21 Days | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

Say, before I read my text this morning, I want us to do something before I read my text. I want you to think back on this past week of one thing you have to praise the Lord for. All right. I don't I don't want you to just to be uh broad. I don't I just praise the Lord. No. I want you to think about one thing that is praiseworthy that God did for you. All right. Take a few seconds to do this. All right. Think about one thing the Lord did for you this past week. Come on. Just a few seconds here. One thing that he did for you. All right. If you got that one thing on your mind, would you would you slip your hand up in the air right now? You got that one thing on your mind today. Wow. God's been doing a lot of good this week. Amen. Now, put the other one up. Let's give him thanks right now. Father, I thank you for your safety, God. You gave us, Lord, in the air and on the sea. Thank you, Lord, for how good you've been to us, Lord. I thank you, God, for the answer of prayer, God, that came through. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your hand upon us, God. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your love for these people. Thank you. Thank you, God, for your love. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy. Thank you, God, for your grace. Thank you, God, that I'm still here, still standing, still praying, still believing, still trusting, still reading, still praising you, God. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Hallelujah, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. If you have your Bibles, would turn to me with me to the book of Daniel. The book of Daniel, chapter number 10. The book of Daniel, chapter number 10. We'll begin reading at verse number one. We're going to read verse one, two, and three. And then we're going to read verse 12 of Daniel chapter 10. Amen. Word of God is good. Glad I'm baptized in Jesus name. I'm glad I received the gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. I'm glad I know who Jesus is this morning. >> Glad I woke up in my right mind. Daniel chapter 10 verse number one. In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Beltazar. And the thing was true, but the time appointed was long. And he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread. Neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth. Neither did I anoint myself at all. Till. Everybody say till. Till three whole weeks were fulfilled. Verse 12. Then said he unto me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou did set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words." Heavenly Father, today Jesus Christ. Lord, you came and you were the word made flesh. But Lord, now we stand with the written word. Lord, we gain the miracles and the understanding through the written word. Lord, it is your will today to speak to every soul that's in this room. And it's your will today to speak to every soul that's watching on live stream. Lord Jesus, for the next few moments, would you anoint your servant that I would be used as a divine tool to communicate your will, your way to these precious people that stand before. Lord, I'll give you the praise and give you the honor. In Jesus name we all pray and everybody said, "Amen." >> You may be seated this morning. God is great and God is greatly to be praised. My title today, my title today is simply 21 days. 21 days. That that is my title today. 21 days is my title because 21 days from today will be the Sunday before the movement conference will begin. the movement conference that people will come from uh all over the United States literally they will come here to Mville for two days and three nights to receive ministry and methods of ministry and they will come there'll be everything there will be everything here from uh u Christian schools and and all kinds classes will be going on here. But at night, at night, there will be three services, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night. Some of the most powerful men will be preaching the word here. Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and Thursday night, some of the most powerful God orained, God used men in the body of Christ will stand right here in this place and they will preach the word of God. But I've come this morning to tell you that what is going on in Mville is not a building. >> It is not a building. They are not coming for a building. They're not coming to see this building. But what they're coming to see is the people that worship. That is the phenomenon of the First Apostolic Church of Maryville. It's not this building. It is the worship. It is the praise. It is the ministry. It is the consistent move of God. We are so blessed to have a move of God. Somebody shout every service. >> Come on, shout it, every service. >> Ever service. We have a mighty, mighty move of God. And so, there's 21 days. And I want to ask you >> to join your pastor on a 21-day journey >> as we make our way physically and spiritually to the beginning of the movement conference. But I I want to tell you this, and I'm going to keep driving it in. We need you here. >> We need you here. >> We need this altar to fill up on Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, just like it fills up every Sunday morning and Sunday night and Wednesday night. We need the sp spontaneity of people that don't have to be told to come down to the front. They just automatically come down to the front. We need our children to come down to the front. >> We need our B-3 men and women to come down to the front because I'm telling you, Mville is not a building. It is a people that worship their God. We need to choir. We need to choir every night, Sister Ericson, to look like it does on Easter. >> They need to be falling off the banisters. Not literally that they need to be hanging off the banisters here because that's Mville. >> In a day when people would say choirs are out of style now. You don't have choirs anymore. Well, that news didn't get here. >> Hallelujah. >> We love having a choir. How many you choir members love singing? Well, you must love singing in it. You do it. Choir is going to be singing. So, would you join me? Would you just make your mental check note right now? Hey, I'm going with pastor. I'm going with pastor on this 21-day journey. This 21-day journey. Let's talk about this book of Daniel that I've chosen to take my text from today. This book of Daniel that was written during their captivity. Now you you need to note that this book of Daniel was written while the Jews, the Israelites were in Babylonian captivity. They were there because not because Babylon was stronger than them. They were there because God was taking them to a woodshed for 70 years. Because Israel thought they got too big to have a Sabbath day. And Israel thought they got too rich to be separate. They didn't like being separate. So, they wanted to hold on to Jehovah and hold on to the world at the same time. And there there's no way you you you you can't hold on you can't hold on to God and hold on to the world at the same time. You're either going to hold on to the world or you're going to hold on to God, but you're not going to hold on to both of them at at at at the same time. At the same time. No, it's it's just not going to happen. And so, God had to prove a point to Israel. and God put them into Babylonian captivity for 70 long years. But during that Babylonian captivity, se several and I I would just pull the audience today if I did and I would ask you, what do you know about the book of Daniel? What what what do you know about this book of Daniel? Well, some would probably talk about Mack, Shadrach, and Abedneo being thrown into the fiery furnace. I think part of the choir song had to do with that today. the Meshach, Shadra. Oh, I know that that that that that book of Daniel, that's that story where and three boys would not bow. They would not they would not bow. And because they would not bow, they were thrown into the fiery furnace. But we know that they would not bow. And because they would not bow, they did not burn. Right? We we we know that because they did not bow, they did not burn. They had convictions. They had convictions that you would only to bow to Jehovah. You were only to bow to God. And so they kept their convict convictions. Well, what about another story in the Bible? You'd probably, if I posed you, you would probably say Daniel in the lion's den, right? Daniel in the lion's den. And I kind of turned that around. Daniel was thrown there because he was a man of prayer. That's why he went to the lion's den. He was a man prayed three times a day. And they made a law that you were not to pray to anybody but the king. And of course, Daniel did not heed to that law. And so Daniel was thrown into the lion's den. But do you know that people that are praying people have a way of changing their surroundings? >> You see, it was the lion's den till Daniel got there. Then it was the lions in Daniel's den. >> Right? >> And we know that God sent his angel, shut the mouths. We we also know that We also know that um they had their names changed, didn't they? Daniel, Machu, uh or Daniel, that's that was his name. But, uh Meshach, Shadrach, and Abedneo, they had they had their names, they had their they had their names all changed and and they were trying to they were they were trying to take them and and and and get them to forget about their roots to forget about their roots. And I tell you, this is one of the wonderful things about coming to church on a consistent basis, especially if you've got young children. Bring them up in the house of God. Don't wait till they get six years old. Don't wait till they get 10 years old. You bring them up at birth. You bring them to the house of God. And there's many children here today that have a testimony. I was in the house of God on the first Sunday of my life. I was in the house of God. You know why? It gets in their roots. >> Gets in their roots. You see, Delilah could cut Samson's hair, but she couldn't take Samson's roots. The Bible said after she took it and cut his hair, then they put him in prison and took his two eyes out and it looked like it was a quote the end of Samson's life. It wasn't the end of his life because the Bible said, "How be it, his hair begin to grow again because the enemy may cut your hair, but he can't get your roots. The enemy may take people away from us for a season, but if we can get them rooted and grounded in the word of God, if we can get them rooted and grounded in the word of God, so we understand that even try to did they not try at the very beginning of this book, did they not try to get them to eat food that it was against it was against the dietary law of their God to eat that kind of do. And uh matter of fact, the person that was put over them said, "You're going to get me in trouble with the king." Said, "If all you eat is this kind of food over here that you've been used to eating, if all you're going to want is water and some kind of seed, he said, "In 10, you're when I when I get ready to pre present you to the king said, you're going to look scraggly. You're going to look malnutrition." And said, "I my head will roll for that." And they said they said, "Just give us just give us 10 days. That's all I'm asking. Just give us 10 days. Would you would you just give us 10 days and let us eat what we've been used to eating in 10 days. 10 is a number of a test. That's right. Number 10 is a number of a test. And I said, ju just let us get through this test. We we you might think we're not going to look good, but when I get through this test that I'm in right now. And the Bible said after 10 days that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedneo and Daniel, when they lined them up beside everybody else, they looked fatter and fairer. Their complexion was brighter. Their cheeks were rosy. They looked stronger than the other ones that had been eating all of this other food. Can I tell you saints of God today, keep on passing the test because when we line up beside the world, I'm just kind of going through this this book. But do you know that the book of Daniel is a prophecy book for what will happen to Israel at the end of time. It's amazing. the the book of Daniel. It's amazing how the book of Daniel never mentions the church age, never mentions the age of grace, the age, the church age that we're in right now. It's as if God just showed Daniel right up to the very end. Just took him just just just took him right up to the very end. So, it's it's a book of prophecy. And what what my my goal is in my Bible lesson today is to kind of weave our way through this prophecy and take from this. I I believe brother Osborne used the word extrapolate is to take from is to take from this and see how that you and I can apply this today. Because wouldn't all of you agree today that we live in a world that is anti-Christian? Would you not agree today that we live in a culture and a society that is that is moving against absolutes and moving against what you and I stand for and what you and I what you and I believe in. And so we let let's just see if we can if we can move if we can move. Now here's what happened. Daniel was showed this vision of the end of time of the end of the of time. And I'm going all the way I'm going all the way to the end when God will turn and and give Israel a second opportunity uh to accept him, a second revelation. He came to his own in the first time. He came to his own. His own received him not. But we do know that he will give them another opportunity to to accept him. So Daniel sees he sees all the world governments moving and it troubled Daniel. It troubled Daniel to the point that Daniel decided to go on a 21-day journey to find the understanding of what does this mean? What does all of this changing of governments and changing of kings and uh it will culminate in one king and one leader and that one leader will go into the temple and that one leader will go into the holy place and that one leader will uh will will shame the holy place that that is there. And Daniel's trying to put all all of this together. So he decides to go on a 21-day journey. So for 21 days he didn't eat any pleasant food. For 21 days he only put water. He only drank water and not any pleasant any any kind of pleasant food. And whatever whatever that means. It might have been his favorite foods. I don't know. But he just didn't eat any pleasant food. And he did not anoint him himself. Anointing was a refreshing to put the oil on yourself. And for for 21 days he ate no pleasant food. and and he did not anoint himself. And he he prayed he prayed for 21 days. And on the 21st day, on the 21st day, as he's by this river, this angel appears. This this this angel appears. Now, now we know it's not we we we we know it's not the Lord manifesting himself in an angel form because this angel needs help. And I got news for you. Our God needs no help. >> I love the testimony that I heard a sister get up in church one time and say she kind of hummed it as she got up for testimony service. She started out with a hum and she said, "God's got a fire. He don't need your matches. God's got a fire. >> He don't need your matches. Can I tell you something? God don't need any help. >> He's God all by himself. >> He's the Almighty. And so this angel appears, this angel appears to Daniel. I I I would I I would say that why don't we go why don't we go to verse number seven of chapter 10. And he's fasting for 21 days. He's on this journey. He's heading toward movement. And he says in verse 7, "And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men that were with me, for the men that were with me saw not the vision, but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves." I'm going to extrapolate something. Can I tell you on our way to our 21-day movement, you might have some people with you? And there's a lot of people that they're either seeing or quaking. All right? And uh what I want to get is a bunch of seers today because we can have a whole lot of Quakers, but Quakers can forsake you. You see, you don't need anybody in your life that can only be moved by God. You need people in your life that can see what God's doing. >> All right. I know we got good service. I know we got a lot of shaking and quaking going on around here. But I want to know how many of us see what God's trying to do and see what God's going to lead us to. And so Daniel, he's got him. He's he's got some people with him on this 21-day journey. But man, he sees the vision and they feel the power of God. And his friends begin to wait, but uh they they fled. End of verse seven, they fled and they hid themselves. Verse eight, therefore I was left alone, comma, can I tell you something? Sometimes that's the best place you can be in is all by yourself because you can be yourself when you're all alone. He said everybody kind of got out of my way. You know, it's time, you know, it's time you you you need to crucify peer pressure and it's time that you need to stop living for other people and you need to live for God. >> And if you got to do it all alone, do it all alone. If your friends don't want to live for God, let them go their own way. But you've got to live. You've got to live for God. How am I doing on this extrapolating here? Therefore, I was left alone and saw this great vision. There remained no strength in me. From my cumliness was turned in in me into corruption. And I retain no strength. I'm going to tell you something. One way for God to use you is you to realize how weak you are. Let me say it again. One way for God to use you is for you to admit, you see, you ain't going to get any help till you admit you need help. >> No help till you admit you. No help till you admit you need help. All right. If you never admit you need help, you're not going to get any help. But Daniel just simply said, "This is a great vision. This is a 21-day to marching to movement. And he said, "I I I just don't I I just don't have any strength. I I just don't have any strength inside of me, Lord. I am weak, but thou are strong." In verse number nine, yet heard I the voice of his words. And when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in deep sleep upon my face, and my face toward the ground. I I kind of relate to that right now, the angel started preaching to him and Daniel went to sleep. I thought, dear God, that happens to me a lot too when I start preaching. But he said, as I heard the angel speaking, deep sleep fell upon me, I put my face into the ground. How low can you get but just having your face to the ground? Verse 10. And behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees, and upon the palms of my hands. And I'm gonna tell you, God wants to get us in a prayer posture, >> because nothing is going to be accomplished through prayer. >> If it comes any other way but through prayer, we'll get the glory. And we will take the glory. But if we know what I'm praying for can only come from heaven, then it's got to come through prayer. And God is wanting to put us in the posture of prayer. How many would like to see God exceed what he's already done in your life? I don't know about you, but that's where I'm at today. I'd like to see God exceed what he's already done. I'm not ready to quit. I'm not ready to sit down. I'm not ready to retire. I'm not ready to sit back and get a memory book out of what God used to do in Mville. Oh no, I'm ready to get a prayer posture. The only retiring I know retires the four new tires I get on my car. That's the only retire I know. He said he put me up on my palms of my hands. I'm in a prayer posture. Look at verse 11. And he said unto me, listen to this real closely, church. And he said unto me, "Oh Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright, for unto thee am I now sent." And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. But here's what I want to draw out of verse 11. Oh Daniel, a man greatly beloved. Oh, Daniel, a man greatly beloved. Every person in this room today, listen to pastor. Listen to pastor. Try to look up here at me if you can. Every person under the sound of my voice today in this room. Every person that's watching online today, I got to tell you one Bible truth. At least one Bible truth today. God loves you. >> I don't care how much captivity you're in. I don't care how much conse Well, I'm living in the consequences right now. The consequences of sin cannot negate the power and the grace of almighty God. >> I'm gonna start living for God when I get out from under the consequences. No, the consequences are here. I'm in Babylon. But just because I'm in Babylon doesn't mean that God doesn't love me. Oh church, greatly love church. Oh Daniel greatly, oh Daniel, look at verse 11 again. And he said unto me, oh Daniel, a man greatly, beloved, understand these words. He set him up and he stood trembling. This is my text I I read already today. Then said he unto me, fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou did set thine heart to understand. Let me can I tell you, you can't live for God unless your heart's in it. >> I said you can't live for God unless your heart's in it. >> If your heart's not in it, you'll last a few weeks and then you'll get out. But if you can ever get your heart into it, if you can if you can ever keep doing the right thing until you see the benefit of the right thing, there's certain foods that you didn't like to eat, but somebody kept telling you it's good for this vitamin. It's good for this and you kept on doing it. You didn't want to do it. You did this when you ate it because you didn't like the taste of it. But you kept doing it until one day you begin to see the benefits. And the benefits puts the seasoning on what you didn't like to eat. But now, but now, but now. Oh, church, you got to get your heart into this. And if your heart's not into it, pray that your heart gets into it. Pray that you love prayer. Pray that you love reading his word. Pray. Get it up. Get get your Bible in your hands and pray, "God, give me a love for this word. Will it don't make sense? Keep reading till it does. When I just get down to pray and I don't feel like I'm going anywhere, keep praying till you do. Keep praying. Keep Will I just go to church and nothing begins to happen?" But have you looked around and saw the behavior difference in your children? Have you looked around and begin to measure their growth? from the first day. Somebody say first day. >> First day. >> From the first day that thou just set thine heart to understand and to chasen thyself before thy God, thy words were heard. Keep that verse on the screen. Can I tell you something? We not only need to get our heart into it, I'm going to tell you a good way to get your heart into it is to get your flesh out of the way. >> Get your flesh out of the way. Get the Adamic nature out of the way. >> Get the stubbornness out of your way. Can I tell you something? We blame stubbornness and we blame tempers and we blame things on nationality and oh, his mother was a blackfooted this or whatever, you know, and we'll blame we'll blame. No, no, no, no. I'm going to tell you what it is. We're flesh. >> And the flesh will rule until we begin to rule it. >> I said the flesh will rule until you begin to rule it. Your flesh will say and your mind your flesh and mind will get into sync with each other. Well, you know, God know God God God knows I I love him. He knows I love him. I do all that hand waving. I don't have to do all that singing. I I don't have to do all that. God God knows God knows he loves you. If you use that towards your spouse, I would prophesy and say, "You've got a miserable marriage, don't you?" >> Yeah, I am. >> Huh? I say you got a miserable marriage. Say, when was the last time you told your spouse, "I love you." Well, no, brother K. I told her that back when I got married. I said it once and I changed my mind. I let her know. I prophesy to you. You got a miserable marriage, don't you? Cuz I'm going to tell you something. If it's in the heart, it's coming out the mouth. >> I said if it's in the heart, it's coming out the mouth. But sometime we got to have a good talk with our flesh. And our flesh says, you know, you don't have to go down the front. You need to say, you know what, Mr. Flesh, you've got me in a lot of messes. And and and you're just trying to get me back in the world. And I'm going to tell you something. You're going to go where you don't want to go because the more I get you crucified, the more I can hear the voice of God in my life. I I can hear God. And the more I can get you crucified, the more I can see the blessings. It's a good thing to see the blessings of God. Can somebody help me preach today? Somebody over here help me preach today. Oh, taste. Do what? Oh, taste. See that the Lord is good. See, it's not It's not I wish God would speak to me. I wish God would speak to me. I'm going to tell you, he is speaking to you. But you've got the volume of your flesh turned up so loud that you can't hear the voice of God. It's on your radio. It's on your iPod. It's on your iPad. It's It's on your best music list. You can't have a love for worldly music and you can jive with God's music. You can't have a love for worldly entertainment and come and see the benefits. Come on. Can we praise him right now? Come on. Can we all praise him right now? Why? Why don't you make your flesh? No, man. I'm sitting down. I'm good and comfortable. No, I think I'm going to stand right now. I Come on, flesh. Get out of the way, flesh. Get out of the way, flesh. You're going to pray this morning. Get out of the way. We're going on a 21-day journey to the movement. And we got to pray. We got to pray because when God uses Brother Tony and God uses Brother Joel Ursan and God uses Brother Nathaniel and God uses Nathan Holmes and God uses Raymond Woodward and God uses all the men that'll speak. We're going to know it's prayer. It's prayer. It's prayer. It's prayer. It's prayer. Come on. Go with me. Go with me. Go with me. Go with me. Go with me. I may have missed some people. I don't know. You're hearing me today. You got to turn down that volume. You got to turn down because he's trying to speak to you, but you got that flesh got that volume of that flesh turned up. And I'm going to tell you something. Telling that flesh, you you do you know the only time your flesh loves to hear this at church is when there's another word that goes with it. The only time your flesh loves to hear these words over these speakers. Shall we stand >> and be dismissed? >> There's qu people people quicker to stand when they know we're going to be dismissed than when we're praising the great God of heaven. >> That's right. That's that's right. If it was about Lord have mercy, if it was about 30 more minutes from now and I said I said by stand just get like a jack out of the box. because that's your flesh. >> Now, your flesh will try to be spiritual. All right, your flesh. Uh, Brother Shannon Wilson's here today. They serve the Lord here at this church, but his grandfather J. Frank Wilson, what a man of God. What a what a man of God Jay. Frank Wilson was. What a I could go into a lot, but one of the funny stories I love that they told me about him. Matter of fact, they told me about him while while he was alive. while while he was alive. He was he he was a he he was a great man of God. He was only only wear a black suit, white shirt, black neck tie. That's all he that's all he'd ever wear. All right. And and he had a reason for it. He had a reason. And and uh he had his conviction. Boy, did he ever have some conviction. You think you think you think I'm tough? You think I'm tough? God convicted him of chewing gum. And and and whatever the conviction was, don't don't frown on it. Yeah. You try to dig some of that gum out of this carpet, you get convicted, too. You know, come come put a big old blog of gum on your carpet, you get convicted of. But he uh he loves softball. Brother John loved softball. Brother his grand J. Frankson loved softball. Maybe where Zach got it from. He l O V E he D. He loved he he loved softball and they'd have them softball tournaments in North Mississippi, Blue Mountain Church, New Albany, uh Pots Camp. They'd all come together and they'd all have these these softball tournaments and there having one that's having one down at Pots Camp on their softball field. But it started raining. It started raining and oh, it puddled up in the in on the softball field. But Bishop J. Frank, he wanted to play softball so much he went and found him a big foam mattress and he'd put it in puddles and he'd drag that mattress off the field and he'd ring it out over there and he'd take that mattress back and and he did that. His wife, Sister Wilson, told me said he did that about all day long. Said all day long. Said he just kept coming a downpour. Said he finally he just gave up. Come in the house and sit down. She said, "I wanted to cheer him up." And I said, "Papa, if you'll go out to the garden and pick some green beans, I'll boil you some good green beans." He said, "Woman, what in the world's wrong with you? It's raining out there. You see what I mean? Our flesh can make excuses that will even sound spiritual. But we got to turn, if we're going to have a movement like no other movement, we got to learn to turn the volume down on our flesh so that we can begin to hear from God. It's a good thing to pray. It's a good thing to read. It's a good thing to be obedient. It's a good thing to forgive. It's a good thing to love. It's a good thing to pray for one another. It's a good thing to pray for your man. Y'all still with me today? >> He said, "Daniel, you set your heart. You set your heart." Verse 11, "And you chasen thyself before thy God." Get verse, if you don't have verse 12, back up. He said, "You've chasened yourself. Then said he unto me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou did set thine heart to understand, and to chasen thyself before thy God, thy words were heard." Now look at the rest of this. Now look at it. Go. And I am come for thy words. I'm here because of your prayer. That's what he said. He said, "And I heard them on the first day that you prayed. I heard your word." Well, if you heard the word on the first day that you I prayed, then why didn't you come on the first day? Here's the answer to that. Verse 13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withtood me one and 20 days. But lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now, I want you to understand, we have a spiritual warfare. Our flesh is not only a hindrance, but we have a spiritual enemy. We have a spiritual force that's just as real as the Holy Ghost. We have a realness of it. They they talk about it. Politicians are talking about it. Evil. They'll say this is evil. Well, they they're getting close. They're right. But they need to identify it. It is the enemy. It is Satan. It is Lucifer. He is our enemy. And he is fighting against the answer. When Daniel went to prayer, the enemy went to fighting. Here come here come this angel from heaven. But the prince, the the the the demonic spirit of Persia got in between and began to fight with the answer. Now, I'm going to tell you something. I'm not preaching there won't be a battle, but I am preaching we are going to win. >> I'm not preaching there's not going to be a battle. You say, "Well, Bill Carter, I'm living for God now, and it's difficult." You're right. You know why? It's easy to think about living for God. I said it's easy to think about living for God. Well, let me break it down to something we can all relate to. It's easy to think about a diet. >> Well, I need to go on a diet. You nobody tells you I'm going on a diet today. I'm going on a I'm going on a diet. I'm going on a I'm going on a diet. That's what I'm on. And it's easy to talk about. I'm going to go on a diet. I'm going to lose this. I'm going to do this. I put this commercial here before and the after. I'm going to do that. I'm gonna I'm gonna do that. And that is so easy until you start doing it. >> And you know why it's difficult when you start doing it? Flesh. >> Flesh. >> And living for God. Living for God. You decide, "I'm going to live for God." You come to the altar. You weep because you're convicted of the Holy Ghost. You weep because God's drawing you. You repent of your sins. You're waterbaptized. You're spiritfilled. You speak in other tongues as a as evidence of the Holy Ghost indwelling you. and and and there you are. You're a new creature, but now the rubber meets the road and you begin to run into difficulty. There's nothing wrong with your conversion. It's now an enemy has stepped out and said, "I've got to hinder this. I've got to fight this. I got to keep them. Oh, they're they're they've been going two Sundays in a row. If they keep going and going and going and going and going, God's going to change them, and I'll never get them back." Can I tell you today, new convert, fight on. Can I tell you today, new convert, regardless of your failure, get up, go again, come again, worship again, go again. You are going to win. He said, I heard you the first day, but the prince of kingdom of Persia withtood me one and 20 days. Verse 13. But lo, Michael, one of the chief pre the princes, came to help me, and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now am I come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days. Yet the vision is not for many days. Let me let me just break this down. You got spiritual warfare going on. You got spiritual you got spiritual warfare. Prince of Persia comes in, starts fighting with this angel. And as as soon as the prince of Persia, demonic spirits fighting with the heavenly angel, Michael, who is there there there's there's three chief angels mentioned in the Bible. Three chief angels. Michael, Gabriel. All right, I'll tell you about the third one in just a moment. But there's three chief angels. And each of them serve a certain purpose. You will find the angel Michael in battle. He is the waring angel. You say, "Why would God create Why would God create an angel, a waring angel?" Because there's one thing God wants to protect, his glory. God wants his glory protected. Because people want the glory and not the God of the glory. And so, Michael is there to fight. He is the fighting angel. He is the waring angel. He is the powerful angel. Then we have Gabriel. Gabriel is the messenger angel. He is the angel that God gives messages to to come to the earth. Would you notice with me? It was the angel Gabriel that appeared to Mary and that appeared to those in the John the Baptist father. It was the angel Gabriel. He was the messenger. He was the messenger angel. So here we got two of them. Now, Gabriel is the waring angel. He's the waring angel. I'm just going to have some fun with you today. He's the warning. Come on, put him out like this right here. I know your flesh says, "Oh, that's so silly." Yeah. Say that the next time you go to your rock concert. All right. That's so silly what he's having us do right now. Say that the next time Tennessee wins. You better do it in a hurry. All right. You You know, >> he's a warning angel. Then you got Gabriel. He's a speaking. He's the messenger angel. But brother Carpenter, you said there were three. They their their history. Their history. The original third angel was called Lucifer. Well, what was he there for? He was the praising angel. He was the worshiping angel. He was the song leader. He had, if you could see him, all kind of instruments were created on the inside of him. He's called Lucifer, the son of the morning. I know that has a bad connotation, but before the fall of Lucifer, it did not. He's the son of the morning. Satan, the word Satan means adversary. The name Lucifer means uh the son of the morning. God had his chief angel, the waring angel. God had his messenger angel, Gabriel, the man that gave the message. And God had his third angel, Lucifer, that filled heaven with glory. Hallelujah. Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy. Music begin to happen. Horns begin to play. Symbols begin to crash. All kind of beautiful music cascaded out of this one called Lucifer. But Lucifer got lifted up and cried and tried what he was protecting. He tried to steal the glory of God. And when he tried to be like God, God cast him out of heaven at the speed of light, he and a third of the heavenly host. But now that third spot is empty, but it's not. It's been replaced. The praiser has been replaced with someone made a little lower than the angels. And that is you. and I have taken the place of Satan. We have taken his place. If you want a fighting angel and you want a message of God, then you got to do your job and you got to worship God. Holy, holy, holy, glory, glory. Thank you, Jesus. I praise you, God. You're a wonderful God. You're a mighty God. You're a powerful God. You're a healing God. Come on, praise him. >> Praise him. When you get up in the morning, before you check your email, before you check your text, you ought to say, "God, I praise you. God, I love you. God, you're mighty. You're good. Praise him." >> Come on, you may be seated. Let's have a little fun, brother. Pastor Ericson and Pastor Nolan, come on for a minute. >> He said, "Who's Lucifer?" >> I don't know. Let's ask him. He's under my foot. You're the messenger angel. When I point to you, I want you to say as loud as you can, "Thus say the Lord." >> Practice it. >> Thus say the Lord. >> All right. You're the fighting angel. Kind of look like you got a little more. Come on, fighting angel. Come on, Messenger angel. >> Thus say the Lord, >> this one's empty. >> Cole, won't you run up here for a moment? >> Where's Little Kitty at? You still in here today, little Kenny? >> Come on. Get up here, Kenny. Get up here, Kenny. Sound like you got a cold. Oh, that wasn't you. All right, you you stay right there. Stay right there. Come on. Fighting angel, >> messenger angel. >> The Lord, >> Satan is fallen and God picked you. >> You ain't perfect. >> Ain't none of us perfect. >> God picked somebody inferior to the angel. Lucifer never got grace and Lucifer never got blood. Can I tell you something? When Lucifer and one-third of the angels fail, God created them. But God had no redemption plan in place for Lucifer or his angel. None. not a not a plan in place for redemption. But when God made you and when God made me, he said, I'm going to make a Oh my God. I can't help it. Hallelujah. I can't help it. I can't help it. I can't help it. For he saw not what I was. He saw what I could be. >> When he reached his hand to where I was, he took a chance on me. All he had to hope for was just a possibility. But still he saw not what I was. He saw what I could be. >> So now you know the reason I lift my hands so willingly. For if it had been where has it what I don't know where I'd be. >> You know, now you know the reason I lift my hands so willingly. >> For if he hadn't found me when he did, I'd still be lost as I could be >> and thought, "Oh, I'm still far from perfect. I'm even further still, you see, from the life I lived just yesterday before the Lord found me. Satan, I got a fighting angel. I got a messaging angel. And I got a praiser. Come on up, brother Kenny. I got a praiser. I got somebody that can take your place. I got somebody that can take your place. I got a redeemed man. I've got a redeemed man. I got somebody to take your place. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Come on, move. Come on, move. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. How long's it been since you praised him? How long's it been since you got loose and begin to praise him? I said, "How long's it been? How long's it been since it got a hold of you and shook you?" How long's it been? How long's it been? I love you, Jesus. I love you, Jesus. I love you, Jesus. I love you, Jesus. I glorify your name. How long's it been? Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on, turn down your flesh. Turn down the volume of your flesh. Turn down the volume of your flesh. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. >> >> I love you. I love you. I love you. I worship you. I praise you. and magnify you. Glory, glory, glory, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy, holy. >> Come on, move on down close to the altar right now. Come on, move in close. We've been close. >> What's wrong with me, Brother Carpenter? It's day one and the answer's not coming. It's day seven and the answer's not coming. It's day 14 and the answer's not coming. What's wrong with me? There ain't nothing wrong with you. There's just a battle going on. >> But it sure is a battle going on. There's a waring angel. >> And when the waring angel defeats, there's going to be a messenger angel. >> And when you get the message, there's going to be a praise. >> They try to help us out. Musicians, you get in your place. You like, "Y'all stay up here, y'all. God said God says to many people I've give you the war I've give you the power and I've given you the There's no praise. Where's my praise? Because praise is the igniter. Because the Bible says, God himself inhabits praises his people. >> >> And I've quit. I've stopped a few minutes early today cuz I want to drop this golden nugget into your lap because it'll help with your flesh. your flesh will say. Why do we have to repeat everything? Why do we have to say, "I love you, Jesus. I love you, Jesus. I love you, Jesus. Glory. Glory. Glory." Doesn't he hear me the first time he heard you the first day? The problem is you're battling flesh. And you'll never get flesh subdued until you keep eating it. >> I love you, God. doing what doesn't make sense in the flesh. I love you, God. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Glory. Glory. Glory. I'm telling you, you would receive a touch from the Lord if for the next five minutes you did nothing. if it's say the same phrase over again >> because I'm gonna tell you, I'm gonna tell you, God, help me to phrase this just right. But sometimes your flesh will cut a deal with you. I don't mind if you do this cuz everybody's doing this. I don't even mind if you have just a short 5second or 8-second praise at the end of a song. I don't mind that. But I just don't want you doing it long enough. See, you don't care if your hair do came down on the side. And you don't care if your tie got wrapped around. >> You don't care if your hair got messed up. Cuz we didn't come here to look pretty. >> We came here to worship God. >> >> I wonder for the next five minutes if we could just get lost in worship. >> It's yours. It's yours now. It's yours now. Kenny, are you praising him? Cole, are you praising him? It's yours now. Come on out. Praise team. It's yours now. Heat. Heat. [music and bell] Heat. Heat. [bell] Heat. Heat. >> >> Your name is your name is the great house your Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. >> >> You will always be glory forever. [bell] Sing glory honor power forever. Glory on earth. Power forever. Forever. >> >> You are holy. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat up here. Heat. Heat. >> >> Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I don't know about you, but I love what I'm feeling right now. >> >> Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I got a fighting angel. I got a messaging angel. But I got some trains. Hallelujah. What could your 21 days look like? What could your 21 days look like? I say this to the glory of God. I say this to the glory of God. I say this to the glory of God. To the glory of God. We have no idea. The people that watch this church have no idea. have absolutely no idea. The people that model, and I know that could sound braggadosa, that could sound prideful. God, you know my It's humbling. It's humbling to me when I walk into churches and that emblem's over their baptismal pool and they say, "So, we got that from y'all. We got that from you. It's humbling when I go into a church and preach on Sunday. See, we're meeting there early to have prayer in the north of they say we got sly when we go into church and say we have a Christian school and daycare. Hallelujah. A trap weapon. >> >> You my justice without borders and you walk upon the wherever you would call me. Spirit deeper than my faith could ever wonder. My faith will be made stronger in the presence of my savior. Spirit lead me where my trust is with my voice. belong wherever you go. Take me where my feet will ever wonder and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of myior. You may not justice with the voice wherever you call me. Yeah. Heat. >> >> Heat. Heat. >> >> Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. in the presence of my savior. How many will join me on this 21-day journey that the Lord will in three weeks from today will stand here with the movement starting the next Tuesday night? How many are joined? Brother Cooper, I personally would love to have to make this announcement on Wednesday evening. I'd love to have to make the announcement that we're going to have to have some of the church folks stay at home.