Born With Purpose | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-5, Jeremiah 29:10-11, Luke 11:2, Galatians 1:15-16, 1 Timothy 1:12-16, Acts 9:1-6, John 1:1-4, 1 Kings 13:1-10, Amos 6:1, 1 Kings 13:33-34

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kenneth-carpenter--born-with-purpose
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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if you have your Bibles and would stand with me this morning um she does love Windex I have U I have often thought about instead of buying Cool Water cologne I've often just thought about giv a shot of Windex here and there she loves she loves Windex Jeremiah chapter 1 and verse number four someone say praise the Lord praise Lord God is going to speak to us today Jeremiah 1 verse4 then the word of the Lord came unto me saying before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the womb I Sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the Nations Jeremiah chapter 29 Jeremiah chapter 29 and verse 10 Jeremiah 29 and10 for thus sayith the Lord that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word toward you in causing you to return to this place look at verse 11 very closely and hear God's voice for I know the thoughts that I think toward you sayeth the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end I want to read that again in a different translation it simply says I say this because I know the plans that I have for you this message is from the Lord I have good plans for you I don't plan to hurt you I plan to give you hope and a good future for a few moments today I want to minister what I feel is a direct word from God born with purpose born with purpose I would love for every person under the sound my voice today to repeat my title with me born with purpose Jesus we love you we thank you for the honor of preaching your word today to cast out Lord God the Rope of Hope today Lord anoint my heart anoint my mind today that I could minister in this place and I'll give you praise and honor and glory in Jesus name I pray amen and amen man you may be seated today and welcoming all the family we're glad to have our family here with us today the Sanders from matun Illinois sister uh sister um Flannery's Mom and Dad come on brain get to work in here sister Flannery's mom and dad and sisters are here with us today and we're so thankful to have we're so thankful to have them there is a saying that there are only two two important days in our lives there's only two important days in our lives the day we were born and the day we realized our purpose in life the day we were born and the day that we realized our purpose in life you see today I am talking and I wish I had the time to preach this to each of you individually today because this message fits every person today no one is excluded today when God created you he created you to fulfill the purpose he planned for you God has already got his plan in heaven about each of our lives and I know that's almost mindboggling but God already has a plan in heaven a purpose in heaven a blueprint in heaven God already has Us in heaven of what he desires for us to be no wonder Luke 11 and verse two when being when asking Jesus about how to pray teach us to pray very quickly in our Prayer in Luke Luke 11 and2 and he said unto them when you pray say Our Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done as in heaven so in earth as in heaven thy will be done just like it's already done in heaven let it be done on Earth I believe that I can lead the pack of amens this morning I personally want to be in life what God has already pre-planned for me to be I want to be the man I want to be the man and you want to be the woman that God has already pre-planned for you to be he told the Prophet Jeremiah who was going to deal with a plethora of insecurities about his life he told Jeremiah he said let me encourage you I'm not going to let this book I'm not even going to let the first chapter end of Jeremiah 1 I'm not even going to let the first chapter end till I tell you something I knew you I knew you when before you were in your mother's womb I knew you before this is mindboggling before I formed the verse five in the belly I knew you and before you came out of your mother's womb I had already called you to be a prophet I had already called you I had already called you and Sanctified you to be my mouthpiece to Israel there's some old Jewish Traditions some old Jewish Traditions it said some of the first words that Jeremiah spoke wasn't Mama and Daddy but some of the first words he spoke were prophecies to repent and turn back to God Jewish Traditions say that he was prophesying at a young age about a nation that should turn that should turn back to God it would be later when Israel would sin and would spend 70 long years in Babylonian captivity that God would visit them once again and God would say to them I know the thoughts that I have toward you I know that they're thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end in other words he was saying to this nation that had been disciplined for 70 years I still have a plan I still have a plan for you it's not only it's not only located in the Old Testament but in Galatians 1 and verse1 15 writer of over half of our New Testament Bible the Apostle Paul the Apostle Paul in Galatians 1:15 says this about God but when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace to reveal his son in me that I may preach him among the Heathen even Paul as Jeremiah said I was called from my mother's womb there was already a pre-planned purpose for my life before I was born before I saw the light of day God had already called God already had a plan for my life and we know in 1 Timothy 1:12 read about the Apostle Paul here with me in 1 Timothy 1:12 and I than Christ Jesus our lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me Faith ful putting me into the ministry now he's going to give his testimony now now remember he's already told us in galatian from my mother's womb I was called from my mother's womb God separated me to be a preacher to the Gentiles but now he says let me tell you about my life who was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurers but I obtained Mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief and the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundantly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus and this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief wait a minute Paul you were separated from your mother's womb to be a a prophet you were separated from your mother's womb to be a preacher and Paul says yes I was separated God had a pre-plan about my life but I didn't follow that pre-plan I became a blasphemer and a persecutor and an injur per injured person toward the church and if this would be a worthy statement worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save Sinners of whom I am chief how be it for this cause I obtain Mercy that in me first Jesus Christ may show forth all longsuffering for a pattern to them which should Hereafter believe on him to lie Everlasting Paul is just simply saying God made me a pattern my Wicked vile Blasphemous injured life toward the Church did not make of none effect the plan that God had for my life the way that I live did not cancel out the plan that God had for my life for you see in Acts chapter 9 verse one the Bible calls him Saul here and Saul yet breathing out threatenings and Slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord went unto the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues that if he found any of this way whether they were men or women he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem now any of this way was the church those Believers in Christ Jesus he would bring them bound to Jerusalem and as he journeyed he came near Damascus and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven and I want you to remember that word there a light say that with me a a light from heaven and he fell to the Earth and heard a voice saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and he said who are art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the Pricks and he trembling and astonished said Lord What wilt thou have me to do and the Lord said unto him arise go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou must do now I want you to know something here right here is where the plan got into motion you see you could live Paul lived a very vile Wicked life a a blasphemer injur toward the Church of the Living God but when he realigned himself with God's plan that God had pre-planned for him before he was in his mother's womb I got to tell somebody today you're allowing the way you've lived to cancel out the plan that God has for you but all all you need to do to activate the plan today is to realign your life with the will of God and God's going to say all right now we're going to go back to the beginning and we're going to begin to let this unfold in your life remember I had you to repeat the word a light from Heaven scientists have discovered scientists have discovered that at the moment of conception at the moment of con conception in the mother's womb there can be seen at the moment of conception there can be seen a spark of light at the moment of conception at the moment of conception that one time there is a spark of light now I know that they have later said that it's because of of some uh uh chemical and it's because of that that causes the reaction that for that moment a spark of light is there I submit to you today that I believe I know what that spark of light is I believe it's none other than the life of God that God places upon that conception for further proof of this let's read John 1 verse number one as John tells us about the beginning of Creation in John chapter 1 in verse number one in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made we're talking about creation we're talking about creation and I'm going to tell you there was more than just the sun and the moon and the stars and the Earth that was created during creation man was created during creation verse four all things are excuse me verse three all things were made by him by God and without him was not anything made that was made in him God in him God was life and the life was the spark of men can I tell you today that we are not the product of some Evolution scheme we are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and the likeness of our god of our God God has a plan for us God has a plan for us as individuals God has a plan for us today as families and God has a plan for this church can I tell you today that it's hard to comprehend that before there was a mirville miracle God had already planned it before some of you decided to move to Tennessee it wasn't the mountains and the beautiful scenery that brought you here it was a God who said I have a plan I want to put a people together and when I bring these people together I'm going to do exceedingly and abundantly and above all that they can think and are asked can I get a witness today to those of you that have been at First Apostolic Church a few years aren't you amazed at what God has done aren't you amazed at what God has done I have people mother rwood I have people that ask me they said did you see all of this when you came to mville absolutely not I saw none of this all I saw was a call of God to come and take up where brother and sister Arwood had left off that's all that I saw I didn't see this building I didn't see the world global brother Ericson I didn't see the global impact that F they would have I didn't see 158 women being baptized in jesus' name I didn't see Miracle signs and wonders but I'm going to tell you because I didn't see it didn't mean it wasn't there it was there God had already planned it all we had to do was come and align ourselves with the will of God and say God what will you have don't know about you today yeah I do know about you don't we want God's plan to come real in our lives you see God's got a plan in our lives and I want to go very quickly to First Kings chapter 13 verse number one you see at this time in the history of Israel the 12 tribes have been divided the 12 the 12 tribes of Israel had been divided two of the tribes went with rabam Solomon's son and God said the only reason I'm giv rabo two two tribes is not because of rabam rabo is wicked the only reason I'm giving rabo two tribes number one is for David and number two is for Jerusalem that's the only reason I'm giving him two tribes but a man that's not even family his name is jeroboam a man that's not even family is going to get the majority of the tribes he's going to get 10 tribes an interesting thing happens about jeroboam jeroboam understands that these people these 10 tribes want to go back to je Jerusalem and worship God it's written in the scripture jeroboam begins to know that several times a year these 10 tribes are going to go back to Jerusalem and worship their God and fear struck jeroboam's life jeroboam said to himself if these people keep going back and worshiping their hearts will be touched and they will return to rabo as their King so what did jeroboam do jeroboam introduce the religion of convenience jeroboam begin to tell the people you don't have to make a long arduous journey to Jerusalem you don't have to go all the way to Jerusalem to worship well we'll build an altar right here at be we'll have a house of God right here at bethl and we'll even make one at Dan and a matter of fact we'll become more acceptable in society for we will erect two golden Cales and I'm mean I'm going to tell you there's no no no more of this stuff of peculiar people no more of this stuff being looked at as a strange odd people that doesn't blend into cultural Trends oh no we're going to put two golden calves that's going to to identify us with every culture that comes out that comes out of Egypt and obviously the people bought in to the culture of convenience they bought in to all of this they they said oh we don't have to make that Journey oh no no no here's I I'll put I'll put my own priest in we'll have our own altar here and the Bible says that it became a great sin in the sight of God so much that in First Kings chap 13 and verse number one it says and behold there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto bethl and jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord and said oh altar altar thus sayith the Lord Behold a child shall be born into the house of David jiah by name and upon thee shall he offer the priest of the high places that burn incense upon thee and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee he gave a sign the same day saying this is the sign which the Lord has spoken Behold The Altar shall be rent and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out and it came to pass when King jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God which he had cried which had cried against the altar in bethl that he put forth his hand from the altar saying lay hold on him and his hand which he put forth against him dried up so that he could not pull it in again to him the altar also was rent and the ashes poured out from the altar according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord and the King answered and said unto the man of God intreat EET now the face of the Lord thy God and pray for me that my hand may be restored me again the man of God besought the Lord and the L King's hand was restored him again and became as it was before and the King said unto the man of God come home with me and refresh thyself and I will give thee a reward the man of God said unto the king if thou give me half thine house I will not go in with thee neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place for it was charged me by the word of the Lord saying eat no bread drink no water nor turn again by the same way that thou camest so he went another way and returned not by the way that he came to bethl I'm going to stop there for a moment I'm going to stop there for just a moment and I just read to you 10 or 11 verses of a young man who had purpose in his life he was a young man of purpose it may have been that he was called of God to fulfill that one thing to go into the land of bethl the city of bethl and be bold enough to confront jeroboam and his idolatry he was told by God no no he was charged by God to prophesy against the Altar and to prophesy and say that there will be a son of David Josiah by name who shall come and take the priests that are offering incense and burn them upon this Altar and burn them upon this altar men's bones he said as a matter of fact he even said the man's name would be called Josiah it's interesting to study the Bible out but a few hundred years later just as that young man prophesied a young man born to the House of David arose by the name of Josiah and he came and did exactly what the man of God said would happen the man of God was charged that he was to go into bethl and prophesy against against the altar he was to also tell them that the word that he spoke would be followed by a sign and the sign would be that the altar would crack open the the altar would crack open and the ashes would be poured out he was also told I keep using the word told but the Bible uses the word charged that after he got finished that he was not to linger he was not to stay there long as a matter of fact he was told not to even drink a cup of water or eat a piece of bread in that place and he was also charged not don't even go back out of town on the same road that you came into town on and so God you know something when you're living the God planned life when man tries to reach out and touch you God will take care of them see don't ever fear anybody God's got a plan for you your main concern should not be what others can do to you but your main concern should be how can I align my life so that God can bless me and God can favor me and so when jeroboam heard the prophesying of this young man he Wills around with his halty authority and he orders the arrest of this young man but when he orders the arrest God smites jeroboam's arm arm with a stroke his arm fell limp to his side he could not control his arm he could not move his fingers he could not bring his elbow he could not bring his hand up his arm dangled by its side as a dishwash CL cloth would do it dangled by its side when the man when when the king jeroboam realized what had happened he turns to the boy that prophesied and he said pray to your God for me and he prayed and the man's arm was restored again of which I got news for you there's people trying to fight you right now but if you will just align your life with God those same people that are ordering your arrest those same people that are cursing you those same people that are your enemy one day is going to look around and say would you please pray for me would you pray for your would you pray to your God for me he prayed for him his arm was restored and the King made a proposal the king said I want you to go home with me son I want you eat some bread drink some water and I have a reward for you I'm going to reward you for what you've done but the young man said to the king if you would give me half of your kingdom I will not go home with you for it was charged me me by the word of the Lord can I tell you when you start living the God planned life money can't buy you when you start living the God planned life friendships can't alter your life people can walk away from your life but you're going to stay the same why I'm living the god planed life you see you're I I I want us to all be I want us to all understand something today and I wish you were up here pointing your finger around but you're not my source God is you're not my source God is right he said King you don't have enough money in your house to get me to go home with you because I'm living the god pre-planned for my life I will not go home with you you know I wish the story ended right there as a matter of fact I believe that the story had ended I believe if the story had ended right there I believe we would have heard the name of this young man but a horrible mistake was made the young man got out of town but didn't get out of town far enough until the cool shade of an oak tree beckoned the weary man to come sit down he was not to sit down till he got back to where he had been commissioned but what harm could there be in just resting for a little bit what harm could there be what harm could there be with just a simple few moments of arrest can I tell you what harm there could be the Bible says woe unto them Amos chapter 6 verse number one the Bible says woe unto them that are at ease in Zion you see when you're living the god pre-planned for your life you're always concerned with the work of the Lord there's not time to sit down right now there's not time to take a break you might need a break from your job you might need a Mother's Day Out you may need a lot of things but I'm going to tell you something you don't need a rest from your God pre-planned for your life you don't need to put that on hold that's got to stay the same that's got to stay the same but the oak tree beckoned for him to come and sit down and there he rested unbeknown to him a conversation was going on inside the city that he just came from for some young men went home and were now introduced to a prophet he's only called we only know his name as the old Prophet said there was an old prophet in the city his sons came home that day and said dad you wouldn't believe what we saw you wouldn't believe what we saw today we were offering incense on this Altar and a young man walked in and he began to prophesy and the altar split open the ashes poured out the king tried to have him arrested the the the king's hand fell limp and then the man prayed for him and the King's hand came back and he could use it again and the old Prophet said the old Prophet said did you see which way he went out of town they said oh yeah Dad we matter of fact we noticed he went out down this road here he said saddle me the donkey saddle me the donkey and he saddled the old prophet got on the donkey and he went and he found the young man sitting under the Oak and a lesson here could be he would have never found him had he kept on moving he would have never found him if he had stayed in the right place doing the right thing can I tell you that there's a lot of things the enemy will never bring your way if you will stay involved in the work of the lord your mind your body your strength your spirit there's a lot of spirits that'll never invade your home if you'll keep your spirit involved in the house of God there's a lot of spirits we won't fight the old Prophet found the man of God the old Prophet asked him the question are you the man that came to bethl I am he said good get on the back of this donkey and let's go home I'm going to feed you some bread and drink some water with me and the young man rehearse the same thing that I told you he said no it was told me by God it was told me by God now an interesting thing study this out maybe not now let me kind of get the story told but he told the king that the Lord had charged him but he told the old prophet he was simply told there is a difference between having a charge and simply being told what do you think is is when we are involved in the work of God everything is important to us everything about God is important to us I told him I'm not trying to be super spiritual today but I was telling my wife this morning as we were getting ready for church I said I really struggle with this I really struggle telling God I love you with all my heart I really struggle with that statement and I'll tell you why I hope I love him with all my heart I hope I love God with all my heart but who knows the Bible says our heart is deceitfully wicked and who can know it you see friend everything about God is important to me everything that's connected to God is important to me there is no optional things when it comes to living and serving my God but you let us a spirit of rest come in the church you let a spirit of just come on let's have the god of convenience let's just see how quick we can get in and get out of here let's see how palatable the message is today let's see how good that this makes me feel and we'll go from charging to I was simply told I'm telling you we're doing things today in the church that some of our forefathers would frown on we have got to get back as a church of seeing that we are a pre-planned Church we're not just an ordinary Church where 40 some odd years ago brother James rwood and his wife decided hey it'd be a good thing to start a church here in marville it wasn't a man's idea it was a god idea that God put into the heart of a man that's what it was it was a god idea it's not a man idea and anytime we get in our mind that all this is is a bunch of people getting together oh no it's not just people getting together it's God bringing people together to fulfill the plan of God in their lives but a spirit of rest a spirit of rest there churches having less church now less Church shorter Services listen I don't know how long how long our services are going to last we say yeah you do you have a well but you know something friend I am not going to get here and be on my mind how fast can we get out of here I can't help it I hope I love God with all my heart but I don't think our plan ought to be how quick can we get out of here hey that's God's house it ain't a restaurant it's not aub's it's not Westtown mall it's not the Cinemax it's God's house it's God's house what if God wants to keep us here all day long but when EAS comes into the church he said young man I'm a prophet as you are and an angel spoke to me and an angel told me to tell you to come home with me now here I'm going to tell you what the spirit of ease will do to you it'll rob you of Common Sense Common Sense would be H if you're a prophet like me somebody help me now if you're a prophet like me then why did I have to come down here truth is he wasn't a prophet like him he was a compromising prophet he was a prophet indeed but he was a compromising prophet he had compromised the way of the two golden Cals from Egypt he had compromised all of this convenience it compromised the young man believed the word of the prophet got on the back of the donkey with him and rode back into town and as that young boy sat there and ate bread and drank water the spirit of Prophecy and I can't explain everything about God but the spirit of Prophecy fell on that old prophet and that old Prophet shook by the power of God and that old Prophet began to say thus sayith the Lord you will not make it home and you will not even be buried in your own supper because you have not obeyed the word of the Lord the young man got up was given a donkey and began to ride back toward home but somewhere down the road God had prepared a lion and that lion simply made one jump knocked the young boy off the donkey that lion took one bite probably to the neck area severed the veins and the arteries and then an unusual thing happened an unusual thing happened here was the sight people came back into the City and told here's the sight they said there's an unusual sight out here there is is a young boy that just simply has his neck mowed by a lion but the lion is sitting beside the donkey and the cor corpse is laying in the road what's strange about this Lions ju Lions just don't bite the arteries and watch bleed Lions will drag the carcass off in and mutilate them and break and eat the bones lions and donkeys don't stay around each other a donkey is fearful of a lion but God simply was saying I change the nature of a lion and I change the nature of a donkey to explain to you and show you you have control of your own nature we have control of our own nature say I I'm excited about the plan that God has for me when's it coming it's coming when you align yourself with him but I'll submit I I'll submit this to you today our cemeteries are full of people that lived lives of dreams and visions that never came about because they never aligned their lives to the will of God they never allowed and align their lives I end the story I end the story as a matter of fact an only end the story I end the sermon and I ask for our musicians if they would come but I draw your attention back to the first chapter or excuse me the 13th chapter of kings and I take you down to verse 33 First Kings 13 and33 First Kings 13 and 33 the young boy has already been mauled by the lion he's already been taken back into the City and buried in the old prophet's grave he's already there and the Bible says in verse 33 after this thing jeroboam returned not from his evil way but made again of the lowest of the people priest of the high places and whosoever would he consecrated him and he became one of the priest of the high places and this thing became sin unto the house of jeroboam even to cut it off and destroy it from off the face of the Earth it shouldn't have ended that way but it ended that way because a young man didn't follow God's plan a young man had he just just went on and fulfilled his mission jeroboam would have probably stayed in Repentance and before long those people would have come and saw an altar that had been split and they would say the altar in Jerusalem never split we never seen any harm come to the great altar that's at Jerusalem before Jehovah and more than likely 10 tribes would moved back into to worshiping God at Jerusalem but because one man one man failed to follow God's pre-plan for his life 10 tribes are lost he said what are you talking about Pastor your life is bigger than you your life affects more people than you the way you live is affecting even The Unborn in your family the way that you live affects people you've not even met yet the way that you live it's God's plan before you were in the womb I had a plan for your life before you were in the womb I ordained that I ordained that you would be born born on July 4th 1967 before you were in the womb I already planned that at as a young teenage girl your father would take you to a Revival at the Knoxville church already pre-plan this this is mindblowing I already pre pre-plan that you would have an opportunity to say what will you have me do Lord I already pre pre-planned on that night I would give you that spark of life I would give you that Spirit of conviction because I saw that if you will say yes to me I already see that you'll have a burden to pray people through I already see a young evangelist that's going to need a good wife and I've already got a plan for his life and I've already got a plan for your mother and your sisters and your brother and I've already got a plan you don't even have a sister-in-law yet but I've already got a plan I've already got a plan for your sister-in-law folks it's just that big no wonder hell fights our minds that we don't really matter we don't really matter I I'm really not important boy hell hell hopes you keep believing that because Heaven's blueprints re Heaven's blueprints tell that you're going to affect hundreds of people and hell is said I hope they never look at that who have ever thought that little old cook at a restaurant years ago a little cook at a restaurant a preacher would come in he started building a church just up on the hill 123 West Columbia Avenue in Knoxville that cook Naomi kerson didn't know that preacher Billy Mc but I submit to you God did God did and when Naomi kerson begin to hear the conversations and then we C you you know it was in that one little cook that to the world would have seemed insignificant just a little cook at a restaurant no that's not a just a cook at a restaurant that's Sandra amma's mother that's Pat Garrett's mother and and others I could tell that have affected the kingdom of God God said no that's just not a cook at a restaurant that's Sandra Emma's mother that's that's Bethany and Britany and Brianna's grandmother there that's angy's great grandmother there Can I Tell You Folks God it's bigger than we are today that's why the devil tries to fight you to get you out of here because you're part of God's pre plan would you stand with me right right now would you stand would you offer up a prayer right now about your life God line me up God God line me up God oh God line me up God the pastor the pastor of the old church up on the hill Allan Bryant called me yesterday matter of fact so funny how God works he's now the pastor of the church we sold now we're buying their old church building over here he called me yesterday and he said will you come by the church he said I found something up in the attic said I think you'll want it' it was a plaque a very nice plaque given to Apostolic Christian Academy from the Tennessee state supreme court because students had discovered or or students had studied law here at the school and studied how the judicial system went the Tennessee State uh Supreme Court sent a beautiful plaque to Aca said I think you'll want it I think you'll want it and we're working on the gym they're putting a new roof on the gym part up there and I sat there in the car and brother Doug Solomon it wasn't a coincidence that you married Paula it wasn't a coincidence and this is just to me it's it's mindblowing it's mindblowing if anything one of the purposes they got married when we were building that gym at that time brother Perry a church could be at own contractor a church could be its own contractor and we had built the Church on the Hill you were there you helped it's a great deal but when we started building gym we didn't have a contractor we started building and they came out one day and the the um building inspector put a stop work tag up on the building he said y'all can't do the laws have changed you can't do this anymore you can't build you can't be your own contractor build a commercial building like this anymore and I was so heartbroken and uh brother Doug came to me kind of well confessions good for the soul but bad for the reputation kind of pestered me a little bit he said I I want you to come to Clinton there there's a contractor that I know out in Clinton Larry Evans did I get his name right Larry Evans said there's a contractor over he wants to talk to you about this building and I thought yeah don't most contractors want to talk to me about the building it's called dollar signs and I finally brother Doug was so persistent and I finally one night said okay I cut some time let's go out there and when we sat down and we started talking to Larry Evans and my question being how much how much he said he said this I'm going to send some men out there to dig the footer for the metal building to go up I'm going to send men out there to dig the footer put the steel in put all the eyebots up put all I think they worked out here for about a week said I'm going to send them out there and he said I will put my license on the line and he was very upset that somebody had called in on a church and wouldn't let a church and I'm going to tell you the first thing the first thing you might remember this he sent his crew out here to dig the footer and I believe they worked for about a they worked for about about a week and he told me each one had hourly wages and what to pay each one of them and at the end of the week brother sards when it came time for those men to get paid I had their checks ready and one of them come up and he said you know we've not been used to working with a preacher we've not and and and I thought I I I thought it going to make one mad one day cuz he I was going to the store getting hamburgers and he wanted me to buy him a pack of cigarettes and I said if you'd ask me anything thing I could buy I said but I I I won't buy those for he and and for me he said I respect that I see the world's not all that you think it is maybe if the world would see the church having more convictions what our where our where our altar working team come down right now brother Doug do you remember when we got ready to P him the head guy there said he said we're not been used to working with the preacher and I hand them their checks and they ripped them all up and handed them all back to me Larry Evans Larry Evans he would come out look at the job I would say I would say pennies if we paid him I don't know brother Doug if we if we ever paid him anything nothing he came out put his put his stamp down can I tell you you can look at it and say coincidence not coincidence God said I've already got it pre-planned I want you to build a gym cuz I want a school there I want a school where kids will be taught about creation I want a school there where kids will be taught about the love of God I want a school there for Jordan aison to get the Holy Ghost and be a preacher because I'm going to send him to West I'm going to send him to Middle Tennessee and he's going to preach that's what I want you see and this is what God gave me today God don't you know I got to preach that message on giving next Sunday is the Sunday I got to preach them my message on giving and God is just simply saying you just preach what I tell you to preach you just preach what I tell you to preach for those people are not here's what it spoke to me those people are not your Source I am I am your Source you see today oh Lord sh woo thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord and this is what the Lord put in my heart today Cornelius was a man that gave arms that's money he gave arms money and the Bible said the angel said Cornelius your arms your money your arms your money is a memorial in heaven your money is a memorial in heaven can I tell you something when I get to heaven I want to see some of the money that I've given to the work of God I want to see some young women come up if Jesus kept the B if Jesus kept the scars in him his hands maybe some of those women with mutilated arms where they bent and chewed their arms will come up in heaven with glorified bodies but still have those cars and they'll say thank you for giving thank you for sending thank you for going now be you well assured of this Esther what's the one thing Esther had told to her Esther you're the woman you're the one that I've given wealth to you're the one that I've given finances to it's time but Esther if you choose not to give know of assurity that it will come from another source but who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this hands lifted heads bowed people praying all over this building right now come on some of you have plans God has a plan that you need to activate this morning some of you have a plan that needs to be activated this morning some of you are trying to be this and you're trying to be that you've reached the Pinnacle of success so you thought that would make you happy but you're not happy today you've reached the Pinnacle of what you thought you've only dreamed about you dreamed about those businesses you dreamed about the prosperity you have but you still lay awake at night and you still feel so empty it's because you've never sought after God's plan you've never sought for God's plan to be here come on right now I want God's plan in my life if you're here this morning and you don't have the Holy Ghost baptism and you want the Holy Ghost baptism would you come right now you want the Holy Ghost baptism would you come right now oh sweet Lamb of God sweet Lamb of God sweet Lamb of God Lord I want your plan if you're here today and you're a prodal if you're here today and you've sat down under the tree oh if you're here today and you're a prodal come right now oh mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God I want you to do this today if you're here today and you want to live in God's pre plan for your life I want you to make your way to this altar right now I want you to step your way to this altar right now altar workers as they come I want you to begin to pray for him right now oh W you begin to pray right now I want to live the plan I want to live the plan that God has for my life oh please come don't be bashful oh please come don't be bashful this morning I want to live the plan that God has for me I want to live the plan that God has for me oh god I've reached the Pinnacle of success oh god I've got money in the bank I've got Financial Security but God I'm so miserable Lord I'm so miserable oh God I'm so miserable God come on Church come on church right now would you move up as close to this altar as you can I believe this whole church needs to be in this altar this morning oh God I want to live that pre-ordained plant Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah before you were in the womb I knew you before you came out of the womb I Sanctified you I was your spark of life I was your spark of life I was your spark of life oh come on the Holy Ghost wants to sweep through here right now spark come on pray come on pray right now don't let the god of convenience rob you right now now don't let your flesh rob you right now I'm tired of living a discontented life I'm tired of living a discontented life make me all that you know I can be oh make me all that you know I can be come on you're praying right now you're praying right now oh you're praying right now make me all that you know I can be oh God make me all that you know that I can do God make me the man make me the woman God make me the man the woman that you know I can be speak to me Lord speak to me Lord here I am God here I am God I know mess up God oh God oh God every I am oh I will sing of the goodness of God I love your voice you have me through the in dark you are Clos by no other known you as a father known you as oh I have Liv in the goodness all my life you have been fa all my life you have been so so good with every I am oh I will s of the goodness God good goodness running after me your goodness is running after it's running after me with my life laid down I Surrender now I give you everything do your goodness is run it's running after me goodness your goodness is running out is running after me your goodness is running after running me my down surrender now I give you everything your goodness is running out it's running out me my life you have been my you been with every breath I am oh I will of the goodness oh to sing yes all my life you have been faithful all my life you have been so so good with every breath I am oh I will sing of the goodness of God oh I will s of the goodness of God oh I will oh one more time say yes yes to him right now oh say yes to him right now oh say yes to him right now yes to the plan yes to the plan oh god let's take a moment and pray let's pray for the needs of the church right now God touch the Holland Family Lord touch the Holland family right now God God touch Jennifer and Jacob God Jonathan Lord God touch brother Johnny and sister Mara Holland right now Lord oh God be upon them today Lord God all the prayer requests God that have been turned in Lord the prayer requests God that are strolling across the stream Lord would you touch these knes today God come on if you got a need raise your hand right now in the name of the Lord Jesus Oh the name of the Lord Jesus God God I pray for suu Mass Gill Lord I pray that she totally recovers from this car wreck Lord God I pray Lord over all the needs of your people today pray God over those that have suffered the loss god of the loved one Lord I pray for the comfort of the Holy Ghost to be upon them Lord God I pray for every man woman boy and girl in this room right now the name of Jesus Christ I pray oh God and I pray that God I pray God that this message does not fall on deaf ears God I pray that as we go through the day Lord as we go through the day God that we'll be reminded of the great plan that you have for our life and we'll ask oursel God am I living by that plan oh God am I living by that plan Lord the name of Jesus we all pray in Jesus name amen and amen and I know this is probably not a way to end the service but I'm going to end it anyway this way you will notice with me that neither the old Prophet nor the prophet had a name they didn't have a name and brother Elijah they didn't have a name because they didn't fulfill God's plan all right you'll notice that the story of the rich man in Lazarus Lazarus is in heaven he has a name he's in heaven but the rich man doesn't have a name all he has is a title from Father Abraham five times the rich man called Abraham father five times Abraham called him son a gentile would not have called Abraham father nor would Abraham have called a gentile son the true story is the rich man man in hell is a backsliding Jew that never lived up to his potential so he doesn't have a name if you want further proof of that the Bible says that those in heaven have their father's name but the Bible talks about the followers of the Antichrist only have a number only have a number I want you to know when it comes time for me to say goodbye may God help me have a name may God help me have a name may God help me have a name in heaven church we are God's people amen now we're not all of God's people but the people that God has called and brought to this place God is saying wasn't the mountains that moved you here wasn't a good job that moved you here here why it wasn't even the school that moved you here I moved you there because you're going to be a part of this great plan here want you thankful I'm going to be back tonight we got an evangelist coming tonight I want you to hear him preach his name is he is evangelist Kenny Carpenter he's going to be with us tonight and uh you pray for him all right