A Poison Root Pt. 4 | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

well praise the Lord church so good to see everybody in the house of the Lord on this Wednesday evening if you're physically able to stand I'd like to ask you to stand for the reading of the word of God tonight we're going to go to the Book of Psalms chap 25 and vers four and five and I'll go ahead and tell you this evening the title of my Bible Lesson is the poison root part three all right the poison root part three and and uh I I've got this in my spirit say well how many parts you think they going to be might be 15 I don't know I just do what I just do what I how this thing works here it gets in my spirit I just keep preaching till it gets out of my spirit amen and um the poison root part three matter of fact I think it would really be pleasing to the Lord tonight um I see many people many people have their Bibles open to Psalms 25 and 4 and uh if you don't have your Bible you can see on the screen behind me I'd like for us to read the text tonight all out loud all together and uh I'll start then I'd like for the entire congregation just let's read verse four and five all right show me the poison root part three father tonight I thank you for your word Lord I Thank you for your spirit that is here thank you Lord for your presence God that is here in this place and thank you Lord for the good people that have come to hear the word tonight I pray your blessings all over this campus God as lessons are being taught Lord let something of Eternal value Lord let something of Eternal value God be spoken in this room tonight to change our lives we'll give you the praise and we'll give you the honor in jesus' name we all pray amen and amen you may be seated God bless you for standing I have tonight as an illustration a flower pot and uh there's two things that are absolutely essential for growing a healthy plant and that is good seed and good soil there's two things that are just absolutely a must an mu t a must you got to have good soil and you've got to have good seed you never grow a good plant without good seed and good soil for two weeks now I have I have spoken about uh uh looking diligently lest a root a root everybody say root root a root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby many are defiled and I've spoken about a root and how we have to in our heart and if we could realize tonight this flower pot would represent our heart and how we have been for the last two weeks we have been examining our heart lest there be a root of bitterness that would that would spring up and trouble and most of our minds have been on examining our heart and making sure there's nothing there that has taken root that we need to that we need to pluck up now up to this point up to this point we have really really emphasized the root of bitterness and we've even said in the two lessons the ugliness we've all seen we we've all seen the ugly aftermath of what a root of bitterness can do to a person we we've seen it doesn't end well we we've seen how families have been destroyed amen families have been destroyed by a root of bitterness but tonight we're going to focus our attention on what God wants to do with our lives and the Beautiful the beautiful life that God wants to make in each one of us that none of us none of us should uh should should ever lose our excitement and our vision on God just what do you want to make out of my life God just what do you want because being a a child of God uh being a Christian is not all about plucking roots of bitterness it's about seeing the beauty it's about seeing the beauty that God wants to make out of out of all out of all of our Lives now this passage of scripture tonight and let me let me go ahead and say this too each one of us tonight you hear me each one of us in this room under the sound of my voice and those of you that are watching at home on the live stream each one of us tonight we are full of Godly potential God makes an original God doesn't use a copy machine when he makes us we all are original and we all are full of potential and don't you want to live up to everything God knows that you can live up do you know one of my prayers that I pray one of my prayers I pray personally for myself is God help me to become the man that you know I can be God help me to become the man that you know that I can be now I'm going to tell you if I was going to become the man that I think I can become I would fall short of the man that God knows that that I can be it's interesting two passages of scripture that you read tonight and if you would go back there with me if you go back there with me the psalmist cries out and says show me thy ways oh Lord show me and then he says teach me thy paths and Lead Me in thy truth there's three words there show teach and Lead show teach and lead and if I could use this tonight and it's proper application everything about you and I starts in our heart it starts in our heart our hearts are the most important thing spiritually the seat of our emotions the seat of our passion What We crave after what we are passionate about what we are emotion about all begin within our heart all begins and when the psalmist says in verse four when the psalmist says in verse four show me thy ways oh Lord he's really saying to God start your work in my heart show me God in my heart you see being a child of God now listen to me now you're going to stumble if you don't you'll stumble over the rest of the sermon if you don't being a child of God does not start in your understanding it starts in your heart if your heart's right you'll do things that your understanding will yet to catch up with you'll do things you'll act on things because it is in your heart you won't understand why you're doing it you you don't understand why you're doing it as a matter of fact matter of fact the night I went to The Altar and gave my what did I give to God I gave my heart to God the night I went to the altar gave my heart to God here's all I knew about water baptism in Jesus name you're to be baptized in Jesus name that's all all I knew when they W me up when they walked me up those steps at 5020 Pleasant Ridge Road all this scholar knew was the Bible said be baptized in Jesus name why'd you do it is in my heart you see it later got in my mind it later got it later got in my mind a lot of people say well I want to understand it first well living for God you need to get in your heart everything about living for God starts in your heart we make our entrance into the kingdom of God through our heart and I got news for you we make our exit out of the kingdom of God through our heart there's a lot of people that backslide that still believe there's one God there's a lot of people that backslide that could teach you the best Bible study on why we baptize in Jesus name and why we speak in tongues as the outward evidence of the Holy Ghost in filling but their backslid how could that be because it's no longer in their heart the heart's really important I know that we've really focused on plucking roots of bitterness but let's talk about our let's talk about our heart tonight the importance the importance of our heart Isaiah said it this way in Isaiah 26 and verse number three Isaiah said God will keep him in perfect peace whose mind or heart is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee the wisest man to live besides Jesus Christ was Solomon Solomon asked for wisdom and he was given wisdom like no other man no wonder Solomon in the Book of Proverbs chapter 4 Proverbs chap 4 verse number 23 look at this real closely Proverbs 4:23 keep everybody say keep I want I want really want to keep you pardon the pun I want to keep you engaged tonight all right keep everybody say keep I'm work you out tonight all right keep means guard protect what are we going to guard and protect guard and protect thine heart with all diligence in other words make a habit of it really guard your heart really keep watch over your heart with all diligence why for out of it are the issues or the ways of life you can never separate hear me now you can never separate your lifestyle from your heart you'll never separate your lifestyle from your heart let's look at a few things can happen to our hearts Exodus 11 verse 10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before pharaoh and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land it was God's will for God's people to be delivered but God was working on a fabulous testimony look how powerful God is look how powerful God is God is so powerful that he was able to harden Pharaoh's heart which means Pharaoh is the enemy of God's people and God is the same yesterday today and forever more do you realize that God is able to harden the hearts of our enemy which means God is able to control the hearts of our enemy he hardened Pharaoh's heart Exodus 14 verse number 8 let's look at that and the Lord hardened the heart of pharaoh king of Egypt and he pursued after the children of Israel and the children of Israel went out with a high hand so God is able to harden the heart the heart can be hardened now let me kind of go to the side of those verses for a moment I know that God is able to harden Pharaoh's heart but I personally don't want to do anything that would Harden my heart I want a heart that's pliable and soft and easy to be touched by the Lord amen let's look at um our hearts can be hardened let's look at uh Proverbs and excuse me Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse number 14 Deuteronomy 8 verse number 14 he says then thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage he's talking about living in a time of prosperity now I got news for you God has nothing against us living in prosperity but he does have something against us allowing our hearts to be lifted up what is a lifted up heart it is a prideful heart it is a heart that takes credit for what God has done in your life it is is a heart that looks around at accomplishments it is a heart that looks around at accomplishments and Pats its own self on the back and say man you've really worked hard and you've really done this and you really deserve this and you're all this and you're all that that is a lifted up heart but a heart that is humble before God looks around at everything that God has done through you and says God had it not been for you I would not have been able to do anything for you are the vine and we are the branches You Are The Potter and we are the clay and I believe he deserves a hand right now if you feel that way give him a hand right now so we know that the heart can be hardened we know that the heart can be lifted up and then there was a silly Superstition that the religious people had during the days of Jesus their explanation for demon possession was that demon would set on pieces of food in the marketplaces and when people would go down and buy a piece of fruit or a piece of meat and bring it home if they did not wash their hands see they they they didn't wash those hands uh uh for Hygiene they did they did they didn't they didn't do it for health reasons like we wash our hands when we go in the restroom amen uh like we wash our hands before we come out amen all right snuck that one in um they washed their hands because they believed that demons was on the fruit and if I took my I took my hand that a demon could have gotten on my hand and if I ate without washing my hands the demon leaped off of the piece of meat onto my tongue slid down my throat into my belly and I became demon possessed Jes Jesus addressed this in Matthew 15:15 he says then then answered Peter and said unto him declare unto us this Parable and Peter said tell us what you're talking about Jesus said verse 16 are ye also with yet without understanding do not ye yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the drought in other words he just described to you the digestive system in the mouth digested out into the waste he just described that but those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart are you there Verse 18 comes where does it come from from the heart and they defile the man for out of the heart watch this for out of the heart out of the heart proceed evil thoughts murders adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies these are the things which defile a man but to eat with unwashed hands defile not the man guess what Jesus said you all are worried about the wrong thing it's not what comes from the out and gets in it's what comes from within and gets out again I'm telling you this evening the whole seat the whole problem or solution to our lives is in our heart it's not hard to live for God if you get your heart in it it's not hard to serve God if your heart's in it well I I just don't understand it's not listen I can about I can about prophesy through that statement it's not well I just quit doing that cuz I didn't understand no you stopped doing it because it didn't get it wasn't in your heart because when it gets in when it's not in your heart all this right here is most frustrating because why do you go to church so much and why do you pray so much and why do you say the same thing so much when you do go to church and you do sing the song Why do you say it so much why why why why why I got a little I got a little Muse the other Monday I was in a little used bookstore and um I just I just I bought a book a $3 book and and uh I just I just love getting a good deal I just I just love get I just love reading the back and when it sold originally it was uh $29.95 and and I I thumbed through the book and somebody's already read it they already paid for it $29.95 they already read it and marked all the good places and I get to buy it for three bucks you just can't God's I got the favor of the Lord upon me it's it's good but while I was standing there paying for it paying for it in a bookstore paying for it there was a young man at the end of the counter trying to witness he was actually a worker there at the bookstore he was witnessing to some people that he had found this church and and he was going on and on and he said oh I had found the the neatest Church they don't talk about money said the church I used to go to he said they would pass the offering plates and ask to give money and and he said man we just get in a little room and he said we we we just gather there everybody's just kind of talking and before long somebody is lifting up Christ and it's just a real neat little room and there's nothing said about money he kept getting on to money money money and I I thought I thought he was working at that bookstore and I thought you know what what have I said the same thing about your bookstore every time I walk in here I mean you I mean you've got the audacity of you you put price tags on everything I wanted to buy me a Diet Coke out of your little cooler and the aasy of you to charge a thirsty man $2 and a half for a d Co you see how some people can I tell you when it's not in your heart do you know one of the many reasons just one of them not the whole reason you know you know one of the reasons that I don't go park two miles from Nan Stadium get on a trolley pay $10 to be us to be taken to the stadium climb stairs needing binoculars and quick grinning back there CL climb stairs and need binoculars to look down on the field pay $8 for a drink and $9 for a hot dog you you know why because it ain't my heart you know why I don't get up before dark spray stuff on me get in the woods climb a deer stand and wait for Bambi to come by would you like to guess why it's not my heart it's not my heart but if it was in my heart that trolley ride that $8 whatever it wouldn't be no problem why it's in your heart you'll notice you complain about things that's not in your heart but when it gets in your heart what could God ask from you and I that we would have to really say God you're asking a lot I mean just get a good portrait of Calvary and I don't believe you'll ever complain another moment in your life when you see everything that he did for you and I that we could have salvation in our lives it's not our heart it's got Jesus said it's what comes out of your heart as a matter of fact our heart's very important it's very important Psalms 24 and verse number three Psalms 24 and verse 23 just a chapter before our text Psalms 23 and verse excuse me 24 and verse3 starts off with the question who shall Ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy Place who's going to walk into the presence of God who's going to stand in his holy Place here's the answer in verse four he that hath Clean Hands and a pure heart who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully psalmist asked a question who's going to walk to the top of the hill who's going to stand in the presence of God you see tonight if your heart's in this you have ascended to Holy Hill and you are standing in the presence of God but if your heart wouldn't be in it tonight you're hoping that you know sometimes he lets us off lets us out at 8:45 sometimes he goes to 9:00 other times he may go a few minutes after that but come on 9:00 you know what that's saying your heart's not here your your your your heart's not here your heart's not I had one Pastor tell me he Saidi I'm almost fearful now to have everybody bow their head and pray because people see it as an opportunity to leave I thought oh God what a pitiful shape that is you know why listen it ain't got anything to do with anything else but one thing brother snitzer and that just simply is this your heart is not and I know it's really basic tonight but it's all whether you're going to grow anything in here worth having because you got to have good seed and you got to have good you got to have good soil well let's continue to read David in the Old Testament sister Carpenter he knew the need of a he knew the need David knew the need he he didn't even live in the dispensation of the knowledge that you and I have David knew the need when he cried out in Psalms 51-10 listen to him cry out Psalms 5 1 and 10 created in me what what was the Cry of David created me a clean heart oh God and renew the right Spirit In Me David knew the understanding God what I need is a clean heart David knew two things David knew he needed a clean heart hear me now please David knew two things David knew he needed a clean heart and he knew that only God can give you a clean heart Psalm 73 and 1 look at this Psalm 73 and one truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart the prophet Ezekiel the prophet Ezekiel David knew that we needed a clean heart David knew that God was the only one that could give a clean heart the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 18:31 he began to prophesy about it he told the people of Israel he said cast away from you all your transgressions Cast Away cast away from you all your transgression let me tell you if God's going to work in our lives we can't be mixing Grace and sin together and expecting to grow a good plant you you can't mix Grace and sin together well you know I got this sin in my life but I also got the grace of God you you you can't that's oil and water they don't mix you you you got to get rid of the sin you you you got to get rid of all that you got to empty yourself is Ezekiel said Cast Away look at verse 31 Again cast away from you you what's the next word all your transgressions whereby you have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die oh House of Israel notice he didn't talk about I I know this may be a little Elementary he didn't talk about a new heart and a new spirit until he talked about emptying this this thing out you're not getting the new until you get the old out you're you're not getting anything new from God until you're willing to be honest to be honest with God to be honest with yourself and and and empty out empty out the old heart the old the old and then he said you'll make a new heart and a new spirit well let's look again now Ezekiel prophesies of a day Ezekiel 36 and verse 26 Ezekiel 36:26 listen to The Prophet a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you I will take away the Stony heart out of your flesh and will give you a heart of Flesh Ezekiel is speaking from God and he's saying I'm going to give you a new heart I'm going to give you a new spirit and I'm going to take away what you pour out what you pour out I'm going to take it away what you're willing to pour out I'm going to take it away now I I'm going to tell you to me that's shouting words right there because what I pour out doesn't stay around my life what I pour out God is taking away where's he taking it to he's taken his far as the East here's how he describes it brother Wimberly I'm going to take your sins as far far as the East is from the west where is that it doesn't exist there is a North Pole and a South Pole but there's not an East pole and a West pole it just simply continues to go around and he says I'm going to take your iniquities to a place that nobody he said I will cast them into the sea never to be remembered again against you and I'm going to add this he will put them in the and then he will put up a no fishing sign so nobody goes and Fishes them out I'm glad tonight I don't have to stumble around over my past transgressions I'm glad tonight I don't have to become a victim I'm glad tonight I don't have to I don't have to have therapy and you know the way that I used to live and the way that I I turned them all upside down and he took them all away from me and I believe that tonight I believe that the prophet Ezekiel said a new heart new spirit will I give no wonder on the day of Pentecost the first day the church was open when 120 received the baptism of the Holy Ghost it's a birth of the church Peter stood up and Peter began to preach and as Peter preached the death burial of good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Bible said in Acts chapter 2 verse number 37 follow this closely see if we can connect the dots in Acts chapter 2 verse number 37 now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart not their head but their heart and they said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles men and Brethren what shall we do can I tell you when God prints your heart you get a submitted Spirit when go God Pricks your heart you don't start saying well Jesus I'm coming in the church but I'm going to tell you what I'm not going to do I'm I'm going to come on in the church I'm going to bless you with my presence because you really need me I'm going to come on in the church but I'm going to tell you what I'm not going to do now that's not a pricked heart that's a Pharisee trying to come on in the church that's what that is when God knocked Saul off of the mule on the road to Damascus and Saul laid there and said uh he said who art thou Lord and he said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest listen to the next words sister Tracy listen to the next words then Saul said Lord what would you have me to do a pricked heart is a submitted heart it is a heart that's saying men and Brethren what shall we do aren't you glad the message came repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ oh don't you want to keep a pricked heart come on don't you want to keep a pricked heart I want to keep a pricked heart because I'm going to tell you what happens to a pricked heart verse 46 of the same chapter brother Ericson verse 46 of the same chapter and they continued daily with one Accord in the temple and praising God from house to house and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of oh what a purpose oh what a purpose I believe it was brother uh Hammond that talked about something about coming together tonight oh it's wonderful to not only have purpose as an individual a singular individual but isn't it wonderful to come together as God's people and we have singleness of heart we're all here for the right reason we're all here we're not here because we kind of make the same amount of money and we're not here because we're politically on the same page can I tell you why we're here tonight we're here tonight because we have the same heart our heart was pricked we obeyed the acts 238 message and we keep on coming to the house of God and we have singleness of heart tonight oh would you love him with me right now we have singleness of heart tonight oh we have singleness of heart tonight oh yes we do well let's just travel on through acts 4:32 oh Hallelujah acts chap 4 verse number 32 watch this and the multitude of them that believed were of say it with me were of one heart and one Soul neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own but they had all things Comming man that's the church I want to attend man that's the apostolic church I want a pastor I want to Pastor that Apostolic Church in marville Tennessee that has one heart that has one heart but you have to watch it now you have to watch it even being in the Apostolic Church of having one heart the devil is after us individually he's not you know say well the devil's attacking the church well I understand what you're trying to say but you're not really accurate the devil is after individuals within the church you see the devil the Devil he's he's already tried he's tried for 2,000 years to Stamp Out the church the Devil he's convinced he'll never Stamp Out the church but he can come in and get individuals out of the church so now what you have to be very careful is to uh Keep Your Heart Right all right you have to make sure your heart is right because even in the Apostolic Church even in the Apostolic Church acts 5:3 rolled around but Peter said ananas why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land notice this read this ananas why has Satan I want you to really see this and this is this is one of the reasons when you come to church you ought to come to church with worship and praise and interaction with the Holy Ghost on your mind everybody ought to come to church with interaction of the Holy Ghost on your mind watch it Simon Peter said ananas why has Satan filled your heart follow closely you can't feel what is already full you you can't feel there's no space to feel what's already full so I submit to you that Satan like a lion trapped ananas and observed his non worship ship or his nonparticipation observed how he was in the church but he really wasn't of the church and it was ananas that he was able to enter in with temptation can I tell you that we need to come to church every service Sunday morning Sunday night and Wednesday night but just don't be a Pew warer we need to come to church with spiritual interaction on our mind why just because I was filled yesterday does it mean I'm filled today I gotta keep going fill me up and touch me and fill me up and touch me and fill me up and touch me why because I'm wondering what God is going to make out of me because I want to have a clean heart and a clean mind come on raise your hands right now and give him praise right now lift up your voice to God like a trumpet lift up your voice to God like a trumpet right now oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes oh yes oh praise him right now with me come on don't stop don't stop right now praise him right now with me the heart the heart the heart the heart has nothing to do with being Pentecostal it has nothing to do with having a a personality that's this way or that way it has everything to do to come to church God I need you tonight God I got to have your power tonight God you're worthy to be praised tonight God I'm not sick I'm not broke my my marriage is not in trouble but you're still God and you're still worthy of all the praise and I'm going give you all the praise tonight I'm going to give you all the praise tonight shame on people that can only get stirred up when their life falls apart your life's falling apart because you're not getting stirred up come on praise him right now what about the rest of you around here praise him right now give him some praise right now give him some Glory anybody can get broke up when you anybody can get broke up when things are falling apart run to the Al I'm not God have mercy I'm not making fun I'm being a good pastor I'm not ridiculing I'm being a good pastor but I'm wondering if we would run to the altar when everything is going all right if there would be less times we would have to run when everything is falling apart because we've got our heart right with God somebody say amen amen you can't even get in the church without having your heart pricked you hear me you can't even get in the church without having your heart pricked all of us tonight need to have a story of conviction if you don't have a story of conviction I question your salvation this ain't some sign a church card this ain't some kind of Nod this a't no no no this is something that got a hold of you do I have a witness tonight is there some people that remember the first time conviction got on you how about the clump in your throat how about the notch in your belly how about the sleepless nights that you just could why I'm under conviction I'm under conviction God is saying I've got you under arrest I'm going to hold you down to you give an answer I'm going to I'm going to take sleep from oh friend but how many are glad you gave up throw your hands up surrender to God God I'm yours do whatever you want to do my God come on praise him right now I'm talking about the heart I'm talking about the heart tonight we wouldn't have to deal with bitterness if we' keep our heart full we wouldn't have to deal with a lot of stuff that gets in there we keep our heart full you can't even get in a church without your heart being pricked as a matter of fact look at look at look at Philip witnessing to the Ethiopian unit acts 8 verse number 37 Peter um excuse me Philip preached to him he preached to him Plan of Salvation water baptism acts 8:37 listen to Philip and Phillip said and Philip said if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest and he said I believe that Jesus Christ Christ is the Son of God the unic said the verse prior that I didn't I didn't put up but the verse prior after he heard the gospel the unic said see here is water what do hinder me to be baptized remember fact give me verse 36 because I'd like to nail something right now and give me verse 35 I'd like to nail something right now these people said well we just need to go to a church that preaches Jesus I just want to go that's another thing that boy said in the counter we just lift up Jesus at our church we just we just lift him up we just get there and and nobody's got nothing to say and somebody speaks up for Christ and oh we just got a good little yeah yeah yeah okay we just preach Jesus at our church then Philip opened his mouth and at the same scripture and preached unto him who' he preach what did he preach what was the sermon let's see the next thing happens verse 36 and as they went on their way they came into a certain w a you went too fast they went to a certain w a t r that's water everybody say water they preach Jesus he preached what did he preach huh what did he preach Jesus now he comes to a certain water and they came into a certain water and the unic said see here's water what do hinder me to be baptized put your thinking cap on if he preached Jesus he preached water baptism he just didn't get to say Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus he be to say that God became a man through the womb of Mary and his name was called Jesus he walked this Earth some 33 years suffered bled and died for our sin and now we repent of our sin and we're baptized in Jesus name for the remission of and then he said see here is water what would hinder me from being baptized and philli said everybody saying Philip said if thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is a Son of God Philip said hey let's settle something right now right here and now right here and now he said you got to believe and I don't want to cross any any I I believe we ought to repent of our sins I believe that repentance should go before baptism but I also believe I also believe this if you wait to get victory over your sin you'll never be baptized but I'm going to tell you what'll help you get victory over your sin if you'll believe with all your heart if you'll believe if you'll believe with all your heart I read a story the other day years ago back in the 1920s a climbing expedition to Mount Everest had tried and failed two times they tried and failed they lost men they met in London England and the leader of the group that believed he could climb Everest he put a picture of Mount Everest up on a screen and he said gentlemen that mountain will never get any taller it'll never get any bigger but through knowledge we can get taller and we can get bigger and we can climb Mount Everest and they did can I tell you something when I began to believe with all all my heart The Impossible begins to take place when I believe somebody say oh that that man's got a lot of faith you you really need to say that man's got a lot of belief in the god it's not faith in faith it's Faith In Our God because when you begin to have belief that God is able through you to do all things then you begin to see yourself in a different light I begin to see myself as the head and not the tail I begin to see myself is above and not beneath I be again and and he said what would hinder me from being baptized and Peter and Philip said you got to believe you got to believe listen all things are possible First Apostolic all things are possible to them that believe God can bring you up God can bring you out and God can bring you through you just simply got to you got to believe you got to believe you got to believe matter fact acts chap 16:14 acts chap 16 ver14 and a certain woman named Lydia a Sellar of purple of the city of thy Tyra which worshiped God follow along now heard us whose heart the Lord opened and she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul isn't that amazing as we just stop for a few moments and study the scripture we find just throughout the Book of Acts how much the heart played a role in Salvation just how much the heart played a role now turn with me to Matthew 5 and verse number eight for a moment it's one of the Beatitudes it's a powerful verse of scripture it's a powerful verse of scripture Matthew 5 and: 8 Jesus said blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God blessed fortunate happy it's what that word blessed means fortunate happy well off well off we hear of people sometimes we'll refer to people that are financially uh wealthy we refer to them as saying hey they're they're well off but I'm GNA tell you I wouldn't trade my well off for that kind of well off blessed are the pure blessed are the pure in where where where where pure in what heart for they shall what what's what's the benefit of being pure in heart what's the benefit of keeping our hearts pure what's the benefit of the prayer room before church what's the benefit of participating in a worship service when when we would lift up the name of Jesus what's the benefit of having prayer and lifting up God what's the benefit I'll tell you the benefit blessed are the pure in heart for they shall SE God no wonder the psalmist and I go back to my opening text no wonder the psalmist before he ever asked God to teach him anything before he ever asked God to lead him before he ever asked God to put one thing in his mind before he ever asked God to put one thing in his mind he first asked God to show me your ways God I don't have to understand just show me the way they need to go God I don't have to understand it that that'll come later I I don't have to understand it God would you just put it in my heart I just want it to be I just want it to be in my heart blessed are the pure in heart they shall they shall see God that that may be the explanation when people just want to say to you well well I I I just can't see that I I I just can't see why you do I I just can't see why you would do that and don't ever argue with someone who doesn't have the same heart that you have don't don't don't don't ever argue with someone like that because they don't have they don't have the same the Same Heart let me follow on and I'll just be a few more moments you see Jesus spoke about the soil that goes in this heart he said there's four types of soil that's in the heart of man he spoke a parable he said there is the Wayside soil it's never taled it's Trampled Under it's hard Satan comes immediately and takes the word there's a Stony ground and that's where there's soil on top but underneath there's rocks there's Thorns that's the curse and the cares of this life and then there's good ground that's those that hear receive it bring it forth he spoke that Parable in about the four types of soil and Mark chapter 15 verse excuse me Mark chapter 4 and verse 15 reads like this Jesus explained it to them he said and these are they by the wayside where the word is sown and when they have heard Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts and these are they likewise which are sown on Stony ground who when they have heard the word immediately receive it with gladness and have no root in themselves and so endure but for a time and afterward when Affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake immediately they are offended and these are they which are swn among Thorns such as hear the word the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches and the lust of other things entering in choke the word and it becometh unfruitful and these are they which are swn on good ground such as hear the word and receive it and bring forth fruit some 30 fold some 60 and some 100 four types of soil and had haven't we seen them all haven't we seen people come to church and hear the word of God and have no response to it their hearts are hardened they hear nothing but words of foolishness to them and they leave Satan comes and immediately takes the word then we see people come to church and they quickly obey the message but after some time when persecution arises they fall by the way because they have no root they have no root because underneath the surface there's things there that are not dealt with that's why we have prayer that's why we have consecration because those things that are under the surface although they are hidden to you please hear this tonight although they are hidden to you time is on the side of what's under the surface and if what's under the surface is not brought to the surface through prayer repentance and seeking God's word if it's not brought to the surface through prayer seeking God's word time will eventually wear you down and time will eventually wear you out there are those that are swn among Thorns what are thorns the deceitfulness of riches the lust of other things choke the word and it becomes of unfruitful then the Bible says and don't don't we all want to fall into the last one don't we all want to fall into the last one we all want to fall into the last it says and these are they which are sown on good ground such as hear the word receive the word and bring forth fruit now when a good since we're in football season when a good receiver catches that ball he may have to stretch brother Nolan you know way out here to catch that ball he may have to stretch way out here to catch that ball but at the moment that he catches that ball he begins to pull that ball where into him he begins to pull it close to it and then he begins to go toward the goal line can I tell you we need to catch the word and then we need to bring the word into our heart oh we need to bring the word there doesn't need to be don't don't allow cynicism to get in your heart please hear me tonight church I want to be a good pastor to you don't come to church I know there's funny things happen in church but if every time you come to church the entire service something funny is going on and you're in a little cute group text texting around yeah I know all right I got news for you you're going to lose out I know there's funny things that happen I know people stumble over words they get Tongue Tied I I know I know all that happened but I'm here to tell you this is too serious for me my family my grandchildren it's more serious to me to me to come and find something funny about this and cynical about that and oh yeah if I was up there I'd believe that too oh God this is more I want to reach out and I want to get the word and at the moment I reach out and get it I want to pull it close into me I want to pull it why because those others are batting away they're trying to pull it away from arm they're trying to pull it away they're trying to get me to Fumble the ball demons are trying to get me to Fumble the ball I hid Thy word in my heart that I might not sin against God Church hear me tonight hear me tonight reach out there and get it and pull it pull it pull it close to you oh pull it close to you and bear some fruit fruit may be a good marriage fruit may be your children loving God living for God it bring forth fruit that bring forth fruit let me go on just for a moment and I'll probably close reading these verses of scripture but I think we need to be reminded of something just because you're at church does it mean you're in church let me said it again just because you're at church does it mean you're in church you can go to hell from a Pew just the same as you can go to hell from a bar stool it matters what's in here before it's going to get in my mind got to get in my heart I'll start reading this but I want you to know I'm reading from Ephesians and I want you to know the book of Ephesians was written to an Apostolic church so keep that in mind keep that in mind sister Caron when I start reading keep in mind that he's he's Paul is writing the Holy Ghost is inspiring him to write to a church Ephesians 4:1 17 this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that you walk henceforth not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind comment made by me don't live like the world having the understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of the heart he says this is why you don't need to live like the world they're blind in their heart who being past feeling have given themselves over into lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness but you have not so learned Christ if so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that you put off look that you empty out that you put off concerning the former conversation of the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you look up here again and that you put on the new man look at what he says he says put off empty it out empty it out and that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true Holiness wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another put away lying Church did I tell you who this is written to did I tell you it was written to an Apostolic Church what in the world is he doing having to tell an Apostolic Church see we get the book of Acts bigger than it is it's not listen there were people there and if people are left unattended and their hearts are left unattended we will go right back and pick up the same ways we had when we were in the world the only difference now I don't go to the bar I go to the church wherefore put away lying speak every man truth with with his neighbor for we are members one of another be ye angry and sin not let not the sun go down on your wrath let me make a comment there don't stay angry long it is not the will of God for us to have issues with one another and years later we're still mad about it it is not you hear me now it is not the will of God for us to have people in this church that have to purposely go out different exits from one another and you're planning on going to the same Heaven you're talking in tongues and I question you're talking in tongues if you can't talk in English to your brother I don't believe you can talk in tongues to God be angry and sin not let not the S son go down on your wrath don't stay angry long neither give place to the devil that's what he's waiting on let him that stole Paul you're riding to the church yeah that's right that's right because there's some people in the company of the church that believe they are the church and I need to write to them let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands a thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth let me make a comment about that there's no good self-esteem to a thief no Thief feels good about himself a thief has low self-esteem cause he's taken from others but let a man or a woman get a job and work and make a living and be able to give to others and I'll find you a person that can look themselves in the eye in the mirror and feel good about themselves I'm telling you when you got the right heart there's no peill that can help you overcome that kind of low self-esteem verse 29 let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth that's slander let no corrupt corrupt means to Decay it means to take away from don't let slander corrupt communication taking away from somebody's reputation taking away from somebody's reputation proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers verse 30 and grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed until the day of redemption let all bitterness and wrath and and anger watch me now let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice get it out if you got any of those things in your heart get it out Church get it out church it's going to kill you get it out Church get it out you'll waste all of your life going through the cycle of praying through and battling and praying through and battling just get it out but when you get it empty and be ye kind one to another tenderhearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake had forgiven you you know a good way to forgive everybody is to remember what God has forgiven you of you know a good way not to hold a grudge is to remember how God didn't hold a grudge against you and if we can put the soil of kindness down inside we're going to grow some of the most beautiful incredible beautiful plants that could ever be planted don't you want to know what God has planned for your life would you stand with me right now my heart oh my heart my heart brother Eric said I wonder just for a moment I've had this course on my mind and I'll start singing it but I'll butcher it but I've had it on my mind all day long all my life you have been faithful oh my life with every breath that I am a oh yes CU all my life come on all my life I am a I will sing of the goodness of God hallelujah come on that's the goodness of God right now go ahead Lord go ahead Lord receive the things we're giv you right now God God I'm pouring out my bitterness my malice and my anger God yes Lord oh thank you Lord thank you Lord thank you Lord just one more time for all my life you have been faithful oh yes Lord and all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I am able I will sing of the goodness of God for his Mercy is Running Out Come on B what's this Mercy doing running out come on brother sing it now your goodness is running after it's running after me yes your goodness is running after it's running after to me Hallelujah my life lay down Hallelujah surrender now I give you everything your goodness is running after it's running after me CU all my life you have been faithful all my life you have been so so good with every breath that I am aable I will sing of the goodness of God I want you to lift your hands up right now and give him praise when you're finished you can dismiss yourself tonight