds out Saul and Saul's son Jonathan has been slain. And they here's the song he was singing. The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places. How are the mighty fallen? Tell it not in Gath. Publish it not in the streets of Escalon. Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Now when this thing took place as as it did and and uh Saul and and and Jonathan, they have now been killed. And David is telling the the his father was tell it not in Gath. Publish it not in the streets of Escalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. There's something to be be uh learn from this scripture right here. Um some folks are more prone to tell of the defeat than they are their victories. If they've gone, pray for me say I'm going through a trial. pray and then and we have a tendency to to tell all the bad things that we're going through. Well, he said, "Tell it not in Gath. Publish it not in the streets of Escalon. Don't tell about Saul and and Jonathan and their their demise. Don't tell that. Don't tell the uncircumcised less that they rejoice. Let's tell the victories." This is something that you and I need to zero in. You and I have so many good things to testify to. We don't have time to stand up and tell about all the aches and the ills and the pains and and the discomforts. I've got so many good things to tell you. I've got so many things to tell the about the the Lord Jesus Christ. I don't have time to tell about the negative. Got so many million years I just can't count them. Tell it not in gap. Publish it not in the streets of Ascalon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Genesis 49 3 and 4. Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. unstable as water, thou shalt not accept, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed. Then defilest thy head and went up to my couch. Even though God is on your side, you had a weakness and you made a you made a bad mistake and he had to to face this unstable as water. Thou shalt not excel. First Chronicles 5 1 and two, excuse me. unstable as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then defilest thy he went up to my couch. 1 Chronicles 5 and1. Now the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, for he was the firstborn. But for as much as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph, the son of Israel. And the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthight. There's something to be learned here. They they depended strongly upon their birthight. And it was just as the term implies the birthright was uh the the manner in which in the uh situation in which they were born. But now then he said and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright because if you transgress the laws of God just the way you were born is not going to save you. You're going to have to live for God and you're going to have to to to pay for what you do wrong. And the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was Joseph's grandchildren. God had the ones uh mapped out and had his hand upon the one that was going to receive the birthright. Proverbs 17 and six, children's children are the crown of old men and the glory of children are their fathers. Now there's a there's a a promise in this verse. Children's children are the crown of old men. We who and you not you may not necessarily be uh ancient in age but children's children are the crown of old men. If we've done if we've sold seed if we've won souls to God that's going to be the glory. Children's children are the crown of old men and the glory of children are their fathers. and Deuteronomy 4:9. Only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life. But teach them thy son and thy son's sons. Now, do you see the stepping stone and the responsibility we have? It's not only my own soul, but I've got a responsibility to teach my son and my son's sons. I've got a responsibility to to pass it on to the genealogy, to my children, to my children's children that they'll be so convinced of this message that they're not going to stray from it. They will believe it and teach it to their children. Deuteronomy 6 and7. And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children, and shall talk of them when thou sitest in thine house, and when thou walst by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou riseth up. Now, that just about covers all day, don't it? If you're going to if you're going to be the evangelist. Now, everybody's not go not going to be foreign missionaries. Everybody is not going to be pastors. Everybody's not going to be evangelists, but here's what every one of us can be. Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when they'll sit in thine house, and when thou walst by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou riseth up. That's the responsibility that each and every one of us have. I remember um when I received the Holy Ghost, Bobby received the Holy Ghost and and we came home from Pascola, Missouri. And and my older brother Don, he was asking us questions uh how how it was to get the Holy Ghost. And and we said, "Well, Don, here we just had a chair pushed up against the wall. Get out on your knees and you'll find out. we'll pray you through to the Holy Ghost, right? We had been to church that night, but Don was want to know what it was like. And so we challenged him out on the front porch and pulled out a chair and said, "You kneel down. We're going to pray you through the Holy Ghost." And we started praying for Don. And just a a few minutes ago, few minutes had gone by. And he started speaking in tongues. His neck veins swelled up and his face was red. He was talking in tongues. and and my dad when mom had already gone to bed and the noise was making dad came to the door where we were out on the front porch praying and dad was standing there looking at Don and Don's face was red and he was talking in tongues and Bobby and I was praying with him and and dad looked at him directly he shook his head said you know Don's always been a good boy I don't see why he has to go through all of that. He's always He thought he was going through something bad, but what he didn't realize is he was getting the greatest thing that he ever had in his life. All right. Now then, Psalm 78:3 and6, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come, the praises of the Lord, and his strength and his wonderful works that he hath done. It's a wonderful thing, the works that he's done. Praise God. It's not something bad we're going through. It's something wonderful we are rejoicing. For he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel which he commanded our fathers that they should make them known to their children. Now here we're still following the the the proper steps passing it on to your children and to your children's children that the gener generation to come might know them. even the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children. Now then, second Timothy 3:15 and 16, we're coming to a close shortly. And that from a child th known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reprove, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfectly may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Would you stand to your feet with us right now? Father, we thank you for your goodness. We thank you for the word of the Lord. We're thankful, Lord, that this great truth is still being revealed to men and women, boys and girls. I pray, God, that you'll let the word of God sink deep into our hearts that we will have a greater revelation and greater determination to walk with you and to spread this great gospel of the kingdom. I pray Lord that each one of us will grow from what we have heard tonight. dismiss us from this place but not from your presence. Bring us back at the next appointed time. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. And amen.