Sunday Morning Worship Service | Dr. Anthony McCool “There’s Still Time!”

Would you just remain standing across this house? Why don't you give God a great praise? If you trust in him, why don't you give him a great praise in this moment? I believe God is already and he's going to continue to move throughout the duration of this service. And just remain standing. If you have a need, I believe that he is going to meet it today. If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open up to the book of Joel, chapter 2. And we're going to begin reading at verse number 25. And while you're finding that, let me echo the same sentiment as what an honor it is to have the Platineas with us uh this Sunday morning. and they're traveling all over. Uh me and the the crosses and I believe Beco, you were in Italy as well, weren't you? Uh we were had the privilege of being at the conference there right in Rome, Italy two, three years ago, having it in a conference center and the service went so well that we got some noise complaints and uh Pastor Platinia, the very just calm man that he is, he and the uh hotel manager had um some pretty face-to-face discourse out in the lobby about what their agreement was. But uh this but but I will say it was the most um it was the most beautiful argument that I've ever heard in my life. And of course, Sister Rachel, she was the translator. Uh as I I always say, she's the best translator I've ever I've ever had for the Here we say Italian, right? Uh but she she does an awesome job in ministry. Translated the whole conference by the time it got over with. We were like uh I think y'all were carrying her around like she she she had uh needed some cough syrup or something after that. But she does an awesome job. And this church is so respectful and kind and I love all of you all. But once they leave, if you all could refer to me as Pastor Antonio, I mean, I'd be okay with that because that is that's awesome. And to the the May family as well. Uh these are, as Pastor Whitley said, such friends of First Apostolic Church and Apostolic Christian School. uh a competition a few years ago after the last games and y'all know how packed it is here when we were hosting it on campus after that last basketball game gets over with. It's like everybody flees and then it's you know there's a lot of work left ahead of you. So, one night we split about after the game was over and we ran down to the Applebees. That is a fine American cuisine, by the way. And uh song says it's fancy and you go there on a date night. this particular night was neither one. For in the back of our minds, once we got done eating those halfp price buffalo chicken wings after 10:00, little promo there, we were going to have to come back and do a massive cleanup job in the gym. But right in the middle of our our dinner, we got this text in Bloomington under the leadership of Pastor and Sister May. Uh this is indicative of their their leadership and the and what they teach their students about them and their whole school had just gotten the gym after everybody left and cleaned up the whole place. Didn't even have to go back over except set the alarm. And you talk about the Holy Spirit just coming to you in a theophony right there at the fancy Applebees. But this is the kind of people they are. And I I thank them. And we're looking forward to having Becca with us. Joel chapter 2. And I got to say, I've got my nephew [name redacted] here today in the house, just a few months old. Uh he's the only one that's allowed to sleep during the sermon. So everybody stay awake. Joel 2:25-27. Familiar verse of scripture. And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmer worm, my great army, which I sent among you, and ye shall eat in plenty. And be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wonderfully with you, and my people shall never be ashamed. And I want to minister to you for a few moments this morning from a very simple thought. There's still time. There's still time. We've prayed several times already, so I'm going to go ahead and let you be seated. There's still time. One of the most exhilarating moments in sports is when the clock is winding down and all hope seems lost. The team is behind. The crowd is anxious. The commentators have already begun talking about what went wrong. Fans heading to the exits and it appears that defeat is inevitable. And if you've got that video for me, but then someone points to the scoreboard and says THERE'S STILL TIME. >> They're bunched up in the end zone. It's tipped. >> The altar is open right now. is caught. >> The game not over. >> And some of the greatest victories in sports and the ones we often talk now get that off. >> Some of the greatest victories in sports history have happened in the final moments. And those are the ones that we remember the most. Teams that have crossed and erased impossible deficits. Athletes risen from defeat to victory. Why? because someone understood that the game was not over until the clock reached zero. Somebody said there's still time. Now, if that example was did not quite strike the heartstrings like it absolutely should, the same principle appears in those classic romance stories. You can go ahead and start that. the classic romance stories and perhaps Pastor Platinia would be singing an Italian ballad in the background. The woman realizes too late that she loves a different man. >> She's made mistakes the hard way a long time ago. >> She's hesitated. She's let opportunities pass. And now she's standing at the altar preparing to marry someone else. But she says there's still time. She runs fight through the crowd. fight. Still a high chance of precipitation as you can see there. Maybe that happened this morning. But what seemed lost is redeemed because at the last moment, somebody realized there's still time. And if there's anybody emotional, we've got some Kleenex tissue boxes right here. Pass those around. and she finally was able to reveal her heart to the longlost love. And I beg your forgiveness and uh thank you for your latitude this morning if these overly pragmatic examples might not beat your spiritual drum so theologically deep, but applicable nevertheless. But what I do know and believe this morning as is that the devil has certainly been whispering in some of saints of God's ears that it is too late. Too late to recover. Too late to dream again. Too late to rebuild your family. Too late to answer God's call. And too late to start over. No matter what point of life you're in, the message is simple. yet it's urgent. There's still time. Look at the person next to you and just say, "Hey, there's still time. There's still time." There's something gets you a little bit excited when you say that. There's still time. There's still a few seconds left on the clock. AS LONG AS GOD IS ON THE THRONE, as long as you can inhale and exhale, WE SERVE A GOD WHO IS STILL ABLE TO PERFORM A MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE. AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT, WHY DON'T YOU GIVE HIM A HAND CLAP OF PRAISE? There's still time. One of the most profound stories in scripture that shows us the concept of divine timing is the life of King Manasseh. He may have been the most wicked king that Judah ever produced. According to scripture, he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. He practiced idolatry. He erected pagan altars. He consulted mediums and familiar spirits. HE LED AN ENTIRE NATION away from God. He was not only a sinner, but he was also a covenant breaker. Theologically, he represents Manessa, humanity at its absolute worst. HE EMBODIES REBELLION against divine grace. He stands as a picture of depravity and spiritual ruin. And eventually judgment came. The Assyrians captured him and they carried him away in chains. The king who once sat on a throne now sat in prison. The one who once commanded A MIGHTY ARMY WAS NOW BOUND in iron shackles everywhere he went. AND THE STORY COULD HAVE ENDED RIGHT THERE WITH THIS VERY wicked and rebellious man. Justice had BEEN SERVED AND JUDGMENT, PROPER JUDGMENT HAD FALLEN. The curtain should have been closed. The meaning of Manessa. His name means one who forgets. And he certainly had forgotten what got him to where he was. For he had led an entire nation away from God. A covenant people WHO ONLY SUCCESS was attributed to. A GOD WHO PROVIDED. A GOD WHO LED them through the wilderness. A GOD WHO GAVE THEM A PLACE TO INHABIT. A GOD WHOSE PRESENCE DWELT WITH THEM, but he forgot. And scripture records something astonishing though that we must be called to this morning. It says, "And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord HIS GOD AND HUMBLED HIMSELF GREATLY before the God of his fathers. AND IN PRISON, Manessa prayed and repented. In brokenness, he turned back to God. AND GOD HEARD HIM. GOD FORGAVE HIM. GOD RESTORED HIM. AND GOD RETURNED HIM BACK TO JERUSALEM. AND THE WHOLE NATION WAS RESTORED. HIS CHILDREN WERE RESTORED. AND GOD STILL USED him in spite of the years he had squandered. And this teaches us that divine grace, God's timing, God's ability to work in the final seconds is much greater than human failure, much greater than our concept of what the proper or expectations or bestcase scenario can be. The gospel is not merely that God saves good people for there is none good BUT GOD. BUT THE GOSPEL is about him saving and working through broken people. God restores rebels. God redeems failures. God rescues those who have squandered opportunities. The story of Manasseh proves that AS LONG AS GOD is willing to hear a prayer, and I believe that he does this morning, there is STILL TIME. SO I plead with you. I beg you to hear God's WORD THIS MORNING BECAUSE SOMETIMES IN OUR COMFORT ZONE and sometimes the things that we deal with, we just kind of by habit feel like we got to work IT OUT FOR OURSELVES OR PUT THINGS by our OWN MIGHT OR BY OUR OWN STRATEGY. BUT DON'T FORGET TO PRAY. DON'T FORGET TO SAY, "GOD, I BELIEVE THAT you can restore this situation. Some people today may feel as though life has passed them by. You look at your career and see disappointment. You look at your opportunities and see missed chances. You look at your dreams and you look at the unfinished chapters of the expectations that were not met. But God sent us a word today. There's still time. Abraham became a father when it looked seemed to be impossible. Caleb at 85 years old still declared, "Give me this mountain." If you want to hear a sermon this morning, if you want to see a testimony this morning, just get around these summit seniors, this Summit senior group who's going on a trip like every single day, where do y'all get the energy is what I'd like to know. They're going places all the time, but they're not sitting in the proverbial back. I'm not I'm not picking on anybody in the back. Somebody has to sit in the back. But I'm talking about metaphorically of sneaking in to get in the back. So don't misinterpret me. But they're up front, not with their arms crossed like, "Oh, oh jeez, it's it's raining. Oh, it's too loud. Oh, the lights are too bright." No, our summit seniors lead in worship. They're up here uh lifting their hands and RAISING THEIR VOICES AND SETTING AN EXAMPLE TO THE NEXT GENERATION AND THE generation after that. THANK YOU, SUMMIT SENIORS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXAMPLE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN PLACES WHERE THAT'S NOT THE CASE. IT'S LIKE one generation's fighting with ANOTHER AND ANOTHER GENERATION'S PICKING ON ANOTHER AND ANOTHER GENERATION'S TEARING DOWN THE NEXT ONE. OH, WE don't do it like we used to or they don't do it LIKE WE DID. WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM. AND I SAY THANK YOU TO THE GREATEST SENIOR GROUP THAT ANY CHURCH COULD HAVE BECAUSE THEY LEAD US IN WORSHIP EVERY SINGLE WEDNESDAY, SUNDAY MORNING, AND SUNDAY NIGHT. AND THEY'RE responsible for the great blessings that we have here this morning. The God of scripture specializes in late victories. As Bishop said, I'm not retiring. I'm refiring. The world may say, "Your best days are behind you, but we serve a God says who your latter days are going to be greater than the former, and there's still time." Now, this next subject matter might not be the common theme at a conference or a camp meeting, and I I might not have to calm you down from running the aisles or heading straight to the altar. You might think that the greatest threat to the American home is pornography, and yes, indeed, it is a threat. Others would say infidelity. Yes, wicked as well. Some would even point to a lack of quality time which you have to maintain. Yet study after study reveals that one of the greatest sources of conflict in marriage is financial stress and disagreement over finances. And I believe this morning, not through some prophetic vision, but by statistical research, that there may be one or two that is carrying financial regret, a business venture that failed, a a season of unemployment that drained your savings, debt that has accumulated, opportunities miss, and you're wondering now if the damage that's been created It can ever be undone. But our key text says, "I will restore the years that the locust has eaten." Notice that God, notice the language here. Notice that God did not merely promise Israel a better tomorrow. He promised restoration for what had been lost. We have a biblical mandate for tithe and stewardship and a covenantal promise that says our God will pour out blessings that you don't even have room enough to receive. He will open the windows of heaven. That doesn't get any better than that, does it? But tithe and stewardship I and of course we believe in we giving tithe and of course we believe in sacrificial giving but hear me closely this morning. I've been in a setting with my father where somebody with an emotional impulse got real excited and said, "I want to give this large sum of money for a project or the church or something." And not prying or speculating, but my dad was like, "You don't have that money to give. In fact, you're you're in debt with a lot of other people probably and a lot of other credit card agencies. I don't not sure how wise it would be in this moment just to empty out your savings account. You know, um it's by your faith. Don't blame this on me when the KUB's, you know, sending you a a late invoice, right? It's it's stewardship. I it's it's it's giving. Yes, we give sacrificially, but I don't know if sacrificially is seeing how much I can max out my credit card to give. Does that make sense to everybody? Okay. Uh he said, "I will restore it." Studies tell us that nearly twothirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. Financial pressure is one of the most common burdens people carry. Yet scripture teaches us that God's answer is not despair. His answer is not some get quick rich sc uh get quick rich scheme but stewardship, consistency, moderation, modesty. Studies as I mentioned tell us twothirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. And the Bible stewardship is a theological truth before it's a financial principle. We do not own our resources. We manage what God has entrusted to us. Restoration is not permission to continue old patterns. It's an invitation to steward God's blessings differently. And the message this morning is that when you begin to steward wisely, when you begin to put your finances under the authority of God's word with consistency and moderation, and maybe I can't go to that restaurant this week, OR MAYBE I CAN'T GO TO THAT PLACE this when you begin to to do that budget, I don't know if that's in the Bible, maybe the NIV or something, God will bless you. And I THINK SOMEBODY NEEDS ENCOURAGEMENT IN THAT CAPACITY today to let you know that there is STILL TIME THAT GOD CAN do a work through your discipline. There's still time TO START BUDGETING. THERE'S TIME TO GET serious about the debt in your life. THERE'S TIME TO STOP uh living reactively and start living intentionally. There's time to save instead of spend. THERE'S TIME TO INVEST. THERE'S STILL TIME TO BECOME GENEROUS IN THE PROPER WAY. THERE'S STILL TIME to leave a godly legacy, which you're commanded to do for your family and grandchildren. And one wise decision which could be today repeated over time can change the trajectory of your entire life and the years the locust consumed because that's what the enemy will do when you when you start trying to become more disciplined. When you start trying to lay out a game plan the the enemy will attack your mind and say look what the look at all the years you you squandered. Aren't you an idiot? Haven't you done some dumb stuff? Everybody's done dumb stuff. Everybody's done stupid stuff. The envi enemy attacks everybody in that way. But we have a promise. Hear me this today. We have a promise. And there's still time if you're ABLE TO BREATHE THAT GOD CAN RESTORE. RESTORE WHAT HAS BEEN LOST. Restore the years. Your current ex situation may explain where you are, but it is not determined where God can take you. HABACH THE PROPHET SAID, "WRITE THE VISION. Make it plain upon tables that he who run may read it." And yes, I I hope I'm preaching, you know, let me be transparent with you. I hope we have a good altar call today. That'd be great because sometimes when you're preaching, it's like, I must have, you know, really killed it today. Just kidding. And yes, you can come up here at altar and cry and pray and say, "I believe and I'm GOING TO WALK IN FAITH AND SING THAT I TRUST IN GOD again and sing it in Italian AND GET GET FIRED UP." But then by the end of the day, you need to go HOME AND WRITE OUT A PLAN OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. YOU NEED TO WRITE OUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO ATTACK WHAT IT IS that is weighing you down. Now, don't don't write a check out for an amount that you don't have. That's not faith. I believe that's called a felony. BUT YOU NEED TO WRITE out how you're going to attack this because many families, many people don't have a financial problem as they have a vision problem. They don't know where they're going. They have no written budget, no agreed upon priorities, no destination, spend, react, impulse. Hope everything works out. I'm sure your kids will be pleased about that in a few years. And then you're teaching them as well. The word says, "So he that runth may readth it." One theologian speculates that this verse was in relation and in the context of even directional signage, if you will, for lack of a better terms, for those fleeing to a sanctuary city whose life was on the run. Somebody was chasing them down and they didn't have time to read some uh uh contract or fine print. They needed directions and they needed them quick. And and our life is a lot like that as well. you're working 40, 60 hours a week, taking kids here or there, going to this, and and if you're one of the Summit seniors, you're uh full-time road tripping every day. YOU GOT TO HAVE A PLAN. YOU GOT TO KNOW WHERE STUFF'S GOING. I YEAH. YEAH. THE HOLY Ghost is GOING TO FALL TODAY AND GOD CAN TOUCH YOU, BUT THEN YOU NEED TO PUT PEN TO paper and write down the vision. Everybody calm down. Now, stop running. I want to finish this. And I'm glad, let me say this as well, and I mentioned it earlier. I preached to the choir today because do you know where I learned these lessons from? The sermon and testimony of this church. This church that was built by faith. This church who took no loans. This church who was built not by millionaires, but by the faithful saints of God giving. Uh yeah, was pressure put on. Why don't you why don't you get this loan at this much interest or or you could really build it up quick but bishop and the saints of God if no no no no we're not taking any money God will provide God will meet the need it'll be like the widow's cruise of oil we just keep pouring we just he's consistent and God will keep moving and man you know maybe when I was younger I was like let's go get that loan and let's get this thing done but now man that pillow sure is a lot softer because you hear these horror stories of churches that are shutting down because they can't pay the light bill. All right, that we say go on. Go on. Goodness. For many people, the deepest pain in your life might not be financial loss, but relational loss. You might have all the financial security in the world, but the pillow that you lay your head on at night is rock solid because of a relational loss, a strained marriage or a distant son or daughter, a broken friendship, a sibling you haven't spoken to in years, A CONVERSATION THAT OH MAN, I wish I could take that back. Words spoken anger, moments taken for granted, opportunities missed. Researchers tell us that family estrangement has become remarkably common in America. Surveys indicate that nearly four in 10 Americans report being estranged from at least one family member. Other studies estimate that approximately one in four adults have experienced a significant family rupture at some points in their lives. And the irony of our age is we live in an age of constant communication where we can instantaneously talk to anyone we want to. Yet it seemingly so. People have never felt more disconnected from those they love most. This can be whether it's around the dinner table at home, things constantly competing for our attention. But the gospel offers something our culture often struggles to imagine. Because I tell us this on this Sunday morning not to be saddened, not to be without hope, but we serve a God. And you as people of God have a covenantal promise for restoration. And that name Manasseh is uh the one who forgets. But we are a people who will not forget. We are a people who would declare and remember this morning that even though the enemy is going to whisper to us or even scream at us that hey you squandered that away. You did this you can never get back. This is never going to turn around. Those are absolute lies because God can perform the miraculous for you. Pastor Whitley last Sunday night he made this statement along these terms. He said, "Theologically, redemption," and everybody listen to this. Redemption is not merely about getting people into heaven. Redemption is God's work of restoring what sin has fractured. From Genesis to Revelation, scripture reveals a God who reconciles. He restores Israel after reconcile which is which is giving us a foreshadow to the characteristics and the prophetic vision to what God is going to do. And then he GET RESTORES FELLOWSHIP BETWEEN HIMSELF AND HUMANITY through Jesus Christ. HE IS THE ONE who restores. Our God is a God of restoration. And when YOU'RE WRITING THAT BUDGET OUT don't do it tomorrow, do it tonight. Do it today. When you when you're putting that pen to paper, whatever the plan of attack is for that thing that's holding you down, I want you to have in your mind that I serve a God of restoration. I serve a God who's going to give me strength TO CONQUER THIS. OH, IT MIGHT NOT BE FINANCES. THE SAME CAN BE APPLICABLE TO AN ADDICTION, TO A TEMPTATION you've been struggling with, to a health issue you've been struggling with, TO A RELATIONSHIP, WHATEVER THE CASE, YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THAT WE SERVE A GOD WHO IS A RESTORER. HE CAN RESTORE. Perhaps a parent, you look back and, man, I wish I could have done things differently. Maybe you spent years. You're a hard worker providing for your family and you're in that paradox of, man, I work so hard and I provided for my family, but I missed a lot of stuff being present with them. I missed some conversations that I wish I could have had with them in some moments. Oh, maybe there was dialogue between you and a sister, you and a brother, you and a family member, a saint, somebody at work, whatever the case. Oh, you were too harsh and you could have shown grace. Or perhaps you just kept waiting, assuming there was always going to be another opportunity to say what needed to or the action that needed to take place. And now regret has settled into your heart. And the enemy wants to convince you that because you cannot change the past that there is no hope for the future. But Joel declared the prophet Joel and we're going somewhere at the end here. I promise we'll hopefully. He said, "I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten." Everybody pay attention to that language. It's important. God did not merely promise to restore crops. He promised to restore years. GOD CAN DO SOMETHING with the years we cannot get back. He can bring healing where there's been hurt. HE CAN BRING UNDERSTANDING WHERE THERE'S BEEN MISCOMMUNICATION. HE CAN BRING RECONCILIATION WHERE THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT CHASM of deceit. And there's still time. Oh, maybe those descriptions a little grandiose. There's still time. They calm down at the second coming of Isuza Street. There's still time to make a phone call. Oh, I'd rather just go to the altar, pray, shout. There's still time to send a text. There's still time to write that letter. There's still time to apologize. There's still time to forgive. There's still time to say, "I love you." There's still time to say, "I was wrong." Not every relationship's going to be restored exactly as we desire. Reconciliation requires more than one person. But as followers of Christ, as saints of God, we are called to pursue peace. We are called to extend grace. We are called to leave room for what God for God to accomplish what we can. None. Don't be a Manassa spirit and forget. We serve a God who's able to restore. We serve a God who's able to to work in the most unimaginable of circumstances. And perhaps the greatest MIRACLE IS NOT THAT God instantly fixes every broken relationship, but that he slowly sometimes softens hearts. He sometimes he has to rebuild that trust. Remember we talked about consistency. He heals wounds and restores what everyone else thought was lost. So I reiterate as I come to a close this morning is that there is still time. But above all and everything 100% about God wants you to be blessed in this life. I'm not talking about health, wealth, prosperity. I'm talking about uh dominion, stewardship, making wise decisions with what God has given and entrusted you to manage. That's what I'm talking about. But above all, I want to speak to those who know they need God. Perhaps this morning or you're listening to me online, you've drifted. Prayer life's grown cold. Sin's created that distance. Enemy says it's too late. Ministry's over. But the cross says otherwise. The thief on the cross had wasted his life. You think that Hail Mary was at the last second. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom right before he died. That's uh I almost said something about Butch Jones there and ruined the sermon. But in his final moments, he turned to Jesus and said, "Remember me?" And the Lord answered, "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise?" You talk about a last second. And I want you to know this morning under the sound of my voice, no matter what you've done, no matter what situation you find yourself in, we serve A GOD WHO IS TELLING you this morning that he is eager to restore WHAT HAS BEEN TAKEN, WHAT YOU HAVE SQUANDERED. And it is not too late. As long as there's a heartbeat IN YOUR CHEST, THERE'S MERCY AVAILABLE. AS long as there's breath in your lungs, THEN THERE IS STILL HOPE IN JESUS CHRIST. AS LONG AS GRACE IS FLOWING FROM CALVARY, there's still time. I leave you with this final thought. If we believe in Joel's prophecy concerning the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, and we do, I mean, we're Pentecostal, right? We quote Peter who was making an illusion and quoting Joel all the time. Peter stood on the day of Pentecost and declared this is that spoken by the prophet Joel. Y'all could quote it. But let me read the whole text, the prophecy from Joel. Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month, and the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil. And I will restore to you the years the locust hath eaten. That's our key text. The cankerworm and the caterpillar and the palmer. Whatever the situation is, whatever small thing has accumulated in your life and eaten and taken over the harvest that God has promised you, my great army which I sent among you, and ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God that hath dwelt wondrously with you. And my people shall never be ashamed. AND YE SHALL KNOW THAT I AM IN THE MIDST OF ISRAEL, AND THAT I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND NONE ELSE, AND MY PEOPLE SHALL NEVER BE ASHAMED." HE SAID, "Don't be ashamed. AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS AFTERWARD, THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH, AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY. YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS. YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS AND ALSO UPON THE SERVANTS AND UPON THE HANDMAIDS AND THOSE WILL I POUR OUT MY SPIRIT. IF WE CAN BELIEVE THE PROPHECY RE ABOUT the infilling of the HOLY GHOST AND GOD POURING OUT HIS SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH, LET ME TELL YOU, WE OUGHT TO ALSO BELIEVE JUST AS STRONGLY THAT WE SERVE A GOD WHO IS ABLE TO RESTORE. IN FACT, IN FACT, HE SAYS WHEN RESTORATION BEGINS TO TAKE PLACE, WHEN IT'S DISCIPLINE AND STEWARDSHIP AND RECONCILIATION BETWEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THAT'S WHEN REVIVAL STARTS. HE SAID, AFTER THAT HAPPENS, I'M GOING TO POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH. NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE, STAND WITH ME. AND IF WE CAN BELIEVE THE PROPHECY OF JOEL FOR THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY GHOST, YOU NEED TO BELIEVE JUST AS STRONG AND JUST AS ARDENT, JUST AS ADAMANT that he can restore what has been lost. John told us in four chapter 4 verse 23, the hour cometh and now. Somebody say now. Now is the time when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth. Not someday. Not when everything is restored. Not re when everything has been repaired and now I'm in a shape to, you know, my mind's right. I'm in a good mental state to start following the Lord and trusting. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Now is the time for true worshippers. So, whatever weight in your life, it might not have even been anything that was identified here today. Whatever weight in your life is just pressing you down. Whatever regrets that the enemy is whispering in your ears over lost years or bad decisions or regrets. We're Pentecostal. We believe in the infilling of the Holy Ghost and that he's pouring his spirit upon all flesh. And that's predicated on God restoring. God restoring what has been taken. God restoring that sinful state into a new creation. So this morning, I ask everyone to bow their head and I want you to get locked in and focused. Focused on some things that maybe you gave up on or some things that are weighing you down. And as we pray this morning, I'm going to open up this altar at the end. It's no secret. This is altar this morning for somebody bold. This is for somebody who's ready to change. Change isn't going to happen until you start changing. You got to do something. You got to get in motion. You got to take the next step. This is for somebody who wants things to change. God's not don't God doesn't do patchwork or he he's not, you know, fixing to to make things like they were. He's going to make them better than they have ever been. So, let's pray this morning. Heavenly Father, as we lift our needs and our petitions up to heaven, Lord, you see every weight and every burden that sits on the shoulder of your saints this morning. But God, we stand before you knowing that there's still time. There's still time. There's still time for you for you to move. God, I I pray for the minds and the hearts of every saint here this morning. Lord, as they're specific in their needs, you know all the details. You know all the specifics. God, give them the empowerment through your spirit. GIVE THEM THE FAITH AND THE COURAGE THIS morning to understand that I'm a true WORSHIPPER TO SAY, "YEAH, I'VE MADE MISTAKES. YEAH, I wish I could go undo some things, BUT THAT'S PAST. BUT I'M GOING TO STEP FORWARD AND THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE. AND I believe that you're going to restore. I know you can pour your SPIRIT OUT. BUT I ALSO KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO BE LIKE MANESSA and forget either that you're able to restore what has been undone. In the name of Jesus, WE PRAY, I OPEN THIS ALTAR FOR every true worshipper this morning. If you're a true worshipper, why don't you step out of your seat and say, "Some things are going to change. My God's going to restore. He's going to do something new. >> Now is the time. >> It's our way. >> Now is the time. >> There's still time. >> Heavy with rain. >> There's still time. And it looks like salvation is it all. I can hear a sound. The abundance >> and it sounds like >> there's hope in the house. >> There's hope in the house. The above is the rain and it sounds like it. I can see it fall with rain. >> Heavy with healing. >> Heaven looks like he feeling our way. >> I can see it coming. >> There's still time for restoration. There's still time for healing. There's still time for your family. There's still time for your family. There's still time for your calling. He can still do it. There's still some seconds left on the clock. There's still some seconds left on the clock. It's not too late to do the right thing. One wise decision. One step forward. One step forward this morning. Say some things are going to change. >> It's going to change. It's going to change. It's going to change. He's going to bring it back. >> He's going to restore. >> He's going to restore. >> Tell the enemy he's a liar. >> Think of it. Tell this giant in my face. You're not greater than my name. Best believe me when I say, "I got a new thing coming. I got a new thing coming. I got a new thing coming." >> I want you to listen to the words that the praise team is singing. This is the prophecy. Remember ye not the former things. He says it twice. neither the things of old. Behold, I am going to do a new thing. Y'all, I don't think you can translate y'all into Italian. WE SERVE A GOD WHO'S ABLE TO RESTORE WHAT HAS BEEN LOST. ARE THERE ANY TRUE WORSHIPPERS IN THE HOUSE? IS THERE ANYBODY THAT'S WILLING TO WALK IN PRAISE BY FAITH? NOW, when you praise HIM AND WORSHIP LIKE I did when they cleaned while we WERE AT APPLEBEE'S AFTER THE FACT, that's giving thanks. Oh, but when YOU REJOICE BEFORE HE'S DONE IT. WHEN YOU GIVE HIM A SHOUT OF PRAISE BEFORE HE DOES IT, THAT'S WALKING IN FAITH. That's being a true worshipper to say that I believe in a God who can restore. I believe in a God who can bring it back. I believe in a God who can put it all together greater than it was before. greater than it was before. He listened to the words and all the true worshippers, why don't you rejoice? A new thing. A new thing. He's going to do something new. Oh, he's going to do something new. Get your head up. Get your head up. Get your head up. There's a new thing coming. There's a new thing coming. There's a new thing coming. There's still time. There's still time. There's still time. New thing coming. I got that new mind. New heart. I got that new heart now. I got a new thing coming. I got that new mind. New heart. I got that new mind. Now I got a new thing coming. I got a new coming. It's coming. I got a new thing coming. It's coming. Got a new thing. I got a new thing. Got a new thing. Got a new thing coming. Got a new thing coming. A new thing. I can see it coming. Heavy with rain. And it looks like revival is coming our way. I can see it coming with rain. of salvation. >> Salvation always sounds like free. I can hear a sound and it sounds like Jesus has led it all away. He's head it our way. He's >> head it our way. >> He's it our way. >> Head it my way. >> He's our way. >> He's headed your way. >> He's our way. Set it our way. >> It said it our way. It all said it. >> Can you lift your hands and give high praise to Jesus? Aren't you thankful to know there's still time? He wants to do a work in every facet of your life.