The Faith of the Centurion | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Luke 7:1-10, Ephesians 3:7-8, Proverbs 18:12, Proverbs 22:4, Acts 20:19

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/kenneth-carpenter--the-faith-of-the-centurion
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 open them with me to the Gospel of Luke chapter number seven verse number one praise God praise God feel like something good is about to happen I feel like God's about to touch somebody this morning Luke 7 and 1 now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people he entered into Capernaum and a certain Centurion servant who was dear unto him was sick and ready to die when he had heard of Jesus he sent unto him the Elders of the Jews beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant and when they came to Jesus they besought him instantly saying that he was worthy for whom he should do this for he loveth our nation and hath built us a synagogue then Jesus went with them and when he was not when he was now not far from the house the Centurion sent friends to him saying unto him Lord trouble not thyself for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof therefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee but say in a word and my servant shall be healed for I also am a man under set under Authority having under me soldiers I say to one go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and he doeth it when Jesus heard these things he marveled at him and turned him about and said unto the people that followed him I say unto you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel and when they were sent returning to the house found the servant whole that had been sick I want to minister this morning and gather us into the altar but I want to minister this morning on the faith of the Centurion the faith of the Centurion would you repeat my title with me today the faith of the Centurion father I ask you today to anoint my lips of clay with your spirit father I pray and ask you to touch every single heart in this room Lord every need address it today with your word Lord come down upon this place fill Souls with the Holy Ghost May so see there need to be baptized this morning in Jesus wonderful name we pray amen and amen Give the Lord a hand clap for what he's going to do go ahead Give the Lord a hand plank for what he's already going to do this morning you may be seated the faith of the Centurion well let me give you a few facts this morning about a Roman Centurion a Roman Centurion a Roman Centurion would be between the age this man this man who is nameless in the Bible other than his title Centurion this man would have been as research reveals between the age of 20 and 45 years of age that was the age that you could enter the Roman army and 45 was the age that you were released from the Roman army the training of the Roman soldiers was that they daily went on a hike or a run or a walk that was between 20 to 30 miles every single day but not only did they run walk hike for 20 to 30 miles a day but they did it being fully suited with all of their armor which according to research was somewhere around a hundred pounds of Armory that was placed upon them now if you were a Roman soldier and you're ranking officers saw in you leadership skills you would be taken aside and you would be trained on leadership to lead a group of men about a hundred to where we get the word Centurion from about a hundred men you would be given you would be given this and with each battle you won you would be given Spoils of of the battle which could result depending upon your victories which could result in you becoming a wealthy individual we find that evidently this Centurion that I am preaching about today must have been one of those soldiers that entered into the Roman Army ages of 20 to 45 he must have excelled they must have saw leadership skills in him and not only that he must have went won many battles because we do find by scripture that this Centurion has a servant he has a servant now the fact that he has a servant puts him in a bracket all to himself because in that day that the scripture is reading most people were servants most people were most people most people were servants all right so if you had a servant if you had a servant that meant that you were top Financial you had excelled in finances because you had a servant I'm trying my best today to make this Centurion just not a piece of Ink on paper today but give you somehow to see him as a real person because he was there are three there are three features about this centurion's life that I want to bring out to you today number one his feelings of unworthiness at the thought of being in the presence of Jesus the thoughts of unworthiness at being in the presence of Jesus next I want to uh highlight his not just faith but Jesus said he had great faith he didn't just have faith but the Bible says he had great faith and last but not least he cared for what served him he cared about a servant now this is interesting to me this is very interesting to me because he wasn't brought up to obey the Ten Commandments was it brought up to know the god of Israel it wasn't growing he wasn't raised to know the things that we know or even the things in the his time the Commandments he was brought up a Roman he was brought up a pagan he was brought up we would call a heathen he was he was brought up he didn't know God if he had heard anything about God he he was heard that there were many gods he wasn't he wasn't taught any kind of moral codes was a Roman but somehow someway this man had a heart this man somehow could be touched he wasn't some rough Gruff servant callous non-caring serve me yes he purchased this man this servant purchased him somewhere along the way he grew fond of this man somewhere along the way that he just kind of kept him around the house and he got to know this servant got to know possibly when his birthday was got to know what his favorite foods were he just he just got to know this sermon servant and it wasn't long he grew fond of him he he discarded he liked the presence of his servant possibly allowed him to eat a dinner with him he'd go to town with him ride with me I don't have any particular task for you to do I I just like I just like your company word came one day and orders from Rome Judea is a hot spot there's been trouble of uprising among the Jews those despicable people that we rule over right now in the land of Judea we rule over them we tax them very heavily but we hear that there's some uprisings and some hot places there and we need for there to be a truth or two Place strategically there to just show the presence and flex the muscles of Rome show any of those Jews that may be plotting and Uprising to overthrow us show them a little little muscle power this is what you'll get if you decide to have an uprising and overthrow Caesar so nonetheless this man took his Squadron of men and he went into this strange land of Judea something happened there something happened he was in a strange place these Jews don't dress like us Romans do and got tassels and they've got all kinds of garb well these these Jews don't even worship like we worship they slaughter lambs and goats and these Jews certainly don't drink like us they pour their wine out over offerings we drink our wine boy what a what a what an opposite place that I'm in what a different place that we're in but something and it ought to always be something should happen anytime those that don't know God come among the people of the name the world doesn't understand our worship the world doesn't understand the ways of the church we're not going to change our ways we're going to impress a world with how we worship I saw brother Kenny down here worshiping God today spinning he's just a little just a little slender young man but boy when he gets to spinning that choir Road just fills up it just it just it just fills up oh he's a changed man what it was a year or so ago a man to come in here with his head hanging low and pull his hair down so you couldn't see his face and couldn't hardly hold his head up to look you in the face but that Kenny Centurion came into the house of God he didn't understand he didn't understand his kin folk and how they worship and how they did well but all of a sudden he begins to like what he feels all of a sudden he begins to he begins to like the good Power of the Lord and on a Sunday night God baptizes him with the Holy Ghost he ain't baptized in Jesus name and he's been a worshiper ever since I like these cheers he got to know these Jews I like these shoes and the Bible says that this Centurion built them a synagogue wherever he was located the Jews did not have a synagogue they didn't have a place to worship they would go down by the river they didn't have a house of worship but this Centurion Loved These Jews so much that he got in his bank account and he built them a place to worship he not only built them a place to worship he became patriotic the Bible says it he became he became patriotic he loved the nation of Israel something happened one day one day his servant that he was fond of began to grow sick and weak and feverish and soon was bedridden and soon was drifting in and out of consciousness and soon somebody said he doesn't have long to live he doesn't have long to live but isn't it amazing today that God has always found his way to people who are hungry and people who are open God let me tell you something today Kirby you can't help me with the wording because you said it the right way you said the Lord spoke to me and said don't just leave me to lost people because all lost people aren't hungry God lead me to Hungry lost people let me find Hungry centurions let me find Hungry heathens they don't understand how we worship they don't understand all the ways but they they're hungry they're hungry my servant he's not been awakened days he's barely breathing he's about to die and then somehow God orchestrated it God orchestrated it somebody came to the centurion's house and told him about Jesus oh praise the Lamb of God aren't you glad that you know Jesus but you would have never known Jesus and some hadn't not been for somebody who came and told you about Jesus oh this wonderful Jesus Oh This Magnificent Jesus I stopped for a moment to praise His name I stopped for a moment to bless his name because brothers and sisters ladies and gentlemen today church is all about Jesus it's all about Jesus Church is all about Jesus somebody came somebody said to Centurion he's a man named Jesus unusual man turning water into wine walking on water raising the Dead unstopping deaf ears giving them their speech loosing the tongues there's a man called Jesus that's doing miracle signs and wonders there's a man named Jesus today as a man named Jesus that's walking through Judea and he can heal all manner of diseases as a man called Jesus and he's walking through Judea today and there's not a problem he can't solve because he is the wonderful that word wonderful there means Miracle Worker he's a wonder when he gets through with your life you just stand back and wonder how it happened you just stand back when God gets a hold of your life the society has written you off as hopeless Society has written you off but don't put anything in them but Let Jesus come by and you'll begin to wonder how in the world did this happen you want to know why Kenny gets down here spinning because he wakes up every morning and he wonders how in the world did this happen wonder wonder wonder anybody relate to this today listen to me clearly anybody can relate to this today you ever been through something and you wondered how you were going to make it is anybody here today that's come through it and now you wonder hey you got through it whoa I wonder God I listen I didn't think I was going to make it through that last trial I didn't think I I man this thing had me hemmed in in every corner this thing had me hemmed in I was going to suffer a great loss I mean to tell you this thing had me hemmed him but somehow I began to call out Upon Jesus and all of a sudden I find myself on the other side of that trial I find myself on the other side of that situation and I just stand back and I wonder how did I make it through come on some of you that's been with us in the building program we stood and we wondered how we were going to do it but now we drive up on Sunday morning and we wonder how did we do it but we give praise and honor and glory to God come on give Jesus praise this morning there's a man called Jesus there's a man called Jesus Centurion there's a man called Jesus he's a Wonder he's a counselor why I saw him take a woman's case the other day that was shut and closed I saw him the lawyer of all lawyers take a case the other day they had the evidence they had eyewitnesses it was a shut and cl it was closed she was guilty stoner but they came by Jesus and they said Jesus the law book said that such a one should be stoned but what do you say they said if he says stoner he's appeased the religious people but he sure is in trouble with Rome because only Rome can give a death sentence if he says don't Stone her he sure is in trouble with Moses because Moses said set should be stoned I see them rubbing their greedy little old hands and stroking their long beards and just waiting boys we got him we got him we got him got him but all of a sudden he says ladies and gentlemen of the jury I simply ask you this simple question here today uh you that be without sin would you go ahead and cast the stone and they begin to drop their rocks and one kind of slithered out the side door he said he's got the goods on me and the other slithered out the other door said he's got the goods on me and when it was all over all it was was the wonderful counselor and the guilty woman and he said neither do I condemn you go and share No More well I need him I need him I need him I need him and so he sends two servants and they miss her they misrepresent him anybody anybody in this room ever been misrepresented two servants they're called the Elders of the Jews two servants the Elders of the Jews go to Jesus and they say Lord the man that sent us here loves our nation and the man that sent us here is right here in the Book of Luke the man that sent us here has built us a synagogue how was he misrepresented this next phrase and he is worthy for you to do this it's a miss representing of this man he is he is worthy he loves our nation he's built a synagogue he's worthy for you to heal him you know what Jesus did he even works in your life when you're being misrepresented well you don't know what they're saying Get Jesus in your life they're misrepresenting me get Jesus in your life and he said I'll I'll go with you I'll go with you and and we'll heal this servant and so they started on their way now you've got to realize today in understanding the scripture that anytime Jesus moved through the Land There was a crowd that followed I mean he just he didn't just walk into a village by himself and walk out on the other side by himself he walked in by himself but just give him a few moments to work and he'll take a whole crowd through the through the of the door and so as Jesus is moving closer to this centurion's house word and crowds begin to build crowds grew to such an amount that it become noise to the Centurion that Jesus is coming to your house to heal your servant at that moment the Centurion does something he sends two friends I want you to get this imagery because there's some old there's some typology I want you to show you today he sends two friends to intercept Jesus and the elders and the two friends come and the two friends said stop right where you're at we have a message I am not worthy for you to come under my house I am not worthy for you to come into my house but speak the word only and my servant will be healed now I want to tell you something today I believe that there's some confusion in Pentecost over speaking the word well I'm just going to speak the word this thing's going to happen I'm sorry you've got to be more than just speaking the word there has got to be a humility that is behind your request it's not just it's not just I'm gonna keep repeating something over and over again and if I just repeat it over and over again God's Gonna instantly cause it to appear I'm sorry that is not how Faith Works Faith doesn't work but I'm just going to speak a word over you there better be something backing the word and that something he said I am not worthy I'm not worthy I am unworthy this word not worthy comes from the root word which means to deem entitled or fit to think good or to count oneself worthy or to count oneself entitled there has never been a nation that is battling the spirit of entitlement like we are right now there's not a workish there's not a worker's shortage there's an entitlement spirit just because you were born in the United States does not entitle you to food just because you were born in the United States doesn't it doesn't entitle you to be kept up matter of fact the failure and the collapse of the Roman Empire it lasted a long time but it finally collapsed because they kept raising the taxes the voting was what that they were that the voting the majority of the people voting were being benefited from the high taxes that were raised until when Rome collapsed there were about 40 percent of wrong paying taxes while 60 of the population lived off the taxes that were collected and paid by the 40 percent sound familiar there's a spirit of entitlement that's in our nation right now that I'm entitled to this I'm entitled for you to keep me up I'm entitled for you to raise my children I'm entitled to all of that and it has absolutely turned the American dream into the American Nightmare and just let me say this and I'll get it out of my crawl today I'll get it out of my crawl and just by chance I have anybody listening to me that's In a Pulpit those people you preached to don't owe you anything you are not entitled for them to come to church you are privileged that they would come and sit under your ministry you are privileged that they would want to serve God 's people are not little pawns they're not just little one of the many problems with pornography it causes a man to see a woman as an object and I'm not so sure there's not a spirit of pornography that gets in the church until we start seeing people as numbers how many we have today who cares who got touched this morning how many square feet how many how how much money did you bring into your church last year who stinking cares how much did we send out to missions that's what really matters that's what really you don't know me you don't owe me to be here today you hear me I'm glad you're here it's a lot better to preach the people to accuse God knows I did that during the pandemic empty pews are not very exciting to preach to I never baptized any pews none of our pews got the Holy Ghost during the whole pandemic none of them even moved thank God that you're here today but I shall never want to you know say I deserve you to be here I don't deserve you to be here today none of us are not only that today none of you should walk in here and sit down and feel like you're entitled to a blessing you should not walk in here today and say well I'm entitled to my Pew I'm entitled to my parking spot I'm entitled to my style of music I'm entitled to my style of preaching I'm I'm entitled to all of this no we are unworthy hey we are unworthy I wish somebody was shout out unworthy come on shout it again can I tell you today there is a difference brother Nolan between Lo or poor self-esteem and a spirit of unworthiness there is a big difference between having low self poor esteem and having the spirit of unworthiness you can have a spirit of ambition you can have a spirit that you believe that God has a plan for your life but when it's all said and done look at everything in your life from your mate to your children to your material things drive up in your driveway put the car in Park look at the house God has blessed you with and simply say I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy look at your mate that loves you and would take a bullet for you and just simply say I'm unworthy look at children that you didn't have to get up to come to church today they're married they're on their own they could have slept in that they got up and they're in the house of God and simply say I'm unworthy things happen when you're unworthy I'm sorry I'm sorry you can speak the word all you want to but if you're not backed up by a spirit of unworthiness you're just babbling in the air you speak the word I'm going to speak the word of this congregation you speak a word over and if you want to but your height better have been somewhere saying God I'm just so nervous I'm Just So Unworthy God I'm Just So Unworthy because we got a generation in Pentecost right now that are starting to deny or they're starting not to believe in God because somebody spoke a word over them I speak healing over your life as well but you better understand you ain't the Healer buddy I speak blessings over your life you better understand you ain't the blesser you would do good you would do good to preach faith into their heart and tell them what a Healer Jesus is and let that Faith begin to build in their heart then lay your hand upon them and say in the name of Jesus Christ God according to your will Lord would you heal them right would you just praise God would you just worship God come on worship God right now unless you don't deem him worthy of praise Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God unworthy and why are they and were they unworthy hear me today hear me today there has not been one person falling sin in this church that you have not been capable of doing there's not been one person I've counseled over almost four decades that I haven't been capable of doing the same thing you ain't better because you didn't fall into that hole you're not up for echelon I thank my God Penny Lee Carpenter is my first wife but that don't make me any better than somebody that's been married more than once and the very moment we start walking around like a peacock because we've got something they don't have God looks at you and says you're not worthy because as far as I'm concerned it's not my perfect walk down here that makes me worthy but it's what he did on the cross at Calvary that makes me Worthy oh my God come on you better get that out of your spirit worth it somebody say I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy there's my wife I'm unworthy there's my children I've been Worthy he may be seen well you do know that the carpenter family got married with the Erickson family and the carpenter family got married with the Hammond family Carpenter family got into the Sanders and the doubt he said I'm just off the chain today but everybody I just mentioned if they don't use deodorant their arms stink everybody I mentioned they don't have Right Guard it goes left guard everybody I mentioned if they don't have secret it becomes no secret right boy I tell you I just like a whoop that old spirit because I'm going to tell you what'll kill the power of God quicker than anything a spirit of worthiness I'm worthy come on God I'm worthy I'm worthy God says no power or you could have good hype shows you can have good hype shows we can you have a good hype show you can sing fast enough to work your emotions up but what good and that what good is emotions whipped up if after it's all said and done there's no power would you like to hear from a writer of over half the New Testament would you like to hear from Ryder the writer of over half our new testament in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 7 it goes like this Ephesians 3 and 7. here's the writer of over half the New Testament wherefore I was made a minister according to the grace excuse me according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power please hang on every word of verse 8. please listen to him unto me Who Am less than the least of all the saints let me you're Paul wait a minute you have such an anointing upon you that they touch handkerchiefs and aprons into your belt and while you preach they took them in so that when you're done preaching brother Williams they come and pull it out and they take a handkerchief it's where we've got anointed prayer calls from they take a handkerchief and they run it down to a man down of leprosy or a woman dying of hemorrhaging and they take that handkerchief that was in your belt and they lay it on the body of the sick and the sick are healed man that's what I want yeah I know that's what you want cause your flesh wants that but you don't get that without this you don't get the anointing without having the Unworthy attitude I am less than the least of all the saints huh I'm sorry but we're not getting it today I'm sorry I'm not penetrating the flesh today hey you got to hear me we are less than the least of the Saints look around here today if you've got a gauge that you gauge yourself this was good this was an aid that was a 10 that was a 12. you look around and you simply say I'm the last of the least that is in this entire building I am the last you want Power you won't power you better get the attitude that you're the less you're the less of the least I'm gonna I'm gonna go real fast to the end of this but Proverbs 18 and 12. Before Destruction the heart of man is halting and before honor is humility he said if you want to know what goes Before Destruction find a puffed up man find a puffed-up woman find a man or a woman that is overheard as they discuss a fallen person as they are overheard saying I would never do that I raise my kids better you better you better hush your mouth you you better hush your mouth I raise my listen we can raise them in the house of God we can raise and put them through the Christian School we can put them through Bible college but at the end of the day they are capable of falling you better you better watch out you get haughty because Before Destruction heart of man is halty and before honor is humility listen to me Proverbs 22 and verse 4 by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life come on Apostle Paul come on Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 20 and verse number 19. would you please tell me what makes you successful in the ministry I'm a preacher Paul I I feel the call of God upon my life I need to know Paul what made you the preacher that you are today he says in Acts 20 19 serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many other tears and Temptations He said you want to know where my power comes my power doesn't come from name it and claim it my power doesn't come from Blanding and grab it my power comes because I am an humble man and I realize I'm unworthy come on just worship god with me right now worship God unworthy unworthy unworthy unworthy unworthy and if you could visualize this today here's the law foreign the law didn't work because we couldn't keep it the law comes it's got two Elders of the people and the law is saying this man is Worthy the Centurion hears that's being said and he sends two friends the two friends come and say he's not worthy he says he's not worthy he says he's not entitled I know he's built a synagogue I know that he loves a nation but he says he's not entitled he says he's not worthy for you to come under his roof but speak the word only do you know what you see here in typology you see the typology of the Old Testament and the New Testament with Jesus in the middle you see the elders two Elders represent the Old Testament they come Worthy you see two friends from the man and I'd like to give them a name today goodness and mercy goodness and mercy come and goodness and mercy says he doesn't feel entitled but Lord speak the word only and the servant will be healed Jesus turns around he addresses the Jews and he says I want you to know that I have not found this kind of great faith no not in all of Israel and I will say to you at many Gentiles heathens will come from the Far East the Far West shall sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and the kingdom of heaven that the children of the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer Darkness where there's weeping and now she if anybody ought to get the power of God it should be the church that bears his name but if somehow or another we begin to allow a spirit of entitlement to grip us God will go over into Yonder neighborhood and Touch Somebody and they'll get hungry for what he can give them and the power of God will be displayed upon their life when it could be displayed and I'm not saying this I'm not saying this is a 100 answer but maybe the answer sometimes of why people get answers from God that we don't deem them doing all the crossing of the t's and the dotting of the eyes it may be that God does it because they just have an unworthy God I'm not worthy for you to do this God I'm not worthy he said don't come to his house he's not worthy Jesus did go to his house Jesus did go to his house oh yes he did because not 60 Minutes went by until that servant who was lifeless going in and out of a coma servant possibly said could I get some water can I get some water that servant who had been bedridden for God only knows how long the cloth curtain that formed the door slides to one side servant walks through and he says I don't know but about an hour ago my fever broke and about an hour ago I begin to feel strength pulsating through my hands about an hour ago can I tell you Jesus did come to his house he came to his house by way of the spirit just like he's going to come to our house this morning he was staying with me right now just like he's going to come to our house right now oh he's going to come into our vessels right now Lord in the name of Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ right now Church would you begin to pray right now there are needs in this house today there are needs right now in this house this morning Lord there there are needs right now in this house there are needs right now in this house today I'd like for our elders today I would like for them to bring the oil to the platform and I would like for our elders to make their way to the front right now if there's someone that's sick in your body this morning and you desire an elder to anoint you you would you make your way to the front at this time oh mighty God I'm unworthy oh God I'm unworthy God I'm unworthy God I'm unworthy God oh God I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy oh God I'm unworthy I'm unworthy would you come right now oh would you come right now would you come right now oh I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy oh God I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy Lord speak the word today oh speak the word today speak the word today oh speak the word this morning speak the word this morning speak the word oh brother Sanders brother Sanders would you come help us pray brother Brandon Johnson brother Brandon Lee would you come get some oil and help us pray oh would you get some oil and help us pray oh God Jesus work on your people today oh God I'm unworthy God oh God forgive me Lord God forgive me God I'm unworthy God oh God I'm unworthy oh God I'm unworthy this morning come on to the altar today come on to the altar today brother John Stone get some oil oh get some oil right now oh God I'm unworthy God I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy oh God I'm unworthy I'm unworthy I'm unworthy oh God I'm unworthy the Holy Ghost is gonna move the Holy Ghost is gonna move there is going to be power there is going to be power there's going to be power the more you humble yourself this morning the more power from the Lords you're going to feel the more you humble yourself step out of your Pew step out of your Pew the more you humble yourself the more you humble yourself the more you humble yourself there's going to be more power yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes come on come on the more you humble yourself you're going to feel the power of God oh the more you handle yourself good oh yes God oh the more you Emma yourself the more you handle yourself come on your answer come on your answer today you can't speak a word until you've humbled yourself oh God oh God oh God oh God come on First Apostolic if we want the power we've gotta humble ourselves thank you Jesus help us God oh God help us this morning oh God help us this morning oh God help us this morning oh God help us this morning God help us this morning God foreign go ahead humble yourself right now under the hand of God oh mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God thank you foreign foreign thank you foreign foreign foreign Through the Heart of Jesus Holy Spirit teach us how to live glory to your name Holy Spirit lead us to the Heart of Jesus if there's those of you those of you that are praying right now please continue to pray please continue to pray but I want to end my message today if you would pretend with me or to visualize with me that I would be that Centurion and this is my servant and we're standing at the door of the house looking across the front porch how was he healed not with just to speak the word only it was a combination of unworthiness and the word Blended together and when you blend unworthy and the word together the power of God is present Satan and if it could today if I could because this is for the whole church this is who we all Gather in is close to the altar as we can this is from the whole church today this is for the whole church the whole church we understand if you're a guest here and you will remain in your Pew I understand that but if you're physically able and you're part of this church family try to get out of your Pew and come down the aisles will be filled if we could could we move up just a little closer to let everybody get get it get me on because I want to say something is Pastor today I want to say something is Pastor today the reason we have sinned the way we do in our world was because there was a voice in a place that there never should have been a voice there never should have been a voice in the garden the Bible says the serpent the serpent was a creature of the field he didn't belong in the garden but when Eve allowed a voice to speak to her changed her mind and now we have sinned we have funerals today we have sinned because of that if the devil can attack us I'm going to just tell you in my my simple vernacular today the reason that the enemy has paralyzed power in some of your lives is because people who gossip feel that they are elevated above the one they're gossiping about they they carry Tales and just pardon I know I'm taking this out of context but the Bible condemns tell bears do you know that all that Satan has today is a tale his head's been crushed all he has is a tail it's all he has God condemns it God condemns it do you know why God condemns because words are more powerful than bullets you could possibly heal from a bullet wound but there's words you'll take to your grave can I tell you that we can have Holiness down to a T the women's hair the women's dress where the men go and don't go but the devil can still have a foothold in this church by our time so the next time you feel like carrying a tail of somebody's failure or somebody somebody that that you want to expose their hypocrisy as far as I'm concerned the scripture says he will take care of the tares not cheap he takes care they need to be exposed they will be exposed in their time and maybe God wants to give them Mercy but anyway I just want to talk to the church for a moment I don't know in many years I've never ended a Sunday morning this way I try to end on an upbeat but I want the power of God to be in our church I said I want the power of God to be in our church and if you're given to gossip if you're given to gossip then you have one trait about you and it's this you feel that you're just a little bit above the one you're talking about and God says there's no power there's no power in your life there's no covering over your family so could we end here today could we just end here today by prayer of just asking God to help us to guard our lips God help us Lord to weigh our words Lord help us God to guard our lips God help us to weigh our words God if I have said anything that's being untrue or unkind God would you forgive me today God I am no better God if it would even be true God I'm capable oh God would you touch God today Lord your hand is upon this church God Lord I'm unworthy god of the least of your blessings God I'm unworthy god of the least of your blessings God oh God I ask you today God I ask you today God oh God to forgive us Lord God if we have used words God that have torn down words God that have discouraged one another oh holy spirit of God blanket this congregation oh holy spirit of God blanket this congregation oh God blanken this congregation God lord set a guard before our mouths let us weigh our words God let us consider the effects of our words that we have on one another oh Lord I want to encourage my brothers and sisters today Lord I ask you God to forgive us and cleanse us help us to become the people that you know that we can become in Jesus mighty name we pray amen and amen if you receive that give the Lord a hand of Praise right now thank you thank you so much thank you so much let me tell you at one o'clock there'll be a viewing here sister McIntosh and at two o'clock we'll have her homegoing celebration 5 30 tonight we'll be here in the altar praying six o'clock we're going to have a great Labor Day weekend Evangelistic service God bless you you're dismissed in Jesus name God bless you