Sunday Evening Worship Service by Mark McCool First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN) Kind: sermon Scripture: Joshua 2:1-5, Joshua 2:8-15, Numbers 13:25-32, Joshua 2:23-24, Joshua 6:1-5, Joshua 6:16-17, Joshua 6:20-23, Jeremiah 1:4-10 Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/mark-mccool--sunday-evening-worship-service-77 Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page. Free to copy and share with attribution. ------------------------------------------------------------ well Glory thank you praise team thank you musicians thank you First Apostolic church for your worship going to let you move to your seats we greet you this Sunday night in the precious name of Jesus so good to see every one of you back in the house of the Lord and we're uh sending special uh love to all those who are joining us online uh and glad to have you in service with us on all the multimedia platforms I realized that some uh surrounding us and nearby have had some inclement weather and unable to get out but we're glad to have you at First Apostolic church tonight and I would uh give you uh uh I don't know if you'd call it a warning or not I don't plan on preaching a long time tonight so uh don't uh get nervous uh I I I do want to talk to the folks that are tuning in online and our church family uh just uh sometimes you uh uh try to fix things and uh uh you you uh don't give explanation but there's some things you need explanation for uh we have had a uh an issue uh with our online presentation for the past few weeks and uh uh we have been working with uh several Minds that are a whole lot brighter than I am concerning internet connections and uh uh networks and all of that good stuff and uh uh thankfully uh uh with the collaboration of several folks and those Brilliant Minds I I told them when when they started telling me uh what the problem was I said I'm a lost ball in high weeds as far as I understand I said just fix it let's do what it takes to fix it so uh uh we are blessed and and and thankful that all of that is up and running but they told me this morning uh I believe it was I was in convers ation with brother Johan Deus our uh senior producer uh they told us this morning that they ran a 5H hour uh stream test and it it was working fine now and I said well uh do I have to preach the whole five hours tonight and they assured me that I don't uh so I'll put your mind at ease don't plan on preaching a long time but uh I want to take us to the word of the Lord uh what a wonderful uh word we heard today thank you Pastor Whitley for uh reminding us to remember and thank you for Mighty word calling your attention tonight to the Book of Joshua the 2 chapter the Book of Joshua the second chapter and uh uh I would uh reiterate the announcements that Pastor Anthony had concerning a teaching and sermon series uh Bishop MC and our pastoral staff will all be involved in some special teaching in the month of February and then we've got some exciting things uh coming up that I know that you will be anticipating as we announce those but uh uh just please stay tuned for more information Joshua the 2 chapter begin reading at verse number one and Joshua son of nun sent out of shittam two men to spy secretly saying go view the land even Jericho and they went and they came into a harlot's house named Rahab and lodged there and it was told the king of Jericho saying behold there came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country and the king of Jericho sent un Rahab saying bring forth the men that are come to thee which are entered into thine house for they be come to search out all the country and the women took the two men and hid them and said thus there came men unto me but I was not whence they came in other words she said there were two men here but I don't know where they came from and she was avoiding saying she didn't really know where they were verse eight and before they were laid down she came up unto them upon the roof and she said unto the men notice this I know that the Lord hath given you the land and that your terror is Fallen upon us and that all of the inhabitants of the inhabitants of the land faint because of you for we have heard how the Lord dried up the Waters of the Red Sea for you and when you came out of Egypt and what ye did unto the two kings of the amorites that were on the other side of Jordan chihan and OG whom ye utterly destroyed and as soon as we had heard of these things our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you for the Lord your God he is God in heaven above and an earth beneath for a few moments I would refer you back to verse 10 and I would entitle our message tonight have you heard what the Lord has done let's pray savior I love you God I'm grateful for another opportunity to stand before this wonderful audience of Believers uh Lord I Thank you for those who have tuned in on multimedia tonight I thank you for the privilege of carrying your word now God let my simple thoughts and rudimentary language speak as your mouthpiece tonight to answer the complex questions that we might have in our hearts and minds and let encourage and strengthen us Lord let it direct us and guide us we thank you for your word in the name of Jesus we pray amen and amen have you heard what the Lord has done this is another way you might say have you heard of the reputation of the lord we sing a song occasionally here when we go back a little bit of old school as we call it that says Look What the Lord Has Done Look What the Lord Has Done he healed my body he touched my mind he saved me just in time I'm going to praise His name each day is just the same and then there's the invitation come on let's Praise Him Look What the Lord Has Done you see the god that we serve has a good reputation he is known outside the confines of this building he's known above the voices that we have he's known outside our little circle the Lord that we have has a special unmatched reputation you know in business to be successful you need to have ability and provide as we call it customer service for well this provides you with a good reputation there was a day that we used to call the Better Business Bureau to check on certain businesses now you can go online and you can see how many likes and dislikes and comments and all of that about about anything that takes place you get the opinions of the customers or the consumers the reputation is important in athletics it is important to have a winning reputation it's important to have a as they call it a culture of winning that winning begets winning you never want to become the doormat that has the reputation for having a loser mentality this is one of the reasons that uh uh schools and athletic teams usually pick mascot names that have the reputation of being Predators or being vicious beasts you know it's not likely to have a team of the cute little bunnies I don't think of the fighting little bunnies do you that's not that doesn't work real well the the uh the sneaky snails that that probably doesn't put a lot of fear right you know there that's why we have lons and tigers and bears amen no oh me you see we want a reputation that denotes being Victorious a reputation designed is the recognition of others of your quality your ability the state of being widely known for one's Deeds well I'm excited to tell everybody about the Lord I serve I want everybody to see what the Lord Has Done in our text tonight we read the account of Joshua we know the story well but a few of the details that I would remind us of this was the first act recorded in the Bible after Moses had passed away remember Moses had the promise of God of the promised land but because Moses listened to 10 dissenting voices spies who had a negative report they entered not the promised land and Moses himself because of his disobedience would get to see the promised land but the Lord said you're going to see it but you're not going to touch it your feet aren't going to go there because you didn't fulfill your part of the promise I promised you the land but you listen to negative dissenting voices now that Moses is deceased Joshua is in charge Joshua being one of those two voices that were positive voices to spy out the land and Joshua as a new leader apparently learned a few lessons from Moses mistakes for when it was time to spy out Jericho he didn't pick 12 Spies to go in he sent two men and I'm of the opinion that he already knew what they were going to do they were just assigned the task of help us with implementation I don't believe that Joshua had picked out two spies that could come back with any report that says we can't take Jericho he simply said I'm handpicking two that's going to go in and tell us how we're going to be victorious let me tell the church tonight we already have the promise of God we don't have to pray about it we don't have to walk around for 40 years looking for it God's already given us his promises it's time for us to spy out the land and Implement what God's called us to do so he sent the two spies in and the Bible tells us they entered into the house of Rahab the Harlot an inkeeper this might give us some inside of what kind of city that Jericho was this was apparently a place that hopefully spies could go in and get any information they needed and could also be a little bit inconspicuous but the Bible tells us that as soon as those men came into the inn and to the house of Rahab the Harlot word got to the king and the King wanted to find out where they were and Rahab hid the men and she told them well I don't know where the men came from and as soon as the inquiry of the king had departed she went to these men and she began revealing something quite special because understand they were 40 years late in taking Jericho God had promised Jericho 40 years ago but because of dissenting negative voices they had had to wait 40 years and you find that now Rahab said we have heard how the Lord dried up the Waters of the Red Sea for you this wasn't talking about Jericho they already had God's reputation with them First Apostolic church if you're a child child of God you need to realize on the other side of sin there's people out there that really know there is a God and they really know if they come in contact with you that you're in touch with God we have a responsibility of keeping the reputation up of the God we serve I don't serve a powerless God I don't serve a weak God he's given me the promise of power what did scripture tell us you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you let me tell you some of us in the day that we're living need to exercise the power of the Holy Ghost In Our Lives over things that have been attacking us sadly I have too many that will want to counsel with sister Jamie and myself that they're giv more power to the the authority of the enemy and I have to remind them if you got the Holy Ghost greater is he that is in you than he that in the world I'm not afraid of the devil I'm not afraid of spirits I'm not afraid of the enemy I'm saying come on Big Boy bring it on I've Got The Power of the Holy Ghost it's not about me but it's the God that I serve some of us need to square our shoulders bow our backs and come against the enemy that's attacking our minds attacking our family and hear me in this house I feel the Holy Ghost I'm speaking to somebody tonight you've been letting your mind be troubled too much you've been letting the enemy put things in your way you need to back up and say I got the Holy Ghost I'm not going to I'm not going to let those negative voice speak into me anymore brother Whitley so beautifully told it today where are you letting your mind dwell what are you feeding your mind on what are you listening to to what are you watching what's entertaining you you read all these reports there's so much fearmongering going on there's so much dread going on all the time have you heard what the Lord has done some of us even carry the mail for the enemy we go on x we go on Facebook I hear that we may be able to get back on Tik Tok some of you if you're worried about that and all the time we need to be lating at every Al we have Look What the Lord Has Done have you heard what the Lord Has Done have you heard what he's doing at First Apostolic Church have you heard what he did in my family I had conversation before church tonight brother Brian see you can't talk to him much I'll preach about you and you know what he was doing he was giving me a testimony of what the Lord had done for him something that seemed impossible but he had claimed it in Jesus name this world needs to hear all that the Lord has done for us sis you giving me testimonies what the Lord's doing for you and your family I'm claiming it I'm believing it you see just a few negative voices affected a whole generation of God's people from fulfilling the promise just a few the power of negative voices can be can be very damaging back in numbers the 13th chapter I want I go back and and revisit that just a minute so you can see what happened and how the negativity listen I'm not here preaching the power of positive thinking I'm preaching the power of look what my God has done Look What the Lord Has Done numbers 13:25 and they returned from searching of the land after 40 days he sent the 12 in to spy out the land and they went and came to Moses and to Aaron to all the congregation of the children of Israel unto the Wilderness of peran and to Kadesh and brought back word unto them and under all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land and they told him and said we came into the land whether thou send us and surely it floweth with milk and honey and this is the fruit of it boy they should have stopped right there man wasn't that a good report but the there's always somebody's got a nevertheless somebody's always got Mr negativity Mrs negative Mrs Sally sour push I'm going to say nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land the cities are wall B and very great and moreover we saw the children of anch and the amalekites dwell in the land of the South and the Hittites and the jebusites and the amorites dwell in the mountains and the Canaanites dwell by the Sea and by the coast of Jordan they had a laundry list of reasons they could say nevertheless now again I refer back God ties these things together I didn't know what brother Whitley was going to preach they had already forgotten brother Whitley instead of remembering Deliverance the Red Sea being parted now Rahab knew about it 40 years later Rahab on the other side of the wall still knew about the Red Sea being part of they had already forgotten the Miracles that God did because they had been spying out the land and they were working in man's mind instead of God's Direction and notice it says in verse 30 and Caleb stealed the people before he said oh settle down y'all be cool now now you can imagine the reaction when the 10 of the 12 gave this negative report there was a whispering campaign I knew we couldn't do it we got us out of here in the M they'll nevertheless crowd and said said Caleb Caleb basically said everybody s me down and here's was Caleb's words he steal the people before Moses and said let us go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome it let me tell you what the Lord has done let me remind you where he's brought us from and why he brought us to where we are are we going to allow ourselves to listen to a few nevertheless negative voices I say a thousand times no but the men that went up with him said we be not able to go against the people for they are stronger than we and they brought up an evil report of the land which they had stretched under the children of Israel saying the land through which we have gone to search it and it is a land eaten up by the inhabitants thereof and all the people that we saw in and it all the men were of great stature now I'll pause here I want to remind you who Caleb was Caleb was of the tribe of Judah he was representing the tribe of Judah the name Judah the father of that tribe meant now well I praise the Lord now some of yall already ahead of me but it's just hard to be negative when you're praising the Lord I've got news for you some of these negative Nellies need to start praising and get the negativity out of their mouth that I can't do anything for God when you praise him he suddenly starts revealing a way when there seems no way he gives you victories over Giants he gives you victories over wall cities he'll give you Victory when it seems impossible if you'll Praise Him Caleb was a praiser he was the tribe of praisers something about it when the Holy Ghost hits and you can praise suddenly those roadblocks start falling walls start falling don't listen to the negative voices don't listen to those things that would hinder us from receiving the promise and the details of implementation for we Zoom back ahead we find that for 40 years whole generation was suffering from the reputation of the people in the land rather than fulfilling the promise of God and as soon as Moses passed Joshua knew it's time to possess the land it's going to start with the walled city of Jericho so in the interaction between Rahab and the two spies Rahab assured them not only do we know the reputation of your God God but the all the men of the of the city she she said it when we heard these things our hearts did melt neither did there remain any more courage in that neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you speaking collectively of who those spies represented you see there are walls that the enemy has erected around some places we need to be if I could speak spiritually there's some things there's some victories that God has promised us to possess it may be your family it may be a coworker it may be a new job it may be a opportunity to be a witness and if we aren't careful we will allow that one wall to stop us from ministering to someone who already wants to be ministered to and already knows how great God is we have folks come to us all the time that aren't serving God but when they get in distress and get in trouble they'll come to you say hey would you pray for my situation would you pray about this thing folks learning you know what why because sometimes they got as much if not more faith than us they know the reputation of our God if we'll just make ourselves ready to tear down those walls we can be as they were to Rahab Rahab said we've been afraid of y'all for 40 years so what happened she said because I've showed you kindness would you please save me and my family save aive my father my mother my brethren my sisters and all that they have and deliver our lives from death and the men answered her our lives for yours if you utter not this business and it shall be when the Lord ha given us this land or the land that we will deal kindly and truly with thee then she let them down by cord through the window for her house was upon the wall the town wall and she dwelt and she dwelt upon the wall if we will depend on God's greatness if we will trust in his power he wants to save families not just one individual he wants to deliver whole families if we'll keep everyone reminded of What the Lord Has Done quit telling everybody what I've done I've done nothing quit telling everybody what you've done you've accomplished little but we can tell everybody what the Lord has done for you see the positive voice of these two spies went this way Joshua 2:23 so the two men returned and descended from the mountain and passed over and came to Joshua the son of none and told him all the things that befell them and they said unto Joshua listen to this report truly the Lord that delivered us live delivered unto our hands all the land for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us just think 40 years earlier the same message could have come from the voice of the the 10 of that 12 and they could have already been dwelling in the land that flowed with milk and honey oh don't allow some negative voice to stop you from getting the victory that God has for you praise team musicians get ready to review it just so you know what happened even though you already do Joshua 61 says now Jericho was straightly shut up because of the children of Israel none went out none came in and the Lord said unto Joshua see I have given unto the hand un thine hand Jericho and the King thereof and the Mighty Men of Valor and ye shall Compass the city and all ye Men of War go around about the city once thus shalt thou do Six Days Seven and Seven priest shall bear the before the ark seven trumpets of Ram's horns and the seventh day ye shall Compass the city seven times and the priest shall blow the trumpets verse 16 and it came to pass on the seventh time when the priest blew With The Trumpets the Joshua said un the people shout for the Lord ha given you the city and the city shall be a cursed even it and all that are therein to the Lord but Joshua remembered the success he said only Rahab the Harlot shall live she and all that are with her in the house because she hid The Messengers that we sent Joshua and the word would confirm rahab's protection let me tell you God will work through folks on the other side of the wall to bring Victory if we'll fulfill his promise now Richard what what do you mean by that salvation's plan is sheer and scriptural repentance what baptism in the name of Jesus infill of the Holy Ghost evidence speaking with tongues living a holy life but with that said if we will keep the fame of the name of Christ before us the Lord will use the reputation of the church to provide favor in a sinful world I see it happen all the time I uh in in in the business world and in and working here and there so many times there are those that we get a chance to minister to and witness to but we'll hire somebody to do a job around here they'll come around and say preacher we we want to put the church ahead of everything else we want to make sure that got the church needs to be taken care of why because it's the reputation of who we are or rather who's we are you see there is great reverence for the power of the Lord that we should take advantage of now if our reputation in our community is one that we don't pay our debts if our reputation in this community we take our young folks into a a restaurant with their Apostolic Christian School jerseys on and they misbehave and mistreat the waiters and waitresses suddenly we're not fulfilling the promise of God now I I I know that that may may sound so uh unconnected but we have a responsibility as children of God I preach about this not too much but I preach about it a lot of the way we represent Christ we represent the church and we represent ourselves on the other side of the wall because if we do properly God's going to tear down some walls some of those folks that you're having business dealings and business interactions with if you would just conduct yourself in a manner pleasing to God he's going to tear down some walls to let you be a witness and bring them into the house of God just as Rahab was saved so the people shouted when the priest blew with the trumpets and it came to pass when the people heard the shout of the trumpet and the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat so the people went up into the city every man straight before him and they took the city and they utterly destroyed all that was in the city both men and woman young and old ox and sheep and ass with the edge of the sword but Joshua had said unto the two men that spied out the country go into the harlot's house bring out thin the woman and all that she had as you swear unto her and the young men that were spies went in and they brought and and brought Rahab her father mother her Brethren all that she had and they were brought out with all her Kindred and left them without the camp of Israel there's salvation for an entire family if we will spread the power of the name have you heard what the Lord has done would you stand let me find finally say this have you taken the time to itemize in your own mind What the Lord Has Done and what he's wanting to do let me tell you the Lord that we serve is still a god of forgiveness we preached about it in communion service we hear it quite often but be reminded that the Lord's Prayer lets us know that model that you will be forgiven according to the way you forgive have you heard that the Lord we serve still as a god of boundless endless grace and mercy if you're in this house tonight and you have an issue that you haven't forgiven I want to implore you you need to find forgiveness in your heart not for them but for you he's also the god of restoration he restores the Fallen he restores those who are BR have you heard what the Lord Has Done he's restored there's people in this room that by man's ideology could never be restored but God God restored him why because he can have you heard what the Lord has done he exalts and lifts up the weak he provides for those who need provision he still heals and most of all he still saved I implore everyone in the house tonight we're going to have a season of prayer here and just just a few few moments if there's been negative voices that's been speaking to you I'm going to challenge you to respond to those voices in your heart and in your mind tonight by saying Look What the Lord Has Done Look What the Lord Has accomplished Don't Be Afraid Jeremiah and I'll I'll close with this passage Jeremiah was called to speak but he was afraid Jeremiah 1:4 s said since the word of the Lord came unto me saying before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee God's had a plan for us all along and before thou camest forth out of the womb I Sanctified thee and I ordained thee a prophet unto the Nations then said I oh Lord God behold I cannot speak for I'm a child but the Lord said unto me say not I am a child for Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee and whatsoever I command thee Thou shalt speak please notice verse eight he said be not afraid of their faces man there's a lot of faces in this world that are scary but I'm here to tell you you can say Look What the Lord Has Done I'm anticipating because what he has done what he's going to do he said don't be afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee sayeth the Lord and here it is then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth and the Lord said un him behold I have put my words in thy mouth see I have this day set thee over the Nations and over the kingdoms to root out to pull down to destroy to throw down to build and to plant there's walls that God has already given us to fall if we will take them on the reputation of What the Lord Has Done I would open this altar I wonder if someone would like to come tonight and say Lord I'm going to be a positive voice I'm going to listen to the positive voice the Salvation voices the healing voices I refuse to allow the enemy to restrict me or direct me away from what you've called me to do could we come praying and believing as the praise team leads us in song Let's Love the Lord Jesus I love you Jesus I praise you God you're above all savior you're above all God I Repent of every time I've loud a negative voice to prevent me from doing what you've called me to do Lord I repent for not fulfilling your promise and Lord I promise unto you this night I will be a positive voice in this world of negativity Lord I'll speak about you I'll tell OF your reputation Lord I'll honor your presence I give you praise for all you've done Hallelujah yes Lord yes Lord hallelujah his name is great yeah his name is B them all yeah all glory your name stand [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] angly holy forever [Music] sing [Applause] [Music] itly Holy hly sing that once again sing that once again yeah is the highest your name is the greatest your name stand above them all all all power and position your name stands above the [Music] Angels oh holy [Music] creation hly You [Music] [Applause] Are Holy Holy forever would you lift your hands and love Jesus right now thank you savior thank you Savior for all you have done Lord let me go from this place to exalt all you have done let your reputation and your power be represented in everything we do thank you Lord Jesus we praise you we worship you in Jesus name Hallelujah