Three Things You Cannot Lose
by Carla DePriest
May 14, 2023 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Job 14:1-2, Acts 2:37-38, 1 Timothy 1:19, Philippians 4:4, Philippians 4:13, John 15, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Luke 10:20, Psalm 16:11, Hosea 6:3, Romans 5:3-5

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/carla-depriest--three-things-you-cannot-lose
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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she's about to get me all in my emotions okay thanks for the warning that is one of my nightmares you may be seated that someday I'm going up or down to the platform and you know Take a Tumble I hate that dream it's good to be with you folks today thank you for the plant yes yes I I love that I need it in my new house it made me think of the the basket it was in yesterday I my daughter-in-law was over and she was like um you need counter Heights stools because in our new place we have a counter height bar so I looked at her and I said yeah I want one of those seaweed ones she said I think you mean seagrass so that's what that looked like so anyway it's good to be here with the Sloans everything Michelle said was true I'm sorry your pastor's wife said is true I love her dearly they don't know how deeply I don't want to get into that because I don't want to cry it doesn't do you any good makes me feel better but it won't do you any good so I'm not going to get into that it's a rare Day pastor and sister Sloan that I don't call your name in prayer and on Tuesday it's usually twice because your mother always brings up this church in our ladies prayer meeting you are prayed for you are loved it's good to see our long time friends the Robinsons we raise them too married them dedicated their babies and it's so good to be with y'all I see a lot of familiar faces and I'm not going to go there because we got the word to get to and what brother Sloan what you said at the beginning I believe it's true I'm a teacher and I'm so thankful my husband's here today he's the preacher God chose to allow him to go through Parkinson's and his voice he's not able to be up here I don't understand the ways of God but we trust him don't we babe and I'm so thankful he's here with me and he is with me though his mind May wander to the move because when you were talking about moving all this equipment I I was like don't don't get lost babe don't be trying to figure out what all goes where homie it's good to be here almost oh I was getting to what you said you said someone could get the Holy Ghost today you know sometimes we show up on Mother's Day and we think okay we're gonna hear a nice little sermonette lesson about mothers and then we're going to go take Mom out to eat or go see Mom or whatever now I believe what he said you said someone could get the Holy Ghost today and I believe that at the end of my talk lesson whatever you want to call it I believe that and so you keep the fire back there because we're going to see someone if you need the Holy Ghost today why don't you just go ahead and raise your hand if you're here today and you have not received the baptism of the Holy Ghost because I want uh okay somebody can get it today almost everyone has lost something right everybody in here have you ever lost something the older we get it seems like we spend a lot of time looking for things anybody with me you know what I'm talking about I read this okay so just you know as trustworthy as the internet is this was some study somebody did so you just take it as that it is estimated that the average person say that's me the average person loses 3 000 items in their lifetime and we spend one whole year 365 days of our life looking searching for those lost items those three thousand items include 384 pins 192 items of clothing and 64 umbrellas I think I've lost more than 64 umbrellas I don't know how they got that research but you will lose Keys anybody in here with me phones and invariably babe when I lose mine I've got it on silent so you know it doesn't do anybody any good wallets anybody ever lose a wallet oh so frustrating shoes hair ha eglasses the remote pets we're gonna lose skin elasticity you know the only thing only place where you want to keep fat you know you lose it earbuds phone chargers hair ties it's like you buy a pack and you have a hundred and two weeks from now I can't find a hair tie and your favorite cup and it's even worse than that folks okay you invited me or at least your pastor's wife your babies are going to grow up and leave your grandkids will do the same sister Michelle you're right we have five the oldest is ten and yesterday I y'all will never invite me back I'm just playing he came over to hug me and I was like Cason you're 10. you have b-o he said well I'm 10. I said well get some deodorant but the deal is he's growing up and they'll do the same they'll grow up and they'll leave You'll Lose Friends you'll lose loved ones situations death you'll lose your youth boy we can talk about that today can't we old friend how the years have eventually you'll lose your strength oh isn't this fun happy Mother's Day I just came to encourage you and finally you will lose your life mamas you're going to lose a lot of things in life loss and loss and loss it's life and it just is the scripture says in Job 14 and 1 and I'm reading from the new King James Version man who is born of woman is a few days and full of trouble he comes forth like a flower and Fades away he flees like a shadow and does not continue loss loss and more laws but I'm here today especially you mom is here today I'm here to tell you that there are some things that you cannot that you must not lose the first thing that you must not lose you can't lose this you must not lose your faith you all know it don't you Acts 2 37 and 38 sometimes I'm concerned because we know it so well Acts 2 37 and 38 say it with me if you want I don't care if we have a multitude of translation now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles men and Brethren what shall we do then Peter said unto them thank you that's it that's the faith that's our faith you cannot lose your faith Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies right he died he was buried he rose again he is the pattern we fulfill the answer to the question ask in verse 37 of chapter 2 of Acts what was must we do to be saved with repentance repentance we die to our sins we do an about faith we're baptized we're buried we die out to our sins when we are immersed in the water they're covered remitted by the name of Jesus applied to us in baptism and then we are filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in another tongue that is the resurrection to walk in newness of Life Precious Precious our Salvation our faith is precious we cannot walk away we cannot lose mamas of all the things you lose do not lose your faith people say to me all the time well I don't know if I believe that anymore well I can't live it I I don't know I think there might be more than one way uh we don't live by our feelings I'm going to say this you're going to get as tired of it as the people at home get tired of it we don't live by our feelings have I said it before we don't live by our feelings we live by the facts of the word of God and the word of God says repent be baptized in the name of Jesus be filled with his Spirit your children need you to keep the faith I will never forget baby you know it tore me up I will never forget it was a great grandchild of a pioneer of the faith in my life in the Apostolic Church in Murfreesboro Tennessee his great grandson was sitting on the Pew next to me and he was absolutely shocked by Apostolic worship it broke my heart I'm telling you Mama you walk away and your children and your children's children will not know this Apostolic truce you must not lose your faith go ahead and lose the other stuff okay we already applied job to that it's all going to fade away do not lose your faith love it stay in the word continue to pray show up for church engage in your church do not lose the faith First Timothy 1 and 19 how I love the letters to Timothy verse 19 says holding what faith holding faith in a good conscience which some having put away concerning Faith have made shipwreck hold on to your faith of all the things you lose sweet mama do not lose your faith or you will shipwreck the second thing mamas and even you daddies must not lose you must not lose your joy Joy has been a favorite word of mine for years if you've heard me speak I'm almost positive I've said the word Joy I'm not talking about happy okay happy is from the same root as the word happenstance happy depends on circumstances you buy me an Andes custard custard see I can't even say it I get so excited you buy me an Andy's custard baby I'm happy for about 15 minutes right oh my goodness that's awesome it makes me happy but you know what it doesn't do me any good the next day I'm not happy anymore I'm not talking about happy depending on circumstances I'm talking about Joy Joy is a state of being Joy comes from relationship not circumstances I don't know I'm just being they invited me I'm just being honest it's all I know how to be I don't know how we can keep the faith and lose our joy Joy Philippians 4 and 4 says rejoice in the Lord alway and again I say rejoice Rejoice is defined as to feel or show great joy this word Rejoice is used in 16 books in the New Testament for a total of 68 times I think it's important it's not a suggestion in Philippians 4 and 4. it's a command for those of you that are grammar majors it's a command like don't steal don't gossip Rejoice always and you know that wasn't written by someone that had the life anybody remember the writer of this Paul Paul you know Mr no food no problem imprisoned beat Shipwrecked praise God riding from a prison cell pending execution he's rejoicing so maybe you're thinking so what about the rest of us ordinary humans well I'm here to tell you he was a ordinary human if he did it we can do it if you've watched a loved one die if you've known heartbreak if you've known broken relationships the command Rejoice always can seem impossible but that same chapter dropped down to verse 13 says you all know it I can do all things through Christ which strength you can live in joy the command to Rejoice can always be obeyed even in the midst of your greatest trial because Joy does not depend on favorable circumstances but it requires relationship it's in the Lord I have a few truths here truth number one if you're going to live in joy it does not mean that you're exempt from feeling negative emotions you know Jesus was about to go to the Cross he's given the disciples that last discourse in the Book of John and then about chapter 15 when he's telling them you know I'm this is about to happen he tells them that his Joy anybody ever find that odd I'm about to go to the Cross I'm about to suffer I'm about to go through all of this suffering but yet my joy is going to remain in you and your joy can be full no matter what you're going through weeping mourning hurt our joy can be full truth number two if you're going to live in the joy of the Lord it's about obedience not a feeling you know some of us are waiting to feel the joy no you're waiting to feel happy and we've already discussed that feelings are part of our human nature but they are not always fact I know that's shocking to some of us because I can get in my feels real quick too if I feel it oh my it's fat but it's not if it doesn't pass the Bible fact check always check your feelings against the word of God you have a feeling get in the word and check your feeling against the word of God probably not the greatest example but it's the one on the top of my head I feel alone I've heard that a lot I feel alone I feel alone I must be alone well no you're not the Bible says you're his creation he's your father he loves you he said he would never leave you or forsake you we don't live by our feelings we live by the word of God we obey we obey we choose to live in joy truth number three we live in joy because it's an attitude of calm assurance that exceeds the circumstance okay whatever happens I choose Joy it's an inside job how many of you are full of the Holy Ghost oh maybe I should say how many of you have the holiness I hope you're full of it okay if you have the Holy Ghost the Bible tells us that Joy is a fruit of that spirit so if you're not feeling Joy if you're not living in joy I shouldn't have said feeling there if you're not living in Joy then check your spirit get full of the Holy Ghost we make the choice truth number four Joy is based only only only in the Lord in that relationship it's not something that comes from a technique you can't follow a three-step process for a joyful life I don't care what the subject says on your little email Joy comes with relationship with Jesus knowing that we're loved by him oh that brings me joy I'm loved by God knowing that we are forgiven we've obeyed The Plan of Salvation no matter what the world takes from us listen to me somebody no matter what the world takes from us it cannot take the most valuable thing and knowing that this life is not all there is sometimes we sing We have the joy joy joy joy I'm sorry baby shouldn't be singing sorry I'm that member of the depriest family they all sing his sweet mama left us this past year and she would always feel as full of food and then she'd say let's go to the piano and sing Carla would you take care of the kitchen I'm like yes ma'am no honestly in the last couple years she tried did she not try baby she tried to teach me how to play the piano and sing 80 89 and boy she was working on it all right joy joy joy down in our heart joy of the Lord is our strength we sing but sometimes they're only words because it doesn't make it to our face it doesn't make it to our heart we want to rejoice get close to Jesus get close to Jesus he's the source of our joy spend time with him make yourself conscious of the command to Rejoice you know sometimes I don't feel it but it's a command so I'm going to do it because he's said to do it and once I get into it I mean there's a point in my life where I had Joy written on sticky notes because I needed to be reminded that it is the command to live in the joy of the Lord don't worry don't worry don't worry Jesus said whom I worrying and I'm looking at a bunch of mamas that are like are you serious I'm serious don't worry worry for me is like that string on my finger you know if I wake up and I'm like oh oh oh and this is going to happen that's going to happen we just moved this week for the first time in 30 years you can imagine what was floating through my brain all the scenarios but when I feel that worry it's like a string on my finger and I'm like oh worry pray worry pray oh I'm worrying I better pray next time you worry why don't you just say oh thank you worry it's time to pray give thanks first Thessalonians 5 16 through 18 says and here's that word again Rejoice always pray continually give thanks in all circumstances not just when you're truly feeling thankful but in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus give thanks maybe you don't feel like your circumstances Merit thanks well did we not just talk about Paul why don't you just line your oh listen to me man I sound like line ourselves up against Paul and say what do I have to complain about I have so much to be thankful for do you want to live in joy or do you want to live in misery we want to live in joy God doesn't promise us a life free of suffering right not one person in this room is going to escape life without some suffering when Paul said God please remove this Thorn In My Flesh God said no but he also says his grace is sufficient he'll walk with you whatever you're going through his power is made perfect in your strength right wait a minute y'all weren't paying attention his power is made perfect in what our weakness God did not remove Paul's pain but he enabled him to go through it maybe like Paul you've experienced a depth of pain that is just unfathomable but God's truth Remains the Same whatever circumstance we give thanks Paul Rejoice because in the Lord he knew there was a heaven to gain Jesus said in the Book of Luke 10 and 20 Rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you but what did he say to rejoice in that our names are what our names are written in the Book of Life so no matter what happens in this life however horrible it may be it's not eternity folks we are promised heaven after this life we are to rejoice we don't have to understand Psalm 16 and 11 says you will show me the path of life in thy presence is say it for me fullness of joy fullness of joy and not just that ladies we don't have to just you know believe it we get that extra Pleasures forevermore it's a wonderful life a joy life so Mama's of all the things you lose don't lose your faith and don't lose your joy and finally the last thing I'm going to exhort you to hang on to in a life where we lose so many things and our Sunday school teacher today I thought he was going to take off with it I told sister Michelle I said oh he's getting getting on my message there the third thing you can't lose mom you like my math the third thing you can't lose the third thing you can't lose you must not lose your hope hope is another one of my favorite favorite words it's like a double first cousin to Joy hope raise your hand in here if you've ever felt hopeless thank you thank you I I didn't want to be alone in that the rest of you that didn't raise your hand you can just take a nap we'll wake you up when in a particular hope Challenge season of our life um I bought a garden Stone I know you've seen them like at the nursery the garden center it was a stone and etched in that stone was the word hope and I was like that's one of my God words so I bought that stone I took it home I planted it in my flower garden I love that's my therapy I go out every morning and tend to my flowers and every morning I'd see that stone and that word hope and I'd be like yes yes thank you God I have hope well you can imagine one day I walked out and hope is cracked and I was like okay God I get you My Hope can be cracked but it's I still I still have it I can still read it h-o-p-e crack was just in the right place and I still have my hope we had a particularly rough winter and not just the physical winter that year it was a it was a tough time in our life and I went out one morning and found that hope was not just cracked anymore it was crushed and I mean it was crushed like gravel and I could not read the word hope and silly human flesh being that I am I began to cry and I said God my hope is crushed and if I've ever heard the voice of God I heard the voice of God that morning and he said then your Hope was in the wrong place Our Hope truly can only be found ladies in the Lord and in his promises did anyone in this room actually watch the sunrise this morning did you actually like set your clock and go outside just to make sure that the sun came up you got smart folks here brother Sloan but it came up didn't it did the sun come up this morning yes it did the sun always rises even if we don't see it even if we don't watch it God does it every day every day every day that sun comes up and there is a scripture in Hosea chapter 6 verse 3 and I'm reading from the new English translation because it just says it so beautifully it says so let us acknowledge Him and if you know that book in the Bible things were pretty pretty sad so let us acknowledge Him let us seek to acknowledge the Lord he will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the Dawn folks if the sun came up this morning God's got his eye on you and we don't lose hope because that's how certain it is that he's coming to us in our situation as unchanging as the sun rise every day as sure as the night has to end the night has to end folks I don't care how dark it is it has to end the sun will come he is our only hope Romans 5 verses 3 through 5. and I'm reading in the nasb says in not only this but we also celebrate in our tribulations wow I'm still learning are you celebrating our tribulations knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance and perseverance proven character and proven character hope there's that word and I love this next verse and hope does not disappoint and hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us if you are filled with his Spirit his hope will not disappoint you know we like to associate Jesus's resurrection with hope but I I just want us to think a little bit today about the hope that his suffering gives us anybody in here ever say and I'm gonna go ahead and raise my hand so don't leave me out here by myself I don't know how much more I can take some of y'all are much better people than I am in this version of Romans it says hope does not disappoint hope does not disappoint okay I'm just going to be honest today I've hoped and I've been disappointed in spite of my prayers the only answer I seem to get with more suffering more loss more grief More Tears Jesus knew what it was like to suffer he knew what it was like listen to me he knew what it was like to ask God for relief and deliverance and not receive it you have not experienced anything I have not experienced anything that he didn't experience also and he did not lose hope because his hope oh please hear me today because somebody will face some things in the coming days his Hope was not in being spared his Hope was in the father's will and our hope ladies gentlemen alike Our Hope cannot be in being spared Our Hope has to be in Jesus only father I trust you I love Pastor when in prayer I kept hearing over and over in my head I say it all the time too I trust you God I trust you God that's such an awesome feeling to know that we can trust him and when our trust is in him our hope Never Dies Mamas Don't lose hope don't lose hope don't lose hope for 20 years our oldest raised in truths God calling on his life son struggled with alcohol and it seemed we had front row seats to watch his destruction and I I know in this room some of you have had this experience I hope not but I know in a crowd this size that I'm not alone that we are not alone and it seemed like we're just sitting on the front row watching his life self-destruct when I smelled it on his breath when I knew he was wrecking his life when I knew he was wrecking his family's life when I wanted to give up and lose hope I asked myself the question that I've asked a lot of people in life okay Carla go ahead give up and then what next time you find yourself feeling like I I I I I'm gonna give up ask yourself that question and then what and then what I don't think there's any state of being worse than hopelessness you know pain pain is bad but hopelessness is the worst no Satan no Satan I'm not giving up hope has a name and it's Jesus hope has a name and it's Jesus because we clung to that hope we just recently celebrated our sons one year sobriety God is so faithful so faithful he's so faithful John and Brett are involved in our Outreach our best Ministry which is just so appropriate for him he never was one for a bunch of kids and here he is I think they had 54 on the bus a couple Wednesday nights ago thank God we didn't lose hope thank God we didn't lose hope mama don't lose never never never never never never lose hope if you feel like you've been crucified if you feel like you're buried Dead with your situation thank God for Jesus's example there is resurrection there is hope resurrection power hope Sunday's coming Sunday's on the way sweet sweet Cornerstone ladies today it's been such a privilege to be here and just share my heart with you but I don't want you to forget you can forget a lot of things I've said but just know this in life you're going to lose a lot of things but there are three things there are three things you can't lose I'm serious if I could get down on my knees today and beg you I would because that's how strongly I feel about it you cannot lose your faith you cannot lose your faith you must not lose your faith you cannot lose your joy it's your strength Satan knows that he knows if he takes your joy you're his don't lose your joy and never lose hope never lose hope and now if you'll stand I believe what Pastor said earlier and I'm going to hand him the microphone that someone can get back there Faith their Joy and their hope today and someone could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost in the name of Jesus