For Want of a Smith

we didn't wear you out already did we yeah are you glad to be in the house of the Lord tonight man what an honor what a privilege it is to be here I'm not going to take too much time with preliminaries because we've done that and I told Brother Nolan that they can take as much time as they want it's not shortening my sermon as a joke and all the kids were really worried man I do want to say this really quickly um I'm not going to take as much time as they did I give honor to your leadership here in this District Pastor Mark McCool your district superintendent and a wonderful group that he has he's leading here brother Nolan brother chase their youth team doing an incredible job putting this together thank you all so much for doing this to my friend Nate and Ashley I love them I appreciate them he's like a big brother to me and I'm thankful for him his voice in my life uh Zach Lauren Hammond our General student Ministries director aren't you thankful for the leadership that we have at a national level brother Anthony and sister Kelly and thankful for them they are World Changers there's a lot of people that talk about it but there's very few that do it but I'm thankful that I am connected to people that are doing it to Bishop and sister Carpenter we love our leaders in this organization are you thankful it was about nine years ago at a national youth convention that sister Carpenter came to a newly married couple my wife and I laid hands on us and she began to speak in tongues and I believe she began to prophesy she said God do powerful things through this powerful couple and in that day I would have never believed we would be here but I'm so thankful that we are and I'm thankful for my beautiful wife whom I love very much she did an incredible job Dr Christian Johnson did an incredible job into the fac family here we are thankful for this wonderful church for allowing us to come in and have church on probably the busiest weekend for a church in this year they open their doors to us and we ought to be thankful for that wonderful church tonight can we clap our hands to them amen I have a lot of family here tonight my mom and my dad whom I give great honor to they tried their best and I tried my best to go the opposite direction with their pulling and me pushing we landed here I don't know how in God's name we did it and I'm thankful that they did I love my sister love my mom and my dad my niece Ali's here wonderful kids to the people who drove the van thank you for driving the van and bringing them here tell Shane my friend that he should have drove that van but I love him anyway and my aunt's here and I'm thankful are some kids from our church are here thank you for being here to my church family I love you thank you for allowing me to do this um I Pastor the best Church in the entire world with the best Saints in the entire world and I'm thankful for them my kids Jim and Viv and Charlie if you're watching dad's coming home tomorrow and I'm excited to see you all tonight is it this is all we got and um it's why we came here he didn't come here to wear your nice suit or look beautiful for that guy and if you did the joke's on you because God ordained you to be here tonight and I believe God's going to touch you let's go to the book of First Samuel chapter number 13. begin reading at verse number 15. amen wonderful music wonderful spirit of God we felt in this place tonight thank you again for all of the gift basket the fictitious card there's an inside joke there and um thank you to every Pastor that's here um I I don't like I don't say self-deprecating things because my wife will hurt me but I will say the best preachers in the room are sitting in the Pew tonight but I've got the microphone I don't know how in the world that happened but I've been wrestling with this sermon literally since January and it did not come together until 6 pm tonight I wish I could say that I preached this before but I haven't because God told me to preach this here tonight and I believe God wants to touch us the Bible says in Samuel Rose and got him up from gilgal and to gibea of Benjamin which reminds me Ben Rodriguez and Becca if you're watching I love you I wish you could have been here it's all numbered the people that were present with him about 600 men and Saul and Jonathan his son and the people that were present with him Abode and gibia Benjamin but the Philistines it can't at Big Mash and the spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies one company turned into the way that leadeth to orphra unto the land of shuo and another company turned the way to bethelon and another company turned to the way of the border that looked to the valley zebone toward the wilderness now there was no Smith found throughout all the land of Israel for the Philistines said lest the Hebrews make them swords and Spears but all of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his Sheikh his culture his ax and his Matic yet they had a file for the Maddox and for the cultures and for the forks and for the axes and to sharpen the goats this last portion of scripture so it came to pass in the day of battle that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan it was Saul and Jonathan his son was there found I'm not going to tell you the title of my sermon just yet I'll give it to you in just a minute what I feel what we should do right now because I want us to put our Bibles to our side put your devices down I want you to lift your hands and lift your voices I want you to pray that I won't hinder the move of God's spirit tonight and I want you to pray that God will move on us in a mighty way can we do that Lord we thank you for your wonderful blessings for your spirit that we felt in this place for the leaders of this district and this organization that believe in young men and young women I pray right now God under the power and the authority of your name that you will begin to remove a thing that would try to hinder or bind her anything that would try to separate us from what you desire to do tonight God let the power and the authority of the Holy Ghost come down let it destroy every yoke of bondage let your anointing flow in this house lest your spirit Reign God and let it all be done for your glory and according to your will and everybody said in Jesus name God bless you as you're seated tonight in 17 58 Benjamin Franklin's publication titled Poor Richard's Almanac was nearing the end of its over 20-year run when the following proverb was printed it goes for want of a nail the shoe was lost for want of a shoe the horse was lost for want of a horse the rider was lost for want of a rider the battle was lost and for wants of a battle the kingdom was lost and all for the want of a horseshoe nail to us today this proverb probably carries very little literal meaning none of you rode here on the back of horses or in a carriage that was pulled Along by horses we know very little of the full of the plight of a horse that loses a shoe and even less about the rider that would find an unfavorable fate because of it but this proverb did not originate in the mind of Benjamin Franklin it was a German writer that sat down in the 13th century some 600 years before Benjamin Franklin would put this to paper and he said the wise tells us that a nail keeps a shoe a shoe a horse a horse a man a man a castle that can fight you see Benjamin Franklin was not concerned about the facts of the proverb he was concerned with the spirit of the proverb and the proverbs Spirit its meaning is very simple One Singular thing can cost us our entire future so tonight with the help of the Holy Ghost I really believe in just a few minutes that God wants to move this morning brother Nolan was walking in the spirit as he said that Faith was in the house I remember being a young man and feeling those things and not having people that would confirm it with me I can confirm it with him that God was moving in such a way that he wanted to heal people so that tonight could happen so with that in mind the culmination of last night and today and all of the lives and the hearts that were touched I want to preach to you for want of a Smith for want of a Smith in our opening scriptures tonight we read about an attempt to afford the children of Israel again at the hands of the Philistines tonight's passage was not the beginning of their tumultuous relationship and it would surely not be the end but for us to fully appreciate the moment that we found ourselves in the middle of tonight we have to look to the past to understand its full complexity you see the exact origins of the Philistines are not known some historians would say that they were of Aegean Ascent a descent While others feel that you can trace their lineage all the way back to Noah's son japheth when he pronounced promise on them immediately following the flood no matter their beginning though we know at the times of the judges of Israel that they had became a regional force to be reckoned with they were known for their incredible ornate Pottery so they were people that were artistic and sophisticated they had adopted the worship of other Canaanite little G Gods like Bell and ashtera so we know that they were spiritual they were also Infamous for their creation of and consumption of alcohol so we know they were also worldly but they were Advanced Nation they were so advanced in fact that while Israel was stuck in the Bronze Age one historian said that the Philistines were thrust into the Iron Age and were Advanced years or decades beyond that of Israel one man said that their advancement had delivered into their hands a great deal of military might with their more advanced armaments and their aggressive military policy the Philistines continually thwarted Israel's development as a nation for nearly 200 years the Philistines had harassed and oppressed Israel often invading their Sovereign territory many historians would agree and theologians would say that it's under this constant threat that the Philistine War would come that Israel had forced the hand of the prophets and begged to God give us a monarch and get rid of our judges there could be no peace between God's people and the Philistines their Customs were different their values were totally different their gods were different their worship looked different their temples were built in a different manner their standards were not the same their morals were entirely different they had nothing in common and now mortal enemy that Israel pitched their tents beside we have to be careful how close we get to things that don't agree with us so finally one day in an attempt to ruin Israel once and for all the Philistines sent spoilers into the land you see the definition of the word spoilers is the Hebrew word shakoff it means to ruin corrupt or to destroy see the spoilers didn't go into the land and take the wheels off the Chariots of the Israeli Army they did not go in and Set Fire To The Storehouse of weapons that they had compiled over the years no no no they did not go in and plant expose the explosives on the city walls they did not assassinate judges they did not try to kill seers or prophets they didn't even go after families they went after the ones have the knowledge of Elemental things and knew how to form and fashion them into instruments and weapons four they went after The Smiths blacksmiths to US mean very little might be the person that you see as you go into Dollywood and watch them bring out something new that you can buy and take home and never use again but they were important people in the nation of Israel because it was over the anvils and the forages that Israel's blacksmiths would take practically worthless blocks of bronze and later on iron and fire them and form them it would be the heat of furnaces that would take something without use and something with very little value in one condition or form and and fashion into something else that had value and had use the writer recorded the Philistines motives as they said amongst themselves less the Hebrews make themselves swords or Spears you see they were wise they were cunning in their devices they had great foreknowledge if you will because these spoilers arrested and captured individuals that were not only responsible for making sure that the current generation was able to fight but they also tried to make sure that every generation after it would lack the tools necessary to make a stand they were playing the long game they were thinking not just about the now and the extremities that they could see touch and feel they were thinking about 10 years and 20 years Beyond the times that they took the Smiths and I want to tell you tonight it's with much prayer that I came to this sermon and I'll be honest I fought Within Myself about what I wanted to say my wife sat there trying to take a nap and I was working on this sermon and I just sounds so comical but I just began to cry because I finally had to give up what I wanted to do I had to give up what I wanted to say for what God wants you to hear tonight I want to tell you that there is a global assassination attempt taking place against the apostolic Church's passion for the things of God oh yeah and I want to tell you tonight the enemy even more wise you even more cunning but also more bloodthirsty and ruthless than the Philistines he has devised generation long plans that is designed to degrade to erode and to make obsolete the forges where Divine weapons are formed the enemy's Nature has not changed and his tactics were made the same as with Balaam what he could not curse he will corrupt and as with the Philistines what he cannot kill he is attempting to disarm we're living in a day in a time where there are more people in the United States that believe the book of the Bible is a book of fables then those that believe the Bible is the literal word of God and you that's not opinion that is a poll taking over millions of Americans in the United States young man let me tell you and I'll just go ahead and open it up tonight if you're here you're living and you're breathing I want to preach to you under the anointing of the Holy Ghost if you are here tonight you are a target of the enemy that is trying to disarm this generation and I'm not talking about an age group I'm talking about a time in our Church's history like we've never seen before if there's ever been a time where the fires of the forges of the Smiths need to be reignited it is today young man you are a Target young lady you are in the crosshairs he does not have to kill the church you just got to take its weapons away he's trying to disarm us not just for now but for our future have a friend who meets with different leaders and and great thinkers and he's connected me with a few his friends sat down and talked with an incredible psychologist who has an incredible mind who is a religious individual he's not Apostolic but he believes in God and he said we used to be at the Forefront of everything that took place in the world and now we are so far behind my friend being the inquisitive counselor that he is he asked Mr Carpenter why do you think that is the man goes on to say we used to build temples and houses of worship that would take a hundred years to finish what changed we've become so afraid and enamored by the rapture that we forget to plan for the future I'm here to tell you tonight I hope to God he comes back tomorrow and I'm going to live like he does but if he doesn't I want to plan like he's never coming back because I do not want to be a church that's caught off guard you want to know why he's fighting you so hard he's trying to take the Smiths of future Generations he's using the worthless distraction of a video game social media to take control of and numb your mind to where it's only mush and can no longer think about the great things of God he is using the Mindless scrolling of Instagram and social media to attempt to rob you from the one thing you never get back time he's using the young man that's young lady he's using the young man that's pushing you to cross boundaries that you never dreamed you would have crossed young man he's using that young lady to keep you away from the fires of prayer and Bible reading and it's not just an attempt on your life it's not an attempt to rob you of your talents that's meant to be used for God it's so much more than that it's an attempt to rob the church of the future furnaces that will Blaze and burn heating up molten Nettles that create instruments of war he wants to rob the Church of a Smith that will take hold of a hammer brother if you could help me out that will take hold of a hammer and take into his hand the molten iron and brass he wants to remove your ability to form into fashion instruments of war things that you will not only use to protect you when he comes in like a flood but things that will also hinder the advancement of the kingdom of God I'm not talking about philosophies tonight I'm not talking about fables tonight I'm here to tell you that God sent me to tell some young man or some young woman that God is calling you to take hold of his word that is sharper than any two-edged sword and begin to dive into its pages and bring to light personal Revelations that become corporate weapons of war he's calling you young man to dive into the scripture and work it thoroughly until you hold in your hand the personal revelation of the Oneness of God even the devil's fear and tremble half the name it's not because he is only the Son of God it's because he is the God of this universe manifest in the foot tell me o Rabbi what is the first and greatest commandment well let me tell you what it is hear o Israel the Lord our God is one Lord and thou shalt love him with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy mind and with all thy strength we need weapons tonight he's calling you to take hold of something that the bishop mccools have already worked out he's calling you to grab a hold of something that the bishop carpenters and the pastor mccools have already formed in the fiery forges of prayer and fasting and the reading of the word of God he's calling you to take hold and with the hammer and an anvil sit down at a table with the word of God in front of you and begin to work and to mold and to move until it shows you that acts 2 38 is more than just a thing to make you feel better but it is a mode of Salvation that God has ordained since the beginning of time that whenever we lost Dominion in the garden that he sought for a way that in a garden he prayed one night until his sweat became as great drops of blood and he said nevertheless not my will but thine be done and today we celebrate the day that he died on a cross for the sins of humanity and he got up on a third day and 50 days later the spirit of God was poured out in an upper room you've got to take hold to the weapons he wants you to take hold of the word until you've beaten every part of it you can do until the pages of the word of God become things that are falling apart that are have notes written all in them and and things placed all on them as you search the scriptures of God and it brings you to a place where you read what the writer said that withheld holiness no man shall see the receivers calling Smith's tonight he's calling men and women young men and young women you know why you feel like something has been missing from your life because you've listened to your friends and you've not went to the word like you're supposed to and instead of fashioning a weapon of War a sword of the spirit that Paul would call it you're held captive by the carnality of this world and the devil will look at you and he'll snicker and he'll laugh because in every home on every phone on every person's ability to Google tonight you can find the unadulterated pure word of God to lay the heat to to begin to study to understand this is more than just a game this is not just about Mom and Dad it's about me I'm here to tell you I looked over at brother Chase tonight and as uh they were being so kind and giving accolades I asked him did you ever think Our Generation would be called we both said no brother Anthony when I ever thought we'd see a day where our names would be listed this should be cool I don't know how far you saw into the future when you preach the Oneness of God that your son would carry that's your grandson would carry and that's your great-grandchildren I don't know how far into the Future these Great Men looked and these great women peered into but I know that it would have never been enough brother Nate if I would not have taken hope Bishop McCool's an incredible man he is the goat but guess who's not taking you to heaven sword I've got my own I want to tell you tonight I feel it under the unction of the Holy Ghost God is calling a generation of young men and young women to pick up the Anvil not just to fight but to get ready because we're going to make things that this future world can rest assured that we're holding on to instruments that will save our world I'm almost done and let me tell you tonight it's bigger than our ability to fight it's bigger than our ability to war it's bigger than our ability cool swords for wherever Stephen is I had to drive 40 minutes by stinking fake sword you didn't have one pray that God convicts you right now it's bigger than our ability if I see there in times of War the blacksmith would take a hammer and he would fasten a sword he would fashion a spear he would put in the hands of able-bodied men weapons to fight but it was during times of peace where the sword was not needed that A Smith would turn his attention tools of harvest he would give him tools for everyday life Smith knew that the tools of the times of Peace were different than the tools of the time of War peaceful days Smith could go to his Forge and he could hammer out a an ox goat or a pickaxe or Matic or a fork plows here because the Smith also created things for the Harvest you see the Philistines their only goal was to remove their ability to fight but it was at the absence of The Smiths at the tools of the farmers became old and beaten they began to show their age because they they had no Smiths to create new instruments for the Harvest by this time it's likely that the tools of harvest would have been bent or arrested their handles could have been broken so you couldn't use them to their fullest ability in first Samuel chapter 13 said but all of the Israelites went down it's no accident it says down anytime you have to leave the camp to go to the world it is not an ascent it is a decent they had to go they had to sharpen their axes and their Medics and their pickaxes I thought about you see the plow Shear was a sharp piece of metal that hinged down in front of a plow it would break up the fallow ground so that the plow could move the dirt out of the way so that a seed can be planted it would be those tools that they would have to get the Philistines to sharpen the Maddox or the pickaxe would have been a tool that would have been used to walk up to hard pieces of clay or ground or dirt or begin to take out those hardened things I thought about Luke chapter number 13. how The Keeper of the vineyard saw that there was a tree that wasn't producing fruit the owner wanted to get rid of the tree but the keeper said let me dig it up let me dig around it when a story and said it's highly likely he would have took a taken a pickaxe I tell you tools that A Smith creates can save an unproductive tree mathematics the Forks the Pitchfork would have been used to pick up the weed tour or harvest and toss it onto the backs of animals and into cards the ox code would have been used to poke and prod the offices that were pulling the plows the Bible says that they would go down to the Philistines because they had no Smiths and there they would pay a price have their tools Sharp when we lack smiths in the church and we got to go to the world to sharpen our tools we're going to pay a price we may not be willing to pay there's always a cost associated I'm going to tell you it's not God's will that the Apostolic Church be backward I got the mic tonight you can just get over it going on Church milk it's not God's will that the Apostolic Church require help from other denominations foreign it's not God's will that we're not the smartest it's not God's will we're not the most anointed I'm here to tell you God is calling the Apostolic Church to a place of dominion to where the world will come to us and ask us questions about theology how did you get your church to be so big how did you disciple your people they're going to be coming to us one day but we've got to have Smiths we gotta have Smiths as the musicians come we gotta have Smiths I wrestled all week and it would not come together I couldn't make it work I'm not a dumb guy you could be seated I got a master's degree I didn't cheat but I cheated one class but Hey listen work smarter not harder y'all I'm not telling you to do that I'm just telling you that sometimes you you got to do what you got to do to get through business statistics and I'm not an idiot I can write articles I can make a sermon flow I'm not bragging I'm just telling you I have confidence in my ability to put pen to paper and write a Bible story but I could not make it work I ask great mentors my pastor called me on the drive up here yesterday to talk about this sermon that he had preached before one of the greatest preacher among our ranks has preached from this very scripture and he sent me his notes and I'm should have preached it and I could not make them where I couldn't make the armor fit it wouldn't work so I studied in the hotel room today after I got back from Sevierville and I my wife was sleeping the sound machine was on and Chase Condon was tickling the ivories in my ears as I listened to instrumental prayer music on Fountain and I said God why can't I put this together well Zach I'll tell you what I wanted to preach I wanted to preach for pastors tonight I wanted to preach young men and young women into a calling a Pulpit Ministry and then it hit me if I did I'd be a hypocrite I wanted to look at a young man and say young man if you'll just take hold of the mallet because we need Smiths and the Bible said so it came to pass verse number 22. in the day of battle there was neither sword nor spirit found in the hand of any other people that were with their leader that's when I realized I'm not preaching to leaders tonight preaching to Equippers you do not have to be a lead pastor to be a Smith I wondered I wondered if Paul was alive today with the fivefold ministry been a little bigger they didn't have counselors brother Nolan they had the wonderful Council I want to tell you tonight I believe what brother Johnson Dr Johnson said this morning when he said that you are equipped to win this world you know why God will never call his church to a place where he will not equip them to win the loss and to win the battles and to fight the wars so I wondered God will you call an evangelist will you call a prophet or a preacher or a teacher will you call an apostle tonight will you call a missionary but I couldn't limit God why can't counselors be Smith when they sit across the and they talk to men and women that are traumatized that are depressed that are anxious why can't they dive into the word of God and form things that they can bring life to People by the words that they speak thank you why can't businessmen be Smiths why not why can't leaders that aren't preachers why can't the teachers in our schools that aren't just Christian School teachers but that are in the public schools why can't they be Smiths we need men and women of God that step into holy vocations that have not just heard it preached behind pulpits but that they can say they once said at a desk with a mallet in hand and they begin to form and fashion weapons of war that they can equip this world with I'm going to tell you you don't have to become a senior pastor to be effective some of the most the first martyr in the Bible was a man that they just asked to leave the church I know I'm stepping on some toes tonight I may never preach here again so if I don't let me just put it all on the table Pastor you'll never do it alone in the days of you thinking you will they need to be over because that is not God's will for you one man said I'd rather burn out than rust out how about we don't do either and we work together to win a lost and dying world thank you I know I'm fighting some Dogma tonight I can feel it and I'm okay with it because I'm going to tell you I'm going to tell you if we don't start equipping and Empower leaders in our church to help disciple people in our churches we're never going to see the Harvest God will only give you a harvest that your church can handle we need Smith's in the pews and I know I'm preaching to Generations that watched as the latter rain movement would men that were not under the junction of the spirit would have home prayer services and split churches apart I'm not talking about that kind of deal if you want to usurp your pastor I'm going to go ahead and tell you you're looking at the wrong guy I believe wholeheartedly in pastoral Authority but they need your help they need your help I need Smiths or a sword blue suit purple tie had to look at himself come up here what's your name [name redacted] how old are you [name redacted] you are 14. I'm going to ask you a hard question that's all I need you to do is tell me the truth you feel the call of God on your life to do what don't know yet it's okay you know why when you get in the word take hold can you begin to form it you'll watch as ornate designs will be beaten in as you take the hammer you notice it only comes to a point at the end you may not know until just before it's time to be cold one day God will say that's it and when you get there you won't be unprepared you have a sword you'll be able to fight [name redacted] take that with you too that goes together now I got to go by Smokey Mountain Knife Works and buy me another sword tomorrow stay up here for a second I need I need a young man that feels called into Ministry to raise your hand real quick right here come on right there come on right there come on back there come on I need a young lady a young lady between I knew this is what I need and I'm only saying this because I want to be respectful of our time and I want to do it decently in order if you're between the ages of 16 and 30. I need a young lady that feels called in a Ministry 16 and 30 right back there there's one right here's another come up here real quick real quick Gary make some more people mad Aubry come up here that's pretty cool go over here can I hug you she's a family she feels called in a Ministry did you know that you've seen things foreign your family has fought battles that other people will fight can I see the sword you're going to get it back I promise that now when a young girl walks up to you and says Ah you can say guess what I took hold of the word I had family in my corner if you knew her story God ordained too but I'm going to take Auto dangerous tonight and she began to take a mallet a hammer and to beat something out of the word of God that she would be able to put into the heart of a young lady one day why because we need Smiths we need young men and young ladies I feel the Holy Ghost in This Place we need young men and young ladies that aren't afraid and they will say whatever it costs I'm gonna take hold I'm gonna take hold on lift your hands all across this place come on that's it the Holy Ghost is moving right now come on it's just a start it's just the start I know it's not the best trust me the other ones that preached that they would have preached it better but I'm here to tell you tonight God sent me to tell somebody don't you wait you know how many regrets I have Bishop I wish I'd have never played a basketball game it means nothing I wish I'd never spent the time on meaningless PlayStation and all of the nonsense my God I wish so bad I would have just found myself on my face daily in the fiery forges of prayer and let God begin to put weapons of warfare and weapons and things the tools that I could go out and reap a harvest and he sent me to tell you I wish I would have heard this message when I was 16 when I was 18. I wish I would have heard it when I was 25. but God sent me to tell you tonight and I believe this with all of my heart under the unction of the Holy Ghost I feel the spirit of God in this place you can turn the world up side down if you'll find yourself for whatever Smith the weapons were lost for want of weapons the people were lost for want of a people the Harvest was lost for want of a harvest the future will be lost for want of a future people will never see the kingdom all for the what of a Smith I'm here to tell you today you don't know who you will impact by the weapons that you're forging 20 years from now you don't know the lives that will be touched in foreign countries because of the prayers that you're praying but tonight but tonight April 7th 2023 God is calling the Tri-State District the young people of this region to find yourself in an altar and find yourself grasping hold of the elements that bring life that bring joy that bring healing he wants you to take hold of the word of God foreign foreign come on I feel led to do this we're not going to sing I'm sorry we're not going to sing tonight we're just going to pray let him play softly in the background they do an incredible job they're anointed they lead us but I'm going to tell you tonight God is calling us to a deep room of Consecration and prayer he needs theologians to be born tonight he needs counselors to be born tonight he needs pastors to be born tonight he needs preachers and teachers and evangelists and apostles to be born tonight don't wrestle any longer before we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities come on that's it God's imparting something here tonight it's Apostolic anointing