First Things First | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

you have your Bibles that would stand with me right now thank you so much Acts the book of Acts is where we're going and it's all of our guests that are here this morning I sure hope that I get to greet you personally before service is over thank you so much for coming to first Apostolic Church today and if you are a returning guest we we appreciate you we don't have a membership where you have to meet a committee or you have to go through a certain board here's how we roll here at first Apostolic Church if you come here and claim us we claim you all right we claim you and so it's so good all you folks were claiming out there today it's so good so good to have you with us so good to have you with us brother Wilson a longtime friend of mine pastored in Rockwood it's so good to see you so good to see you today and what a pleasant sight on this very first Sunday to see my friend for the Wilson here with us Kaitlyn Tony Kaitlyn Tony and Caleb Phillips and they're gonna be married here in a few months Kaitlyn Tony that's the daughter of the famous Renee and Tony Rhett Renee and Jimmy Tony and we're so glad they're gonna lead worship we're gonna lead worship for us tonight you all know brother Jimmy Tony he's that ljc preacher well he is he was at a OJC preacher for a night and he dubbed me a UPC preacher for a night so we kind of swapped around but we loved you all and the Tonys are just like they're just like family where they are family they are family to us Acts chapter see anything familiar with that verse Acts chapter 20 and verse number 20 paul writes and says and how i kept back nothing that was profitable unto you but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house sound like sakura-san like paul was a home Bible study teacher he said I not only taught you publicly but I taught you house to house Acts chapter 20 and verse number 27 steel Paul is speaking for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God for this first Sunday in the new year first things first first things first put your Bibles down and if you would place your hand on your heart father I come before you today on this first Sunday god I asked you to give me wisdom Lord as I teach and preach to this community into this world God give me the wisdom and the knowledge Lord to present the word not only to the believer but to the unbeliever God give me the wisdom that I'm not only able to preach to the Saints but God to the sinner God give me the wisdom and let the spirit like the does fall upon my head and on my lips God Lord let me feed your people today God let me encourage them Lord God let me inspire them and instruct them God I ask you in this year 2020 Lord that you would be up on this pulpit and that every person that comes to this pulpit soak their soul and tears and consideration you got anoint us today in Jesus name we pray amen you may be seated Acts chapter twenty twenty and twenty twenty seven first things first Paul travelled extensively by way of boat the way of the sea was not unfamiliar to Paul as a matter of fact he used a lot of things he saw while on board a ship he talked about people being overcome with the world and being drowned he talked about drownings brother Caleb he talked about those that veered from the faith and he referred to them as making shipwreck so he was he would use terminology to describe people that lost their way people that made shipwreck he used terminology that he became familiar with during his many travels by water one of these terms that he became very familiar with it's a Greek word and I probably have nowhere pronouncing this the way that it should be pronounced but here I go who took till lo you would hear the word you would hear the word who ostilow Paul heard that word many times who la tillow and what it was referring to it was either a command given to them that they were to unfold all the sails they were to let the full strength of the sails come down don't bring the sails 1/4 of a way down don't bring the sails half way down or 3/4 of the way down it was a command to bring the sails all the way down for what reason so that they could could have the full power and potential of the wind because it was in those days that a ship was either either driven by oars where it was driven by sales it was driven by the wind it's amazing that Paul would use that same word when he came and was giving a farewell to the believers of Ephesus it was amazing that he used that same Greek word when he says now you know how I kept back nothing that Greek word kept back is that same word that was used for unfolding the sails he said now you know that when it came time for me to preach I didn't give you a quarter of the word I didn't drop the sails I didn't drop this the word halfway he said you know that when it came to the Word of God I dropped the sails all the way because I wanted the believers of Ephesus to receive the full potential the power that's in the Word of God he would later in acts 20:27 he said I have not I have not shunned to declare again that word shun there is that same word that meant I have not told the Word of God up but I unfair 'old the word to its full potential I tell you today that pastor has been dealt with by God in 2020 is going to become a year that you see some change now please nobody get nervous today and think we're going to because I know that sometimes change in church doesn't go together but I'm talking about a change that it will help us to be all that we can and experience all of the power of God that we can I want all of God's power and if I want all of God's power I've got to be willing to listen to all of God's Word and if I want all of God's power in all of God's Word I must be someone that understands first things first first things first you see mark chapter 12 verse number 28 one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together and perceived that Jesus had answered them well asked him which is the first commandment of all now the scribe comes and more than more than likely what he's trying to convey with with the question would you tell us Jesus you appear to be someone that knows the word would you tell us Jesus where would be a good place to start I mean there's all these laws there's all these prophets that have written would you tell us Jesus where would be a good place to start where could we start would you tell me what is the first commandment I know there's many commandments but I want to understand what the first amendment would be jesus answered him in verse 29 and he said the first of all the commandments is hear o Israel the Lord our God is one Lord thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soul with all thy mind with all thy strength this is the first commandment so I want you to understand in case you're new to the Apostolic Faith in case you are new to this and you hear this pulpit fervently preach and emphasize and overemphasize that there is only one god I want you to understand if you are new to this and maybe this is good for those that are maybe you've heard it for a long time and maybe we need to hear it again because it doesn't change if it was the first commandment in Jesus day 2,000 years ago then it's the first commandment at 20:20 what would be the first commandment in 2020 here o Israel the Lord our God is one Lord you'll hear that overemphasize as a matter of fact if you cease to hear that there's one God then we're ceasing to unfold the sales to the full potential if we dare let the culture of our day cause us to woman want to have a friendly a user-friendly church or we don't want to say things that that people may not understand we in essence are not dropping the sales of God's Word to its full power I want you to know today that the great first commandment of all is to hear old church the Lord our God is one Lord he is one scribe was asking where do we begin the scribe was possibly asking where do I start he said the greatest commandment the great commandment is to hear o Israel the Lord our God is one so matter of fact it is not only Deuteronomy 4 or 6 4 that Jesus is quoting Isaiah 45 and 11 and I must tell you today you're going to hear a lot of Scripture you're going to hear a lot of scripture because our scriptures are the sales we don't need spirit without Scripture we don't need a church of enthusiasm without a church of the word I love the shout I think my god I shout more than you are I love the shout and I love to praise God but the shout is because of the world it is the word that'll be the sales in our lives a shout is like some a shout is like some meals I've eaten in my life they were good while I was eating it but an hour later I was hungry again and a shout can leave you the same way but get a desire for the word that's high-protein that word has got something that will satisfy us hear o Israel the Lord our God is one Lord I'm going to do a lot of Scripture today if there's any of you that would like for me to give you my notes I will give you my notes today I don't name anybody in the congregation I don't have anything I'll just give you my notes today if you come and say hey bro carbon I would like to have your notes I'll give you these notes I say a 4511 thus saith the Lord the Holy One of Israel Malachi chapter 2 in verse number 10 have we not all one father hath not one God created us I say a 44 and 6 thus saith the lord the king of israel and his redeemer the lord of hosts i am the first and i am the last and beside me there is no God I'm letting the sales down today Isaiah 44 ate fear you not neither be afraid have not I told thee from that time and have declared it ye and ye are even my witnesses is there a god beside me yeh there is no God I know not any Isaiah 45 in verse number 21 tell ye and bring them near yeh let them take counsel together who hath declared this from ancient time who have told it from that time have not I the Lord and there is no god else beside me a just God as a saviour there is none beside me look unto me and be you saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else now I just want you to know today that I want to be able at the end of my journey as Paul was at the end of his journey and he came to Ephesus I want to have my acts 20:20 moment with this congregation I want to have my acts 20:27 moment I want to be able to stand up here and tell you that I have not failed to unroll all the sails for the great power of God now you may say today bro carpenter this isn't relating to me I've got other issues in my life I wish you would be more relevant than them this today you don't understand I've got some things going on well what you fail to overlook is not the fact that there is one God and I mean over and over again we could spend the rest of the day of God declaring over and over again in the scripture one god there's one I don't know another I'm the first in the last but here's what makes it relevant and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind let me tell you the putting back together of your life and 2020 will begin with first things first the putting back of you will begin with first things first the putting back of your family will begin with first things first getting things in full running power will begin with first things first and that's when we begin to love the Lord our God with all of our heart isn't he wonderful isn't he beautiful isn't he magnificent isn't he the wonderful the counselor the mighty God the everlasting father every body oughta know there's only one God there's only one God there's none else Jesus would tell us a little bit more for in John chapter four and verse number 24 Jesus tells us that God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth so now all through the Bible we have heard in the Old Testament that God is one now Jesus will tell us that God is a spirit it's one of the reasons we worship God idiots the reason we worship God in spirit not only that it is one of the reasons it is rather difficult to worship God because your spirit isn't aged in your flesh so well why do you have to say Jesus so many times I will tell you why because what I've got on the inside my spirit to worship Him has to break out of the flesh and the flesh wants to engage in prison my praise that's why I'm a to say thank you Jesus a dozen times before I begin to really connect in spirit but I promise you if you will connect with him in spirit worship will take on a whole new dimension in two thousand twenty twenty it'll take on a whole new dimension don't don't be somebody that it's not like you're not like talking I don't have to say hey brother Eriksson I like that time hey brother Eriksson I like that time hey brother Eriksson I like that time hey brother Erickson I like that time I don't have to say that to him because I'm communicating from flesh to flesh but when it comes to worship and God I may have to not that God didn't hear me the first time but it's getting out of this flesh that I'm in and getting in the spirit it doesn't make sense to the flesh you got to put your foot up on the flesh you got to subdue the flesh I was gonna unroll all the way although the sales down in 2020 I want to love him with all my heart all my soul all my mind I want to give him praise today for God is a spirit God is a spirit Paul would later come along in first Timothy chapter 1 in verse number 17 and Paul would describe this spirit Paul would say now under the king eternal immortal invisible Jesus told us that he's an invisible Jesus told us he is a spirit Paul comes around and says he is the in visible spirit Paul would later in Colossians chapter 1 verse number 15 Paul would later in giving description of who Jesus is he would send Colossians 1:15 who is the image of the invisible God who is Jesus Jesus is the image of the invisible God how many gods are there there is one here o Israel the Lord our God is one and so we understand two day by reading of the scripture that Jesus is God we cannot experience the power of the church by ever folding up this precious doctrine and not letting the wind of the Spirit because first things are first Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 verse number 27 again Paul said by faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible now jesus said that God is a spirit Paul has many times said that God is an invisible spirit Jesus will break it down in Luke chapter 24 and verse number 36 after Jesus death after his burial and his resurrection he appeared to the disciples in verse number 36 and as they thus spake Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith unto them peace be with you but they were terrified so that word with me they were terrified and frightened and supposed that they had seen a what a spirit they believed that a spirit was something of a deceased person a ghost if you will and so when Jesus walked into the room he would have thought they would have fallen down and worshiped but they were terrified and they were a frightened because they thought they were seeing a ghost and he said unto them why are you troubled and why do thoughts arise in your hearts behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself handle me and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as he see me have so now not only do we know that there's only one God we now know that that one God is spirit and we now know that that one God is an invisible spirit and we now know don't you see the sails falling down don't you see them coming down because the wind begins to blow and now we not only know that we know that a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you would see that Jesus had now stay with me now we not only know this today but we know that that spirit is eternal Hebrews 9 and 14 Hebrews 9:14 how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve believe in God listen to this now nowhere in the Bible nowhere does it ever call the father eternal nowhere in the Bible is there any reference to the father being eternal and nowhere in the Bible is there any reference nowhere in the Bible is there any reference to the son being eternal the only reference of Father Son and spirit is the eternal spirit and the reason for that is that the father was not eternal because father is a description and it means that God who is the one Lord was the father of all creation he was the creator the Eternal Spirit connect with this in Genesis 1:1 in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth and the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters does not say the father moved upon the face of the waters does not say the Sun moved upon the face of the waters it said the spirit moved upon the face of the waters and this spirit this God being one becomes after creation he is referenced as the father of creation he becomes the father of creation but not one time will you hear him referred to as the Eternal Father because this earth that we live on is not eternal we are not living on an eternal planet we are not eternal in ourselves other than the spirit that we have received which is eternal life aren't you thankful that you have received God's Spirit which is eternal life oh let's take a moment and thank him right now the sails are coming down and the power of God will begin to move upon us today as a matter of fact you'll never find the term eternal son mentioned in Scripture these are all these are all later terminologies of around a year of 130 AD all the way up to about 500 AD as men absent of the power of God begin to put together what they felt and believed because if you you didn't do some research do some research the reason that there's any other doctrine than one God was that around 130 AD there were great great questioning about the identity of Jesus Christ because the Bible the Bible wasn't even finished the Bible wasn't even that they had even stopped the scripture until there were the seeds planted by the adversary to dilute and divert the identity of Jesus Christ this is why in first John and those of you that are that are following on the screen does of you that are putting my scriptures up on the street I'm going all the way down to first John chapter 4 verse number 1 this is in our Bible first John chapter 4 verse number 1 beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world now he said don't believe it was spirit now how can you believe a spirit unless the spirits talking a spirit has to be in someone talking but then it said try the spirit put it to the test what kind of tests would we put the spirit to here by verse to know ye the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God you know why he had to say that because the enemy knew the only way that he could dilute and stop the New Testament church what's to somehow take away from the true identity of Jesus Christ that early church was rolling it was the old ship of Zion and it was full steam ahead it got baptized with the Holy Ghost in Acts chapter 2 it began to seek ripples healed it began to see multitudes being baptized and coming into the church hell tried to stop it from within with division and I chapter six of the widow's being neglected hell tried to stop it in a lot of ways but the masterminds of Hell got together and they said the only way we'll ever ever stop the power of this church is to try to roll up the sails and change the identity of Jesus Christ they did not deny that Jesus Christ came they denied that he came in the flesh he was some kind of fathom he was some kind of ghost he was some kind of angel but he wasn't and if you take flesh out of the identity of Jesus Christ he doesn't identify with us if you take flesh out of the identity of Jesus Christ there's nothing else the whole plan of salvation it begins to crumble because you take away that's why for the last 25 minutes I am going to obey Paul in acts 20 pointing and I'm going to call for the full falling of the sails because if there's something we need to know we need to know identically who Jesus Christ is not part way not half way we need to know exactly Jesus Christ he said put them to the class they gotta say that he came into play can you say Amen look at this chest they put them to hear my say you know the Spirit of God every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist where have you have heard that it should come even now already it is in the world come on some of us are looking for the Antichrist with a mark some of us are looking for an antichrist with a barque hold on on the food that we buy we're looking for the Antichrist with the chip and all of this stuff can I tell you today he's right under our nose when when we don't believe the Bible for who Jesus Christ is I'm gonna tell you who did that it is the Antichrist that did that amen and amen you see Jesus Christ Jesus Christ isn't it amazing just as wanted one go back to that for a moment in the beginning God created the heaven in the earth that's Genesis 1 and 1 he said amazing that John wanted 1 starts out like this in the beginning was the word its it amazing how Genesis wanted 1 starts out by telling us how we all got here as far as the material things around us but John 1 in 1 tells us why we're here Genesis what if one tells us that we're here John one in one tells us why we're here for me before there was a Genesis 1 in 1 there was a John 1 in 1 in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was God the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shine it in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not when the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters in Genesis 1:1 what was up on the face of the waters darkness because John one in one God had another plan because in the beginning was the word his word is logos this word logos in the Greek is something said a spoken word it is a thought so in the beginning was the thought in the beginning was the thought and the thought was with God and the thought was God so before God ever moved up on the face of the water and said let there be light he had a plan for the light before God ever had moved upon the waters and said let the waters be divided to let dry land appear God had a plan for the dry land before God ever created the earth in the days he created it there was a plan that went before him in the beginning was the word plan and the Word was with God and the Word was God how could the word be God and said all things were made by him so everything was made in light of the plan John 1:14 in the beginning was the word the thought the plan and the thought the plan the idea was with God and the thought the plan the idea was God how can the thought the plan be I did give me John 1:14 please and the Bible tells us in John chapter 1 14 and the thought was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as the only begotten of the Father begotten of the father not eternal the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth can I tell you who Jesus Christ is Jesus Christ was the fleshly embodiment of here o Israel the Lord our God is one Lord he is that flat when you look at Jesus Christ you were seeing the gym that Deuteronomy 6 and for all those scriptures I am the Lord there's none beside me there's not another God beside me I am the first and I am the last and when you look at Jesus Christ you were seeing the fleshly manifestation of that one God that's why we worship Jesus Christ why do you worship Jesus he's God why do you exalt his name it's the name that God took on when God came to this earth for it is in Jesus could we worship him for a moment you see I want people to understand I want people to understand that are new to this church why we over emphasized that there is only one God in his name yes Jesus first things first Revelation chapter 13 verse number 8 look at this Revelation chapter 13 verse number 8 and all that dwell upon the earth shall worship Him it's talking about the Antichrist whose names are not written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world now how in the world can he be slain before the foundation and slain again at Calvary very simple in the plan of God in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God in the beginning before God divided the waters before God called light before God made a tree or made a man or make what animal God already had the rule of blueprints in his hands then he himself the Creator would become a man and shed blood for the redemption of that man and so the Bible can tell us that he is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world Galatians 4 and 4 God had the plans but we had to have Galatians 4 and 4 but when the fullness of the time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law that's why we have Luke 1:26 we just came out of this season Luke 1:26 and the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God under the city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin in spouse to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David and the Virgin's name was Mary the angel came in to her and said hail thou that are highly favored the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women and when the woman saw him she was troubled at his test in her mind what manner of salutation this should be the angel said unto her fear not Mary for thou hast found favor with God and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus he shall be great shall be called the son of the highest and the Lord God shall give him to him the throne of his father David he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there shall be no even then said Mary under the angel how shall this be seen I know not a man you're telling me I'm going to have a child how would I have a child and I've never had a relationship with a man and the angel answered and said unto her the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee you see we need to stop seeing the Holy Ghost through what was developed from 130 ad to about 500 AD we need to stop seeing the Holy Ghost as something developed between 130 AD and 500 AD and we need to go to the Bible and get our definition of what the Holy Ghost is you see this one God here o Israel the Lord our God is one and this one God and fatica Lee all through the Bible this one God is called the Holy One and this one God is a spirit and so you put these together and you have the Holy Ghost or you have the Holy Spirit whichever way you want to say it Holy Ghost our Holy Spirit it means the same thing Mary says how would I give birth to a child I have never had a relationship with a man she asks for the hell and the angel told her had the Holy Ghost is going to over shadow you and when the Holy Ghost overshadows you the power of the highest shall overshadow thee therefore also that holy thing which shall be born in thee shall be called the Son of God do you understand with me today that it is not the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ I had to correct myself many years ago I would preach about the Meraki birth of Jesus it is not the miraculous birth he was born just like any other person that's ever been born nine months or so in a womb and he was born he was born just like just like any other human being has been born but the miracle was not in the birth but the miracle was in the conception because it takes a male and a female to produce an offspring but not when God wanted to come to this earth when God wanted to come to this earth God came to this earth by overshadowing a virgin girl and from that overshadowing God caused a miraculous conception to be in her womb and what would that be that would be none other than the flesh the son of the Living God and there's only one God and if there's only one God then when that baby was born in Bethlehem that baby was the one god of Deuteronomy 6:4 and he was the one God of every scripture I've ever read they said you really believe that when that baby was born in Bethlehem it was God absolutely I believe he was God don't fall prey to foster doctrine that tells you he became God at his baptism that's false doctrine don't know fall I feel the sales coming down today you see the time the sales of God's Word begin to come down those that are hungry will begin to feel the power of God moving now if you want to hold your tradition if you want to hold on to something that's not biblical God cannot help you you'll just look like you've been in a windstorm but if you're somebody that's tired of making excuses for tradition and you're tired of knowing that there's got to be more you just hold on baby because God is about to blow through your life and when God blows through your life something powerful it's going to begin to happen when this hello come on praise him with me for a moment hallelujah listen to me now you can't have it both ways the wise men were either worshipers or pagan heathens they were either worshipers or they were pagan heathens because the Bible says in Matthew 2:11 and when they were come into the house they saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down or bowed down and fell down and worshiped him not them Mary gets no worship Mary was just a handmaiden that broth got into this world nothing listened and not even this a lot of people get their minds blow with this but it is the truth you could you go study it out but there's a denomination that teaches that not only was Mary a virgin but they also teach that Mary God here by virgin birth because that's how pure and people pray to Mary you know how I want to drop the sails down and tell you Mary can help you Mary can answer a prayer for you you say well all you leave those poor sincere people alone leave them alone when they could have a power God flowing through their life leave them alone when God when some denomination has rolled up the sails and got a little fan out there time to tell you this is what God feels like I say no drop the sails drop the sails and let the wind by my Mary can answer your prayers oh they fell down and they worship Him now open up their gifts the wise men worship the Child Jesus they're either worshipers or they're sinners because the Bible says in Exodus chapter 20 and verse number five it's one of the Ten Commandments thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquities of the father's upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me do you know that God was pleased with the wise men's worship if Jesus was not God the wise men have just broken one of the commandments if Jesus is not God the wise men are sinners and you know how I know that Jesus has got another sign that Jesus is God Jesus gave them a dream after they had worshipped the child and Jesus told the wise men don't go back to Herod he plans to kill the child get out of town another way now folks God doesn't give a dream of safety and protection to a sinner pagan net worth shipped something that shouldn't be worship I know it look like I don't know two or three year old I don't know what a to God do you know what a two or three year old kid looks like but can you understand these wise men came in and bowed down and begin to worship a little 2 or 3 year old child you know why it wasn't in what they saw but it's what they knew that that child is the Almighty God can I tell you worship the God of the scripture not the God of tradition don't worship the god of men mates distance worship the god of the scripture well I can't understand it it's a little building and you're not a fish you're not a lot of people don't worship because it's a big building don't worship because it's a lot of people don't worship because it fits your mind worship because the scripture has illuminated that he is God Jesus so how could Jesus be God you seem to understand that Jesus is God you must understand the dual nature of Jesus Christ that Jesus Christ is both God and man he's the god man the only one of his time he has a dual nature he's called in the scripture son of man talking about his mama side he's called in the scripture son of God talking about his father side there were times that he spoke as a man how did you look for me did you not know I'd be about my father's business and there were times he spoke his God when he said how do you ask show us the father Philip he that has seen me has seen the father sometimes he spoke as a man I thirst and sometimes he thundered his god Lazarus come forth he was a dual nature he was men for our Redemption he wasn't a ghost he wasn't an angel he was a man just like we are yes populace to pay that ultimate price at rifice payment for our sin Paul said in first Timothy 2:5 for there is one God and one mediator between God and me and the man Christ Jesus Paul said in Colossians 2:9 for in him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily first Timothy 3:16 without controversy or ECC Harkness is a very controversial thing you know you're never getting you never people feel good by getting them together and talking about things that are controversial I love you too much sir to let you set under my watch and for me not to declare unto you the whole Council of God I love you too much you lady if you let you come here to this church and feel the wonderful Spirit of God and not one Sunday morning get up and say who buys the time drop the sales drop the sales because I want to be able to say I have not shun to tell them to drop all the sales because if we can get first things first in your life if we can get you to see that Jesus is God then the second step we're going to take you on if you need to be water baptized in the name in the name of that one and Almighty God there's power in his name there's unbelievable power that's in the name something drop the sails something about that night without controversy great is the mystery of godliness God was manifest in the flesh it's not which God was manifested in the flesh it was God was manifest in the flesh if you believe anything but what scripture teaches your view of that is which God was manifested in the flesh and that puts you believing more than one God some have asked but the carpenter I have some question they're very good questions they're very good questions matter of fact in my opinion there's not a stupid question you could ask me about the Bible the fact that you would ask a question tells me that you're interested in the greatest book that's ever been printed well Bill Carpenter if Jesus is God who was he praying to who was he praying to John 13 15 gives us the answer John 13 15 says for I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you there were things that Jesus did not for himself but for us not only that at the tomb of his friend Lazarus he stood there in John 11 41 he stood there at the tomb of his friend Lazarus then they took away the stone from the place where the where the dead was laid Jesus lifted up his eyes and said father I thank thee that thou has heard me and I knew that thou hearest me always but because of the people which stand by I said it that they may believe that thou has sent me and when he had thus had spoken he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forward why did Jesus pray he prayed many times so it would be recorded for our understanding he prayed at the tomb of Lazarus he didn't have to he was God but he prayed so that those standing by would know that the resurrection of Lazarus happened because the prayer that jesus prayed I don't mean to be facetious with you but I believe if you believe anything other than the scriptural definition of God that you would have some issues if Jesus is co-equal and coeternal with the other two persons of the Godhead co-equal means he possesses the same amount of power I didn't write the definition that's their definition if Jesus is co-equal with his father meaning he / he has as much power as his father has then why did he have to pray for the carpenter what about on the cross my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Jesus showed his identity his humanity on the cross he has have we not already spoken today that his identity would be light upon before the Bible was even complete and they would say he was an angel he was a he was just some kind of figment some kind of a illuminated light on the cross no he showed his humanity on the cross when he felt God forsaken as a matter of fact he said a number of things on the cross that show us he was human he uttered the words I thirst a spirit doesn't thirst the other the words I thirst a spirits not thirsty he uttered the words Father forgive them the spirit he uttered the words John take care of my mother then we come the last thing and dropping the sails today the right hand of God pastor the Bible plainly says in acts 755 but he being full of the Holy Ghost looked steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God he said I see the heavens open the Son of man standing on the right hand of God the right hand the cartman Jesus is standing on the right hand hebrews ated 1 now those things which we have spoken this is the son we have such a high priest which is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens you must understand that God is an eternal spirit and God is an omnipresent spirit the writer tells us that the heaven of heaven of heavens cannot contain all of God solomon tried to build a house and when he built a house he realized the only thing he could do in that house was de sac rifice God would God the fullness of God could not dwell in the house any other the words the heavens of heaven of heavens cannot contain thee and so a question could be if God feels all time and space and there's not a place there is not God how then can you get on the right side of one that feels all time in space but a closer examination of the scripture lets us know that the right hand is a figurative speech what I mean by figurative right hand refers to a person that has been accepted a person of power a person that has been accepted a person of power and acceptance and honor right hand refers to a place of honor Jesus Christ the man obtained that place of honor that place of a mediator it is figurative speech even some of us today use the term that's my right hand man we don't mean by that after standing here on my right hand we're saying that's a man of power what I'm saying that they're literally they're on our right hand we'll say I'm as hungry as a horse hopefully we don't eat as much as a horse but we're using bigoted language Acts chapter 2 and verse number 32 this Jesus hath God raised up wherefore we are all witnesses therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received to the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost he has shed forth this which you now see in here you either have to take this either literal or you have to take it in the phrase that it was used figuratively if you have to take it if you're going to say that right hand is literal then you have to believe it what happened in the tomb was that God reached down with a right hand and pulled him out we don't believe that you don't even we know that it's figurative write him speaks of the power of God Jesus spoke in Luke 11:20 Jesus spoken said but if I with the finger of God cast out devils no doubt the kingdom of God is coming to you he's using figurative speech there he didn't have God's finger in his back pocket when he got ready to cast out a devil he got out of literal finger he's talking about the hostly the great power of wickedness could be controlled with just the finger of God we see Psalms 18 and 15 describes the parting of the Red Sea describes the parting of the Red Sea the Bible says then the channels of waters were seen and the foundations of the world were described discovered at thy rebuke Oh Lord at the blast of thy of the breath of thy nostrils we know what happened God didn't poke his nose through the clouds and part the Red Sea it's figurative 50 the nostrils figurative Moses saw the back parts of God he didn't see the shoulder blades he didn't see he didn't see the like the back part of a man when he said Moses saw the hundred parts of God it's talking about fingertip Moses saw to write the creation story how would Moses know in the beginning God created the heavens of the earth it's figurative finger the nostril the right hand are all figured it's not a literal better literal place not closed today with this revelation 21 22 and 1 and he showed me a pure river of water of life clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb not Thrones one throne and it's the throne of God and the lamb in the midst of the street of it now you realize don't you you realize don't you students that John is in heaven showing us things that are in heaven I don't put any stock on anybody telling me they died with the heaven tell me what they saw I don't pity me I don't base any way I'm not saying it didn't happen I'm saying when I want to know what went on in heaven I don't go down and get me a book on somebody that died for an hour or two I open up my Bible to something that is trustworthy this is John writing John's there in the spirit he said in the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river of the river was there the tree of life which bare twelve manner of fruits and yielded her fruit every month and the leaves were for the healing of the nations and there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it and his servants shall serve him God in the lamb is a hymn not of them God and the lamb is a hymn not of them revelation 21 22 and 23 would you stand with me this afternoon revelation 21 22 and I saw no temple there in John's looking for a place to go worship I saw no temple Darian for the Lord God Almighty and the lamb are the temple not temples the city has no need of the Sun John said I looked around for the source of life city has no need of the Sun neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the lamb is the light their brothers and sisters I plan to come to this full pian in 2020 and every Sunday I plan to ask for the sails to be dropped because at the end of my tenure I want to be able to say I dropped all the sails from God's Word could we just love him right now before we go home should we just let him right now I'm not a tell of OCI so we just praise him right now together oh he to God come on let's worship Jesus right now let's worship Jesus right now Church I love you Jesus I love you all eternal God the only turn of God I love you Jesus I'm Matthew God there's something about the name of Jesus something about the name of Jesus like them thank you Lord just a few moments commodious a few moments this worship Jesus come on warship Jesus right now father help us to digest this word today lord help us to digest this word right meal today God God I pray for men and women in this congregation God good-hearted sincere people God but they have been taught in a way that they need scripture to give them a revelation God give them a revelation today God God give him a revelation today Lord now they understand that there's been some things missing God give him a revelation right now would you join me in prayer church that God would let a spirit of Revelation come upon us right now come on lift up your voices all over this place please something about the name of Jesus simple about the name of Jesus come on ask god that's good hearted people here this morning good-hearted people there's very sincere people here today Oh God and the spirits revelation the rest of all come on us worship Jesus before we go Jesus you are that one God Jesus demolishes effective bullpens them as we dismiss father we love you was so grateful for the doctrine of the body that you give in his father known to know who you are but as he fails on us believe in law God the great and mighty truths to be a revelation in the minds of every person that hears this great word got a pretty leave this place wanna beat each other to our families into our children God but I pray in Jesus name they took power that's in your name will be among us law God but as we leave this place Lord got ready to come back again tonight to worship you but keep us safe put in your hands Lord God prepare our hearts Lord to receive your word tonight once again and we think it over we've already heard we bless your name in Jesus name we pray in the church that amen y'all bless you today you're dismissed in Jesus name