Wednesday Night Bible Study
by Billy McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: Bible study
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12, John 14:6, John 14:1-18, John 14:26, John 15:26-27, John 10:30, Ephesians 4:4-6, Colossians 1:26-27, John 16:6-7, Romans 8:9, Acts 5:3-4, Joel 2:28, Matthew 3:11, Luke 24:49, John 1:1-3, Colossians 2:9, 2 Corinthians 3:17, Acts 9:5

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/billy-mccool--wednesday-night-bible-study-56
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 the Lord everyone praise the lord we greet you tonight once again in that all powerful and Wonderful Name of Jesus neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and I'm glad I know that name tonight and I'd like to join my voice with that of Pastor mul and all the rest welcoming each one to this service we've got a great uh subject a great Bible lesson tonight and uh I'm excited about it and I pray that you will be also um I heard I read a story Vance havner has written uh many books and one of the things he tells in one of his books he tells about the took a Church many many years ago and um he'd been there for a few weeks and there's one name of the former pastors that Josiah Wilson and uh he heard more about him than any other Pastor they had had and so one day he wanted he was just so curious he went to visit one of the farmers plowing out in his field and so I hate to disturb I've been I've heard here a few weeks and and said the preacher I've heard y'all mention more than anybody else as a an old brother josi Wilson and said tell me about him was he a was he just a a great preacher and a super uh uh communicator and the old farmer said well no our our I really can't say that he was U any better preacher than any the rest of we have well what's so special about him well he said he just loved us he just loved us there's no greater gift than loving one another Jesus said love one another as I have loved you and the greatest gift we have here at this church is not our lights not our padded pews not our uh technology the greatest gift we have is loving one another and I've heard this many years ago that the psychologist say that the greatest thing that parents can do for their children is for them to love one another for their mom and dad to love each other and there's no greater power than the power of love and when we have that love and we show it to one another if folks come in this place and they feel us loving one another it makes them feel comfortable I have been in places of business and probably more than any other place I've been in is restaurants because we wind up eating in restaurants a lot of times and there has been a few times I've been in restaurants that um you could tell there was a dispute going on between either the waitresses or the Cook or the the management and it makes everybody uncomfortable but when you go in a place and you feel folks love one another it makes you feel like that you too can be loved and tonight we're going to be studying the subject I am the way the truth and the life now this is a series of subjects and they're all having to do with I am saying I am the light of the world I am the door I am and tonight's lesson is I am the way the truth and the life and we're going to go to the Lord in prayer and as we do um we want to pray for Brother Gary mul he he had a they call a a light stroke or Min stroke something here a few days ago and he's going back to the doctor tomorrow for a checkup and he asked me to be praying that the doctor won't find anything adverse or negative and and we certainly want to be praying for him and I don't think there's any many strok or any small stroke anything like that's a serious thing I don't care what they say a something to be concerned about father we thank you tonight for your blessings for for your love and your goodness we're thankful for the love of the people of God they have for each other I pray oh God that you will be with Brother Gary tomorrow as he goes for his checkup and Lord uh May there be no adverse uh discoveries but may have a complete recovery from the condition that he had I pray tonight Lord you'll bless every saint of God in this church all those that are having health problems we pray for each one of them we pray for the lost loved ones and we pray for our Bible study tonight I pray oh God that you will uh anoint the lips of clay with the spirit of God give what you would have spoken in this service tonight in Jesus precious name we pray and I want each one of you to know brother Ron we're praying for you and everyone that's got health problems and uh ecclesiast the 12th chapter says remember now thy Creator the days of thy youth before the evil days come and he talking about evil days that means the uh days when age slips upon you and you'll be facing health problems because that's what Adam got us into but we pray for each other and now then our our lesson the focus verse is St John chapter 14 and verse 6 Jesus said unto them Jesus said unto him I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the father but by me our lesson text is starting at St John chapter 14 starting at verse one let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me we will get into this a little a little deeper as we go along tonight is why he said this because there was a a very strong reason as to why they would have their hearts to be troubled there was reason they were downcast there was a reason they were uh concerned there was a reason they were uh suffering apprehension and he said let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me and then he said in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you now he had already told them I will never leave you and I'll never forsake you I'll be with you to the end but now then he turns right around and says I am fixing to leave you now these uh 12 close followers of his uh they had every reason to think in in in their uh uh U smallness of thinking and carnality of thinking that he was going to set up an Earthly Kingdom and there was going to be offices and there's going to be positions and and I can I feel this position and one of the mothers came and James and John said now can one of my son set on your right hand one you left and and so they were had to be under the impression that he was going to set up an Earthly Kingdom now they were under the domination of Rome at that time overtax mistreated second class citizens and they had every reason to be glad and rejoiced to think that a a new Forward Thinking leader was going to bring in a new day it's going to be a great day but now then he's fixing to tell them I'm going to leave you let not your heart be trouble you believe in God believe also in me remember now you know a whole lot about me but I'm going to teach you more about me right now through what we're getting ready to experience you're going to know me in a greater measure in a deeper measure to really know who I I am when I get through with teaching you my disciples in my father's house are many mansions oh now what are you going to what are you telling us now yes sir in My Father's House of in maner and if it were not so would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you switch on this microphone we can turn it off I apologize but that's just the way it is in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you now I'm going you're going where you going wait a minute hold on you said you never leave us never now you're talking about going somewhere I go where are you going I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again I am going to leave you but I'm not going to leave you I'm leaving you and I'm going to come again this is all confusing what what are you trying to tell us if I go and prepare place for you I'll come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also now we're we're still on something very very confusing that we're trying to find out what Jesus is is really talking about and if I get my pages undone here I can go to the ne next page uh Jesus had a reason to handle the situation the way he did when he said I go away and if I go away and I will prepare a place for you now listen what he says that where I am there ye may be also and whether I go ye know and the way wait a minute this is getting more confused all the time where I go you know and you know the way Thomas said to him Lord we know not where thou goest and how can we know the way Jesus sath unto him I am the way I am the truth and I I am the life it's getting deeper it's getting more interesting all the time you're going to go away it's your father's house and your father's house is been a mansion and where I go I'm going to prepare you a place and and and now then Thomas said Lord we don't know where you're going and and how can we know the way Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh un of the father except by me and I can see them looking a little bit quisitive and Jesus said if you had known me you should have known my father also boy oh boy oh boy are we not getting into some deep water what are we talking about if you had known me you should have known my my father also and from henceforth you know him and have seen him Philip said to him show us the father and it sufficeth us where is the father Jesus said have I've been a long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Phillip he that has seen me has seen the father how sayest thou then show us the father my we've been with you we've we've seen you uh turn water into wine we've seen you multiply Loaves and Fishes we've seen you raise the dead but now then you're taking us into another area that we're not familiar with and do we know you or don't we know you who is your father and yet Jesus said have I been so long time with you and yet have thou not known me Phillip he that has seen me has seen the father and how sayest thou then show us the father believest thou not that I am in the father and the father in me the words that I speak un to you I speak not of myself but the father that dwelleth in me he doeth The Works believe me that I'm in the father and the father and me or else believe me for the very work sake verily verily truly truly I say unto you he that believeth on me the works that I do shall he do also and Greater Works than these shall he do because I go unto my father and a little sideline on this this is a a a very controversial verse uh preachers have tried to explain this and was they talking about Greater Works than I do as uh being more powerful doing Greater Works individually or is it numerically are you going to do are you going to reach more people around the world with well however it was and I do not uh pretend for one minute to be the great uh Prophet to give you the the full meaning of this all I know is he said it and whatever he said is true however you want to look at it and however comes to pass he said greater works that I do you will do also because I go to my father and whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do that the father may be glorified in the son now then verse 14 we're getting some real interesting uh views here if you should ask anything in my name I'll do it if you love me keep my Commandments now watch this one if you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever even the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but you know him scratch my head please but you know him for he who we're talking about the comforter even the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because uh it seeth him not neither know but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you oh my goodness a life what are we where are we going now I will not leave you comfortless I'll come to you you I'm going to go to my little book here uh common questions concerning Apostolic Doctrine and uh let me start with this uh in um the uh um under the question and answer section question is Jesus the Holy Ghost he said I'll not leave you comfortless now the world don't see know the comforter but you know him you know the comforter because he's dwelling with you he is and he shall be in you wo Hallelujah we we've been with you that through this part of your ministry and now then you're taking us into a new dimension in Ephesians chapter 4 4-6 there is one body one Spirit even as you're called in one hope of your calling one Lord One Faith one baptism one God father of all who is above all and through all and in you all one Lord One Faith one B there's not but one Spirit one Lord one faith and one baptism and now then he says that he's through all and in you all Jesus has said the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the father was sent in my name he's going to dwell with you but he's going to be in you now then we're going to get back to our title I am the way the truth and the life now Paul explicitly proclaims the Oneness of God one body one one Spirit one Lord one faith and one baptism one God and Father of all considering the fact that there is but one spirit let us examine the words of Jesus in John 14 15-18 if you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the father and now notice this I will pray the father and he will give give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever even the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but you know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you boy we're getting there somewhere now then they're they're fixing to know him in a new dimension or to understand him in a new dimension Jesus Was preparing his faithful followers for his soon death and subsequent departure back to Heaven he was assuring them that though he was going to be gone as far his bodily presence was concerned he was going to be with them and in them as the Holy Spirit note he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever even the the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because as seeth him not neither knoweth him carefully note this next statement but you know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you oh the Glorious thing they're getting they're they're slowly coming to understand who this physical man that had been walking with them through the this time of his early Ministry how him being with them as a man was somehow going to be transformed into a spirit and he was not going to be with them bodily but he was going to be with them in the spirit now notice but you know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you at this point in time Jesus was with them but he was soon to be in them as the Holy Ghost the comforter Verse 18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you verse 26 said but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the father will send in my name now in John 14:26 Jesus said the father would send the comforter in John 15:26 Jesus said but when the comforters come whom I I will send to you now who's going to send him is is Jesus going to send him or is the father going to send him the little secret St John 10 and3 Jesus said I and my father are one when when the son sends him it's the same thing as the father send to him because Jesus said when you see me you have seen the father all right I'll send unto you a from the father even the spirit of Truth which proceeded from the father he shall testify of me verse 27 and ye shall bear witness because ye have been with me from the beginning how and why could they bear witness because they have been with the physical Jesus and now they are going to experience the supernatural indwelling of the same Jesus as Spirit by the Magnificent Miracle of the baptism of the Holy Ghost it is beautifully cited in Colossians 1:26 and 27 even the mystery which has been hid from the ages and from the generations but now is made manifest to his Saints to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of his mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ which is Christ which is Christ in you the hope of glory oh Hallelujah when I received the Holy Ghost in 1948 little Trinity Pentecostal Church in pastaa Missouri I had sought the Lord from the time I was seven till I was 11 and and that night I i' every every service I would be in if they had a testimony meeting I would testify I want to praise the Lord for saving sanctifying me and pray for me that he'll give me the Sweet Holy Ghost well I didn't realize that that the Bible said you're Sanctified by the Holy Ghost but that church back then believed in in three definite works of Grace and that that meant repentance that that meant to after you repent then you get Sanctified and then you get the Holy Ghost and and that's what I but that night I testified and I said I want to praise the Lord for saving and Sanctified me and pray for me that I'll get the Sweet Holy Ghost and there was a dear old sister sitting back in the audience and she was an elderly lady and she she pulled her hair back real and did it up in biscuit right in the back of her head that's she must had a lot of hair cuz she had a good siiz biscuit and when I said that she said yes honey and tonight I don't know if she was tired of hearing me giving that testimony or not but she said yes honey and tonight there was a Naz of all things there was a Nazarene preacher preaching the Revival in that little Trinity Pentecostal Church down that the reason I went there that was the only church that I could get to at that time that I knew of well U when she said that yes honey and tonight yes honey and tonight that preacher preached I cannot tell you what his sermon was about but I'll never forget the V the voice of that dear old lady she wasn't the best looking thing in the world and with the hair Dr and the hair done up in the biscuit in the back of her head but I could hear her all during that Ser yes honey tonight yes honey tonight you mean I've been seeking the Holy Ghost since I was 7 years old and she said tonight tonight tonight and that night when they gave the altar call I went up there and I knelt down and and I could hear that dear old lady's voice yes honey and tonight and as I prayed told you that that brother Chuck grave had got the Holy Ghost the night before I had invited him to that Revival he he he he was the ahead of the country music band Chuck Grand the Missouri Mountaineers and uh he was about to die of bleeding ulcers and I told him about that Revival and he went to that Revival and he repented and got the baptism of the Holy Ghost the same night and here I've been seeking for four years and and he got the old uh country music leader got the Holy Ghost the first night and when I got down to pray he got down over me and he had me in a cramp my head almost under the altar instead of at the altar and and I I I thought Lord he going to smother me to death if I don't get off of under him somewhere here and the there was all around me praying someone say say hallelujah someone say praise the Lord someone saying hold on someone saying Turn loose and and I was trying to do every and finally I started saying thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus Hallelujah just praising the Lord just praising him and I got up from under brother Chuck gra and my arm my hands went up and I got I got on my feet and the last thing I remember it sounded like somebody turning a radio down all it was just so loud and fill the building and as it just seemed like they started backing up and somebody just turning the volume off and that's the last thing I remembered when I came to myself I was dancing on that wooden floor and I was talking in a language I didn't go to school to learn how I didn't know what I was saying my tongue was acting like it was tied in the middle and loose on both ends and I was speaking in other tongues as the spirit of God gave the others Hallelujah de God I first thing I oh God I wish that mischievous brother of mine my twin brother had this CU he was the one made it his vision to try to get me to backslide for four years and he get me out with other boys and and tell me uh bad words to say and I wouldn't say them and when I wouldn't say them it's bil aissy bil a well I wasn't no I start crying to go home to M and she would and she would comfort me and I thought I wish brother Bob my my hon twin brother had this and so help me I opened my eyes and about five steps or 10 from me he was dancing and talking in tongues and wishing I had it he had gone to the altar the same night and the first night he went he got the Holy Ghost and took me four years and the next thing I saw was that ugly old lady that said yes honey and tonight she was the prettiest thing I ever saw if there ever was somebody that looked like an angel she looked like an angel I didn't know it was her or me it was me that needed the changing but I got you know what it was it was Jesus in me the hope of glory Jesus didn't come into me as a as in a form of that but it came as the Holy Ghost and I felt that it was Jesus in me the hope of glory oh give him praise right now oh hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah oh praise God well let me get back to our lesson how and why could they witness because they have been with the physical Jesus but now they're going to experience the supernatural indwelling of that same Jesus as Spirit by the Magnificent Miracle of the baptism of the Holy Ghost it is beautifully stated in Colossians 1:26 which I just read even the mystery which has been hid from the ages from generation but now is made manifest to his Saints to whom God would make known what is the forgive me I I I need to control myself to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory uh of the mystery among the G among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory how could Christ be in us he could not be in Us in the physical form so there had to be a transformation from physical to spiritual let us further explore the words of Jesus concerning in the bodily presence John 16 and6 Jesus said but because I have said these things unto you sorrow hath filled your heart it told him he was going away and he said because I've said this sorrow has filled your hearts and and and because I I said I'm going away sorrow has filled your heart but now notice nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient it is important for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come to you but if I depart I will send him m in I just while I go out ready for the father was going to send it and now then it's said I'm going to send if it's it's important that I go away because if I don't go away you're not going to get the Holy Ghost uh I use a little uh it may seem a little bit on the the caral side but when I was a little boy my daddy used to play Santa Claus and uh we didn't have a whole lot we have an apple and an orange and a few uh uh uh English wallness and so forth and a little sack and but uh somehow Santa Claus was supposed to come a certain time but always before Santa Claus would come my daddy would have to go somewhere he' I'm sorry I've got to go and and he would leave and I and and he wouldn't be going very long till Santa Claus would show up with his red suit and and he'd hand out the oranges and apples and things and then he had disappeared and when he disappeared a little while my daddy would show up and uh oh Daddy I you you missed him again he was you didn't get to see Santa Claus I got to notice that the shoes Santa Claus had them were just like my daddy the gloves he had was just like my daddy and after a while I begin to figure some things out the reason Daddy had to leave was so Santa Claus could come and the reason it was Daddy and Santa Claus was one and the same Jesus said I've told you I'm going to leave and sorrow has filled your heart but said it's expedient for you that I go away because told you that the comforter is going to come but if I don't leave the comforter can't come I've got to go now notice I've said these things to you and sorrow have filled your heart nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come to you but if I depart I will send him unto you now we see the mystery made manifest Christ in you the hope of glory the expediency of Christ leaving in order for the Holy Ghost to come should give us a clue as to the identity of the Holy Ghost let us remember the faithful words of Jesus and the Great Commission lo I Am With You Always and now he prepares his followers for his leading has he fa to keep his word a thousand times no he is opening their understanding to the Glorious truth that the man Christ Jesus was going away to be replaced by the comforter the Holy Ghost who is Christ in you the hope of glory it is so fantastic and so beautiful when you when you begin to understand the terms spirit of God and spirit of Christ are used synonymously in Romans 8 and9 but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the spirit of God dwelt in you now if any man have not the spirit of Christ he's none of his now notice what we're saying let's look at it again let's underline the term spirit of God but ye are not in the flesh but in the spirit if so be the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the spirit of Christ the spirit of Christ and the spirit of God is used synonymously because it is one and the same the spirit of Christ is n his we find a similarity of interchangeable terms used in reference to God and the Holy Ghost in Acts 5 3-4 but Peter said ananasa watch this andan I why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost now we've got this we've got the spirit of God and the spirit of Christ one and the same now Peter said to ananas why has Satan F thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land while it remained was it not thine own and after it was so was it not thine own in thine own power that thou has not lied unto men but unto God now he first said you've lied to the Holy Ghost and now then he said you've lied to God now what we're putting together here is the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost are not three separate and distinct persons but the father was the father in creation he's the son in Redemption and he's the holy ghost in the church today dwelling in his Saints through the baptism of the Holy Ghost give him a hand clap praise if we keep in mind Ephesians 4:4 there is one body one Spirit it is imperative for the sake of scriptures consistency that we reconcile these references to the spirit the prophecy concerning the coming era in which the Holy Ghost would be poured out upon All Flesh is stated in Joel 2:28 as God you as has God using the possessive term I will pour pour out my spirit however John the Baptist as the Forerunner messenger of Jesus said in Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water un repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoes I'm not worthy to Bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire oh Hallelujah the the the similar of the same of the persons and terms as stated to the godhead is further exemplified by the following scripture Luke 24:49 and behold I jesus send the promise of my father upon you John 15:26 but when the comforters come whom I jesus now who is going to send the Holy Ghost one time he says the father's going to send it the next time he says I'm going to send send it the reason is he said have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me Phillip he that has seen me has seen the father St John 1:1 in the beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God the same as in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him there was not anything made that was made the beautiful revelation of the godhead is Jesus is we used to sing the old song it's all in him it's all in him well what Colossians said that that in him dwells the fullness of the godhead bodily he the Bible say he is the image of the invisible God the Bible said God is a spirit no man SE God in but yet the Bible said that he is the image of the invisible God I'm glad I know God because I've never seen the visible God but I tell you what I have I have felt that Jesus Christ as the holy ghost that filled my heart and soul with the baptism of the Holy Ghost that made me speak in other tongues as the Bible said with other tongues and the sing lips will I speak to this people excuse me well we're hastening to a close Luke 24:49 behold I jesus send the promise of my father upon you John 15:26 but when the comforter is come whom I Jesus will send unto you from the father even the spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the father he shall testify of Me John 14:1 1718 again even the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because because it seeth him not neither knoweth but you know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you 2 Corinthians 3:17 now the Lord is that Spirit but who is the Lord acts 9 and5 Saul said Lord who art thou and he the Lord he said who art thou and he the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecute us it is hard for thee to kick against the prick would you stand your feet with us right now father we thank you tonight oh Hallelujah God we thank you for the Blessed word of God we thank you for the truth and the revelation of the Oneness of God the fullness of Jesus Jesus and being the Mighty God the Everlasting father and the Prince of Peace Lord we do thank and praise you that we know this great wonderful truth let us sink deep into our hearts may we keep this Revelation fresh and new in our hearts that we may know who you are in your fullness dismiss us from this place but not from your presence bring us back at our next appointed time in Jesus name we pray amen shake hands and be friendly you're dismissed in Jesus name don't let a guest get out of this building without telling them you love them and for