Sunday Morning Worship Service
by Jason Staten
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: John 10:7-10, Isaiah 26:3, Psalm 119:165, Proverbs 14:12, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Hebrews 6:19-20

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/jason-staten--sunday-morning-worship-service-149
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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amen one more time what a powerful presence of God is here can we just I know he's saying it but through our praise right now can we just say hello to peace thank God for his peace that that passes understanding that's why we can praise God in the middle of the storm amen we can praise God in the middle of circumstances that may not be favorable because the peace of God is Not circumstantial it's fruit of the spirit amen if you got the spirit of God you can have peace in every circumstance amen we're going to turn this morning to the Book of John chapter 10 and as we are turning there I do want to give honor to Bishop and sister McCool amen I honor them brother Nate was telling me a few minutes ago they're going to be celebrating our Bishop is going to be celebrating 75 years of ministry amen that's a good life to live 75 years but 75 years of ministry that's amazing and what an incredible Legacy he has already established so many preachers that have come out of his ministry and been blessed by his ministry and of course this great church that has been raised up and how many other churches certainly you may have an idea I don't I don't even know that we can keep count of how many churches are established today through his ministry amen and we give honor to him also to pastor and sister mukul we give honor to them amen we just love being around them my daughter said pastor McCool is the sharpest dressed person he said he makes most young guys look like they don't know what they're doing and I think I fit in that number so I didn't even try when I come to Knoxville I'm just like I'm gonna put my rags in the and you know wear whatever because I'm not trying uh Pastor Nate and sister Ashley amen and [name redacted] I love this family uh Pastor brother Nate said a minute ago that we have Kindred Spirits I keep praying with you at Kindred Minds because he just had another level intellectually in his knowledge of the scripture but we've become great friends and I'm so honored to be here of course Pastor Anthony Kelly I know they're over ministering right now but just all the great ministry of this church can we give honor to the ministry that leads and guides this church amen amen where would we be without a preacher amen the Bible says you can't be saved without one thank God for a preacher that will preach the gospel that will preach the truth of the word amen John chapter 10 and beginning in verse 7 then said Jesus unto them again verily verily I say unto you I am the door of the sheep all that ever came before me are thieves and robbers but the Sheep did not hear them I am the door by me if any man enter in he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture the thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy but aren't you thankful he didn't stop there amen but I have come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly amen can you give the Lord Praise right now and thank him that we that he came that we might have life that we can have peace and joy and Love and Hope amen Lord bless you you could be seated I do want to say I'm thankful to have my daughters here with me my wife was planning to be here and we had an unfortunate incident come up back home that she's having to take care of but just for a few minutes this morning I want to preach on this thought recovering Rembrandt Amen in the early morning hours of March the 18th 1990 the largest art heist in history was pulled off at least in sense of value the record of the heist shows that two men posing as pretending to be police officers pulled up to the side entrance at the Isabella Stewart Garner Museum in Boston they pushed the buzzer and as the security within that museum responded they announced to them that they were the police officers responding to a security threat once inside they overpowered the guards handcuffed them bound them with tape inside of a small room and over the next 81 minutes the counterfeit cops would remove 13 works of art totaling 500 million dollars in value the Crown Jewel of the heist the most prominent piece pilford was a painting by the renowned Dutch artist Rembrandt hormones and Van rein and I could not pronounce that twice if you asked me to Rembrandt paintings have sold for as much as 180 million dollars in fact if you are lucky enough to find a simple sketch by Rembrandt little more than doodling on a napkin it will cost somewhere between 200 and 300 000 these works of art are of such Renown and acclaimed that one of his works are not known that and his paintings are simply referred to as Rembrandt if you have a painting it's just simply referred to as a Rembrandt to possess a Rembrandt whether it be a painting or a sketch is a status symbol of the world's most wealthy and Elite and in that early morning as counterfeit cops carried out their grand theft it was a Rembrandt that was their most famed and costly not just any Rembrandt however it was the painting titled Christ in the storm on the Sea of Galilee in this work of art painted in 1633 Rembrandt captures the moment that Jesus steps to the bow of that boat and speaks peace into a troubled sea the moment that the voice of Jesus will silence the wind and steal the sea it is the image of the very moment that the menacing conditions would be miraculously tamed at the sound of the voice of Jesus the Masterpiece that captures the instance that the master speaks and the essence of the supernatural peace that only Jesus can speak into a troubled life stolen by men posing as something that they were not the very figures that arrive promising security promising to be keepers of Peace were in fact the thieves that had come to steal and to remove peace and so I want to preach this morning on this thought recovering Rembrandt Rembrandt's work of art depicting the peace speakers art of work is valued at 100 million dollars but the object of Rembrandt's work the peace that only Jesus can bring the peace that the Bible tells us passes all understanding amen the peace that Isaiah 26 and 3 promises that the mind that has stayed upon him will be kept in perfect peace amen that image that was painted by the brushstrokes of Rembrandt upon canvas may be valued at 100 million dollars but the peace that it portrays is priceless you can't buy the peace that Jesus gives you can't find it at on the Shelf at the drugstore hey man you can't find it in the things that this world has to offer but I came today as the as the choir just sang as the praise team just sang I Feel the Holy Ghost speaking in this building to somebody today it's time to say goodbye to the counterfeit things of this world and say hello to peace if you've got peace today you ought to praise him if you've got peace you've got something that the rest of this world is looking for if you've got peace you've got the commodity that can't be found anywhere else in the midst of a world filled with turmoil the value of peace is at a premium the links that people will go to the risks they will take sacrifices they will make just to find a few moments of peace I was reading this morning about the the wave of fentanyl that is passing through our nation this pill that I can't remember the dosage I think it was maybe two milligrams just a small amount can can kill a grown man and yet people will risk their very lives to get a hit of that drug just to get a few minutes of release from emotional and physical pain amen that's what people will do to try to get what we have access to every Sunday in this building they're getting the counterfeit we've got the real thing hey man they're getting just a few moments aren't you thankful today that you don't have to risk your life to get peace all you've got to do is raise your hands and place your problems in the hands of the king of kings all you've got to do is lift your voice and give your problem to the God of all creation I preached today in the midst of political storms raging tides of Social and Global tension Financial uncertainty it's time for the church and it's time for the world to recover Rembrandt adversaries posing as allies have even walked into the church today and through counterfeit means they've gained access into our lives and left many even in the church wondering can I still find peace just as it was in that art museum 30 years ago in Boston the enemy gains access through the counterfeit I want to just look at a few things today that are counterfeit access points that the enemy uses to Rob us of our peace the first is counterfeit satisfaction amen counterfeit satisfaction there was an old song and brother Whitley I'm not going to sing it today but it just simply says I Can't Get No Satisfaction I don't remember if that was Kirk Franklin or what choir saying that amen but I Can't Get No Satisfaction amen can I tell you what counterfeit satisfaction is you can summarize it in three letters in one word it is sin amen sin always promises to satisfy but never finish it never follows up on what it promises sin always says that it will give fulfillment but it always leaves you empty it always promises that it brings life but it always brings death amen and the enemy comes to you counterfeit satisfaction from the very first scene in the garden sin has been masquerading as satisfaction it has been promising to bring meaning and purpose only to Rob us of our peace the serpent promised Eve he said if you eat the fruit you'll become like God only to separate her from the garden bring pain and suffering into her world and Usher in the curse of death we see the counterfeit satisfaction of sin that robs us of our peace portrayed in the discourse of the woman at the well as she speaks with Jesus she's coming to a well looking for a bucket of water that will quench her thirst but we understand that as that woman comes that bucket is just a metaphor amen it's just a metaphor for some greater need that she possesses in her life amen you see Jesus speaks to the real issue that's going on sin is running rampant in your life you came today looking for a bucket of water but you need something more than a bucket of water I've got water that if you drink of it you will never thirst again he looks at that woman he says you've been married five times and the man you're living with right now you're not even married to can I tell you what Jesus was saying he was saying counterfeit satisfaction has robbed you of your peace and you're not going to find peace in a bucket of water but you will find it if you go to the well that never runs dry I know that it's become taboo to preach against sin in 22 or 23. sorry I lost a year there all across the nation motivational speakers feel pulpits and teach people how to live better be better versions of their sinful selves we never call out the thieves that have robbed us amen the answer today is not to you and be a better version of The Sinner that you are amen the answer is today get the thief out of the museum get the thief that came to steal to kill and destroy it's time to let the enemy know I I'm putting you on notice I know that sin is counterfeit that it's got no room in my life it's got no room in my family Psalm is proclaimed at the conclusion of the longest chapter of the Bible great peace have they which love thy law and the English Standard Version summarizes with the final statement nothing shall make them stumble you will not find peace in sin you cannot find peace oh preacher you don't know I I I I'm the I'm the one person that has found the loophole and I have found peace in my you might have it for a moment even the Bible says there is pleasure in sin for a season but when that season is over there's a bill to pay amen the enemy always masquerades as giving us satisfaction but when the day comes to the end there's a price to pay you may find momentary pleasure but it is fleeting and it is fading it is cotton candy for the soul but it's time somebody in this building today I'm not here today to condemn anybody rather to let Godly conviction bring you to a place of repentance amen because it's time to get Rembrandt back it's time to get peace back in your walk with God it's time to get peace back in your family it's time to get peace back in the church amen it's time to get peace you would think we would learn we would know by now and we would learn from Eve's example you would think Eve would be the only person ever sinned and everybody after her would say no hey am I duplicating that but the very next generation amen her son Cain false prey to the same device and gives in to the temptation of sin and it's repeated generation after generation even in my own life how many times have I been deceived and to believe in that this time this experience this relationship this high this fix this hit this Buzz this will be the one that finally brings peace into my life amen but I've come today with a very simple message it's time to get Rembrandt back it's time to find true peace that only comes when the precious blood of Jesus washes over your life amen when the precious blood listen there's nothing like when you find forgiveness for your sins not because a man tells you you're forgiven but when the word of God says come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be a Scarlet they shall be white as snow that they be red like Crimson they shall be as wool can I ask somebody right now we don't have to wait for an altar call right now Jesus is waiting come on it's not the will of God that you have turmoil in your life it's the will of God right now he is waiting [Music] the old song says he's as close as the mention of his name can we just pause for a moment and raise our hands throughout this building somebody walked into this room today perplexed by sin come on the enemy deceives somebody today and told you that if you would just delve into that sin and indulge in that iniquity that you would find satisfaction and now you've come to realize that it's just an empty promise but there is real peace in this house today it's not just for the preacher it's not just for the pastor it's not for the ushers of the deacons or any position in the church it's for whosoever will Hallelujah Hallelujah Lord I pray right now that that peace of God that comes Lord that peace that can only come when we are in right standing with you that peace that can only come when we repent of our sins that peace that can only come O God when we kick that counterfeit voice of the of the enemy out of our Lives amen I'm not going to allow sin to have access in Jesus name second counterfeit access point there's only three if you're wondering how long is this guy going to go I'm almost done now when I say that at home my daughters could probably tell you what I'm about to say next when I say at home I'm almost done they know that means absolutely nothing but I try to behave myself when I'm preaching out especially a great place like this because I want to get invited back the second Thief that will rob you of your Rembrandt that will steal your peace is self-reliance trusting in your own abilities trusting in your own strength your own Ingenuity and your own abilities to navigate life and work out life circumstances in a day and hour when the gospel of self is exalted human reasoning is the dogma of choice with mantras like follow your heart do whatever makes you happy you control your destiny those I promise you're at graduation ceremonies across our nation in these last month in these last few weeks the the lines I just told you are the ones that they're proclaiming to our graduates follow your heart how many of you have lived a few years and known that that doesn't work out too well whatever makes you happy baby you just go and do that you just believe you can fly and jump off that roof and see what happens amen you can't defy gravity I don't care how much you believe you could fly you control your own destiny amen when we are in a fix in a pickle in this self gospel society that we live in in situations that are perplexing our first response is oh I've got this I don't need instructions to know how to put that IKEA bed together I've got this hour later where are those instructions at what do you mean we threw them out and the trash man just came I've got this self-reliance we think that there's peace in our ability to navigate in our ability to begin to control the happenings of our life Proverbs 14 and 12 says there is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof amen the counterfeit says that you've got it all figured out just follow your heart to do what makes you happy but the end thereof are the ways of death trusting in self-reliance is counterfeit security that will rob you of your rembrand when we are deceived into thinking that we can control our lives that we can control the things that are going on in our world it's amazing to me how much effort we put in to trying to orchestrate the issues of life all in an effort to find peace I mean people will do go through drastic measures trying to find peace trying to work everything out they've got they've got uh people that consultants and lawyers and they've got a host of people around them all trying to help them navigate life and I'm not against Consultants or lawyers or any of that but if that's your effort to try it again there's an old Psalm that says this oh what peace we often forfeit oh what needless pain we Bear all because we do not carry everything to God let me save you a lot of work today let me save you a lot of anxiety and stress today you don't have to work it out you've got a Jesus that is in control you've got a master that sees everything and knows everything and you can take it to the Lord in prayer I wonder if anybody can testify today that you found peace when you took your problem to the Lord amen there's there's there's anxiety and stress and strain when we try to do it try to make the right connections if I can just get close to the right people we see ourselves as that old marionette controlling the strings of our life I'll just invest over here I'll take this class I'll connect with that person I'll buy that house in that neighborhood if I'll do those things then my past will be sure amen but I've come today to tell somebody it's time to get your Rembrandt back it's time to go after Jesus with everything you've got it's time instead of trying to control your path it's time to seek the Lord while he yet may be found let me tell you where you can find security trust in the Lord the Bible says with all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding but in all somebody say oh I just seen your Sunday ways acknowledge Him we're good with giving God our two hours or four hours on Sunday but Monday that's mine I got Monday Lord you stay on Sunday I'll see you at church on Sunday the writer said no if you want peace then you've got to in all of your ways in your Sunday ways in your Monday ways in your Tuesday ways Amen in your Thursdays in your Fridays even your Friday nights amen acknowledge Him and He will direct your let me tell you another scripture that can give you peace Amen in troubled times the name of the Lord is a strong tower amen the government we don't know what's going on in our world today ups and downs and and inflation and political stress going on who do I even vote for I don't know but I do know one thing that never changes the name of the Lord is a strong tower amen you can vote for Jesus and he'll never let you down amen you can put your faith in Jesus and he'll never fail you the righteous runeth into it and they are safe blessed Prophet Jeremiah said blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is for he shall be as a tree planted By the Waters that spreads out her Roots by the river and shall not see heat when it cometh but her Leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the years of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit we just thank God right now that we have a tower that we can run into listen I don't know what problems you're going through today I I don't know much about this congregation I know it's a great church and I love the leadership here but for the most part many of you this may be your first time seeing me I didn't come today to impress you with some eloquent sermon but I came with a burning message in my heart today to tell somebody you can find peace in this place today amen all of your work to navigate your path may have left you frustrated but Jesus is waiting there is a strong tower that you can run into you just don't know is this guy really almost here it is isn't it like on the airplane when they tell the stewardess take their seat put on your seat belts we're getting ready to land here it is we're getting ready to land the Third access point at the enemy masquerades promises security and peace and hope but then only to come in and Rob us of our peace and that is counterfeit salvation so much of our world today is being duped by the adversary through counterfeit salvation amen can I tell you the the first access access point of counterfeit salvation is people that believe that they can be saved by their own Works amen that if I'll just do enough good to outweigh the bad then there's no way I'm going to go to a devil's hell because I did so many good things amen there's nowhere in the Bible that says all of your good works are going to save you in fact the Bible says that your good works that your righteousness are as filthy rags aren't you thankful today that it's not based upon how good you are but it's based upon how good he is come on Apostolic Church aren't you thankful today that we are saved by grace and not of good works I don't know maybe some of you are good enough to take your take that risk that maybe when you get to heaven you're maybe you've been so good that you're confident enough to roll out the sheet and say no look at all the good I've done I'm not okay I'm not all right because he knows every thought I've ever thought amen he knows every desire that's ever passed through my heart he knows Every Idle Word that I've spoken and the Bible tells me if I've been guilty and breaking one commandment I'm guilty of breaking them all ain't no way I want to stand on that day and say God look how good I did when I stand on that day it ain't gonna be me I'm bragging about it's God look how good you've been you kept me through the storm you kept me in the journey you kept me in the valley you brought me over the mountain we are saved by grace somebody ought to praise in the day because when we stand on that day and he says well done thou good and faithful servant enter in Hallelujah I feel the whole I know it's Sunday morning but I feel the Holy Ghost right now I feel the Holy Ghost God wants to give you peace about your salvation God wants to give you peace about eternity he's got your eternity in his hands amen amen the the enemy would tell us that we can be saved by the institution of religion that if you'll just show up to church on Sunday and Wednesday put a little something in the plate and I'm not saying not to show up in for church I am saying put more than just a little something in the plate Pastor that was in your work but that's not what saves us and I don't do those things to be saved I do those things because I'm saved I do those things because I want to stay under the grace of God I do those things because this world is beating for my soul and I want to be around some Believers of like-minded precious faith I need somebody to encourage me when I'm down I need a preacher that will preach to me when the when the enemy is trying to rob me of my peace I need a man of God to stand in the pulpit and say there is a way that seems right but the end is death so get right with God well I'm related my mom and dad are are good Holy Ghost filled people sorry ain't no grandfather clause in Salvation he ain't going to be looking on the road and say well you're related to them you come on in come on in well thou good and related to somebody well done and faithful ain't none of that it's going to be you are you saved by grace have you put your faith in Jesus Christ have you obeyed the gospel have you repented of your sins have you gone down in waters of baptism have you received the gift of the Holy Ghost attending church does not save you in and of itself we don't forsake the assembling of ourselves together because so great is salvation with which we have been saved I'm not saved because my daddy's a preacher I'm not saved because he's a pastor because he's been a soul winner I'm not saved because he got the Holy Ghost amen but I'm here today I have peace in my salvation because I can point to an altar where I bowed on my knees and repented of my sin I can take you to the baptismal tank where I went down in waters of baptism in the name of Jesus Amen I can take you to the place on that Campground where I raise my hands and spoke with other tongues as the spirit gave the utterance Hallelujah I say like Paul said to Timothy I'm reminded of your sincere faith amen we've got Bishop was talking about it earlier I love a multi-generational Revival amen people talk today about Multicultural and I believe we need to be that and it's good to see that present here in this building but I also think we need to be a multi-generational church amen we need to have them from what how do you say it the Cradle row is that what he said I like that cradle I never heard that I like the Cradle from the nursery Amen to to the oh otd I like it and we need we need to have those and everything in between amen because Paul said to Timothy I'm reminded of the faith that was in your elders thank God for our elders in the church thank God for men and women that paved the path for us and he said because I see the same faith that is in you he said for this reason I've got to remind you don't be a dead Church don't be a dry churcher a man stir up the gift that is in you amen fan the flame that is in you Hallelujah there's South Asian when there there's peace when you have true salvation can you stand with me all around this room right now see true salvation is not swayed by circumstances true salvation peace doesn't ebb and flow with life's up and downs when it's ninth inning and two outs and anyway I'm not I'm not getting into carnal things but that was quite a game last night but I can still have peace no matter what goes on when inflation raises to an all-time high I can still have peace because this world is not my home I'm just a passing through my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue can anybody testify today I'm not worried about what goes on in this whole world I'm just a pilgrim I'm just a stranger my salvation is secured in Jesus Christ I followed the biblical Plan of Salvation we have this Hebrews says as a sure and steadfast anchor come on would you raise your hands with me Church we've got peace today it's a steadfast anchor I don't know if you've ever been on a boat in a storm but when you're out there on the water I live about 10 minutes from the Chesapeake Bay and when you're out there on the water and the storm is blowing it brings a lot of peace to know that your anchor is sure amen that the wind's not going to capsize the boat amen that God's going to bring you through and he says you have a steadfast anchor of the Soul a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf having become a high priest this morning it's time to get the Rembrandt back as a child of God there's no reason that you should not have peace today there's no reason you have access to peace there is righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost there's no reason today that you should not have peace that counterfeit voice of the enemy that has come in perhaps through sin perhaps through self-reliance maybe the enemy has called you to question even your salvation today I want you to know that is what altars are for can we raise our hands one more time across Israel Lord I believe that your spirit was at work in this worship service before I even came and God you were you were speaking a clear message it's time today for somebody to get their peace I rebuked the voice of the adversary I rebuke anxiety I rebuke fear I rebuke worry in the name of Jesus I speak the peace that passes all understanding amen God that you promised would keep our hearts and our minds if we would keep our minds upon you Lord I don't know the circumstances that are in this building today but I know the Peace Speaker I know that he is stepping to the bow of the boat today and he is saying let me speak peace into your circumstance let me speak peace into your turmoil if you're here today and you need that Rembrandt to be painted in your life you need that Peace Speaker to step to the bow of your boat I invite you to come right now