Living Faith vs Dead Faith | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

you have your Bibles would join me in the book of James the book of James Jesus is in this place today we have prepared our hearts through praise and worship we have prepared our hearts for the word of God to be placed in our minds right now for if we stopped here we would create nothing but a group of emotional people our emotions today would be no different none of the emotions at a ball game or the emotions it erupted when they finally elected a Speaker of the House that's all it would be but because we have opened up our hearts through praise and worship to receive the word of God that changes everything this morning changes everything again I want to say as you join me in James chapter 2 and verse number 14 James chapter 2. in verse number 14 to all of our guests that are with us today thank you so very much for being at First Apostolic church with the I met a precious gentleman over here to my right in your left Tom this morning and and I was just telling Tom of all the churches that he could be worshiping at today but Tom would make the decision to come here and worship with us Tom we consider that a tremendous compliment today we'd like to say thank you all thank you to every guest brother Perry has a guest with him today thorough and I hope I'm saying that I I get that I get that correctly it's Carl and Farrell right and uh close enough but uh they're here he's here today and it's so good it's so good to have you at First Apostolic Church one more time let's make our guests feel so welcome when we pray over the message today please remember to pray for brother Helms his father passed away this past week and let's remember the Helms family in prayer we're missing brother Zach Hammond today we're missing him he is in Georgia we can kindly relate to this he's in Georgia today his mother and father and church family there just completed a seven year building program we can relate to that right a seven year building they're having their first service today in their new church service and brother Zach Hammond brother Zach is preaching uh the uh the message there today and we know that he will he will be a blessing James 2 and 14. what doth it profit my brethren though a man say everybody say everybody say say though a man say he hath faith and have not works can Faith save him for a few moments today I want to teach a simple Bible lesson entitled Living Faith verses dead faith Living Faith versus dead faith precious God today we love you we thank you Lord for your word we thank you God that you have given us a method of receiving your word I thank you today God that you called me into the ministry but I thank you Lord especially today that these people have come to hear your word into their hearts Lord we believe your word has the answer for all of life's questions we believe God that your word is our great book of instructions Lord move in this congregation this morning God touched by the Helms Lord be upon brother Hammond today in Jesus name we pray amen and amen Give the Lord a thunderous Applause as you're being seated Living Faith versus dead faith let me give you just a little background on the Book of James the book of James if you and I had been alive 2 000 years ago and we're a part of the first century Apostolic Church which was birthed in the month of May late May in the year of A.D 30. on the day of Pentecost with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in the bodies hearts and minds of 120 disciples of Jesus Christ the Book of James would be a welcoming sight the Book of James would be something that you were look forward to because the Book of James is the earliest book written to the Apostolic Church of the first century it's the earliest book it's the earliest book it's the first book that that early group of first century Apostolic people received was not the Book of Revelation it was not even the book of Acts the history book it was none of the Gospels but the first book that you would have received the first book that you would have received would have been the book of James now we know that our New Testament Bible is divided up Matthew Mark Luke and John the biography of the life of Jesus Christ the birth death Resurrection Miracles teachings a recording in Matthew Mark and Luke and John and then we have what we call the book of Acts which is an abbreviation an abbreviation we call it turn to the book of Acts but if the entire title is the actions of the Apostles and there we get the birth of the New Testament churches in the book of Acts Miracles teaching the verbatim preaching of the Apostles or in the book of Acts and then we go to Rome Rome the The Book of Romans and from Romans through the book of Jude are letters we call them we call them Epistles um someone asked me one time were Epistles the apostles wives no the Epistles are not the apostles wives the Epistles from Romans through Jude are small letters of instructions Corrections praise it's just written to the churches that were established in the book of Acts and then we come to the book of the revelation again that's another abbreviated book we say turn to the Book of Revelations and it's really the entire title of that book is the revelation of Jesus Christ is the entire title of that book so what makes James so important James was written the best of our study places the Book of James being written around 40 to 45 A.D which would mean that that early church went for at least 10 years and maybe even up to 15 years without any kind of communication of how they were to live their lives and I'm not talking about I'm not talking about how to be born again because how to be born again is a part of our walk with God it's a it's an essential part of our walk with God but it is not the entirety of our walk with God they knew how to baptize they knew what the sign of the Holy Ghost coming in was they knew these things they knew how many gods there were and were not but they lacked some practical just practical teaching on how to live their life and that's why we have the Book of James it must have been a welcomed book when these Believers and if you will read that book of James it's not it's not it's not to one certain City it's to the church in general it's been a welcome thing for word to get circulating through that that God has spoken through James James is interesting because James is the half-brother the half-brother of Jesus Christ he's the half-brother and I say half brother they they share the same mother but they don't share the same father all right they're a half brother so you you know um James got to see Jesus in a light that nobody else seen him in they they were they were half brothers so so James he's able to see Jesus in a close-up look a look that most people never got to see him but yet James becomes one of the three favorites it would appear because James was always being called by his brother along with Peter and John now Peter and John are not half Brothers but James James is a half-brother just study in the Book of James he's a very he's a very practical he's a very practical uh teacher when you begin to study when you begin to study the Book of James um James he he still has his feet on the ground he he's he has his feet on the ground but but all he has his mind on the miraculous but he but he but he's tethered he's Tethered to just being a practical a practical writer and uh James as word came that there had been that God had moved upon the half-brother of Jesus and he had written an anointed inspired letter of instruction no doubt they were they were excited to hear this they they wanted to hear this I find it very interesting as we study the book of James that there is one subject in the Book of James that continually pops up and you know what that subject is don't you faith faith why he doesn't get three he doesn't get very far and we know that later on man added chapters and verses for the convenience of us finding our place Through the Bible that you don't get very far in the Book of James as a matter of fact is James chapter 1 verse 3. so evidently he didn't get very far until he said these words knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience the trying of your faith don't you know that was a relief to them that understood that now we understand why our faith is on trial can I tell you all of our faith will go on trial all of our faith will be trusted what you believe how you believe and who you believe in will be put on trial you will have a trial of your faith there will be come on practical James talk to me now it's not all living on a cloud and living in the miraculous James says I'm going to tell you about life and there's going to be some things that happen in your life some things some things you cause some things I allow and some things are just a chance it comes your way but you're going to face things you're always going to be eating the miracle Manna you're not always going to be living in a miracle of the morning and a miracle before you go to bed at night he's not going to tuck you in in a miracle he says you're going to live a life to where there's going to be times and seasons and events that are going to happen to you and I that's going to try our faith he goes down in verse number 6 chapter 1. he talks about he talks about praying he says but let him ask in faith nothing wavering he says when you pray you've got to have your faith he goes on down and we we're going we're going to go back to uh we're going to go back to James 2 14 in just a moment but he goes to James 5 14. and the prayer of faith shall save the sick so James in his practical teaching keeps bringing up this word faith faith faith he keeps saying to you your faith will go on trial When you pray you've got to pray in faith when you lay hands on the sick you've got to pray the prayer of faith you've got to pray that prayer well just how important is Faith in our lives church this subject of Faith this morning just how important is Faith in my life when we realize how important it is we may now understand why our faith gets put on trial this is how important our faith is Hebrews 11 and 6. but without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him how important is Faith you can't even be pleasing to God you can't even please God if you don't have faith if during that dark season of your life if you don't believe the Sun is going to shine again then you believe the darkness is greater than your God if in that season in that unbearable season if you believe that I'm never going to make it and you believe the dark season is greater more powerful than God and we find ourselves not being pleasing in the sight of God but if in the dead of night if in when your trial is being strained and being tested when everything you thought would happen in 2022 didn't and everything you didn't think would happen happened it is then and there that you lift up your hands and your eyes and you say God I still believe God I still trust you Lord I still trust you I still believe faith is essential to Salvation faith is essential you can't even be saved without faith you can't even be ready for heaven without faith not only that you can't even live an overcoming life without faith you will never overcome sin in your life without faith I understand I understand that you believe that your will is going to be stronger than a an internal will that's got a hold of you and an addiction or a habit or whatever whatever it may be and you're going to say in 2023 I'm going to overcome this I'm going to overcome this with positive mental thinking now I'm not against positive mental thinking unless it is minus of God it is God that must be placed in your positive mental thinking it is God that must be placed there through God I can do all things with God's help I'm going to overcome this I can make this through God I can break this habit I can overcome this things can be changed in my life if God is a part of my life you can't be saved without faith you cannot overcome life's challenges without faith looking first John chapter 5 verse number 4 the Epistle of John now not the gospel but the Epistle of John the first Epistle of John chapter 5 and verse number four look at this very closely with me for whatsoever is born of God over cometh the world over cometh the world that is military language that is military language that's used in battle when one Army defeats another they cheer we have overcome it is a language of victory for whosoever is born of God for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory there's that word again in the military this is the victory that overcometh the world what is the victory that overcometh the world what is the victory that gives me overcoming power even our somebody say it with me even our you know what gives me the victory Faith what gives me overcoming power Faith whatever obstacle and we all have crosses to bear everybody's crosses are not shaped the same everybody has a cross to bear so don't look don't sit around here today with a cross and think I'm the Lone Ranger I'm the only one we've all got crosses to bear but can I tell you we only have one solution we only have one answer and that is our faith our faith is going to cause us to overcome our faith different translation simply says this you see every child of God overcomes the world for our faith is the Victorious power that triumphs over the world now I want to come to my message today Living Faith Living Faith verses dead faith Living Faith versus dead Faith let me tell you the difference a living faith will move you and inspire you to action to action actions Living Faith always has action attached to it you can't have living faith without having action attached to it dead faith is all talk and no walk dead faith is that you just talk but there's no action to go along with the faith but Living Faith oh Living Faith when you have Living Faith there will without fail the action attached to Living Faith so we cannot just say I want to overcome this we have to find an action that's attached to that that can help us over how can I how can I overcome this and we begin to attach actions to our faith that is inside us now I must admit that sometimes actions to Living Faith Can appear to be ridiculous they can they can't appear to be ridiculous such as Peter demonstrated Living Faith he said on that stormy night inside of that boat looking at what he thought was a ghost and would would later realize it was Jesus Christ walking on the water he says Lord if that is you bid me to walk on the water too and one word one word come and Peter steps out of a boat and starts walking on the water he believed that was Jesus and his action got him out of the boat it's as ridiculous as a party running out of wine and the Lord saying fill the water pots with water fill them with water and he turned the water into wine or let's bring it down home to us today it's as ridiculous as you not getting your answer in 2022. but you've showed up on the second Sunday of 2023 and lifted up those same bare hands of 2022 and you've said God I love you I praise you I believe in you God I believe God that you're going to turn some things around can I get a witness today don't allow the adversary to give you dead faith today you've got to keep a living faith that has action I'm going to sing when I'm not happy I'm going to go worship when I'm in a dark room I'm going to praise him when I have nothing to praise him for because that is my living that is my living faith that is my living faith some people cannot exercise Living Faith because they're too fixed on the problems of Egypt that are around them do you know the only way you'll overcome what you can see in the natural is to look beyond the natural into the realm of God to look beyond what I'm seeing I got to look Beyond this situation do you know that a praise should erupt right now why is it God doesn't necessarily see us as we are today but he sees us for what we shall become that's a strong that's a strong verse how about a scripture that's a strong thought Pastor what about a scripture beloved it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is can I tell you I'm not seeing him yet as he is but he's already seeing me as I'm going to become and that ought to cause me to praise him today he sees me delivered he sees me happy he sees me prosperous he sees my family in church he sees my marriage back together he sees me in all these things I wish somebody would just simply say he sees me he sees me you'll never overcome where you're at until you look Beyond in the natural chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews chapter 11 verse number 27. how in the world can a man with a stick a poor shepherd man with a stick and Moses better hope they don't run a check on him because 40 years prior to that he was the most hunted man in Egypt because he murdered an Egyptian but 80 years later 40 years later a poor shepherd man with sandals and a stick in his hand goes in and tells the most powerful man in the world three just these words let my people go if Moses had looked around at his surroundings he could have said there's no way that this is going to happen but Hebrews 11 27 tells us how he did it by faith Moses forsook Egypt not fearing the Wrath of the king for he endured there's some things we got to endure he endured as seeing him who is invisible how did you make it out of Egypt's grip I looked beyond Pharaoh I looked beyond his Ivory Throne I looked beyond his army that had never been beat I looked beyond the ten gods that Egypt worshiped I looked beyond all the gods of Egypt and I saw a God who was able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask and or think oh I would like to preach some practical Faith here today and just get somebody to say I look Beyond this season I am going to live again I am going to laugh again I am going to work again I am going to smile again I am going to welcome a new day again I am going to sleep through the night I am going to have a time of Joy oh yes oh yes oh yes but you gotta look Beyond even living for God you have to look Beyond Israel had sinned a grievous sin God had allowed the heathens to totally destroy the beautiful Solomon's Temple that beautiful wonder of the world God had allowed the heathens to destroy but years later God raised up a remnant and the remnant went back and the remnant laid the foundation it's found in Ezra chapter 3 and verse number 11. in Ezra chapter 3 and verse number 11. now get the scenery now beautiful Solomon's Temple had been totally destroyed but years later God allows some men to rebuild and lay the foundation you see sometimes after failure we can't believe again because we can't overcome the sight of what used to be after failure we can't believe again because in our mind is glossy colored pictures of a life that can never be repaired a life that can never be as it once was they had the picture of the opulent Solomon's Temple Ezra 3 and 11 they they laid the foundation watch very closely and they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth forever toward Israel and all the people shouted with a great shout and they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house was laid can you imagine they had a choir like we have this morning and they were giving God great praise because they had just laid the foundations of the house but many of the priests and the Levites and chief of the fathers who were ancient men that had seen the first house when the foundation of this house was laid Before Their Eyes wept with a loud voice and many shouted aloud for joy so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the Weeping of the people for the people shouted with a loud shout and the noise was heard and far off look at this today there was a generation that had never seen Solomon's Temple so when the temple was laid they were joyous they were happy they were high-fiving each other they were praising God they were ecstatic that their house of God was being built but there was some ancient men that were old enough to remember the opulence of Solomon's Temple they remember the sheets of gold and the ivory things and the Pearl things they remembered they remembered it all and when they saw the New Foundation in their minds they said it's not like it used to be it's not like it used to be and there was a group that cried because it wasn't like it used to be but there was a group that had joy in their heart because they had never seen and this combined weeping and joy sent a mixed sound out into the world somebody said did you hear that it sounds like weeping they said no it sounds like Joy no it sounds like weeping no it sounds like Joy if there's ever been a day that the First Apostolic Church of Maryville needs a sound to reverberate across Blount County it is a sound that God can make all things new through faith you look beyond your failure you look Beyond how many times you tried and didn't make it you look Beyond how many times you've failed and you say by faith I'm going this is going to be my year this is going to be our season this is going to be the time that we overcome and we get it back together but just sometime later the prophet haggy I wrote about the same occasion he addressed the same issue what was the issue the congregation of Israel had people that were standing saying we believe in God we're waiting to go to heaven but things are not and never will be like they used to be and there was a group over here they were saying oh thank God my life is joyous my life is filled with happiness oh thank God and that was a blending together the Weeping and the rejoicing and haggy I addressed it in haggai chapter 2 verse number 3 hege addresses this and he says who is left among you that saw this house in her first Glory and how do you see it now is it not in your eyes in comparison as nothing I can hear him saying you're exactly right it's not like it used to be it's not like it used to be I saw Solomon's Temple it's not like it used to be but here's the message in verse 4 yet now be strong to those of you that are thinking that your failure that your failure is final those of you that thinking that your mistake that your mistake is going to marry you I would like to introduce you mistake to our Messiah because our Messiah is able to take your mistake and give you an incredible life if you're willing to look beyond what used to be and look into the realm of what is going to be in him yet now be strong I want to preach to every man woman boy and girl that has committed a moral failure I want to preach to every person that has done something today to bring shame and reproach upon your life you don't have to shed like a second-class citizen waiting for the Rapture hoping that you make it yet be strong yet be strong oh cerebrumable now now that name means nothing to you until you study that name zerubbable means one brought out of Babylon one delivered from Babylon your mistake placed you in confusion you're a mistake placed you in chaos your mistake has placed you in a season that you would love and give anything and you've said it I'd give anything to go back I'd give anything to go back but yet I got to tell you that God says Be Strong oh zerubbabel you have been brought out he didn't bring you out of sin he didn't go to the length of Calvary for you to make a mistake for him to give up on you you've got to remember I may be down but I'm cerebral boy I may be down but I've been brought out yet be strong Follow Me Now yet now be strong osiruble saith the Lord and be strong o Joshua son of Joseph deck the high priest and be strong all ye people of the land saith the Lord and work and work and work who you talking to I'm talking to people that saw it in its first Glory I'm talking to people that are living disappointed I'm talking to people that need to add work to your faith and and work for I Am with You saith the Lord of hosts according to the word that I Covenant with you listen follow this now according to the word that I coveted with you when you came out of Egypt so my spirit remaineth among you fear ye not you know what he just said he said I was with you in Egypt I brought you out of your original sin when you were when you were not born again when you were in the darkness of your sin I brought you out of Egypt I put you in the altar of repentance I allowed you to go to the baptismal pool I filled you with the Holy Ghost for the first time and now years later you've made some mistakes and I'm telling you I I'm still with you just like I was with you when you were in Egypt that's the faith that's the god I put my faith in today that's the god I wave my hands to today that that's the god I give Glory and Honor I'm with you I am with yourself the Lord of hosts according verse 5 according to the word that I coveted with you when you came out of Egypt so my spirit remaineth among you fear you not for thus saith the Lord of hosts yet once it is a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth and the Sea and the dry land and I will shake All Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this house with Glory saith the Lord of hosts the silver is mine the Gold is mine saith the Lord of hosts the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former saith the Lord of hosts and in this place will I give peace saith the Lord of hosts he just says I'm going to tell you something I know this house is missing the opulence of gold I know this house is missing the opulence of silver I know this house is missing the Grandeur of Solomon's Temple but I own the gold and I own the silver and I'm going to take this house it doesn't look like much in comparison to Solomon's and I'm going to shake the Nations all around I'm going to shake and the desire of all Nations is going to come and the glory of this house is going to be greater than the glory of Solomon's Temple and you know what this house was this house was the place when Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ this house was the place that Mary and Joseph brought that eight day yeah day eight day old Jesus into this house he brought it into this house and he was dedicated he was consecrated in this house it's in this house that Jesus Christ stood and began to teach and the Blind Eye was opened and the deaf ear was unstopped and the children started running and got up around their mamas and daddies and started saying Hosanna can I tell you Solomon never saw that sound woman ever saw blind eyes opening Solomon never saw deaf ears unstopped can I tell you today that living faith will restore you back to something that's far greater than what you came out of it is a living come on praise him with me this morning come on if you believe it this morning the glory of the latter house shall be greater a living faith a living faith Living Faith causes you to have movement but a dead faith is all talk and no action Living Faith will mobilize you while dead faith will paralyze you while you're coming back to church tonight you didn't get your answer this morning I'm coming back to exercise my actions because I believe that God is going to work things out for us I'm coming back because I believe God's going to give us the answer that we need in 2023 coming back let's go now back to James he says he says in the 14th verse James 2. what do they profit my brother and though a man say he has faith and hath not works can Faith save him let me explain something to you explain something to you because it's one of the most it's one of the most misinterpreted scriptures we're not saved by works I certainly believe that we are not saved by taking a four-footed lamb slitting his throat and putting Blood on the altar that doesn't save you anymore and it never saved them to begin with we're not saved because I bring a handful of meal and a little dab of oil and some frankincense and mix it together and give it to God so when we say we're not saved by works that's exactly right you're not saved by The Works of the law but what James is talking about and addressing here today is not the works of the law it's the actions that will be produced when a person has Living Faith do you know how they know that you're alive if you're unconscious he's got a heartbeat he's breathing they know there's action there there's life how they know you're dead have no heartbeat no breathing there's no action and so when you have Living Faith there will without fail the action there will without fail be action in the very beginning in the very beginning the action in the very beginning the action is obeying the gospel of repentance water baptism Spirit baptism but it goes beyond that into our practical life of just realizing that God that God has the answer and so if God has the answer I don't have to feel like praising him it's the right thing to do a chill bump has nothing to do with it it's just simply the right thing to do I don't have to feel like clapping my hands I don't even have to feel like coming to church it's just the right thing to do oh I could get off and pasture right there for a little bit but I got I got a couple more things I want to say but I could I could tell you that you're never going to be stable in your life going by feelings because not only will you not feel like going to church you won't feel like getting up and going to work and then there'll come a time you won't feel like being married and then there'll come a time you won't feel like being parents but you're going to have a lousy life if you only base your actions based on how you feel go to work get up go to church I hope I put a smile on right now go to church go to church even when you don't feel like it why it's an action of my faith I believe God I'm just you're never going to come out of the valley you're in when you're just governed by your feelings talking about living faith this morning and I'm going to address something right now he says can Faith Can can verse 14 again let me read it what does it profit my brother though a man say he had faith and hath not works can Faith save him verse 15. if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto him depart in peace be warmed and filled notwithstanding you give them not those things which are needful to the body what doth it profit you know we're living in a generation of name it claim it blab it grab it we're living in a generation where we just need to distribution to speak I believe in that stuff but after you speak you got to have some action because if you don't have action it's dead faith it's like me finding a brother a sister that's hungry and you said oh y'all not had any food to eat no we've not had any food to eat I speak to this mountain of hunger I speak to this mountain right now and I say to this mountain of hunger be filled be filled be filled and I walk away they're still hungry so let's don't fall prey to this stuff speak to your problem speak to your issue speak we we've made a devil out of works of Flesh we are rebuking Spirits when we need to be rebuking flesh we we make all these scarecrows oh it's a it's a spirit of this and it's a spirit of that and it's a spirit of lust it is no Spirit of lust it's your flesh and you got to get some action that's why you need the prayer room you need to worship you need to praise you'll never overcome less letting your body rule it doesn't want to lift its hands but I'm going to lift my hands it doesn't want to lift this voice but I'm going to lift its voice it doesn't want to come back tonight but I'm gonna come back tonight because I want to be an overcomer come on help me preach this morning even so faith if it hath not worked is dead being alone yea a man may say thou has faith and I have works show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by my Works say you have faith show it to me I didn't say tell it to me I said show it to me he said I can show you my faith by my works but you've got to have words to show there's Faith but where there's Faith there'll be works get to the next verse thou believest that there is one God thou doest well the Devils also believe and tremble but that will thou no vain man that faith without works is dead please don't Comfort yourself because you know how many gods there are please don't find Comfort well you know what I know how many gods there are I know there's one God whoop he do can I tell you who else believes the devil and he does More Than A lot of people do at least he trembled some people believe there's one God never but what's that verse mean the devil believes and then listen to the word here but what will thou know o vain man vain to no prophet it's no Prophet just to believe there's one God and end it there believe in there's one God will not change your life if you stop there you can stay in your addiction you can stay in all of your mess up you can still believe there's one God but there's no change there but if you want to change in your life you've got to go from dead Faith to Living Faith a faith that has actions verse 21 you musicians would you come verse 21. was not Abraham Our Father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar see us thou how Faith wrought with his works and by works was his faith made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled with saith Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God what faith what faith what faith Abraham had Abraham yes God take Isaac the son you love the son that all the promises are in and offer him up as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains yes God yes God you know I've never heard a preacher do this Justice but I can't even imagine brother Holland what that man went through walking Isaac up that mountain I know what it's like and I and I know I'm not alone here today but I've had a child that's been sick that I thought and looked at that little child and thought God if you'd let me be sick taken away from them and give it to me I'll take it God I can't even imagine what was going through Abraham's mind when he took Isaac up that mountain but Abraham made a statement at the foot of that mountain he said I am the lad will go up that mountain and worship and will come again to you I in the lad he told the two boys he took with him he said me and the lad gonna go Worship On Top This Hill and we're coming back Hebrews tries to give us a little light on the subject that Hebrews says that Abraham in his mind had offered up Isaac and Abraham in his mind knew that God had put a promise on that boy and that if Isaac had been reduced to ashes I'll stay right here on this mountain and I'll worship you God until you resurrect these ashes and bring them back up of which Abraham showed God your promises are greater than anything that could ever happen to me on this Earth you hear me today child of God listen to me this morning the promise of God is greater than anything you've ever been involved in the promise of God ashes would you just lift your hands and worship for a moment would you just thank God all over this room oh God oh God verse 24 you see then how that by faith you see then that by works a man is Justified and not by faith only likewise also likewise was not Rahab the Harlot Justified when she sent The Messengers we received the messages and sent them out another way just quickly in closing foreign was not only a gentile but Rahab was a prostitute Rahab probably the best we can study said to Carpenter prostitution ran in families there's no there's little doubt that probably rahab's mother is prostitute rahab's sisters were prostitutes rahab's grandmother was probably a prostitute he just ran he just ran in that family but one day they began to tell about a group of people that had been mysteriously miraculously brought out of Egyptian bondage why the Red Sea split for these people no Kings can stand against these people they're Victorious they have bread rained down from heaven water coming out of a rock their god Jehovah has defeated all the gods of Egypt their god Jehovah has defeated all the gods of the amorites and all the gods of the heathens and that Rahab the Harlot begin to say I believe in that God I believe in that God when some were saying they'll come here and destroy our city there was a harlot named Rahab that said what a God they're serving what a God that can defeat these armies and little did she know that day that day when those two men knocked on her door and they were not wanting her body but they needed a hiding place they needed it she opened the door expecting these two men to want to buy her services and these two Hebrews walked through the door and they said ma'am we're not here for your services we be Servants of the most high God and and we're being right now we're being chased and she said we've heard of your God we've heard of your God we heard how he dried up the Red Sea we've heard all about your God we've heard all about your God and she hid she hid these servants the king knocked on the door and said where's the two men that came she said two men two men didn't come to me and and and she she hid them and some have tried to prove the Bible not to be true in this say how in the world could God work through Rahab she told a lie but can I tell you lying with some of her lighter sin she committed all right she hid these servants and after they were going she got a big Scarlet rope she said you all can go down this road I'll throw this rope this Scarlet colored rope I'll throw it out the window y'all can go down and Escape she said but would you when you come back would you remember me and my mother and my father and my family and here's what they said they said you go get everybody you can in the house and we give you our word that when we come back if they're in this house we'll save their lives but if they're not we'll take their lives but this Scarlet physical rope must hang in your window it must hang in your window and we'll know that that's the window that we're to go through she went out got her mother father her family and gathered him in that room she kept that visible sign when people looked and said hey what's up with the Rope hey what's up with the Scarlet colored robe you wouldn't understand you wouldn't understand but one day my salvation is hanging on them identifying that rope coming out of that window and when they identify that rope we're going to be here and that was Rahab and an interesting thing is all through the scripture they always call her rahan the Harlot why keep attaching that to your name because God wants us to always realize he was great and brought us out and let's always remember that our faith must be a living faith would you stand with me this morning and all over this building if you believe in prayer would you pray right now would you exercise a visible sign on the outside right now and would you begin to call out upon a God that you've never seen but yet you believe in today would you begin to call out upon him right now he's here today Jesus is here today oh he's here today oh in the name of Jesus he's here today oh God would you touch right now oh God would you move right now Lord I don't believe that the weary person has to leave here without receiving a touch this morning God I believe that you are a Healer of our body God I believe Lord that you can forgive our sins today come on pray right now pray right now pray right now oh I opened this altar up is your life chaotic is your life confusing do you have no bearings in your life do you have no direction in your life please exercise Faith this morning and come to the altar exercise Faith this morning and come to the altar a dead faith will keep you planted in your Pew but a living faith will cause you to put one foot in front of the other it'll cause you to walk to this altar this morning in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus he's the peace Giver right now in the name of Jesus today call on him when you get to this altar lift up your voice and lift up your hands and call on him right now come on right now pray God In The Name of Jesus you're that young woman that's here whose life is a living hell oh God that individual that's here they want to be free they want to be set free please man come out of your Pew today please ma'am come out today please come down to the altar today give God something to see right now Jesus name move up closer to the altar God's going to heal a marriage this morning God's going to heal a marriage right now in the name of Jesus God reach over and get the hand of that spouse reach over and get the hand of the spouse right now God can deliver you if you're in an addiction right now you need to lift up your hands and your voice if you're in an addiction right now God wants to fill you with the Holy Ghost God wants to give you a greater power hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah come on praise him right now God I don't want to be addicted God I don't want to live in shame God I don't want to live in the stigma of Shame oh God I want to be justified I'm not the man I used to be I'm not the woman I used to be come on God is here to deliver this morning oh yes yes hallelujah hallelujah oh God hit your uplifted hands right now it's your uplifted voice right now that's who you are that's who you're gonna be remembered by you're not that mistake you're not that event come on lift up your hands right in hell and begin to Rejoice it's part of the restoration it's part of the recovery you gotta get your song back you got to get your joy back you got to get your leaping back you gotta get your worship back oh hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah Mighty God Mighty God Mighty God come on praise him come on praise him right now come on praise him right now it's part of the restoration it's part of your restoration it's party restoration is party a restaurant it's part of your restoration today your shout is your symbol of faith your shout is your outward manifestation there's something's going on inside of you you're shout your praise ah yes God come on your shout your praise for your shout your praise it's part of the restoration it's part of the restoring yes Lord yes Lord yes Lord I speak victory over you but if I speak victory over you you got to get your hands lifted you got to give an hour a shot I'm not who I used to be Hallelujah that's why you gotta begin to praise him it's part of the restoration Lord I believe you God I believe you God Hallelujah I believe you're greater than my problems a victory excited for Christmas foreign all of my fear I will turn into place disappointment and break every change foreign one thing is foreign with the power to accomplish you've always been with us show me one thing that's too much there is the kingdom that's the dancing at the speed of light and in his kingdom every clear thing is possible so do you want me to do a victory drinks are a little bit salads a victory don't be the one things allow me this morning to end this service with some clarity to send you home and that is if all we got out of this today would end up being just hype just hide but what I'll leave you with today is something that you can take home you can't take me home with you you can't take the choir home and you can't take this atmosphere as far as all these people here but I'll tell you what you can't take home and take home worship and praise you'll never get what you're after having worship on Sunday and Wednesday so today and when anoint such Carbon on behalf of sister Thompson Thompson's been diagnosed with cancer she went took her first chemo treatment thought she was going to be able to come today but didn't know when the effects would kick in the effects kicked in she's very weak prayer faith to heal oh God I wasn't there God when you said let there be light but God you spoke light and there was light God I wasn't there God when you spoke the world into existence but God I believe it all happened just as you said and Lord you said in your word that if there is any sick among you God let them cover an elder let them anoint him with oil In The Name Of The Lord and the prayer of faith shall save the sick god sister Thompson's not here today so I anoint the forehead of her pastor's wife come on Church mine with me right now Lord I pray for healing for Linda Thompson God I pray for healing right now God I pray for healing God I pray that healing would flow through Linda Thompson right now God based on the 39 Stripes based on the pain that you had at Calvary I prayed Belinda Thompson to be healed of cancer I pray God that you would give her strength Lord she would be healed God look he would be healed Lord lead and guide her today oh God You Are the Healer God you are the Waymaker God you are the way maker come on continue to help me pray I want to pray for every person in this room right now I want to pray for every person in this room right now that has an addiction I want to pray for every person right now that is addicted I pray for you in the name of Jesus Christ I pray that when you leave today you will take with you the spirit of worship you will take the spirit of worship with you you will take the spirit of praise and the spirit of worship oh God be with them oh God touch them today I pray that you prayed that prayer I pray that you prayed that prayer today that you will say oh God be with me o God be with me oh God be with me I Praise You Lord I magnify you today I pray right now continue to help me pray don't get silent right now I want to pray for marriages to be healed right now hello I want to pray for marriages to be healed salvageable God I want marriages to be salvaged today oh God every place the enemy's trying to come in every place the enemy's trying to come in come on lift up your voice and pray this morning come on believe it if you believe God can salvage a marriage lift up your voice right now if you believe God can deliver if you believe God can break addiction lift up your voice right now foreign foreign to everybody today in this room if you fit one of those categories if you just fit one of those categories today please don't let it stop here because the battle won't stop here the battle go on with you throughout the afternoon that's why you need to do everything you can to come back here tonight 5 30 for pre-service prayer that's an outward sign of a living faith that's an outward sign of a living faith that I I want Deliverance God if you're if if it's if it's drug addiction you have to confess you have to say it out loud several times a day God I need you in my life Jesus I need you in my life Jesus don't think it don't think it say it Jesus I need you in my life God I've got to have you in my life I know you have faith in your pastor's prayer but but you got to go on Beyond pastor's prayer because you're not going to get your deliverance based on my prayer you're going to get your deliverance based on your tenacity just stay in it stay with it stay in it stay with it stay in if you're having Miracle issues and the devil's trying to drive a wedge Devil's trying to drive a wedge tell the Lord God we need help God this marriage needs to help God we don't want this marriage again God this marriage needs help and you know what when you just have that that thought hits your mind to say some kind words that may not be your sweetness that might be the Holy Ghost leading you because words can hurt and words can heal all right so if you're in ending that you need as much church as you can get you need the 21 days of Prayer and if you just stay with it you'll just stay with it Abraham didn't take time off Abraham stayed with it had Rahab the Harlot wasn't pulling that rope in and out of that window she just let it stay there she left it there she got her deliverance and you will get your deliverance too I don't know if we got anyone else to baptize but how many we baptized this morning I I was busy praying thank God for this precious man here that got baptized today come on Church let's make some noise see you tonight at 5 30 prayer let's have church