Sunday Morning Worship Service

praise the lord everyone are you excited to be in the house of the lord on a sunday morning amen if you're excited one more time why don't you clap your hands unto the lord thank you jesus amen it is such a tremendous honor and privilege to be here with you all once again at first apostolic church of knoxville and uh i am just thrilled about what god is going to do today and uh why don't you turn your bibles to luke chapter number one and we can begin doing that as i make a few introductory remarks here in luke chapter 1. start reading at verse number 5. as you're turning there i want to say what an honor it is to be here with you all and i honor today the mccools bishop mccool pastor mccool brother anthony mccool the whitley's can we just give them a round of applause such an incredible incredible family i honor them they are special people and we have the privilege of traveling to many places in this season and this year since my wife and i have been married this has been a highlight moment for us it really has been i hate she can't be here and she uh she hates that she can't be here she loves this church and this family but we honor them and honor every one of you for being in the house of the lord this morning have you come expecting for god to do something awesome today [Music] oh i thought i'd have a little bit more help than that have you come expecting for god to do something in this place today amen i heard brother wayne huntley preach a message earlier this year and only the way that he can and he preached a message entitled church is what you make it and he talked about that passenger scripture brother mccool where jesus said that you've you made this a den of thieves but i wanted this to be a house of prayer and he said church is what you're making if you want to make it something a den of thieves if you want to make it a place where it's just you know mundane you just come you just check your box and go home guess what that's exactly what church will be to you but if you come today expecting for god to do something spectacular something supernatural can i tell you that's exactly what church will be for you today i don't know about you but i've come expecting for god to do miracles i've come expecting to see somebody receive the holy ghost i've come expecting for god to do what only he can do in this place amen and if we expect it that's exactly what will happen amen luke chapter one start reading at verse number five the bible says there was in the days of herod the king of judea a certain priest named zacharias of the course of abaya and his wife was of the daughters of aaron and her name was elizabeth and they were both righteous before god walking in all the commandments of an ordinances of the lord blameless and they had no child because that elizabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years skipping down to verse number 11 and there appeared unto him an angel of the lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense and when zacharias saw him he was troubled then fear fell upon him but the angel said unto him fear not zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy wife elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shalt call his name john and thou shalt have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth for he shall be great in the sight of the lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink and he shall be filled with the holy ghost even from his mother's womb and many of the children of israel shall he turn to the lord their god and he shall go before him in the spirit and power of elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the lord the angel speaks to zacharias this incredibly elaborate word from god zacharias after hearing a word from god decides perhaps a word isn't quite enough for me [Music] the bible says when zacharias hears the word of god spoken by the angel he says unto the angel mr angel whereby shall i know this for i am an old man and my wife well stricken in years now i don't know about you but i don't speak fluent king james ease [Music] so every now and then i need somebody to kind of break it down for me in common english that little phrase right there that zechariah says to the angel whereby shall i know this in common layman's term that the angel is simply asking this can you give me a sign is there something that you can show me [Music] to prove to me that the word of god is actually true but i want to preach with the help of the holy ghost today on this title there's an oath that is greater than a sign signs are great and powerful and awesome but there is something that is greater than a sign and it's the word of god i want you to lift up your hands right now and i want you to pray right now for god's spirit to speak in this room god's presence and anointing to fill this place god i pray in the name of jesus that you would speak to us in this place let your power let your glory let your anointing move in this room we are hungry for a move and a demonstration of your spirit anoint us so god from front to back from side to side saturate us with your power and your glory we expecting for you to move in this place and we'll give your name the praise and the glory and the honor for what you're going to do in the name of jesus one more time why don't you clap your hands and give god praise in this place come on somebody lift up your voice right now somebody lift up your voice right now and just begin to worship the name of jesus oh god we worship you hallelujah hallelujah thank you so much for standing for the reading of the word you may be seated i want to begin by making it abundantly clear that i believe in miracle signs and wonders oh i thought i'd have at least 10 people that would help me there i said i believe in miracles signs and wonders i believe that if you come into this place today and you need a miracle from god you're in the right place with the right god to receive your miracle you don't have to walk out of this place uh in fear if you need a miracle of faith god can give you faith you don't have to walk out of here with cancer in your body but i believe we serve a god that is able to do a miracle in this place [Applause] i believe i believe in signs and wonders i believe in a god that is willing and able to prove himself by miracles i really believe that god proved himself to ahab and jezebel and all that were gathered at mount carmel when fire rained down from heaven and consumed everything on that altar i really believe that god calls the fleece to be wet and the ground to be dry and the ground to be wet and the fleece to be dry for gideon to give gideon a sign that he really was with him i truly believe i believe it was more than fairy tales that god calls abraham to fall into a deep sleep and darkness to fill the land all as a sign to prove to abraham that he really was god i believe in the new testament that jesus christ healed the sick a sign i believe that jesus raised the dead a sign i believe that he opened blinded eyes all as a sign to prove he was who he said that he was i don't believe it stopped there i believe that same authority that he had to work signs and wonders among the people he gave that same power to the apostles and they worked miracles i truly believed that peter and john really said silver and gold have i none but such as i have give i thee in the name of jesus christ of nazareth rise up and walk i believe it's more than just a good story to make you feel good on a sunday morning but i believe that our god really is a god of miracle signs miracle signs and wonders if you come into this place today and you need a miracle from god you're in the right place all authority in heaven and earth is our gods the authority to heal is our gods the authority to deliver is his the authority to save is his he has the authority and he's more than capable of proving himself my signs wonders and miracles i really need us to get this at the onset this message today there is really nothing more electric than when god shows up and shows out and gives us an undeniable sign that he's still on the throne there is nothing more surreal than when god blows our mind with a miracle how awesome it is when god makes it abundantly clear that he is still god and that he is still on the throne and he's still in control the world might be going crazy but when god does a miracle it's as if he's speaking out i'm still on the throne i'm still in control everybody else might not understand and realize it but i'm still here i'm still god and i haven't diminished in my power i've been saved yesterday today and forever if i did a miracle back then i can do it right now oh i feel my help coming right now if i healed back then i can heal right now if i say back then i can save right now can i tell somebody that days and miracles are not behind us we're living in miracles right now the days of signs and wonders are not behind us but our god can do it right now oh somebody clap your hands if you believe it he's a god miracle signs and wonders the bible lets us know in acts 2 and 22 that jesus himself was a man approved of god among them by miracles and wonders and signs jesus proved who he was by signs but can i tell you all those signs are powerful they serve a purpose in the kingdom of god there is something that is greater than a sign i'm thankful for signs i'm thankful for wonders i'm thankful for those things that we can have that are tangible proofs to our humanity that god really is who he says that he is that god is powerful and god is awesome but can i tell you there is something although signs are great and powerful that is greater than a sign and can i preach to you that thing that is greater than a sign is the pure unadulterated word of god yeah that's exactly what i thought because when we say that we're like oh okay a word i don't know about that god i mean thank you for all that wonderful stuff that you say in your word but i'd much rather have a sign but i've come to tell you for me i would take a word any day if given a choice between having every sign in the book and having just one word from god can i tell you i would take a word i would take the word from god every single day in my life if i made a dilemma and i have to seek my faith in a sign or seek my faith in a word can i tell you every single time i'm going to place my faith in the word of god because the word of god is a sure foundation come on somebody i've come to tell you right now the word of god is something you can shake your faith in the word of god it's something you can stand on it is a sure foundation it might not be as fancy it might not be as flamboyant but the word of god is powerful [Applause] [Music] see some of us right now are so discouraged because we don't see any sign of life we don't see any sign that things are getting ready to change in our family but i've come to preach a word to somebody and tell you you need to stay strong you need to hold on because if the word of god has been spoken i don't care if there's no sign of life i don't care if there's nothing moving on the surface the word of god will come to pass let me tell you why people can dance even when people are losing their mind and their families because they've got a word let me tell you why cancer patients can come up and lift up their heads in the presence of god it's because they're standing on the word they're not standing on what they see they're not standing on what they can look at with their but they're standing up on something else that will never fade that will never fail and that's the word of god come on heaven and earth is gonna pass away but my word but my word but my word it will never pass away signs they may pass away signs may caesar but the word of god [Applause] is going to stand forever i'm sinking my faith in the word i would trade every miracle in the world for just one word from god oh i know that's not that's not what some of us want to hear right now because god has made some of us incredible promises and right now nothing is happening on the surface right now nothing is happening that we can see and we've all done this before but some of us are here right now and we pray the prayer god if you will just give me a sign that you are with me if you'll just give me a sign that you're going to work if you'll just give me a shine that something is moving that dead that that is not all death around me but i've come to remind somebody even if you don't get a sign can i tell you you have the word of god that says i will never leave you nor forsake you i know you might feel like you're alone right now i know you may feel like you can't feel my presence up but i'm with you i'm for you i'm gonna work this out yes you might not feel anything right now but stand stand stand on my word i don't need to see him working to know that he's working i don't need proof to see that to know that he's working all i need is the word of god and that word is enough for me all i need is for god to speak a word that my situation is going to turn around and before i ever see a side that is turning around i'm going to believe all i need is a word that my body is going to be healed and before i get the test back i'm going to take it to the banker before i see something change i'm going to stand on the word of god no matter how unresponsive heaven seems if god has given me a word it will happen i said it will happen somebody right there needs to receive it i said it will happen i don't care if it's been five years or five months i don't care if it's been 10 minutes or or 10 years can i tell you if god has spoken it it will happen it will happen your family will be saved you're going to come out of that because god has spoken it and if he has spoken it it will happen you need to understand what a sign is hear me a sign has no authority a sign merely points to the source of the authority but when you have a word you are plugged directly into the authority of god a sign is good for prufa a sign is good for assurance but a sign does not have any power therefore i will not put my trust in a sign but i will put my trust in the thing that has the power and that is the word of god i'm not placing my faith in a sign i'm not placing my faith in some man i'm putting my faith in the word i'm putting my faith in the word come on somebody you don't need a sign if you have the word the word is enough oh somebody lift up your voice right now and receive that ilaba shondurai just begin to rejoice right now come on somebody lift up your voice right now in the name of jesus i've come to speak against every spirit of doubt that would tell you that god is not moving yes he is he's already said it it will happen now he's already said it it will come to pastor he's already promised it therefore it will happen [Applause] god is bound by his word hebrews 6 17 says for people swear by something greater than themselves and all their disputes and oath is final for confirmation you ever heard somebody say when they really wanted to let you know that what they're saying is true i swear by i swear by let me swear on a loved one that's passed away they may swear on some great possession that they have or some person that they look up to but can i tell you right now the bible lets us know that that's what man does because man does not have the power to keep his word i don't care how much you love them i don't care how much you trust them can i tell you daddy can break his promises mama can break her promises your best friend i don't care if they've never done it before they have the propensity and the ability to they can break their promise but can i tell you there is one person that cannot break its promise and that is the lord jesus christ if he has spoken it it will come to pass if he spoke in it hebrews 6 17 says man he's going to swear by something greater than himself he has to because he wants to let you know that what he's saying is really going to happen but the bible says when god desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose listen he guaranteed it with an oath he guaranteed it with his word his word was enough god said man might have to swear by an oath man might have to swear by something greater than himself but me when i say something that's it it's an oath it's unbreakable my word is enough can i tell somebody in this place there is something that is greater than a side and it is the word of god there is an unbreakable oath that you can stand on today there's an unbreakable oath that you could have today and it is the pure unintolerated word of god it will not change it will not fade it will not break it is the word of god [Applause] we need a fresh revelation of how much stock god places in his word when god gives you his word it is literally an unbreakable oath you hear what i said unbreakable i don't know about you all but that isn't some light-hearted thing to me because god has made me some pretty lofty promises [Music] in this book there are some pretty lofty promises and i don't know about you but i believe the word of god and if god has made me promises guess what i'm going to stand on those promises until i see them come to pass in my life i'm not going to i'm not going to falter i'm not going to waver come on somebody i'm standing up on the word of god when god says in his word that he's not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance i'm going to stand on that for my family i'm going to stand on that for my lost loved ones oh but i need a sign no you're told to you just need to stand on the word you just need to stand on the promises because if god said it if god's spoken it will happen standing but signs signs are just so incredible the bible says that zacharias are scripture texts the lord appears before him or rather an angel sent from the lord appears before him and he begins to we read it this elaborate word from god i mean this incredible i mean this beautiful just you know i you got to excuse me i just have a big imagination you know i can imagine like the whole room was just glowing with just radiant light you know and this angels floating up above you know like you know what i'm talking about all this stuff all this going on and angel delivers this big word from god zechariah says that's pretty cool mr angel i appreciate what you're doing here got the lights and the camera and the action glowing all bright man now that's impressive dude i mean i i really gotta give it to you it's awesome um but here's the thing that sounds great you know that my son is going to like be filled with the holy ghost even from his birth and all these wonderful things and i would love to believe it i would love to simply hear your word and just believe it but here's the thing i don't have that type of faith so what i need for you to do is i need for you to give me a sign you know what i'm talking you've been there before you know the lord tells you to go lay hands on somebody right you're in the grocery store and the lord tells you to go invite that person to church and you're like okay god i got you if their left toe twinkles twice [Applause] and their left eyebrow raises in in unison with it you know like i want to see the left toe twinkle through the shoe like if i see it then i'll go pray for him i need a sign that's what zacharias was doing zacharias was saying i just need a sign god and listen to what the bible says the bible says when zacharias asked for a sign that that angel says you're done you're not speaking i don't want to hear from you until the baby is born you're not saying nothing now i don't know about you guys but i just think about this whenever i read the bible when i read that and i really thought about it brother anthony you know what i thought lord that is a bit of an overreaction you know what i'm saying like this guy just asked for a sign and you shut his mouth for months he didn't ask for anything spectacular he didn't sin he didn't do some horrible thing all he did was say god can you give me a little bit of proof and god said you're done that's a bit of an overreaction if i might say so myself but here's the thing jesus jesus had just as weird of a reaction to somebody asking for signs as we find here with that angel here's the thing we have to be careful when we start demanding for god to give us signs signs can be fickle i'm not saying that you can't ever pray and ask god for signs ever that's not what i'm saying and i'm not saying that god won't ever give you a sign but what i am saying is this there is a great danger in putting your trust in signs when signs have no authority [Applause] brother wilson you're overreacting am i really let's look at what jesus said the bible says in matthew 16 and 4 jesus said a wicked and an adulterous generation after what a sign whoa a sign jesus goes on and says and there shall be no sign given unto it but the sign of the prophet jonas and he left them and departed whoa jesus all they're asking for is a sign and jesus is like i'm out i'm done y'all asked you're wicked and you're adulterous how dare you ask for a sign and walks out you see what's happening is jesus is sitting there with the pharisees and they ask him for a sign now you have to get this this is the same guy that had been going around healing folks and delivering folks and setting them free so it's obvious that jesus had no problem giving signs wonders and miracles he did that all the time but jesus did have a problem when people put signs above him because anyone that exalts and demands a sign is one step away from crucifying the promise these same men that demanded a sign didn't really want one their only motive was to try to trap jesus in a lie so that they could crucify him that promised child that isaiah spoke of in the old testament but jesus knew the real people that really put their trust in me all they need is a word from me and in matthew 8 and 8 we find the centurion who says unto jesus speaker only the word and my servant will be healed the centurion said jesus i i don't need for you to give me some sign i don't even need for you to come to my house i don't need for anything elaborate to happen all i need is for you to speak a little simple word and i know that it will happen jesus speaks the word he goes back home and the centurion has been healed can i tell somebody all you need is a word from god all you need is god to speak in this place and when he does healing will come oh come on somebody right now i just want you to begin to take hold of the word of god i just want you to begin to take hold of it i know the devil's tried to get you to let go but right now god is speaking a word to somebody that my word is infallible heaven and earth may pass away but my word [Applause] stand forever i need a sign no you need a word you need a word all right can i preach to some of us today we find ourselves in the same position god has given us a sure word about our situation you're like thank you god that's awesome uh but can i have a sign here's the thing signs some of us are like god i need a sign because i need faith right like god if you'll give me a sign then i'll have faith and then i can believe you for all this stuff that i need that's not the way things work in the kingdom of god i hate to break it to you you see signs don't bring faith that's carnal faith and yes that serves a purpose for people that are new in their relationship with god and this is your first time can i tell you god can prove to you who he is by signs god will do that god every now and then will will without even faith and and without without you believing god god can sometimes begin to show you things but that's not typical that's not what happens that's not biblical faith biblical faith exists whether there is evidence or not signs do not bring you faith there is only one thing that is the ultimate source of faith in the bible let's just know what that is now faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of god see what you need is you need a fresh you need a fresh dose of the word of god you don't need another sign you don't need another miracle you don't need another wonder but what you need to do is become more acquainted with this word and when you get acquainted with this word your faith will soar when you get acquainted with this word miracles will begin to happen will you put your faith in his word things will begin to happen i'm hurrying i'm hurting because here's the truth of the matter people can get so fixated on signs that they start discrediting the world can i tell you this is how people get sucked into false doctrine you know what the bible says that the antichrist is going to dissuade people with in the last days signs the bible says the antichrist is going to show up on the scene he's going to begin to call fire down from heaven he's going to begin to do all these awesome signs and wonders and miracles you know what some people are going to do they're going to say oh yeah this guy has to be the messiah this guy has jesus has returned why because he's doing science but here's the thing about it signs can be of the devil now i know i'm stopping on some of your your theology right now you don't you don't think the devil can do science he absolutely can take for instance janice and jambridge y'all remember y'all remember them these guys were the evil magicians that were in the court of pharaoh moses comes with his rod throws the rod down and the rod becomes a snake moses picks it back up says yeah look at that guys it's a sign that god is with me janice and jam braids i can imagine they're off in the corner chilling somewhere you know just eating potato chips just watching the whole thing like this guy has no idea what's about to hit him you know wipe their hands off go pick up their staff drop it on the ground becomes a snake and at this point can i tell you moses had a choice either i'm going to place my faith in what i have just seen [Music] or i'm gonna place my faith in what has been spoken to me on the backside of a desert somewhere can i tell you the reason why moses stood in front of that red sea and that red sea parted was not because he put his faith in signs because signs failed him can i tell you the reason why moses stood in front of that red sea and it parted up because he put his faith in the god that spoke his word promote somebody when your back is against the wall and there's no signs can i tell you stand on the word when your back is against the wall and every side it's telling you that god is not with you stand on the word stand of the word stand on the word when every sign is telling you that god does not exist stand on this word whatever side is telling you that god is not for you stand on his word i want you to stand lord because his word is an oath that is greater so i am not diminishing the greatness of signs signs are great but what i'm trying to preach and get through to us this morning is that god's word is so much greater i'm not putting my faith in signs signs don't have authority the word has authority juxtapose to the story of our dear friend zacharias is a story that we all know so very well and hold dear to our hearts during this time of year young lady by the name of mary what's interesting about mary and most of us know is that mary has the same story as zacharias same angel same theatrics same word angel shows up to mary says mary you're going to have a baby now i can imagine mary was sitting there and mary i'm sure thought to herself now i could just i don't know i just imagine she began to speak to mr angel and just mr angel i that that is awesome i don't know how things work uh where you're from but uh you know things work a little differently down here you're telling me i'm having a baby and i haven't necessarily done the things you know that you do to have a baby i don't know how things work up there but that's impossible angel says mary no no no you don't understand this baby is of the holy ghost this baby that you're going to have the this baby is going to be born of the holy ghost and mary i'm sure is sitting there thinking what in the world is happening man this is crazy mr angel i appreciate all the lights in the camera you're glowing real nice and all that stuff but i just i don't even know if i yeah but i can imagine all of a sudden mary began to think you know this has been promised this is not just off the wall we we have words in the past that say this was going to happen and she begins to think and i can imagine she begins to get goosebumps on her arm and her hair begins to stand up on the back of her neck and she feels the presence of god just coming to that little room there she was mary right here has a choice am i going to do what zacharias did and demand the sign same angel same theatrics same thing going on same word but mary decides to do something completely different than what our friend zacharias did after hearing the word of god spoken to mary mary doesn't doubt mary doesn't waver but the first words that we have recorded out of mary's mouth after hearing a word from god is this be it unto me according to thy word zechariah says i need a sign i need for something to happen you've given me a word but that ain't enough for me i need something to happen in my life i need a sign but mary says no no no no i don't need a sign i don't need any more theatrics i don't need anything as a matter of fact i didn't need anything before that if you had spoken to me a word that's a lot mary says be it unto me according to thy [Music] somebody in this room you've prayed prayers you've asked god [Music] can you give me a sign that you still love me [Music] can you give me a sign that you're still with me because right now i don't feel like you love me right now i don't feel like you're with me but i've come to preach to you that's okay to ask for a son but even when you don't get a sign you can stand on this word then in the darkest of nights god is gonna be with you god loves you god sees you there's promise after promise there's word afterward that we find in his word that he's with you he loves you he's for you he wants to heal you he wants to deliver you and here's the thing about [Music] when we begin to believe [Music] the bible lets us know that something very unique begins to happen the bible says in mark 16 17 17-18 these signs shall follow them that believe right here's the thing about jesus said a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after signs jesus says there's something wrong with you when you begin to seek after signs because here's the truth of the matter you're not supposed to seek signs signs are supposed to seek you you're not supposed to follow signs signs are supposed to follow you because when you put your faith in the word of god and you begin to believe the word you don't have to go looking for signs signs will come looking for you you don't have to make signs happen science will just happen as a byproduct of your faith and your belief in the word of god that's the type of faith that god has wanted to give somebody where signs literally begin to follow you what sides literally begin happen all around you it's just natural it's just organic why because you believe bible let's just know somebody may feel like in this place i i don't know that god i don't know that god can reach me right where i'm at i don't know i feel like i've done too much i feel like i've gone too far i i feel like i feel like this really can't happen for me but let me tell you this if you will believe in god if you will put your can i tell your belief it's the first step you can't get a miracle from god unless you first believe in god the bible says in acts chapter 19 that there are a bunch of believers gathered together apostles come up to them and say have you received the holy ghost since you believed they said we haven't heard whether there is any holy ghost we don't know but we do believe the bible says that right there they began to be filled with the baptism of the holy ghost because they believed there was no sign they didn't have the they didn't have the sign they didn't have the evidence they didn't have anything that would prove to them that god could fill them with his spirit but they did have the belief that he is who he says that he is and that his word is true and everything that he said is going to happen and because they believe the holy ghost was poured out i wonder right now if there is somebody in this room that would come down to the front of the altar that would say i need the power of the holy ghost i need healing in my body i need something to happen in my soul would you join me at the front right now because god is wanting to do something in in the life of every single person that has a need but here's the thing i don't want you to come to the front asking for god to give you a sign i don't want you to come to the front demanding that god will show you something i want you to come to the front with the determination that even if i don't see anything i'm going to believe even if i don't see anything happen i know the mountain is standing in front of me right now but god in spite of what i see i'm going to believe you in spite of what i feel i'm going to believe you i want you to come with hands lifting and i want you to begin to pray come on all across this room would you pray right now [Music] come on all across the room would you pray in the name of jesus come on lift up your voice right now come on lift up your voice right now that's it come on i know you don't see any sign of life but i want you right now to begin to believe in spite of what you say but