An Old Revelation for a New Generation

Second Chronicles 34 14. and when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses and hilkiah answered and said to shafan the Scribe I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord and hilkiah delivered the book to chafe in and chefin carried the book To The King and brought the king word back again saying all that was committed to thy servants they do it they found the book of the law in the house of the Lord and from this text I'd like to speak to you today on the subject an old Revelation for a new generation God bless you please be seated Our Heritage group and our church consists of people who are 65 years of age and older and yesterday there was a wonderful get-together my wife and I had the privilege of eating with our heritage group and thanks to Anna Richard Evans for a tremendous job caring for our heritage group we're so appreciative of everyone that serves a Ministry but especially those who take care of our elders today our heritage group will be receiving wonderful fruit baskets facilitated by the Pemberton family and we appreciate that and I want to acknowledge the Elders of our church I've become an elder that takes time to become an elder you have to work really hard at it but especially today I wanted to acknowledge people who are not able to attend church because of physical constraints or mobility issues we have people that have borne the burden In the Heat of the day but are no longer able to come to church and I just wanted to acknowledge them to thank them for watching online would you take a moment right now to just say thank you to the elders who cannot be in church but would be if they could be amen our church was built but spiritually and materially by people who willingly sacrificed their time and money to make Atlanta West Pentecostal church this local church what it is today that has a reach around the world and contributes to missions causes around the world for younger people who are part of our church family I just want to help you relax today that our elders don't feel that you owe them one thing you don't owe them anything although the Bible does teach that we should give honor where honor is due for the sacrifice of previous generations but what we do have is a sacred responsibility to preserve what they paid for and make sure that we deliver an Apostolic biblically his church to the Next Generation that is coming along behind us we must pass on what we received and preserve the message in its biblical Integrity like Abraham we have been blessed to be a blessing to other people that's why today I'm talking to you about an old Revelation for a new generation you see everyone has a Heritage but not everyone has a Heritage that they can be proud of a Heritage is something that is transmitted or acquired from a predecessor a Heritage can refer to your racial ethnic religious or cultural background we are blessed to have a Pentecostal Heritage our heritage is traced most of all to the book of Acts chapter 2 when the spirit of God was first poured out on the birthday of the church we maintain the experience and relationship that was received on that day we can also Trace our lineage historically to the beginning of the modern day Pentecostal movement that began on January 1st 1901 in Topeka Kansas as a local church we can also tie Our Heritage to the formation of the United Pentecostal Church in 1945. our local church Heritage dates back to to a basement of Merle and Louise Harper in the fall of 1961. we thank God that a handful of people had a vision for a multicultural Church in 1961 think about that and they made sure that something was started that would be preserved I thank God for my personal Heritage of my father and mother my grandparents on my mother's side that handed down a wonderful Heritage but I want to say something that I believe very strongly that a Heritage in itself as important as it is and as much as it should be valued it is not the best reason to continue in our faith our foundation is not rooted in church history or some religious denomination our faith does have to go back to the Bible alone while I appreciate my Heritage I would not continue to live the way I do and believe what I believe if it was just the religion of my mother and father but I thank God that I've discovered an old Revelation that was relevant in my life and it is relevant to a new generation it is truth that gives us a right to life to exist as a church we anchor our faith and the scriptures alone and we find our direction for the future by Reviving the truth of the past we search the Old Reliable paths that guide us into the future as a Prophet Jeremiah wrote unto the inspiration of the spirit stand in the way and see and ask for the Old Paths where is the good way the tried and true way and walk therein and you shall find rest for your souls as a Proverbs says we do not remove the ancient landmarks the boundaries of truth that will set that were set by our fathers but here's what I know about truth as an old retired youth pastor that truth must be rediscovered in every generation God has no grandchildren you may be second third fourth fifth generation Pentecostal but God God doesn't have grandchildren he only has sons and daughters that have been born again of water and spirit and brought into the kingdom of God that's why old Revelations must be discovered by new generations if faith is to Be Alive forevermore Psalm 105 for the Lord is good and his Mercy is Everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations but it must be excavated at times dug up from the past we've got to go back and come face to face with the word of God and let the Lord reveal himself to us afresh if the old Revelation is viable to the new generation today I want to encourage you to embrace the truth of the Bible and not just to embrace it but to make it the final Authority in your life for we believe that the Bible alone is the final Authority is the word of God to give us Direction in an uncertain future that our culture is trying to navigate right now amen cannot try to deconstruct truth in an effort to justify aberrant behavior in our lives to try to find a way to condone what the Bible condemns we do have to excavate lost truth and recover what might have been buried in the rubble of religious tradition and go back to the Bible to make sure our faith aligns to the faith that was once delivered to the Saints you shall know the truth Jesus said and the truth shall make you free that's why we hold truth as the highest value in our relationship with Jesus Christ now as a local church we have a value that we Embrace and we practice and if you've been here for any length of time you've heard me talk about this or that versus this and that someone called it the tyranny of or versus The Genius of and we don't believe it just because we embrace the spiritual move of God that we should be light on scripture we believe in word and worship we believe in spirit and Truth amen it is both and not this or that so I want to review this idea with you because it is tied to our commitment to the word of God to being a church of Truth The Church Must passionately preserve poor doctrines while simultaneously stimulating progress to reach our changing culture and Advance the mission of the church you preserve the core and you stimulate process progress you have to have continuity of Truth and be willing to change methodology or the way you approach a new generation we have to have a commitment to truth and a willingness to adapt to a world that is constantly changing so we have stability and spontaneity to be able to accomplish our mission we believe in Heritage and renewal and we have observed that many churches have lost their way because they have caved into the pressure of the culture but our commitment to the Bible gives us a strong sense of identity it gives us a threat of continuity it holds us together the generation National changes and with our very cultures and past and who we are but it is truth that anchors us and keeps us true to God's word amen our Doctrine contains sacred tenets and we believe in preserving them zealously and we know that they will guide us into the future generations and knowing what must not change what cannot change gives us the freedom to change what should be changed for example several years ago this doesn't sound novel now but we decided that we wanted an online presence and with the approval of our board we made a significant investment and cameras and the ability to stream and is where does technology can be we worked really hard and continue to do that to be able to stream the message of the Gospel all over the world wherever anyone would log on or sign in so I thank God that when covet hit that we didn't have to do any fancy footwork that we were ready to produce a service here for you while you were stuck at home and we were ready for that in advance because we're willing to embrace technology and change I listened to brother Stewart's message last week when he spoke about God's provision that God has the ability to provide in advance what he knows you will need he provided a ram caught in a Thicket before Abraham and Isaac ever got to Mount Moriah God knows the future and he declares the end from the beginning he has never been caught off guard and our God will guide us if we maintain truth he will guide us to be a viable effective Apostolic Church no matter what changes come in the culture amen you've got to know what must not change so you can know what can change to be relevant while not compromising truth he can paint a wall black or put up an LED screen as long as you preach the truth you can have two services or five Services you can meet whatever you want but as long as you preach the word of God that changes people's lives without compromise God will honor that amen we believe in this and that not this or that and I think you've got it but I've seen churches the mistake methods for values they think their church is not growing because they're conservative in their beliefs so they compromise truth to be relevant and they lose everything because they do not have a commitment to what must never change and then there are churches out of fear of compromise out of people that fear compromise they won't do anything to change the church to make it more viable or relevant because they're afraid that they're giving up everything that they're selling the spiritual Farm I'm glad to know what cannot change must not change we'll never change the truth of the word of God that we've anchored our soul to amen so we're free to Pivot around trees I read something that was an Awakening moment to me there are about 350 000 religious congregations in North America Christian churches and many of those churches are very light on Doctrine they're very generic in what they teach they basically teach the same thing but at least 80 percent of those churches statistically are either plateaued or not growing at all so compromise doesn't automatically lead to growth and neither does embracing truth stop you from growing in fact it is my observation that the early church was strong in Doctrine but growth was never a problem with them three thousand five thousand multitudes of men and women the gospel went to the then Known World if we will continue to embrace truth if we will be Apostolic in our practice amen God will honor this church and we will reach people that that are hungry for God they're looking for truth they're trying to find a relationship that will keep them in this troubled crazy convulsing world amen but here's what the Bible teaches if you do not love the truth you will love a lie Satan sends deception but God says delusion to people who do not have a love for the truth so it's important that we maintain our commitment to core convictions that never change and then have a Relentless drive to make sure we reach everybody everywhere with the Gospel of Jesus Christ this is the important balance of this and that but this idea leads me to our story in second Chronicles 34 that centers around King Josiah King Josiah was the son of King Ammon of Judah this isn't a period of time of the divided Kingdom the Northern Kingdom of Israel headquartered in Samaria the southern Kingdom of Judah also joined often with Benjamin headquartered in the city of Jerusalem Josiah became king at the age of eight after his father was assassinated he reigned in Judah for 31 years the Bible said that in his lifetime that he did that was right in the sight of the Lord he walked in the ways of David his father and he declined neither to the right hand or to the left eight years old he becomes king the Bible says that in the eighth year of his Reign when he was 16 years old and the Bible makes this note while he was yet young Josiah began to seek the god of David his father he was a teenager but he was seeking God with all of his heart Amen in the 12th year of his Reign at the age of 20 Josiah began to purge Judah and Jerusalem by destroying the high places The Groves the carved images the Bolton images and all the idols that were in Judah the Bible says in second Chronicles 34 3 he did this throughout all the land he broke down the altars to Balaam that false god he eradicated the false priests from the nation of Judah and during his Reign he expanded it to Manasseh Ephraim Simeon and even naphtalai those surrounding areas bringing a Revival of righteousness by destroying idolatry and the Bible said that Josiah did not return to Jerusalem from his campaign until he had fully completed his mission in the 18th year of his Reign at the age of 26 Josiah began to repair the Temple of the Lord 18th year 26 years of age he's a young adult today a lot of young adults are still living at their parents house trying to find their purpose in life but Josiah is repairing the house of God he collected money he employed and paid workmen to repair and renovate the temple He restored what the former Kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin there must have been heaps of rubble and piles of debris inside of the Temple because in this process of the removal of debris and rubble and in the renovations of the temple the Bible said in second Chronicles 34 14 are texts and when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord he'll tie the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses he found the book of the law in the house of the Lord how do you lose the Bible in the church but somewhere there under a rock furniture somewhere lying there underneath all the junk that was there was the hidden word of God theologians they may have founded the book of Deuteronomy it may have been part of all of the first five books of the Bible of penateague but there's a tremendous amount of excitement verse 15 hilkiah answered and said to shape and his crime I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord and he'll Kaya delivered the book to shafen verse 16 Shea fan gets this scroll this book of the law that is found buried in the house of the Lord and he carried the book To The King he brought the word back again to King Josiah that everything you've commanded we have done verse 6 18 the Bible said that Shay fan began to read the Bible to King Josiah and in this reading Hezekiah is smitten with conviction now you have to remember that Josiah has already been a reformer he is already eradicating false priests he has already destroying Pagan Idols before he ever had a physical copy of the Bible his Heritage the word that had been passed down he knew that idolatry did not belong in Israel but now he is seeing written the word of God that's long-lost word of God the revelation of the heart of God I've observed in my life that when people are not sure what to do if they will do what they know to do that God will lead them to more truth as you seek truth and do what you know to do if you're shrouded by a cloud of confusion if you'll just do what you know to do you will watch God let that cloud evaporate and truth will replace confusion so here is Josiah cleansing the temple finding the word of God now he has Direction now he has Old Testament prophecy telling what is hanging over their country Josiah is broken by what he heard to the point that he tore his clothes that ancient sign of remorse he is repenting he is praying he realizes that there is more work to be done they consult with the prophetess named holda and she tells them for sure that these prophecies will come true that Judah will be carried away into Babylonian captivity that sin has separated them from God she tells Josiah that because he has humbled himself and repented and walked with God that this tragedy will not come in his day that he will die in peace Josiah calls all the Elders of Israel together he causes them to hear the word of the law of the word of the law of God and the Bible said that they made a covenant with God to walk in all the ways of the Lord verse 33 says in Josiah took away all the Abominations out of the countries that pertain to the children of Israel and made all that were present in Israel to serve even to serve the Lord their God and all his days they departed not from following the Lord the god of their fathers your influence is greater than you've ever imagined if you'll do what you know to do God will reveal himself to you and give you Direction amen you see Josiah found an old Revelation for a new generation they found the truth of the word of God that have been hidden in the house of the Lord here's something I want you to understand today about this old Revelation is that truth is timeless it does not have an expiration date it doesn't grow stale or moldy or old amen the Bible is not like some archaic Relic that is relegated to the Past there are times in human history that there are significant historical discoveries that are made I was reading not long ago November 10 2022 was an excerpt from the Smithsonian Magazine that archaeologists have been Excavating ancient thermal baths outside Siena Italy since 2019 but just a month or two ago through the mud in the water they started to identify fragments and slowly they begin to see the hand and elbow a glimmering coin and and they've excavated these researchers have 24 perfectly preserved bronze statutes that date Back 2 300 years they found a cache of coins and other significant artifacts this discovery in the town of San Casiano Del Pagano in a small Hilltop town they say is Rewritten history because they discovered all of these statues many of them are false gods but here's what I know that ancient art is interesting and fascinating it is a window into the past but it does not have power for the present but when you find the book of the law in the house of the Lord it has the power of that old Revelation that affects a new generation it is just as powerful and relevant today as the day it was written in the word of God it is an old revelation for a new generation my historian said if we forget the failures of the past we're likely to repeat them thank God for good history that keeps us from making the same mistakes over and over the Bible tells us that was the purpose of the Old Testament it was a teacher a school Master is to help us not make their same mistakes the truth is timeless this book of the law that is found in the house of the Lord is eternally relevant and in fact even though the book was lost its power was not lost the Prophecies of that ancient book of the law that was discovered in the house of the Lord we're still going to come to pass if they would have never renovated the temple if they would have never discovered those ancient Scrolls lying there the truth of those Scrolls inspired by God we're still going to come to pass but hold of the prophetess assure Josiah of was true that Judah would go into captivity and there was nothing that could stop it from happening amen I want you today to understand that even though this book whether you have a King James version or a new King James version or you like to read the New Living Translation some reliable translation that this book will never pass away that whatever is written in the Canon of the Bible is inspired by God every word god breathed it is it is withstood the test of time it is eternally true Isaiah 48 the grass withers the flower fades but the word of our God stands forever Psalm 119 89. forever O Lord your word is settled in heaven Heaven and Earth may pass away but God's word will never pass away some people may believe that the Bible is an archaic Relic from the past but that old Revelation is still relevant to every new generation the Apostle Peter wrote about this in First Peter 1 23 having been born again not of corruptable seed but Incorruptible through the word of God which lives and abides forever he now quotes Isaiah because all flesh is crass as the glory of man as a flower of the grass the grass withers and the flower Falls away but the word of the Lord endures forever now this is the word and I preached on or taught on this last phrase a few Wednesdays ago now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you amen the word of God Is Alive forevermore and Josiah knew that what God Said would come to pass and nothing can stop it the Prophecies of judgment were buried in the rubble of the temple but they were still in full effect now I know that's a long story it's an an old Revelation but I want you to understand today that our modern world is also facing end-time prophecies and we are headed to judgment as a world just as sure as Judah was headed for captivity in Josiah's day in the New Living Translation I want to relate II Peter 3 3 several verses more than I would normally read in a message the Apostle Peter wrote more importantly I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come mocking the truth following their own desires they will say what happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again for before the ties of our ancestors everything has remained the same since the world was first created but then the Apostle Peter said they deliberately forget that God made the heavens Long Ago by the word of his command and he brought the Earth out from the water and surrounded it with water then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with the mighty flood the Apostle Peter says they have forgotten what is a historical fact that there is a worldwide flood that destroyed everyone that was not on Noah's Ark God destroyed a world and saved eight Souls who were obedient the Apostle Peter says in verse 7 and by the same word the same word that created the world the same word that created the flood the same word that was hidden and lost in the temple in Josiah's day that same word is hovering over this end time world that is just as true and just as relevant and just as ominous as it has ever been verse 7 the Apostle Peter II Peter 3 if you're making notes and by the same word the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire they are being they are being kept for the day of judgment when ungodly people will be destroyed but you must not forget this one thing dear friends a day is like a thousand years to the Lord and a thousand years is like a day the Lord isn't really being slow about his promise as some as some people think unlike the king James's some people count slackness no he is being patient for your sake he does not want anyone to be destroyed or to perish but he wants everyone to repent that's why God has allowed this world the world the clock of world history to continue to tick the Bible says unto the fullness of the Gentiles come in God has allowed in his patience someone else to be saved today somewhere around the world he does not want anyone to be destroyed but he wants everyone to repent and then the Apostle Peter says but the day of the Lord in the Bible the word the phrase the day of the Lord is a day of judgment it's Doom and Gloom it is not the catching away of the church it is God's judgment on the Earth and Peter said the day of the Lord will come it will come as unexpectedly as a thief and when it does he said then the heavens will pass away but the terrible noise and the Very elements themselves will disappear in Fire and the Earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment and then he begins to apply this since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this but holy and godly lives you should live looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along on that day he will set the heavens on fire and the elements will melt away in the Flames but we're not headed to judgment he said but we are looking forward to the new heavens and the new Earth that he has promised a world filled with God's righteousness and so dear friends he rise while you are waiting for these things to happen make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in our sight in God's sight and remember our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved I wanted you to see this entire passage because just as surely as Josiah heard those words that were penned in Deuteronomy or one of the books of the pentateuch those same words are relevant today though they were pinned by the Apostle Peter 2 000 years ago our world is facing the Judgment of God again that's why this church exists to have somebody come out of the world and come into a relationship with God we exist to lead people in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ so that they can be saved from wrath to come that's why we exist and that's why every new generation must go back and ReDiscover this old revelation because the old Revelation is relevant today so let me ask you have you lost the Bible is it that book that collects dust on your shelf I know many of you like me do a lot of your Bible reading on a device that's great just read your Bible amen but I've wondered how can a book so valuable and so revered literally be lost in the church the temple That central place of worship for Jews everywhere how do you lose the Bible it's just laying there not being read not being obeyed time goes by Pagan worship comes in back sliding Sliding Away then all of a sudden something just Falls over the Bible and it's out of sight is out of mind and over Decades of time the book of the law is buried in the house of the Lord I wonder how many people who call themselves Christians maybe they have a physical copy of the Bible maybe they have it on an app but as far as embracing and obeying that word it might as well be buried and out of sight because they have lost that old revelation that will save their generation maybe in Josiah's day like our day people think out of sight out of mind if you can't see it if you don't know it what harm can it do but as I've already told you not having that book did not change the Prophecies of that book and living in denial whistling in the spiritual dark of our modern day will not keep you saved will not exempt you from judgment ignorance is not Bliss you can say I don't know but that is not an excuse God has revealed himself in creation and in our conscience he's let us know enough to know that we must feel after him and find him you cannot be willingly ignorant God doesn't get a pass He commands all men everywhere to repent that's what Paul told the Pagan Athenians in Acts chapter 17. some people have selective memory they remember what they want to remember from the Bible they ignore the rest willingly ignorant the Bible says choosing to not know hoping that they will not be held accountable for what they pretend that they do not full well know that you're only fooling yourself where God has revealed himself to us so that we can have an old revelation for a new generation God help me God help us but a lot of churches in our day have become light on scripture a lot of the Bible has been lost a lot of preaching a tradition and not truth a lot of philosophy a lot of feel-good stuff so that people will not be confronted by their sins that will take them into judgment and their literal burning Lake of Fire but the Bible is a Timeless old Revelation that is relevant for every new generation but I learned as a boy that you've got to discover it for yourself amen you've got to be born again of water and spirit you cannot go to heaven on your family relationship with God you cannot go to heaven on your parents walk with God every person must have a personal encounter with God you've got to confront truth face truth Embrace truth receive salvation in your own life that's what Josiah learned and that's what we must know that we need a personal Revival we need a Family Revival we need a church Revival and we need a Revival in our land in our culture we need to make sure that our faith is preserved to the Next Generation the truth that there is one God and the father of all who is above all through all and in you all hear o Israel the Lord our God is one Lord and that all the fullness of the godhead dwelt in him bodily that there is one mediator between God and man the man Christ Jesus we need to always preach and embrace that there is a new birth experience of water in spirit that can be obeyed when you turn from your sins and repentance when you're baptized in water in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ when you receive the gift of the holy spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues that is that old revelation that old Revelation that we were saved to be separated from the sins of this world to lead a holy life unto the Lord to be the bride of Christ that is pure and clean and lives a distinct lifestyle so today if you're a cultural Pentecostal like I grew up sleeping under the sea crawling up in church you've got to know him for yourself tradition will not keep you in Temptation and trial but truth will keep you no matter what comes against you and no matter what happens in the Next Generation so let's dig past our preconceived ideas our religious traditions our predisposition to do whatever we want to do and let's let's on Earth let's excavate the law of the Lord the word of God let's read it let's embrace it and let's obey it would you bow your heads and let's pray right now dear Lord God I pray that you would help our attitude be as a writer Jude said that we would earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the Saints I pray O Lord God that we would love all people but we would most of all Lord love truth I pray Lord today for children young people and young adults who were raised in an Apostolic Pentecostal Church Lord but only have a superficial relationship with you and I pray Lord that you would let then move from experience to relationship from convenience to conviction I pray oh God that you would help us Lord not be willingly ignorant to just shove from Consciousness Lord the truth is confronting us I pray Lord as your word always does let it be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart I pray that you would draw us into a viable and vibrant relationship with you help us Lord discover this old revelation in this new generation and I pray for that in Jesus name amen if you're able would you please stand now I'm gonna invite all of our church to come our guests you're welcome to come with us we're always respect you and your prayer but it's our custom to come to the altar to pray and today we're making a commitment to that old revelation in our generation I commit to preach and teach it there's purity of power to live it with integrity and to transfer to the Next Generation for just what it is nothing more to leave room in the aisles come as close as you're able I appreciate you coming if you're able come with your family if you're not physically able to come then we're going to turn every aisle into a prayer room right now forever you're standing or seated let's lift our voices to the Lord and pray right now [Music]