Transcript of a published sermon by Kenneth Carpenter, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
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Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
A movement begins in discontent
- A movement begins when a spirit of great discontentment with one's current condition takes hold of a body of people, joined to a strong belief that a better tomorrow is within their reach.
- He borrows the phrase 'the new poor' — people who were rich and lost it, who will fight harder than any other group to regain what they once held in their hands.
- He counts himself a discontented and restless preacher who, after almost four decades pastoring the church, will not live in its decline or make his goal a retirement home.
Contend for the faith once delivered
- The movement is about a discontented people who want back what once was in the church — the miracles, signs, wonders, power, anointing and holiness — under the charge to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints.
- No one becomes a movement alone: to be part of a movement a person must lose their individual identity and become part of the whole, looking out for a brother as that brother looks out for them.
Scriptures: Jude 1:3
A movement knows its visible enemy
- A movement must have a visible enemy; he is not trying to convince anyone there is a God so much as that there really is a devil, who is more concerned with the church house than the White House.
- The adversary works by coming between brethren through misunderstandings and offenses, so Peter's charge stands over the unit: be sober, be vigilant, because the adversary walks about seeking whom he may devour.
Scriptures: 1 Peter 5:8
A movement articulates its message
- A movement must have men and women who can articulate its message: the apostolic doctrine has to be studied until it is second nature — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, the godhead, water baptism in Jesus' name, tongues, holiness and separation.
- As a 19-year-old evangelist preaching a seven-week revival, he was drilled for two hours over lunch every day by the aged pastor J.T. Payne until he could answer what 'let us make man' meant and who Jesus was praying to on the cross; those aggravating days were among the most profitable of his ministry.
- Holiness distinction, he insists, is not a controversial subject in the movement — it is only controversial to those who do not love it — and he is more interested in a preacher's converts than in convictions that never produce any.
Pour the movement into the next generation
- Successful movements pour their doctrine and convictions into future generations — into the next pastors and leaders — rather than letting the dream die with the founder.
- He names his two sons-in-law and his son, and says that after he preaches holiness standards in this pulpit he meets with them in the days following to beg them to question him until nothing is left unclear in their minds.
- He leads the room in prayer for their children, for the preachers' kids in the room, and for the children of their children to be apostolic.
Those who do not move never notice their chains
- He quotes a political reformer's saying: those who do not move never notice their chains — chains of fear, bitterness and smallness are only discovered when a person attempts to move.
- Saul and the army sat chained by fear under a tree until David moved across the valley floor against Goliath, and until Jonathan and his armour-bearer moved uphill against the enemy and an earthquake freed Israel.
- The chain-breaker broke chains through his ministry and on the cross, unchained himself from death, hell and the grave, and fifty days later the 120 who had moved to an upper room received the Holy Ghost: God moves on what is moving for his glory.
Break the chains
- He became pastor of a small church across town on June 3, 1984, a single man for his first thirty days in the pastorate before marrying; he and his wife know what it is to have twenty on a midweek Bible study and to struggle.
- This church is a daughter work of a chain-breaking church that began in the late 1950s in an old ragged tent pitched on a Knoxville corner; when its builders formed steps they had no money for concrete, a passing driver with leftover concrete in his truck poured the forms exactly full.
- Fifteen years ago the Lord redirected a five-year, million-dollar building campaign into aggressive missions giving; within six weeks, without an evangelist or extra services, over 60 people were baptized in Jesus' name, and fifteen years and $18 million later the church stands where it is — not on a pedestal, but as proof every city can do the same.
- Failure is only fatal if it chains a person down: Samson's failure found him chained, but when he moved back into God he slew more in his death than in all his fighting years.
- He closes in an altar movement calling the room to break the chains of being outnumbered, of 'not enough', and of failure, praying over their cities, their country and their families.
Scripture index: Jude 1:3; 1 Peter 5:8.
Transcript
how to become a movement how to become a movement first there must be a spirit of great discontentment of one's current condition that must possess a body of people there must be unrest among them coupled with the strong belief that A Better Tomorrow is within their reach and is possible after Germany lost in World War I the German people were filled with hopelessness and deep disappointment until a leader of a movement emerged by the name of Adolf Hitler he offered them a new tomorrow he offered them hope it was then that a phrase was coined the new poor the new poor the phrase the new poor is describing people who have been rich and lost it it is believed that the new poor will fight harder than any group of people to regain what they once held in their hands I believe tonight that I'm addressing men and women of God yes we can on the surface tell you things are going well we can on the surface tell you how good things are going at our local church but to be transparent with you tonight I am a discontented preacher I am a Restless preacher I have been pastoring this church for almost four decades and I will not live in the decline of an Apostolic Church my goal is not a retirement home down south my goal is to Pastor an Apostolic church that is filled with miracles signs wonders Apostolic Holiness Apostolic Doctrine I am at unrest I am part of the new poor for it has been in the hands of our church for the Apostle Paul spoke in the book of Jude beloved when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the Saints or once delivered to you the movement is about a discontented people who want back what once was in the church our Miracles our signs our Wonder our power our anointing our holiness in order in order to be a part of a movement you must lose your individual identity and become part of a ho if you want to be a movement you cannot be a movement alone it is proven that in concentration camps and prison gang members live longer and survived because number one they were looking out for their brother and their brother was looking out for them too many of us have faced discouragement all because we decided to be our own individual movement but God is called us to mville Tennessee tonight to join together with brothers and sisters of like Precious Faith because we're all in this battle and we're all F facing the oppression of the adversary but I've come tonight to ask you would you want to join a movement would you want to become part come join the movement in order for us to have a movement Church a movement must have a visible enemy to the Germans Hitler convinced them it was the Jews the population of Germany begin to turn around when Adolf Hitler convinced the the the Germans that their visible enemy was the Jews is a matter of fact Germany turned around so quickly that in 1929 Japan sent a delegation to study the prosperity of Germany later they came home and they simply said the prosperity of Germany is they have a visible enemy the Jewish people and one said isn't it sad we have no Jews in Japan you see this evening I'm not convinced I'm not going to try to convince you there is a God but I may work at convincing you there is a devil I believe we got the Oneness of the godhead down but maybe we need to be convinced that there really is an enemy and he is more concerned with the church house than the White House the White House can't stop him but the church can we have an enemy we have an enemy no wonder Peter said be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lying walketh about seeking whom he may devour brothers and sisters tonight we have an enemy he will raise his head at every opportunity that he can he's the master at coming in between misunderstandings he is the master of aard the birth of future Generations by offenses it's the devil that's behind that offense we have an enemy a movement must have men and women who can articulate its message we in order to have a movement we must have men and women with the ability to articulate the message Adolf Hitler was not really a good strategist of War but he was a tremendous speech Giver he could Electrify the Germans by giving a speech brothers and sisters tonight we must study the apostolic Doctrine you may be seated it's what I'm talking about I'm sorry it's what I'm talking about turn your T tell turn your T evangelist off TD Jake is not going to tell you the apostolic Doctrine if we're going to be a movement we've got to get back to articulating the apostolic Doctrine we've got to love it we got to study it we got to preach it one Lord One Faith one baptism we've got to study the doctrine the doctrine must become SE second nature to present the godhead water baptism tongues Holiness separation I was 19 years old as an evangelist when I was invited to an aged pastor's Church to preach JT Payne was up in age in padel Georgia when I began preaching the Rev for brother pay every day at lunch he would say evangelist Kenny Carpenter I am a trinitarian convince me of the Oneness of the godhead now as a young 19 fiery evangelist I knew all the cliches I knew all all the buttons and the marching around Jericho and keeping your mouth shut till it's time to shout but I wasn't really school that good in the doctrine and every day the Revival went for seven weeks and every lunch was about two hours of him smacking me around the office doctrinally until I was able to explain what Genesis 126 let us make man meant he kept me in a headlock spiritually until I could tell him who Jesus was praying to on the cross until I could tell him what it meant there was three that Beed record in heaven but I'm going to tell you although it was aggravating days it was some of the most profitable days of my Ministry study the doctrine if we're going want to be a movement we've got to study the doctrine we've got to give an answer for why we believe the godhead we've got to we got to give an answer to why we believe it is NE necessary to be water baptized in Jesus name Born Again of the water and the spirit not an optional thing it's part of a New Birth come on do you want a movement tongues Holiness separation you'll never understand the godhead until you understand and you may be seated the Dual nature of Jesus Christ you never understand the godhead till you understand his dual nature son of man Son of God fully man and fully God and you will never understand Holiness distinction until you understand that God made a man and God made a woman and I want you to know and I'll ask you to be seated and I'll close my eyes so nobody will think I'm looking right at you but I promise you the movement conference is not going to have a back room talk with its speakers and tell them to stay off of controversial subjects because in the movement Holiness is not a controversial subject it's only controversial if you don't love it but if you love it it's what we're built on it's what we believe in we're not going to be afraid to talk about distinction you may be seated but I promise you something as head of the steering committee for movement I'll never bring someone that has more convictions than converts cuz I'm not really interested in all your convictions as much as I am your balance of your converts because I believe convictions will produce converts and in order to be a movement in order to be a movement the reason we have the black lives matter movement is because it is a spin of the Civil Rights Movement you know why the Civil Rights Movement are so successful and I believe they should be you know why they've been successful Dr Martin Luther King Jr has been dead for a long time but his dream is still alive may we find follow the pattern of the Civil Rights Movement why are they successful they poured their movement into next Generations it is not the will of God for the Future Leaders of our church not to embrace the same Hol and the same belief that we have that is not the will welcome to the movement welcome to the movement in order for us to be successful we must pour our Doctrine into future Generations into the next pastors into the next district superintendent we must pour our convictions into them my son-in-laws Chad Erikson Zach hamon and my son Nolan Carpenter will tell you that after I preach holiness standards in this pull pit that I will have a meeting with them in the days to follow and I will beg them do you understand what I'm saying do you have any question in your mind about what I'm saying don't be afraid to question me right now because the worst thing this generation can do is to leave a Bible study with a question in their mind I promise you there is a backsliding Pentecostal on a Facebook page that'll answer every question they have but not my family not in this house not in this house why don't we pray for the Next Generation right now come on let's pray for our children right now oh God Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God God I pray for our children God I pray Lord I pray for brother Tony's son-in-law and daughter God I pray for our children I pray for our children's children God I want them to be Apostolic I want them to have this movement upon them God come on pray right now pray the devil out of their head pray the world out of their head put a word in them right now I pray for our children I pray for all the PKS tonight I pray for all of our PKS in this room right now you may be seated I'd like to tell you about a woman by the name of Rosa lexber Rosa lexber was a well-known political reformer who lived in Poland the late 20th century she was always leading movements for political change she is known for her many quotes of wisdom of which I would like to share one of these quotes with you tonight I quote her those who do not move never notice their chains those who never move never notice the chains you see it may be a little difficult to join the movement because you may discover you've got some chains people live their lives changed and never really realize it until their attempt a move it's only one movement happens that chains are realized King Saul and the army of Israel were ignorant of their chains of fear until David moved freely across the valley floor to slay Goliath King Saul was chained once again under a tree with a group and I describe them this way he's chained under a tree with a group of men that can be described as used to bees and want to bees he's chained to fear until Jonathan and his armor Bearer moved uphill two men outnumbered led a movement that would begin an earthquake and free Israel and defeat an enemy I submit to you tonight that we shall go home to our cities and we shall begin a movement might have to break some chains but it'll set off an earthquake in the spirit world and when the fullness of time was come almighty God became flesh entered into a world that was chained with ignorance of the word of God which led to being chained from the power of God into this culture our awesome chain breaker entered and one by one began Breaking Chains it began with unchaining fishermen from their boats and tax collectors from their desk unchaining sickness and disease and death he broke his own chains one night when he said not my will but thy will be done he broke his own chain I hear the chains tonight he broke a chain on a cross and said father forgive them for they know not what they do bitterness has chained many of us and paralyzed many of us not to go forward and seek more of God and more of his power us break the chains of bitterness tonight three days later he Unchained himself from Death Hell In The Grave he appeared 40 days afterward un shaning the disciples from fear and unbelief 50 days later 120 led a movement to an upper room and there they received Heaven Sweet Holy Ghost listen to this tonight God will always move on what is moving for his glory god will always move on what is moving for his glory the reason he moved on the day of Pentecost is because they moved to an Apple room and because they moved God moved somebody shout God moov say it again God God moves on what moves for his glory during the years of cruel slavery it's been told they only had to physically chain the ones that arrived on the slave ships afterwards their children that were born in slavery wore a mental chain I believe tonight maybe some have got a chain on you the last thing I want you to do 39 years ago this June the 3 my wife and I I actually became Pastor for 30 days as a single man on June the 3D 1984 I became the pastor of a church across town a house that had been made into a neighborhood store and later into a church I became the pastor of that church 30 days later we were married we know what it's like to have 20 on midweek Bible study we know what it's like to struggle and I don't want anyone to walk into this building and to fill a chain that'll say this could never happen to me you rebuke that chain in Jesus name you hear me you rebuke that chain in Jesus name brother Phillips brother Phillips and sister Caitlyn listen to me tonight you came to my mind today because there's many of young men and young women serving under Living Legends and you'll feel a chain trying to tether you down that you'll never be like your father-in-law but can I tell you what your father-in-law's prayer is is that you have a double portion and you far exceed what your father-in-law has done God help out us to Break These Chains I don't want any home missionary to walk in here and see the lights and all this and say I'll never have this you may be seated tonight can I tell you how you can have this is to watch somebody break the chains can I tell you this church is a daughter church is a daughter work of a church that started in the late 1950s in an old ragged tent in Knoxville on the corner of Lee and Baxter the young uh Evangelist Billy and Betty mcco brought an old ragged tent to town and pitched it rented a lot and pitched it on a corner and the Knoxville church was birthed from an old ragged tent I brother Tony I was raised in a church of chain Breakers I was raised on stories that went something like this they were trying to build their first church at 123 West Colombia they were broke Bishop MCU tells about being broke no money didn't go out on Saturday and work because there was no money a brother in the church kept calling him and said let's go out there let's form the steps that go up to the church let's let's form the steps and brother M said well no need to form the steps we don't have any money for concrete but the man persisted and they went out on a Saturday to form steps for concrete when they drove the last nail into the form they looked up and a man come walking down the road like he was lost he was looking for something and they walked out and they said how can we help you he said well I'm a concrete truck driver and said we just poured some concrete up here on the highway and said I've got some extra left over and I'm looking for a place to pour it they walk that oh my God they walk that concrete truck right down and they begin to turn the concrete and when Bishop took the shovel and put the last little bit out of the scoop it evened up all the form I'm talking about a chain breaker come on home missionary you jerk that chain off your Pew you jerk your chain off at Pew the movement is not going to discourage you it's going to encourage you jerk that chain off that don't be chained by being outnumbered don't be chained by being outnumbered some of you got the chains of being outnumbered we're not the biggest in town we don't have many people can I tell you if you're the only a listen to me now if you're the only Apostolic Church in that City and you run 15 Read My Lips you are the largest church in that City act like it hold your head up high my wife and I never felt like feel sorry for us worldly low home missionary pastor we held our head up high because we were the only Apostolic Church my God I feel like somebody need to break a chain right now you don't know you got to change till you try to move you don't know you got to change till you try to dream come on dream again don't let that church split get it all out of you dream again some of you have had the wind knocked out of you you've had some of your key people leave you this year go across town question your wisdom question your love for Saints don't you allow that person to chain you down things will never be the same oh yes they will break that you break that chain but not enough you break that chain of not enough let me tell you the greatest re the greatest thing you may be seated the greatest thing ever happened to this church happened about 15 years ago when we were trying to raise a million dollars in five years to build an aition on the back of the church up on the hill five years to raise a million dollars and brother that that that that wasn't just taken to excess of coming in that was pleading with the people it's a kid here I had it all mapped out I knew how much money we had to have every month I I knew how much money we had to have at the end of the first year second year third year fourth year for $1 million to add on to the back of that building up there when the Lord spoke to my heart as sure as I'm standing here he spoke to my heart and he said my son my coming as soon I want you to begin to give to missions as never before and I will take care of the new Sanctuary setting on top of one another getting to church two hours early to have a seat I announced to a beautiful congregation an understanding congregation that God was leading us to begin to be aggressive toward the mission field and we did God gave us our first sign within six weeks of beginning aggressively giving to missions within six weeks without the aid of an evangelist without having more Services than the regular ones we baptized over 60 people in the name of Jesus Christ you want to know how we got here we broke some chains Miracle you may be seated Miracle after Miracle after miracle Miracle begin to happen and 15 years later and $18 million here we are but don't you put faac marville on a pedestal that we've done something unusual and rare everybody can do this every city needs a marville church every city come on stand with me right now i' like this to break some chains brother Wagner in the name of Jesus we're going to break some chains in this house tonight the chains of being outnumbered be not afraid there's more with us than there's with them how about the chains of failure there may be a man or woman here tonight who's had tremendous failure in your life what determines if your failure is fatal is if you allow it to chain you down Samson's failure finds him chained but Samson was willing to say I think I can move back into God and when he did he was able to break that chain and the Bible says oh in the name of Jesus listen to me precious one that has failed God precious one that has disgraced it horribly failed God you listen to brother Carpenter tonight it's only fatal if you allow yourself to be chained to it Samson got between the pillars and Samson said oh God would you avenge me from my failure God they took my eyes from me God God the adversary deceived me and took my eyes from me God would you avenge for my eyes would you or that that prayer would you touch would you touch me one more time and when he did the Bible says that Samson slew more in his death than he did in all the years that he was fighting I don't know what your failure is tonight I don't know what's what's got you chained sister pastor's wife I don't know what's got your chained sister evangelist wife I don't know what you I don't know what what has you changed upcoming evangelist that doesn't have a Pentecostal pedigree I don't know what's got you chained but God can break those chains tonight that you'll be able to see as he sees you left a city that you wonder if God could move upon but God sees your city tonight he sees people in the hospital healed of cancer he sees a denominal pastor's wife receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost this happened the other day at our church a Catholic nun visited a lady from this church that was in the hospital and before that Catholic nun left the room that Catholic nun was speaking in other tongues that's what God sees you see a city that you wonder could Revival ever come here but God is saying come on home from movement come on home from movement I want you to see your city would you break the chains with me right now come on lift up your voice attack your chains tonight attack as I pray in Jesus name my vision change mying my C I see my C resurrected I see my f with blessing eyes full of I speak in Jesus name come sing us my vision starts to change over my my and my Jericho walls Jer walls are crushing down he Revival hold my family my country my city I see my resurrected come on you got to see it in Jesus name I see my with blessing i full of fa I full of come on speak in Jesus name I speak in Jesus name I see my S Resurrected and I curse every distraction every distraction in your name in my every spirit that is be your great every distruction in your nameing somebody Jesus come and heal the broken Jesus come to sa the Hopeless Jesus come I see my C Jesus Jesus I see Jesus Bren Jesus see it I can see it come on come on every hand lifted in this place if you can see it with eyes of Faith yeah full I speak in Jesus come on you got to speak it out right where you are with eyes fall of Faith ofth come on Pastor right here speak it out come on youth leaders speak over your youth group right now speak it out come on lift up your voice call out the name of your community right here right now you got to speak I uh with eyes full of Faith uh you got to see iuh it's more it's more than just believe it you got to see it in your mind I want to be free I want my country to be free I want my city to be free and most of all I want my family to be free I see my family resurrected come on that's our first calling right there I see my family filled with blessing with eyes full of faith I speak in Jesus name oh I see my family I see them resurrected every unsaved child every unsaved parent every unsaved brother and I can see it my God we need this right here I see my God country resurrected come on pray for America right now we live in the land of the free but come on freedom is being challenged right here I seen my country filled with blessings because we defend the weak and we defend the refugee and we defend the hurting and I full of f I speak in The Only Name the only name given speaking Jesus I see my country resurrected with no music come on just lift up your voice right now and pray over those three things your city your country and your family right here we don't need music We Don't Need lyrics of a song we just need a people that have just heard the word preached uh come on Loos Every Chain right here come on lift up your Bo I wish you begin to call out the cities in your county or the cities in your Parish I wish you would begin to call them out right now I pray over mirville I pray over Alcoa I pray over Friendsville I pray over I'm just believing right now in green back we're going to raise up preaching points and bible study points come on pray over the cities in your county Break Every Chain Break Every Chain loose the minds of every person in this house loose the minds of every person we see it with eyes full of Faith just one more time I see my SE I see my SE resurrected I see my SE filled with blessing eyes full of faith I speak in Jesus name I see my SE resurrected come on clap your hands if you see it
Scripture references as spoken: Jude 1:3; 1 Peter 5:8.