Transcript of a published sermon by Clark Copeland, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
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Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Praying for the pastor
- It is a Tuesday night, and several are out sick. He honors the pastor, who has asked the church to bind together and pray for him — he is not feeling well and cannot seem to catch a break, though he has prayed for many of them in their sickness. The church lifts its hands and prays for Brother Smith: that virtue would flow to where he is, that God would give him relief and peace — "by Your stripes we are healed" — and applies the blood over him. He gives honor to Sister Smith and the whole Smith family, and to Elder Smith.
The parable of the talents
- He reads from Matthew 25:14: the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods — five talents to one, two to another, one to another, to every man according to his several ability. Verses 16 through 23 tell how the five-talent and two-talent servants took what they had been given and multiplied it, and the master was pleased: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant... enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Then the one-talent man came: "Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth." The master answered, "Thou wicked and slothful servant" — you knew what was expected of you; you should have put the money to the exchangers so that at my coming I would have received mine own with usury. "Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents... And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." The Holy Ghost has been dealing with him about this subject all day. In uncertain times, when it seems we are just trying to stay afloat and maintain, the Great Commission still says go — into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature; it does not excuse us when the world is crazy. His subject: the tragedy of hiding what you should be multiplying.
Scriptures: Matthew 25:14-30
Growing or dying
- He quotes former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz: "You are either growing or you're dying." It applies to trees, business, marriages, relationships, and human beings: if a thing is not actively growing, it is in fact dying — everything is progressing or digressing. The same is true in the spirit: the moment you feel there is nowhere else to go and you have done all the growing you need to do is the moment you begin to die. This church is where it is because people were not satisfied with a handful of people or the status quo of revival. And nothing is born without pushing — revival is not born without pushing, growth is not born without pushing, and babies will not be born unless there are spiritual mamas and daddies willing to be uncomfortable. The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man sowed in his field: it started very small and grew until it became greater than everything around it. The kingdom is supposed to look like that — a kingdom of growth, multiplying, progress, and improvement, not stagnation, maintenance, survival mode, or holding the fort until Jesus comes. God has not called this church to survival mode but to revival mode, not to defense but to offense. The method may change — livestreams, different ways of reaching the community — but the message cannot: you've still got to repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus, and be filled with the Holy Ghost; there is only one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. God has not called us to take the gift of salvation and hide it.
What did you do with what I gave you?
- The talents, he believes, can represent the gift of salvation, and the master represents God. The master went away for a season; the servants did not know when he would return, but they knew he was coming back, and they knew they had to do something with what they were given. The five became ten; the two became four; both heard "Well done." The one-talent servant cannot plead that he was given less — the master never mentioned the amounts; he only asked, "What did you do with what I gave you? Did you multiply it? Did you share it? Did you grow it?" The servant hid it because he was afraid. In this season he has seen so many people take the gift of salvation and hide it under a rock, scared of what someone will say or how someone will look at them — but that excuse did not matter to the master. Notice: the talent was not lost, had not diminished, was worth exactly what it was when it was given — but simply because he did not multiply it, he was cast into outer darkness. There is no such thing as maintaining with God: every day you are either getting closer to Him or further away; your decisions, words, conversations, places, attitudes, and friendships are all pushing you one way or the other. A young man from his home church with a call to ministry admitted he had done no growing in months, only maintained — and the Holy Ghost told him: you are either growing or you are backsliding. Churches that believe in maintenance believe the greatest revivals and miracles are in the past; he thanks God for the old miracles but he is hungry for his own stories, his own miracles, to tell somebody what Jesus can do.
Keep the oil flowing
- We have to stay full of oil: the ten virgins all had oil once, but five had run out when the bridegroom came — and all through the Bible, oil represents the Spirit of God. Elisha and the widow: all she had was a little pot of oil, and the prophet told her to gather empty vessels from everyone she knew — not a few — without regard to their size, shape, color, or past (cigarette breath, alcohol on the breath, fresh out of prison — the only prerequisite was that they be vessels, and empty). She poured, and every vessel was filled; the oil kept flowing as long as there were empty vessels, and stopped the moment the last one was filled. A sure way to keep the oil flowing in this house is to keep bringing empty vessels — the hungry, the hurting, the thirsty — for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled. A healthy body of water has water flowing in and flowing out; water that only flows in, or stops moving, becomes toxic and diseased. A pastor told him last year that his church does no outreach because if people are supposed to be saved, the Lord will bring them — but the Word says go, and says compel them to come: plead, beg, ask again when they say no the first time. And we cannot expect people to be saved by a witness that does not look saved: it makes no sense to tell people God can take away their depression when we are more depressed than they are, or that God can bring joy when we are some of the grumpiest people they have ever met.
The call to be a witness
- God did not give you the Holy Ghost to live happily ever after. If you have been in the truth for any amount of time and nobody is here because you witnessed to them, a fear ought to come over you — if there is nobody with your fingerprints on their life, it ought to bother you. "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses." Some are called to preach, teach, pastor, or evangelize, and people ask what their call is — but there is one call every person who has tasted of the Holy Ghost has: the call to be a witness. The last words of a person are significant, and the last message Jesus ever preached to His disciples was about souls. His whole purpose is summed up in Luke 19:10: "The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." If you want to be like Jesus — that is what being a Christian is — you have to learn to win the lost; He always stopped for the broken people around Him no matter how busy He was. In his home church of some 400 people, a handful of visitors could almost always be traced to one of about four or five people who invited them; it should not be left to a tiny nucleus, or to the pastor and his family, to win the lost. It is your job.
Scriptures: Luke 19:10
The woman at the gas station
- He tells a story from several months ago, on his way to preach for his uncle in Texas. Running late, he stopped for gas, and a woman asked him for a little money for gas. He would not give cash but put fifteen or twenty dollars on her pump inside. She studied his suit and tie and asked, "Are you a Mormon?" He chuckled and said no — and that was all. She had opened the door for him to tell her who he was, that he was a Pentecostal, what Jesus had done for him and could do for her — but he was in a rush; he finished pumping, got in his car, and drove off. A mile down the road he saw that woman in his mind burning in a place called hell, and the Holy Ghost said, "I sent that woman across your path for you to witness to her, and you missed your chance." He made a U-turn and got back as fast as he could, but she was gone, and he will probably never cross paths with her again — on his way to church to preach about souls, he had missed the soul in front of him because he was too busy. How many chances have we already missed? We worry about what people will think or say — but what if what you tell them is the very thing they have been searching for? The worst they can do is say no; ask enough times and you will find somebody hungry.
What about everybody else?
- Noah was surely grateful to be in the ark, with his family safe — this place tonight represents the ark, a place of safety from the storm. But when the door closed and people began knocking and begging, "Would you open up? My babies are dying," something in Noah must have cried out: I thank God I am saved, but my heart is broken for everybody who is not. He believes he is ready if God calls his name tonight — but what about his friends who are not ready? The burden is so heavy sometimes it feels like it could kill you; you cannot sleep for thinking about people who do not know God. If we really believe people without the Holy Ghost are not ready to meet God, the people we contact every day ought to do something to us. He confesses his own conviction: a couple of years ago, every time he flew over a large city he would look down at the millions of people and weep — lately it has been a while since tears came. He has a grandmother who is an atheist, and he goes days without calling out her name in prayer: "That's not the way it ought to be." He is praying tonight for himself as much as for them — God, give me a burden like I haven't had in a long time; let me look past the scars and the addiction and see a soul that is tormented and hungry. God has done great things in Dayton, in Apostolic Lighthouse — but He is not even close to done, and not close to giving this church the revival He really wants to give it. The service closes in prayer: spouses who are not where they need to be, co-workers once witnessed to and prayed for and long uninvited — "You can count on me to be an intercessor. You can count on me to be a prayer warrior."
Scripture index: Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:10.
Transcript
You love the Lord, I wonder if you put your hands together all over the house. Come on. I wonder if I have anybody who can say, Lord, you've been good. Come on, I may not feel like it in my body, but Lord, you've still been good. I may be tired, I may be weak, but Lord, even on a Tuesday night, you've still been good. Is there anybody that feels that way tonight? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Why don't everybody say praise to the Lord? I want to say I'm happy to be here, honored to be here on a Tuesday night. I'm thankful for what I feel. I know we've got a lot out, a lot missing, a lot sick tonight. I'm thankful the Lord showed up here. I honor your pastor. He asked me before. I preached tonight if the church could bind together and pray for him. He's not feeling very well tonight. It seems like he just can't catch much of a break. He's prayed many times for this church and some of you when you were sick. He believes in your prayers. He wouldn't be asking you to pray if he didn't believe in them. I wonder right now if you could lift up your hands if we could begin to call on the Lord for your pastor right now. God, in the name of Jesus, we love you tonight, Holy Ghost. We ask you, Lord, to reach down and touch Brother Smith and his body. God, we're asking you, Lord, that our prayers would somehow unlock healing in his life. God, we're asking you that virtue would flow from you all the way down to where he's at tonight. God, we're asking you, Lord, that you would give him some relief. We're asking you, Lord, that you would give him some peace. God, the Bible says it's by your stripes that we are healed. And right now we're applying the blood, the blood that you shed over him right now. We'll be careful to give you all the glory and all the praise in Jesus' name. I wonder if you'd clap your hands and give God some thanks all over this house right now. Hallelujah. I love your pastor. I hate to see him not feeling good, but we're believing the Lord's going to touch him. I want to give honor to Sister Smith, Tire Smith family. I love them also. I'll be praying for Elder Smith. I pray for this whole family. Amen. Let's go to Matthew chapter number 25, verse number 14. You know, God knew who was going to be in this house tonight. I don't want you to think that just because there's some people missing, that God doesn't have a work he wants to do tonight. Maybe God's got a word just for you. Amen. Matthew chapter number 25, starting with verse number 14. The Bible says for the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods. And one who gave five talents to another two and to another one, to every man according to his several ability and straight way took his journey. Verses 16 through 23, tell us that the ones that receive five talents and two talents both took what they had been given and they multiplied it. The Bible says that because what they received from the master, that they multiplied it, the Bible says that the master was pleased. He said, because you've been faithful over just a little, I'm going to make you ruler over much. He said, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord. Skipping down to verse number 24, the Bible says, then he which had received one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art and hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown and gathering where thou hast not strawed. And I was afraid and went and hid the talent in the earth. Lo, there thou hast, that is thine. As Lord answered and said unto him, thou wicked and slothful servant, thou newest I reap where I so not. You know that I gather where I have not strawed. What was he saying? You know what was expected of you. You knew the kingdom that you were a part of. He said, you should have taken the money and put it to the exchangers. Then at my coming, I should have received mine own with usury. Verse number 28 says, take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him which hath ten talents for unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have an abundance, but from him that hath not shall be taken away, even that which he hath. And cast ye an unprofitable servant, and unto outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. I want to tell you today that the Lord really has been dealing with me
this morning and this afternoon about this subject. You know, the Holy Ghost is so good that I want everybody to taste of it. It's not something that I'm interested in keeping to myself and not sharing it with anybody else that's around me. And I know tonight we are living in uncertain times. We're living in days where it seems that maybe we don't have much direction and it seems that really we're just trying to stay afloat and maybe we're just trying to maintain. I don't want to remind a child of God tonight that we still have a job to do. The conditions around us may change, but the Great Commission still says you've got to go. You've got to go into all the world and you've got to preach the gospel to every creature. It doesn't say if the world is crazy then you've got an excuse to stay home and not do anything with what you've been given. But the Bible says go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. I want to preach tonight for a few minutes on this subject. The tragedy, the tragedy of hiding what you should be multiplying. The tragedy of hiding what you should be multiplying. I wonder if you'd lift your hands right to me and help me pray one more time. God, thank you tonight for what we feel. Thank you for the anointing that's in this house. God, you knew every person that was going to be here today, and Lord, I believe there's somebody here that you've got a specific word for. I ask you, Lord, to prepare our hearts for the preaching of the Word and let us receive it with gladness in the name of Jesus. I wonder if you could put your hands together one more time. Hallelujah. Amen. Amen. You may be seated tonight. Thank you for standing. I want to start tonight by sharing a quote from a former Notre Dame coach, a man by the name of Lou Holtz. He made a statement, and he said, you are either growing or you're dying. As Coach Holtz points out, this role applies to everything from trees to business to marriage to relationships to human beings. If the tree or the relationship or the marriage or whatever it is, if it is not actively growing, it is actually in fact dying. Almost everything in life is either progressing or it is digressing. Everything is moving in one direction or another. I want to tell you tonight that the same is true in the spirit. When you don't multiply and you don't learn what it is to have a hunger on the inside of you that says, I've got to do some growing, I want to tell you tonight that what is actually happening deep down on the inside of you is you are starting to die. There is something on the inside of you that when you get to the place in your life that you feel like there's nowhere else for you to go that you've done all the growing that you need to do. I just want to tell you that that is the moment that you begin to die. There are churches all over the world. I've been to churches all over this country where people, churches begin to have a handful of people get together and they have a little taste of revival and they begin to get satisfied and they're happy in the place where they're at. But I'm telling you tonight that this church is in the place that it is today because there were some people who said, I'm not satisfied with just a handful of people. I'm not satisfied with the status quo of when it comes to revival but there's something on the inside of me that says, I've got to continually grow. I want to tell you tonight that nothing is born without pushing. Nothing is born without pushing. And I've been to churches where people complain because they feel that the worship leader pushes us too much to respond. The service leader pushes us too much to get out of me all and to lift up our hands and every time the pastor preaches he's pushing us too much to respond but you've got to understand tonight that nothing is born without pushing. Revival is not born without pushing. Growth is not born without pushing. Babies will not be born unless there's some spiritual mamas and daddies who say, hey, it may not be comfortable. It may be easier to stay in the same place but I'm interested in birthing some new babies. I'm interested in growth. The Kingdom of Heaven.
The Bible says it's like an unto a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed into a field. It started out very small but I want you to know that as time went on it grew and grew and grew and grew until it became greater than everything else that it was around. The Bible says that this is what the Kingdom of Heaven is supposed to look like. It's supposed to be a kingdom of growth. It's supposed to be something that is consistently getting better and better as time goes on. I want to tell you tonight that I've been to many churches where there's a spirit of maintenance in the house and there's a spirit that says we just want to hold on to what we've got but I've got to tell you tonight the kingdom that you and I are a part of it's not a kingdom of stagnation it's not a kingdom of maintenance it's not a kingdom of staying in the same place but you've got to understand it's a kingdom of growth it's a kingdom of multiplying it's a kingdom of progress. It's a kingdom of improvement. It's a kingdom of multiplying and getting better and getting better and you and I as the people of God are supposed to continually grow we are supposed to continually multiply we are supposed to continually get better and better and deeper in our walks with God I can't tell you how many places I've been where the attitude is let's just hold the fort down until Jesus comes the attitude is let's just hold on to what we've got hey we're barely making it as we are right now I've seen churches all over that's in survival mode but I've got to preach to somebody tonight and tell you God is not called this church to be in survival mode but God has called this church to be in revival mode God has not called us to be on the defense but God has called us to be on the offense he didn't say stay where you are and hide it but he said go ye therefore and preach the gospel multiply and share it with somebody that's around you I wish you'd put your hands together to the Lord right now as I said we're living in days we've never lived in before we're living in uncharted waters we're going places that maybe nobody's ever necessarily been before but I want to tell you tonight that the method may change but the message cannot maybe we've had to livestream some stuff maybe we can't go out and mix and mingle in the community like we did at one time but can I tell you tonight the message has got to remain the same we've still got to go out and preach to people and teach them about who Jesus is we've got to tell them that if you want to be saved you've still got to repent and you've still got to be baptized in the name of Jesus and you've still got to be filled with the Holy Ghost we've got to go out and still be willing to preach to people and tell them there's only one Lord there's only one faith and there's only one baptism who is above all and through all and in you all but God has not called us to take it and hide it can you say amen God has called us to take what we have been given the gift of salvation and multiply it and share it with people that we come in contact with this parable that I read in your hearing proves this I believe the three servants represent people just like you and me and I believe the talents I believe the talents could represent different things but I believe it's very possible that the talents could represent the gift of salvation I really do believe that and I believe that the master represents God the story says that he gave everybody five talents everybody he gave everybody something a value everybody he gave to them something that was of worth the Bible says that he gave one one and he gave one two and he gave the other one five talents and the Bible says that these servants came and based on what the master said when he returned the servants understood the kingdom
that they were a part of they understood that when they received it they weren't just supposed to maintain it but they were supposed to grow it and they were supposed to add more to it the Bible says that the master went away for a season the servants did not know when he would return but they just knew he was going to come back they didn't know when the day would be they didn't know when the time would be but they knew he said he's coming back so he's coming back and they knew that they had to do something with what they were given the Bible says the one that received five talents took what he had and multiplied it when the master came back the Bible says he had ten the master was very pleased well done that good and faithful servant entered and he comes to the one that had received two talents he said well what'd you do with what I gave you he said well I took it and I multiplied it he said I doubled it in fact now I've got four the master was pleased and he said because you've been faithful over little I'm going to make you faithful over much well done though good and faithful servant enter into the joy of the Lord to the one that had received one talent maybe he had an excuse that well I wasn't given as much as the other ones were so I couldn't do as much with it it really wasn't a fair fair challenge that that we were given but the Bible says that the master did not say anything about how he was given less than the other ones all he said was hey what did you do with what I gave you what did you do with it did you multiply it did you share it did you grow it did it increase or did it stay in the same state that it was I gave it to you the servant begins to immediately come up with excuses he said I knew that you were a hard man I knew that you you reaped where you have not sown and I knew that you gathered and you did not straw he said I was afraid so I took what I was given and I hid it in the earth I took the gift this thing that had value this thing that had worth and because I was afraid I took it and I hid it in the earth I want to tell you tonight that in this season I've seen so many people take the gift of salvation and hide it under a rock somewhere well I'm scared what this person is going to say I'm scared of how I looked at this person but the Bible says that that excuse did not matter to the master but when he found out he did not grow it and he did not multiply he said take it from him and give it to somebody that already has something he said take them and throw them into outer darkness notice tonight that he didn't lose it it wasn't gone it was worth just as much when the master received it again as it was when he gave it to him it didn't diminish it did not lose any value but simply because he did not multiply it simply because he didn't have anything extra to show for it the Bible says that he was cast into outer darkness the master said you know I gather where I haven't strong you know that I reap where I haven't sown what was he saying you understand the kingdom that you are a part of you know good and well that this is a kingdom of growth this is a kingdom where when you receive the precious gift you go out and do something with it he said there's just no excuse for you and although he had maintained although he hadn't lost it although it was in the exact same condition as it was when he received it and I tell you that there was still the ultimate price to pay because he did not multiply what he was given can I tell you I've seen people who think it's just fine for us to get what we have received and to do nothing with it I tell you I was praying today I'm going to think about the revival that this church has had I know we've got several out tonight but this is a church that has had unbelievable
revival this is a church that knows what it is to have unbelievable experiences in the presence of God I look around and I see blessings everywhere I look around and I see souls that have received so many wonderful things from God but I've just come to urge somebody tonight and stir you in the Holy Ghost and tell you don't you ever forget that just because we experience it in here that we forget that there's thousands of people within a couple miles of this church who don't even know who it is that Jesus is don't forget just because you've got the Holy Ghost and just because you're saved maybe you've got family say thank God for it but I've come to ask you tonight what about everybody else what about everybody else in this city huh what about your neighbors what about your family members who maybe don't even know and understand Jesus can I tell you tonight that something I believe the Lord has showed me in the past few months is this that there is no such thing as maintaining with God I believe it if you think I'm wrong ask your pastor he'd say I'm wrong and if he says I'm wrong he's right but I believe that there is no such thing as maintaining with God each and every day that you're alive I want to tell you you're either getting closer to God or you're getting further away from God I believe that I believe the decisions that you make I believe the words that you say I believe the conversations that you're having I believe the places that you go I believe the attitudes that you have I believe the people that you speak to and I believe the people you have relationships and friendships with I just believe that each and every thing it's either pushing you towards God or it's pushing you away from God so you're either growing or you're backsliding that's what I believe I was talking to a young man from my church a few months ago and he has a call of God on his life he feels a call to the ministry and I asked him it had been a few months since I had talked to him I said well man tell me where you're at since the last time that we've talked tell me what's going on in your life where are you at in your relationship with God and where are you at with your studying and he said man I've got to be honest with you he said these last few months have been pretty rough on me they've been rough for a lot of us I know that but he said man he said I'll be honest he said I really don't think I've done any growing at all he said I don't think I've really done anything but maintain and when he said that I thought the Holy Ghost come on over me and said buddy I've just got to tell you that you're either growing or you're backsliding hey I want to tell you tonight the churches that believe in maintenance and the churches that believe in just holding on to what we've got they're the same churches that believe that the greatest revivals are in the past that the greatest miracles are in the past that the moving of the spirit and the gifts of the spirit are a thing of the past I've got to tell you tonight thank God for the old miracles thank God for what he used to do but I've got to tell you I'm hungry for my old stories I'm hungry tonight for my own miracles I'm hungry tonight to tell somebody what Jesus can do for them I wish you'd lift your hands with me right now come on would somebody lift up your hands and open up your mouth help us tonight Holy Ghost I feel the Holy Ghost right now in the name of Jesus come on God still in the business of saving souls come on God still in the business of doing the miraculous come on God still in the business of revival hey I don't care what's going on outside of these four walls we've still got a job to do I've got to tell somebody about Jesus Hallelujah Hallelujah
we know tonight that we've got to stay full of oil we read about the ten virgins where at one time they all had oil but at the time that the master came five of them had run out of oil so we know tonight we have to stay full of oil all throughout the bible you will find that oil represents the spirit of God oil represents the Holy Ghost I began to think about the prophet of God a man by the name of Elisha he was speaking to a widow woman she had a problem and all she had in her house was a little pot of oil she said prophet I really don't have much the only thing I've got in my house is just a little pot of oil it ain't worth much but it's just a little something Elisha said here's what I want you to do I want you to go to all your friends all your family members everybody that you know and I want you to begin to gather vessels vessels, empty vessels he said it doesn't matter the size it doesn't matter the shape it doesn't matter where they're from it doesn't matter the color all you've got to do is make sure they're vessels and they're empty he said you gather as many vessels as you can if you gather these vessels I want you to bring them into your house he said get as many as you possibly can the words he used was gather not a few but gather as many as you can get your hands on the bible says she goes to her friends and her family she begins collecting these empty vessels once again not worried about what they look like not worried about if they had cigarette breath not worried about alcohol on the breath not worried about where they came from not worried about if they had just gotten out of prison it did not matter the only like I said prerequisite had to be that it was a vessel and that it was empty she gathered these vessels and she brought them into the house she got this little pot of oil and the bible says she took that little pot she began to pour she poured until every vessel in that house was filled and can I tell you tonight that as long as there were empty vessels the oil continued to flow but notice tonight that the moment the last vessel was filled the moment that there were no more empty vessels the oil stopped flowing what does that tell us tonight that a sure way to keep the oil flowing in this house is to keep bringing empty vessels hey if you want to make sure that every time we come together and the Holy Ghost is falling and the Holy Ghost is being poured out there's got to be empty vessels there's got to be people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness keep the Holy Ghost flowing keep bringing the hungry keep bringing the empty keep bringing the hurting and God will fill them those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled I want to tell you that there's a price there's a price to try to maintain with God there's a price to pay to try to try and take this gift of salvation and keep it to ourselves and not share it with anybody else that's around us we know tonight that a healthy body of water has water flowing in and water flowing out but a body of water becomes toxic when it becomes stagnant even a body of water that only has water flowing in but has no water flowing out also becomes toxic and also becomes diseased don't you get tricked and fall into the trap of thinking that God will just bring them I was preaching for a man last year and they didn't have any type of outreach they had their regular services but that was it there was nothing
where they went out into their community and I began to ask him about it and say why don't y'all have outreach why don't y'all have door knockers why don't y'all have anything going on to reach your community he said well he said the way that we kind of feel is that if they're supposed to be saved the Lord will bring them into the house and we don't really have to do anything about it that's what he said he said we just believe that if they're supposed to be saved they know where the church is at and they'll find us but I want to tell you when I get into the word of God and I begin to read I find several times where he said you don't stay but you go you don't just stay on the church but you go outside of these walls and you preach outside of these walls if the only preacher you do is inside the church then you really ain't much of a preacher if the only minister you do it is ministering in a church then you really ain't much of a minister and I tell you we can't be tricked into thinking that God will just bring them we've got to go the Bible says compel them to come you know what that means that means plead that means beg that means if they say no the first time they'll come back and ask them again that means you pray and that means even when we've had revival and that means even when this house on a Sunday is many times almost to capacity that means keep going out and keep asking people keep telling them I've got an answer for you and I tell you you pass people today that we're dealing with depression and I believe we've got the answer let me back up a minute can I tell you tonight we can't expect people to come in and be saved when many times we aren't saved it makes no sense for us to go out and tell people that God can take away their depression when we're more depressed than they are when they are I've seen people that go out witness to people and say God can bring joy to your life but they're some of the most grumpy people you've ever met in your life it just don't make sense they say God can do this and God can do that for you but if you looked at them you'd never guessed that God had ever done anything for them we pass on a daily basis we've got the answer for their life we've got the answer that would save their soul but we sit by so many times and don't open up our mouth God give us a revelation give us an understanding about the people that we pass God's getting ready to give somebody a burden tonight I believe that if you'll let them tonight I'm gonna give you a hunger and a burden for souls like you've never had in your life come to the music please hear me tonight God did not give you or me the Holy Ghost for us to live happily ever after God didn't give you or me the Holy Ghost for us to say thank you Jesus for it and not to do anything to get anybody else in the truth if you're here tonight and you've been in the truth for any amount of time and you can look around and realize that there's nobody here that's here because you witness to them there ought to be a fear that comes over you I'm not here to bash anybody I'm not here to beat anybody over the head I just want to help somebody but if you're here and there's not anybody that's got your fingerprints on their life it really ought to bother you it really ought to do something on the inside of you because God didn't give you the Holy Ghost for you to keep it to yourself he shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and ye shall be you shall be what? witnesses you shall be witnesses it is without doubt for every single person that has ever tasted of the Holy Ghost to be a witness I believe so many times we get callings confused I realize tonight that some are called to preach some are called to teach some are called to pastor some are called to evangelize and I met so many people that say what is the call to do I just don't know what my purpose is but I want to tell you
that there is a call that you have and there is a call that I have there is a call that every single person who has ever tasted of the Holy Ghost has and that is the call to be a witness the call to be a witness I want to ask you tonight I just want to ask you can you think about it can you take a little inventory right now would you close your eyes right now really think about it what have you done I tell you what when I add up what I have done there is a fear that comes over me I say that honestly when I think about the souls that I have touched and the people that I personally witnessed to there is a fear that comes over me I want to think about how many opportunities I have had that maybe I have missed there is something that comes over me that says God I want to do better I want to do better I want to tell you that if you are not multiplying it you are hiding it you are if you are not multiplying what God has given you you are hiding what God has given you we know the last words of a person are significant many times we can remember the last words a person spoke to us before they died and left this earth surely they are very important words especially when that individual knows they are about to die surely they are important words I begin to think about the last words of Jesus Christ he could have told us disciples about anything he could have told them about miracles he could have told them about signs and wonders he could have told them about any number of things but you know what the last message Jesus ever preached to his disciples was about souls that's what it was about souls don't you forget the reason Jesus came to the earth we find the whole purpose of Jesus Christ summed up in a single verse, Luke chapter 19 verse number 10 why did he come the son of man he came to seek and to save that which was lost I tell you if you want to be like Jesus you've got to know what it is to win the lost what is being a Christian that's being Christ like one of the main characteristics of Jesus is that he always minister and he always reached out through the broken people who were around them and I want to tell you if you want to be like Jesus the single greatest thing you could do is learn what it is to truly be a soul winner I know what it is to be in a larger church like this think about my home church think about growing up so many times if there was a handful of visitors you could just about bet I know we don't bet but you could just about bet that there was one of maybe four or five people that invited them out of a church of 400 people it was almost guaranteed that one of this tiny little nucleus and a handful of people were the ones that invited them you know that's not the way it ought to be it should be left up to just a few people in this church to win the lost it should be left up just to a few of the soul winners here to do something about it it should be left up to your pastor and your pastor's family to minister by themselves to the people that are around them but it's your job I'm not talking to your neighbor right now I'm talking to you it's your job every single person you've got a job go you therefore and teach your nations go ye and tell somebody what Jesus can do in their life I want to share one story I want to share one story may not mean much to you but I felt today to share it I was preaching several months ago for my uncle Inviter Texas I began to think today about how many times maybe we've missed out on a soul that God has for us simply because we're distracted
and we're busy we've all got things to do don't we I know we do but I was headed to preach for my uncle I was headed to church I was running a little bit late but I had to stop and get some gas I got out of my car there was a woman was standing right there she said hey would you give me a little bit of money what you need money for she said I just need a little bit of gas I said well I said I'm not going to give you cash I said but I'll go inside and I'll put a little money on the pump I went inside and put $15-$20 on the pump I came back out and said it's ready for you so her just got to stand there and look at me I was wearing my suit and tie and she just looked at me and she said are you a Mormon just kind of chuckered a little bit I said no I said I'm not a Mormon looking back she opened the door right there for me to tell her who I was she opened the door for me and said no I'm not I'm a Pentecostal tell her what Jesus did for me and because he did it for me I know he can do it for you she opened the door it was nothing I said I was in a rush I was busy I said no I'm not a Mormon and I turned I finished pumping my gas and I got in my car and I drove off it may not mean much to you tonight I remember I got no more than a mile down the road and all of a sudden in my mind I saw that woman I could see her burning in a place called hell I heard the Holy Ghost speak to me and said I sent that woman across your path for you to witness to and you missed your chance I remember I found the next place that I could and I made a U-turn and I got back to that gas station as quick as I could but by the time I got there she was gone and I realized I'll probably never again cross paths with this woman my God I'm on my way to church I'm gonna preach about souls and I just have the opportunity to witness to a soul because I was too busy I missed my chance I started thinking how many chances have I already missed and I've got to ask you tonight how many times has God sent somebody across your path how many times has God sent somebody in the place that you were how many times has God sent somebody in the place that you work how many times have you walked into a gas station and maybe the person that was working there there was a perfect opportunity for you to tell them about who Jesus was we're worried about man what if they say something about me what if they laugh at me what if they think this or that about me I've said it many times so many times we get so worried about what if they think this I've got to ask you tonight well what if they come what if what you tell them would be the thing that they've been searching for there's a chance they may say no but guess what that's the worst they can do so what if they say no if you ask enough times you're gonna find somebody who's hungry you're gonna find somebody who will come into this house and it will change your life God fill them with the gift of the Holy Ghost we're getting to think today's the last thing I want to say about Noah you know he must have been very grateful that he was in the Ark this place we're in tonight represents the Ark it represents a place of safety from the storm and the turmoil and the problems that's going on in this world no doubt Noah was very grateful that he was in the Ark and that his family was in the Ark but you can't tell me that after that door was closed and he began to hear people knocking on the door and begging on the door and saying hey would you open up the door would you let me in my babies are dying you're not gonna tell me there's something on the inside of Noah and he began to cry out and say I thank God that I'm saved but my heart's broken for everybody that's not and I'm gonna ask you tonight I know you're thankful you're saved I know you're thankful you're in the truth but I'm gonna ask you what about everybody else
what about everybody else I believe if God came for me tonight I'm ready I believe if God called my name tonight I believe I'm ready to stand before the judgment seat of Christ what about the friends I have that aren't ready hey it's not something that this burden is so heavy sometimes it feels like it can kill you you can't live with that there's still ought to be something every once in a while you can't sleep at night you think about all the people who don't know God I mean do we really believe this message we say that we believe if people don't have the Holy Ghost they're not ready to meet God how many people have you come into contact with today that don't have the Holy Ghost did it do anything to you I've seen Pentecostals go through life with a chip on their shoulder trying to pick fights with people my God that's not the way we can live we can't go through life that way there's gotta be a hunger on the inside of us there was something on the inside of Jesus that no matter how busy he was if he came into contact with the hurting he couldn't just go about his day there was no way if he came into contact with somebody that was broken he couldn't go about his day and forget about him but he had to stop and he had to minister to him I know tonight some of us are content where we are if that's you that's okay it's really not I've tried my best to stir you tonight I've tried to reach you but I'm believing I don't care if it's one person that's here tonight the Holy Ghost has come to stir something inside of you some of you that's never been on the inside of you some of you that hasn't been there in a long time some of you know what it is to go through life with a burden you know what it is to not be able just to go in a store see all the people and not have something come over you I was thinking today about there was a couple years ago where every single time I got in a plane and I looked down at the millions and millions and millions and millions of people as I flew over large cities I couldn't help but cry every single time I started thinking today it's been a while since I looked out of a plane window and began to cry it's been a while since I've gone seen thousands of people and some come over me and said my God most of these people don't know Jesus I'm praying tonight not just for you I'm praying for you I'm praying that God will give you a burden but I ain't just praying for you tonight I'm being honest I'm praying for me I don't want to go through life without a burden I don't want to be able to come into contact with a broken with a hurting they did not do anything to me I've got a grandmother tonight who's an atheist who does not believe in God and I find myself going days and days without even calling out her name in prayer that's not the way it ought to be that ain't the way it ought to be I'm praying that God will stir somebody in a way you hadn't been stirred in a long time would you lift your hands with me I feel the Holy Ghost I feel the Holy Ghost come on with somebody pray with me right now he kind of almost see I know come on I feel the Holy Ghost God give me a burden like I haven't had in a long time when I see people I don't want to just see an opportunity to make money I don't want to just see an inconvenience I don't want to just see something that maybe I don't want to deal with but I want to be able to look past the scars I want to be able to look past maybe the addiction that's got them bound and see past that and look at a soul that's tormented and look at a soul that's hungry for more if you've got a burden tonight if you've got a desire for God to turn you into a soul when I wish you'd step out of where you are right now come on right now I wish you'd step out of where you are come on I thank God for what he's done in Dayton
I thank God for what he's done in Apostolic Lighthouse but you hear me today and the Holy Ghost would not tell you God's not even close to done God's not even close to giving you the revival that he really wants to give you I'm praying tonight somebody will get a burden I want to be a soul winner I want to be a soul winner come on I wish you let some tears flow tonight I wish you would let God see some tears flow from your eyes let God know I've got a burden and a hunger I don't want to get so caught up in life forget about everybody that's around me come on I wish you would let the Holy Ghost hear you tonight I wish you would open up your mouth come on would somebody open up your mouth and just begin to cry out come on it's not enough for you to be saved you've got to do something for somebody else come on God's giving you a burden for some co-workers and you haven't thought about them in a long time you used to witness to them you used to pray for them but it's been a long time since you've invited them to church it's been a long time since you've called out their name and prayer I wish right now you'd begin to do it I wish right now you'd begin to lift up your voice come on let's pray let's pray come on pray for yourself first come on pray for your own burden first pray that the Holy Ghost would ignite something in you and when you begin to feel that burden I'm asking you to call out for somebody else come on when you begin to feel those tears running down your face at that moment and begin to cry out for somebody else come on some of you've got spouses who aren't where they need to be with God come on if you get on fire I guarantee you it would do something in their life come on what about everybody else what about those who aren't in the arc of safety thank God you're safe thank God your family's safe what about everybody else what about everybody else stir me tonight Holy Ghost I don't want to leave this house the same way that I came hey I'm telling you it's not easy living with a burden it's easier to go through life and never think about it but that's not the way we can live our lives we've got to live with a burden would you ask the Holy Ghost tonight I know that goes against our nature I know that goes against what we want but when somebody say God give me a burden put something heavy upon me God even if sometimes I can't sleep at night you can count on me to get out of the bed and pray for somebody you can count on me to get out of the bed and begin to say God touch this person reach down into their life stir them you can count on me you can count on me to be an intercessor you can count on me to be a prayer warrior let's spend a few minutes of prayer tonight church God's not done tonight
Scripture references as spoken: Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:10.