"Celebrate The Gospel"- The Apostolic Connection
by Chad Erickson
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Mark 16:15, Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 10:9, Romans 10:14, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 15:13, 1 Corinthians 15:18-20, Acts 2:38, Acts 2:36, Matthew 28:12-17, Mark 16, Mark 16:16, Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 15:35-38

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/chad-erickson--celebrate-the-gospel-the-apostolic-connection
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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turn with me in your Bibles to Mark chapter 16 and verse number 15 Mark chapter 16 verse number 15 I also want to agree wholeheartedly with Pastor tonight when I say that we just had such a great service today and such a great time out on the soccer field and have so many people brother and sister Pace thank you for for getting that team together that work so hard and um man it's just been a great day in the Lord we we just had so much going on we had photographers taking pictures and we've had a all of our all of our uh High School I believe we have a high school uh design club and they've they've been working on they've been working on our set and I thank God for a Christian School for many reasons but one reason is because uh the cameramen that you see and the sound guys and uh we're bringing up media media graphic designers and God is just blessing us through the school uh using electives to bring up uh young people teaching them um how to how to minister through so many different Avenues and uh those things were used today to the glory of the Lord and it impressed me and I'm sure it impressed our guests and I'm sure it impressed Our God which is most important amen Mark 16-5 simply says and he said unto them and Jesus is speaking to his disciples he said go ye into all the world and preach the gospel everybody say the gospel the gospel to every creature I I don't know if there's a better day to preach about salvation Doctrine and preach about the gospel than on Resurrection Sunday I don't know I I just felt God speaking in my heart all week long and I knew I was preaching tonight I knew we'd be celebrating the resurrection this morning celebrating Easter but tonight I want to celebrate the gospel is that all right I want to celebrate the gospel now that's what I'm going to preach about it's a simple title it's just it's it's a simple thought I'm going to preach tonight but God has given me a word for this church for this church family I want you to put your Bibles down and let's pray over the word Lord we're going to celebrate the gospel tonight Lord I'm so glad to be in a church that believes and and understands and preaches the great gospel that you have given that you have delivered to the church today Lord I'm thankful for the New Testament I'm I'm thankful oh God that you've given us Lord God a road map you've given us a book you've given us oh god oh you gave us Lord documents oh God that we've turned into a book into a Bible and Lord God we can follow its path oh God and it's going to lead to Salvation God I pray Lord God if there's somebody here tonight who's never given their heart to you that they've never repented of their sins they've never believed oh God before God I pray there's Believers going to end up in this place tonight in this altar is going to be filled with people oh God rejoicing and celebrating your gospel come on put your hands together and just love him tonight his presence has been here the choir sang the worship team sang we felt him in this house and we're celebrating that he's here we're celebrating the gospel tonight you may be seated in Jesus name what what is the gospel what is the gospel we hear that word so often and and I I'm probably going to lay a foundation I'll preach here in a moment but but it it's just such a beautiful day it's such a beautiful day as we celebrate the death of burial the resurrection of Jesus Christ we're going to learn and we're going to preach about the gospel Romans 1:16 and I might go quickly but uh they're going to be ready they're going to throw these scriptures on the screen so if you don't have time to find them uh uh don't worry yourself just follow along on the screen Bible says for I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is it's going to explain it for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek again for I am not ashamed of the Gospel we sing a lot of songs about this I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth believing the gospel is not salvation said believing the gospel believing is not enough believing is not salvation however we got to believe that there's power in God the power of God who gives the Salvation if you if you believe the gospel it will lead you to Salvation amen 1 Corinthians 15:1 I want to read a few verses it says moreover Brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein you stand by which also you are saved if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received Pastor read this this morning how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and he rose again in the third day again according to the scripture so what is the gospel the gospel simply means the good news the good news it's the life it is the death it's the burial and it's the resurrection of Jesus Christ everybody say gospel the gospel the good news Romans 10:9 says that if Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus that's being unashamed to tell other people and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead Thou shalt be saved now religion wants to Define the Act of believing to be the process of Salvation we know that in most pulpits most pulpits in this County uh the the the word is preached that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ Christ you will automatically be saved and and I want to preach tonight because this this this is a doctrine that is not found in the word of God and we're going to we're going to delve into it just for a moment but believe it is not the final step to Salvation however it is the first step to Salvation and we're not going to preach against believing Because You Must Believe first because if you don't believe there's really no other steps to follow if you don't believe in something you're not going to follow it right if you don't believe that Jes Jesus Is God then there's no reason why You' be baptized in the name of Jesus Romans 10:14 says how then shall They Call On Him whom they have not believed and how shall they believe on him or in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher we usually uh uh preach this scripture in order to preach the importance of a preacher and a pastor and of course there is importance in that and we cannot be saved without the preacher without hearing the word but what it focuses on right here is how then shall they call on him who they have not believed how shall they call on him think about it how can this world call on somebody they do not believe and so we we delve a little bit further into it and we dissect it a little bit more we look at John 3:16 probably the most uh the most well-known scripture in the Bible it's it's written on billboards all across our country John 3:16 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life this verse is not just about believing in the Son of God this verse is about believing and obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ this verse is about believing the the resurrection of the Son of God and I'm going to prove it to you in 1 Corinthians uh 15 it says should not they should not perish but have everlasting life and Paul explained this uh in 1 Corinthians 15:13 says but if there be no resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen and if Christ be not risen then is our preaching Vain and your faith is also vain let me read John 3:16 again we're going to keep on paralleling these for just a few moments for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son this is important that whosoever believeth in him right here should not perish but have everlasting life should not perish 1 Corinthians 15:13 but if there be no resurrection of the dead then is Christ not risen and if Christ be not risen then is our preaching Vain and your faith is also V Verse 18 then they also which fall asleep in Christ are perished if in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable but now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept but now look at verse 20 again but now is Christ risen from the dead we're talking about believing he's risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slept again John 3:16 you got to understand where I'm going right here if you're going to follow along with me and finish with me for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life so who whosoever believeth in the resurrection of Jesus Christ has the hope of eternal life because Jesus the Bible says became the first fruits of them that slept the belief and obedience in the Gospel of Jesus the life the death the burial the resurrection is what gives eternal life it's the belief in Jesus it's it's more than just believing that he is God it's the believing that he resurrected from the dead it's believing that he's alive today that's what he was talking about in John 3:16 when he said he he gave his son and you got to believe in him because if you do not believe in him you will die you will perish the belief and The Obedience in the Gospel of Jesus Acts 2 and 38 probably the most well-known scripture in this church then Peter said unto them repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the the holy ghost look here Peter is preaching the gospel he's preaching about the death he's preaching about the burial and he's preaching about Resurrection he is preaching to the people how to be saved but before he preaches how to be saved watch this before he preaches how to be saved he first preaches about the death the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ if you read down through Acts chapter 2 it's a long we don't always read it when we're when we're preaching up here and we're preaching the gospel we don't always read all of chapter 2 there's a lot in there but if you read through that you're going to hear a message that Peter preaches about Jesus Christ and him crucified but then he says but you've got to believe before he tells them how to be saved there's no reason to preach salvation until the gospel is believed Acts 2:36 says therefore let all the house of Israel the Jews know surely that God hath made the same Jesus whom you have crucified both Lord and in Christ now when they heard this you can quote this when the people heard the gospel they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter to the rest of the Brethren of the Apostles men and Brethren what shall we do the gospel believed is not salvation received me say it again the gospel believed is not salvation received however before salvation comes you got to believe the gospel what shall we do please notice that Peter did not tell them until they asked I'll say it again he did not share with them how to be saved until they said what shall we do we got to be careful not to get the C before the horse we can tell people how to be saved before they believe and that just causes confusion I'm going to say it again we can tell people how to be saved before they believe if they don't believe in the death the B the resurrection of Jesus Christ we can tell them all day long how to receive the Holy Ghost and what steps to take but if they don't understand that's why we give people Bible studies that's why we try to explain to them this is this is more than just an experience this is more than just a good feeling this is more than just something you do you've got to be pricked in your heart something inside of you has got to say I acknowledge I'm not right and I acknowledge that I can't do a thing to save myself there's nothing that I can physically do or mentally do or even spiritually do to save myself you've got to tell me those people they they were crushed and they were pricked in their hearts and they said oh Peter oh disciples Apostles tell us how do we get to this place of salvation then they asked Peter what shall we do you know this is where we got to be careful and and I'm so thankful to be in a church that's balanced I'm so thankful to be a part of a church and attend a Church's balance because there there's churches out there that are so far off in left field and and baptism is not about numbers people receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is not about seeing how many we can we can get on a tally sheet and see how many people we can mark down and we can try to break record numbers each year that's not what salvation is about and if we're not careful listen I'm all about block parties I'm all about uh get people together but if all we have is a dunking tape a tank and all we're doing is giving away free bicycles of people we baptized we've missed the point of baptism we've missed the point of death if nobody's asking why or how why are we baptizing them there's got to be the question where somebody says I'm not right I'm not living right I've got to change my lifestyle what do I need to do to be saved got to be careful got to be careful if people don't believe we cannot baptize you know it was in the old time and and Pastor has preached about this and and I grew up and and and I remember these 30 years ago I remember we had preachers and pastors who they just wouldn't baptize just anybody you had to show fruit of repentance before they would baptize you they would't just throw you in the pool just because uh you heard the world they they would look because because if we're not careful we can forget about what repentance is all about repentance is more than just coming up to an altar and say Lord I'm sorry Lord forgive me repentance is so much more than that repentance it means that we go back home and don't do the things we used to do it means we go back home and we don't call the same people we used to call and we don't get on Facebook with the same people we used to get on Facebook with and and we don't associate and go to the same places and do the same things and act like we used to act but repentance says I'm not going to do that no more and I believe you may be seated I believe that the holy ghost I believe that the Holy Ghost will help us to live right but soon but listen we got to start off with and do all we can first we we we know everybody in this room if if you've got the Holy Ghost you know that receiving the Holy Ghost doesn't give you an automatic ticket to where all of a sudden you never get tempted and and you never have anything come your way and and you never have your eyes to be diverted from things that's not what the Holy Ghost does we'll talk about the holy ghost in a minute but the first thing is what Peter recognized when he preached to the people is he he said I can't even tell them about salvation I can't even tell them how to be saved until I can first get them to realize that they're not right I got to First make them realize that you crucified the Savior I got to First make them realize that they're not living right and they're not doing right and then when Peter saw their heart and I believe he did because they showed it real clear and Loud they were pricked in their heart and they said men and Brethren what shall we do how do we get out of this predicament ah we can't make it out by ourselves what shall we do and so I move forward and I I'll come back to Peter and I'll come back to the day of Pentecost but let me tell you something the enemy of our souls is doing his dead level best to disprove this gospel yes sir on Resurrection Sunday over 2,000 years ago the devil did and is still doing everything in his power to disprove the gospel look with me at Matthew 28 and12 we always move forward to Matthew 28:19 but but look at Matthew 28 and2 says and when they were assembled together this they are the religious rulers and had taken counsel they gave large charge money unto the soldiers saying say ye that his disciples Jesus's disciples came by night and stole him away stole his body while they while those soldiers slept verse 14 and if this come to the governor's ears we will persuade him and secure you so they took the money and did as they were taught and this saying listen this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them and when they saw him listen they worshiped him but some doubted why did they doubt I'll tell you why they doubted because there's rumors going around that some of the other disciples had come in the night and had stolen Jesus's body out of the Tomb why just so they could say that was resurrected these rumors were gone this is the enemy the enemy he wants to discourage us the enemy he wants to disprove this gospel the enemy wants to say hey it's not a big deal of his life and it's not a big deal about his death and his burial but whatever you do you can't believe in his resurrection because every man has a life and every man will one day die and every man will one day be buried but no man has has ever risen himself from the grave there's only one first fruit and his name is Jesus Christ and after three days the power the power inside of him raised him up you may be seen it but even some of his disciples doubted it you see at verse 17 when they saw him some said oh Jesus and some said I don't know if that's him or not it looks like him but I don't know livescience.com reported in April of 2015 says new controversy surrounds alleged Jesus family tomb a new piece of evidence is reigniting controversy over the potential bones of Jesus and Nazareth listen this is two years ago a bone box inscribed with the phrase James son of Joseph brother of Jesus is potentially linked to a Tomb in tpia Israel where the bones of people with the names of Jesus's family members are buried according to a new chemical analysis Ariah shamron the geologist who conducted the study claims that because it is so unlikely that this group of biblical names would be found together by by Chance the new results suggest the tomb once held the bones of Jesus H historians plac Jesus's birth at some time before 4 BC in Nazareth a small village in Galilee he says if this is correct that strengthens the case for the tpit or or Jesus family tomb being indeed the Tomb of Jesus of Nazareth says shimron a retired geologist who has studied several archaeological sites in in Israel and if true the idea that Jesus was buried on Earth would undermine one of the central talents of the Christianity that Jesus was physically resurrected and Rose bodily to heaven after his crucifixion even today they're trying to disprove that Jesus rose from the dead even today they're looking for the bones of list they keep on looking for the bones of Jesus they're wasting their time because they're not going to find the bones of Jesus because you can't find the bones of a resurrected man for he is no longer longer there the angel said he is no longer here for He Is Risen I'll say it again the devil doesn't care if we believe in his life his death and his burial but the devil can't stand it when we start celebrating the resurrection of Christ he can't stand it when we start celebrating the gospel because the gospel goes further than any man has ever gone because no other man has ever Resurrected himself from the grave Hallelujah you may be seated religion is all about man determining to live a better life that's not the issue the issue is Resurrection the issue is the Holy Ghost the issue is the power that's poured out upon you when you come up out of that water the issue is the promise that that's where the real issue is the devil doesn't if you come up front and and you tell the Lord Lord I'm sorry and I know I shouldn't have done that and you repent the devil doesn't care that's death the you know you go in the water he's okay when you go down the water he's okay he's okay with burial he's all about that but what he doesn't want to see he doesn't want you to see you get filled with the Holy Ghost because then you got the spirit of God the power of God you're empowered inside of your body and I'll tell you what that reminds him of that reminds the devil of a man named Jesus Christ Who Came Upon Earth and he had the spirit of God that gave him power and he can't stand that he doesn't mind the death he doesn't mind the burial but he doesn't want the resurrection he doesn't want the holy ghost in the church today because when the Holy Ghost is in the church that gives the church power that gives the church power that gives the church power signs wonders and miracles the casting out of demons it gives the church power and the devil hates it hates it unfortunately there are many who believe in Jesus and acknowledge that he walked on Earth but because they don't believe that he rose again they never ask the question what must I do to be saved look at St Mark chapter 16 I'm I'm going to read this whole chapter and I I know that you're not supposed to read a whole chapter when you're preaching it's a it's it's it's against preacher etiquette or something I don't know but look at Mark chapter 16 because God spoke to me so surreal this week the importance of celebrating the Gospel of Jesus Christ we're celebrating the resurrection today verse one says when the Sabbath was passed Mary Magdalene the and Mary the mother of je of James and salom and brought sweet spices they might come and anoint him come and anoint Jesus and very early in the morning the first day of the week Sunday morning they came unto the SRE at the rising of the sun they said among themselves who shall roll us away the Stone from the door of the Seer and when they looked they saw the stone was was rolled away for it was very great I I was researching that it was like supposed to be two or three tons the weight of the stone and entering into the SRE they saw a young man I like that sitting on the right side clothed in a long white garment and they were frightened he said unto them be not afed you SE Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified he is risen he is not here behold look behold a place they laid him but go your way listen this is where it gets good but go your way tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee he's already headed there there shall you see him as he said unto you verse eight and they went out quickly and fled from The Seer for they uh they trembled and were amazed neither said they anything to any man for they were afraid now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom had cast out Seven Devils she went in and told them that had been with him as they as they mourned and wept and they listen and they when they heard that he was alive and had been seen of her believe not after that he appeared in another form unto two of them as they walked and went into the country and they went into told it under the under the residue and neither no nobody believed them neither believed them afterward he appeared unto the 11 as they sat at meat and uned them with their unbelief and hardest of heart because they believed not them which he had seen him which had seen him after he was risen and he said unto them go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to Every Creature he that believeth and is baptized eyes shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned if a person listen watch this right here if a person takes Mark 16:16 out of context and reads it by itself it appears in Mark is saying that if you don't believe in Jesus and if you're not baptized you won't be saved but that's not what the word believeth is referring to in Mark 16:16 you got to First go back and see what it's talking about Mark 16 and6 is a conclusion to the previous verses in the chapter they didn't believe Mary Magdalene that Jesus was risen they didn't believe the two that witnessed Jesus on the country road even some of the 11 his chosen disciples did not believe the report that Jesus was alive so Mark 16:16 is concluding that he that believeth that Jesus rose from the grave and he that is baptized in in order to obey the Plan of Salvation that person is going to be saved But first you got to believe that he's alive this whole thing listen religion has been based upon this one verse and it was never talking about believing in Jesus it was talking about believing that he was alive that he was risen from the dead that he was not any ordinary man that just was buried and stayed in the grave I feel the Holy Ghost if you don't believe that Jesus was resurrected then obviously you won't see the need to be baptized which is why he said if you're not if if you don't believe you're going to be damned you may be seated so I say it again because I want to make sure that everybody gets this Mark 6 and6 is not a verse that instructs us to believe that Jesus was the son of God Mark chapter 6 is all about the importance of believing that Jesus rose from the dead and it's about the Commandment to preach the gospel everywhere preach that he's alive preach to everybody you see go tell everybody you know he's alive he died for us he was buried for us he rose from the grave for us he's alive in Mark chapter 6 16 as we keep on going down verse 17 as we continue it says and these signs shall follow so now that you believe look right here these these signs shall follow them that believe that he's alive these signs shall follow them that believe that he's risen these signs shall follow them to believe that he's given you power now since he's alive and because he's risen from the dead and he was the first fruits now you can now rise from the dead follow them that believe these signs are going to follow you that believe in my name shall they cast out Devils they shall speak with new tongues listen I've always read this to think that if you believe in Jesus and believe that Jesus is Lord all this stuff's going to follow you what he was saying was if you believe that he's risen all this stuff's going to follow behind you because you're going to receive the power that raised him from the grave they shall take up serpents they shall drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them we're talking about protection from things that ought to hurt you they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover so then after the Lord has spoken unto them he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God power and they went forth and preached everywhere the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs following amen Romans 811 but if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead so also quickened your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you think about it look at 1 Corinthians 15 parallel but some man will say how are the dead raised up and with what body Do They Come Thou fool that which thou sest is not Wicked is not Quicken except it die let me read that again thou fool that which thou sest is not quickened except it die and that which thou sest thou sest not that the body shall be but bear grain it may chance of wheat or some of other grain but God giveth it a body as it had pleased him into every seed his own body what let's read that from the message translation it says some skeptic is sure to ask show me how Resurrection Works give me a diagram draw me a picture what does this Resurrection body look like if you look at this question closely you realize how observed how observed it is there are no diagrams for this kind of thing we do have a parallel experience in gardening I'm still reading the message translation you plant a dead seed soon there is a flourishing plant there listen oh this is so good there is no visual likeness between the seed and the plant you could never guess what a tomato would look like by looking at a tomato seed I'm stealing the word right here what we plant in the soil and what grows out of it don't look anything alike the dead body that we bury in the ground and the resurrection body that comes from it will be dramatically different now I know this passage is is referring to Natural death and I understand all about the Heavenly Body I get it but I also believe it gives us a great description of our spiritual death also because even Jesus listen to me even Jesus wasn't recognized by his closest followers after his resurrection so obviously what went in the Tomb and what came out of the tomb was not recognizable that told listen I'm I'm sorry I don't want to get too Elementary but that Tomato Seed looks nothing like the tomato and so what you see going the ground and it dies looks nothing like what comes up out of the ground as a lively fruit or as a lively vegetable let me tell you something it took them speaking to him to realize who he was it was Thomas one of the 12 one of the 12 followers the disciples who had to touch his hands and touch the nail prince in his feet just to recognize who Jesus truly was the seed that was buried in the ground does not give any Rec recognizable signs of what the fruit is going to grow out of the ground looks like let me go spiritual with you that's just like when you go down in the water and baptism what goes down is not what comes up what goes down is dead what goes down looks nothing more than a seed but when you come up out you're raised to newness of life you're resurrected by the power of God somebody give him praise I feel the holy Ghost in This Place I feel if you've never been baptized I believe it could be you tonight that goes down as a seed goes down as nothing but comes up as a beautiful plant this gospel is for everyone you may be SE it I'm almost done this gospel is for everyone Easter is about celebrating the gospel if you haven't had a personal experience of the Gospel what day would be better than the day we're already celebrating a risen savior what day would be better than a day when we're already saying thank God for he came up out of the Grave he was dead but he now liveth I'm preaching tonight about celebrating the gospel when that young lady at our several campus listen I love baptizing people on Easter when she went down in the water she went down a soul that was decrepit a soul that was dying a soul that had no future but when she came up out of the water she was new it was her mortal body the Holy Ghost filling her it was going to Quicken her with the trumpet sounds in the last chapter of Matthew the last chapter of Mark the last chapter of Luke Jesus commands his disciples go into all the world preach the gospel teach the gospel find everybody you can find I don't care Jew Gentile I I don't care I whoever just find them and preach this gospel Peter here he is here he is standing up with the 11 on the day of Pentecost I'm coming back the day of Pentecost because every Pentecostal preacher loves the day of Pentecost and he's doing exactly what he was told to do then Peter said unto them repent be baptized they just asked what do we do every one of you e every one of you not all of you that feel like you might want a greater experience and might want some frosting on your cake that's not what he said he said every one of you in the name of the one you crucified the one that died the one that shed his blood the one you put a crown of thorns on the one you put 39 stripes in his back in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the promis is unto you this is where it gets so good and this is where the promise was given right here the promise is unto you it's to your children they knew this this was right from Joel 2:28 they knew they they could quote it with him when he started it it's to your children to all them that are far off even as many as the Lord Our God shall call and with many other words did he testify what it's saying right here didn't he record everything else every other promise that he even spoke with many other words that he testify and exhort saying save yourselves from this UNT generation then they that gladly receive the word or they that gladly believe D were baptized in the same day were added unto them 3,000 Souls I'm I'm talking about a Revival on the day of Pentecost I'm talking about people who believed and said I want to be part of the number Count Me In Peter if this is what I got to do to be saved this is what I want to do and I want you to know nothing has changed this is not old law this is not something levitical this is in the New Testament it's still alive today the book of Acts doesn't have an amen the book of Acts doesn't end the book of Acts is still alive in the church today and I want you to stand to your feet and if you've been filled with the Holy Ghost if if you've been baptized in Jesus name I just want you to lift up your hands and begin to worship and begin to praise him because I know there's people here tonight that are like if I could just somehow some way if I could just get to the altar I believe I believe that he's alive I believe that the power of the Holy Ghost is in the church today I've just got to receive it shut up come on somebody allow yourself to begin to speak in another language speak in that Heavenly language that you were given when you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost when when the Lord took over your tongue and and started forming words that you don't even have a clue what you're saying I wish you just begin to speak in those words and speak in that language oh come on the very same power that raised Christ from the dead wants to fill you tonight and Empower you you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you come on it's time to celebrate the gospel it's time to celebrate the gospel it's not enough that we're just excited about the resurrection of Jesus he says I want to see you revived I want to see you resurrected I want to see you with newness of life every eye closed every eye closed every head bowed in this house tonight oh I feel such a strong anointed in this house Pastor Carpenter today in sville all he did was said is there anybody here that doesn't have the Holy Ghost and wants the Holy Ghost he said all you got to do is come forward and we had one we didn't have to beg her we didn't have to plead with her she just stepped forward and said I want that Holy Ghost and and tonight I want to know is there anybody here tonight who will be bold who will be courageous and say I'm not ashamed to walk up front of that building I know it might be a far walk but I don't have the Holy Ghost and I don't want to leave this place without it I want you just to make your way forward right now young and old come on some of you six and seven and eight year olds you've been you've been crying out to God every time when you pray with your parents you've been saying God fill me with the Holy Ghost this has got to show this has got to prove that you're serious about it you got to be pricked in your heart you got to say what must I do every eye closed the first thing you got to do is you got to die out to yourself and dying out to yourself we call it repentance that's what Peter preached he said first you got to repent and I know it was just one verse right there and it it seems like it was just one word in Acts chapter 2 and 38 but that's such a big word because it's a it's something that you got to make a paradigm in your mind you got to change paradigms you got you got to make an about face to the direction you're going and say I don't want to live like that no more that's not who I want to be that's not how I want to act those are not the friends I want to have I don't want to put those substance is in my body no more I don't want to drink that no more I don't want to shoot up that no more I don't want to look at that no more you got to make up in your mind and say oh God I'm pricked in my heart I've got to do something about this I've got to do something everybody put your hand on your heart right now I believe God is wanting to break some hearts in this place right now come on somebody say oh God break my heart oh God I don't want to leave this place content with the way I came I want to leave here different I don't want to go back to next week like last week was I I don't want this coming weekend to turn into what last weekend was come on truly repent you got to say God I'm I'm sorry I'm done I'm finished I'm over my old man that ugly seed I got to do something with it it's got to die that ugly man that old man man the one I'm not proud of the one that that I don't want anybody else to see and that I want to put behind closed doors I I've got to kill it and I've got to bury it burial burial Jesus on the cross died he gave up the Ghost spirit of God left him and then he died the man Christ Jesus the man the flesh died God didn't die the man the flesh died di they took him off the cross what a gruesome what a gruesome experience taking him off the cross where his hands had been nailed and his feet had been nailed where a spear had been thrust up into his side what a what a gruesome experience to try to get him down from there but it was put in a borrowed tomb cuz the fact of the matter is you don't need to buy something that you're only going to spend three days in and we've got a baptistry over here it won't cost you a thing because you're only going to be in it for a moment just long enough to bury that old man just long enough to put that old man in the grave that sinful nature for the remission the removal of your sins all you can do is repent and say God I'm sorry I'm going to change my life but that doesn't take your sins off your body your sins are still on you until you get them washed off in the waters of baptism and then when you get in that water and when you go under that water and the name of Jesus is called over you those sins are removed there's there's not one thing in your past everything that you're ashamed of everything that's in the closet that you want to hide those skeletons you can listen it those are gone they're washed away they're lost into a sea of forgetfulness it's it's driven away as far as the East is from the west and the beautiful thing is when you come back up out of the water that's when your stone is rolled away that's when your friends say where did the old Chad go and that's when somebody says he is not here for He Is Risen that old man is gone we can't find him no more your old friends might search around and try to find them but just like Jesus was unrecognizable you're going to be unrecognizable to those friends they're going to say where did he go we lost him where he used to party with us he used to shoot up with us he he used to talk dirty with us he used to gossip with us where did he go and you're going to walk right by and they're not going to realize who you are they're going to say who's this new guy who's this new guy who who has so much faith and so much trust and and Peter said once you're baptized this is where the promise comes you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and this is where the power is implanted into your body what know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost this this this is where the spirit the power the authority of God is put in your body and now the decision you made to live right now you can walk down the street and say by the help of God by the grace of God here I am today by the grace of God I could have never done it on my own but by the grace of God look at me today look at me today look what God is doing through me to God be the glory but look at me today oh I want you to know whatever you want it can happen tonight if you want to be that one that goes down in the water and comes out brand new it could be you tonight but you've got to make a decision that you believe the gospel I preached all that to preach this right here you first got to believe the gospel you got to believe that if it was for Jesus it's for you you got to believe if Jesus died was buried and resurrected that you too must die must be buried and be resurrected come on are any believers in the house he that believeth he that believeth and is baptized baptized of the water and baptized of the spirit he that believeth and is baptized oh you can't even enter the kingdom of God unless you're born of the water and the spirit he that believeth and is baptized he that believeth the gospel and is obedient to the gospel and is baptized uh you're going to be saved you're going to be saved you're not going to be damned but you're going to be saved in Jesus name come on lift up your hands one more time I want to make an invitation Church help me pray I'm going to call the whole church in a moment but I want to give you an opportunity if you've never received the gift if you've never been baptized I want to give you this opportunity right now to believe Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus come on if just one would come forward the Bible says that the Angels rejoice in heaven over one soul that repenteth that's all we need tonight for there to be a party in heaven we just need one person to repent because heaven knows if you repent then you can't help but to get baptized in Jesus name if you repent then you can't help but to seek for the Holy Ghost in heaven knows that in Heaven Will Rejoice over one's soul that repents I know in a crowd there size it can be intimidating so I want our church family to make your way into the front right here into these altars and I want you to cry out like you've never cried out before and say God Lord God give me your power once again if you need to be R renewed in the Holy Ghost say God fill me with your spirit One More Time come on some of you might have had the Holy Ghost years ago but I wonder if you're really full of the Holy Ghost I wonder if you're really filled to overflowing with the Holy Ghost because when you're filled to overflowing with the Holy Ghost ghost the fruit of the spirit can't help but to grow in your life when you're overflowing with the Holy Ghost the gifts of the Spirit can't help but to flow through your life come on I hear the I hear the cries of the saints of God who are celebrating the gospel tonight I hear the cries of the saints of God who are celebrating the gospel tonight oh we celebrate we celebrate we celebrate