Sunday Evening Worship Service

And welcome everyone to Sunday evening worship here at First Apostolic Church, everybody in the house and those of you tuning in online as well. And as has been said, I want to echo the same sentiments in wishing all of our fathers a happy happy Father's Day. And I've got to say a special happy father's day to my father and my grandfather. I love you all dearly. Pastor Mcool and his tremendous message this morning. If you were unable to hear it, I encourage you to go back and look in the archives to hear that fantastic message. But he read the verse of scripture with the prompting uh show us the father and that shall suffice. If you give me a little bit of latitude with that scripture in asking the question of showing us, show us a father, I can truly say that you don't have to go any further than at First Apostolic Church. And I am a product of the great men of this assembly. I'm proud to say that I go to a church with a group of men who are unashamed to take their family into the house of God. unashamed to lift up their hands, unashamed to lift up their voices, unashamed to give their God praise, and our leaders in every capacity of their lives, in the community, in their family. And I just want you all to know that I love each and every one of you all. And it's a great honor to be a part of this great assembly. I want to say welcome again tonight to Sister Suzanne. This is the niece of the great late Elder Bishop Johnny James, often called the Walking Talking Bible. If you're not familiar with him, just get on YouTube and he will absolutely blow your mind. He We have such a special relationship with this family as Bishop spoke about this morning. Uh, Elder James ministered in our Easter service for upwards of almost 30 years. There's a picture of me on his lap at the barbecue restaurant when I was just three or four years old. And I a really special thing happened uh with he and Mama James. I when I met my wife Kelly, she's from Louisiana. I had told her about Elder Johnny James and she had heard of him and online. But when we got married, we were going on our honeymoon. And who did we see in the airport? Elder and Sister James. I will say, Sister James was showing him where to go. As as smart as Elder James was, he knew who to listen to. But we saw them and like Elder James does, he said, "Stop say no more. Let's have prayer right here." And he uh prayed over our marriage right there in the airport. And we're about to celebrate 10 years. So, we're still uh we're still making it, but uh the James the entire James family and we are we're about to be uh related to Ashlin and then uh brother James grandson. Uh but we love your whole family dearly. And what a pleasure and treat it is to have you uh with us on this Sunday uh service. I want to say welcome also tonight to Ryan and Angel back home in the house. I love you guys. Give them a great big hand. And Pastor and Sister Sloan, I love you all. Always a blessing to have you all here. If you have your Bibles, turn with me to 2 Kings chap 22 verse number 8. 2 Kings chapter 22 verse number eight. Just one key text for our reading tonight and we'll get right into it. 2 Kings 22 and8 states, "Then Hezekiah the high priest said to Shaperan the secretary, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord in the temple of the Lord." I want to speak to you for a few moments on the topic find the word. Find the word. If you would bow your heads across this house and let's pray over this word. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this very sacred day. Lord, we first off give you our highest thanks and our highest praise. Lord, I thank you for every individual that has made their way into your house tonight. Lord, you know the needs, the requests of all of those. And Lord, we know that we serve a God who never slumbers nor sleeps. And Lord, we lift all of our needs up to you and know that we're going to be ministered through your great word. We thank you and we praise you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. And amen. Find the word. In the arid landscape near the Dead Sea, the ancient settlement of Kumam stood as a testament to a community deeply devoted to the word of God. It's in these mountains that David hid from Saul. It's also where Jesus was tempted by Satan. But around the 2n century BC, a sect often associated with an aesthetic group called the retreated to this isolated place seeking purity, devotion, and strict adherence to the law. Their existence might have remained a historical footnote were it not for a remarkable event in the mid 20th century. In 1947, some 2,000 years later, a Bedawin shepherd boy searching for his lost goat stumbled upon a cave in the cliffs overlooking the Dead Sea. Inside, he found clay jars containing ancient scrolls, what are now referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls. And this discovery is nothing short of revolutionary. These scrolls, including portions of nearly every book in the Old Testament, are invaluable and the word itself. Between 1946 and 1956, you can see how modern the discovery is. In 11 known caves, there have been more than 800 documents discovered. A Hebrew university scholar, professor Eleazar Lipa Sukinik wrote about his experience opening one of these ancient scrolls for the first time. He said, "My hands shook as I started to unwrap one of them. I read a few sentences and it was written in beautiful biblical Hebrew. And I suddenly had that feeling that I was privileged by destiny to gaze upon a Hebrew scroll which had not been read aloud for more than 2,000 years. The scrolls provided invaluable insights into the transmission of the biblical text, the beliefs and practices of second temple Judaism and the historical context of early Christianity. The cost to acquire the scrolls such as these have a price tag that is beyond measure. One fragment of these scrolls is an estimated worth of 35 million or more. Just one fragment. However, the Dead Sea Scrolls are now valued as priceless. having a cultural value that cannot be expressed in monetary terms. The Dead Sea Scrolls unearthed from the caves of Kumran are valued as priceless treasures. And just as those scrolls were diligently sought and preserved, so too should we seek the word of God in our lives. When we truly find the word, when its truth resonates in our hearts, when the word of God guides our footsteps, it becomes truly a treasure that is beyond measure. It offers wisdom. It offers comfort. It offers eternal life, a priceless inheritance that transforms our earthly perspective. It shapes our very destiny and it enriches our souls beyond any earthly wealth. Our key text from second kings in the old testament talks about Hilkaya the high priest making a remarkable discovery finding the word not in a cave but while overseeing repairs taking place in the temple. Imagine losing the word of God in the temple. The temple, the very heart of worship, had fallen into despair. Years of neglect and years of apathy had allowed the house of God to crumble. Yet amidst the restoration efforts, a far greater treasure was unearthed. the book of the law itself. And I find it appropriate that the word was found during a restoration project. Restoration projects begin with disruption. Sometimes it's a natural disaster. Floods and fires and storms that tear down something that once stood strong. Other times it can be the result of an attack, damage inflicted by an enemy, leaving ruin in its wake. Sometimes nothing dramatic happens at all, but things simply get old. Cracks form and foundations weaken and what was once vibrant begins to fade. And in each case, the response is the same. Whether it was took place by an enemy or whether there was a natural disaster or whether something got old, restoration, repair is needed. And the same is true for our lives. There are moments when we're hit by unexpected storms of loss, pain, disappointment. Other times the enemy creeps in our lives with lies and fear or temptation breaking us down. Or maybe over time we've grown distant, spiritually dull, just going through the motions. But whatever the cause, we find ourselves in a need of renewal. In second Kings, during a renovation of the temple, workers stumbled upon something powerful, the book of the law. It had been lost. It had been forgotten. It had been buried under years of neglect. When it was read to King Josiah, it cut straight to the heart. He didn't just hear it, but it says he responded. There was a response upon hearing the word. It said he tore his clothes, his kingly attire, and he humbled himself to repentance, and he led a national revival. It It wasn't just something he heard and gave a little bit of a clap to, but there was a response when hearing from what was once buried beneath the rubble. a response, a reaction, the same words that we read 2,000 years postdiscovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, as the Hebrew scholars said. It I I begin to shake in my hands when I begin to read that living word. Sometimes God uses physical restoration to spark a spiritual one. As we repair the broken things around us, he invites us to look inward. What in your life, I ask you tonight has been neglected? Or what truth has been buried? May maybe it's not been 2,000 years since you got into his words, but maybe it's two years that you've began to incrementally digress from what God has called you to do. at a time in your life where you once had this passion and this spiritual discipline to really delve into his word every single day. You may now find yourself trying to wipe off the dust on the cover of the word of God in your life. Restoration isn't just about fixing what's broken. It's about renewing what was once alive. And like the temple, your heart is the dwelling place, the heart of worship for God. And it may need some cleaning. It may need some renovating. It maybe even needs a rediscovery of his word. It might have been by means of a natural disaster that took place beyond your own control. Or maybe it was something, an attack by the enemy that has left you shattered and torn. Or maybe you're here tonight and some things have just gotten stale. Some things have just gotten old and you you need a fresh fire to burn alive in your soul, a rediscovery of God's word, the the good news. restoration and renewal. The irony is striking. The word was there all along in the house in the temple, but it needed to be rediscovered and it took place during a restoration project. We must too seek out the word of God. And this word is priceless. It's more value than any monetary exchange. It gives us life. It gives us protection, restoration, salvation. And like the ancient temple, our lives can sometimes fall into despair. We neglect our spiritual foundation. And we give an invitation for sin and doubt and worldly distractions to erode our connection with God. And just as Hilkica found the word amidst the rubble, we must actively, we must respond, we must rediscover God's word. Search, seek, and find. We must prioritize our relationship with God. And this takes place by taking an assessment of oneself, not looking at somebody else and how they live their life or why they're making the decisions that they're doing. But it takes an internal evaluation and a selfassessment to start honestly assessing what my current relationship with God truly looks like. Is it a daily habit? Is it a facade and a costume that I put on on Sundays? Is Is it a smile that I wipe on my face in front of my family? Is it an occasional occurrence? Is it truly the source of my joy? Is it truly what I use to navigate and guide my life with? Am I committed to establishing a a consistent rhythm of scripture reading? This could involve setting aside a specific time each day. Do I truly value Do I truly do I truly value the liberty, the freedom, the the availability, the resource that God has given us? Am I a more apt to be like Peter and pull my the sword out and cut off the high priest's ear if somebody was threatening to to close our church down or keep us from having prayer meeting? But when I'm able to have prayer meeting, I got to take a few extra hours. I ain't going to make be able to make it there tonight. Are the blessings in my life, the comfortabilities in my life, the very transportation, the very vehicle that drives me right out of his presence. We have something in our lives that is absolutely priceless. The the guide map, the road, the answer to every situation in our life. the hope of eternal glory right here. But do we do I understand what I have? The Bible is the most accessible book in history. Printed Bibles, online versions, mobile apps. The word of God has never been more readily available. It's translated into more than 700 languages. It's estimated that almost 30 million Bibles were sold this year alone. With such accessibility comes great responsibility. What could possibly be our excuse? The problem for many is that familiarity breeds contempt. God's accessibility is a double-edged sword that we must be careful of. God provides us with the tool, but it's our choice whether we pick it up and open it up and whether or not we respond to the words that God has given us. Yes, the Dead Sea Scrolls in antiquity and in archaeological discovery are an amazing thing. And just between me and you, I wish I had one of those fragments of it for 35 mil that I could sell off. I would even take less for that. But the words on those scrolls are the same thing that you have in your hands. And there is no monetary value. There's not one thing in this world that could possibly even begin to estimate or justify what the cost is. and every single one of us have the availability to get in his word in the day or in the night time. I'm thankful for praise teams and choirs and songs. And yes, I believe in a response in worship to come down to the altar and to to kneel before God. And I'm for all of those things. and I'm for gathering together in assembly and iron sharpening iron when we get together and lift up our praises and we see the testimony of one another and it encourages us and it inspires us and I'm for all of those things. Every one of those forms of worship, every one of those acts of gathering together is absolutely important. But that's not my point tonight. And that's not the question I'm asking you. I also want you to know to not lose the excitement and not take for granted what you have in this book right here because there's answers in this book. And you're going to need this book when no one else is around. You need to know how to open this book and find a word in your life for every situation. Cuz you're going to find yourself when you're all alone. You're going to find yourself when the enemy is attacking. But can you open this book and can it call you to response? Throughout his ministry, the Apostle Paul demonstrated an unwavering passion for God's word. He believed that it was alive. It was active. It was powerful. capable capable of transforming hearts and minds. He always expected that when God's word was revealed that a person was set free. Many theologians believe and if you look at the places where the apostle Paul began to write many times in prisons on ships or his life under subject, you know, he was writing some uh under some pretty dire circumstances. Many theologians believe that as his letters would go out, he would ask those and he would command those that were going to read those letters, you don't just get up and read it like this and I'm writing from you from a prison, a dark prison, but everything's going to be all right. Many theologians believe that he kind of would get them and kind of coach them. You're going to deliver good news. you're going to deliver some news to some people that are bound. And it said that he would then inquire, how did the people respond when my letters were read out loud? How did the people respond when they heard that they've got a savior who got up from the grave? So, I want to ask you, 2,000 years later, do your hands get a little bit shaky when you begin to open this book? Do you have to have a cheerleader in the microphone? Do you have to have your favorite uh praise song on or it's not going to do anything? Or does does everything have to be going right? Or can you get in his book and say, "God, I need a word right now. I I know where to go for the situation I'm in. Oh, when I read your word, I get excited. There's no symbol being crashed there. There's no horn being blown. There's nobody shouting or clapping, but just your your word, God. Your word, God, cause me to respond. Your word, God, gets me excited. It's alive in my life. I need a word. I need a word. In the book of Luke, as we transition into the New Testament, the word came and dwelt among us, Jesus Christ. I want to be like Jesus. Good, good, good, good. Luke 4 tells us, we read of a pivotal moment in Jesus ministry. Returning to his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus entered into the synagogue on the Sabbath day as was his custom, as was his discipline, as was his habit. and he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Jesus unrolled it and said, "Finding the place where it is written, he knew exactly where to go." He said, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and the recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. It says Jesus found the place where it was written for his very life. And what he say after this today, the scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. Because if you look at what's going on, Jesus enters into the synagogue and they're nudging each other. Isn't this the carpenter's son? This old cat saying he's God manifest in flesh. Who does he think he is coming around us declaring that he's the Messiah? But he located it right in scripture saying, "You're not going to define me. You're not going to place all of these definitions on my life. You don't get to declare my identity. you don't get to declare my calling. He didn't let others and he didn't let the circumstances around him define him. He found himself in the word in the same way that you that declare I'm a Christian. I'm Christlike. I want to be like Jesus. If you want to be like Jesus, you need to get that word in your hands and you need to find a word. Because when the enemy comes around and tries to define you with shame and tries to define you with guilt and cast names on you that you're not good enough, you can say, "Satan, it is written. I know where to look. I found the place. This world is not defining me. I've got the living word of God in my hands." Does anybody need a word tonight? I wonder if anybody needs a word tonight. Do your hands begin to shake when you get your hands on this book? Does it still cause you to respond? Does it still get you excited? I wonder if there's somebody out there tonight who might be facing doubt that says, "I'm I'm going to get in his word." Maybe it's against weariness and you're saying, "I'm going to get in his word." Maybe it's against inadequacy or rejection or confusion. You need a word tonight. Does anybody need a word in this house? Maybe somebody needs to hear that you're dealing with loneliness and he said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." There's another one in the fire. You You're not going to go through this alone. Maybe you're dealing with a situation where all hope was lost. I want you to know if you'll get in the word, you serve a God who never slumbers nor sleeps. and he can part the waters. He can make a way when there seems to be no way. You need to put your logic to the side. You need to put your intelligence to the side and say, "God, I need a word." Musicians and singers come, maybe you need a word tonight against shame and false accusation. one word that we often quote, maybe if you go by Hobby Lobby, you'll see this painted, but we sometimes we only quote the beginning of it. It's it's still a still an impactful scripture. Oh, but when you get into his word and you read the entire verse in Isaiah 54:17, it says, "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." That's good. But sometimes we'll see dot dot dot. I guess that fits on the sign above the kitchen table a little better. But when you get into his word, it says, "And every tongue that rises against you in judgment, you shall condemn." Man, we need to make that sign a little bigger. Hobby Lobby might charge a little more, but I think it's worth it. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord. This is the covenantal promise. People may lie on you. They may twist your words. They may question your character. They may try to stain your name. But you serve a God who has already written your identity. And you are already vindicated in his word. The accusations of others don't change the truth about who you are in Christ. And I want to encourage somebody tonight. You need a resource, you need to get in his book and you need to find a word. You going through some dire circumstance, you need to get in his book and find a word. Oh, I want to see glory dust and and angel halos and some supernatural. What about God's everlasting word in your life? How revelatory would that be? How miraculous and supernatural would that be that you've got a book that's inspired and is the infallible word of God? I think that would serve pretty good. Stand with me. Stand with me. Jesus found the place where it was written and so can you. your identity, your strength, your purpose are discovered right here in the book. So when life shakes you, you need to go to the scroll. You need to find the place where it was written. Sometimes you might not always find it in the synagogue, in the ritual, in the custom, in the habit. Sometimes you're going to be like when Jesus went out into the wilderness and was tempted by Satan. But in this temptation, Jesus fasting, he said, "Satan, it is written." All of you medical care professionals and anyone that's ever been into been responded to by emergency personnel and they get to you as fast as they can if you're conscious and you're able to intelligibly speak. You know, they'll ask you what's going on and all. But even if they don't, they pick you up on that gurnie and get you in the ambulance and they get you to the hospital and there there's not a conversation about, hey, uh, we're going to put an IV in you if that's okay with you and, uh, we're going to check your vitals as as long as that. No, no, no. They're trained and they start delivering care for you based on the condition that you're in. and they begin to minister to you in all different capacities based on what the injury or based up what what what the illness is. You got a fire in your house, the these emergency personnel, the fire firemen don't come to the door and say, "Hey, uh, looks like the thermostat's rising a little bit. Uh, would you I see some flames. would you care if I came in and tried to put that out? He kicked down the door, whatever they got to do to to get in to minister to that individual. And that's what this word does. And when Jesus was out in the desert, he said, "Satan, it is written. It is written." And then the angels came and ministered to him. I want you to know that you're able to be ministered to tonight through the power of the Holy Ghost. And the Holy Ghost, it says it's a comforter and an advocate for things to you that you don't even know that you needed to pray for. Oh, when they when they take you into that hospital room and they start treating you and they start checking all your vinyls and putting the IV in and giving you a shot here and closing you up here, there's not a come. They just begin to minister to you because they know what you're going through. I want you to know tonight that whatever you're facing, you can be ministered to tonight through the Holy Ghost, through the word of God. And there's a word of God on your life. And that Holy Ghost is a promise, a promise to every single person. If you if you need a word tonight, I wouldn't wait another second. I would get to this altar. If you need healing, there's a word. If you need restoration, there's a word. Been lying on, there's a word. Sick in your body, there's a word. Need provision, there's a word. Need reconciliation, there's a word. There's a word. Find the word. Find the word. Find where it's written. Oh, and I'm going to respond. Oh, this is the day the Lord hath made. I'm going to rejoice and be glad in it. Deliverance is here. Healing is here. Salvation is here. Shame and guilt are gone. My sins are removed. There's a word. There's a word. Somebody get excited. Somebody get excited. There's a word. And if the one word is the only thing you speak, then I'm all going to take it for granted. I'm not going to take it for granted. Your word. Your word brings provision. Your word brings on the miraculous. I'm excited. I'm excited. I'm going to respond. It's going to get me through my everything. Oh God, you are my Oh, it's written. It is written. It is written. It's forever settled in heaven. God. Would you minister to somebody next to you right now? to say, "You're not going through this alone. We're in this together. We're in this together. Healing's here. Salvation is here. There's a word. There's a word. There's a word. There's a word. Oh, I found the word. Oh, it was right there in the rubble, but I'm picking it up. I'm picking it up. I'm opening it up. My hands begin to shake. My feet begin to move. My mouth begins to rejoice. I'm thankful for it. I worship for it. I praise you for it. Good news. Good news. Jesus is here. Jesus is here. I've come to set the captives free. I've come to touch the blind eyes. Bringing vision, bringing clarity, bringing healing. I found the word. I've heard it all. If I feel your heart, I still have it all. No treasure of this life. I satisfied God. You no weapon, no weapon, no weapon. Oh God, you are my everything. Oh God, you are my everything. What a God. What a God. What a God. What a God. In the highest place in the highest place. If you're facing doubt, he said, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. You are known and you are chosen. And I want you to say, "Doubt has no authority here." If you're battling weariness tonight, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew. Oh, does the word Does the word still get your attention? Shall renew their strength? Exhaustion doesn't define you. Renewal is promised. Maybe you're facing inadequacy. In second Corinthians, he said, "My grace is sufficient for you. You're not called because you're perfect, but because his power fills your weakness." Maybe you're dealing with a situation against fear. Tonight, 2 Timothy 1:7, God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Fear is not from God. So I encourage you tonight to walk in boldness knowing there's a word on your life. Maybe you're facing rejection. Ephesians 1 and6 he made us accepted in them. Beloved, you are not abandoned. You're adopted and embraced. Confusion. Trust in the Lord in Proverbs and he will direct your path. You don't have to have it all figured out. Just trust and follow. Condemnation. There is therefore in Romans no condemnation. No condemnation. Somebody ought to say that out loud. No condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Your past doesn't define you. Your future and grace does. Maybe you're dealing with loneliness tonight. Hebrews 13 and5. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Even when people leave, even when this world leave, God said, "I'm going to be right there with you." Hopelessness. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and all peace in him. Hope is not gone. It's anchored in him. Does the word still get your attention? Does the word still call you to response? This is the day. This is the day the Lord hath made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. As we talked about on Palm Sunday, that verse is in reference to when Jesus triumphantly entered into Jerusalem and he declared that I'm the Messiah. Salvation is here. Miracles are here. And that wasn't just for one specific date on Palm Sunday 2,000 years ago. But that was the beginning of a dispensation where his followers can say that I identify with Jesus Christ. And because so miracles are on my life, provision is on my life. His word, this is the time. This is the day. Would you lift your hands up across this house and would you respond to his word for a moment? God, I thank you for your word. God, I trust in your word. God, I thank you for ministering to me. God, I thank you for directing my path. Oh, I'm going to worship in your word. I'm going to rejoice in your word. I'm going to find joy in your word. Oh, I'm not taking it for granted. Oh, it's in my life. It's in my home. It's in my workplace. I'm trusting in you