Sunday Morning Worship Service
by Mark McCool
First Apostolic Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 2 Chronicles 15:2, 2 Chronicles 15:3, 2 Chronicles 15:4, 2 Chronicles 15:16, 2 Chronicles 15:19, Jeremiah 8:20, 2 Corinthians 6:1-2, Philippians 3:13-14, Acts 1:8, Luke 14:23, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Galatians 5:16-17, Galatians 5:25-26, Galatians 6:1, Mark 11:24-26, Galatians 6:6-10

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/mark-mccool--sunday-morning-worship-service-39
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 this morning. The book of Ecclesiastes, the third chapter. Passage that uh we have read from, I'm sure, many times. And a great guidepost, but I want to revisit uh this passage of scripture, Ecclesiastes 3. We'll read a few verses, so please stay with me. Beginning with verse number one, "To everything there is a season. Time to every purpose under heaven. Time to be born, a time to die. Time to plant, a time to pluck up that which is planted. Time to kill, a time to heal. Time to break down, a time to build up. Time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to mourn, a time to dance. Time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together. Time to embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. Time to get, a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. A time to love, a time to hate, a time of war, and a time of peace." The very first verse said, "To everything there is a season." So this morning I would speak to you on this subject, it is your new season. It's your new season. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, thank you for allowing us to gather together on this wonderful day that you've made. God, I thank you for your many blessings, for your provisions. Lord, and we thank you most of all for the guidance that your word gives us and directs our paths to salvation. Now God, let us receive your word this morning. Let it go deep into our heart, not of anything that I can say or do, but Lord, of your anointed word that fills us and teaches us and guides us. Lord, we're grateful and thankful. In your precious name, the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen and amen. It's your new season. The change of seasons indeed has special significance for many diverse reasons. That term season, if you define it, has a couple of definitions. One simply says a division of the year. And then another says a special period. If you look up the etymology, it comes from the word season comes from a Latin word sentio, which actually means action of sowing, the action of sowing. Well, with all of that background, I would tell you this, as of Friday, March the 20th at 10:46 a.m. Eastern Time, spring officially arrived in East Tennessee. Go ahead and give the Lord a great big hand. I'm thankful for that. AND CONSIDERING WHAT LAST week was like, does anybody recall the snow showers and 21° last Monday? Thank you, Lord, for 75° and the arrival of spring. Thank you, Lord, that the snowstorms are likely, I said likely, abated for this season. But you know, the term SEASON HAS A LOT of different messages. And retail sales, they'd like to talk about the Christmas season. THAT'S THEIR CASH COW. IT'S SEASONAL spending that takes place. In the job market, there are some jobs that are seasonal jobs. Yard work, mowing grass, shoveling snow, that's all seasonal work. There's seasonal clothing, coats versus short sleeves. Seasonal fabrics, linen versus wool. In athletics, hope springs eternal when a new season begins. Bishop brought it to my attention several years ago, and I'm always reminded of it. In athletics, before the season starts, everybody thinks they're number one. He noted that if you watch the season opener in most athletic events in collegiate athletics in particular, when the teams come on the floor or on the field at the beginning OF THE SEASON, ALL OF THEM ARE HOLDING UP NUMBER one proclaiming, "I'm number one." Haven't accomplished a THING YET. BUT THAT HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL BECAUSE it's a new season. I'm sure any of you who have in any way been aware of athletics nationally in the past few days know that there's something going on called March Madness. And I I've heard athletes and coaches alike make the statement that this regular season is over. It's a new season of tournament, to which some their season has already ended, and others are in prayer that their team will make it to the Sweet 16. So there are yet others that are already proclaiming, "Wait till next year. Wait till next season." Yes, in agriculture, there are seasonal things that take place and our scripture bore that out. Growing season and reaping season. And also in life, there are seasons of life that are affected by your maturing from youth to aging past what is sometimes called the prime of life season. But whatever season you may be facing, let me speak to all in this house. It is most important to identify the season of life that you have when it comes to the season of serving God. Above everything else, this is the season that we should give the most heed to and the most attention to. In 2 Chronicles, the 15th chapter, we read of a king who has inherited a kingdom that has been ruled by those who were unfaithful to God and who had not followed God's precepts. In 2 Chronicles 15:1, we read in the spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa. Asa is the king of Judah. And said unto him, "Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you be with him." Now, that's a pretty simple statement. The Lord will be with you if you'll be with him. And if you seek him, he will be found of you, BUT IF YOU FORSAKE HIM, he will forsake you. Now, I know this is a prophet, and this prophet is giving Asa a word from the Lord, but I'm going to tell you that's not just a real deep statement. That's pretty COMMON SENSICAL. IF YOU'LL BE WITH THE LORD, THE LORD WILL BE with you, BUT IF YOU FORSAKE HIM, HE'LL FORSAKE YOU. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID. BUT YOU SEE, THAT SIMPLE STATEMENT was profound to Asa because he was ruling over a kingdom that was in THIS CONDITION. VERSE 3 SAYS, "FOR A LONG SEASON, ISRAEL HAS BEEN WITHOUT THE TRUE GOD, WITHOUT A TEACHING PRIEST, and without law." You're talking about a long season. WHEN YOU EXIST WITHOUT A TRUE GOD, without anybody speaking spiritually into your life, and without the freedom that comes with obeying God's law, you've had a long season. It's been a season of a lot of trouble and a lot of issues and a lot of losses. If you look into the history of 2 Chronicles, the 15th chapter, you'll find in the previous chapter, BECAUSE ASA HAD STARTED reforms in his kingdom, God was already giving them victories. They had had an enormous victory over the Ethiopian rulers who he they had dealt with and attacked, and Oded was now or the son of Oded, Azariah, was now confirming that what you've been doing is correct. He was saying, "Keep on keeping on. There's a new season IN YOUR LIFE. THERE'S A NEW HAPPENING. GOD IS STARTING TO BLESS YOU, AND YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THE FRUITS of being obedient to the true God and listening to the voice of a teaching priest and following God's law. If you read about it, and I won't take the time to read the entire two chapters, but allow me to paraphrase and give you the highlights. During this time, Asa was cleaning up what Rehoboam and Abijah had messed up as kings. He was taking leadership of Judah, who was separated from Israel, the north and the south. And this prophecy of Azariah became a guidepost to him that the Lord will be with you while you're with him. So, here's some of the things that he did. Scripture tells us, if you read through it, that inspired by this prophecy, he removed and destroyed and burned idols throughout Judah. He conquered areas of Ephraim. And if you read 2 Chronicles 15:4, it said this, "But when they, in their trouble, did turn to the Lord God of Israel and sought him, he found of them. He was found of them, rather. And in those times, there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in. There was turmoil all around and turmoil in the kingdom." And it said, "BUT GREAT VEXATION WHEREUPON ALL the inhabitants of the country." And God started doing a work around them, and it said, "And the nation was destroyed of nation, city of city. God did vex them with all adversity." Asa saw that there was a need to renew the covenant that God's people had had with him. So, he called for a large assembly in Jerusalem, and scripture tells us that they sacrificed 700 cattle and 7,000 sheep, promising to seek the Lord with all their hearts. And in turn, God would give them rest from the turmoil around them. And stay with me. I want you to understand the season, the long season that they were coming through. Because there had not been a true God in their midst. It didn't say there hadn't been gods, because research will bear out there'd been false gods. There'd been idle gods in their existence to the point Asa had to take action against his own mother, who was the queen at that time. In 2 Chronicles 15:16, we read, "And all concerning also concerning Maacah, the the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove, and Asa cut down her idol, stamped it." Now, if you don't know what stamped it means, that means in our East Tennessee language, he stomped it. He didn't just cut it down, he put a foot on it. He flattened it out. And then, AFTER THE ALL THAT, HE BURNED IT AT THE BROOK KIDRON. HE WANTED THERE TO BE A SIGN THERE'S NO EXCEPTIONS. IF MAMA IS STILL AN IDOL WORSHIP, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THIS THING. WE'RE GOING TO DESTROY IT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW THIS. IT SAID, "THE HIGH PLACES WERE NOT TAKEN AWAY OUT OF ISRAEL. NEVERTHELESS, THE HEART OF ASA WAS PERFECT IN ALL HIS DAYS. And he brought into THE HOUSE OF GOD THE THING THAT HIS FATHER HAD dedicated and that he himself had dedicated, silver and gold and vessels." And notice verse 19, "And there was no more war unto the 5 and 13th year of the reign of Asa." Asa's willingness to reform and re-covenant with God, his willingness as a leader to listen to a prophetic word, and instructions brought about a new season in his life. So, I give you that history lesson today to ask you what season are you in in serving God? There are some under the sound of my voice, I fear it might be said of you're serving God for a long season, you've been without a true God in your life. You have not had a teaching priest. You haven't had a man of God speaking into your life from the word. And you have not been putting your life under the laws of God, which allows you the ultimate freedom of living. And let me never mistake, I didn't misspeak when I talk about the freedom of the law. Law does not restrict the law-abiding. Law restricts the lawbreakers. Law brings freedom. Being obedient to the word of God and living in obedience to the word of God does not restrict you. It gives you ultimate freedom. Again, I'll give my my well-worn example. When we proceed down the interstate and we see those signs that say 65 on the interstate, man, if I set my cruise control on 65, I feel so comfortable. If I see one of those cream and black SUVs that says state trooper on it, I feel so good. The law has given me the freedom to drive at that speed. But if I feel like I'm so important, I've got to be ahead of everybody else, and I bumped it up to 69 in my mind thinking, "Well, surely they'll allow me four." And then, on top of that, I'm just flowing with the traffic, so I'm just going to get a little heavier with my right foot. If I see one of those cream and black SUVs in the middle of the road, brake check. WHY? BECAUSE ALREADY I KNOW I'M IN VIOLATION OF THE LAW. NOW, surely you know I'm speaking hypothetically. Lord, forgive me. YOU SEE, THE LAW GIVES US FREEDOM. THE LAW DOES NOT RESTRICT US. TOO MANY THINK THAT GOD'S LAWS are written TO LIMIT OUR FREEDOM. IT'S JUST THE OPPOSITE. WHEN WE PUT OURSELVES UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE TRUE GOD, THE PREACHED WORD, and the LAWS OF GOD, WE SUDDENLY HAVE ULTIMATE FREEDOM IN CHRIST. WE HAVE SOMEBODY HEAR ME TODAY. YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR REAL FREEDOM? PUT YOURSELF UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE TRUE GOD. LISTEN TO THE PREACHED WORD OF GOD. LET THE WORD OF GOD TEACH YOU AND GUIDE YOU. THERE'S SOME FREEDOMS THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ENJOYING. LISTEN, GET OUT OF THAT LONG SEASON. I CAME TO PROCLAIM TO SOMEBODY TODAY, IT'S A NEW SEASON FOR YOU. YOU HAVE A NEW SEASON OF LIFE. IT'S TIME TO START OVER. YOU SEE, SOME procrastinate thinking, "Someday I will commit to the true God. I will find me a place and listen to the word of God preached under the anointing. I'll someday put my finances under the passages of scripture that we read on tithing. I'll put my behaviors and my lifestyle under the holiness that God so beautifully gives us as guideposts. But not today. I'm going to procrastinate." Here's what Jeremiah said about those seasons. Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 8:20, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we're not saved." Don't you put off salvation another day. Too many have lived multiple seasons of their lives without God's direction, and now they're entering the fall and winter seasons of their life, and still they're not saved. Ecclesiastes, our text, gave us a litany of things that it's time to do. But I submit to everybody in the house and all that would listen, right now is the time to start a new season. If you haven't been serving God, today is YOUR SEASON. SECOND CORINTHIANS 6:1 SAID, "WE THEN, AS WORKERS TOGETHER WITH HIM, BESEECH YOU also that you receive not the grace of God IN VAIN." GOD'S GOT his grace for you. He wants to FORGIVE YOU, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO STEP OUT AND START A NEW SEASON. FOR HE SAITH, "I HAVE HEARD THEE IN A TIME ACCEPTABLE, AND IN THE DAY OF SALVATION I HAVE SECURED THEE OR ENCIRCLED THEE." GOD WANTS TO PROTECT YOU. HE WANTS TO BE YOUR TRUE GOD. HE SAID, "BEHOLD, NOW IS THE ACCEPTABLE TIME. BEHOLD, NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION." NOT NEXT WEEK, NOT AT A MORE CONVENIENT TIME. TODAY IS YOUR DAY OF SALVATION. IT'S TIME TO START A NEW SEASON. AREN'T YOU SICK OF WHERE YOU'VE BEEN LIVING? AREN'T YOU SICK OF THE TROUBLE YOU'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH? I'VE GOT A JESUS TO GIVE YOU TODAY. YOU CAN START AN OLD NEW SEASON. YOU CAN START OVER. OH, HALLELUJAH. OH, BUT PREACHER, WHAT ABOUT MY FAILURES, MY LOSSES IN THE PAST? PHILIPPIANS GIVES us direction. For Philippians 3:13 said, "Brethren, I count not MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED, BUT THIS ONE THING I DO, FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND." FORGET ABOUT WHAT LAST SEASON. FORGET YOUR INJURIES. Forget your sufferings. FORGET YOUR LOSSES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WINS. FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND. YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE PAST. AND REACHING FORTH UNTO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEFORE. I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK OF THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS. You can't change the past, but you can start a new season with a record with zero losses. There's some things we must eliminate from our new season if we would be victorious in Christ. Old grudges, old injuries, old memories. Oh, BUT BROTHER MCCOOL, THEY NEVER MADE THINGS RIGHT WITH ME. DON'T LET SOMEONE ELSE MAKE YOU a loser and ruin your new season. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER THEY FORGAVE YOU OR NOT. YOU FORGIVE THEM AND GO ON INTO A NEW SEASON, AND LET GOD GIVE YOU VICTORY AFTER VICTORY AFTER VICTORY. FORGET WHAT THEY DID. IT DON'T MATTER WHAT THEY DID. THEY CAN'T MAKE YOU A LOSER IF YOU'LL FORGIVE THEM. YOU SEE, IF YOU WOULD not think me too carnal, I hear in these new seasons these athletic coaches talking about the importance of a new season is to have good recruiting. Let me tell you, in this new season, we all ought to be better recruiters. Acts 1 and 8, Jesus said, "But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me in both Jerusalem and all Judaea and Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth." We should determine in our heart, if we're going to start a new SEASON OF OUR LIFE, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BETTER WITNESSES AND BETTER SOUL WINNERS IN EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. WE WILL AGGRESSIVELY RECRUIT THE LOST TO FIND CHRIST. DON'T YOU BE AFRAID. DON'T YOU BE ASHAMED TO BE A SOUL WINNER. JESUS WENT ON TO SAY IN LUKE THE 14TH CHAPTER, "AND THE LORD SAITH UNTO THE SERVANT, GO OUT IN THE HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES, AND COMPEL THEM TO COME IN THAT MY HOUSE MAY BE FULL." IT SHOULD BE OUR DESIRE, AS WE START A NEW SEASON, THAT WE COMPEL, WE DRIVE, WE FORCEFULLY urge an irres- with an irresistible force to bring others to Christ. And I must also understand in this new season, just as Asa developed new procedures and revisited the covenant of Christ that we have today, I myself will personally develop some disciplines in my life that I might be victorious in a new season. Second Corinthians 7:1 said, "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Just as Asa cut down groves, he stamped out or stomped out idle gods and burned them. There's some things for us to be victorious that we've got to clean up on our own. God covenanted with them. He said, "If you'll be with me, I will be with you." But there were some things he had to do. We need to take inventory in our lives and make sure there's no thing left from a losing season. We should have a fresh desire for removing filthiness of the flesh and perfecting holiness. It didn't say we need to to perfect us, we need to perfect holiness. If you'll perfect holiness in your life, it will make you a more perfect individual. Galatians said it this way, "This I say then, walk in the spirit." You see, there's too many want to visit the spirit at scheduled church service, but they don't want to walk in the spirit. Walking in the spirit doesn't just happen on Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night worshiping the word. Walking in the spirit starts on Monday morning. Walking in the spirit means you're walking in places that the spirit does not seem to be the popular PLACE TO WALK. THIS I SAY THEN WALK IN THE SPIRIT AND YOU SHALL NOT fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things THAT YOU WOULD. GALATIANS SAID IF WE LIVE IN THE SPIRIT, LET US WALK ALSO IN THE SPIRIT. LET US NOT BE DESIROUS OF VAIN GLORY, PROVOKING ONE ANOTHER and envying ONE ANOTHER. OH GOD, GIVE ME A FRESH HEART NOT TO BE PROVOKING OTHER folks to anything but the love of Christ. It seemed that there are a few that walk around. They're looking for controversy. They're looking for a way to provoke something. It doesn't matter if they're sitting at a red light and they're anticipating it turning green. They'll start honking their horn just to provoke somebody. Can I get a witness in the house? They act like they don't believe the folks at a check out counter are human beings. They want to be just as rude as they can be. They They provoke anger. They think the world is about them. Let me tell you folk, the world isn't about you specifically. The world's about us together serving God. And you see many times the non-spiritual things. Listen, your preacher's going to keep preaching on this because outside the doors of this church is where we have that ultimate opportunity to win others in a new season of life going WITH A FRESH IDEOLOGY. YOU SIT DOWN I I I've said it before but I'll repeat it. I've determined in my life if I go into a restaurant, I'm either going to leave a tip or an offering. If I get good service, I'm going to leave a tip. If my service isn't so good, then it's going to be a free will offering cuz I don't know what that little person's been going through. And if I'LL BE A BRIGHT PART OF THEIR DAY, YOU never know what opportunity I may have to win them to the Lord. You mean you want TO WIN THE WAITRESS TO THE LORD? YOU COTTON CHOPPING RIGHT I DO. YOU YOU WANT TO WANT TO WIN THE CHECKOUT WORKER TO THE LORD? YOU BETTER KNOW I DO. GOD, IF YOU'LL OPEN THE DOOR, IF I'LL BEHAVE MYSELF. HEAR ME IN THIS HOUSE. WE'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A NEW SEASON IN OUR LIVES TO BE SOUL WINNERS, TO WIN THE LOST WITH OUR KINDNESS. THANK YOU, JESUS. THANK YOU, LORD. Galatians Well, let me let me back up. This new season that we live in, we must have that that season of forgiveness and restoration. Galatians 6:1 said, "Brethren, now, that's not that's not gender specific. Galatians is the church. He's speaking to the church. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, go online and tell everybody you know every sorted detail about the fall that person has taken. Call everybody you can, even if they don't have a cell phone, call their old landline. No. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fall, ye which are spiritual. Oh, I'm so spiritual. Woo, hallelujah. Look at my angel wings. IF YOU ARE SO SPIRITUAL, RESTORE SUCH A ONE IN A SPIRIT OF MEEKNESS. I'M NOT GOD. I CAN'T FORGIVE SIN, BUT I CAN RESTORE MY FELLOWSHIP. I DON'T FELLOWSHIP SIN. I DON'T CONDONE SIN, BUT I CAN LOVE SINNERS AND TELL THEM YOU CAN BE RESTORED IN CHRIST. NOW, THIS statement comes with some opportunity to make sure that you're not that perfect person. For it said, "Considering thyself." Uh-oh. HE SAID, "RESTORE SUCH A ONE IN THE SPIRIT of meekness meekness considering thyself lest thou also be tempted." You're capable of a fault. You're capable of being overtaken with a fault. No, I'm too perfect. No, see you've already started lying. You're You're just not that good. You still have flesh. This is a NEW SEASON. I DON'T WANT TO START OFF WITH A LOSS. LET ME HAVE A SPIRIT OF RESTORATION. GOD WILL DO THE FORGIVING. GOD WILL GIVE ALL THE INSTRUCTION. GOD, DON'T MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS TO TELL EVERYBODY ELSE ABOUT SOMEBODY'S FAULT. SAID, "CONSIDER YOURSELF." IT'S A NEW SEASON OF RESTORATION. It's a season of forgiveness. Mark 11:24 said, "Therefore I say to you, what things soever you desire when you pray, believe that you shall receive them and you shall have them." Whoop, I like that promise. Man, I IF I WHATSOEVER I DESIRE. FIRST OF ALL, YOU WON'T DESIRE THE wrong things if you're walking in the spirit. BUT VERSE 25 SAID, "AND WHEN YOU STAND PRAYING, COMMA, FORGIVE." DON'T YOU PRAY like the Pharisees prayed. When they stood praying, they were throwing off on everybody God everybody else around them to God and trying to make themselves look good. Pharisees said, "Oh God, thank you that I pay my tithe. Oh God, thank you that that I'm not like this publican that's next to me." They He said, "When you stand praying, forgive." Oh God, let me have a forgiving spirit. Every time I STAND BEFORE YOU, GOD, BECAUSE I KNOW IF I DON'T FORGIVE, YOU WON'T FORGIVE ME. IF YOU HAVE OUGHT AGAINST ANY, THAT YOUR FATHER ALSO, WHICH IS IN HEAVEN, MAY FORGIVE YOU YOUR TRESPASSES. BUT IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER, WHICH IS IN HEAVEN, FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES. IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH THAT, PLEASE DON'T GET MAD AT ME. THAT'S GOD'S WORDS. HALLELUJAH. PRAISE team musicians, get ready. They'll think I'm going to quit if y'all will get up here. Galatians 6 stated this, "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap." There's a time to sow and a time to reap. Too many want to sow their wild oats and then pray for a crop While you're young, if you're in that season of life, think about consequences. Think about your future. Consider before you allow the flesh to enter you into a losing season without God, without guidance, without law. Be not deceived. God's not mocked. For whatsoever the man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. And here's the challenge. Even with a new season, a new season don't mean that life's going to always just be easy. There will be a wearing that goes along with doing what you're supposed to do. He said, "Let us not be weary in well doing." Man, there is work that goes along with doing well. Doing well requires sacrifice. Doing well requires many times swimming upstream against the popular ideologies of the flesh. Doing well sometimes means doing right when others seem to be all around you getting by with doing wrong. Let us not be weary in well doing. For in due season, there is another season coming. It's the new season. We shall reap if we faint not. Stand with me. For verse 10 then states this, as we have therefore opportunity. You got an opportunity to start a new season today. If we have therefore as we have rather therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men. Especially unto them who are of the household of faith. You want to start out doing good? Do good to your brothers and sisters. Get along with your brothers and sisters. How can you bless those that you don't know when you don't bless those that you do know? We have an opportunity. He said, "You get to start over. You get a fresh start." You see last Sunday when we baptized four precious souls, you know what that was? That was a restart. That was a new season. They were starting new season. IF YOU'RE IN THIS HOUSE and you haven't been serving God, you've never repented of your sins or you haven't been baptized in the name of Jesus, you haven't been filled with the Holy Ghost evidence with speaking with tongues. Let me tell you, today is the day of salvation. Today is the day you can start a new season. We're going to open the altar in just a few moments. But we're not just opening the altar for those who have not repented. For all of us should die daily and have a repentant heart. There is not a time that we should feel like there's no need to step to an altar of repentance and renew and say, "God, I need to be refreshed. I need to be restored. I I need to be forgiven." So I would ask you to take inventory of your own life. What season am I in? Am I allowing the true God to order my steps? Am I listening and seeking truth teaching and preaching? Preacher, are you talking about yourself? Paul said, "I magnify my office. It's not of my intellect or rhetorical prowess, for it is limited. But the constant making ourselves available to truth preaching and teaching. Two, putting our lives under the authority and the direction of those who walk in all truth. And then finally placing our lives under the authority of the law of God. Let me do this. Whatever season you're in, I would ask you to step out this morning and gather around the altar for a season of prayer to say, "God, I want my life to be fresh. Start me over. Make me new. Let me start fresh in you." Would you come as the praise team leads us in worship? Let's talk to the Lord with a season of prayer this morning. Let's love him together right now.