The Gift of Time | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter
by Kenneth Carpenter
First Apostolic Church of Maryville (Maryville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-17, Galatians 6:10, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Luke 6:46-49, Isaiah 7:14-15

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

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now would you stand with me again right the book of Ephesians the book of Ephesians chapter number five verse number 15. Paul is writing to the church to an Apostolic church just like this one what a great church this is and I mean that from the bottom of my heart what a what a great what a great great church is this I want to move a God we had this morning aren't you thankful the Holy Ghost makes a change I saw a change walk by me going to the choir brother Ben Lee many of you don't may not know this but brother Ben got away from the Lord but the band had a car wreck that he should have never recovered from that car wreck but I believe that God had another plan for Ben God had another plan for being Lee and he and his precious wife and family are just such a such a pillar family here at First Apostolic church with worship then God made a change in your life God God made God made a change he said he's into making changes in our lives good changes and several years ago there was a man ran for the president the United States his slogan was change you can believe in well I don't know about him and I truly forgotten who it was but I remember the slogan but I'm going to tell you something Jesus will give you change that you can believe in all right he'll give you a change you can believe me amen Ephesians 5 and 15. Paul said see then that you walk circumspectly not his fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil wherefore being not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord is for a few moments tonight I want to minister to you on the subject of the gift of time the gift of time precious God tonight I ask you Lord publicly and I've asked you before privately God anoint your servant tonight that I may Shepherd this flock Lord you said in your word that if I loved you I would feed your people the Lord tonight help me by your spirit touch my mind in my mouth Lord help me to articulate the words God to get into the hearts and the minds of the people Lord that I could feed them with your life-giving word I could feed them with your good word Lord I'll give you praise and honor and Glory or ask it all in Jesus name tonight amen and amen Give the Lord a hand to praise as you're being seated tonight his neighbors wondered how the recent immigrant always seemed to have so much cash some of it was big bills his small farm in New Jersey couldn't produce enough to give him that kind of spending money when they asked the distinguished gentleman he would answer in that heavy German accent that he was receiving a pension from the Army when he entered a small grocery store to purchase some turnip greens he handed the clerk a twenty dollar bill in 1887 not many paid with such bills that were that large it wouldn't be easy to find change for 25 cents worth of turnip greens then as the clerk rummaged through her drawer looking for the change she noticed ink on her fingers she was shocked the German was a long time friend surely he wouldn't give her a bill that was not genuine the clerk Shrugged off her suspicion and handed the man his change later she had second thoughts twenty dollar bill a twenty dollar twenty dollars was two weeks salary in 1887. so she reluctantly summons the local police as it turned out as it turned out treasury officials had spent 11 years trying to track down the mysterious Forger who had been circulating counterfeit bills in the Northeast having no clue as to his identity the agents had nicknamed him Jim the Penman Jim the Penman nine years later the German tried to pay a bartender with a 50 note when the bartender's wet hands smudged the ink he called authorities Secret Service agents arrested Emmanuel of all names Emmanuel neider when they searched his home they found expensive paper and sophisticated paint brushes Niger had taken weeks meticulously painstakingly hand painting each bill he may have created 700 counterfeit bills in 18 years many works of art highly valued by collectors even today though the public admired him as Rob as a Robin Hood figure the feds were not amused Niagara spent six years in the penitentiary when he got out he took a stab at counterfeiting British pound notes it just couldn't go straight but in his it but his isn't the usual story of crime that doesn't pay it's much more tragic than that his is the story of a life and a talent that was wasted when the Secret Service agents confiscated his counterfeiting paraphernalia they also seized three portraits that he had painted after his arrest they were sold at public auction for sixteen thousand dollars that averaged out to more than five thousand dollars a portrait a fabulous sum of money in 1896. Niagara later admitted that it took the same amount of time to paint a twenty dollar bill as it did a five thousand dollar portrait yet when he got out of prison he went back to counterfeiting his story of a wasted life begs a question of all of us sounds like I'm about to preach up a storm sounds like niagara's story of a wasted life begs a question of all of us are we misusing our energy and talents in Purdue in pursuit of lesser things when God has created and made us to do Eternal things it was Sydney J Harris that said these words people make counterfeit money in many more cases money makes counterfeit people think of this man who was gifted with such talent but he would waste his life painting counterfeit bills that could pass the Apostle Paul says to the church and you and I tonight that we are to walk circumspectly in this world the word circumspectly comes from the word Circle it means to be aware of your surroundings it means to look around to walk circumspectly if there has ever been a body of believers that are seeing the true signs of the end of time and the true signs of the coming of Jesus Christ brothers and sisters it is you and I tonight see that you walk circumspectly not as fools now look at the difference I want to bring a few key words he said walk circumspectly know what's going on around you and then he uses the word in verse 15 not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time because the days are evil it seems that Paul is wanting to tell us to be very much aware of our surroundings and where we're at and then he uses the words fools he uses the word be wise and in verse 17 he will use the word unwise but he says Redeeming the time would you say those three words with me tonight redeeming the time now notice this he said redeeming the time he wasn't saying redeem time he's saying redeem the time as if time here is more than just 60 seconds in a minute it's more than just 60 minutes in an hour in 24 hours in a day it seems that Paul is saying to us that before you and I tonight we have been given the gift of time we understand that this same word the same word is also used in Galatians 6 and 10. when it says as you have opportunity do good as you have time do good famed Bible commentator Adam Clark says this there are two ancient Greek words used for time one had the idea simply of day upon day and hour upon hour the other had the idea of a definite portion of time a time where something should happen it is different it is it is the difference between time and the time the ideal here is of the time has a definite season of opportunity that you and I must redeem it is an opportunity that will not pass by our way again we only get one season to train our children in the ways that they should go we only get a certain season to do certain things to gain an education this is nothing new the wisest man besides Jesus Christ Everly of Solomon pin these words in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and verse number one the wise man Solomon said to everything there is a season to everything there is a season and a Time to every purpose under Heaven he's trying to get you to see you're in a season and your season has a purpose to it he goes on you're familiar with this a time to be born a time to die a time to plant a time to pluck up that which is planted A Time to Kill a time to heal a time to break down a time to build up a time to weep A Time To Laugh A Time to mourn a time to dance a time to Cast Away Stones a time to gather Stones together a time to embrace a time to refrain from embracing a time to get a time to lose a time to keep a time to Cast Away a time to a time to rent a time to sow a time to keep silent a time to speak time to love a time to hate a time of War time of peace think of how many scriptures that God has used here to tell you and I that there is a certain season that comes our way there's a certain season of Our Lives that we have to seize that moment and not let that time slip away the first title to this message tonight brother Purdue the first title that I I was going to send to them the first title that I had was simply killing time you ever heard that phrase what are you doing we just killing time we're just killing time well I decided that was a little bit on the negative side and I didn't want to I didn't want to have I didn't want to have the the thing of Killing Time and so I want to give you what time truly is church family time is a gift from God but what we do with our god-given time is left up to you and I we don't need to be uneducated we don't need to be unwise about the time that we've been given we'll never pass this way again we will never have another May the 7th 2023 again when this night is over it's over we can't resurrect it we can't go back and get it the only thing we can do with this service tonight is use it for the master service is to redeem the time and say that time has a purpose that time that time has a season the words that Paul used in these verses are wise unwise he uses he uses the word walk circumspectly Jesus in Luke chapter 6 and verse number 46 keep in mind what I read to you tonight think about that man that could have been known as a famous artist had he simply used his time honestly think about this man that wasted time painting 20 bills that could pass when he could have spent his time in his natural giftings of God to be talented to paint to have paintings his name could be in buildings tonight his his paintings could hang in museums and his name could be revered among artists as a as one of a kind one of a kind but tonight he goes down in history as being someone who wasted his talent as a counterfeit uh forger of money I want you to know something tonight each of us are given the same amount of time you don't have any more time than I have I don't have any more time than you have so when you say to somebody I don't have time to do that you're really saying that's not my priority to do that but God has given us time and I want to tell God on this Sunday evening I want to use the time that you've given me because it's a time that has been given with purpose not to get ahead of myself but Wednesday Wednesday from 11 A.M to 12 noon precious Robin's step will lay in a state here at the church there'll be a viewing here for her from 11 to noon at noon I'm honored to preach her funeral but do you know something this evening there's going to be a lot of good things said because Robin's death has spent a lot of good time in the Master's use she spent a lot of time in prayer she spent a lot of time when she had health to go to the house of God and she tried when her body was racked with pain with bones they said a lazy boy they said a chair over here to my left and you're right that she could spend her final days in the house of God Can I Tell You Robin's step has met a reward because she has spent her time in the right place the zeenders are celebrating 67 years of marriage on Friday when we live in a culture people don't stay married 67 days anymore the guy the Johnny James got up to preach here one Sunday night and he said I I and he's talking about the length of preaching he said I'm going to treat you all like Elizabeth Taylor treated her last husband I won't keep you long tonight people don't stay married few days anymore but I got news for you I'm going to tell you why they got to 67 years well they just love each other that they do they just they just Pat around on each other I mean just like two raccoons looking for a marble they just patting around on each other they just they left listen Roland loves glory and Gloria loves rolling they just they just love one another oh that's the key that's not the key that's just that that's just that that's just the product they've spent time in the house of God they are dogmatic about going to the house of God as long as they listen if you look around and you don't see them here they are not physically able to be in the house of God but as long as they can get here sometime with a grunt and a pain in their body they're going to come to the house of God and that ladies and gentlemen is why they're going to celebrate 67 years this coming Friday because somebody has spent time in the house of God you say oh oh oh those almonds those almonds are such good parents oh that Sean and Sandra are such good parents look at their children look at their grandchild oh they're such good parents I'll agree with you that they are good parents but I'll tell you what they are that has made them good parents they have made the house of God a priority in their life you want to raise good kids spend time in the house of God you want to raise kids that have a love for the worship that have a love for the preaching you want to you want to raise good kids I'll tell you how to do it you got to spend time don't let the opportunity pass you by don't be a procrastinator don't be a procrastinator don't be a procrastinator preacher will you marry us well I'd say I'd like to do a little counseling with you like you've come to a few few church services we we we will you come well I don't know if I got time now we'll we get married I promise you if you'll marry us I promise you we'll start coming to church soon we get off the honeymoon we'll come to church we'll come to church soon as we get off the honeymoon they get off the honeymoon and months go by maybe a year goes by the next time you hear from them is would you please pray she's pregnant having complications I sure will pray for you I sure will pray for you y'all know y'all need to raise that bowl we know we need to raise this baby in the house of God we gotta we gotta raise this baby in the house of God now as soon as this baby gets here we're going to start coming to church but the baby y'all know where I'm going don't you the baby gets here and then well well the baby cries and we don't want to bring it to church we we want to wait till the baby can understand and now we got school work and we can't come on Wednesday now we can't come on Sunday night and the list goes on and on and on folks look at me tonight you can waste your time making counterfeit lives or you can spend your time drawing the most beautiful portrait of your life because you spend time the word unwise Luke chapter 6 verse number 46 Luke 6 46 Jesus said why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say whosoever cometh to me and heareth my sayings and do with them I will show you to whom he is like he is like a man which built a house and digged deep and lay the foundation upon a rock and when the flood arose and the string beat be imminently upon that house and could not shake it for it was founded upon a rock he that heareth and kneweth not is Like a Man Without a foundation built a house upon the Earth against which the stream did beat be imminently and immediately it fell in the Run of that house was great you know what the difference is here A wise man digs deep it takes a lot of work to dig dig and listen you can leave a shovel out in the yard nobody locks a shovel up ain't nobody gonna come by and steal a shovel all right you can leave a shovel you listen you can put a sign at the mailbox and put a sign across it says steal me they ain't gonna steal that shovel you hear me they ain't going to steal it now your weed eater and your chainsaw you gotta you you you gotta put that somewhere with a lot because they'll come by and they'll pick that up but not a shovel can I tell you digging is hard work digging is hard there's no way about it digging his Hardware brother Perry you remember back when brother Lee we used to build those houses and we used a machine called a a a Ditch Witch and it was a a um and there's probably other names for it but it was a trencher and uh they they would they would they would trench they would trench the footer out that's easy part I never got asked to drive the ditch witch you said on it you said that Glenn are you smiling back there you you sat on that and you just you just you just tool Down The Rock and it's just Chuck it up but after the thing got built why here brother Lee had a pole that he wanted before he poured concrete he wanted you to Tamp it and you take this pole that you can't hardly put your fingers around and you just get there and you Tamp you Tamp around and make sure that the loose dirt in the bottom is solid that's work that's work and then in the corners where the ditch witch would overlap you had to get post stove diggers that's another instrument they won't steal you had to get posto diggers and Jab and Pull and Jab and Pull and Jab and Pull and then after you got it out you had to get the pole and you had to go around the house you had to go around that's work but do you know houses are still standing tonight because somebody spent some time digging a foundation it's work you hear me there's no way about it it's work but if you want to raise and be a good Christian and if you want to have a good marriage and if you want your kids to have the best possible possibility of living for God read my lips work it's not easy if you're going to have a good walk with God it's not just Add Water it's work it's digging your flesh it's getting the flesh out of your life it's getting the flesh out of your life because I gotta get down to the Rock Christ Jesus I gotta get down to something I got to get the flesh out of my life I got to get the bitterness and the lying and the cheating and the stealing and the hating I gotta get flesh out I gotta get it cause I'm gonna build this thing on a rock I'm gonna build this on the Rock Christ Jesus that you want the easy way just build your house on the on the earth build it on Earth build it on earth right here build it on earth right here when you build it on earth right here for a season you may be able to look over at the man that's sweating the man that's got blisters and calluses on his hands because he's been working in the in the ditch to get a foundation you may look over and say look we're just this we're just as good as they are we're just as good as they are man we got it together they do all that well we still got it together matter of fact I even drive a final card then he drives I I we even kind of have better jobs than they got we we even got you we seemed like we got happier kids and a half but you know what don't judge house to house till the storm comes don't judge a house to house and I got news for you we're all going to have a storm in our life all of us are going to have storms in our life and you know what's going to determine whether I stand for God is what I'm built on you know whether or not it's going to determine whether I celebrate 67 years is what I'm standing on you know what's going to get going to determine whether my children and my grandchildren know God it's that I got down there it was work it was prayer it was gone to the house of God it was showing up on Wednesday night with work boots on it it was showing up on Wednesday night tired but I come to the house of God I showed my children the value I hope I'm preaching good tonight don't you judge your house till the storm comes because I'm going to tell you rolling in Gloria's Ender has had every pressure come to their marriage that anybody else has had come to theirs but a lot of pressures never got through to them because they came to the house of God and they stayed in the house of God I'm not I know I'm not sorry that I'm using you all y'all just a good example tonight just just there's a time for a foundation there's a time for a foundation in your life let me let me preach to our children let me preach our youth tonight let me preach you tonight I am so proud of this youth I know I know that our youth have some flaws I also know our older folks got flaws hey folks I got the dirt on everybody here you hear me brother Gable don't you be back there smiling boy I call you out right now flat-footed caught you out can I tell you something our youth at their worst it's better than the youth outside the church at their best I got big plans for all you boys and girls how I do I got big plans I got big plans for you all I see you as workers in the kingdom of God I I I see you all going to colleges and getting educations and getting the top rated jobs in our city I see I see you all making and just just hear me tonight just hear me tonight it's not money but I see God using a generation to come to bless the work of God financially more than we have ever imagined in all of our life I see them doing that I believe it's God's will for them to do that don't you believe come on parents don't you believe it's God's will that our children have the best jobs don't you believe that it is God's will that when the enemy is trying to beat up some of these young boys and young girls that I'm telling them tonight I'm gonna put something in you you are somebody we are going to start churches all over this East Tennessee and God's Gonna use you okay God's Gonna use you in this so now is the foundation the Bible said it is good for a young man to Bear the Yoke in his youth there are things that God ordains for us to put into our children when they're young and one of those is a respect for authority that's right one of them one of them is a respect to honor their mother and their father moms and dads that's where you've got to be a teacher in the home don't let them Buy because I'm going to tell you right now if you allow your children to back talk sash you run over you I'm gonna tell you how I was raised my parents didn't count to three my parents didn't count to three now I think I turned out pretty good Kip I know you might have an opinion on that but I think I turned out pretty good there wasn't no one two three business and that wasn't this telling them several times and that wasn't this grunting in response we we were brought up to say things like yes sir no sir yes ma'am no ma'am we were brought up that when an adult walked in the room they got our attention I walked by a student out now some of you gonna misunderstand what pastor's saying tonight but I walked by a student some time ago and I said hey how you doing he never spoke to me and I turned around and said hey son hey hey son turn around turn around let me help you out has nothing new with me being Pastor when an adult passes you and says something to you you answer back good day oh you're just an eagle kiss no I'm not I'm trying to help your child I'm trying to help your child get assisted if if I can teach your child to respect authority he's going to get a job or she going to get a job one day and they're going to respect their manager and the manager is going to get together and say there's a new store opening and we need somebody that we can put something in too and I think this would be the one here oh come on come on young people don't you waste your time being a counterfeiter God's Gonna God's got an artist oh my God Kaylee Henderson God's got a calling on your life God's gonna make something out of you God's got this beautiful thing it's going to be work Jaylee but you say yes sir no sir yes ma'am no ma'am and God now I'm going to tell you something now Mom and Dad's but don't you provoke them to anger but you bring them up in the admonition of the Lord you speak to them and look for some positive things to say kids get frustrated when the only time Dad talks to them is when they've done something wrong kids get frustrated when the only time mama has any kind of attention is when they do something wrong find something good your child's doing and deposit love into their lives you did good in school today you did good I was proud of you you came to the yeah they wasn't up there worshiping God I understand that but can I tell you how to get them up there worshiping you know what I looked across and saw you there I'm so glad that I've got a young a son or a daughter that wants to go to the house of God you can't nag them into that you've got to praise them into that you've got to say man you look good up there I I saw you I think I saw you put something in the offering man I got big vision for this church I got I got big Visions for y'all Courtney Wilson girl I got big Visions for you I I really meant when I you your husband I I I really I really mean what I'm saying when I look at you too I see the future of this church when I look at young couples that are coming to the house what's your two stand right now just go ahead and stand right now when I begin to look I want you to look around here right now this is a young couple and they're here at the house of God they were brought up to come to the house of God and now they're on their own they could make well we're going to go on Sunday morning only I'm glad that we don't have the Sunday morning only generation here at this church I'm proud of y'all you're the Church of tomorrow I'm proud of you young boys I'm proud of you all today I'm proud of you Elders I know you don't feel good I know you got arthritis I know you don't really feel good but I'm proud turn around tell two people he's preaching Isaiah chapter 7 and verse number 14 is very familiar therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son shall call his name Emmanuel that's speaking of Christ you're right look at verse 15 though butter and honey shall he eat that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good you look at that verse here it makes no sense but when you understand the times that we're living in they didn't have modern refrigeration meat would go rotten things would spoil and many of a child many of a child has died from food poisoning because when they bit into something that was that was Sour or spoiled they went ahead and ate it but a mother would take an infant and she would hold the infant with butter and honey with butter and honey she would put her finger down in the butter and I'm saying that's a good mixture I don't care what anybody says butter and honey it's a will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus you've got to mix that butter you kind of mix that butter and honey up real good she'd take that butter and honey just a little just a little toothless infant she'd take that butter and honey with her finger and she would swab his palate and his gums that little baby would smack around what's he doing that little baby is developing a taste from Mama of what's sweet and what's real so in the future when that little baby gets teeth and is able to reach up and get a piece of meat that's spoiled it would kill it when that little baby takes the first bite that little baby spits it out because it doesn't taste like the the design of honey and butter can I tell you what we're wanting to do and what we're doing our best and we're fighting hell to do it we want to take our children in our daycare we don't have a daycare for money we don't have a daycare it's not a business it's a covert operation to meet our community God has raised up women to be ministers in child care God has raised up a bunch of women to be ministers in child care they pray over them babies they pray over them they sing songs about Jesus to them I go by the rooms and look in and music is playing about the Lord Jesus when they get old enough they've taken to the cafeteria and brother Tharp they're not they don't eat until they fold their hands and they say Their Blessings you say is that really mattering you better believe it's mattering because we're putting some butter and honey in their mouth and when they get out and they start tasting it that's not good can I tell you in the Christian School in the Christian School listen to me tonight in the Christian School we are wanting to put a quality education in a Christian atmosphere we are teaching them the word of God we are teaching them respect for authority the this is not a public school we believe in respecting the authorities we believe in respecting the teachers we have got a system and if we can fall in line with the system and say if I'm going to go back to when I when I make you go back let me go back when I was growing up when I was growing up when I was growing up I got a paddling at school I did get paddlings at school imagine that I got paddlings in school I ain't the only one let's see something everybody got a paddle in the school stand up right now never alone Sean Ammons are you kidding me Holy Lamb of God I know Sister Ammons did but I didn't know you did no no no no no no no no no no hey this group kind of turned out all right didn't he but can I tell you how it happened did it happen at your house this way I got paddling at school they called they said we're gonna paddle Kenny Kenny wrote down his spelling words on his desk laid a plain piece of paper over his spelling words and pressed on the paper and wrote I did I did I got a paddle for it one whack forever whatever spelling word I'm glad we didn't have a Becca back then one white Forever what what okay guess how it happened did it happen this way of you Mr Carpenter or Miss Carpenter John Ruby Kenneth was caught cheating on his spelling test and we're going to administer a paddling I don't think they should have said the number he said we're going paddling okay I got a paddling guess what happened when I got home from school no no I didn't get a pattern I got whooping I Got a Woman and the first school wouldn't come from Mama and I mean mama was mad and Hell had no fury like a mama that's mad Mama's mad you've embarrassed us like a Ninja Turtle you think it's over no dads yet to come home dad was totally different brother Larry dad was totally different dad come sit down at the dinner table they have to suffer we're going to the basement I knew what that meant keeping Kathy live in that house that we grew up in we're going to the basement I knew what that meant that meant now Mama gave me a whooping but Daddy gave me a whipping you sit there start eating slow ain't no forgetting then he looked over and say why are you eating why are you why are you not eating I'm thinking you're about to kill me that's why I'm not eating huh let's go get a whooping now in the steps we went let me have your hand I tried to give him the one I could dance with no I want the other hand I want the other hand you know what didn't happen again did it we're living in a culture today to where we're going to talk to your children about something we better have a good attorney handy I'm going to tell you what it's the worst thing that we can teach our kids is to doubt our structure and to put a spirit of distrust about a structure you ought to speak highly of every teacher we've got you ought to speak about they are the minute listen you said well I'd never talk about you brother Carpenter don't talk about them either because they are an extension of my Ministry and we're never going to get these kids doing what they ordered now turn and tell three people he's preaching we can teach these young men and young women respect for authority we can teach them to respect their mom and dads and let me let me add this to it saved or unsaved as a matter of fact even more if you've got unsaved parents because they need to see there's a change in your life you want to win your parents to God it's not going to be you're going to win them by showing them there's only one God in baptism in Jesus name you're going to win them when they begin to say you know what there's something different about Jimmy you know what there's something different about Lucy you know what there's something different about him there's something he'd been going down to that school they've been going and I'll tell you something else we do at our school we not only teach a structure I'll tell you what else we do we normally teach our children to pray before they eat fold their hands but on Friday we shut everything down around here and we bring them into the auditorium for a holy ghost singing and Holy Ghost preaching and some of these kids don't even go to an Apostolic church but we bring them in and we swallowed their palate with butter and honey and we we let them know this is the real thing right here this is what you're feeling and many of them come back and say I I've been talking to my parents because I don't feel at our church what I'm feeling at this church that's because we're we're slobbing the guns come on do you want your kids raised this way come on do you want your grandbabies raised this way can I tell you and I'm swiftly coming to any of musicians would you come right now I'm coming to an end but Daniel would have never purposed in his heart not to defile himself with a portion of the king's meat and the wine had he not had a mom and dad that trained him shadrached me Shack in a minute ago would have never refused would have never known to refuse to bow to the golden image had they not had a mom and dad that trained them and a mom and dad that told them can I tell you first of all Daniel refused Association you can study the scripture out even in the Book of Daniel Daniel drank wine he says it even in the Book of Daniel that he drank wine but why did he refuse the King's Wine in the king's meat it was the simple fact if I'm going to drink for two years from the King's Wine and from the king's meat I had to sit and Associate at the king's table and any time you begin to associate you begin to be influenced and Daniel simply said I don't want you know I don't want that you ought to be really careful you think God's going to do something matter of fact if I've got anybody here tonight and I feel this is the Holy Ghost and you're saying well I I pray and I do this and I do that but things are not opening up for me can I ask you one question would you check out your Association when you are more at home and more in common with people that are not in church something may clicking something ain't clicking when you've got more friends that used to go to this church then you do that are here now can I tell you that's an association Association Bri I didn't say I did I did not say no talk to him I didn't say shun them when you see them I'm gonna tell you something I witness to Sinners and prodigals I witnessed to them but brother Mayo you're my fellowship you're my fellowship I Witness I witness the Sinners and I witnessed the prodigals I'm I'm friendly to them I go out of my way to let them know I love them can I tell you when it comes time for Fellowship amen right here's where it's at right here's where it's at my church family my church family many right here is where it's at my church family Young Folks young people hear me tonight Daniel first refused the temptation of Association if I drink the wine and I eat from the meat that means I gotta go to the Pagan table of the king and when I'm there at the Pagan table I'm influenced I'm influenced and so Daniel said would you put me to the test would you just let me not be associated I'm not going to listen to your music I'm not going to be driven by your fashions I'm not going to let you tell me what's cool I don't know what the latest word is I'm not gonna let you tell me that but I'm also get over here to myself and I'm gonna drink me some water and I'm gonna drink me some I'm gonna drink me some water and I'm gonna kind of have me some vegetables over here and when he said that to the man the man said to him he said you're about to get me in trouble with the king I have been put in charge of fattening you up I've been put in charge of feeding you if you only eat that you're going to look terrible and when you show up in the presence of the king looking terrible my head's Gonna Roll he said just give me 10 days just give me 10 days and in 10 days of not associating with the king's table they walked out and the Bible said everybody say the Bible said they appeared to be fatter they appeared to be more fair in complexion their complexion looked different there was a shine upon their faces and they said you're allowed to drink your water and to eat your vegetables all the years are going to be here and then guess what happened when the day came and they brought Daniel and Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego into the king's presence guess what the king said these boys look ten times better than the rest of them can I tell you young people something the land is ours the only reason we won't take the land is that we spend and waste our time painting counterfeits the land is ours the young people's culture of the day they're burning their heads up with drugs they're burning their minds up with all kind of foolish ideology but right here in this church God is raising up a group of young men and young women that are saying I'm not going to associate with that he won't find that on my phone you won't find that in my life I'm not going to associate with that and the day's going to come you're going to be fair 10 times there come on staying with me right now waste your time please don't waste your time don't waste pardon me pardon me pardon me pardon me for the personal story but it still moves me to this day we're about to have graduation here it was several years ago and our only Son Nolan graduated from ACA it was Sunday night he graduated Ian was Dakota in your class Dakota's older than you man I'm yeah who I was in your class a bunch of them Kyle said Alex score dad seniors are going to go out for a while and can we fudge a little bit on curfew tonight and I said okay okay since carbon I went home early and got in bed around midnight Nolan came in our room for the bread about midnight he came in the room and he was crying he's crying startled his mother and I we couldn't get him to talk plane he was crying he had a card in his hand well the Saints wrote him a card he's crying of course I'm just going to be I'm just going to be straight with you I sit straight up in bed like oh my God what if what what are you doing what are you doing what have you done oh pray to God you're not done something oh Nolan Nolan he said Dad I wasted four years of my life playing basketball I wasted four years of my life and all the practices dad I don't feel like I gave time to the ministry I don't feel like I gave time to prayer I've been up in my room tonight crying first and foremost I told him that the sport of basketball could teach him how to have team spirit among them but after last Sunday night sermon I think he's caught up on that study in prayer don't you I think he's caught up on that right now if we want God to do something with us tonight could we just for a moment lift both of our hands and begin to ask God right now God use me oh God use me tonight oh God use me tonight God oh God used me tonight oh God used me tonight come on all over this building come on pray loud enough that you can hear yourself pray right now yes yeah oh God use me right now God use me right now God oh God use me right now tonight God use me right now tonight God please and I'm going to tell this as quickly as I can it's the last thing on my notes it was a man in the Bible the name of Haman you find him in the Book of Esther he was a man that was promoted to great honor and great power Haman was the second in command the second in command brother Purdue the second in command of a nation of a kingdom that if you were to tour the kingdom it took you six months to tour the kingdom Haman has power he's the second in command of respect in this mightiest Kingdom in the world but he got one issue going on in his life there was a man by the name of Mordecai everybody bowed to him but one Jew refused to bow and this began to burn thousands hear me now thousands are bowing when Mordecai's excuse me thousands are bowing when haman's Chariot comes by but all he can see is that one Jew that refuses to bow and because of that Haman began to get laws made that all the Jews would be exterminated all the Jews would be put to death he spent his time trying to destroy God's people finally his wife told him one day she said honey you're successful why don't you build Gallows 75 feet tall and when the clock strikes let Mordecai be the first Jew that you hang from the Gallow but as you study the book God turned the tables elevated Mordecai and Haman was sentenced to death as they pulled a black cloth over haman's face because he no longer exists one of the men spoke up and said Mr King Haman built Gallows 75 feet tall said why don't you hang him and they hung Haman on his own Gallows but wait a minute the story doesn't end there a few weeks later they were that his he had ten sons and it came before the court and they said Haman has ten sons that need to be killed and they said hang them on The Gallows can I tell you something tonight you spend your time on something less than what God has called you for you'll hang on it one day your own self but the sad thing is your children might hang right along behind you I'm here to tell you God is in systems God is in authority and we're about to rock this city because a group of young people are about to burst forth brighter than they've ever shown before I want every I want every child 11 years old and under that wants God to use you I want you to come to the altar right now 11 years old and younger come on come on look at this Mom come on come on up around the altar it's the best time you're all going to spend right now it's the best it's the best time in all the service it's the best time come on come on gather up put your feet real close to that first step right there come on real close to that First Step 11 years old and look at here thank God In The Name of Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ in the name of Jesus Christ you may see kids up here I see our future up here you may you may see kids up here right now I see our future up here right now yeah oh by the way by the way by the way brother ziander sister Z Ender where did you and sister zeander meet for the first time in the nursery cradle class at an Apostolic Church in South Bend Indiana that's where they met their parents went to that church and they met for the first time folks Hollywood can't produce this right here I don't see I don't see children I see the future of this church I I don't see chewing I see the future of this church when you come here bow tie come on she pastor you can keep the keep a jacket I gotta have these okay I won't ever I want every young person 19 years of age and under that wants God to use you I want you to come to the altar right now 19 and down come to the altar right now foreign 19 and under any y'all married right now any of y'all married right now let me go ahead and answer it no the next few years you're about to make the most important decision of your life you're about to choose a mate and look up let me just tell you how it's going to work you're not going to have a neutral mate all right you're mate who you who you choose who you young girls say I will who you young boys say will you marry me one of two things he's either going to compliment you or complicate you there's no in between he's either brother Jimmy Tony he preached here a while back he said this statement he said to parents he said the parents that have a young man that comes and asks for your daughter's marriage brother Jimmy Tony said this he said y'all to smell his breath and said if his breath doesn't smell like the glue that's on a tithing envelope don't let them get married amen any more 19 and under want to come how about right now 40 years old married but you still have something turning right here that you don't think God's done with you yet would you come right now 40 years old and under would you come right now would you come right now we're gonna have to shove them up around the altar tonight 40 years and younger I know you guys ain't moving y'all ain't moving as quick as this other group did 40 and under right now 40 and under right now 40 and under right now then tonight I just want the rest of us to come fill the altars fill the aisles up right now brother Eric said I want you to sing some songs that can put us in a worship mood right now but I want us to lift our hands and spend time spend time in this altar right now it's the best time you'll ever spend it's the best time you'll ever spend right now come on for the next five minutes would you give God all your heart and praise it's 7 45 right now and I'm going to ask you you can go beyond 750 but I want to ask you for the next five minutes to pour your heart out to God Jesus God hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah oh mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God oh mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God Jesus God oh God I Lay My Hands on these children right now oh God I made my hands on these children right now God oh God they're the future God yes come on I need some daycare teachers I need some I need some Christians your teachers to come and help me pray I need some daycare workers to come and help me pray right now please foreign School teachers can I get some daycare workers can I get some school teachers right now we need to lay our hands the time is right foreign fill me with your mind windows thank you please inside you open up my eyes I will be here my heart upon your world Addie Johnson upon the profession of your faith in obedience to the word of God I now indeed baptize you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and thank the Lord you've already received the gift of the Holy Ghost in Jesus name thank you I will call me soon with your heart Lord Jesus Lord Jesus thank you for this night thank you Lord for your word thank you God for the response Lord I Thank you tonight God I thank you tonight I thank you God for a church that will respond to the word Lord I Thank you tonight for these children and this youth group that have absolutely jam-packed this altar but God I thank you for their parents right now God I thank you for the parents of fac I thank you for the grandparents God Lord I Thank you for our elders in this room right now oh God I thank you Lord for a church it can be preached to God I thank you for a people that want to live for you God Lord Keep Us Safe God tonight God keep us safe as we go home God bring us back in the name of the Lord the name of the Lord