Sunday Evening Worship Service
by Mark McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: 2 Chronicles 18, 2 Chronicles 18:1-6, Ecclesiastes 12:10-12, Matthew 11:7-10, 2 Corinthians 11:3-6

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/mark-mccool--sunday-evening-worship-service-18
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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I want to take you to the word of the Lord tonight, calling your attention to the book of 2 Coronicles, the 18th chapter. 2 Coronicles, the 18th chapter. We're going to read for now the first six verses, but if you're turning there in your Bible or in uh your iPad or device, stay there at 2 Chronicles because uh we're going to uh kind of do a narrative of the happenings in 2 Chronicles 18. We read now Jehoshaphat riches and honor in abundance and joined affinity with Ahab. That's to join affinity means he had a close relationship with Ahab. And after certain years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people that had that he had with him and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth Gilead. And Ahab, king of Israel, said unto Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, Wilt thou go with me to Ramoth Gilead? And he answered him, I am as thou art, and my people as thy people, and we will be with thee in the war. And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord today. He said, "We ought to pray about this and get a word from the Lord before we enter into a battle." Therefore, the king of Israel, understand this is the king of Judah and the king of Israel conversing with each other. Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of the prophets 400 men and said unto them, "Shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle, or shall I forebear? Do we go fight or do we not?" And they said, "Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hands." But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides that we might inquire of him?" For a few moments, I'm going to speak to you on this subject. Don't shoot the messenger. Is there a prophet of the Lord? Let's pray. Savior, I love you. God, I'm grateful for another opportunity to carry your word and how it ministers to our lives to give us direction, guidance, and strength. Lord, now let your word sink into our hearts. Give us all that we would have to be in your will. For all this, we're grateful in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Don't shoot the messenger. Shooting the messenger is a metaphoric phrase used to describe the act of blaming the bearer of bad news for the news. Until the advent of modern telecommunications, messages were usually delivered by human envoys. The sentiment that one should not shoot the messenger was expressed even by Shakespeare in Henry IV part two and in Anthony and Cleopatra. Cleopatra threatened to treat the messengergers's eyes as balls when told Anthony has married another. eliciting this response from the messenger. I quote, "Gracious madam, I that do bring the news made not the match." Variations of, "Don't shoot the messenger include," don't shoot me, I'm the mailman, or don't shoot the piano player. He's doing the best that he can. It reminds me of a little story that's well worn and many of you have heard, but in case you hadn't heard, the story goes that a young man knocked on the front door of of his aunt Rose's house. When she answered the door, HE BLUNTLY STATED, "AUNT ROSE, YOUR CAT FLUFFY is dead." Aunt Rose, for just a moment, was shocked and bewildered, but then her sorrow turned to anger. She began to scold a child and berate the young man by saying, "You should never bring bad news like this in such a blunt manner." She went on to scold HIM AND SAY, "IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER if you had said, Aunt Rose, your loving cat, Fluffy, was up on the roof of the barn. He slipped and fell. and after a valiant battle to survive, he succumbed to his injuries and he's no longer with us. After she thoroughly dressed the young man for his blunt message, she then went ON TO SAY, "OH, BY THE WAY, I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM GRANDMA IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. HOW'S SHE DOING?" You guessed it. The young man paused, weighing his words carefully, and said, "Well, Aunt Rose, Grandma was up on the roof of the barn." Sometimes bringing bad news is a difficult chore. And many times the one receiving the message would take the anger they have out on the messenger. It is a minister's job and I can preach about preachers because I am one. And it's a pastor's JOB TO BRING THE GOSPEL which literally means the good news to all that will hear. Scripture gives instructions to God's messengers as not just what to preach, but how to preach it. Acceptable words, encouraging words to be prepared. Scripture says, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." The minister presenting God's word is to be above reproach and an example. Even his family is held to a higher standard of scrutiny than most, and rightfully so. Ecclesiastes 12:10 said, "The preacher sought to find out acceptable words. And that which was written was upright, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads, and his nails fastened by the masters of assembly, which are given FROM ONE SHEPHERD. AND FURTHER BY THESE, MY son be admonished of making many books. There is no end and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The messenger should be prepared and look for acceptable words. The psalmist said, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight." But some people sadly when they hear the word of God rather than it being good news to them view it as bad news. no matter how eloquently or palatable it has been presented. In fact, it's quite ironic that good news to the obedient and the righteous is bad news to the disobedient and the unrighteous. WHY? BECAUSE IT CRAMPS THE UNRIGHTEOUS STYLE. It limits the lifestyle of the disobedient. It condemns a sinful WAY OF LIFE. THE GOOD NEWS BECOMES bad news to the sinner. Our text tells of such a relationship between Israel's king Ahab, Jehoshaphat, Judah's king, and another character that we will begin finding as we read further in 2 Coronicles. Let me first review our text. Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance and joined affinity with Ahab. You will find if you study that Jehoshaphat was obedient to God. He was in God's will but Ahab was not. But they had a relationship. And you will you will find that because Jehoshaphat WAS OBEDIENT TO GOD, he was blessed with riches and honor. Yet he had allied himself with King Ahab in a close relationship. And verse two said, "And after certain years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. He went down and Ahab, as we used to say, he put on the dog for him. I mean, he killed sheep. He killed oxen in abundance. and he he fed and had a GREAT FEAST FOR JEHOSHAPHAT and everybody that was with him. And he then presented his real motive. He said, "I'm wanting to attack and invade Ramoth Gilead." This was a city of Syria. And he said, "I want you to join with me. We're going to be allies." Now, uh, wasn't that meal good I just gave you? I I want YOU AND ALL YOUR PEOPLE TO BE OUR FRIENDS and join with us. Did you enjoy that meal? You see, there were strings attached to this relationship. And verse three said, "And Ahab, king of Israel, said unto Jehoshaphat, KING OF JUDAH, WILT THOU GO WITH ME TO Ray Ramoth Gilead?" And he answered him, "I am as thou art." He said, 'We've got an affinity. We're friends. we're going to join together. And so out of a relationship and a fellowship with Ahab, Ahab when it was right asked for a favor. I would tell you most blessed people will eventually be asked for a favor that will compromise your better judgment. Those who are not in the will of God will want to join themselves to you because of the successes IN CHRIST. THIS IS WHY THE WORLD WANTS TO UNDERSTAND HOW can the Christian world have such happy marriages? HOW CAN THE CHRISTIAN WORLD survive on what seems to be meager incomes, but they never understand paying one's tithe and giving one's offerings? They don't understand blessings, BUT THEY WANT TO ATTACH THEMSELVES to someone who is blessed. So he began this alliance by influence with a good meal and a close relationship. And Jehoshaphat said, "Well, I'll be with you and my people will be with you. We'll be as one." But he said, "Could we consult the word of God? Could we get a preacher to preach to us, a messenger to bring the message? Ahab said, "No problem." He said, "I got 400 preachers." He said, "Whatever you want. I've got you 400 preachers." AND HE CALLED THE 400 PREACHERS AND HE SIMPLY ASKED THE QUESTION. HE SAID, "SHOULD WE GO AFTER RAMOTH GILEAD or should we stay?" And in harmony, THE 400 PREACHERS SAID, "GO UP. GOD'S GIVING YOU THE BATTLE. You see, these 400 prophets were on staff with Ahab. They were nothing more than cificants or yesmen who were politically correct and told the king only what was popular and what he wanted to hear, irregardless of what the true will of God was. Jehoshaphat even perceived that these were not men who were hearing from God, but they were hired guns. For he did say in verse six, "Is there NOT HERE A PROPHET OF THE LORD besides that we might inquire of him?" Let me tell you, if you will really be in God's will, God will give you discernment between false doctrine and real truth. God will give you discernment to know when someone even posturing themselves and saying this is the will of God whether they have ulterior motives or they're really speaking thus sayeth the Lord. Keep yourselves STRONG IN THE LORD THAT YOU WILL HAVE THAT SAME KIND of intuitiveness from God. Verse seven says, "And the king of Israel said in unto Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him." Now the real meat of the matter is now being exposed. He said, "Yeah, there is one preacher, there is one guy that he he tells the truth, AND I HATE HIM." WHY DID HE HATE HIM? BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LIKE THE MESSAGE. HE DIDN'T LIKE WHAT HE WOULD ALWAYS SAY. THERE WILL BE sometimes messages that come from God that'll be preached from the pullpit THAT WILL BE TAUGHT IN A TEACHING setting that will not be what you want to hear. There will be messages, maybe you've never experienced this, but man, I've been in church before when the word goes forth and it just felt like what do they used to say? The preacher was reading my mail. He was stepping on my toes. But how do I react to that? He said, there's this one preacher that we can call on. You've heard my 400 hired guns. But there's this one guy, his name is Mia. He said he'll prophesy, thus sayith the Lord. He said, but I hate him. The reason I hate HIM BECAUSE HE ALWAYS PROPHESIES NO GOOD. NOTICE VERSE EIGHT. And the king of Israel called FOR ONE OF HIS OFFICERS AND SAID, "FETCH QUICKLY MAKAYA, the son of Imla. And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes. And they sat in a void place in the entering in of the gate of Samaria. AND ALL THE PROPHETS prophesied before them. You see, to Ahab, because he was not in God's will, everything a true man of God said was bad news. It was always personal. He's picking ON ME. HE'S TALKING ABOUT ME. I had to tell a few folks last Sunday when they came to me and said, "Brother Mcool, I want you to know what the man of God said Sunday night was for me." And I had to tell him, "Well, look, I didn't tell him anything. I believe he's been talking to the Lord. I don't share personal information of counseling folks issues, but I'm going to tell you, God does. God will give true word to true men of God, and sometimes they're going to speak some things that that does NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE. BUT HOW DO I REACT WHEN THE TRUE MESSAGE OF GOD COMES FORTH? DO I THINK HE'S JUST PICKING ON ME AND IT'S PERSONAL? IT'S ALWAYS BAD NEWS. OR DO I SAY, "LORD, I HEAR YOU. I'M GOING TO BE OBEDIENT TO WHAT YOU SAY." >> The king of Israel said, "All right, go get Mia. Go fetch him," it said. And in the meantime, there was another one of these hierlings. He apparently was the leader of the 400 hired prophets. His name was Zedekiah. Verse 10 says, "And Zedekiah the son of China Ana had made him horns of iron AND SAID, "THUS SAYAETH THE LORD, WITH THESE THOU SHALT PUSH SYRIA until they BE CONSUMED." AND ALL THE PROPHETS PROPHESIED SO, SAYING, GO UP TO RAMOTH GILEAD AND PROSPER, FOR THE LORD SHALL DELIVER it into the hands of the kings. What a dog and pony show. ZEDEKIAH EVEN HAD PROPS. I MEAN, HIS PRESENTATION WAS SECOND TO NONE. HE HAD ILLUSTRATIONS. HE HAD HORNS OF IRON. He said, "KING, MAN, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO PUSH SYRIA OUT OF Ramoth Gilead." His presentation was impressive, but his message was not from God. I understand the importance of a great presentation, but never mistake bells and whistles, smoke and mirrors for truth. Truth will be borne out and will be realized by those who are willing to receive the truth even when it's not what our flesh desires to hear. You see, verse 12 said, "The messenger went out to calm spake unto him." Now there was a little bit of influence being put and pressure put on Mahayi. The servant that Ahab sent to fetch Mayi had a little conversation with Mia before he got there. He said, notice he said, "And when that," this is verse 14, "when he comes to the king, the king said to him, "Caya, shall we go to Rama Gilead to battle?" Now, let me let me back up. Uh let let me read verse 12. And the messenger went to Kaya spake to him saying, "Behold, the the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one ascent." He said, "All 400, they're together." And so he said, "May I got some advice for you. Let thy words, therefore, I pray they be like one of theirs, and speak thou good." And Mia said, "As the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak." He said, "I'm not part of the 400. I'm not going to be influenced by a fancy presentation. I'm going to speak what God says speak." The politically correct crowd tries to influence May's prophecy. Just say what everybody else is saying. Don't swim upstream. DON'T ROCK THE BOAT. HE TRIED TO PROMPT him to give a message that Ahab would like. So notice now verse 14. And when it was come to the king, the king said unto him, Mia, shall we go to Ramoth Gilead to battle or shall I forebear? Now notice Mia is about to speak. But I and he said, I'm going to say it how I imagine he said it. Go you up and prosper. They shall be delivered into Israel's hand. A lot of energy there, right? I want you to notice the ultimate in sarcasm here. And the king SAID UNTO HIM, "HOW MANY TIMES SHALL I JURE THEE, that thou SAY NOTHING BUT TRUTH to me IN THE NAME OF THE LORD?" EVEN AHAB KNEW HIS HEART WASN'T IN WHAT HE WAS SAYING. HIS WORD SAID ONE THING, BUT HIS SPIRIT SAID SOMETHING ELSE. May tried to be politically correct, but his heart wasn't in it. Ahab knew that he was not being candid with him. It was, as I said, sarcasm at its finest. So then here comes the truth. Verse 16. Then he said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, THESE HAVE NO MASTER. LET THEM RETURN THEREFORE every man TO HIS HOUSE IN PEACE. HE SAID, "SEND YOUR PEOPLE HOME. DON'T PUT THEM INTO A BATTLE. THEY'RE GOING TO LOSE." AND THE KING OF ISRAEL, HE LOOKED OVER TO JEHOSHAPHAT, THE KING OF JUDAH, AND SAID, "DID I NOT tell you THAT HE WOULD NOT PROPHESY GOOD UNTO ME, but evil?" The king asked for it, and he still hates it, and he still is rejecting truth. How could this happen? Well, scripture forebears and and gives us a little insight to what was happening in heaven. He said again, "Therefore, hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and his left." AND THE LORD SAID, "WHO SHALL ENTICE AHAB, king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?" And one spake, saying after this manner, another saying after that matter. Then there came out a spirit and stood before the Lord and said, I will entice him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophet. And the Lord said, THOU SHALT ENTICE HIM, THOU SHALT ALSO PREVAIL. GO OUT AND DO EVEN SO. AND NOW THEREFORE, BEHOLD, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth OF THESE 400 PROPHETS, AND THE LORD HAS SPOKEN EVIL against him. Now, and please stay with me with the narrative because we're going somewhere. Now Zedekiah, the leader of the 400 who are now false prophets, came near and bang, he smacked Maya. Said he smoteed him upon the cheek. Verse 23. AND SAID, "WHICH WAY WENT OUT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD FOR ME TO SPEAK UNTO THEE?" MAN, they were about to have a a preachers fight right there in front of the kings. And Mia said, "Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself." He said, "You're nothing but a coward." He said, "When the word of the Lord is fulfilled and prophesied, you'll be the one cowering and hiding in the inner chamber, Zedekiah." So, the narrative continues. The king of Israel ordered, he said, "Take Mayi, carry him back to Ammon, the governor of the city, and to Joash, the king's son, and say thus unto the king, put this fell in prison. Feed him with bread of affliction, with water of affliction, until I return in peace. I'm going to hold God's man hostage. Be careful if you start to shoot the messenger. Be careful if you start to shoot the mailman. All Mia was doing was telling the truth that God had for him. And Maya said, "If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the Lord spoken by me." And he hath said, "Hearken all ye people." Sadly, there are some folks who hear truth time and time again spoken by the preached and taught word of God, and they are only annoyed and willing to try to take God's mouthpiece as their hostage. I'll just take my family and we'll leave the church. I'll show them that the word of God has no influence on me. And sadly, the man of God time and time again is praying more for those individuals than they are for their own well-being and finds it himself even tempted by preaching to be non-offensive and to be politically correct. I'm here to tell you sometimes it's difficult to stand behind this desk and preach thus sayeth the Lord, knowing the issues that some people have. BUT WE MUST NEVER BE AFRAID OF TRUTH. WE MUST NEVER TAKE OFFENSE TO TRUTH. IF IT SPEAKS TO US, LET'S OBEY IT. IF IT CORRECTS US, LET'S GET CORRECTED. SOMETIMES IF IT FEELS LIKE IT'S PERSONAL, TAKE IT PERSONAL AND CHANGE YOUR WAYS. WHEN WHEN THE MAN OF GOD, WHEN THE TEACHERS OF GOD PREACH TRUTH, ANOINTED WORD, THEY TEACH FROM THE SCRIPTURE. YOUNG FOLKS, MANY TIMES IN A CLASSROOM SETTING, YOU'LL HAVE A TEACHER MINISTERING TO YOU, TELLING you truth. Are you going to receive it? Are you going to reject it saying, "Oh, he's personal. She's attacking me. Ahab's plan was to beat God's prophecy. He said, "I'm going to take the man of God hostage. I'm going to put him in prison till I return in peace." And then he said, "I'm going to devise a plan. I can even fool God's prophecy." Does this not sound like what you see so many folks do rather than obeying truth? They try to come up with their own plan to slip around and not get caught in whatever vice it is. So the king of Israel, which is Ahab, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, went up to Ramothgillad, and the king of Israel, this is Ahab again, said to Jehoshaphat, he said, I will disguise myself. This is verse 29, and will go to the battle, but put thou on thy robes. He said, "You look like a king. I'm just going to look like a so regular soldier." Man, that that's some ally, isn't it? You go ahead and dress up like a king, but I'm going to disguise myself. I'm going to fool God. This prophecy that Mia has made, they're not even going to be able to figure out who I am. I will disguise myself and go into the battle, but put thou on thy robe. So the king of Israel disguised himself and went to the battle. Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots that were with him, saying, "Fight ye not with small or great, save only with the king of Israel." The king of Syria did not want to have this battle. But he knew who was pushing the agenda. He said, "Everybody be looking for the king of Israel. That's the one we want. And it came to pass verse 31 when the captain of the chariot saw Jehoshaphat that they said it's the KING OF ISRAEL. NOW JEHOSHAPHAT is being mistaken for being Ahab. Therefore they compassed him. They encircled him about him TO FIGHT. BUT JEHOSHAPHAT CRIED OUT AND the Lord helped him and God moved them to DEPART FROM HIM. JEHOSHAPHAT SAID, "OH GOD, HELP ME. WHAT HAVE I GOT MYSELF INTO? BUT BECAUSE he was obedient and righteous, God saved him. And it came to pass when the captains of the chariot saw Jehoshaphat that they said, "It's the king of Israel. Therefore, they compassed him about." And verse 32 says, "For it came to pass that when the captains of the chariot perceived it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing." But let me tell you, you cannot hide from God's divine will. >> For the narrative ends in the next two verses, and a certain man drew a bow at a venture. What that means? Assyrian took a random shot. He just drew his bow and let it go. And when it left his bow, the hand of God took charge and it became a guided missile, if you will. It says, "A certain man drew a bow adventure and smoked the king of Israel between the joints of the harness. Therefore he said to his chariot man, "Turn thine hand that thou mayest carry me out of host, for I am wounded." He was disguised as a soldier. He had on armor as the common warrior that the king of Syria would not fight against. But when a random shot was shot into the air, it went between the armor, the harness, and the joints of the armor, and he was wounded. Verse 34 says, "And the battle increased that day. How the king of Israel stayed himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening, and about the time of the sun going down, he died. All that needs to be said at this point is Mayi was right and the prophecy of God was true. So we've taken the time to tell this lengthy narrative in detail to ask everybody in the house, how do you react to truth when it's preached to you? Paul asked the Galatians, "Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" Jesus said in Matthew 11, speaking of John the Baptist, he said, "What went ye out into the wilderness to see a reed shaken in the wind? But what went ye out to see a man clothed IN SOFT RAIGNMENT? BEHOLD, THEY that wear soft clothes are in the king's house. But what went ye out for TO SEE A PROPHET? YAY, I SAY UNTO YOU, AND MORE THAN A PROPHET, FOR THIS is he of whom IS WRITTEN, BEHOLD, I SEND A MESSENGER BEFORE thy face, which shall prepare the way before thee. John the Baptist would call the the religious elite of that day, a bunch of snakes, a bunch of vipers. He would tell them, "You need to produce meat worthy of repentance. DON'T JUST TALK A GOOD GAME. LET ME ASK YOU TONIGHT, HOW DO I REACT IF I'M IN THIS HOUSE WHEN THE PREACHER PREACHES THE MESSAGE of truth to you? Am I looking for a YES MAN TO MAKE ME FEEL OKAY ABOUT THE WAY I'M LIVING? OR DO I WANT SOMEBODY THAT'LL PREACH TRUTH AND CRY OUT AGAINST SIN? I'M HERE TO TELL YOU TONIGHT, IF YOU'RE LIVING A LIFE OF SIN, IF YOU'RE LIVING IN SIN, YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR WAYS. I'M NOT GOING TO GET UP HERE AND TELL YOU IF YOU'RE LIVING A LIFE OF SIN. >> Grandma was up on the rooftop. >> SOMETIMES I'VE GOT TO CUT THROUGH ALL OF THE STUFF THAT'S IN THE WAY AND SAY, "IF YOU'RE LIVING A SINFUL LIFE, IF YOU DON'T CHANGE YOUR WAYS AND REPENT OF YOUR SINS, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE IN A DEVIL'S HELL." >> PREACHER, can't you soften that a LITTLE BIT? SOMETIMES WE'VE got to UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH THAT there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. THERE IS A RIGHT WAY AND THERE'S A WRONG WAY. Sometimes we've got TO STAND UP AND CRY OUT AGAINST SIN. YES, WE'LL TRY TO MAKE PREACHING PALATABLE. Somebody in the house, HEAR ME TONIGHT. YOU'VE BEEN WANTING SOMEBODY TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE WAY YOU'VE been living. I CAN'T DO IT. IF YOU'RE LIVING A LIFE OF SIN, YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR WAYS TODAY. WHAT kind of minister, what kind of voice is the the the catchphrase today is what do you want to speak into your life? Are you desiring someone who will tell you only what you want to hear? Or do you desire someone that will say, "Thus saith the Lord." Praise team musicians, get ready. What kind of doctrine do you want your messenger of God to preach? Well, I I just believe if you love Jesus, everything's going to be cool. Paul told the church at Galatia. But though we or an angel from heaven PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. We can't change the message. We won't change the doctrine. And we said before, SO SAY I. NOW AGAIN, IF ANY MAN PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL, OH, I've got this new revelation, it's not new. If it's a new revelation, it's false doctrine. There is a simple plan of salvation. 2 Corinthians 11:3 said, "But I fear," again speaking to the church, Paul said, "but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent begiled or deceived Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, boy, I hear a lot of Jesuses preached nowadays, but it's not the Jesus of the word of the Lord. For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus whom we've not preached. Well, Paul, you you you sound pretty egocentric about yourself. No, but he said, I'm certain about the message. said the message don't change change the truth that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost the the the truth of the salvation message that is just as simple as repenting of your sins being baptized in the name of Jesus the infilling of the Holy Ghost it's simple he said for if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom you have not preached we have not preached or if Ye receive another spirit which you've not received, or another gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. For I suppose I was not a wit behind the very chiefest apostle. And notice he said, "But though I be rude in speech, boy, sometimes the preached word can come across by the presenter as being a bit harsh and rude." He said, "Though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge." He said, "My presentation may not be perfect, but what I'm preaching is true." But we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things. Stand with me. First Apostolic Church of Knoxville, I pledge to you, this pullpit will keep preaching the truth. This pullpit will keep propagating the truth of who Jesus is. It's we're going to continue preaching apostolic doctrine, holiness, grace, and forgiveness. Scripture says, "Know them who labor among you." And we're cautious to make sure those who stand behind this sacred desk are truth preachers. Those who teach, those who minister are ministering truth. Oh, we will have different styles and different presentations and and marvelous ministry, but the common thread is we must be a truth preaching and truth loving, but most of all a truth obeying church. If you're in this house tonight, let me ask you, I've taken the time to specifically define what truth preaching is about, but you have the opportunity to obey truth. You can hear it. You can believe it. But have you obeyed it? Will you take the opportunity that God has afforded you? If there's one individual in this house that you've not yet repented of your sins, we're going to open the altars in just a moment. And I would invite you to come and repent of your sins. Scripture, it's Bible. I present it with love, but I'm not going to change it. You can repent of your sins. It's just simply coming and saying, "God, please forgive me my sins. God, I know I'm a sinner. I I know I've been doing wrong. God, I I need forgiveness right now because he wants to forgive you." If you'll repent of your sins, then his word tells us, his word tells us that he that believeth and is baptized, there's a act of faith. Then there's an action of supernatural remission of sins by taking on the name of Jesus and water baptism. And then you're promised the gift of the Holy Ghost. You shall, not you might, you could, you may be will. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Here's what I want us to do. When I open the altar, I want everybody in this house, whatever state you're in, to start making your way around the altar and say, "God, thank you for truth." If you've obeyed truth, say, "Lord, thank you for the message." If you haven't repented, come and repent. If you need the Holy Ghost, come and get it. Whatever you have need of, would you step out right now? Make your way around the altar. I'm just the messenger tonight. Will you obey what God has for you? Sing for us right now. Hallelujah. >> Cuz your name is power. Your name is healing. Your name is Break every stronghold. Shine through the shadow. We're light of fire. Your name is power. >> Your name is power. Your name is >> Your name is healing. Your name is Come on. Right where you are. Cry out to the Lord. Wherever you are, you still need. If you need the Holy Ghost, just lift your hand. Let the Holy Ghost come in right now. If you haven't repented of your sins, telling Jesus, "I'm sorry." Hallelujah. >> Shout Jesus from the shoutout. Shout it. Jesus in the street. Jesus in the darkness over every name of Jesus. >> Jesus for my name Jesus. >> Oh Jesus. Shout Jesus from my head. Jesus in the street. Jesus in the darkness over every enemy. Jesus Christ be Jesus. Your name is >> your name is >> Let your spirit. Let me receive your word. Hallelujah. Break every storm. >> Your name is Your name is Your >> That name of Jesus is my life. Make every stronghold shine through the shadows burn. >> Hallelujah. >> Could we pray one more time? Lord Jesus, I thank you for truth. God, I thank you for the messengers of God that you have sent to us through the years. For the preached word, the taught word, the word ministered in song. Lord, the word ministered in action of those who reach out to the less fortunate, who teach our little ones. God, I thank you for the ministries that you've afforded us the privilege of carrying truth in so many forms. Now, Lord, let us receive truth. God, let us not disdain the message or the messenger, but Lord, let us say yes to your will, yes to your word. Let us receive it with joy and obedience. God, let it make us better in your kingdom. Lord, I thank you for this wonderful assembly. Lord, I thank you for First Apostolic Church and the faithful saints who so mightily support the word of God going forth. Lord, send a special blessing and a special fresh anointing to everybody in this room. God, we thank you. We praise you. We love you for this. The name of Jesus, we pray. Amen and amen. Would you greet your brothers and sisters be here Wednesday night for worship in the word? You're dismissed in Jesus name.