Humility, Thirst and Obedience - Part II | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

you grab your Bible and stand with me at this time I spend a few moments in the word of the Lord then let's gather up around the altar and see what God will do for us today I believe it's God's will to field any person in this room this morning with his spirit I believe it's God's will today to minister to you you are God's child we are God's children if you have a hurt this morning he wants to heal that hurt if you've got a bondage today he wants to relieve that bondage you've got a cross on your back today he wants to help you carry that low he's a good guy if you have your Bibles and would turn back with me to James chapter four verse number 10 I spoke to you Wednesday night and I told you that I was going to teach on three words that will forever change your spiritual life and first word was humility James chapter 4 and verse number 10 humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall lift you John chapter 7 verse number 37 praise God in the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried say if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water but this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified Wednesday night I spoke on that first word humility this Sunday morning I want to speak on the second word thirst thirst father I Love You Father I thank you for giving me the honor of calling me in the ministry to study your word to be able to stand before hungry people and to teach your word Lord I pray today that in the next few moments that you would use what I have prepared that you would use it God to change a life that's in this room you would break every bondage you would give us good spiritual footing that we could be the head and not the tail that we could be above and not beneath Lord Jesus bless these people today in Jesus wonderful name we pray amen you may be seated now you do understand that in many many ways the kingdom of God is opposite of the ways of this world you understand that that the kingdom of God is opposite it sits absolutely as a matter of fact the Prophet said that God spoke through Isaiah and said my ways are not your ways my thoughts your thoughts for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my thoughts higher than yours so when we embrace God and we embrace the Word of God and the ways of God we must be prepared to be reprogrammed because God's ways are opposite as a matter of fact if you get an ambitious businessperson there many times will tell you I'm climbing the ladder of success I'm climbing the ladder of success do you know that success is only mentioned one time in the King James Version of the Bible and do you know where that word is mentioned after someone has obeyed the Word of God the writer said then then you shall have success but we live in a world that there ways is climbing a ladder if you want to have success you climb the ladder but we are not up this world that has been plainly told to us about Jesus Christ you are not of this world if you were of this world the world would not hate you but because you are not of this world the world will hate you we understand today that the way up when it comes to God is down the prophet the writer James said humble yourselves humble yourselves humble yourself submit to something remember the word means to bow the mean means to go low means to submit yourself as we are waiting to be yoked up your you're under the the submission of the Word of God but notice what happens submit yourself or humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and what happens after that and he shall lift you up so we understand where the role of humility comes into because as we think of John the Baptist as a fire-breathing preacher we think of John the Baptist as one that could point his finger and call sin out and that he did we think of John the Baptist as a red-faced preacher demanding and commanding people to repent and he did all that but do you know that John the Baptist was filled with humility he was filled with humility for he said about Jesus Christ he said I have baptized you with water to show your repentance but there's one coming after me who's mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear the lowest of the lowest level of servanthood slave you seen a slave in the Bible days walking with his master's shoes you knew that that slave was the lowest ranked slave in all of the house he was either taking his mask off he was either putting his master's shoes on or he was either taking his master's shoes down to the well to wash them but when you seen that slave go by with that pair of shoes you knew he was the lowest-ranked of all the slaves in the house and John the Baptist said let me identify myself I'm not worthy I'm lower than the lowest slave that's in the house no wonder God could greatly use John the Baptist no wonder Jesus Christ said there hadn't been a prophet than John no wonder that were great things said about him not for his fireball preaching not for his confrontation of sin but because he was a man that knew how to have humility inside him he knew how to yield himself we spoke about humility because you could never be filled with the spirit until you have the trait of humility you can never have God's Spirit working through your life until you first have humility God resists the proud God resists those that think they're self-made God resists those that use God like an insurance policy then when something happens I've got insurance on the house or got used God like a spare tire in their automobile if I get a flat I've got God to run - God doesn't ride with you sir God doesn't ride with you ma'am God is only among those didn't know what it's like to submit their lives to live humble lives to wake up every day and with one of the first thoughts of your mind be lord I need you today God I've got to have you in my life today the second trait after humility has been seated in our hearts we must thirst there must be a thirst but you understand don't you that the way that we are in the natural we eat because we're hungry in the natural in the natural we eat because we're hungry in the natural we drink because we're thirsty but do you know in the realm of the spirit we're hungry right we eat to get hungry see how different that is in the natural we eat because we're hungry but in the spiritual we eat to get hungry because we must always have a hunger for God we can never lose our thirst and hunger for God I will soon celebrate heaven the Holy Ghost 40 years four decades of having the gift of the Holy Ghost but can I tell you it's not good enough for me to have the Holy Ghost 40 years the true question this morning is am i hungry is there a hunger in my heart or am I just playing the part have I just become used to the clothes I wear have I just become used to the way that I give from my finances have I just become used to the friends I hang out with him I am I a creature of habit do I just know on Sunday we go to church on Wednesday we go to church am i a creature of habit I say never never never never never we can never become creatures of habits robots zombies that just move in a role of a habit oh god I want to have a hunger today just like I had over 40 years ago when God filled me with the Holy Ghost I I don't study my Bible I don't study my Bible because I'm hungry I study my Bible to get hungry I study my Bible to get hungry in the natural I eat because I'm hungry but in the spiritual I'm studying my Bible today because blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled years ago I've used this many times brother we had a family that attended here but the field Johnson has went on to be with the Lord his wife Dinah she lives in Huntington West Virginia but early on in my pastoring I was faced with sister Dinah coming to me and she said to me she said book her is there something wrong with me she said every time you give an altar call I want to go to the altar I said sister Donna there's not a thing wrong with you it's anything you're right as a matter of fact there's something wrong with us children of God when we have no desire to go to the altar there's something wrong with us when we have yielded to the god of compromise of staying in our pew when the rest of the church comes to the altar now I totally understand it I see wheelchairs and walkers and and there's there's people that are physically unable and I believe that God would have more tolerance or God would have more understanding with you than he would the vast majority of us that walk in here without an ache in our bodies the vast majority of us that have come here today and don't have a pain in our bodies but sometimes we can yield to the god of convenience well I can stand back here in the pew I can stand right here well it's not all about standing it's about praying but just as sure as you bow to the god of compromise about you standing the pew you bowed to his first cousin about not praying and then you begin to believe that you're being accepted by just being here in the building and I would be less than a man of God just to be satisfied this morning that we've got a good number here I mean less than that of God just to be happy that you're here I'm happy that you're here but what do you say we go to the next level what do you say that we become a church an extraordinary church we're not just 5% keep the church fires burning but what do you say we be a church that runs into high 90s of people that come with the hunger how about it would you like to be a part of that kind of in the world and in our natural we eat because we're hungry but in the spiritual we eat this so that we stay hungry so that we stay thirsty Jesus was at a feast it's called the great feast it's believed that this was a feast that was held to commemorate coming out of Egypt it was the last day of the feast it was a ceremonial feast priests in their garments holding golden pitchers in a processional would go down to the pool of siloam they would each feel their pitchers with water they would come back to the steps of the temple and they would begin to pour water out on the temple steps and it was running down it was all just a ceremony he was all a cold calculated timed out meaningless ceremony until on that day there was a cry that came out I imagine it startled them because most holy cries in a house of ceremony startles everybody startles everybody I can see them as they're in their ceremony pouring their water out in hopes that one day they'll have living water when in the background the silence in the ceremonious pierced by the voice of Jesus Christ as he says if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink look what he's doing get your mind off ceremonies if religious ceremonies could help you this nation wouldn't be in the mess that it's in but we are in the shape that we're in because we have accepted religious ceremonies and we've called it worship we have accepted religious cold dead calculated ceremonies and we've called it praise but Jesus is calling us away from that today for us they are dumping out their golden pictures of water he cries and says if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink let him come unto me and drink he that believeth on me as the scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water look at the correlation here they're pouring out ceremonial waters but then he begins to say if you're really thirsty you know when you answer in your heart these ceremonies are not doing it I don't get anything out of church I've been going to church for years and I don't even know the Bible it's more or less than a social gathering it's more or less than a spiritual self-help book where they try to help me with my difficulties and my struggles in life change that will teach me how to change you all in my car to teach me how to have a knitting class and teach me how to cook and all of this but Jesus stood and he said if there's anybody that's tired of that if there's anybody that's tired of ceremonies if there's anybody that's tired of rituals if there's anybody that's tired of all of that and you want a real relationship a meaningful relationship you're seeing a ceremony waters on the outside but in salvation waters on the inside he said if you're tired of seeing God only on the outside come unto me and drink but notice the claws notice the claws he that believeth on me as the scripture has said so he begins to put limitations on this he begins to talk about the scripture so matter of fact as a matter of fact the Scriptures is our hope thank God he gave us the scriptures thank God we would know nothing of God had he not given us the scriptures we can't thank God for his spirit all day long but you would not have known his Spirit had not the Scriptures taught you thank God for the ways of God but you would not have known the ways of God so he said he then believeth on me you're gonna get away from that ceremonial stuff you got to come and put your quint you got to come and put your thirst in the scriptures he said as the Scriptures has said in John chapter 5 verse number 39 Jesus was in a hot discussion about his identity the Pharisees were so mad they were frothing at the mouth because he had claimed that God was his father they were ready to stone him they were mad and he was discussing his identity he says to these men in John 5:19 search the Scriptures search the Scriptures for in them you think you have ly eternal life and they are they that testify of me I can see point it one maybe had a scroll on his arm he said you're standing here arguing with me about Who I am would you please search the scripture you see that's the beautiful thing about salvation salvation is not afraid of scripture it's a wonderful thing you never want to attend a church that's afraid of Scripture you never want to have go to a church and put yourself under a pastor that you can walk up to him and say what about the scripture here and he cannot give you a an answer about that scripture you don't want to go to a place to witness that song when Iced to understand about that because I don't believe that God would give us anything that his scripture would not shed light upon so Jesus said you're standing your argument me and said would you just search the scripture for in them you think you have like you you you are thinking you have life but if you just search the scripture these scriptures they testify of me then verse 40 and you will not come to me that you might have life you know why they wouldn't come to him because they wouldn't go through the scriptures they use the scriptures like a cafeteria line what they like they picked out what they didn't like they put a mask over and said it's a mystery we can't understand that they explained in a way God doesn't do that anymore that's ceremonial he said you got to believe on me as the scripture one of the things that ought to give us confidence in the Apostles is Luke 24 45 it's a conversation that Jesus had with them just before he ascended to heaven and in Luke 24 45 the Bible said about the Apostles then opened either understanding that they might understand the scripture said what made them so special what made the Apostles so special why do you call your church apostolic why do you base the teachings of the church after the apostles well the answer is very simple their minds were open to understand the scriptures and because they had spiritual revelation and understanding of the scripture whatever they wrote and whatever they preached I believe should be followed even in the 21st century we should be we should embrace the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ Himself being the chief Cornerstone the value of the scriptures the first that we have must be linked through the scripture if we will read our Bible God will give us a thirst if we will read our Bible God will give us a hunger because today it ought to be natural that all of us are hungry for more of God it ought to be natural today that we're here this morning because I'm thirsty for more of God I'm glad that I've been brought out of sin I'm glad that I got enough money to pay the light bill I'm glad of a lot of things but can I tell you today I live both my hands and tell you I need more more more of God today I want more of God was the Apostle Paul in Acts chapter 17 verse number 2 the Bible said and Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three days three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures he could understand something we go back to the day when synagogues were mainly just teaching the law they had crucified Jesus Christ they did not believe that he was who he claimed to be and isn't it amazing that Paul would walk into those synagogues of which an opportunity was given to each man to read the scriptures all Paul needed to do was get his foot in the door that's all he needed to do you see when you have the truth and a ceremonial person is really hungry all you have to do is just get your foot in the door so Paul would go to these synagogues that when he'd come his time to read he would read something and he would tie it into Jesus and he'd get his foot in the door and then they would say well why don't you come back next today and he'd go back the next Sabbath day and he would begin to preach the Bible says that he reasoned with them out of the scriptures verse 3 opening and alleging that Christ must needs have supper and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preached unto you is Christ some of them believe and consorted with Paul and Silas and of the devout Greeks a great multitude and educated people educated people and of the chief women not a few but the Jews which believed not moved with envy to come to them now the Jews that believe not what did they not believe a secret little survey today what did they not believe well Jesus but let's go further than that what did they not believe scripture because scripture revealed Jesus so the problem these Jews of God is not with Jesus the problem that God is with the scripture so they they come together and but the Jews which believe not move within me took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a company and said all the city on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason that's where Paul was staying and sought to bring them out to the people and when they found them not the apostles they drew Jason and certain brethren under the rulers of the city crying that these these that have turned the world upside down have come here they're all so what did the ceremonial people that didn't want the scripture call the apostles they're turning the world upside down that wasn't a compliment they're causing confusion they're causing confusion they're turning the world upside down and they've come here they're also whom Jason had received and these all do contrary to the degree degrees of Caesar saying that there is another king one Jesus and they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things and when they had taken security of Jason he had to post a bond and of the others they let them go now I want you to notice something ceremonial people will tell all kinds of things about people that are teaching the scripture they'll tell all kind of things they can't just come out and say notice what they didn't say they didn't just say we don't believe the scripture they're teaching we don't believe the scripture they're teaching they couldn't do that they had to they had to smokescreen it with well they're just a bunch of troublemakers and and and they've turned the world upside down and they don't even obey they don't even obey Caesar and in all of this be very careful when God is leading you into further truth because you're hungry of people that will come around and begin to smokescreen ever well you gotta wear this to go to that church and you've got to do this to go down to that church and you've got to you've got to give 50 percent of your income to go to beware of that business when God is leading you into further truth just simply say can you tell me in the Bible where they're wrong can you show me in the Bible where they are wrong can you show me can you show me you say they baptized wrong can you show me in the Bible you should you say that they do this can you show Mitton - most of the time it's some sucker punch smokescreen let him say all kind of things at a man I had him I had a man working on a utilities he's from the city working on utilities around here he looked at me he said can I ask you something I said sure he said is it true that men with facial hair are not welcomed in your church I said where in the world you hear that from he said my pastor said we had some of the members from our church kind of start coming busy y'all and said our pastor said will you if you go I told one of the men said you got facial hair you're not welcome down to that church I said would you please go back and tell your pastor whoever told him that that's not true we have absolutely no kind of such you've got to wear something you got to be something to come listen we built this to open it up to anybody now this might be a shocker to some of you but at one of our community days there were two women that came and they asked me a simple question would we be allowed to come worship with you well you know what I told him don't you I told them you straighten your life out y'all can come on in here you believe I told them that no you know what I tell them you're you're welcome to come sure how's people ever going to this an experience is not going to straighten them out the scripture it's going to straighten them out and what we got to get hungry for today is not a chill bump we got to get thirsty for the scripture because our emotions are for here at church but I don't take the choir with me when I go to work tomorrow I gotta have some scripture on the inside of me to help lead and guide my life thank God y'all feel the Holy Ghost here this morning Acts chapter 17 verse number 10 and the Brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea see Thessalonica didn't want him the synagogue at Thessalonica didn't want him so they sent him to Berea who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews ladies went right back to work these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the Word of God the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so look at that the church the synagogue at Thessalonica and the synagogue at Berea the synagogue at Thessalonica said don't read those scriptures y'all will turn the world upside down they smokescreen because Paul took the script improve Christ from the scriptures and so when they were going to do harm to Paul they sent Paul down to Berea and when pulling into the synagogue at Berea the Bible says they were no more noble they were more noble than they in Thessalonica what makes them so noble did they make more money in Berea were they more educated in Berea were they were they the upper echelon in Berea what made them more noble because the word Noble means a higher birth it means a higher birth you're a higher birth you're a certain bloodline and it said they were more noble than Bay and Thessalonica and it tells why they were noble because they received the word with readiness of mind they were open minded they hadn't got into a ceremonial box where they said I'm signed sealed and delivered and don't try to tell me no more I've got all I need to make it to heaven and don't tell me no more their minds were open they were ready and the Bible said they searched the scripture to see if these things are so don't know about you but I know what church I want to belong to I don't want to belong to Thessalonica I want to burrow up belong to the Berean Church I want to be ready to search these scriptures can you same in years past in the Old Testament Israel had sinned horribly broken the law of God started with just a little something a young man by the name of Josiah a descendant of David he became King he became king of a wrecked nation and in 2nd Kings chapter 22 and verse number 2 it said and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left when he became the king he looked down at the temple it was laying in rubbish it was boarded up no fires in the water no priest no law no sunday-school no teaching it lay in decay and verse number four he told the high priest he told Hill Chaya he said go up to hell Chaya the high priest that he may some the silver which has brought into the house of the Lord which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people and let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work that have the oversight over the house of the Lord and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord to repair repair the breaches of the house under the carpenters builders masons by timber huge stone to repair the house howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand because they dealt faithful just to bring this up Josiah come to office and he said we've got to repair the house of God we have got if we're going to be a nation again we've got to get the centerpiece we got to get the house of God back in operation he hired carpenters masons builders he took up money he paid them in the house of God they pried open the doors they went in and started repair in the house of God but watch what happens watch what happens verse 8 and he'll kaya the high priest said unto shapen describe I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord in hell kaya gave the book to shape and he read it and shape them the scribe came to the king and brought the word again and said thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work that have the oversight over the house of God and shafe and the scribes showed the king saying he'll kya the the priests have delivered me a book and shape and read it before the King and it came to pass when the King heard the words of the book of the law that he read his clothes here in his clothes now I want you to watch this because the house of God lay in shambles something had been left in the house of God and it led to the shambles it led to the wreck somebody had failed to read the scriptures somebody had failed to read what happens to a nation that forgets their God somebody failed to read if we go a whoring after other gods Israel and we rejoin ourselves to other gods God's vengeance and God's wrath will be upon us but somebody failed to read that and they begin to sin because where there's no preaching of the scriptures there's no enlightenment of the mind and when there's no enlightenment of the mind there's no change in behavior it Lading read but as they begin to repair the house of God the carpenter's rolled they're moving decayed beans out of the way they were moving things out and all of a sudden the high priest was there he said wait a minute way maybe careful be careful with that be careful well what is that this looks like a bunch of folded up paper that's the law haven't seen that at all time my grandmother told me of days when the priest would get up and read the law and we would tremble at the word but we got more involved in committees and we more involved and wanting to be socially acceptable in the community and and we didn't want to be thought of as odd and we didn't want to be part of his different they took that law safe and the scribe took it before Josiah he said we found this look in the temple when we were repairing that we found this book and he began to read about if you join yourself to sodomites he began to read if you join yourself and let your daughters marry though the heathen nations around you I God will pour out my wrath upon you and when Josiah began to see that his hands begin to tremble and he reached up and he ripped his government he ripped his garment and he said this is what will happen to us you see anytime the Word of God is preached it should not be met with a ho-hum spirit anytime the Word of God is preached as a matter of fact today I hope if you don't own a Bible I hope you'll go out through the bookstore today and I hope you'll buy every Bible that we have in our bookstore today if you do not have a word a Bible I hope you'll buy a Bible if you don't have a desire to read the Word of God I hope you'll get ever tracked we've got on the track rats today because we must have the Word of God without no word of god is no enlightenment and without any enlightenment there's no change of our behavior we need God's Word we need God's Word don't give me a ceremony don't give me the majority of people do this give me the one voice of Jesus that cries give me the word and Josiah turned his nation around because he stood up and said hey stop moving the timbers stop bringing stones in here get these people outside and get them reading the scripture because there's a storm cloud of judgment coming and we better fall on our faces before God the Apostle James in James 1:19 musicians would you come the Apostle James in James 1:19 wherefore my beloved brethren let every man be swift to hear slow to speak slow to wrath your ears ought to be swift to hear God's Word your mouth ought to be slow to comment on it wherefore lay apart all filthiness verse 21 wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness superfluity means overabundance naughtiness means that which ought not be he said an amazing that we start with one little ought not be before we know it it's the abundance of things in our lives that ought not be wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls you know what meekness is strength under control you see your flesh can have you buck up today and walk out of here but when the word of God starts coming and you don't like it I'm going to tell you today no tape I'm gonna tell you like it is you're not gonna like the Word of God always you're not gonna like what it says so don't just read everything you want to read that makes you feel good there's gonna be some things that when it when it hits it's gonna pinch and there's always gonna be a ceremonial fella it's gonna always tell you something like well you don't do that anymore or you don't have to do that anymore but would you just sit still would you just sit still and receive with meekness the engrafted word why should I sit still because it's able to save your soul but you're doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves any man BR hear of the word not a doer he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in the glass he just goes to the mirror every day and nothing is changing I cannot tell you that the next few scriptures I do not battle with I cannot tell you that it's the easiest thing for me to get up here and magnify my office but I want you to listen to me for the next five minutes I do want you to know that they're not the easiest scriptures because we live in a day of dictators Jim Jones's David Koresh we live in a day of cult leaders there is a difference between a dictator and a man of God a dictator will dictate his own will where a man of God will find the scroll and he'll preach the word Ephesians 4:11 says and he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ don't you listen to the ceremonial people that tell you that your pastors is occupation it says not my occupation it is my calling is my calling I did not choose I might I might have chosen salvation but I did not choose the ministry the ministry chose me and why he chose me I'll never know but he chose me and he called me to preach his word and he said I want you to perfect the Saints I want you to put him to work to edit by the body Hebrews chapter chapter 13 verse number 7 remember them that have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of the Lord the Word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation can I tell you something you ought to know the life of the one that preaches to you the word you ought to be able to look at the life of the one that preaches the word and say that's the kind of person I've got preaching to me the word I know it don't sale I know I know this is not how I run I'll run a message today but you don't need to become ceremonial people you need to understand that God is give you God didn't just leave it up for you to read your Bible and come up with your own way God loved us enough and I have a pastor but God loved us enough to give us a pastor who told us about I didn't have to give one God out I had a pastor to help me I didn't have to dig the way of God out I had a pastor that helped me shove me many years in the future thank God for our pastors today that lead us and teach us in the Word of God please help us kollek's don't become a ceremonial church you need to accept you need to get humble enough to yoke yourself up to the Word of God and you didn't get thirsty enough hebrews chapter 13 verse number 17 obey them that have the rule over you obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls as that they must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable to you for you obey them that have the rule over you submit yourself well I don't want to do that for it because he's watching out for the most valuable thing you got sir you're so not your car not your collection of gear riffles ma'am not your dresses not your favorite hobby I'm watching out for your soul we should stop asking me that she missed me at church I wish should leave me alone at that I wish you know I've been doing what you've been preaching about I wish you'd get off my bag brother carpenter let me tell you something you better pray to God that a man of God never gets off your back come on today obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourself so that they can give an account for you in joy and not with grief oh I want to stand with you on Judgment Day I wanna dance with you oh man in the throne of God I want to praise God with you would you stand with me now I already know see I'm re battling what I battle to say this that's mighty pompous of him what he's doing right now I know what church you go to Thessalonica I know where you go to church you go where they hire and fire the preacher you go where he has to submit his notes to the board's please let's never fall prey to that business have to submit my one wonder nominal preacher doing a seminar helping teach because he's got thousands in his church he's got thousands and he has a he has a conference where people come from all over the world to hear him and hear his success story and in one of his seminars he says every sermon that I preached I submit it to a group of people to make sure it comes across right and then he said I'm not making this done I won't call his name publically you won't know I'll tell you that the church you Club me and I tell you and then he says after I preach am I not right brother Eriksson he said he's got thousands in his church he's got way more than I got he says after I'm done I'm immediately taken to a room where another group will then tell me what I said right or what I might've said different he said because I want to stay in touch with the culture can I tell you before I would bow to that I'd go out here and get me a job before I'd bout it here's my little sermon here's my little sermon here's my little I hope it fits your little taste buds I hope I don't say anything to the fears my let me taste something folks you'd find me down here at McDonald's in the morning before I'd submit to that garbage find me obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves so they watch for your souls as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable that is unprofitable to you I close with this I've been normally gathering around the altar about 11:45 but we're gonna go home a little different today I want you to listen to with me we'll read this and then we'll ask you to do something I'm gonna ask you to do something this is Paul's farewell the Holy Ghost has told him his time is short God helped me to live by this Oh God helped me to live this oh God oh god help me to live this God that's 2026 wherefore I take you to record this day that I'm pure from the blood of all men I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers feed the Church of God which he had purchased with his own blood for I know this that after my departing shall Grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone every one night and day with tears and now brethren I commend you to God and to the word of His grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel yay you're just ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them which are with me I have showed you all things how that's so laboring you ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he said is more blessed to give than to receive and when he had thus spoken he kneeled down and prayed with them all and they all wept sore and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that they should not see his face no more and they accompanied him and to the ship ask you to do one thing today would you join me in this altar and could we lift our hands up and ask God to give us a hunger for his word Oh God yeah Lord I love you O God give us a hunger for your word God not religion not religion God not denominational titles God not denominational titles God God I want your word and nothing but your word God come on I want you our God and nothing that you were God come on gather with me and this altar I want your word God and nothing but your word Lord God I want your word Lord and nothing but you were God your word God nothing but your word God Oh God your word and nothing but your word God God I want your word and nothing but your word God God I want your word from Genesis to Revelation God I want your word in my life Oh God God I want your word God in my heart today Lord God I want your word God I want a hunger and thirst for your word you know I want to hug her after your word God God I want to hug her after time and your word God be our lamb God be all right God O God beyond y'all oh god I love your word this forty god come on church come on I ask you to lift up your voice right now I asked you to lift up your hands with me and cry out to the Lord I want your word God I want your word I want the scripture God in the name of Jesus today God come on church I hear you come on church I hear you right now oh yes oh yes oh yes Everlast what have you ever last one of you lift up your voice today spend the next couple of moments oh yes god yes god yes god oh yes god yes god yes god you're stop god I want your word god I want your word sure oh yes oh yes God I don't want your word I love your word Lord I want your word God I want your word God I will you learn that word the word God our God please give us the word God give us the word give us the word God give us the word God Oh Oh God Lord Jesus I thank you today I thank you today God for not only the word that it's been delivered but I thank you today God for the reception that the word has had god this church either in the altar in the aisles today a signal a sign of the receptive of your word Lord would you help me there's a lot of confusion about who you are there's a lot of confusion in this world God even among so-called embraces of Christianity there's a lot of confusion about your identity Jesus and exactly who you are God would you help me to take the word and to bring clarity God there's confusion upon the importance of baptism God would you help us today to read your word not our denomination but to read your word about baptism God there's confusion today in the world about the gift of the Holy Ghost God I pray that you would help us today to read the word to read the word thank you Lord for strength and to anoint me today I give you praise in Jesus name Amen thank you for coming out to church today may God bless you may God keep you may God cause his face to shine on you you don't own a Bible go out to the bookstore buy one today if they're sold out walmart has some very inexpensive Bibles you could go by and buy you a nice Bible today I'd suggest buy your thumb index so you can easily go through the Bible but you need the Word of God god bless you see you tonight at 5:30 in the prayer room god bless you in Jesus name