Unlocking the Bible - Lesson Ten  |  Rev Jacob Sullivan
by Jacob Sullivan
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: teaching
Scripture: Acts 2:37-42, Acts 2:38, Colossians 2:9, John 17:14-21, Matthew 18:18, Luke 24:44-49, John 14:18, Acts 1:8, Galatians 2:9, Ephesians 2:19-22, 1 Timothy 4:13-16, John 16:13, Ephesians 4:5, Jude 1:3, 1 Timothy 1:3, Matthew 10:22, Matthew 24:9, John 8:24, John 8:58, Revelation 3:8, Acts 4:12-18, Acts 5:27-29

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/jacob-sullivan--unlocking-the-bible-lesson-ten
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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praise the Lord Church how many's thankful to be here on a Wednesday evening a man no greater place to be in this world in my estimation in the house of God a man don't get my time out here it's an honor to be here tonight with you all again this is I consider first Apostolic Church of Maryville heaven on earth I've said it for the last 12 years that I've been here the greatest decision that I ever made for my family was to move here and I believe that with all my heart I love each and every one of you guys I think what's going on here is nothing short of of God's blessing and favor upon this church and I'm just thankful to be a part of it I give honor to pasture tonight pastor and his family again much-needed rest it's a it's a great thing that they can get away with their family and spend some time you know our first family brother carpenter than the Erickson's the Hammonds you know everything that they do they do with the spirit of excellence they plan they encourage us they they teach us they share they listen they solve our problems and they even go as far as they fight hell for us how comforting is it that we can hear our names getting caught out in the prayer and by our pasture that's one of the most comforting things whenever we can hear our names get caught out and I'm thankful for that and I believe passion is family deserve another hand clap again this is a an awesome first family if you notice every single pastor visiting pastor evangelist minister when they come here they always say how we had the best of the best it's a common theme but we know that we know that already and I'm thankful for all that they do for us we know I think that one of the greatest things that we can do is that we can get in tune with what's going on here and what God's doing to join in and catch Pastor his vision and to catch his heartbeat you know he said about a month ago you know it's not necessarily having pastors back it's catching his heartbeat and his heartbeat is the kingdom of God everything it's all about advancing God's kingdom Oh God loving people preaching truth loving truth and that's one thing I love about pastor is his love for truth and that's the purpose of unlocking the Bible but how many's been enjoying unlocking the Bible right another hand come on unlocking the Bible is is lesson number ten I've been enjoying it you know I think truth needs to be preached more than ever before you know we're living in a society that you know it's been considered what is called a postmodern society which really declares that truth is no longer absolute you know when you look out into the world the things are they fight for the morality everything is relative truth has become relatively there's nothing absolute anymore but that's why we have to love this truth and that's why we have to preach this truth and it's turned into what is called this pleura sztyc religion - we're basically our religions are saying the same thing in that all roads lead to heaven but that's not what the Bible says and so again we have to know the truth because the truth is ultimately what makes us free amen I declare that doctrine does matter tonight and I'm excited about digging into the Word of God if you would be so kind as staying with me for the reading of God's Word this is a continuation of unlocking the Bible from lesson number nine we had the new birth experience life after Pentecost we know the church was birthed on the day of Pentecost yet it was just a birth in order to live the church must grow God didn't leave the church to figure it out on their own he gave them instruction and that instruction is called the Apostles doctrine if you turn with me to Acts chapter 2 very familiar passage of Scripture I've heard it my entire life Luke wrote the book of Acts but in Acts chapter 2 it is Peter who is speaking the same man who had already received the keys to the kingdom of heaven just before Calvary Peter had the authority from heaven to preach what he preached on the day of Pentecost all of heaven was standing there backing every single thing that Peter had to say verse number 37 again a familiar passage Peter has just got finished preaching the first sermon of the New Testament church verse number 37 when they heard this they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ when he heard it they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do we know the famous acts 2:38 the greatest scripture in all the New Testament 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 Holy Ghost for the promises unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call and with many other words did he testify and exhort saying save yourselves from this untoward generation verse number 41 and they that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day were added unto them about 3,000 souls one last verse and they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers they continued steadfastly again it was the birth of the church but they were called to continue and to continue steadfastly and I'm thankful today that we're still continuing steadfastly here at first Apostolic Church of Maryville a man in the Apostles doctrine that's what we're going to talk about tonight let's lift up the Lord right now let's pray before we have this message well we love you Jesus God we thank you Lord for this opportunity God that you've given us to be in your house mighty God we thank you for or your word God we thank you for truth god we thank you Lord for the revelation of who you are God we thank you for this church God Lord we thank you Lord that we worship you in spirit and in truth god we pray that you would touch our hearts and our minds god help us to leave here god and love this truth be sowed out to this truth God and Lord preached this truth Lord wherever we go god help us got to be apostolic Lord we love you and we praise you in Jesus mighty name everybody said amen you can be seated the church the church was called as one body to continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine Peter's message in Acts chapter two would become the bedrock for the church to live by it gave us the essential characteristics that make up the Apostolic doctrine which is for the church today there's no new way to heaven there's no new message of salvation what it took for them on the day of Pentecost for the original apostles it takes for us today it takes not only this church but it takes the world it takes the world to be saved this message here Acts chapter two it began with a prayer meeting Jesus had told them go to Jerusalem and tarry until you be endued with power from on high everyone in this prayer meeting in the upper room was in one mind and one Accord verse number four in Acts chapter two I'm just going to break it down here again this is the essential characteristics that makes up the Apostolic doctrine the 120 went to the upper room they were all filled with the power of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in a heavenly language that was the new birth experience verse number 22 when verse number 30 Peter's message included both the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ Jesus was fully man yet Jesus was fully God the identity of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Apostolic Doctrine it echoes what Paul says in Colossians 2 and 9 for in him too of all the fullness of the Godhead bodily verse number 22 through 36 in Acts chapter 2 he preached the gospel with fervency the death the burial and the resurrection that is the gospel of Jesus Christ he was letting them know that he went to the cross for the sins of the world and it is only by the blood of Jesus Christ that removes the sins of the people verse number 37 339 it was the message of the New Testament salvation and how we respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ he's telling the people that ultimately the meeting place that Jesus meets all of humanity if you want to have your sins washed away is in the water there's no other way the water of baptism was the only place that we come in contact with the blood of Jesus Christ and that is what Peter is telling them be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins verse number 40 it was a call to save yourselves from this untoward generation in essence Peter is saying it was a call to live a life set apart from this world it was a call to live holy unto the Lord again an essential characteristic that makes up the Apostolic doctrine verse number 42 Peter told the church to continue steadfastly it wasn't a one-time experience it was a lifestyle change from the birth there they had to grow they had to live to continue steadfastly what does it mean it means to seek the truth it means to discuss the truth to find the truth and to walk in the truth it was an unremitting desire and care towards something again the Pentecostal experience was not a one-time thing it was a forever changed life he had the power to change the crooked tax collectors that stole from the people and it changed their life and it gave them a power that they didn't know anything about the power of God and it helped them to give all they had it a loudmouth fisherman a double-minded man into an Apostle Peter the Cephas the rock that would stand on the day of Pentecost and preached the life-saving message for the world that's what the power of Pentecost did it took a radical zealot like Simon one of the hand-picked disciples of Jesus and gave him something worth fighting for it turned and saw of Tarsus Christian persecutor into a man who would turn this world upside down with the gospel this apostolic message was sent from heaven to down to earth ordained by Jesus Christ himself this message was transferred to his original apostles it was meant to autumn utley reach a lost and dying world to get us all to heaven it was a message worth dying for it wasn't just any other doctrine because it was dangerous it was a dangerous doctrine because it was truth in hell and Satan hates truth because truth sheds light and hid the midst of his darkness truth sets things in order in the midst of chaos that's how Satan works he operates in chaos and he operates in darkness the gospel is shed the light to the world for you and I today this world simply does not need a political revolution it needs a declaration of apostolic truth that's why it turns the world upside down which is in a reality to outside of the Apostolic Doctrine if you get slide one everybody had a handout the Apostolic Doctrine it defines the New Testament church the church is built upon the foundation of the Apostles doctrine this message is the hope the only hope of the world as much as Christ desires for every soul to be saved the Apostolic Doctrine brings division it separates the church from the rest of the denominator CH is not pleura sztyc we're not all saying the same thing if scripture doesn't say it if we can't go back to the original apostles and see what they had to say about it then it's false doctrine and that's the assurance we don't have to follow man's doctrine we get to go straight to the Word of God and that's a comforting thing we don't have to go to a Creed we get to go straight to the Word of God it separates us from the coming judgment just as God gave Moses to plan to put the blood over the doorpost just as he gave Noah instructions to build the Ark of salvation for him and his family and just as he gave Abraham the Covenant of circumcision for salvation to go into covenant with God the Apostolic message gives us the pathway to heaven now I've been apostolic my entire life I was raised in this I was born in this and I've noticed something you notice every single time that you go to feel anything out and they asked for a religion I have never my entire life seen apostolic I've never seen it does that mean that what we teach and what we preach here is wrong absolutely not it doesn't matter what man says it matters not what man says it matters not what the mainstream religion says that's the comforting factor of going straight to the Word of God is this apostolic message is it still relevant today is Pentecost still necessary today absolutely why do we identify his first Apostolic Church of Maryville I get these questions all the time from our students 188 students I got to teach the Bible all week I love it grade school high school I'll talk about Jesus all week you know one of the common themes is what does it mean to be apostolic why are we apostolic and I need to know that they need to have a good answer I was in my 20s and the only thing I could go to is you know because we're like the Apostles you know and I'll be honest the only thing I could quote for most of my life was acts 2:38 you know that was really the best scripture that we can learn but we had to learn how to grow in God's Word and I had to learn that I had to have a good answer because one of the main reasons that we don't go out and we don't witness is because we don't have a good answer we've got to learn while we're Apostolic and we've got to know it sets us apart from all the other denominators wrong what we're saying is we got to go to the Word of God why does God's Word say that's a comforting factor whenever we can stand on truth we don't have to go to the 15th century branch of the Protestant Reformation we don't even go to the early 1900s whenever Pentecostals poured out here in America we don't have to start there that is not our origin our origin is Acts chapter 2 that's a beautiful thing it clears up all the murky waters of religion today we're not all saying the same thing and the Apostolic doctrine sets us apart Jesus himself said he did not come to send peace but a sword truth brings division first we must understand that Jesus established the New Testament church by the Apostles he personally chose as he was instructing them on what to preach he said he who receives you receives me he unequivocally placed absolute authority on the Apostles doctrine listen to the words of Jesus as he was praying for the men that he chose at Gethsemane right before he went to the cross he's interceding specifically for these these men that he he knew would change this world with this life-saving message but he not only prayed for them he prayed for us listen to this John chapter 17 verse 14 have given them he's talking about the Apostles die word and the world hath hated them because they are not of the world even as I am NOT of the world I pray not that thou should has take them out of the world but thou should us keep them from the evil they are not of the world even as I am NOT of the world sanctify them through thy truth thy Word is truth as thou has sent me into the world even so have I also sent them into the world and for their sakes I sanctify myself that they made that my also be sanctified through the truth listen to this in verse 20 neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word that's a powerful thing Jesus Christ Himself is preyas he knew that we would have to believe through the words of the Apostles because we obviously weren't there we didn't get to personally hear the words of Jesus he's praying verse number 21 that they all may be one one church one church as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou has sent me Jesus understood the power of hid transferring his vision his power his spirit his message to these men because he knew the truth would be attacked on every side we have to remember that all four Gospels tells us that he spent a total of three and a half years with his hand chosen disciples he casted vision he taught them he trained them he rebuked them he corrected them he gave them a vision that would forever change this world it all hinged on them catching the vision catching the message it was very important very important he transferred his power and he transferred his authority to the apostles we're talking about the Apostles doctrine what we stand on today Matthew 18 and 18 he gave them absolute authority verily I say unto you all so ever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Jesus was giving them authority we move on Calvary takes place the the gospel of Jesus Christ the death the burial the resurrection jesus knew that his disciples not all of them had a full understanding so he came back and he spent an extra 40 days with his disciples to make sure that they understood what message to preach we're talking about the Apostles doctrine it was so important it was so important that he came back and he spent 40 more days Luke 24:44 through 49 this is after his resurrection he has came back verse number 44 he says and he said unto them these are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and the Psalms concerning me then open Heder understanding that they might understand the scriptures again they didn't how I haven't figured out and he said unto them thus it is written and thus to behold Christ to suffer and to rise from the day of the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem immediately Jesus was linking his death burial and resurrection to our our response to the death to bear the resurrection which is the gospel of Jesus Christ and that's why he said in repentance and remission of sins should be preached in my name that is the response to the gospel Paul said in Thessalonians that vengeance is coming to this world to them that obey not the gospel we've got to obey the gospel we've got to obey what the Apostles taught and preached all the way from the day of Pentecost all the way to the book of Acts Paul backed it up in his epistles the epistles that he wrote to the church they were already saved it is more than a mental assent Calvary the blood that He shed for you and I it takes more than just believing upon that cross it takes more than a sinner's prayer to save you you've got to respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ and you have got to obey acts 2:38 that is the plan of salvation verse number 48 and ye are witnesses of these things his apostles became the direct ambassadors representatives everywhere they went they were direct representatives ambassadors of Jesus Christ of truth of the message verse number 49 and behold I send the promise of my father upon you John 14 and 18 said I won't leave you comfortless I will come to you but tarry you in Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high again he's promising them he's telling them the day of Pentecost is about to come and echoes what he said in acts 1:8 but you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth what was better than having Jesus with them thirty three and a half years Jesus was with him what's better than Jesus with them it was Jesus inside of us it was Jesus in them it gave them a power that they didn't know anything about everywhere they went it was really a riot or a revival it truly turned the world upside down they were men so doubt after this truth can we build our entire life every aspect of who we are on the Apostles doctrine I say yes and I say that we must if it was good enough for the Apostle Paul then it's good enough for me writer of over half the New Testament Paul based his epistles again written to the church every single epistle we don't go if we want to know how to be say we don't go to the book Romans every single pistol that Paul wrote he wrote to the church these people had already experienced salvation Paul did not walk with Jesus as the disciples did Paul's conversion came after Jesus died and rose again we know him as saw the persecutor we know that he struck down at the road of Damascus and we know that he has that revelation we know that he obeys the plan of salvation we know that he personally got the revelation of this apostles doctrine from Jesus Christ himself scripture says that he eventually met up with the original apostles look at Galatians 2 and on Paul's revelation 100% lined up with the original message of the apostles Galatians 2 another and when James Cephas which is Peter and John who seemed to be pillars pillars there is foundation perceived that grace that was given unto me they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go into the heathen which was the Gentiles and they unto the circumcision which was the Jews look at Ephesians chapter 2 again the epistles that Paul used to write to the churches was built upon the Apostles doctrine now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow-citizens with the Saints of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles the prophets Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into a holy temple in the Lord in whom ye are also builded together for a habitation of God through the spirit notice here Paul he placed the emphasis on the foundation with Jesus Christ being the chief Cornerstone laid upon the foundation Paul the Apostle Paul understood the importance of transferring this doctrine they had to be transferred it couldn't die with one man and they cannot die with us first Timothy 4 verse 13 Paul was a man of doctrine he was a man of truth and this is the man that he was investing everything that he had in Timothy till i come give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with laying on to the hands of the presbytery meditate upon these things give thyself wholly to them that thou profit profiting may appear to all verse number 16 take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee again Paul understood the power of having this gospel taking it and transferring it first Apostolic Church of Jerusalem they were not doing this on their own they had teachers they had the Apostles doctrine the prophets the New Testament had yet to be fully written at that time they had the Holy Ghost John 16 and 13 says that the Holy Ghost is a teacher the Holy Ghost is considered it's a God the comforter it means a guide it guided them it taught them they had the Apostles doctrine they had the Holy Ghost the first pastor the New Testament church was James a half-brother of Jesus all three of those you had the word you had God's Spirit living inside of them and you had the pasture all working together in one Accord when Jesus founded his church on the day of Pentecost there was one church when you look out the world today there's over 30,000 Christian denominations there's a lot of religions out there yet there's one church that he birthed on the day of Pentecost and it's a comfort to know that we can go right back to that church and our doctrine that we preach that we teach that Pastor gets up here I love the fact that we noticed this year he's been preaching apostolic doctrine he and that's what brings revival to this world it's not there's no new doctrine out there it's the Apostolic doctrine that sets people free it's the plan of salvation that changes the lives of people that's the only hope for this world and I'm thankful that he gets up here and he preaches it and he teaches it they were one in unity they were one in doctrine they were one in holiness they had one voice they were one in spirit the Apostles doctrine will lead us to one Lord one faith and one baptism that's what Paul said in Ephesians four and five one Lord one faith and one baptism amen I'm thankful to be a part of the church it bonded them to a common cause they were no longer their own they threw down their fishing net they no longer were tax collectors it changed them from the inside out and that's what's this true gospel does it changes us it can there's a true conversion our law our life is no longer our own it's like we're possessed with this this passion to do things for God that is the power of the gospel that is the power of the gospel it bonded them to a common cause it allowed them to take this life-saving message to the four corners of the earth this is why Satan does his best to come in and destroy unity and he wants to cast the vision because hail cannot stop a unified church he can't stop it he's scared to death of it that's why he comes around all the time he's scared to death of unity one mind one accord working together as a god-ordained unified church we say we we are called to protect this message Jude one of my favorite scriptures in the New Testament Jude chapter one and three beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation that common salvation was the message that Peter preached it was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend that word contend there means to be to fight it's a struggle to contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the Saints Jude is one of the last writers of the New Testament he had already witnessed false doctrine he had already witnessed people that was trying to come in and pervert the gospel pervert truth and he's letting him know and he knows and he understands things we will only fight for the things that we love there are things worth fighting for you know the world out there they're fighting for a lot of things fighting for a lot of things but we as apostolic it's essential that we fight for this apostolic faith and it's essential that we love it because if we don't love it will be like Esau eventually and we'll give it away we'll give our birthright away we got to earnestly contend for it we've got to love it if you love this truth you will not walk away from it you will not walk away from them you got to love it you got to preserve it number two you have to preserve it Paul tells us to preserve it keep it in its original state don't tamper with it don't add to it don't water it down don't take it anything away from it 1st Timothy 1 and 3 he urged them when I went into Macedonia first Timothy 1 2 3 remain in Ephesus that you that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine one doctrine the apostolic doctrine we are called a propagated spread it this apostolic message isn't a doctrine of action it's not passive it's not meant to be passive that's why he likens it to fire fire spreads it consumes he said ye shall be witnesses unto me it's a true desire to see God's kingdom advance soul saved lives changed it's not just for the preacher it's for every Holy Ghost filled believer the early church didn't just have the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost had them everywhere they win they had a driven passion to turn the world upside down they were called to live it we see the hashtag be apostolic they lived it it changed their DNA the early church weren't confined to a building the early church saw themselves as the church everywhere they went in the grocery store on the road everywhere they went they were the church they weren't confined to these buildings here when they walked outside the church had exited the building they were the church when we go to work be the church everywhere we go be the church be the witness that they called us to be the he's called us to be they did not cut and compartmentalize who they were they didn't live a double life they did not compartmentalize they didn't have two different lives in the church outside of the church they were the church they lived a life of separation and holiness I'm talking about being apostolic slide number two the Apostles dr. not only brought power it ought only turned the world upside down but it also brought hatred and it brought persecution we can see the early church was heavily persecuted Matthew 10 and 22 and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake but he that endureth to the end shall be saved matthew 24:9 then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake it wasn't just because they were Christians it's because they bared the name of Jesus Christ from the days of Abraham until now God has always caught out of people that would bear his name why was the name of Jesus so dangerous it was because it messed up their flawed theology the religious set - that they missed the fact that he was God wrote in flesh it enraged them every single time that Jesus would try to to show them his identity it didn't raised him John 8:24 he looked at him and said except you believe that I am he you shall die in your sins you see they believed they did not believe that Jesus was their Savior they did not they did not believe that salvation can only go through Jesus Christ they missed them so every single time that Jesus that word was used Jesus they were saying it was it was Jehovah Savior he was saying Yahweh he was their ancient name that they were using and he enraged them whenever he looked at him and John 8:58 and said before Abraham was I am he was using that ancient name I am and they try to kill him for it the bedrock to the Apostles doctrine is the revelation of who Jesus is Jesus told Peter upon the rock the rock of truth the rock of the identity of Jesus Christ I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it in other words what I start I will finish and there's not a devil in hell that can stop it the gates of Hell the Council of Hell will try to stop the church but the church keeps marching on because what God started he's going to finish me man how many think were to be a part of that church he was more than any other man he was totally God he was totally man the very existence of the early church was based upon the identity of Jesus Christ they had moved from the ethnic and monotheism of the Jews to a universal monotheism they recognized that the one true God of Israel became a man and was now accessible to the whole world salvation was for all mankind he United both Jews and Gentiles into his church thereby establishing a people of the name of Jesus they were instructed together in his name they were instructed to pray in his name teach preached in his name they were instructed to cast out demons receive divine protection healings in his name they baptized in his name they called on his name they laboured for his name they held fast to his name and in Revelation 3 and 8 it says they they refused to deny his name that's what brought on the persecution looking at in Acts chapter 4 Peter again feel what the Holy Ghost preaching the gospel one of the best passages of Scripture four and twelve neither is there salvation in any other for there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved now when they saw the bonus of Peter and John they perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men they marveled they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus this world will know when we're different this world will know when we've been with Jesus it's not counterfeit it's real and beholding the man which was beheld standing with them they cannot say anything against it but when they had commanded him to go aside out of the council they conferred among themselves saying what shall we do to these men for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done it is manifest to them all who dwell in Jerusalem we cannot deny it the world may hate us but they can't deny it they can't deny the power but that is spread no further among the people they were trying their best to keep it it's like trying to contain a wildfire let us straightly threaten them that they may speak henceforth to no man in this name verse number 18 and they called them and commanded him not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus this doctrine was dangerous because it was truth Acts chapter 527 and when they had brought them they set them before the council and the high priest asked him saying did we not straightly command you that you should not teach in this name and be Hoagy have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us isn't it amazing that they were actually trying to release them from their sins they were trying to give the gospel to these men and all they were worried about was you're trying to bring this man's blood upon our life no he they were trying to set you free from your sins they had it backwards then Peter and the other apostles answered it says we ought to obey God rather than men it wasn't just any other doctrine again they were saying Jehovah Savior they were saying the ancient name of Yahweh Acts chapter 2 Acts chapter 8 Acts chapter 10 1922 salvation came only through the name of Jesus there was no middle of the road it was either revival persecution a riot no middle of the road early persecution the church suffered incomprehensible persecution but they never stopped preaching and teaching the Gospel message the first wave of persecution was by the Roman Emperor Nero in 64 AD you can read the history books on Nero the first Christian persecutor he was deranged he was not in his right mind obviously history cords that he set half on fire and then he blamed it on the Christians to allow the people to easily persecute them history says that he would dip the early Christians in tyre and tore this black tar and he would light their bodies and he would put them up on post to light his garden in Rome incomprehensible persecution it was during the time of Nero that the Apostle Peter and Paul were martyred every single original apostle except for John was martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ they tried to kill John but God was not done with John they tried to boil them in hot oil he wouldn't die so the exiled him to the Isle of Patmos and that's where we got the book of Revelation ultimately to be a Christian during this time was to know eventually that you would become martyred for your faith by 100 AD after the death of John the last original apostle began an all-out attack on the Apophis taluk doctrine the Apostles doctrine it continued the plague of false doctrine all the way through slide number three you can see here after the death of John heresies began to arise you had some false teachings about 200 ad a man by the name of Tertullian history records he was one of the first ones to introduce the theology and the principle and concept of the Trinity history records that Tertullian took his information from the Greek philosopher Plato which believed in a platonic Trinity a Trinity of gods Tertullian he paved the way for Christ's ology which was the identity of Jesus to change by 231 well region he had developed the vertical concept of the Trinity by 312 by 312 persecution of the Christians had stopped Constantine came in and he's seen there was a lot of different people after Nero Diocletian Vespasian there was a lot of different men that heavily persecuted the Christians but in 312 Emperor Constantine he United all of Christianity and he made it the official religion of Rome and that gave way to the birth of the Roman Catholic Church but it was here in 312 that he allowed all forms there's a lot of Greek pagans there's a lot of people basically it was an ecumenical coming you know non denominated what was known as the Roman Catholic Church here in 312 by 325 AD we can go back to the history books to 325 AD the Council of Nicaea a formulated the new church rules the Trinity became the official doctrine of the Catholic Church it changed the formula of baptism from Jesus name to in the titles of the name the Father Son and the Holy Ghost and then by 381 it was set in stone eternity was fully established at the Council of Constantinople and through 81 and then you can see at the bottom there that you can see that it became a true time of corrupt religion what is known as the dark ages it was dark because man was dark spiritually the corrupt religious system of that world did all they could to keep man bound with religious tradition the average man was not even allowed to have the Latin Vulgate which was what was available during that time of but not even allowed to have it because again we know that the truth is what makes us free the profit thinking it was Hosea said my people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge and that's why ultimately Satan was behind it he was trying to keep truth from coming out slob number four a lot of different men throughout our history a lot of men that are in the history books one of the most important things in my estimation during this time was in 1455 when the printing press Johann Gutenberg made the printing press which allowed the Bible to be printed John Wycliffe during this time this era he was able to translate the Bible into English for the first time and man began to be able to read the scripture for himself and to see that the Korea the the corrupt religious system for a thousand year period was indeed keeping man in the dark hence the dark ages we know that Martin Luther came out he said he's seen you know the scripture the just shall live by faith history says that he began what was known as the Protestant Reformation and then from here we seen a lot of different denominations branch off after the Protestant Reformation we see John Knox we see all these men then all the way down to the white moody again these were men but do we get the Apostles doctrine did we get this apostolic message do we have to go back to this time era do we go back to the Protestant Reformation and get what we teach in what we preach absolutely not that's the beauty of the Apostolic message is the fact that we can wade through all the different denominations of this world and we can go directly to what is taught and preached from Jesus transfer to his apostles and was given to the church that you and I were a part of today I believe that deserves a hand clap of praise and I'm glad that I am a part of the church I'm glad that we still are part of the Church of the Living God slide number five revival comes to America again truth has always marched on I was actually asked the question this week because we know throughout the religious the world standpoint it's like we didn't hit hardly here much of the original church the the Pentecostals I know they were called different things throughout the world throughout the years but this apostolic message they're like where did it go did it die and come back because there's a lot of the world lays oh you guys get your doctrine from the Azusa Street revival no that was simply a revival a rekindling a revival in America that was God's grace upon America that was God's grace the outpouring the latter rain and I'm thankful that we're still continuing that but we didn't continue in 1906 we continue to next chapter to on the day of Pentecost that's our origin and that's where we begin people begin to receive the Holy Ghost here in America revival was poured out early in the 20th century in 1906 again revival fires began to spread as people begin to seek a deeper experience with God soon thousands were filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized in the name of Jesus Christ here in the u.s. in every state the Apostolic message spread and churches were founded from these churches groups began to form as churches and men of God United their efforts to do more for God because many other doctrines were also forming across America men and truth they helped to form oneness organizations in 1952 the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ was established men of truth men that were willing to preach this gospel in the midst of what the world said was wrong the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ you not a Pentecostal church the a OJC which is what our pastor leads the organization it's been heralding the truth across this world as an organization since 1952 truth is always marched on church it's a good day to be apostolic it's a good day to be apostolic I consider the Apostolic message it's about the equivalent of that plan of salvation that God when he looked down at Noah and he said Noah found grace in the eyes of God grace alone didn't save Noah Noah had to believe in the Word of God that grace gave the plan for salvation for Noah and his family God has bestowed grace upon every soul here grace is the greatest opportunity ever given the death the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ but it demands a response from you and I they who obey not the gospel will receive judgment I'm thankful to know the gospel and I was thankful today that I could be a part of the church again jesus said I will build my church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it hell is gonna do everything it can to stop the church hell is gonna do everything that he can to stop you the individual but as long as we sellout to this truth as long as we put both feet in one foot out and one foot in is not going to cut it it's not going to cut it it's you're not going to endure to the end as Jesus said you know here in America we're in an extended period of grace and favor here in America we don't really have any persecution we really don't but maybe one day we will maybe one day we will do we love this truth and are we willing to fight for it are we willing to earnestly contend for the faith let's all stand let's ask God the just seal this word this apostolic message that we are built upon help us to love a girl we love you Jesus Marti go we call out the name above every name heavenly father God we love you Jesus Lord were thankful God that you come down Lord of this earth God Lord you became a man Heavenly Father Lord we thank you Lord for your grace God we thank you for the gospel or the death the burial and the resurrection lord I thank you God for that blood that you shared for my sins Lord and for the sins of this congregation for the sins of this church Lord for the sins of this world God and Lord I'm thankful for that revelation Lord that I've had that blood applied to my life Lord at baptism Lord I'm thankful God that your blood has washed me God it has removed a sense from my life Heavenly Father Lord I'm thankful God to be walking in the church Lord I was thankful Lord to be standing God Lord in the Church of the Living God well we love you and we praise you one more hand clapping to the Lord because he deserves all praise all honor and all glory again let's be praying for pastor as they as they travel pray for a safe trip home and I'm praying that everybody avoids the sickness going around and we need to be pleading some blood around here keep from sickness and maybe do some elbows and centers hands shaking so love you guys you're dismissed in a lovely name of Jesus