Unless | Associate Pastor Chad Erickson
by Chad Erickson
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: James 4:13-14, John 3:5, Luke 12:20, Psalm 127:1, John 6:44, John 14:6, Luke 13:3, Matthew 5:20, Matthew 18:3, John 3:2, John 3:3, John 3:4, John 3:6-7, Acts 2:38, Acts 2:4

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/chad-erickson--unless
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
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This will be the last time that I ever get to preach from this pulpit. This will be the last church service that you will ever get to attend unless unless God allows us to live another day. Church, I hope we know we're not promised tomorrow. The Bible says that life is simply a vapor. Matter of fact, turn with me to James 4:14. And uh this this message has been burdening on my heart now for quite some time. But I just believe that our present generation is so comfortable, so entertained and so distracted and also so prosperous that so many will shy away from any decision that will cramp their lifestyle. We say, you know, I'll get serious about God later. I'll change when it's more convenient. I'll make the commitment when life slows down. But James 4:13 says, "Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain. Whereas ye know not what shall be on the tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appearth for a little while then vanishth away. A life of procrastination. That's what James is talking about right here. The person who says, "You know what? And this might be you, and it's been me so many times. I'll start my diet and exercise tomorrow. I'll start on Monday. I just don't know which Monday it's going to be. And years later, you're still saying the same thing. Anybody have a witness? Anybody ever done that? Every January 1st, you have the same New Year's resol resolution. And it's the engaged couple who keeps saying, "We're going to get married one day," but never takes a step. It's the worker who delays saving for retirement, thinking there's always going to be more time. For we know delay is dangerous. Tomorrow is not promised. But today is the day of decision. Today is the day of salvation. >> Procrastination isn't a good word when it comes to eternal things. I I want to um just read one more scripture you're hearing. You know it. John 3:5, and this is where my title's derived from Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of the water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." My My title tonight is the modernday English word we use for accept. My title is simply this one word, unless. Unless, God, unless you want to just come in here and do something, God, we have no hope. We have no future. Help me pray this right here. Father, but I believe I'm standing before people tonight, oh God, who are going to make a decision, God, who are going to come face to face with this word unless, and they're going to say, God, unless you help me, unless I make a move to serve you, God, I have no hope. God, I have no future and my eternity does not look good. But God, oh God, I pray that you would put into somebody tonight, Lord God, the yearning, the desire, the zeal to serve you like they've never served you before. God, I want to do everything I can, oh God, to say as for me and my house, we're going to serve you for my wife and for my daughters. Oh God, I just believe there's hope for us. Oh God, I believe there's an expected end for us. It's going to take Lord God me making a good decision tonight to serve you for the rest of my days. In Jesus name we pray. Clap your hands if you love him. Clap your hands if you want to serve him. Come on, First Apostolic Church family. We serve a great God. We serve an awesome God. We serve a God that's still a miracle worker. He's still changing lives. But we've got to make a decision tonight to serve him with everything we are. Somebody say in Jesus name. >> In Jesus name. >> You may be seated in the house tonight. This word unless or except is a very powerful word that always comes with conditions. Everyone say conditions. >> It comes with stipulations. This word unless demands a response. And I said it in my opening tonight that this might be our last service together. And I I I said it and I meant it. If it is what we understand tonight that our God can give us tomorrow, but it's not promised to us. >> We got to take right now like it's our last moment, like it's our last chance because it's an eternal destination that's at stake. >> Remember the rich the rich fool that I talked about? I preached about on in on Wednesday night in Luke 12. I I read a parable telling about a man that was so blessed and instead of being a giver, instead of helping others, instead of adding value to others, what did he do? The Bible says he built larger barns. >> God called him a fool. He says you're a fool because here you are. All you care about yourself, you're so selfc centered with personal pronouns, me, my, myself that you can't even see others around you that are in need. You You can't even see Rwanda because you're so consumed with self and feeling like you're so blessed that nobody else even matters in the kingdom. But oh my God, at the end of the story, at the end of the parable, it says, "This night thy soul shall be required of thee." You know what that means? That means his life is going to be taken that night. That means immediately he's not going to live another day. This word soul here refers to his life. It's demanded back by God as if it's a loan that's suddenly recalled. And this man has just planned out all these years. And God declared his death is imminent. He's tied. He's unprepared. and his wealth is going to be given to others. He he lived with a maybe tomorrow mindset, but tomorrow never came. >> Your next decision may determine your eternity. It might just determine your destiny. You cannot play with tomorrow when today is all you've been guaranteed. These words unless and accept. They're they're interchangeable. They have the very same meaning. Matter of fact, Psalm 127 and1, I I just want to preach a few excepts and a few in a few unless tonight if that's okay. Bible says in Psalm 127:1, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except or unless the Lord keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain." John 6:44 says, "No man can come to me except the father which has sent me draw him and I will raise him up to the last day." John 14:6 says Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but or except by me. Luke 13:3 says, "I tell you nay, but except ye repent, you shall all likewise perish." Matthew 5 and 20 says, "For I say unto you that except unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:33 says Jesus said verily I say unto you except unless you be converted and become as little children you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven which brings me to my key verse what I want to preach about tonight John 3 and1 there's a man there's a Pharisee named Nicodemus a ruler of the Jews and oh Nicodemus man he had it all together. He looked apart. He acted apart. He was holy. >> Oh yes, he was. These these Pharisees, let me tell you what the Pharisees were. They were they were rulers of the Jews. They they sat on the council of the Sanhedrin. This Nicodemus was a very respected teacher. He was a leader of all Israel. And this word Pharisee means separated ones. A lot of times we we speak of the Pharisees as if they're horrible people. They just didn't have a mind open enough to see that Jesus was Messiah. But these men, these these men were separated. They were holy. They observed strict Jewish laws, traditions, ritual purities and holiness. They were mostly layman. They they were not priests. They were teachers and scribes and merchants and and community leaders. So I want you to understand when Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, it it was a big deal because there was a lot going on in this day. They they did not like Jesus. They did not like the crowds that he was pulling. They they sure didn't like the miracle, signs, and wonders that he was uh he was doing within the community because they saw people being drawn to him. And it hurt their reputation and it hurt their ministries because this Jesus who who who they had never heard of before. He he came from a place that that no prophet had ever come from before. >> And now here he is doing miracles, signs and wonders. And it it it scared them and it threatened them. >> And so John 3 and2 says this same this Nicodemus came to Jesus by night. He came at night. He came after dark. And and normally things that are done on purpose after dark are not good things because he he held a high position among these leaders and and whatever happened he sure didn't want them to think that he was a follower of this Jesus Christ. John 3:2 says, "And he said unto him, Rabbi," speaking to Jesus, "we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these miracles that thou doest unless except," there it is again, God be with him." So, this tells me when he said the word except that Jesus said, "I can use that word too." And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except here it is right here, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." He He didn't waste any time with pleasantries. He He didn't ask him how he was doing. He didn't ask him how the high priest was right away. He went to the heart of the matter and he said, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Even this good, righteous, holy, knowledgeable man needed to be born again. >> Jesus was showing him saying there's no amount of religious training. There's no amount of good works. There's no position. Oh, come on, somebody. There's no position or heritage that can substitute for the new birth experience. >> Without it, you remain spiritually in darkness. Listen, I'm so glad that Jesus is still saving drug addicts. I'm so glad that he's still saving people who have been saved out of sexual immorality. I'm so glad that Jesus is saving alcoholics off a bar stool. But I'm equally glad that Jesus is saving religious people. I'm talking about good people. I'm talking about people that have never done anything, ain't never been to jail, ain't never been a in a back of a police car. They've been in church all their life. They've read the Bible truth five, six, seven times in their lifetime. I'm glad that Jesus is saving those people. >> You say, "Wait a minute. Hold on a second. We always think of people being pulled up out of the gutter and people being pulled out of the miry clay." Let me tell you something. False religion is also miry clay. >> But I love the story that pastor tells. We we we got some good friends named the Enmans. brother and sister Inman, they they they live for God the best they knew how to live for God. Matter of fact, he was in a a a trinitarian Pentecostal organization where he was one of the greatest evangelists they had. He was preaching conferences and camp meetings and revival service and dedications and anniversary services. He was he was he was on the circuit of the evangelist until he started watching YouTube videos of this man named Kenneth Carpenter in this church. This church in East Tennessee, a small town in East Tennessee. They they just so happened upon these oneness YouTube videos. And as they begin to watch, something inside of them pricked their heart. Again, these were talking preachers. We're talking evangelists. We're we're talking about good good people. People that had lived for God all their life. Matter of fact, if you saw them at Dollywood, you would just assume they were apostolic. >> They dressed holy. She'd been wearing a dress all her life. He he'd been dressing like a man all his life. They they they believed in holiness and separation from the world. >> They might even have some standards that were greater than ours. I don't know. But this is what I do know. I do know they didn't have full truth. >> And they had to be born again just like the drug addict had to be born again. >> They had to be born again just like the drunk had to be born again. >> Just because Nicodemus hung out in the synagogue didn't mean that he didn't have to be born again. But what I love about the testimony of the immmonds was when they saw it, >> it wasn't just because they heard the watched the videos and they heard the preaching, they began to call Pastor Carpenter and began to ask him questions and and it was Sister Inman, I believe, if I'm not mistaken. They were struggling with it. Struggling because she had lived her whole life separated from the world her whole life. She she had tried to explain to people why she lived like she lived and dressed like she dressed and she couldn't. Brother Sister Smith, she couldn't understand why >> if I live like this, how how can I be hearing this doctrine that I'm not following >> to a tea? >> And so it started within her. She said, "There's just no way that I've been wrong all these years." But Pastor Carpenter began to witness to her on the phone and to her husband and say, "Listen, what you believe, oh, it's good. You're not going to drop all those beautiful holiness standards that you're living. You're not going to drop those standards. Huh? You you you're not going to change those things about your life. But I just want to add to what you already believe. >> I don't want to take anything away from what you believe. I don't want to do that to you." No, no, no. If you're a religious person in this room today, and this might be your first time you've ever been the first apostolic and you're looking around thinking to yourself, "What is different about these people?" I read the same Bible they read. I pray to the same God they pray to. Oh, let me tell you something. There's nothing wrong with that. Keep on praying to God. You're praying to the If you believe in Jesus Christ uh and him crucified, you just keep on worshiping Jesus. Ain't nothing wrong with any of that. But I want to take you a step further because I believe every single one of us ought to want to go to the next level in our walk with God. And you ought to go, you ought to want to go to the next level in your walk with God. And so something, Brother Josh, something was inside of Nicodemus. And and he was fighting this because he thought, man, something's different about this man. These miracles, signs, and wonders. It's obvious he has come. He's sent by God to our generation for such a time as this. And oh, here he is. And listen, we can't we can't be too harsh on him because until you're born of the water and the spirit, you can't see the kingdom of God. >> You can't understand the kingdom of God. This word see in the original language it's written in means far more than physical eyesight. It means to perceive uh to understand to know and to experience. And without being born again, a person is simply spiritually blind. >> Say, "Come on, Nicodemus. Why'd you have to come at night?" He came at night because he didn't understand. >> He was hungry, but he didn't know why. So, we have verse four. Nicodemus said unto him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Oh, but Jesus answered, here we go. Jesus didn't even touch that. Y'all see that right there? Jesus like, I ain't going to go there. But he said, he answered, and this is how important this is right here. He answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." It's more. He went a step beyond sin because it's just more than just understanding. Cuz there's people that understand truth that don't follow truth. There's people that are reading the same Bible you're reading >> and they might even see some of the things, but like Nicodemus. Oh, but if I show favor towards this doctrine, my God, I I've seen I've seen some tele evangelists who I know for certain they understand Jesus name baptism, but because they're worried about losing followers and losing checks in the mail, >> brother watch, you talked about it. Because they're there with the wrong motive, the last thing they're going to do is proclaim Proclaim Jesus name baptism for the remission of sins in the name of Jesus. >> Brother Dakota, they might lose some view viewersh. They might lose some people out of their churches. Uh and old Nicodemus, he was a little bit worried he was going to lose some followers. >> But oh Jesus said, not only do you have to understand it and see it, but you can't even get into it. You can't even enter into the kingdom unless you're born of the water and you're born of the spirit. >> He's talking about born of the water. He's pointing to the day of Pentecost. It wasn't even happening yet. This was still the Old Testament. This was the book of Matthew. This was still the Old Testament. He hadn't died yet. >> He had been resurrected yet. >> He's talking about there's coming a day There's going to be a day of Pentecost when the church is born. when water baptism is going to be preached uh in the name of Jesus Christ uh for the remission of sins. When the born of the spirit is going to be preached by Peter standing up with the 11 apostles with him and he's going to be able to tell them you're going to have to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and you're going to have an evidence of that Holy Ghost because you're going to hear yourself speak in a tongue you don't even know what you're saying. Come on, somebody. Now, listen. Bishop Carpenter, he preached about this this morning. Uh, I'm just picking up where he left off. uh on the day of Pentecost uh when Peter stood up uh and when he ignited the early church uh Acts 2 and38 he said unto them repent and be baptized be born of the water every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost you shall be born of the spirit and that's when you walk into a newness of life that puts you into the kingdom. Now listen, I know I know that there's some translations that say for the forgiveness of sins. >> And there is forgiveness in remission. >> Oh, there's no doubt about it. Woo! I thank God there's forgiveness within remission. >> But pastor, preach about it this morning. There's so much more to remission than just forgiveness. It's called removal of sins. I don't want my sins just to be forgiven. I want them to be removed from my life. Uh everything that I've done in my past, everything I'm not proud of, everything I'm ashamed of, I want that stuff washed off me. It's not good enough just to be forgiven. I want it to be forgotten. As far as the east is from the west, our sins are cast. I wish somebody that's been filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized in Jesus name. I wish you would just lift up a shout unto God right now and thank him. I'm so glad I'm not what I used to be. I'm so glad I'm not what I used to be. I'm not what I'm going to be, but I'm sure not what I used to be. You may be seated. They were obedient to the preaching of Peter. And the very same thing happened to the 3,000 that happened to the 120 in the upper room earlier that day. >> Acts 2:4 says, "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." Now listen, I have already told you this story, but there was something my favorite part of my trip to Israel and my trip to the old city of Jerusalem was standing in the same place where Peter preached on the day of Pentecost was looking at all these baths that they used for purification and knowing without a I could see it, brother P. I could see 3,000 going down in those bathing pools. I could see each one of the apostles saying, "I got this one right here. Okay, I'll get this one right here." I can see him just going down into the water and saying, "Come on, line up. If you want to be baptized the way that Peter just preached, if you want to be born of the water, line up and get in line. Come down into this purification pool. I'll put you down in the name of the one that died for you. I'll put you down in the name of the one that shed his blood for you. >> You may see it. That very same one that you were shouting crucify. >> Just a little over a month ago, you were saying crucify, crucify, crucif. I'm going to put you down in his name. I'm talking about the king of the Jews. I'm talking about the one that you mocked, that you spit on, that you tore his beard out of his face. >> I'm going to put you down. And every sin that you've ever committed, when you're born of the water, >> listen, we've got a pool up here. It's ready. It's waiting. It's a cleansing pool. I said it's a cleansing pool. The very same thing they would cleanse before they go into the temple. That's a cleansing pool. Before you enter into the kingdom of God, you got to be cleansed in the pool. Woo. Peter gave the same answer Jesus gave Nicodemus. Unless you repent of your sins, unless you take those sins down into a watery grave, until you get those sins remitted in the name of the only one that can save and until you're filled with the spirit of God >> and born of the spirit, you cannot be saved. >> Saved from what? Well, saved from this world because the only way to be safe in this world is to be in the kingdom of God. You only have two kingdoms. There's only two choices. >> You got the kingdom of this world and the kingdom of flesh >> or you got the kingdom of God. >> And salvation can only be found in the kingdom of God. >> If someone does not seek to be born again, the consequences are eternal. They cannot see the kingdom of God. Don't be surprised when your co-workers, your friends at work, your family members, they look at you and look at your lifestyle like you're crazy. >> Some people think that I'm crazy. Some even call me a fool. The reason is there's no way they can understand or comprehend the kingdom of God without being born of the water and the spirit. Why you live holy and live separated and don't do this and don't do that. >> Go to church 17 times a week. >> Because you come to prayer every day. >> They think y'all crazy. When are you gonna have family time, Brother Tony? >> Listen, I don't know any better family time than this. >> I don't want my girls to be hanging out in the world. I'm not interested in them hanging out in in secular sports. I I'm not interested in that. I want to have them here in the househ. I want them rubbing shoulders with other girls that want to live for God. I want them to date boys that find themselves in the altar. Not behind the church looking to smoke something, but right here in the altar. I'm talking about the kingdom of God. There's no better place I'd rather be. And I understand why the world can't understand what we do or why we do it. Can't see it. You may be seated, but you get them into the house. >> You get them into the house and you get them to repent of their sins and go down in the water in Jesus name. Brother Matt come out of the water speaking in tongues and all of a sudden they come to work with you on Monday morning and they start looking at you. Brother Matt say it makes sense why you do what you do. >> This makes total sense why your daughter looks the way your daughter looks. Brother Matt, why your wife looks the way your wife looks, brother Matt. It makes total sense because once they see it, >> you can't unsee it. You can't unsee it. Once you once you got this inside of you like fire shut up in your bones, once you've been illuminated to the power of God, into the things of God, into the kingdom of God, you understand why I don't want to act like the world, why I don't want to dress like the world, why I want to live like the world. Parents, this is the most important truth we can teach our children. >> Strong Tower students, this is the decision that determines your eternity. >> Today is the day of salvation. And oh my God, unless we make a decision, be born of the water and the spirit, we have no future in the kingdom of God, you cannot remain neutral. >> I said it. This word right here unless it demands a response. That's right. >> Jesus did not say be born of the water in the spirit if it's convenient and you go to one of them churches. >> Yeah. It doesn't matter what your culture says because you know what? Culture changes. >> But Jesus don't change. >> His word doesn't change. Woo! My God, I feel the Holy Ghost in this place. Uh God, help us. Uh come on, students. We can't go to a Christian school and just think that one day something's going to snap or a light switch is going to turn on in our brain and all of a sudden we're going to decide to be holy men and women of God. It's going to take more than you getting married. It's going to take more than you finding a career. It's Hey, come on. You got to make a decision right now. You got to be like Elijah. You got to be like Elijah. He stood up. He stood up and said, "You got to choose. I'm not going to give you a choice not to choose. There is no choice not to choose. You got to make a decision. You're going to serve this world and the false prophets and the false idols of this world, or you're going to come on to the Lord's side, and you're going to see the fire fall in your life. Uh, and it's going to consume things that don't belong." and it's going to revive you. >> I'm almost done. I promise I'm almost done. You may be seated. I I brought I brought a calendar and I forgot it on my desk, but I was going to show it to you tonight. There's a It's a big It's a Oh, here's a big wall calendar. And I went through it today and I started putting dates in the calendar. I put I put dates such as the big wedding day. And Landry, I just looked up your wedding and I circled it real big and I said, "The wedding day." >> But then I crossed it out. I put another date on the baby shower for my first grandchild. I should say my first grandchild. Maybe it's your first grandchild. But I crossed it out. I put on there another date. I flipped a few more months. I put another date that said our big 50th wedding anniversary. Brother Ammons, I crossed it out because I thought so many times we put things in our calendar as if these dates are so important. There's no way >> we can miss these dates. >> I mean I mean let me bring it home. Don't you know there was hundreds of people last night that didn't get to eat dinner >> because they're rushed out of a convention hall. Brother Danny, I guarantee you on their calendar that was the greatest day of their life. They were going to go into the same ballroom as the president, as the vice president, >> first lady, second lady, all their cabinet, but it never happened. They never put one bite of food in their mouth because we are not promised anything past this moment right here. And I know you might have some big dates on your calendar coming up and you think, "Well, as long as I can make it past that date, I'm okay." You are not promised that date. I feel the Holy Ghost cuz I feel some I feel I feel some push back right here cuz I think there's some people that are so in a procrastinating spirit that you're willing to wait >> and see. And that's the most dangerous thing you could ever do. >> You may be seated. I I promise you I'm almost done. I promise. I promise. My best friend in the world went to church on a Sunday morning, taught a youth Sunday school class, and was he was dead before Sunday night. >> That's right. >> Went swimming with some Bible school friends in a in a small lake. I've been there so many times. I've been to the campground where this lake is. I've I've swam it. Uh I I've ridden boats and inner tubes on this lake. I can see in my mind's eye exactly where he was trying to race uh and swim across this lake. And oh my god, when we got the phone call in 1999, oh my god, it's almost 27 years ago that Patrick Wilson June 13th, 1999. I believe without a shadow of a doubt he would have been one of our future youth presidents. Brother Hammond. >> Yes, sir. Yes, sir. >> Brother Carpenter, I believe without a shadow of a doubt he would have been our our next general superintendent after you. >> You've never seen a young man that was so powerful, so talented, so anointed, so heaven driven like Patrick Wilson. >> That's right. >> But he was not given Sunday night. And I don't listen you. You know how this is. A lot of times when people pass away, most of the time it's people that are kind of acquaintances or or people that people know or or a friend of a friend or an aunt of a friend or an uncle. And you you think to yourself, there's no way that somebody like Patrick Wilson would ever die. >> Which is the same thing you say about yourself. There's no way that I would ever die. >> Justin Dub's motorcycle accident. good friend Keith Ambrose loses his baby boy. No way it's going to be anybody that I know. >> None of my friends, none of my loved ones. It's always going to be somebody that somebody else knows that it's acquaintance of mine. But I just want to tell you here tonight and I opened up. I opened up and you know I opened up on purpose. I I was trying to get just a little bit of rise out of people and I looked up just long enough to see some eyebrows lifted and oh I wonder what brother Ericen is. I wonder what heinous sin he's going to tell us that he's done that he can't preach anymore. I saw some of y'all pulling out your your cell phones getting ready to send that text that wow text. Get on the webcast at 7:29. You're not going to believe what's going on in our church. Come on. Don't look at me like you don't know what I'm talking about. I think I did pretty good acting like that. >> Thank you. Spring program Friday. Spring program Sunday. But the fact of the matter is we're not promised. >> And I felt, pastor, I felt this morning when you said, listen, come on. Just tell somebody beside you, I want to go to the water. Just tell somebody beside you, I want to get in the water in Jesus name. Pastor, you and I both know there was a whole lot more than just one person that needed to go to the water this morning. But there was only one who decided, I better get in the water. >> But I believe there could be more tonight if you would just respond to the word of God. I didn't say hear the word of God. >> I said if you would respond to the word of God and understand. Oh my god. I'm I'm finishing right here. I just got to tell you the rest of the story of Nicodemus because Nicodemus's story doesn't end by him coming at night and finding Jesus. Oh. Oh, no. It doesn't. That's not where the story ends. For Nicodemus is found again in John 7. >> In John 19 in John 7, he's defending Jesus from the Sanhedrin. And again, when it tells of him in John 19, he's bringing expensive myrr and anointing oils to anoint Jesus's body for burial when they took him off the cross. >> We find out if you research, we find out he brought 75 pounds of expensive spices. Brother Hold, did you hear that? 75 pounds. Have y'all ever lifted a a 50 bag pound bag of concrete? >> My boy brought 75 pounds of this anointing oil because he deemed Jesus worthy. I don't care what anybody says. This is how he felt. I don't care. This is a holy Listen, I know. I know. I know. I know. He went to Jesus by night. I know we throw off on Oh, you went to Jesus by night. Oh, but that's not where it ended. I just got to believe he followed the command of Jesus. The unless I just follow he followed the unless of Jesus. I believe he was born of the water and the spirit because you don't anoint the body of a man who you don't follow. And if you're not in his kingdom, you're sure not going to defend him against the Sanhedrin. But oh, I know without a shadow of a doubt. Nicodemus said, "I must be born of the water. I must be born of the spirituh. I believe on the day of Pentecost, he went down like everybody else went down. Stand to your feet. Say, "I got to I got to quit. I got to quit. >> I told myself 30 minutes. I'm over time. >> But I wonder if there's another Nicodemus in this place tonight that feels it's worth ruining your reputation in the world in order to say unless." I'm going to follow the unless. Woo. I just want to read this passage one more time just in case you didn't catch it the first time. Jesus answered Nicodemus and said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus saith unto him, "How can a man be born when he is old, can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born?" But Jesus ignored that and said, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit." He said, "Marvel not, wonder not that I say unto thee, ye must be born again." You cannot demand the Holy Ghost. Being born of the spirit comes from God. But what you can do is make a decision. I'm going to repent of my sins and I'm going to go to the water in the name of Jesus for the remission of my sins. >> Did y'all catch that? You can't fill yourself with the Holy Ghost, >> but you can seek for it. >> And you can receive the promise because there is no promise without repentance and being born of the water. >> There's no promise of being born of the spirit unless you first say, "God, I'm going to do what I can do first before I expect you to do what you can do." God, I can at least say, "God, I'm so sorry. I will not live like that anymore. I will not go to those places anymore. I will not speak in that tone anymore. I will not talk in that bad language anymore. God, I'm going to give it all up for you. And then once those sins have been forgiven, and I believe if you ask the Lord to forgive your sins, he will. It's a promise. He will. He's not a grudge keeper. He's not going to hold stuff over your head. But then once those sins are forgiven, I'm sorry, but they're still attached to you. They're still attached to you. They're still hold on for dear life because this is what Egypt knows. You might get out of Egypt, but if Egypt can hold on to you long enough, you're going to go back to Egypt. Come on, somebody. You know I'm preaching right here. Every temptation is always going back. It was better there. We had leaks and onions back in Egypt. We We had flesh pots back in Egypt. Oh, that sounds good. You got to get that stuff washed off. And listen, listen. If you're not if you've not heard anything else I've said, Jesus said, unless you're born of the water, start right there. Just start. We'll get spear later. You get born of the water first because when you go down in Jesus name, woo. Every bit of that sin that's clinging on to you, every bit of the world that's trying to hold on to you, those chains, those chains that bind you when you go down into a watery grave. Every one of those chains has no choice but to fall off you. Every one of those chains has no choice uh but to drop into a pool of remission. Oh, come on. Let the Holy Ghost minister right now. If there's anybody that just wants to come to this altar and say, "I'm so glad I've been born of the water and the spirit." If you got something inside of you saying, "Hey, Pastor Ericson, I want to be baptized. I wish we could get a line of people that we couldn't even contain them in the changing rooms. I wish there' be so many people that would just make a decision. I'm sick and tired of having sin cling to me, and this is what I know. We'll have the Holy Ghost falling in the water. We'll have the Holy Ghost falling in the water. You're going to come up out of the water. Your sins are going to be gone. They're going to be remitted. And you're going to be free. And when you're free, the Holy Ghost can fill the empty void that those sins fill. Yes. Come on, somebody right here. Right now, they're going to sing. But before they do, before they sing, I wish there is a roar that would go up right now from people who have been born again of the water in the spirit. I wish there was a roar that would just take place in this househ. I'm not looking for a response to my preaching. I'm looking for people that are thankful they've been born of the water and the spirit. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. I got to give you praise. I got to give him praise. I got to give him praise. >> Believe on me. >> Believe on me. Say the >> scripture say the scripture say on me. Say, >> "Oh, Jesus said it." Jesus said Jesus said >> Jesus said he said believe on me believe on me say the scripture say scripture say the Bible sayure say Yeah. >> I've got the river. >> I've got the river. >> I've got the river. Oh, >> I'm not the river. >> See, you should have been there when I prayed through. Church was on fire and the Holy Ghost too. My head to the side of my feet. The spirit moving all over from the top of my head. Say, I'm not the river. >> I'm not the river. >> I'm not the river. >> I've got the river. >> So, you don't believe I've been redeemed. Follow me down to the Jordan stream. Stepped in the water. Water was cold till my body went on my soul. Don't believe I need to follow me down. >> See, I've got the river. I've got the river. I've got the river. I've got the river. Come on. Let's all lift our hands all across this room. Come on. The word's been preached up. I believe somebody's about to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost right now. Come on. Can we prepare an atmosphere for the presence of God to sweep in this place? Come on. If there's not one that needs it tonight, we all need a good refilling of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Come on. You don't stay long enough in church to not need a good refilling right now. Come on. Could you lift your voice? Could you lift your voice and magnify the Lord right now? Tell him how good he is. Come on. You might surprise yourself. Come on. Right now, lift your voice. Begin to brag on them. Come on. Everybody likes to be bragged on. And God's the same way. Tell him how good he is. Come on. Tell him what he's done in your life. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I wish the loudest thing in this place would be the sound of somebody singing the Holy Ghost. Come on. Out of your belly shall flow rivers of living water. It starts deep from within you and comes out of your mouth. Come on. You can't give God a praise. It just stops right here. But it starts in your belly. It starts in your innermost being. Oh, the Holy Ghost is here right now. Oh, I thank you, Jesus. I thank you, Lord. Come on. If you're thinking of something, the reason that you can't receive the Holy Ghost, come on. If you're thinking of that sin, it's as easy as asking God to forgive you. Or if I was preaching the kids quest tonight, I'd say we need to clean out our spiritual rooms. Come on, ask God to forgive you. He'll help you clean it up. He's just not going to watch you sweep up your spiritual room, but he's going to help you with repentance right now. Everybody, in the sound of my voice, would you ask God to forgive you of all your sins? Come on. If there's anything that you're thinking of right now that would keep you think that would keep God out of your heart, ask him to forgive you right now. Whether it's a big sin in your eyes or a small sin, maybe it's a sin of pride, maybe it's a sin of gossip, God will not flow through the sin of gossip or the sin of pride. God, forgive me right now. God, if there's anything in my heart that you're not pleased with, Lord God, I want my heart to be overflowing with your spirit, Jesus. God, forgive me of all my sins. God, I repent. And what repentance means is not just feeling sorry, but God, it means I'm going to try my best to never do it again, but God, I know I need the Holy Ghost. Somebody say the Holy Ghost. Now, we're about to baptize somebody in Jesus name. We would all We would all, Pastor Ericson, we would all be horrified tonight if Brother White just took his hand down the water and just threw sprinkled the brother that's about to get baptized. We would be horrified. We would We would Brother White would never baptize someone ever again. >> Especially not here at this church. But the same word, the same word baptismo is not just used for water baptism. It's used for spirit baptism. And there's so many times people are seeking the Holy Ghost and they expect to be sprinkled with the Holy Ghost. And here's what I mean by this. They just think it's going to come like this. But just the way that water baptism is a full body experience, spirit baptism is also a full body. It's full emotion. It starts in my hands. I might feel them in my feet. Oh my God. But it comes out of my mouth because it's a full body experience. Now, if there's somebody in the sound of my voice say, "You need the gift of the Holy Ghost." This is where people get tripped up. It's not that God doesn't want you to have it. I'm just going to talk to you like your kids tonight. It is your spiritual birthday. Brother Reggie, on your birthday, you don't beg. Sister Bailey. Please get me a gift. Would you please get me? You're a good wife. Please give me I've been a good husband to you. Please get that doesn't work like that. At least it doesn't in my house. We share the same birthday. All right. We better get gifts for each other. God's the same way. He's a good father. He wants you to have the gift of the Holy Ghost more than you want it. You don't have to beg for a gift. You don't beg your way through the Holy Ghost. You praise and worship your way through the Holy Ghost. But here's here's where people get tripped up. And it's a little word called yielding. You've got to yield the most unruly member of your body. And that po precious lady today that was standing here in the middle getting prayed for, she had no problem giving yielding her hands to God. But it's not in the yielding of our hands that give us the Holy Ghost. And the only thing I told her this morning was the same thing in your hands has got to get in your tongue. And that is the gift of the Holy Ghost. I wish right now in the sound of my voice that we would begin to lift Jesus up, put him in his rightful place, begin to brag on him, whatever he's done for you. If you need to give to the Holy Ghost, I want you to pray loud enough to where you can hear yourself pray. I want you to pray loud enough to where your words come out of your mouth and come back to your ears. Come on. That's it. Come on. There's a stirring of the Holy Ghost in this place, but you've got to yield the most unruly member of a body. You're not going to understand it. You're not going to comprehend what's coming out of your mouth. It may be sounds and syllables. And I know that sounds crazy, but that's just the way that it happened on the day of Pentecost. Can a roar of praise and worship come in this house? Come on. In the name of Jesus Christ, God. You see every heart that's here. God, you see every empty heart that's here. And it's your will for every single person to have the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the name of Jesus. Fill them with the gift of the Holy Ghost right now. God, you're a good father. You want your children to have your spirit inside of their hearts. Come on. In the name of Jesus right now. If you see somebody praying next to you, they need to get to the Holy Ghost. Or maybe you've not been refilled yet and you're hitting that wall right now. Lift your voice. Begin to tell God how good he is. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Come on, everybody. Right now. Come on. Right now. It's a good time for refilling. Come on. It's a good time for refilling right now. Come on. That's it free, guys. You need the gift of the Holy Ghost tonight. It's one thing to ask God to forgive us. That's what we can do. We can ask God to forgive us, but the only thing that'll help us stay away from it. The thing that we face is the gift of the Holy Ghost. God, in the name of Jesus Christ, come on. Come on. They were on one mind and one accord. Come on. And when we get in one mind and one accord, suddenly there came a sound as of a rushing mighty wind. It filled all the house. Let's put it in our terms where they were standing the altar and clove and tongues like as a fire set upon each of them. Come on, that fire is here right now. Come on right now. Lift your hands and lift your voice one more time. Come on. As a unified body. Come on. Come on. If you feel them in your hands, let them get in your tongue. Come on. This is a full body experience. Give them some worship that's from deep within you right now. Come on. It might start in your belly. It might start with praise and worship. But let those te I feel the Holy Ghost right now. Let those tears flow from your eyes. Come on. That means you feel them. But most importantly, let that sound come out of your tongue. Let it come out of your mouth. Come on, stretch your hands right over here right now. Go ahead, brother White. Baptize him in the name of Jesus. Come on, let's stretch our hands right now. Come on. If this brother has not been filled with the gift, the Holy Ghost, it can happen tonight when he comes out the waters in the name of Jesus Christ. God, you not only want to forgive us, but you want to help Lord, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost in Jesus name. >> Come on. Every sin has been forgotten. Every sin has been forgotten. >> Followed me down to the Jordan stream. I stepped in the water. Water was cold. Till my body, but not my soul. I don't believe I redeemed. Follow me down to the Jordan. I slept in the water till my body. Say you don't believe I've been redeemed. Follow me down to the Jordan stream. I slept in the water. Water was cold till my body but not my soul. Jesus said Jesus said believe on me on me. Believe on me. Say it. Yes. Believe on me. Believe on me. >> Believe on me. Say on me. >> You should have been there when I prayed through. Just was on fire and a Holy Ghost from the top of my head on my feet. Felt the spirit moving all over me. Holy Ghost. I've got the river living water. I've got the river. I've got the river. I've got the river. If you don't believe I'm redeemed, follow me down to the Jordan Street. Still stepped in the water. I was going to >> Hold on. Hold on. Hold on. The only way you're going to receive the promise. The only way you're promised, the gift of the Holy Ghost is to repent and get in the water. Is there anybody else that wants to get in the water? I believe there's more than one that wants to get in the water tonight. Anybody else want to get in the water? Come on, somebody. I know there's more than one that needs it. Come on. You can't go. Listen, you might not live to see tomorrow. You might die on the way home in a car wreck. You better make up in your mind. I got to do whatever I have to do to be born of the water in the spirit. I don't want to scare anybody. I'm not trying to scare anybody to hell. That's not what I've come for. I'm just simply saying we aren't promised tomorrow. And unless we wake up uh and stop procrastinating, uh we're going to die in our sinuh except you be born of the water and the spirit in Jesus name. Jesus name. Jesus name. Every language, every kindred, every tongue. This is for Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost part of the world. I got to be filled with the Holy Ghost and I got to let it out. I got I got to praise. I got to praise and I got to get it out. I got to praise God. I got to praise. I got to praise and I got to get it out. I got to praise God. I got to praise. I got to praise and I got to let it out. I got to praise. I got to praise. I got to praise and I got to let it out. I got to I got to praise and I got to let it out. I got to praise. I got to praise. I got to praise and I got to let it out. I got I got I got I got I got Brother Kenny. Brother Kenny. Brother Kenny Hurst. Kenny Hurst. Somebody hit him. Get hit Kenny for me. Get Kenny Hurst for me. Brother Kenny, I want you to come down here. I know y'all can't hear a thing up there. Come on. We need to get some monitors up in the baptism pool. I don't know if y'all have noticed lately, but our free program, Brother and Sister White, Brother Kenny, all the Brother John Stone, and all those that are working with our free, have y'all noticed it's exploding. Hey, listen. They're on fire. Brother Kenny, what I want you to do, you know who's been baptized and you know who hasn't. There's no pressure. We're not telling any be baptized. Baptism, they got to do it cuz they want to do it. Cuz they see the word of God declares unless just go and talk to them and maybe make them understand. We got a change of clothes. We got everything they need. You know who is me. Brother Kenny, you're doing such a good job with our pre free program. Thank you. Aren't you thankful for our men? I just believe we're we're going to have a revival of our free program like we've never had before. They used to fit in a car when they came to church. And then they fit in a van when they came to church. Except this morning, there were so many of them. They were hanging out the back of it. And and so we're going to give them two vans tonight. They're going to take them home in two vans tonight cuz that's just what revival does. Revival begins to stir up cuz one gets the Holy Ghost and one gets baptized and says, "You got to come to church with me." I know we go to a lot of churches. But there's just something about First Apostolic Church. Uh there's something there you can't feel anywhere else. There's a spirit of freedom there you can't feel anywhere else. And I just believe it's going to multiply. Let's pray for our free Let's pray for our free program right now. Would you reach your hands over? I believe they're mostly all standing right here. Come on. Let's reach our hands over to them right now. Say in Jesus name. Lord, I believe as as as these men, as brother Sister White, as brother Kenny, as brother Jstone as they're teaching Bible studies. Oh my God. I pray that there will be a revelation that comes with Jesus name baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost that they would see their need to be filled their need to be filled with your Holy Ghost born of the water and the spirit. Let them see the kingdom like they've never seen it before. We pray for them in Jesus name. Let there be revival that takes place. Uh let there be revival that takes place. All these men who are being delivered from all kinds of worldly substances, Lord, it's not good enough to have them delivered. We want them to get filled with the Holy Ghost and take the place of what they're getting delivered from. Somebody say in Jesus name, come on. Do you feel the Holy Ghost in this place tonight? Come on, brother. Do you feel the Holy Ghost? God is so good. And I know, listen, church family, I know some of y'all got the Holy Ghost since Noah came over from the flood. But oh God, if we ever forget what it was like before we receive revelation, if we ever forget what it was like to think, what are these crazy people doing? Why do these crazy people praise like they do and jump and shout and dance like they do? Why do they run? Why do they spin? Why do they make such a commotion about worship? What's the big deal? The big deal is you've got the Holy Ghost and you've got the revelation of why you praise and the revelation of why you're baptized in Jesus name. And you got the revelation of the oneness of God in the mighty name of Jesus. Holy Ghost fall right now. Holy Ghost fall. Come on. I believe it could happen right here. I believe with a church family filled with the Holy Ghost, we can pray the prayer of faith and one of these young men could go back home tonight to the househ, I've been delivered. I've been delivered. I've been set free. I've been delivered. I've been set free. I've been delivered. Yeah. Come on, let's celebrate. Let's celebrate all those that got baptized today, this morning, and tonight. Hey, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.