The Declaration of Independence | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: John 8:31-32, Psalms 119:45, Psalms 119:126-127, Psalms 119:130-131, Psalms 119:133, Psalms 119:176, Proverbs 22:6, Numbers 2:1-2, Song of Solomon 2:1-4

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kenneth-carpenter--the-declaration-of-independence
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 with me this morning o magnify the Lord with me the Bible said o magnify the Lord with me let us exalt his name together would you do that oh magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together Jesus Lamb of God oh savior I love you I praise you I exalt you I magnify you Lord you're everything to me God you're everything to me my salvation you're my Deliverance you're my friend that sticker closer than a brother you're the one that said I'll never leave you nor forsake you oh one more time give him a hand of Praise right now oh magnify the Lord with me you have your Bibles this morning return quickly to the Book of John the Gospel of John chapter 8 verse 31 thank you so very much for honoring sister Carpenter this morning if there's ever a lady that if there's ever a woman that is deserving of honor it is Sister Penny Carpenter and if there's ever I'm going to tell you something I would not be here today I would not be the man that I am today and I have absolutely no reservation in saying this I would not be the man that I am today had I not had the voice of not only a wife but a wise woman of God they kept speaking into my life and kept telling me kept telling me matter of fact Sister Erickson add this to your long list this is what I heard over and over again in times of frustration Kenny if God wants you somewhere there's not enough devils in hell to keep you out of that place if I heard that once I heard it a million times Kenny if God wants you somewhere and God wants you to do something man cannot stop you if it is God's will for you to do certain things there's not enough Devils there's not enough men that can ever stop you so add that to the pennyisms Independence Day we're celebrating oh yes we are how many are just overwhelmed at the breathtaking site of all of those flags out front isn't that breathtaking simply it is simply it is simply breathtaking Independence Day I'm here to declare not only our country's Independence which I'm thankful but I'm also here personally today to declare independence I'm glad to declare independence from Fear I'm glad today declare independence from anxiety I am glad today to say that the only dependency that I have is upon Him of which we live and we move and we have our being happy Independence Day and I pray that everybody enjoys the Fourth of July get together with your family and all diet plans are off unless your doctor has so notified you of but John chapter 8 verse 31 then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him if you continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Psalms 119. verse number 45 o praise God Psalms 119 verse 45. the psalmist says and I will walk at Liberty for I seek thy precepts or it's another way of saying I am walking in Freedom I am walking in Freedom because I seek after your word today for a title befitting of the day I want to minister to you on the Declaration of Independence the Declaration of Independence would you put your Bible down and put your hand on your heart and pray with me Father the name of Jesus today I stand here to preach the word I stand here not only to preach the word but I stand here today to be a recipient of the word Lord Jesus your word is able to break every bondage in our lives God your word is a lamp and a light your word God is the greatest sedative that any person could ever take today would be your word father for the next few moments anoint my lips of clay with your spirit God that I may be used as a vehicle to minister your word the truth of your word in Jesus name we pray and everybody said amen give him a hand of Praise before you seated please oh great is the Lord let me take you on just a little history lesson here for a few moments the Declaration of Independence summarize the colonist's motivation for seeking Independence by declaring themselves an independent nation the American colonists were able to confirm an official alliance with the government of France and obtained French assistance in the war against Great Britain its goals the Declaration of Independence its goals were to rally the troops when foreign allies and to announce the creation of a new country the introductory sentences States the declaration's main purpose to explain the colonists right they had a right to revolute to to to a revolution the Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents it's one of the most important documents in the history of the United States it was an official act taken by all 13 American colonies in declaring independence from British rule here is their statement we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights that among these these unalienable rights are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness this word unalienable rights or unalienable simply means impossible to take away or to give up in other words what this document this Declaration of Independence stating that we have these certain unalienable rights they cannot be taken away from us this important document also makes it very clear that the government does not rule the people but people rule the government it is a government of the people it is a government by the people it is impossible to take these away from us now my point in in going into this seemingly history lesson today is to remind us in a generation setting here this morning a younger generation sitting here today just how interwoven the scripture is in the Declaration of Independence it wasn't just a document that men got together and put together a form of government they received their inspiration church today from the Bible that you and I hold in our hands today Clarence Manion dean of the Notre Dame college of law from 19 1941 to 1952 the dean Clarence Mansion said these words he said look closely at these self-evident truths these imperishable articles of American faith upon which our government is firmly based he says first and foremost the existence of God next comes the truth that all men are created equal in the sight of God third is the fact of God's great gift and of unalienable rights to every person on Earth then follows the true and single purpose of All American government namely the purpose of the government is to preserve and protect these God made rights of God made man so we understand today that when the Declaration was pinned on it will spend the day's previous to July the 2nd or July the 4th and there's a little debate of when it was all signed but nevertheless it was in 1776. that it was just a man-made document that was echoing and bringing to light bringing to light what God in his word had written follow along with me in 1612 1612. the American first public education law was passed the first education law of the newly formed government of the United States of America the first educational law was passed 1612. its name its name the deluder Satan law the deluder and dilute means to deceive in this setting it means to deceive Satan's deceiving method it's interesting that this first law of Education addresses the enemy's desire to deceive the minds of our children it goes on it says being one Chief project one Chief project of that old deluder that old deceiver Satan to keep men from the knowledge of the scripture to keep them ignorant as in former times in other words we want to educate our children in the ways of the scripture to prepare them for that old what they call deceiver to come along and try to plant lies and deception in the minds and for the formable years of a young child that was in 1612. in 1690 Americans first public school textbook was published it was frequently reprinted for the next 250 years it was a textbook that was used for the next 250 years it was used in one of the first grades of that time it was called the rhyming alphabet they wanted their children you got if you're going to learn how to read you got to know the alphabet you got to know how to spell and so in the school for 250 years this was the rhyming this was the rhyming alphabet a in Adam's fall we send all a B heaven to find the Bible mind the Bible mine see Christ crucified for Sinners died can you imagine for 250 years in the children when they come to learn how to spell and learn how to read they daily went through the rhyming alphabet of a Adam's fall we sinned all be heaven to find the Bible on your mind see Christ crucified for Sinners died it also contained more than 150 questions that they were asked about the Commandments they were asked about the Commandment of honoring your father and mother that was drilled in their mind they were asked what is required of us to honor our father and mother they were they were asked they were told what it would look like to dishonor your father and your mother in 1779 Chiefs from the Delaware Indian tribe brought George Washington three young Indian boys to be trained in American schools Washington spoke to them in Washington reaffirmed that the fear of the Lord was still the central it was still Central to American Education he was commending the Chiefs for the decision to place these three young men these three young children in the American school system he said and I quote George Washington you do well to wish to learn the Arts and the ways of life and above all the religion of Jesus Christ these will make you a greater and happier people than than you are by George Washington's own words what you've learned in American schools above all was the religion of Jesus Christ in 1789 the first federal law to address to to address education was passed by Congress signed by signed by President George Washington article 3 linked public religion and public education together it linked religion and education together and I quote religion morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind schools and the means of Education shall forever be encouraged now I I'm laying I know it doesn't sound like a gospel message today but I'm laying the groundwork I'm laying the groundwork because on the fourth the flags we're celebrating we're celebrating the birth of our country and the birth of our country is the greatest country on this Earth because its foundation is started in the word of God the most important document they tell me that one of the original copies of the Declaration we could of Independence and you could you could you can find this out is kept in a in a in a glass enclosed place with the air being just right and the moisture being just right to preserve this document to preserve this document something happened I go from the 17th century 1789 tonight 1962. between the years of 1962 and 1963 the Supreme Court the highest court in the land of the United States the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that public schools would become strictly secular 62-63 the highest court in our land said religion of any sort does not belong in our school system that it should be just solely and strictly solely and strictly secular sometime thereafter prayer was removed before this time in 1960 matter of fact can I ask today by the hands of of our elders here today that were in the public school system before prayer was taken out how many hands could go up today that your school day and it wasn't an Apostolic Christian Academy it was your school day your public school day began with the time of prayer would you just lift up your hand right now matter of fact would you do me one thing better that would you stand right now would you stand right at your school day your school day began with a time of prayer was it an Apostolic it wasn't a Christian School it was a public school and I want you to look around I want you to look around here today thank you all thank you all so so very very much but in 62-63 the highest court of the land ruled that it was to be strictly strictly secular now let me tell you what's happened since that time before this time before the 1962 and 63 all grade levels of students in public schools in the United States of America scored significantly above world world educations other countries other countries the s.a.t test that they would that our students would go through too scored considerably higher on the world's stage than others but history tells us that when our Supreme Court ruled that religion had no place in our Public School years later they would notice a decline in the education they would notice a decline in what students would know and to this day these are the facts these are the facts certain grades early on go neck and neck on the world stage as we go into junior high schools we FL we fall below average as we enter High School on the world stage we fall significantly below and so the moral of that story is this it would appear that the longer students are in an environment absent from the teachings of the word of God the less they know the less that they know thank God this morning for a church that Embraces the value of the word of God thank God this morning thank God this morning we are not directing Our Lives by current Winds of culture we're not living in a democracy of morals where democracy of the vote wins the direction of our morals but thanks be unto God Almighty for his precious word that remains our compass that remains our light that remains our value thank God how valuable the word of God is how valuable the word of God is for us today how valuable the word of God is Psalms 119 126 through 127. follow with me on the screen please it is time for thee O Lord to work well they have made void thy law therefore I love thy Commandments above gold yea above fine gold look at that verse 126 again he said God you got to come and work God you've got to come and work and if our society has any hope of turning around it needs more than the prayers of the church it needs the God's word that is backed up by the prayers of the church we can pray for our country all we want to and rightfully we should but until this country has a Revival of the word of God we're going to keep on going down into the sewers of grotesque in Morality as never before so listen to the psalmist it is time for the O God to work we need you to work in America God we need you to work in our society God why do we need you to work for they have made void thy law I tell you why we have drug addiction I tell you why we have the rampant suicide success suicide reports in our youth today I'll tell you why we have school shooting I'll tell you why we have all this stuff going on is because we have dismissed the word of God from our school systems and from our lives God we need you to work in America for we have forgotten your word we have forgotten your word Psalms 119 same chapter Psalms 119 verse 130 through 131. the entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding into the simple I opened my mouth and panted for I long for thy Commandments o church today church today can I tell you the entrance of the word when you allow the word of God to come into your life it brings light it brings knowledge God's word God's word today gives understanding to the simple there are people today that feel like they're simple because they don't have maybe a high school diploma or maybe they're not a college graduate or they'll have some kind of degree up on their wall can I tell you I'm not I'm not belittling I'm not belittling at all high school diplomas or college degrees thank God get all the education that you can don't stop at the 12th grade get all the education that you can but you don't want education that's going to delete from you the greatest education that a man could ever have and that is to know Jesus Christ it gives understanding to the simple look at the psalm look at the psalmist in verse 131 look at the psalmist with his mouth open panting as if thirsty for the word of God Psalms 119 verse 133 look at this order my steps in your word and let not iniquity have dominion over you God when I walk when I walk God let me walk in the direction of your word let me walk God if your word if your word tells me this is righteousness let me take a step in that righteousness if your word tells me this is sin let me not take a step over there in that Avenue or that step of sin Psalms 119. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep I have gone astray this is why we need to teach the word of God to our children that's why we need to teach the word of God that's why we teach the word of God at ACA that's why we teach the word of God at our at ACA daycare and school that's why we teach God's word I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant somebody help me now seek thy servant for I do not wait a minute are you a lost sheep or do you know the Bible are you a lost sheep or do you know the Bible well the answer is both he wandered from the path of righteousness he wandered from the path of living righteous and serving God he got into a life filled with sin and debauchery he got into okay and he said I'm like a lost sheep but he balances it out I'll tell you what's going to bring me back home what's going to bring me back home is I cannot forget thy Commandments I cannot forget I may be sitting on a bar stool but I still remember what my primary Sunday school teacher taught me I may be putting a needle in my arm of heroin but somehow I still remember what my eighth grade teacher told me oh years ago years ago we had a sweet little lady that attended church here her name was Iva Neely ivanilly some of you remember that name and and she was such a sweet little feisty little woman she was a feisty little woman she got me so tickled one time we're at McGinley Street and of course it's a small little building that that we were there and I'm on the front row and the choir is up singing well sister lately had the habit of talking out loud she'd just talk out loud you know she couldn't hear good and she'd just talk out loud and and so I kind of was very tolerant she's an elderly person and and I just you know but it was week after week that required me talking about something and I believe he'd be talking about going to Kroger or something like that to somebody so one morning I I can't I kind of just had it you know it's kind of and I turned around and as politely as I could I said sister Neely of which she replied she yourself I just feel overlapping I just couldn't I just kidding your brother Shannon ivanilly I guess it was all Alzheimer's that she got I went one time me and sister Carpenter went one time to a nursing home to see her she had the beautiful just white cotton hair now we go in the room she doesn't know who we are we keep telling her repeatedly over again Rhonda Who We Are and um and and she would look up and say hello brother Carter your sister Carpenter and and and and she would she would nod her head and and she would say who'd you say you were again we'd tell her she'd know what day it was but in a few minutes she reached up to that at one time long beautiful white cotton hair that the nursing home somehow they decided to cut it off she doesn't know who we are she doesn't know what day it is she puts her hand on her hair she says they removed my hair they removed my hair she didn't again no who are you again who are you again I'm brother Carpenter she doesn't know her she doesn't know her she doesn't know she doesn't know us she doesn't know what day it is we tried to to go back and she didn't know different people in the church but I said okay well let's read a little scripture together let's let's read a little scripture together and uh I said let's let's read I'm going to read you we got the Bible out and I said let's read this 23rd psalm here and I started off I started off sister Franklin the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want only to be interrupted by her saying he leave me beside the Still Waters He restored my soul yeah either I'll walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thou Broad and thy staff they comfort me thou prepare us the table before me in the presence of my enemies thou anointed my head with oil my cup runeth over surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever it's proven here there is something that even Alzheimer's cannot take away from the mind of a child of God she still she didn't know my name but she knew who the shepherd was and I thought well he's pretty good sister I haven't that's pretty good sister Abba let's go now I said let's read Acts 2 38 and I didn't get further then then Peter said and she said brother Patterson 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 what is it David are you a wayward child are you a lost sheep or do you know the Bible the psalmist says I know both no wonder the Book of Proverbs chapter 22 and verse number six somebody say praise the Lord no wonder Proverbs 22 and verse number 6 says it this way train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it now I know we want to say there I I you know I'm having a little trouble balancing the Bible because I did bring my my son my daughter up in church but they're not in church right now now either I have myself to blame maybe I didn't bring them up in the way to go or maybe I'm not understanding the scripture correctly you're not understanding the scripture correctly it doesn't say that they're going to be serving God it says that the way that you train them up in will not depart from them they can't drink enough to get this out of their system they can't get enough money to get this out of their system they cannot hate the truth enough to get it out of their system oh I'm glad that I'm in a church that teaches the word of God would you if you are would you lift up both of your hands and is it to the to the point that you can hear yourself being thankful would you just be thankful to God today be thankful to God today be thankful to God today oh be thankful to God today Lord I'm thankful for your word God I'm thankful that I know that you're one God I'm thankful that I know that I'm to repent of Sins Not to make excuses for it God I'm glad that I've been buried in the name that is above every name I'm glad that I've been baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ God I'm glad that I've received the Holy Ghost just like the Bible says just like the Bible says today God I'm glad that I'm leading a lifestyle Lord just like the Bible says let's talk a moment let's talk a moment we talked about our word today about the word today let's talk about Flags or standards years ago they called it standards they called it standards let's look at the purpose of a flag and I do want to apologize if they're not able to put this up because I failed to send a message on to the to the audio visual team today I sent a picture but the purpose of our flag the purpose of our flag and I guess I want I want to teach this and preach this to our younger generation because we're living in a day that maybe there's a generation there's a generation that doesn't understand the value of that flag it's not the piece of cloth it's not the colors on that flag it's what that flag stands for stands for freedom stands for freedom but we all must understand today that that freedom that we so enjoy this morning wasn't free there was many battles that was waged to give us the freedom the freedom that we have today there's men and women that never came home that fought for the purpose of the freedom that we have that's why when people want to decimate speak against our government they'll want to burn a flag because in burning that flag that flag stands for freedom and everything that we believe and hold that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator by many unalienable rights the purpose of the flag the first flag to fly over the colonies was called The Liberty was called The Liberty flag there it is was called This is the first flag that flew over the colonies the 13 colonies it was called The Liberty flag it was designed and by by Commission in 1775 by Colonel William Moultrie it was prepared for the war with Great Britain they wanted a flag to represent them they wanted a flag to represent their purpose and so they came up with Liberty the Liberty flag William Moultrie it was flown by his troops in the successful defense of Sullivan's Island many of you have been there against Sullivan's Island against the British Fleet in June of 1776. fighting back during a 10-hour bombardment and Siege moultrie's forces primarily the second South Carolina regiment eventually led the British to withdraw saving Charleston South Carolina for the Patriot cause during the battle this is how important it was during this battle the flag was shot away by the enemy but Sergeant William Jasper ran out into an open field risked his life and hoisted it up again and began to rally the troops until a new stand could be provided story of this event along with the pivotal role of the battle itself earned the flag the affection of the Patriot faction of the South Carolina as well as cementing it as a symbol of Liberty in the South and this new Confederacy in general it therefore became the standard of South Carolina Patriot militia and when the war ended with the liberation of Charleston on December 14 1782 it was presented by General Nathaniel Green Southern Continental militia Army as the first American flag to be displayed in the south the symbol in the top left corner of the flag is aggressive some say it it is just an ornament others say it is a crescent moon but all texts from time describe it as simply a crescent a crescent simply means the word increasing in other words their Liberties were ever increasing can I tell you today as the Church of the Living God Satan will come against our spiritual freedoms Satan will try to Rob us whether it is by fear or whether it is in the flesh he will try to Rob us of our freedom but I want to stand today and quote a scripture that ties into the Crescent ties into the credit to the increasing of his kingdom the increase of his kingdom there shall be no end can I tell you today let hell Assault The Church of Jesus Christ but in the face of satanic Powers We Stand Victorious by the word of the Living God we stand Victorious come on give him a shout of praise in the house of the Lord today Flags flags flags but I don't want you to leave your day and think that Flags come into existence during the Civil War or the Revolutionary War no no flags are mentioned throughout the Bible throughout the Bible and Numbers Chapter 2. in verse number one with an estimated 2 million people with an estimated 2 million people and that is a conservative estimate with an estimate of two million people that left Egypt walking through the Wilderness to their Promised Land living in tents there had to be some form of order to this you just can't have two million people two million people just walking together easy to get lost in the crowd but God had instituted in Numbers Chapter 2 and verse number one and the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron's saying every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard or flag his own standard or flag with the inside of their father's house for all about the Tabernacle there were 12 tribes there were 12 tribes three on the north side of the Tabernacle three on the south side of the Tabernacle three on the east side of the Tabernacle and three on the west side of the Tabernacle if you ever wondered where you belong if you got lost in the crowd you simply look for the flag of your father's house if you got mixed up in a group you can just look up at the flag flying over that group and all how relevant this would be today how relevant this would be today because we're living in a culture that to be patriotic is is something of a cult-like experience to love God in your country you're considered some kind of freak today because your mind is not open to fly under different flags but I got news for you today we run under the flag of the United States of America and we fly under the flag of the Christian Army of Jesus Christ that's the only flag I want to fly under come on Glory Glory Glory Hallelujah his truth is marching on there ought to be some Flags you get you get to standing under you ought to stand under say I don't belong here I don't belong here and I'm telling you we're living in a culture today where many of you have been asked to take down your Americans American flag off of your screens a saver on your computer now everybody else can fly there ungodly immoral flags all they want to and nothing's ever said but don't you come walking a Bible and leave a Bible on a workplace or in a lunchroom somewhere because some human resource department officer is going to call you in and say that book makes us uncomfortable and would you please leave the book we got people in this church right now that have been asked by human resource people leave your Bible in your car now they're not preaching on the time they should be working that would be wrong they're just reading their Bible during during lunch break they're just sharing their Bible but it's been that way and the world is getting louder and they hope that the church is dumbing it down down down and the more silent we are the more vocal that we are and I don't want any silence coming from this church that we DARE stand with the ungodliness of our culture God bless Governor Lee God bless what that man has put God blessed that man come on Church I'm talking about our Declaration of Independence people are being attacked because they wear a hat or shirt and I'm not endorsing anybody but I am endorsing Freedom today this country is established on the freedom of speech and whether I agree with the hat or the shirt or the political party or not makes no difference men fall and women thought and God so that we could have our freedom today and if they got freedom if they've got freedom to voice immorality how much more should we who are founded upon a country of morals and God and religion foreign there's agendas you shouldn't feel comfortable under there's Flags you should not be sympathetic with regardless how how well a Fifth Avenue marketing agency who's been given millions of dollars to somehow present this immorality in a bowl that looks appetizing you should never be sympathetic other than praying for God to get a hold of their soul and for God to change their mind that's the only sympathy you better pitch by your own standard verse 2 at the inside of their father's house far off around the Tabernacle you notice this those tribes three South three north three West three East was all around the Tabernacle Tabernacle was the center of their God it was where the Ark of the Covenant was it was where the teaching priests were it was the center of their life I want you to follow this now the Tabernacle didn't revolve around the CR around the tribes but the tribes revolved around the Tabernacle the church should not revolve around my life and my schedule but I should revolve around the church this is the most important place in all of our Lives you so Bill Carter what about our home you won't have a home worth living in if you don't have a church worth worshiping in you won't have a home oh my God I'm preaching this morning you will not have a home worth being it if you don't have a church worth worshiping in that if you can have a church where you can run the aisles and Shout the victory and hear the unadulterated word of God you'll have a home filled with peace oh my God my God my God come up here first lady 39 years this coming July the 20th we've been married 39 years 39 years 39 years we've been happily married we've never been to a marriage counselor other than Jesus we we've not had to have momentary separations oh no other than going to the prayer room we haven't had to have an extramarital affair just steam up our love life we have loved God we have loved the scripture 39 years 39 years 39 years you may be seated 39 years three children born to that Union not a dime has been spent on a lawyer to get them out of jail brother Phil Thorpe not a dime that's been spent on drug rehab now listen here if you got kids you've mortgage the farm to get them out of jail I'm not bashing you today I'm trying to tell you the value of revolving in the house of God three children three children two girls and a boy and let me add two girls and a boy and that was God's decision and you come lock me up in jail if you want to but I thought I preach it it was God's decision it wasn't Mom and Daddy and it wasn't them it was God's decision bro not one time not one dime was spent on drug rehab not one dime was spent getting them out of jail but I do remember a lot of money being spent on piano lessons I do remember Susan Triplett coming to me because my little our little Fallon Daddy I want to learn how to play piano so I can bless the church well if you want to learn how we're going to get you a sister triplet and she's going to have piano lessons and after a few piano lessons triplet came to me and said pastor brother Wimberley this is she came to me she said pastor you're wasting your money she don't want to play I said she don't want to play he said no she don't have she she's not practicing and she's not I give her things to do and she's not practicing she's not the woman she is today I don't think she even had front teeth when I was talking to her then laughs she's always been opinionated Pentecostal women have brains she said Daddy or maybe she said that daddies she said you're not serious about me playing I see what you mean I'm not serious about you playing she's just she said you went to Walmart bought me a plastic keyboard I said well darling it's got all the keys on it then I got introduced they're not waiting keys and it wasn't a full keyboard she said you're not serious about me you're not serious about me playing the piano and Miss what was the name of that piano place over here it was by the flea market Rose's funeral not funeral I'm saying that but I'm the Lord God my brain's messed up Rose's music store there's a Rose's Funeral Home bimbo places but we went down to the bank and got a 90-day note we bought her a piano cost thirty three hundred dollars we still got the video somewhere we brought that piano home and it was her birthday you remember what birthday it was your eighth birthday we blindfolded her and brought her in the room and showed her that piano and the rest is history can I tell you something today the Bible and the word of God is the most healthiest place that you'll ever want to be it's the most healthiest place that you'll ever want to be I could talk to you about money that we've spent because our second daughter didn't have any desire to play an instrument she wanted to work in flowers and banquets and she wanted to put Arrangements together and she wanted to do different backdrops and she she saw our need for us to have Banquets and things around the church so yes we've spent some money we spent some money sending her to classes sending her classes and yes we've spent some money and maybe at times I was tempted to take a nerve pill cause her boy said Daddy I won't play the drums if your child wants to play the drums make sure you're no knowing what you're getting into because they play the drums on everything the back of your seat when you're driving down the car or maybe you have an extra neighbor who's very kind come over pastor it's 11 o'clock do you think you could tell Nolan not to play we'll do it thank you thank you because that Louis end of that drum carried through the neighborhood but I have no regrets of a piano or a flower shop or drum lessons I have absolutely no regrets today I fly my life under the flag of Jesus Christ I want to say this church right now thank you for letting me preach to me this morning maybe some of you don't need it but I'm glad that I'm flying under the flag of Jesus Christ today oh would you stand with me right now oh hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah I'm glad I'm under the flag God said in numbers every man shall pitch by his own standard or flag I close with her clothes with Songs of Solomon chapter 2 verses one through four and I want to explain it to you The Song of Solomon here in chapter 2. is a woman who represents a bride us a woman who represents a bride she's talking about her husband her bridegroom her husband her lover which represents Jesus Christ represents Jesus Christ now again the woman represents the church brother-in-law the woman represents the church her husband she's talking about here represents Jesus Christ listen to her now I am the Rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys as the Lily among the thorns so is my love among the daughters now don't get this confused she is talking about how she stands out how she stands out motherly she's talking about it she don't blend in I heard that all right brother cincotta I said she don't blend in she stands out he's not like any other woman she stands out she says as I am the rose of Sharon picture of beautiful rose I am the lily I am the lily of the valleys as the Lily among Thorns look at the parallel here a Lily and a thorn a blessed thing a cursed thing as the Lily among the Thorns so is my love among the daughters as the apple tree again notice the distinction as the apple tree among the Trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons now she begins to talk about him she said he's an apple tree he sticks out in the woods there's all these other trees but my love it's a beautiful apple tree as the apple tree listen there's nobody like Jesus I said there's nobody like Jesus there's no other world religion that can dare match the religion of Christianity and the Christ of Christianity as the apple tree among the Trees of the wood so is my beloved among the sons I the bride I sat down under his shadow with great Delight his fruit was sweet to my taste that's the baptism of the Holy Ghost he brought me into his banqueting house that's the church see this last part with me and His Banner over me is love can I tell you today you're in a house that opens its arms up with the love of God to you today we love you in Jesus name we love you today there is a love we fly under the banner for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son we fly under the banner today if you're a sinner here this morning Christ Jesus loves you if you're far from God today Jesus loves you he loves you he really does he loves you he really does just for a moment before we gather up around the altar can we just pray maybe somebody in this house today needs the love of God to wrap around them they they need the banner of love to wrap around them they have voices going on in their minds right now you're a loser they have voices going on in their minds right now you went too far you've tried this before God has given up on you God doesn't take you serious I want you to know today is this church is praying the devil is a liar the devil is a liar today he is a liar today that voice that you hear right now is a voice that needs to be silenced God does love you God does care for you God wants to engulf you today come on church family pray with me right now pray with me right now pray with me right now oh God touch that woman right now oh God touch that man right now oh God move upon that Soul right now oh God move upon that Soul right now God move Lord move with your holy presence God God move with your spirit today God oh God move upon that woman move upon that man God you know there were saving Lord you know that we're saving come on every head is Mountain every eye is closed if you want to be one of the first to come to the Altar and be engulfed by the love of God be embraced by the love of God be filled with the love of God would you step out of your Pew right now will you step out right now and make your way to this altar right now when you step out of your Pew right now I want to be in God by that love thank you thank you here they come right now here they come right now in the name of the Lord here they come down the aisles this morning thank you thank you here they come right now I want to be engulfed by the love of God I want to be wrapped up in God's love right now I want to be wrapped up now church family could we moving behind them right now and can we begin to pray can we begin to pray right now God I will build my life upon your love Foundation I will put my trust in you alone and I will not be shaken I will build my life upon your love it is alone and I will not be shaken my life upon your love it is holy there is no one like you there is tomorrow my friends there is no foreign glorious I'll say Lord please foreign all I am sure if you are thankful for your Declaration of Independence would you make it known right now oh thank God thank God thank God you hear a lot of started last night or in my I began to hear it last night it probably run all the way through to Wednesday boom boom boom that's just the sounds of the Declaration of Independence all right but may the sound of praise always go forth from the church I'm free I'm free thank God Almighty I'm free today thank God Almighty I'm free there's anyone here under the sound of my voice and you want to be baptized in Jesus name just tell somebody beside you we'll make plans to baptize you in Jesus name today if not be back tonight at 5 30 for prayer six o'clock an Evangelistic sir Mission dismissed in Jesus name