Sunday Evening Worship Service

oh we were singing the song and we were talking about praising we were talking about worshiping we were talking about leaping for joy and we were saying yes it's not just the public proclamation it's not just empty words it's an action it's an expression [Applause] now why don't you respond to what that song is talking about when somebody in the house sleeps for joy just a little bit will somebody in the house give him the worship and the praise hope that he is [Music] of his people and he is here tonight for whatever you have need of thank you praise team and musicians i'm all over the place here that's all right when you start jumping and worshiping your might your lapel mic might fall off that's all right david danced out of his clothes and i danced out of my lapel mic so we'll leave it at that you can make your way back to your seats thank you thank you thank you praise team and musicians can we give them a great big hand [Applause] i hope i hope we fully understand just how blessed how blessed we are with just the greatest musicians and singers and technical staff they're working all hours throughout the week in preparation for our services and what a blessing it is just to come in and we're blessed so much because of them and i i honor every single one of them the sacrifices they make and all the all the time of preparation they do just an amazing job did pastor whitley preach this morning my goodness what an incredible word and i'm going to be referring to him uh quite a bit tonight and i feel like we're just in you know usually him and pastor or bishop gets up and they're like man we when we were in preparation it's like we preached the same thing and and that just never happens to me if they're preaching about holding on i'm getting up that night talking about letting go or if you know and uh so but tonight i feel like it's just in in great harmony with what pastor whitley preached about this morning and i'm and i'm glad i'm glad for that for that confirmation because usually it's like man i'm gonna have to rework this a little bit god i hope i hope and study but if you have your bibles turn with me to the book of mark chapter eight and we're going to read verses 22 and 20 23. again i want to say what an honor it is to have haley here with us uh we just so i'll give her another hand clap moved here if you weren't here this morning from pastor dj shoulders church uh in nashville i got to be in their camp just a few weeks ago when we had just an absolutely uh awesome time and got connected with so many as pastor whitley spoke about and preached about this morning you know ministry and i love camp meetings and i love conferences and they're great and and don't misquote me or misinterpret me but they're they're so far removed from what ministry truly is and it it it's the daily walk of his saints that are the the greatest sermon and uh obviously you aspire to to preach out and preach camps and preach rallies but uh you get to camp and there's that that pressure which you shouldn't be feeling but there are souls and students on the line that it might be their only opportunity to ever hear the word of god go forth uh students that come from uh all kinds of people even in this congregation all kind of different situations and all kind of different backgrounds coming in to his house with needs and i i just want you all to know it's the greatest honor and privilege for me to preach this great word to you and please overlook the speaker but i don't take it lightly and it's it's a it's it's an a it's it's very humbling and i just want you all to know that i i love all of you all so much and you all are just the greatest congregation in in the world and it's just an honor to be a part and serve with this fantastic body and in in times that we've dealt with over the past year and all of the different uncertainties and all the different tragedies first apostolic church just continues to step up in so many different diverse ways and it's it's very humbling and i just feel truly truly blessed to be a part mark 8 chapter chapter mark chapter 8 verse 22 and 23 it says and he cometh to bethsaida and they bring a blind man unto him and besought him to touch him talking about jesus touching him and he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town everybody say let him out one more time because it just sounds sound good led him out out of the town and he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him and he asked him if he saw god for a few moments this evening i want to preach to you on the subject of get out of your box step out stay out and dive in just where you're seated at if you would just lift your hands right there on the pew and let's pray over this word tonight mighty god we thank you lord with a great deal of gratitude we enter your gates and your courts with thanksgiving and praise thanking you for the opportunity you have given us to assemble here together lord i thank you for your presence and the move that's already taken place in this house ushered in by the great singing and the great playing and all the preparation we're so grateful tonight lord i thank you for every single person here i thank you for the ministry that they have their creative ministry that you've called them to do in their own special way lord as your word goes forth tonight let it empower someone to take that next step in you let us not get content but let us move forward from glory to glory in jesus name we pray amen look at the person next to you and say get out of your box maybe don't growl i don't know why i did that we've all heard that cliche before that that statement really get out of your boxer think outside the box it's a metaphor that means to think differently unconventionally or from a new perspective or in our case a renewed mind and this phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking it's finding a way to get a job done in a quicker manner a more efficient manner jeff foxworthy once said sometimes you've got to wreck your truck to get the insurance money so you can make the truck payment that's that's not what i'm talking about tonight as we talk about thinking outside the box but i i want you to think as i define what we're talking about what are the boxes that you live in and are set for yourself i have a small prop here of a box in a state's paradigm on the front of it and a paradigm expresses our basic view of life our basic view of church god it's our unspoken assumption about how things are supposed to be how things are supposed to operate and how might i ask you tonight this box compared to your worldview your paradigm how might it compare to your life a box has as you can see defined borders it has limitations such like our views of life and inside the box of our life inside our paradigm our the glasses for which we view the world if you will we think we know how god should work we we think we know what it should look like for god to do a mighty move in our life and and how he should do it we make assumptions we make set goals which aren't inherently a bad thing we we we try to scope out where we're going to go to college uh who we're going to marry what career fits us best what this timeline looks like for our lives i'll earn this amount of money before i get married and once we're married i'll have a child after two to three years or after we have saved this much money and i'm not talking i'm not speaking against setting goals or setting aspirations for your life certainly not but we can place limitations and expectations on our life that are below what god has called for us these plans can limit us because god's plan for our lives is not always what we have in mind and it's not always what we even consider to be possible a paradigm defined expresses our basic view of life church in god as i said it's the unspoken assumption about how things are supposed to be sometimes it is accurate other times it is not sometimes it can be because of the situation on the environment we came out of we hear sayings like that's just not in the cards for me i wasn't lucky enough to be dealt this particular hand and i will only be able to achieve a certain level measure of success or i will only be able to go this far in my ministry because you know i didn't come from this family or i don't have this particular skill it just wasn't in the cards for me or we'll make that statement it is what it is you know this is only as far as we can go this is only as far as i can go based on some type of limitation that has been placed or you have placed on your life and we all have boxes in our life maybe it's a vice that you turn to maybe it's a a group of friends maybe perhaps it's an addiction it could be your comfort zone it could be a relationship at a standstill your box could be a mistake that you made and you sought and you've received forgiveness but it still has those borders and it still has those chains on you for every time you begin to take a step forward that mistake rings loud in your mind and you're stuck inside a confined space maybe it's doubts maybe it's fear could be weariness whatever the case this box this paradigm of the view you view the world through will limit what god is able to do for you and though we have aspirations for something greater we can find ourselves falling back into the same routine we can find ourselves being content with the same mediocrity the same mundane boring box while never experiencing what god has truly called and planned for our lives albert einstein stated the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results we can make bold publican private proclamations but the implementation requires courage it requires trust and most of all faith in jesus christ and god wants to perform the miraculous in your life but you first have to take action and step out of the restraints that are holding you captive our key text mark 8 22 and he cometh to bethsaid and they bring a blind man unto him and besought him to touch him and he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town and when he had spit on his eyes and put his hands upon him and asked if he saw ought he looked up and said i see men as trees walking after that he put his hands again upon his eyes and made him look up and he was restored and saw every man clearly and he sent him away to his house saying neither go into the town nor tell anyone in that town we meet this text in chapter 8 of the gospel of mark in a time where in the preceding passages if you cross-reference the synoptic gospels jesus up to this point has healed a man with an unclean spirit jesus has healed simon's mother-in-law of fever and also many others who were sick on that day jesus had cleansed a leper jesus had healed a lame man jesus had healed a man with a withered hand jesus had calmed the storm jesus had healed a man overtaken by a demon jesus had healed a woman with an issue of blood who merely just reached up and with just the touch of her hand on his garment she was healed jesus raised jerry as his daughter from the dead and he said to that dead body talitha kumai meaning rise up damsel awake out of your sleep and she immediately began in walking jesus feeds five thousand with a small lunch jesus feeds another four thousand jesus walks on water but now we have jesus in chapter eight of verse mark coming down to bethsaida and while there people bring a man unto him to be healed of his blindness these people had heard about jesus and they were desperate and this man was desperate and these people bring a man unto him to be healed and at his voice nature has obeyed his command with his words the dead have been raised at his touch miraculous instant god-sized needs were met he supplied and satisfied their hunger in an instant instantaneous miracles deliverance at the snap of a finger but now jesus is in bethsaida and says before i even start my miracle before i do a work in your life before i give you a great blessing you have got to get out of the place where you are at i'm going to take you outside of the place that you have been dwelling in i'm going to take you to a place where you can receive your blessing it says he led him outside the town jesus says you've got to get out of that land you've you've got to go beyond the box you've got to get outside of the box you can't dwell in this place if you want my blessing then you must follow me and get outside of this box there needs to be a paradigm shift in your life this blind man's box with this faithless village he had grown up in it's not an indictment on him per se but this village jesus says message was an unrepentant one this village had borders of limitations low expectations the ingrained thought is that the citizens would remain in that place forever living in the conditions that they had inherited jesus said mighty works had been done there but there was still no repentance jesus said had had the works that were done there the the works that were done there were somebody that had those same works been done in sodom sodom would still be standing yet still we find this city it was a place as a commentary notes unimpressed with the works of jesus it was faithless it was immoral and it would breathe the life out of its residence certainly this man had little expectation for his life maybe everyone else just except for a few had some hope that if i can just get in the presence of jesus desperation will get you out of your box that thorn pastor whitley talked about this morning will put you on your knees in prayer and god help us if the blessings that he's so mightily given us god help us if those blessings are the very vehicle that take us out of the house of god god help us if we become unimpressed with the everyday miracles that he's already provided with god help us if i can come into a service and hear this mighty praise team and mighty choir and all these musicians go forth and i just sit back and oh that's a cute number guys and i'm not able to keep going okay desperation will get you out of your box desperation will make you worship it'll make you praise needs will get you out of your box our comfort zone and the acceptance of mediocrity can be our greatest enemy comfortability can be our greatest pitfall and it can be the state of mind where we will become unimpressed with the everyday miracles jesus says mr blind man i can give you healing i can provide you with deliverance from your infirmity i can bring the miraculous to your situation but you can't stay where you're at you've got to step out of that place that you're familiar with i know that you can't see but you have to trust me that i'm going to take you to a place where i am going to make you whole and completely heal your infirmity i'm going to leave you out of this town first and then i'm going to bless you but you've got to trust in me i know this is a place that's a boulevard of broken dreams it's a graveyard for hope it's the circle of friends you constantly are surrounded with i know it's no fault of your own but they are unrepentant and they are unimpressed and do not honor or recognize the great works that i have already done but i am ready to take you to another level but before i can you have to make a commitment right now you have to take some accountability right now you have to take authority over your life right now and take a step out and then i'm going to perform a miracle dwelling in a faith desolate immoral uninspired by jesus town will do a toll on your faith hanging out with faithless people hanging out with negative people people that don't worship people that don't pray fault finding people always having a complaint people will place limits it will place limits on your faith and it will place limits on your potential but when jesus leads you out and starts to do a work in your life when you lay those things down and you put them behind you when you step out of that box god is then ready to do the work but notice in this story still wants out of that town out of this faithful faithless village out of this box that he had been confined to up until this point just with the touch of jesus or at his voice or even his garment being tipped individuals were healed miraculously and they were healed instantaneously but this time jesus rubbed spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him and said do you see anything the blind man looked up and he said i see people but they're like trees walking and perhaps the man received a glimpse of what was to come maybe it was the beginning of this man's walk of faith there was notice a process to his restoration there was a plan for the miraculous jesus blessed him and jesus led him out but jesus wasn't done doing a work in his life sometimes the miraculous is going to take place in your life and it's instantaneously sometimes it's like pastor whitley said this morning god sends a loud booming voice down smoke and fire like moses on the mountain and sometimes it's a process where i only have vision just to take the next step but i'm trusting that jesus is leading me to a place where i can receive my healing sometimes the miraculous is instantaneous and sometimes my miracles have going to have to go through a process sometimes the process of the miracle is just as important as the answer because god uses it to change you and this miracle if you will was done in stages sometimes he leads you out and you don't have every answer but he gives you just enough vision to take that next step he gives you just enough vision that you have to rely on him for the next step in your life scripture says his word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my father and his voice and his word are uniquely intended to light your next step he doesn't require you or even want you to always see it all if you're here tonight and you're new and you you you haven't been walking with god long and you find yourself you've taken that next step you got you got baptized in his name and you kind of find yourself you might be feeling a little bit frustrated don't be frustrated tonight jesus has you right where he wants you just keep trusting in him keep having faith in him and he's going to illuminate your path and you're right in his will you're going to be like the blind man you i just see trees right now but you've got to ask him for another touch you've got to ask him for what that next step is you got to say jesus thank you for this blessing but i'm not going to be satisfied until i see clearly touch me again jesus i'll keep following you i'm not going to go back i see what you've already done in my life i know this town isn't a part of the plan and i'm stepping out of the comfort zone i'm stepping out of the familiar and i've only got this far but jesus i'm ready for more i'm ready for the next step and he asked jesus to touch him one more time and when he did his vision was clearly if you're here tonight and you find yourself a little bit frustrated you've stepped out and you don't know what your next step is you need to say tonight jesus just give me one more touch lord i need you to touch me one more time i'm committed to following you i have courage i have faith i trust in you lord jesus touch me again one more time [Applause] and jesus the second time laid his hands on his eyes and they're open and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly and he sent him home saying do not even enter the village he said you've got a new home and don't go back if you want to stay blessed if you want to live in the kingdom if you want to live in the miraculous you cannot go back to the place that i led you out of you can't go back to that faithless group of friends you can't go back to those things that are immoral in your life you can't return back to that addiction or that vice if you want to live in the miraculous you have to get out and stay out and not return to that place someone tonight needs to understand that you're never going to receive your miracle until you fully step out of those restraints and make that commitment that you're not turning back we have been given the gift and responsibility of free will that means you are in charge of your own life everybody say me you are in charge of your own life and you must take responsibility you must take accountability it's no one else's fault but our own we can't spend our life depending or waiting on anyone else to do it for you no matter how bad of environment you grew up in or no matter how good of one each and every one of us is called to make a decision and you must take action now second corinthians 6 17 says come out from among them and be ye separate then i will receive you then i will perform the miraculous in your life then i will show you my glory as followers of christ there are some places that we can't be around there's some friends we can't be around there's things we can't put before our eyes there's things we can't put in our ears if we want to live in what god has called us to be if you want to live in the moroccan you must leave some things behind and never go back the apostle paul said if i build again those things which i destroyed i make myself a transgressor joshua 6 26 says joshua laid an oath on them saying cursed before the lord be the man who rises up and rebuilds the city of jericho at the cost of his firstborn shall he lay its foundation and at the cost of his youngest shall he set up its gates after joshua and the israelites and god brought down the city of jericho joshua told all the people if anyone comes back here and tries to rebuild this city this wicked city that god tore down their firstborn is going to die all the way to the last and what do we read a king ahab took a pagan a couple hundred years later non-jewish wife by the name of jezebel and he even worshipped her false god bill and during his reign we read that they charged heal to rebuild jericho and in his days heel of bethel built jericho and he laid its foundation of the cost of abram his firstborn and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son sejub when you return to the box that god has called you out of when you return back to those things that god has delivered you from and has commanded you to step out of it is going to kill your blessings it's going to kill your ministry it's going to kill anything you plan to birth and you must be very careful when god calls you out and begins to do a work in your life and shows you the illuminates that next step when you come to a low place in your life when you come to a struggle in your life yes god has repentance god has forgiveness but when you turn back to those things it's like you're living your life in a hamster will not fulfilling what god has called you to do maybe you're here tonight and you recognize the need to step out of your box you want to go outside and beyond the constraints and you feel like you are doing every single thing possible to take that next step you have found yourself in a season of waiting but a waiting season doesn't mean it's a stagnant season and god is calling on someone tonight to keep doing what you're doing but do it with even more excellence and before you can go sometimes you have to wait but while you're in that season of waiting you can be preparing waiting is not intended to be passive no story in the bible exemplifies going beyond and outside the box more than the story of david david didn't just happen upon goliath one day and he got lucky by hitting him with his sling oh no it was years of preparation it was faithfulness in the task he had been given it was his maturity at a young age it was his dependableness he could be relied upon to complete a job in its entirety and thoroughly with excellent no job was viewed as minuscule every job he had been given was done with precision we pick up the story in first samuel 17 and we know the story of david and goliath but there are a few verses i want to highlight when goliath first appeared the three older brothers went out with their father to evaluate the giant and there was great uncertainty in the land there was chaos in the land but david was not dismayed by the distraction in verse 15 it says but david went and returned from saul to feed his father's sheep at bethlehem verse 17 and jesse said unto david his son david i know you're aware of everything that's going on in our land there's a giant that nobody wants to go out and fight your brothers are there every day your eldest brothers just soldiers but here's what i need you to do already tasked with sheep that he had been charged to take care of he says i need take now for thy brethren and efa of parched corn he gives him a list ten loaves run to the camp of thy brethren carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand and look how thy brethren prayer see how they're doing and take their pledge verse 20 david wasn't throwing a pity party for himself why am i why am i out there with the rest of the soldiers why didn't dad ask ask me to go out there i'm just with a few sheep and i i'm having to be the water boy here and take and take food out there to them oh no verse 20 it says and david rose up early in the morning notice the next it says and left the sheep with a keeper he had a job to take care of on top of another job but he wanted to ensure that the primary job he had been tasked with taking care of those sheep that it was covered and he had a keeper over them and he took and went as jesse had commanded him and he came to the trench as was going to fight and he shouted for the battle he was enthused he was excited he had passion verse 22 and it says and david left his carriage no doubt this was his father's this mode of transportation and david left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriages he wanted to ensure this thing that wasn't his that he had taken out to battle he wanted to ensure that it was being taken care of and he ran into the army just as his dad had told him to do and he came and saluted his brethren he showed proper authority and respect david asked what was going to happen to the man who defeated this giant philistine david's eldest brother became angry with david and said why did you even come down here who's watching the few sheep out in the wilderness tried to demean the task that he had originally been assigned with and he accuses david of being prideful and that he was just being a nosy immature brat by just coming out there trying to skip work and just he was going to see what was going on with the battle but though david was disrespected david did not show disrespect back he instead polished his resume and made a well versed debate an argument in front of king saul on his credentials and accolades on how he protected the sheep he had been given with everything in him he went before king saul and said thy servant kept his father's sheep and there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock and i went after him and i smote him and delivered it out of his mouth and when he arose against me i caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him thy servants flew both the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised philistine shall be as one of them seeing if he has defied the armies of the living god the lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paul of the bear he will deliver me out of the land of the philistine saul said unto david go he told this young shepherd saul who gets a bad rap often and he deserves it saul this king was so impressed with this young man this harpist who gave this well-versed argument on why he was capable on going out to defeat this giant he said i have protected the ministry that i've been given within everything in me if a bear or a lion tried to come attack i didn't just protect them i went after them to ensure that they were never going to come back i was given a task to come out and i gave i followed that list verbatim he had every tea crossed and every i dotted any task he had been given he rose up early in the morning he made sure the sheep were taken care of he made sure the carriage was taken care of whatever ministry you've been assigned to do you need to do it with absolute excellence if you're doing it the same way you did it yesterday you're not in god's will you need to be looking for means and methods to improve it you need to say how can i do this even better god you have given this to me and lord i want to fulfill this ministry and i want to fulfill this calling with everything in me if you approach your ministry oh it's just a few little sheep then god is not going to bless you but if you approach your ministry and say oh i get to take care of these sheep if a bear or a lion comes to try to attack them i'm going after them if i'm charged with taking the carriage to the camp i'm going to ensure that it is being taken care of if somebody gives me a list of food that i need to go out and deliver i'm going to get more than what they said because i'm going to exceed the expectation and when you're faithful over a few things god is going to make you ruler over a mini you can't defeat a giant if you can't take care of sheep if you're in the waiting game tonight and you're wanting to go beyond your box god is telling someone to the story of david be faithful over a few things there's been a great theological debate on why david picked up five stones all kinds of stuff you can read maybe some of it's true i think tonight he picked them up because he was prepared it might take i might can get him with one or it might take three or might take five i might have to pick up more but i think david picked up as much as he could carry i think he knew what the trajectory and the velocity would be i think he had practiced that shot a few times he didn't just walk out on the battlefield now you have to have god's help you can't do it on your own but god anoints preparation god anoints people that wake up early in the morning and knows how to get to work god anoints people that know how to roll up their sleeves and get the job done [Applause] we've got to step out of our comfort zone oh i would love to see revival what are you going to do about it i want to see miracles take place what are you going to do about it well if these people would do this or these people no what are you going to do are you going to pray are you going to fast what are you going to do oh they they they they them them them no what are you going to do are you a worshiper are you appraiser are you are you witnessing to others we got to take accountability oh and i know i'm preaching to the choir tonight but i'm not content i'm not satisfied with where we're at i think we can win more souls i think we can fill this building up even more i think we might have to have multiple services because everybody's not going to fit in one service oh i believe that tonight lastly we need to dive in and i got a video i want to show y'all real fast this is your 84 year old bishop at eleanor's birthday party 84 years old this is what we need to do tonight my favorite verse of scripture psalms 107 23 they that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters everybody say great waters these these are the people that see the works of the lord and his wonders in the deep i want you to know if you're here tonight under the sound of my voice if you're looking for a church to be comfortable in and just sit back and coast on in this is not the church for you is it it this is not the place but i believe if you're under the sound of my voice tonight here at fac knoxville your presence is already your response i believe that you have chosen to go beyond the box and set cell in the deep and dive into the deep water you're not content with waiting by the shore in ankle deep water hoping for a catch to come to you but i believe as a church body that we've made a commitment to go deeper you're not content with having to get out a microscope to see what you've caught stand with me but you know that the deeper the water the bigger the catch the larger the fish the greater the treasure it says they that go down to the sea in ships that do business in great waters is there anybody who wants to do business in great waters do you just want to get by and just kind of go with the motions and coast on in or do you want to do business in great waters they that go down to the sea and ships these are the people these are the people that see the works of the lord people that will get off the shore that will get out of their box and go out into the deep knowing that they are being led by a savior who wants to do something more in their life it's uncomfortable to go out into the deep storms on the sea are more severe out in the deep than on land the waves crash higher out in the deep the wind blows stronger out in the deep the deeper you dive the more intense the pressure becomes as pastor whitley spoke this morning so beautifully you want a great ministry you better get ready for a fight there's a great book called leadership pains it says the greater the level the greater the devil but who's going to come against a united body like fac knoxville nobody nothing no weapon no weapon and this is a church body con that it wants more this is a church body that has set sail out into the deep we've birthed churches mission works missionaries pastors dedicated saints musicians teachers singers artists christian professional business women and businessmen we look to those miracles and we we look to those people and tonight we're impressed by what jesus has done but at the same time we're not content because there is another generation coming on there is a people united for more there's more souls to be won [Music] we believe in the power of prayer we believe in the supernatural power of the holy ghost this church believes in miracles this church believes in signs and wonders and in order to experience these things in order to fulfill what god has called us to do in order for us to receive the miracle like the blind man we have to step out and stay reminded that we cannot get comfortable in the place that we are in we've been so blessed with so many different things but i remain impressed tonight for what god has done if every head would bow in every eye closed if there is a soul under the sound of my voice who identified with the first part of this sermon you found yourself in an environment that it just continues to constrain you it continues to limit you maybe it's doubt maybe it's fear maybe it's a group of friends i ask you like the man in our story if you would step out tonight and make your way to this altar jesus is talking to your night he said if you'll step out to this altar i have got a work for you but you've got to make that public proclamation to yourself that i'm going to lead you out of this place and if you'll step out i'm going to perform the miraculous in your life if you'll step out of those limitations that you or somebody else has placed on your life i'm ready to perform the miraculous next maybe you're in the waiting season tonight oh you've stepped out you've stepped out with a job you've stepped out as an entrepreneur you've made some you've taken some risks but you know god called you but you're asking him right now for another touch and say god i need to know what that next step is for my life i trust in you i'm not going back i'm doing everything i supposed to i'm waking up early in the morning every task i've been given i'm giving it a 100 i'm getting better today than i was yesterday but lord i need another touch from you and finally if you're committed to setting cell out to the deep if you want to see his wonders and his glory in the deep if you want more tonight why don't you step out and make a public proclamation to the enemy that i've stepped out of that place i declare miracles i declare signs i declare wonders to take place in jesus name the foundations are the same in every curse so foundations i shake in every case [Music] we [Music] genesis 5 15 says after this the word of the lord came to abram in a vision he said do not be afraid abram i am your shield your very great reward but abram said sovereign lord what can you give me since i remain childless and the one who will inherit who who will inherit my estate is it going to be eliezer of damascus and abram said you have given me no children so a servant my household must be the heir then the word of the lord came to him and said this man will not be your heir but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be heir and it says verse 5 he took him outside of his tent he and said abram i want you to step outside your tent and i want you to see the stars up there can you count them because that's what your blessings are going to look like but first you've got to get up you've got to step out and you just got to look up in the sky and say hey can you count those stars that's what your blessings are going to look like if you'll live by faith if you'll live by my word if you'll trust in me i'm going to give you blessings that you can't even count that you do not even have room enough to receive god is talking on somebody's heart right now you know exactly what you need to do you know exactly what you need to step out of you need to you know exactly the circles that you need to step out of and god is ready to perform the miraculous in your life and why don't you worship him and why don't you praise him and make that commitment tonight say lord i'm stepping out i'm putting complete trust i'm diving in nothing's holding me back i'm not just putting my foot in to test the water i'm stepping completely out and i'm putting my trust in it great things we know that you are willing and we see that you are able oh god really is your favor they believe [Music] we [Music] we believe as we close tonight we're embarking upon an incredible week of camp meeting pastor matthew ball is going to be ministering to us and this is going to be just an amazing time and we've got james wilson coming next sunday i believe this can be the week that we first apostolic church of knoxville not something new but the same thing that we've that we've been doing not being content that's how we got to where we are at but i want all of our senior saints to know that we're trying to do the same things you all did i want to have the same courage as they did i want to have the same tenacity that they had and i it's it's what a blessing it is to have such an amazing church body from generation to generation all united together like bishop diving in that pool we're diving in we are diving in and there's going to be giants come there's going to be giants come but we're prepared and we're coming and we're going to be prepared and we're coming in the name of the lord and god is going to pour out his spirit this week if you have a friend or a family member invite them this week and this can be the start of a new thing in their life because god has empowered you god has called you not to just save yourself but you go out and do his will that you go out and let your his glory be revealed to you you're dismissed in the beautiful wonderful most powerful name of jesus if there's somebody in the house who you haven't talked to before you haven't met yet go introduce yourself you're dismissed in jesus name