Not My Final Destination | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

You know what preaching is all about is to help people. Preaching has never been about hurting anyone. Preaching has always been about helping people, helping them. And and don't you love to encourage people? And that's helping people when you when you encourage them. And if you need a little help this morning or you need a little encouragement this morning or you would like to be a little help and a little encouragement, would you stand with me right now? We're turning our Bibles to u John chapter 10 verse number 11.

John chap 10 and verse number 11. I want to help somebody today. I want to help somebody. I want to encourage I want to encourage some someone today. You know, we're we're just about a week away from movement blastoff. All right? And I I'll say that lightly. It will be it will be a blastoff next Sunday night, but Shane Brit will be preaching for us next Sunday night. Then movement starts. You don't want to miss movement. Please. I tease about this, but uh if you think you're going to die, call God up.

Tell him that you just like to wait till after the movement. All right? You you want to you want to hang around. You want to hang around to after after the movement. It's going to be it's going to be the it's going to be the best. John chapter 10 and verse number 11. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." Go down to verse number 14 of the same chapter. I am the good shepherd. Sound like he's trying to tell us something, right?

I am the good shepherd. and know my sheep and am known of mine. One last scripture reading the book of Psalms chapter 80. The book of Psalms chapter 80 and verse number one. It's a psalm. It's a prayer. Give ear. Give ear, oh shepherd of Israel. Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock, you lead Joseph like a flock. Thou that dwellest between the cherubams, shine forth. I want to preach this morning on this simple subject. Not my final destination. Not my final destination. You have a prayer request this morning, would you just lift your hand before God?

Brother Holland gave me a prayer request today. Let's pray all over this building right now. Father, you know the needs of this body right now. Lord, I pray that you touch Brother Holland. Lord, touch him. God, you know exactly what's causing the sickness in his body. And I ask in the name of Jesus Christ today that you would touch him and you would heal him. Lord, I pray this day, Lord, and I thank you for the good report of Brother Nash. I thank you today, God, for your hands being upon them.

I do pray, Lord, for those that are unable to be with us today in service because of sickness. And I just ask you, Lord, to continue to touch brother and sister Callaway. And let the bones that are broken in their body men, Lord. And God, I ask you to touch Brother Roland and Sister Gloria Zender today. that God, just the host of people in this church that have physical conditions, Lord, and I ask you to anoint my lips of clay today that I would encourage this body of people that I would help this body of people today that I would encourage them in you and we would have more faith in you, God, than ever before.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. Give the Lord a hand of praise as you're seated. not my final destination. If you fly frequently, you fly frequently, you will understand this uh statement that I'm about to make. And that is I love direct flights. I I love I love direct flights and u I get quite nervous when two things are happening to me that I don't have a direct flight I have a connection I have to get off plane and go to another terminal that makes me a little a little nervous but it really terrifies me when I don't have my sweetheart sister Carpenter with me because I have a propensity to wonder.

All right? I'm not talking about wondering what gate I'm at. I'm talking about just getting on the phone talking and ending up in the wrong terminal and and I've even come close to walking out of and having to go all the way back through TSA again and come back come back. Couldn't read that big billboard that said, you know, if you if you go through here, you can't come back, you know, you know, but but I I I I just love a direct flight. I love I just love getting on a plane and and getting to where I'm going.

And don't you wish that that's the way it was with going to heaven, but it's not. We have seasons of our lives we go through. We have destinations that we arrived that we didn't plan and uh we're there. So, just hold on to that thought. Anybody in a season right now that you don't like? Yeah. I mean, come on. If you don't raise your hand, give me a good Baptist nod. Just act like we're at an auction here. You know, you know, I think we all could say that we've been in seasons that we don't necessarily care for.

And um sometimes I've heard one preacher say that he set up till midnight on December 31st to tell an old year goodbye. He said, "I just wanted to see a new year come." It is the desire of God that we know him and that we know his ways. As a matter of fact, he became human not only for the purpose of redemption. He became human to save us. But God also became human to relate to us. God also became human that we could relate to him and that we could understand him.

And isn't it amazing today that he identified himself he he identified himself as a good shepherd. A good shepherd. talking about you, but if you're going to have a good shepherd, there's a possibility you could have a bad shepherd. But he wanted to say, "I am the good shepherd. I am I want to identify myself with you." And this may not relate to us because we're in the 21st century. But in the first century when he spoke those words, I am the good shepherd. They really knew what he was saying.

I am the good shepherd. They could get a grasp on his love. They could get a grasp on his work. But let me just take us just for a moment and educate us on the life if we were in the first century. The life of a shepherd in the first century was hard work. It was outdoor work. It was demanding work. The life of a shepherd in the first century involved constant vigilance. Constant watching. Constant watching. You got little children. when you go to a mall and if you don't, you should keep a constant watch on them.

Right. That's that's why I've I've I've double checked with my wife when she said, "We're going to take all the grands to Dollywood." Really? They're good. Don't Don't get me wrong, they're good. But when we do have a momentary lapse and we take them all, I can tell you where I go, I go to the back of the line and I'm kind of shoeing them this way because the little fellas and fellowes have a way of wondering. All right, they just so it's a it's a it's a constant.

So a shepherd, it wasn't just take a nap and look over the hill. A shepherd was constant vigilance over the sheep. And even often a few goats would come in. exposure to the elements, rain, cold, dew, isolation from settled village life for much of the year. And if that wasn't bad enough, a shepherd seemed to carry the stigma of a low social status. If you were a shepherd, people kind of looked at you kind of down their long nose if you were a shepherd. There was some disdain and I'm sure it came from the bad shepherds.

They I did a little research on this and said that the bad shepherds were prone to steal things around when they came through. And so shepherds seem to carry on kind of a low uh social status. This can be this can be seen when Joseph is telling his father to come to Egypt and when he stands before Pharaoh. Pharaoh was the one that determined where you lived. If you came to Egypt, Pharaoh told you what neighborhood to live in. And Joseph went ahead and prepped his father and said, "Now, when you stand before Pharaoh, tell them your shepherds." All right, you could bring that verse up.

It says in verse number 34 of chapter 46, it says, "Thy servants trade has been about cattle from our youth, even until now, both we and also our fathers, that we may dwell in the land of God." Low social standing as as as a as a shepherd. Uh shephering if you just had a few sheep shephering was often the work of the youngest son in the family was the youngest that got the chore of watching the sheep was it not in 1st Samuel 16:11 when samuel was anointing Jesse's sons and there was one of Jesse's sons elder brother Ericson that Jesse didn't even bring to the sacri they didn't even bring him to the sacrifice.

Well, the prophet wouldn't want to see David. David's the youngest. And we got to have somebody that's watching the sheep. And so when the oil of the anointing was not poured out upon the other sons, it caused the prophet Samuel to say, "Are are not all your sons here?" And and he said, Jesse said, "Oh yeah." He said, "There's one the youngest." said, "He's keeping the sheep." I said, "Go ahead and bring him." Was it not kind of a little disdain to be the youngest to be keeping sheep?

Was it not David's brother Eliab that when David walked onto the battlefield and heard Goliath insulting and blaspheing God and Eliab got upset that David had come and David was talking about killing Goliath? Elijah got upset and said,"Well, just who did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness?" So, I'm you can kind of see that this shephering was was left to the youngest and it was left uh to even even uh even women were put over tending to the sheep. But in this shephering business that I'm talking about today and laying the foundation, the Lord God said, "I want to take on the imagery of a shepherd." I think think about that today.

God said, "I want to take on the imagery of a shepherd. I I want something for the good people in Mville to be able to relate to. I I want something that that when when I identify myself as a good shepherd, I want you to be able to your minds to your your finite minds to grasp the unlimited power that is God. And so God when he came to this earth came in the form of a shepherd. He said, "I am the good shepherd." And he not only said, "I am the good shepherd." He said, "I give my life for the sheep." That's important to remember.

I give my life for the sheep. But he not only said that, he said, "Let me tell you about the relationship that's between me and the sheep." He said, "I know them and they know me." Aren't you thankful today on a Sunday morning >> that not only you know God I'm going to tell you what God is not God did not identify himself as a hireling. Oh hlings kept sheep too. You you do realize that don't you? You could if you didn't have a younger son if you didn't have daughters to tend to the sheep.

Guess what you could do? You could hire. That's why they were called, I know this is a deep subject. That's why they were called hierlings. You could hire them. But here's the problem with the hierling in John chapter 10 verse number 12. And Jesus did address them in John 10:12. But Jesus, but he that is a hireling and not the shepherd, who's on the sheep or not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleth. And the wolf catcheth them, and scatterth the sheep. The hireling fleth, because he is a hirling, and carth not for the sheep.

I'm glad today that our God is not a hirling. I'm glad today that when trouble has come to my life and trouble has come because I had nothing to do with it. Anybody ever had trouble come your way you had nothing to do with? But can I get some honest people here today and transparent people? Has anybody had trouble come that you own it? I >> think this side's more spiritual than y'all. Okay. Or maybe it's just the way I had my hands, right? I've had trouble come my way that I had nothing to do with.

I had trouble come my way that it was just a lot in life that it came and found me. But I'm glad that when the trouble came, my savior didn't step out. I've had trouble come my way that I owned it. Lock, stock, and barrel. I was the cause of it. I brought it on myself. But even though I brought it on myself, my savior didn't step out. He just stayed right where he's at. Come on, give him praise right now. We belong to him. We belong to him.

Jeremiah chapter 18 verse 6 says it this way. Oh house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter, sayeth the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's, say that word with me, the potter's >> hand. So are ye in my hand. Oh house of Israel. Where was Israel at? In the hand of God. Israel was in the hand of God. You say, "Well, that's Old Testament." Well, let's go to the New Testament. John 10:27 Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." That word there means snatch, as a thief would snatch something away. Jesus said, "My sheep are in my hand, and nobody can snatch them out of my hand." You you nobody can take no trial can take you out. No person can take you out. The only way you can get out of that hand is to lose your ever loving living mind and walk out of that hand.

But I'm here to tell you today, I'm going to stay right there in the hand of God. Boy, I want to help somebody today. >> Denver, you're in the hand of God, son. Don't ever doubt that you're in the hand of God. Well, let's let's let's keep on. That was verse 28. Jesus said, "Neither any man shall pluck them out of my hand." Jesus is talking. He said, "No, they're not going to pluck them out of my hand." But let's read the next verse. My father which gave them me is greater than all.

No man is able to pluck them out of my father's hand. That's a hedge crasher. Not until you read verse 30. I and my father >> are one. >> So if they're two separate persons, which hand are we in? Jesus hand or the father's hand? >> You got to understand the revelation of the dual nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is both God and man, >> which means he's both shepherd and lamb. Only God could be both God and man. And he says you're in the He said you're in the hand of God and you're in the hand of the sacrifice.

It was God who created you and it was the sacrifice that redeemed you. He could plainly call himself, I am the good shepherd. But in John chapter 1 verse number 29, the next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. So I'm glad today to be in the hand of the creator and in the hand of the redeemer and know that they are one today. Know that they're one. But let's go on with the message.

The Old Testament, God identified himself as a shepherd. In the Psalms chapter 80 and verse number one, the psalmist cries out, "Give ear. Give ear. Listen. Give ear. I'm praying. Who am I praying to? Oh shepherd of Israel, I'm praying to the shepherd of Israel. Then I am praying to the one that leads Joseph like a flock. He leads Joseph like a flock. Let me just deal with shephering just for a moment before I turn the corner in this message today. All through the Old Testament, he identifies himself as a shepherd.

What's one of the most famous verses you'll hear? The Lord is my >> shepherd shall not want. Isaiah 40 and 11 talks about God and says he shall feed his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gent gently lead those that are with young. Look at the imagery he's trying to tell you. He's trying to tell you today. I'm not hard to get a hold of. I'm telling you, it's it's our carnal nature and it's the adversar's delight to make you think that praying to God is something he don't want to hear you.

I'm here to tell you today, give ear, oh shepherd. >> Give ear, oh shepherd of Israel, because he wants to carry me in his arm. He wants to put me in his bosom, his chest. He wants to lead me. He wants to lead me gently. It is vitally important today that we know what and where our final destination is. I said it is vitally important today that we know what and where our final destination is. Thank God for all of our songs are deliverance about deliverance.

I'm not here today to be a co a wet blanket on a hot church, but I'm here today to tell you there's more than dancing out of my grave clothes. >> There's more to dancing on the grave of my enemy. >> I know that we're inundated with songs of dancing out of our current situations that we're in. But let me tell you something. Getting out of my grave clothes is not my final destination. >> Getting out of this season is not my final destination. Because I'm going to tell you something.

I believe as long as we live, when one season ends, enjoy the break between the two, but there's another season coming. We go through seasons and places, but it's not my final destination. It's not my final destination. Listen to this. Isaiah 46 and3. I hope I'm helping somebody today. I know I'm helping myself today. It's not my final destination. Dancing out of my grave clothes is not my final thing. I'm wanting to see Jesus one day. >> I'm wanting to walk not on my grave clothes.

I don't want to dance on my tomb. I want to dance on streets of gold. That is my final destination. I I think the church is anemic right now of messages and music that talks about getting out of a current trial. I got to tell you something. I want to go to that place where my brother Joe Mcnite's going to walk out with a brand new body that won't have heart attacks and will say, "Welcome to the eternal place of home." I'm God have mercy. You You hear me today?

I'm I'm I'm wanted to go to that place called heaven. There'll be no reports of a kidney transplant. There'll be no reports of this and that. It's a place. Are you ready to go to heaven? Come on. Listen to me. Listen to me today. Isaiah 46 and verse number three. Listen to God. Hearken unto me. That means listen. Listen intently. Hearken unto me, oh house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel which are born that's carried which are born that's carried by me.

This is God speaking from the belly. Meaning that when you were born, more than a doctor was there to take you out of your mother's womb. >> When when you were born, it was a God that says, "Let me carry you, cuz you're going to go through some seasons, young man. You're going to go through some seasons, young lady." I think about people today. I I think about Chris Holden today tells the testimony of of getting in the in in in the uh the the children's service and was put in one home to the next home and in in and all of this and and and and tells stories of of not having the good treatment that he should have had.

You know why Chris Holden is here today with a lovely wife and a beautiful family and is a very successful successful businessman in our country today is not because well he just worked his way up and he yes I wouldn't take that from you brother but Chris when you were born although it wasn't the perfect of a situation there was a God that reached down and a God that said just let me carry you let me carry you're going to go from one home to the next you're going to go from one mistreat treatment to the nest.

But my plan with you is to expose you to my truth and I'm going to carry you. I wish somebody just stand and shout, "That's Bible." >> I wish somebody do it again. >> Wish somebody do it again. >> That's a Bible. I have borne. You have been born by me from the belly which are carried from the womb. And even to your old age I am he. And even to your hairs that's white head will I carry you. I have made I will bear. Even I will carry and I will deliver.

Can I tell you today that God was not only there when you came out of your mother's womb to carry you, but when arthritis set in and old age set in and eyesight went and hearing went and the pleasantness of living went, God didn't step out on you. God stepped in and said, "I carried you when you were born and I'll carry you all the way to the end." I just got to preach a little help to some of our shutins today that are watching online.

God is carrying you. God is there to be with you. I don't know if you'll get healed. I don't know if you'll ever walk again. But I can tell you one thing. There's a God that is carrying you. Take note of that and worship and praise him. See, walkers coming in, canes coming in. Can I tell you, you're not of less value in the name of Jesus. I rebuke that spirit, >> man. We're we're we rebuke spirits of drugs and sex and elicit sex and everything off of young people and we rebuke worldly music and the voices in their head.

But can I tell you, the same devil that speaks to our youth group is the same devil that goes to our trendsetters and says, "You're no good. You're just taking up space. You're not making any money. You're not adding to society. You're not adding to the church. You are a liar, devil." I said, "You are a liar today. There are two." Please accept this. There are two at least two times in my life that I had older people do something or say something that has affected my life even today.

And that is several years ago, several decades ago, brother and sister Bryant were over the young marriage in Aurora, Illinois, and they invited me and Sister Carpenter to come and do a marriage retreat. I'd never done a marriage retreat. I'd never been to a marriage retreat. I didn't know nothing about marriage retreats, but they invited me to come to a marriage retreat. And I sat there that Friday evening when those young couples came in. And uh Friday evening and Saturday morning, and I said to Sister Carpenter, "This will work.

This will work. This right here is what we need to go home and start in Mville." And that's been over 30 some odd years ago. And I got I got news for you. It works. >> It works. But had it not been for an older couple that showed me something, I don't know if we would have ever had a marriage retreat. And there's those here today, and I wouldn't call any names, please. But I've had many people come, couples come to me, and they would say, "If it hadn't been for the marriage retreat, we were going to the lawyer to call it quits.

If it hadn't been for that marriage retreat, we were going to end our marriage. We were going separate ways. As a matter of fact, we hadn't even been together for a few weeks. But he talked me into going to a marriage or she talked me in. And now they're successful serving God, happily married, so thankful they didn't go to the lawyer's office. And I'm here to tell you, if it hadn't been for an older family like like Rey and Fa Bryant, that would have never have happened.

>> And I'll tell you something else. Younger people have a tendency to live so fast they don't live now. >> We have a tendency to go so fast through life, we take days for granted. >> >> We have a tendency not to smell the flowers as we're walking by. But I thank God for Roland and Gloria the Ender because if there's one thing they told me, they said, "Every day we get up and we thank God for that day. We thank God for the day that we're living in and said we're going to go and they did." said, "We're going to go and we're going to do as long as we physically are able to go and we're physically able to do." Live every day.

Said, "We sit at this table and every day we get up and we thank God for a new day and that God has allowed us to live a new day." Come on, young folks. Have we really thought about getting up in the morning instead of trying to make it here in the mad dash to Starbucks and the mad dash here and the mad dash there? Have we ever thought about just taking a few moments and saying, "God, I thank you for a brand new day. God, there must be purpose in this day, God, if you were over with me, I wouldn't be here today." Listen, it's a testimony that you woke up.

Don't you tell me God's done with you. If you're second air this morning, it's a testimony that God is not done with you. He could take you out at any time. Come on, praise him with me right now. Man, I hope I'm helping somebody today. But let me see if I can spend the remainder. Let me see if I can spend the remainder of this lesson today. Psalms 80 and verse number one. Hearken, oh shepherd of Israel that leadth or Joseph that leadeth Joseph like a flock.

You see the problems that we have, we don't have any problem praising God when he leads us to prosperity. Oh, God led me to this job. Oh, God led me to this one. Oh, God led me here. We have no problem in a good, sunny, prosperous time said, "God led me here." But I had news for you. There's some ugly places. >> God led you there, too. >> Would you look at Psalms with me again? Put that Psalms 81 because this is where I'm going to turn the corner here.

Give ear, oh shepherd of Israel, that leadest. Who? Who's he leading? >> Joseph. I want to make sure everybody who Who's he leading? >> This side's louder than you all. Who's he leading? >> This side's louder than you all. All right, Joseph. He's leading Joseph. Let's just If God's leading him, let's see where it takes him. Oh, Genesis 37 verse number four. Uh, 37 verse number three, excuse me. Now, Israel loved Joseph. Oh, yeah. God led me there more than all his children. I love now.

Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was a son of his old age. And he made him a coat of many colors. God led me here. Yeah. Father loves me more than anybody else. Here's the coat. But God also led him to verse four. When his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all of his brethren, they hated him and could not speak peaceibly unto him. Can I tell you something? It is not the will of God for us not to be at peace with each other.

>> Well, if it was God's will, why is there turmoil? Because God led you there to see what you would do. Oh, I'm preaching this morning. It's easy to get along with a brother that doesn't offend you. >> It's easy to get along with somebody that's always crossing your tea and dotting your eye. It's easy to get along with somebody you all seem to eye and eye. But what about Jesus even said it this way. He said, "If you salute them that salute you, what thank have you?" For even sinner people thank one another.

They they even get sinner people even get along. But he said, "You really can tell that you're growing in me when you can bless and curse not. You really know that you're growing in me when you can forgive those that have despitefully used you and and you try to make peace." Let me say it again. It is not the will of God that any of us today be at odds with each other. It is the will of God that we be at peace with each other.

My brothers are talking about me. My brothers hate me. My brothers this. My brothers that. Oh God, where are you at? I led you here. Joseph dreamed a dream. Verse 37:5. Joseph dreamed a dream. He told his brothers, "Oh, a dream of success. God led me here. and he told it to his brothers and they hated him yet the more. God, where are you at? Verse 37, verse 24. His brothers took him and cast him into a pit and the pit was empty. There was no water in it.

Wait a minute. I'm I'm keep on preaching. Who's leading Joseph? Huh? Little we leading Joseph? >> Where's he at? I am here to tell you today that God leads you places that you didn't want to go on your own. >> But I cannot be ready for the palace if I cannot endure the pit. >> You see, you got to see every season of your life. It's not my final destination. Oh, if I get through this, God will make me a better person. If I get through this, I'll be I'll be a better Yes, you should.

But it's not getting through that so that you can get be a better person. I'm headed to a place called heaven. I'm headed to a place where I'm going to look upon the face of the one who gave himself from me in heaven is going to become a reality to us. >> The pit. We can't see God leading us to the pit, but he did. Verse 36, the Israelites sold him to Egypt under Piper, the officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard. Brings him out of the pit.

Brings him out. Look at the roller coaster. Down in the pit. Going to die there. No. Going to come up from the pit. Roller coaster. Can I tell you? Life's a roller coaster. And just when you think click click click click click click. Oh, this is so even with my life. Click click click click click click. That roller coaster is going boom and fall down to another. They take him down. He's selling to a man called Piper, captain of the guard. He's prosperous in Piper's house.

Could it be that Joseph began to think, "Is this it, God? Was this the dreams God?" The Lord was with Joseph. He was prospering. But then I want you to listen to this. Verse 30, chapter 39:7. Came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph and said, "Lie with me." I I want to stop here for a moment and I need you um would would you I need I need I need I need I need better notes. I need I need I need I need chapter 37 verse number two.

Could you get me that real quick? Chapter 37. Now hold on to Joseph is in Piper's house and Piper's wife has propositioned him to lay in the bed of adultery or sexual sin. She has she has she has propositioned him to lay in a bed with her. Just hold on to that for a moment. You got 37 verse2. These are the generations of Jacob. Jacob is Joseph's father. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph was 17 years old and was feeding the flock with his brethren.

Now, stop there for a moment. I'm re real quickly. That's out of order because when you begin to talk about the generation, Sister Wells, you start with the firstborn. All right? Joseph was not the firstborn. Brother P. He was not the firstborn. Reuben was the firstborn. So chapter 37:2 should have said these are the generations of Jacob. Reuben. So why does it say why does it say Reuben? Because Reuben went into his father's concubine. And he lay in sexual immorality with his father Jacob's concubine. He could not or would not control his fleshly passions and he lost he lost the position of being the firstborn.

Jacob said about him when he was dying he said Reuben is un is as unstable as water. When you cannot control your flesh you just seek the route of least resistance. You just you never tell your flesh no. You never deprive it of anything and you just let it go wherever it will. So why in the world is it Joseph there instead of Reuben? Because where Reuben failed sexual temptation. Joseph prevailed sexual temptation. Well, Reuben said, "Sure, I'll go to my father's concubine." Joseph stood there and when Piper's wife said, "Lie with me," he said, "How could I sin against God and my master and do such a thing?" And just for you Bible scholars, that was a few hundred years before Moses would walk off Mount Si with a tablet that said, "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Joseph had something on the inside of his heart.

I want to preach to somebody today that you have got to overcome the temptations of the past that cause a failure in your parents or a failure in somebody you look to if you're going to step in front and you're going to lead. Can >> I tell you something? This is why we keep harping on this and we keep harping on this. Holiness, holiness, holiness, holiness, holiness. Because if you knew Pentecostal landscape, there are churches that in the 1950s and early 60s and even the 1940s were powerhouses.

>> There are cities in America today that in the 40s and the 50s and the early 60s had thriving churches many times larger than this. Holiness churches, apostolic to the core. But somewhere in there, Piper's wife stepped out and said, "Come lie with the world. Come be like us. You'll reach more people if you'll come and be like us." And in cities today are churches that used to be just like us. There's Reuben's that the genealogy should put them in the forefront of the city, but they're not in the forefront.

God says Joseph is the beginning. And listen, we can fall prey to becoming like the world. I don't want the world. I don't want anything of the world. I don't want the music of the world. I don't want the entertainment of the world. I don't want the dress of the world. We are holy people. We are godly people. And we're going to hold on. We're going to hold on. No to the world. No to worldliness. No to ungodliness. No. No. No. No. To a culture that wants to desensitize us to the things of God.

No. I'll tell you what I want to raise up. I got a call from a pastor friend. He's retired now. He called me yesterday. He said, "Hey," he said, "I just picked me up." He said, "I picked me up some spare change." He said, "I do a little Ubering. I picked me up some spare change." He said, "I got something funny to tell you." He said, "I picked up some young men downtown Knoxville." And he said, "I guess I I looked at him and I kind of judged them and said they got in the car." I said, "Hey boys, what bar you going to go to?" One of the young men spoke up and said, "We don't drink.

You don't drink." Brother Leman told me, he said, "Man, that's all right. In the rearview mirror and started talking about church and they asked him, he said, "I'm a pastor." He said, "Well, what? You're Pentecostal?" "Yeah, we're Pentec Pentecostal pastor." He said, "We go to a Pentecostal church." "Yeah, where you go?" He said, "We go to First Apostolic Church, Marble, Tennessee." Do you know Kenny Carman? I said, "Do I know him now?" "Yeah, I've known the kid all my all my life." And them boys begin to say, "No, we're in recovery and we we we we we don't drink and we're trying to get our lives straight." said, "We go to that church and said it's the most fantastic church that you would ever want to go to in all your life." That's the kind of church.

That's the kind of church I want. I want that kind of church. But you don't get the power of God sleeping with the devil. You don't get the anointing of God. If God carries the 2060 or 2070, I don't want somebody to get a call to go to Marville and start a church. >> God, I feel the Holy Ghost right now. Brother Shilling, I don't want God tears of 2070, 2075 God to have to lay on somebody's heart say go down to Mville, start a church, and over here on William Blunt Drive is the remnant of an apostolicish church and a remnant that we used to baptize in Jesus' name.

And we used to get the Holy Ghost, and we used to be separate, and you used to be able to tell the women in the town, and you you you Well, if you're feeling my heartbeat and feeling the Holy Ghost, would you lift your hands and give more than just a praise, but a thanksgiving right now? >> I got to tell somebody today, you're where God has led you to where you're at right now. God has led you to the situation you're in right now. Please don't forget God right now.

Please don't stop serving God right now. Please don't write God off right now. Please don't write him off. You're the hope of your backsliding children. You're the hope of your family coming into the church. The devil will try to erase every link of of your family. Please, please, please. >> How could I sin? How could I sin and do this great wickedness with God? Oh, but brother Carpenter, brother Carpenter, brother Carpenter, I prayed and prayed and prayed. I don't feel God. God's not answering. Joseph told the butler his dream.

And the butler was restored back to Pharaoh. But the last words Jacob or Joseph said to the butler, "When you get up there, tell Pharaoh I've been wrongly accused. When you get up there, tell Pharaoh about me." But the Bible says, "But the butler forgot Joseph." who led him to the years of being forgotten. The shepherd did. You see, the teacher never talks while the student is taking the test. Don't mistake the silence of God as God forsaking you. >> Cuz it's just a test. You can't raise your hand and ask him something.

It's just a test. He's going to grade you after two years. And let me go on. And after two years, and I'm going to skip the scripture reading and just tell you, after two years, Pharaoh had a dream. And it was a horrible dream. And it troubled Pharaoh. And the butler went in to tend to Pharaoh. And Pharaoh was troubled. He was sleepless. He looked like a man that had lost a night's sleep. And what troubles you, oh great one, of his of of Egypt? I had a dream and I don't know the interpretation.

And the butler said, "You have a man in the prison that can interpret dreams." And the Bible said they went and got Joseph hastily. Can I tell you your your deliverance is going to come hastily. It's going to come hastily. What are you talking about, brother Carpenter? In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, >> in a moment, we're in a season of being forgotten and culture is overrunning and and all the crazy attacks upon Christianity today. But in a moment, God is going to say enough.

>> He brought Joseph up and Joseph told the king the dream. And Pharaoh, Joseph told the king the dream. And Pharaoh put Joseph over the second command, vice president of Egypt. And he rode in the chariot in gold chains and prosperity. And here comes Joseph's brothers. And and and Joseph reveals himself to them, Sister Carpenter. And they were troubled. When he pulled off his mask and he said, "I'm Joseph." They were troubled. They shook. He said, "Oh no, please don't do that. You meant it evil, >> but my shepherd.

>> Y'all ain't listening to me. But my shepherd >> meant it for good. Some of you can't get over the hurt somebody caused you. You are worshiping the hurt and not the shepherd today. You you you got to worship the shepherd. He led you there. You may be seated for a moment. He led you there. Oh, it's done. Let's Everybody give Joseph a hand. If I could be Joseph, I'd say this is not my final destination. It's not my final destination. As a matter of fact, I'm old and it looks like death is creeping in on me.

And I got one request. It's like Elder brother Schilling said, "You kids get together once a year." Joseph said, "I'm old. I got one request. God's going to visit you one day. >> And when God visits you, >> carry my bones out of this place. >> Joseph died and the Egyptians embombed him. But the Egyptians embombed him. But there was a promise. Brother Hammond, the thou, I don't care how long it goes. He lays in an Egyptian tomb embombed for 400 years. The children of Israel are coming out.

Moses is leading them with pillar fire and a pillar cloud. They're making their way out of Egypt. But somebody said, "We forgot one thing. Go down there to the tombard in Pharaoh's court. There's a tomb down there that's got some 400y old bones. Get Joseph's bones and carry them up out of Egypt. They could tell, man, that guy's carrying some laundry. That guy's carrying some gold. And they looked and they said, "What's them two guys carrying?" They said, "He carrying the bones of Joseph." Because Joseph said, "This is not my final destination." Oh my God.

This is not my final destination. Woo! Said the carpenter. This is not my final destination. This is not my final destination. Say with me right now. I can go on. Israel is wandering through the wilderness. Oh, that guy. That guy's carrying the candlestick. And that guy's carrying I think that's the ark of the covenant. I think that's the labor. I think that's the altar. What's that over there? That's Joseph's bones. You know why? You know where Joseph's final destination going to be? They get in the land of Canaan.

They get in the promised land. Joshua's given this one this part and that one that part. And then he said, "Hold up. Bring the bones cuz we going to bury them in Canaan. Bring the bones." Grand View. Many of you have said goodbye to loved ones. They're over here at Grand View. Many of you said goodbye to loved ones. They're over here at Sherwood. Zach said it right. We drove to Grand View to do a graveside the other day and I said with the case boats over there on that hill and Ronda Johnson's over there in that corner.

Can I tell you those are not the final destination for Rhonda, nor brother Casebo, nor Tommy, nor anybody else. Heaven's our final destination. >> So, I'm not as interested. That's right, Brother Ericson. I'm not as interested today is dancing on my grave clothes as I am dancing on streets of gold. Can't imagine. I got a mother over there. I got a brother that God let me baptize in Jesus name. And see Johnny filled with the Holy Ghost. Johnny told me that we baptized him on the hill.

He said, "Kenny, I felt like I could fly around." He said, "I thought I could just fly around that congregation." I believe I got a dad. Believe I got a mother. Anybody else got a loved one over there that What would it be like to have a body that you you you get a knot right here and come on, let's be real with each other. You get a knot right here and you get a knot on your arm. You get something going on in your body and cancer, cancer, cancer.

You get the doctor saying, "Holland, I Johnny Holland, I want to come and get get do a bone marorrow on you in certainty of life. What you and I have to understand. Read my title with me today. It's not my final destination.