Our Imperfect Family | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

Welcome everybody to the house of the Lord this evening. And this month of February is family month. And the theme of the family is the imperfect family. And brother Sister Ericson did such a marvelous job uh last week. And and uh then I believe next Wednesday night we're going to hear from that little quiet. Um I wish you would get a thought every now and then. It would help us. that that poor pitiful preaching we heard Sunday night from brother Hammond. He if he don't get some thoughts, I don't know what we're going to do, but he'll be uh will that be next Wednesday night? Oh, the dynamic duo uh brother and sister Hammond will be I know you'll hear a word. Marriage retreat. It's my favorite event of the year. My first my my very favorite event of the year uh is marriage retreat and my second most favorite event of the year is family connect weekend and I love those I love doing don't you love doing life with your church family? >> I love doing life with my church with my church family. If you have your Bibles and we turn with me to the book of Ephesians chapter number three and verse number 14. Ephesians chapter number three verse14. Brother, Sister Belchure, thank you so much for being with us. And of course, Brother Sister Belchure pastor a great apostolic church over in Virginia. And um they u they asked me some time ago to if u if I could be their pastor and help them. And I I said yes to being their pastor. I don't know how much I've helped them, but I did say yes. I'll tell you one thing. Uh, Brother Belchure's mother, Sister Kathy Belchure, was such a blessing here at First Apostolic Church. She was such she was such a blessing and um, we miss her. We miss her so very very much. Ephesians 3:14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. I bow my knees. I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Please remember as we pray remember Sister Zender tonight that the Lord would continue to touch her. Um, I know they're watching tonight and I want them to know that in the prayer room tonight, we felt a special witness of the power and the presence of God as we lifted up your name. Mother Xander and Brother Zander, we're praying so much for you. Let's lift up our voices tonight. Let's pray again to receive the word of the Lord. Father, I thank you for the privilege of bringing the word tonight. Father, I thank you for the privilege of being able to preach to, teach to. The most valuable thing that you possess is your people. And Lord, tonight I I pray that you would anoint my lips with clay that I may minister to the most valuable thing. Lord, you did not shed your blood to create an earth. You didn't shed your blood to create angels. But God to save mankind, you were willing to become flesh and shed your blood. Father, tonight be upon us. And Lord, touch God those needs that we have here in this church. Lord, the names that we have mentioned tonight, God, let there be healing. Let there be power. Let there be glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. And amen. You may be seated tonight. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for standing. I do want to make mention of this. God was mighty good to us last weekend. Uh the communion service was so great. Presence of God was so real. And then Sunday night, um I'm telling you, we had the experience of Pentecost. I uh just about won't tell the maintenance crews they needed to come in and rescrew the pews down to the floor after Sunday night. We had a we had a time in the Lord. The apostle Paul is writing to the church at Ephesus and uh he comes upon this point. He says in verse 14, if you would put that back on the screen, for this cause, for this cause, I bow my knees. For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of the Lord Jesus Christ of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. You know there's there's certain things that move you in your heart um but they don't move you outwardly. There are certain times that you have the joy of the Lord. Maybe throughout the day you have the joy of the Lord in your heart, but but but yet that's where the joy of the Lord's at. But then there comes times when the joy of the Lord is so overwhelming to you that you just have to outwardly demonstrate on the outside what's going on on the inside of your heart. Paul seems to had this experience here that my text tonight for he said for this cause for this cause I outwardly bow my knees he said I outwardly I'm so full of what I'm about to tell you that it has caused me to have an outward display of worship for this cause I bow my knees to the father of our lordes Jesus Christ and then he said this of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. I want to minister tonight my portion in this family week the family month. I want to simply teach tonight on the family of God. The family of God. understanding this evening that the family of God that we are a spiritual body. We are a spiritual body. First Corinthians and just really be ready to read a lot of scripture tonight, but I I would lots rather get something in you on Bible study tonight than on you. All right? I want to get some word in you that we understand we are a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse number 13. This is how we became a spiritual body. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have all been made to drink into one spirit. Paul tells us, how did we become a spiritual body? We were baptized by one spirit into this body. Not only were we baptized into this body and it's talking about the birth of spirit, but he also says we also live from that same spirit that baptized us into the body. We also drink, we also drink from that same spirit. That's what Pastor Hammond was preaching to us Wednesday night. Don't just experience Pentecost. Keep drinking from it. Keep having an experience. And oh, we we we we did. We did. Verse 14. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, because I am not the hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body. Is it therefore not of the body? And if the whole body were an eye, were with a hearing. If the whole were hearing, were with a smelling. But now hath God set the members, every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they and if they were all one member, where would the body? But now are they many members, but yet one body? The eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee. No, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, upon these, we bestow more abundant honor, and our uncumbly parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need. But God hath tempered the body together, and hath given more abundant honor to that part which lacked, that there should be no sism division in the body, but that the members, and I read all that to get to this point right here, but that the members But that the members should have the same care one for another. He says he goes into this and of course he's dealing with something with people not accepting their place where God has placed them in the body. They're trying to be something that God did not call them to be. Can I tell you tonight, we need to be content with where God has placed us. We need to be content with the talents we have. We need to be content with what we are able to give to God. Because Paul was dealing with people that were saying, "Well, I I want to be this. I know I'm this, but I want to be that." And he likened the body, the church, to a human body. And then he went through you you you saw where the the the the hand says, "I'm not this." And the eye says, "I'm not this." And he he he said it didn't make them because they were saying they were not of this. It didn't make them not part of the body. It just really made them discontented where they're at. Can I tell you, I believe that discontentment is an old wore out tool that the devil uses on a lot of people. They can't be happy. I'm going to tell you, if you can't be happy where you're at, you're not going to be happy with where you're going. >> That's the truth. It's like, you know, some people think that some people think that they could just have some changes in their life that that things would would would be better for them. It's kind of like being diagnosed with cancer at UT hospital and you don't like the diagnosis, so you decide to move to Kentucky. Can I tell you, you still got cancer. All right? You still got cancer. And you you you still got to understand discontentment is an old tool the devil wears people out with because he wants to he wants to simply try to get them out of their place. But Paul went through this and that's really not my Bible study tonight. My Bible study is verse 15. Because there's benefits to being a part of the body. And that is verse number 25. That there should be no sism in the body, no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. I'm going to tell you a blessing to be a part of the family of God is that the body, the members care for one another. There's a there's a there's a care there for for one another. You you know, you look at the world, the world's very cruel. I can give you a good example of that. The world's very very cruel. As a matter of fact, the um the fans of the Patriots that lost so horribly on Sunday night. Do you know way before the game was over, the fans empty the stadium, the the fans of the the Patriots, they emptied the stadium. Now, how's that for loyalty? How's that for leaving you when things are down? But hey, wake up in the world. That's the way the world will do you. But when you're in the body of Christ, it may be fourth quarter and you may be down several touchdowns, but I'm going to tell you, it will be the members of the body of Christ that'll stay with you and that will encourage you even when the buzzer goes off and you've lost. It'll be the members of the body of Christ. Come on now. It'll be the members of the body of Christ that'll say, "We'll do it better next time. We'll be do it better next time." Let's go back to the book of Ephesians chapter 4 verse number 11. It seems we stay in this body. You see the family of God is likened to a human body. Ephesians 4 and 11. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints. For the perfecting of the saints. That word there perfecting means maturing, maturing, growing, maturing, growing, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man or mature man, unto the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ, that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and the cunning craftiness whereby they lay wait to deceive. Listen to this now. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ. I'm going to tell you the blessing of being a part of the body of Christ. We talked about hands and feet. We talked about we we we talked about all the the hands and the feet. But the beauty of the body of Christ is the head. It's whose our head is. And our head is Jesus Christ. Look at that verse with me again. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ. From whom? From the head, the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Now, let me share something with you tonight. Let me share something with you tonight. Our main goal is not miracles. Our main goals is the glorification of Jesus Christ. >> I said our main goals isn't mira Oh, if we could just have some miracles. No, I'm going to tell you something. Doesn't work that way. If God wants to give miracles, we believe God for miracles. We trust God for miracles. But if miracles come or they don't come, I'm going to lift up the head, which is Jesus Christ. I'm going to magnify the head of this church. Come on, youth group. Keep singing about that name because there is no sweeter name and and there is no sweeter name but the name of Jesus. He wants us to lift him up. That's what this is all about tonight. We're going to lift up the head because when we lift up the head, did you notice we begin to grow up when we begin to lift up the head tonight? There's benefits. There's benefits of belonging to the body of Christ. There's benefits and that is life and growth. But most of all, the life and growth comes from Jesus Christ. Pray for and pity people who have deceived themselves that call themselves Christians but never attend a house of God. You're deceived. You're deceived. There isn't a foot out there flopping that's not connected to a leg bone. There isn't an arm out there in the middle of that that there. And you're saying that's that's that's like you saying, "Hey, look at me. I'm over here." No, you you got to be connected. And thank God there is life and there is growth. When we are connected to the body and the body is connected to the head, there is life and growth. I promise you, you'll mature in areas you never dreamed you could mature in. If you'll start running with the body, things will be said to you. You'll learn how to do certain things if you will run with the body. You must be connected to the body because the body is connected to the head. Amen. >> Colossians chapter 2 verse number eight. I love studying God's word because so many times when I study God's word, things just things that are so relevant for the hour seem to pop out to me. And I I was reading Colossians. I was reading today Colossians chapter 2 verse number eight. He says here, he says, "Beware lest any man spoil you." That word spoil means to take away. It means like thievery. He's taking away. Said, "Beware lest any man spoil you. through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Let me let me show show you something. Beware when people try to rob you of your faith with such silly questions such as who created God? Who created God? And when you try to answer that, which the answer is no one, God's eternal. And our brains are not programmed to run the software of eternity. That's where faith comes in. >> In Genesis 1:1, it didn't start like this. I'm God. Really? Believe me. Really know that I'm God. Put believe me I am him. No, it didn't start that way. It simply started out stating a fact. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. >> So there there there is so-called, and I I'll read it to you out of a different translation. I think you'll be blessed. Says, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit." They have a different translation that says it this way. It says, "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, pseudo intellectual babble according to the traditions and mulling of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world rather than following the truth, the teachings of Jesus Christ. They want to try to trip you up about things of creation, things of this world." But the answer is not in the things of this world. The completeness that we have is that Jesus Christ is the creator of this world. >> Let me read on in verse number nine. For in him, it's a it's it's interesting this verse is here. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him, which is the head, there it is, the head of all principality and power, in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision, made without hands, putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, whoath raised him from the dead. Let me go back to this different translation here. For in him all the fullness of deity, the Godhead dwells in bodily form completely expressing the divine essence of God. And in him you have been made complete, achieving spiritual stature through Christ. He is the head over all rule and authority and over every angelic and earthly power. In him you were also circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands but by the spiritual circumcision of Christ in the stripping off of the body of the flesh, the sinful carnal nature and having being buried with him in baptism and ri raised with him to new life through your faith in the working of God as displayed as when he Christ rose from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, the worldliness and manner of life, God made you alive together with Christ, having freely forgiven us all our sins. I'm going to show you something. That's what the carnal intellectual babble of this world has to do. I find it hard. I want to I want to prep all of you future college students. When you go to college, you're going to find some things out. You're going to take a class to help you in your career. And you're going to find that sometimes there's going to be somebody there that's going to zero in on you and feel sorry that you believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you're you're you believe the word of God is the word of God. And they're going to try to free you of these chains here. Can I tell you something? They are not freeing you. They are putting you in bondage. There is no greater freedom than the freedom of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I'm free to make the right choices. I'm free. I'm going back and forth between these two translation. Here's the the uh King James here in verse number chapter number two of Colossians in verse number let's go down to verse number 14. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us took it out of the way nailing it to his cross. Having spoiled principalities and powers he made a show of them openly triumphing over them in it. Let no man judge you. Now I'm going to stop there for a moment. I'm going I'm going to I'm going to stop there for a moment. Let me go back to this other translation. I think it'll kind of help us. Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands which were enforced against us and which were hostile toward us. And this certificate he has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross. Can I tell you what he did? All of us in sin, brother Mayo had a death certificate. We had a death certificate. Our sin was our death certificate. But thank God that what he did at the cross, he came by and took our death certificate and he said, "I will nail it to my cross." And because of that, we have the opportunity to be born again of the water and of the spirit. So he took it aside. And then verse 15, having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Now he says he he made a show of them. Can I can I preach to you something right now? The victory has already been won. We just have to live the victorious life. The victory, he triumphed over it. Do you know what the church is doing in this present day? We are demonstrating the victory over everything that hell tries to bring against the church of Jesus Christ. Neero Neero tried to stamp out the church. Tradition says and history says that Neero of Rome losing his power set the city of Rome on fire and blamed it on the early church. And they were persecuted to such an extent that they would take the bo they would take the bodies of Christians and they would dab them and immerse them in liquid wax and they would set them on fire and light the the the streets of Rome. The halftime in the Roman coliseum was that they brought out Christians and they brought them in and they turned the wild lions and they turned the dogs and the gladiators loose on them. But certain historians wrote about them and they wrote about these peculiar people. He said they march out into the middle of that that coliseum floor. They march out with heads high and shoulders back as if they're marching to a celebration. They are absolutely confident. I'm going to tell you why they're marching. They know to be absent from the body was to be present with the Lord. They knew they'd feel a momentary pain, but they knew the momentary pain was nothing to be compared to the glory of being with the Lord Jesus Christ. They knew that. They knew that. And they walk victorious. Can I tell you something today? We when we stay in the body of Christ, we are demonstrated. Hell has tried to take some of you out by various methods through the years. Hell has tried to destroy some of your faith. Some of you are here tonight without a loved one. Some of you are here tonight with with certain things in your past that you wish you didn't have and you wish didn't happen. But praise be unto God that giveth us the victory. When I walk in tonight, when every husband or every spouse, every wife walks in here tonight without a husband, without a wife, because they buried them, and they lift up their hands and they begin to worship God, it is an open demonstration that I have been free, that I have got the victory. I have got the victory. Somebody say, "Amen." >> Now, let me show you what I saw today as I studied this. You'll notice in verse number eight, we start off by saying, "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy, vain deceit." That's that that's that uh that's that babble of the world. Where did God come from? And all of all of this. But now we come down to verse number 16. And it says, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of any holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days, which are a shadow of things to come. But the body is Christ." Now, notice how the devil uses the tools. If he can't have a so-called intellectual to try to get you to doubt the existence of God, he will bring a counterfeit spiritual person in your life that'll try to tell you. He's not going to try to tell you there is no God. Not going to try to tell you there is no Christ. He's going to try to they're going to try to tell you the way you're serving your God and your Christ, you don't have to. All right? So, look at these two tricks that the enemy has. Let me go back to that again. Verse 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or drink or expect of any holy day or of the new moon or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body of Christ. Let no man beguile you, trick you, deceive you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he have not seen, vainly puffed up of his own flesh. Look at that verse again. the worshshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he have not seen, vainly puffed up by his own flesh. I'm going to I'm going to tell you tonight and those that are watching the internet, the church I pastor, the church I'm over, the church that I lead, the church that I love, the church that I want to feed, but can I tell you that when a congregation goes more emotional over a preacher getting up and saying, "There's angels here tonight. There's angels in this building." But the preacher can get up and say, "The presence of God is here." So, you don't believe in angels? You're wrong. I do believe in angels, but I am not going to allow a so-called Now, notice what Paul said. He said they're claiming they see something that they don't see because they want to appear to be spiritual. They want to appear. They want you to understand, oh that that man sees angels. I'm not saying that he doesn't. But I am telling you one thing. It should not be a man telling you he sees an angel that causes you to begin to worship God and magnify God. There is no power. They didn't sing tonight. I would have stopped them tonight if they would say there is no other name like the name of Gabel. There is no other name. There is no other name. Oh, Michael, your name is worthy. There is no other name. But I'm gonna tell you something. If we don't watch it in Pentecost, we have gotten tired of exalting the name of Jesus Christ. And now it's fleshly men. Now notice this. They're puffed up by their own mind. Who do you want to lead you? A fleshly puffed up mind or the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ? I'm telling you, if we exalt Jesus, he'll bring the sinner down the aisle. I'm telling you, if we exalt Jesus, he'll help you walk through your dark valley. Again, don't you dare leave here tonight and say, "I don't believe in angels." I do believe in angels, but keep them in the right place. An angel never shed his blood for you. An angel never healed your body. An angel never did any of that. Come on, let's lift up the Lord Jesus Christ tonight. Let's magnify the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is able. And there'll be all kinds, and I really don't care, but there'll be all kinds of people say, "Yeah, he's blessed. He don't believe in operating in the gifts." And and I do believe in operating in the gifts. I do believe that there's angels. I do believe I could I I could just tell you I could tell you that I believe there's angels, but I'm not going to let that be, hey, we gonna get Brother Cartman to come preach for us. He's got some angel stories. It just gets people to the altar. No sir, let's lift up Jesus. You want a happy family? You want to be a happy life? You want to have a happy life? Let Jesus be on your lips daily. Let him be the first word you say in the morning and the last word you say at night. Let let let the name of Jesus be that that that I praise you, Jesus. I magnify you, Jesus. And you know what? without you seeing it. Gabriel's going to help that car get back in the other line. And Gabriel's going to stop that person that was going to do this or going to do that if you just lift up Jesus. Verse number 19, the Bible said, "Well, let me read verse 18. That'll be good to read again. Let no man beg you." I've seen it on both ends. I've seen people get picked out of the body by so-called intellectuals that cause them to doubt the existence of God. I've seen people get picked out of the body because somebody got in their ear and began say, "Oh, they don't operate in the gifts there. They don't operate this. They don't, you know, it seems like they just have the Bible study and you know, they just, you know, you could about tell their service they're going to get up. They're going to shout. People going to run to the altar and they going to shout, broke arms going to preach and and they're going to do that." Yeah. We're lifting up Jesus. It's what we come here to do. We didn't come here to get binoculars out and look for angels. We came here to lift up the name that's above every name and to magnify the Lord. And you know what? If we have tongues and interpretation tonight, praise God. And if we don't have tongues and interpretation tonight, if we've lifted up Jesus, I don't have it in my notes. I don't have it in my notes, but I can tell you it's in the Bible. I don't have it in my notes. So, we need to When's the last time somebody prophesied at your church? The Bible says in the book of Revelation, for the spirit of Jesus, For the testimony of Jesus, the testimony of Jesus, Brother Hammond, the testimony of Jesus is a spirit of prophecy. >> You can't You can't have a better prophecy than telling what Jesus can do. >> If you're an alcoholic, he can sober you up. >> If you're a drug addict, he can get you Listen, he can get you unhooked. He was hung up for your hang-ups. If your marriage is in trouble, he can be the greatest counselor you'll ever have. If you're feeling lonely without a friend, he'll come and sit on your bed in the middle of the night and give you sweet peace like you've never had before. But you're not going to get it looking for an angel to walk through the door. I I got to have something. The curtains have got to move. The lights have got to flash. No, no, no. You just got to begin by faith to lift up Jesus. He's real. He came to this earth. He's the almighty God. I place my faith in him. I place my faith in him. Let no man begile you of reward and of voluntary humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, not holding the head. That's the problem. Some people have a headless ministry. They don't have any head. not holding the head from which all the body by joints and bands have nourished, ministered and knit together increasth with the increase of God. Everybody say, "Praise God." >> We become part of the family of God. How? By doing his will. Hear people all the time, I want the will of God. I want the will of God. Let's see if we can find that because I just don't believe that God keeps his children in the county fair house of mirrors. Want the will of God. I just want they just go through their life. They go through productive years of ministry when they could have been spending it raising their children the right way. They could have been spending it. They could have been spending it being useful for God, mowing the churchyard or being a teacher in a Sunday school classroom. you you know, but you know, they're they were made for bigger things than just sitting there and teaching a bunch of five or six year old kids. They were they were made for angel sightings and they were made for tumor removals and that they were made for all of these different things. Can I tell you them five or six years old, they are just as in need of having a spiritual voice in their life as some evangelist going through uh Africa and have and and again I want to keep prefacing this tonight. Can he remove a tumor? You better believe he can. Can he cause a leg to grow? You better believe he can. Can he raise the dead? You better believe he can. But church, hear me tonight. There's nothing as valuable as being in the local church, being a part of the body of Christ and letting the head begin to speak to us. I want everybody to lift up your hands right now and praise him. If you're glad to be a part of the body of Christ, come on, >> praise him right now. It's not that hard to be in the will of God. >> I don't know how many are here tonight, but there are several hundred people here in the will of God. It was God's will for you to be here tonight. Wake up. It's God's will for you to be here. Matthew 12 verse number 46. Listen to this. Matthew 12:46. while he yet talked to the people. It's Jesus. Behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. He's on the inside preaching, and Mary and his halfb brothers come, and they're want to speak to him. Then one said unto him, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee." But he answered and said unto him that told him, "Who is my mother? And who are my brethren?" And he stretched forth his hand toward the disciples and said, "Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of my father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, my sister, and my mother." Can I tell you? You want to be a part of God's family, do God's will. You want to be a part of God's family, do the will of God. In everything, give thanks. For this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus. He not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance. You see, um I think we got to understand tonight how important it is to be a part of the body. Very important. You don't really I hope that I've done a good job. I hope I do I hope I do a good job for the rest of the Bible lesson tonight to tell you how important you are as the body. You're very important as the body. Matthew chap 25 and verse number 31 is talking about the judgment of nations when he shall judge the nations. There's some nations in this earth right now that are persecuting the church and uh there will be a judgment day for those nations. But in Matthew 25:31, it says, "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all of his holy angels with him, then shall he set upon the throne of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. He shall set up the sheep, he shall set the sheep on the right, his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand. Now listen what he says to those on the right hand. Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Look at verse 35 real close. For I was a hunger and you gave me meat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. Naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hunger, and fed thee not, or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in, or naked and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? Listen what he says. They're saying, when did we see you in this condition? Then shall he say verse and the king verse number 40. And the king shall answer and say unto them, verily I say unto you, in so much as you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, you have done it unto me. Look how important that is. Jesus looks down at you and any mistreatment of you is a mistreatment of him. Jesus looks down and anything good done to you is something that is done to him. Now I know a lot of times let say have compassion. If somebody's hungry, feed them. But you can't necessarily say that's the Lord because everybody hungry begging for food is not Christian. Now, that's going to rattle you. All right? Because some of you, that guy standing on the exit at that at the interstate that's got the sign, and you're thinking, "Oh, you know, he said I'll do it under it." No, no, no, no, no, no. probably he's got a car better than yours at the gas station. All right, but now if you want to be compassionate, be compassionate. But don't do it under the guise. Well, that might be Jesus there. That might be an angel there. I promise you angels don't smoke cigars. I I'm just going to tell you, right? I'm God help us tonight. Won't you go start the car, honey? I'm I'm just going to dismiss and go right out that door right there. Be compassionate. I fed. We have fed. You have fed. We have helped a lot of people. But we were being compassionate. Not doing it because, well, that might be Jesus. Our compassion is to tell them about our Jesus. But here he's talking about how valuable, brother Daryl, how valuable the church. Doesn't that make you feel valuable tonight to know that something good is done to one of his is as if you're doing it to him? Let me let me finish the story out here. Verse 41. Then shall he say unto them on the left, these are the ones on the left. Depart from me, you cursed into everlasting fire. Wow. Prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no meat. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. A stranger and you took me not in. Naked and you clothed me not. Sick and in prison, you visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we the hungered or thirst, stranger, naked, sick, prison, and did not minister unto thee. Then shall he answer them, saying, "Verily, I say unto you, in as much as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me, and these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." I'm telling you something tonight. That's why we need to understand how important it is to be good to one another because you're not just you're not just Brother Wales tonight. You are brother wells the Lord Jesus tonight. You are a member of the body of Christ. And if I'm mean to you, I'm just preaching the book. Good people. If I'm mean to you, I'm mean to him. If I do him wrong, I do him wrong. And God knows I don't want to do God wrong tonight. So let's understand the value of one another. We are part of his body. We're part of his body. I've got to hurry to an end here. Acts 7 verse number 58. And they cast him out, Steven. They cast him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet whose name was Saul. They stoned Steven, calling upon God, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Saul was glad they had killed this man, this preacher called Stephen. He holds the coats for them. Ver chapter number eight verse number one. And Saul was consenting unto his death. He was glad that he died. And at that time there was great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered abroad through the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Devout men carried Steven to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house, hailing men and women, committed them to prison. It's a Saul chapter 9 verse one. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus. And suddenly there shine round about him a light from heaven. and he fell to the earth, heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting my people? Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting the church? It's not what he said, was it? What' he say? Somebody help me tonight. Why are you persecuting me? And he said, "Who art thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." Can I tell you tonight how valuable we ought to feel that we are the body of Christ. When they stoned Steven, Jesus said, "You're stoning me." And when they were arresting men and women and putting them in prison, Jesus said, "That's me." I don't know about you, but the most powerful being in this world doesn't live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The most powerful being in this world, you wasn't baptized in the name, let me be fair to everybody. You wasn't baptized in the name of Joe Biden and you wasn't baptized in the name of Donald Trump. They are mortal men. You were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the creator of heaven and earth. And he still reigns. He still in control. He still is going to come back. And guess what? We are his children. And that puts a shout. I'm glad to be a part of the family of God. Oh, bear with me just a few more moments. But can I tell this church something tonight? Cain woke up one morning without a brother because he killed him. He woke up one morning and he didn't have a brother to show him how to worship and he didn't have a brother to help him out. You know why? He killed him. He killed him. You see, we are in a perfect body, but the members are imperfect. But can I tell you, it is God's will for you and Jesus to work on your imperfection. And I would say, leave the other people with their imperfections alone. But I'm going to add something to it. Don't criticize them. Encourage them to live for God. Encourage them to get back up and try again. Let me read you a verse because Paul addressed it in the Galatians. Paul Paul addressed it then and brother Ericson, brother Hammond, Brother Cartman, I know we had we had uh we had meetings about what these these four nights these Wednesday nights were supposed to be. And I I don't think I fulfilled the the the the uh u the dialing in on the marriage. But I I do believe if we can understand how valuable we are to God, Galatians 5:13, watch this please. For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. what Paul is dealing with here. There were those that had the full revelation that the law had been fulfilled and the the Old Testament law, the the the the holy days of Sabbath and all of that and and all of the keeping of the new moons and all that, they had been they had been fulfilled and and and they were free to worship God in the gospel. But there were those that that still held to some of this. And Paul said, Paul said, ' Don't use your liberty for an occasion to the flesh. Don't lord your liberty over your brother, but by love serve one another. Do you see that in verse 13? Look at verse 14. For all the law was fulfilled in one word, even this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Y shall love the neighbor as yourself. I'm I'm going to tell you something tonight. There is a divine law called giving mercy. And the Bible said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." And I've pastored Sister Paula for 42 years in this church. And I have used this method for 42 years. I want to treat people I want to treat the women in this church like I would want a pastor to treat my sister that's here tonight. I want to treat your fallen son and your fallen daughter just like I would want somebody to treat my fallen son and my fallen daughter. You see, you might sit high in the saddle tonight because everything is good in your life and you don't have a granddaughter doing this or a grandson that's done that. Everything's real pretty in your life. But I promise you, I'm not hoping it happens, but life will happen. The tables will turn. Somebody will be what they shouldn't be and you'll find yourself. But when it comes to that, I want to have swn enough mercy in the people that I've pastored that when it comes back to my house, somebody's going to say, "Pastor, you gave us mercy and we're going to give you mercy. You gave us mercy." I believe that's a divine law tonight. I believe do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Come on, praise him right now. There's a divine law of blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Oh Lord, help me to bring this to an end. Verse 14, for all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Look at verse 15. Look at verse 15, please. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another spouse. Just keep devouring all the flaws in your spouse. Just keep just keep just keep negative negative negative nitpicking nitpicking nitpicking and he's going to nitpick nit nitpick nit nitpick you and all of a sudden one day they'll talk about the people that used to be married. They'll talk about why because if you're just biting one another and devouring each other one of these days you're going to you're just going to both devour one another. Same thing can happen in a church. We get to nitpicking each other in the church. Church never be perfect. We can never get the air set for everybody around here. We can never get the sound set for everybody around here. We can never get the lighting set for everybody around here. We never get everybody set. You get, "Oh, this is my seat." Well, it's really not your seat. I'm sorry. It's really not your seat. I don't care how much luggage you put there. It's really not your seat. All right. I got five or six saved people clapping their hands right now. It's really not your seat. And when people start saying, "Well, I got the issue." No, no, no. Let me tell you something. You got a heart issue. You got a heart issue. David Acres, one of my good friends, he told fact, he pastored the church your mom and dad pastored. But he had person come to that church one time, come to service. And they said, "Oh, brother Acres said, "We used to come here and said, "We found the perfect church. We found the perfect church. We're we're attending the perfect church now." You know what brother Aker said? He said, "Don't go there." Don't go there. Well, why not? He said, and I asked him, I said, "You really say that?" He said, "I really said it, Bill Carpenter." He said, "Don't go there. You'll mess it up." Come on. Let's don't let the youth group start nitpicking each other. Let's don't let Don't let don't let start nitpicking each other. Let's leave all that alone. Let's understand whether I'm nitpicking you. I'm nitpicking Jesus. >> When I'm nitpicking you, I'm nitpicking at Jesus. Let me go on maybe maybe one more verse or maybe two more verses. Galatians 6 and9. Six and nine. Let us not be weary in what kind of doing? For in we shall what if we so he's talking about doing good right in doing good you can get weary right and he's saying don't get weary and welloing for in due season you'll reap if you ain't not. Look at the verse that this is connected to. This is connected to this verse. As we have therefore what? As we have what? Let us do good to how many men. >> Is that a period? So, is there more to read? Because I really want you to be with me now. We can be kind to sinners and that's good. As we have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially especially especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Shame on us when we can be kind to people that we don't even know. But we can't be kind to people that are in the church, baptized in Jesus' name, filled with the Holy Ghost, worshiping God, loving God. Come on, folks. It's time that we understand. I'm glad to be a part of the family of God. Hear me tonight. There's nobody going to stay with you like the people in the church of the living God. The world will flirt with you. They'll tell you, "I'll be your friend." They'll be your friend as long as you're doing what they say. But the minute you don't, they'll turn their back on you and walk out of the stadium. But the church, the church will stay with you. The church will be right there with you. >> Come on, stand with me right now tonight. Church, give us a little homework tonight. Let me give you a little homework tonight. How can I do? How can I How can I improve myself? Be mindful of burdens of others. Be mindful of burdens of others. Be mindful of burdens of others. Well, I can't help them. I know you can't just like I can't. But I tell you what I can do. I can give them an encouraging work encouraging word. Praying for you. thinking about you. They got a burden. That's right. An encouraging word can help somebody. An encouraging word. A u family that's going through something. Just an encouraging word. Be compassionate. Be compassionate. Be considerate. Be mindful of them. give an encouraging word. But oh God, don't ever let it be said that I said something that caused that individual that think there's no hope for me. There's just no hope for me. You can make it. You are God's very best. Young boy, young lady, hold your head up. Yes, things happen, but things happen. But aren't you thankful that mercy is greater than things that happen? >> Come on. Aren't you glad that Aren't you glad that things are God's mercy is greater than what happened? You see, you see, brother Hammond, here's what the devil wants to do. He wants to take a picture of a moment of your life and it's the worst day and it's the worst decisions and it's the regret of all your life and the devil takes that picture and then he hands it to you and for the rest of your life you go through life pulling the picture out and remembering the worst day of your life but mercy comes by and mercy says give me that picture and mercy rips it And mercy says, "Your life is fresh and new every morning. Great is God's faithfulness." And I not only want to tell a young person this tonight, I want to tell an adult here that's got a picture in your pocket of something that happened 20 years ago and you're living that. Thank God for mercy. Thank God it's a real. It's a real. Yes, I did that. But keep running the reel. I went to the altar. I climbed out of that mess. God restored me. And God touched me. Aren't you thankful for that right now? Let's pray for a moment. Let's pray. If you feel led, just put your hand over on somebody and pray for them right now. Father, Oh God. Oh God. How you can renew and restore. Oh God. I hope pictures are being ripped up right now. I hope they're being ripped up right now. And mercy is flowing freely. The blood is flowing through the body right now. The blood is flowing through the body right now. Oh, the past mistakes are getting washed away. And the the memory is being washed away. And the torment is being washed away. And there's a God who believes in me. And there's a body that believes in me. There's a hand that believes in me. There's an there's an ear that believes in me. There's a foot. There's a leg that believes in me right now. It believes that I can be something. It believes that I can be somebody. Lord, I love you, Jesus. I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. Let's sing this little chorus before we go home. Let's sing this little chorus before we go home. Bind us together, Lord. B us together with cords that cannot be broken. Lord b us together. Lord b us together. Lord b us together with love. Oh b us together lord. bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. Oh, bind us together, Lord. B us together, Lord. bind us together with love. Jesus, just touch us tonight, God. Lord, just move upon this church right now. God, move upon the men. Move upon the women. Move upon our youth tonight, God. Lord, help us to realize we are your body tonight. We are your family tonight, God. We are your family tonight. We are your family tonight. Oh, I Oh, I just wish that we would just pray for somebody right now. I I find it so hard just to bring this to an end tonight because we're part of the family of God. We're part of God's family right now. Would somebody help your pastor out tonight? Would you begin to pray for those there around you? Mighty God. Mighty God. Mighty God. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God. Oh, I worship you tonight, God. God, I worship you tonight, Lord. Oh, I'm so glad to be a part of the family of God. I'm so glad to be a part of the family of God. You don't you you don't know what it would mean to somebody tonight if you would if you would just obey what your heart's telling you right now and step across an aisle and begin to pray with somebody. You you don't know the encouragement that that might give them. You you you're waiting on me to go do that, but it it would mean a whole lot more coming from you. It wouldn't mean a whole lot if you walked down and you started praying with them right now. Oh God, bind us together, Lord, with those cords that cannot be broken. Lord, move upon us tonight, God, with those cords that cannot be broken. There is no sin mercy cannot cover. There is no mistake that mercy cannot cover. There is no mistakes that mercy and grace cannot cover. Right now, oh the mercies of God, let the blood flow right now. Come on. I wish somebody would obey the Lord. I wish somebody obey the Lord. God's telling somebody to step out of your pew right now. God's telling you, God's laying somebody on your heart right now. Just step out of your pew and begin to pray. Just step out and begin to pray. Go to that person you've got on your mind right now. Go to that person you've been thinking about right now. Go to them right now and begin to pray with them right now. Go to that Gloria Franklin right now. Go to that K Hannah right now. Go to that Gina Penton right now. Oh, go to that. Go to that one right now. Oh, yes, God. Yes, God. Yes, God. Oh, go to that Darren Cooper right now. Oh, yes. Go to that Paula Solomon right now. Oh, go. Come on. Right now, reach out and just pray for somebody. Go to that Mayo right now. Go to that person right now. We're members of his body. We're going to minister to each other tonight. Oh, I pray for their children. Lord, I pray God for Lord, I pray for Bethany and Josh and Angley tonight. Oh God, I pray for them tonight. God, Lord, I pray for all the Ammon's grandchildren tonight. Lord, I pray for their children. I Lord, I pray for Britney. Lord, I Lord, I pray for Britney, God, up in Greenville tonight. And Lord, I pray for her children right now. Oh, God, I pray for Zach. and and and I I pray God for Zach and and and and and Brianna tonight. Lord, I pray for Zach and Brianna tonight, Lord. Lord, I pray for that little baby that's growing on the inside of the womb right now. God, I pray that baby is born safe into this world. Lord, I pray over that child right now. Lord, I pray over the church family right now. God, I pray over Randy Cognel and Teresa Cognell. Lord, I pray over McKenzie. God, I pray over Cody and his wife. Lord, I pray over the needs. Come on, obey the Lord right now. Obey the Lord right now. God's telling somebody to step out. It's going to be your prayers that are going to mean something tonight. Going to be your prayers that are going to mean something tonight. It's going to be your prayers that are going to mean something tonight. It's going to be your prayer that's going to mean something tonight. How about the young people? Could I get the Could I get the youth moving out of their section tonight? There's a young person you need to go pray for. There's somebody you need to pray for right now. Lord, in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus right now. Oh, I pray for Shannon Wilson, God. Lord, I pray God for Shannon and David. Lord, I pray God for his for his mother-in-law. I pray for his father-in-law, God. I pray for Art and Debbie Sniter tonight. Lord, I pray for Brother Robert Thompson tonight, God. Lord, I pray for this church family tonight. God, I pray for this church family tonight. I pray for the Preston family tonight. The Voluntine family tonight. I pray for the Bland family tonight. I pray for these families tonight. Come on. Somebody needs to obey God. Somebody needs to obey God. There's a break that can happen if you step out and begin to pray with somebody right now. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. That's right, Sister Step. Thank you. That's right, Sister Step. Thank you tonight. That's right, Sister Step. That's right, Sister Step. Thank you tonight. That's right. That's right. Young people, pray right now. That's right. Pray right now. Pray. Pray. Pray. Oh, God. In the name. Let's be dismissed this way. Let's be dis dismissed this way. I ask you, step out of your pew. Go pray for somebody right now. If you've already prayed for somebody, pray for somebody else right now. In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Oh, we are members of his body. Oh, we are members of his body right now. Lord, God, I pray for Sister Vicky Warner that called us this week. God, you know what Sister Vicky Warner needs. Lord, you know the needs of Sister Vicky Warner right now. Lord, you know what she has need of right now. God, Lord, move upon that need. Lord, give her wisdom to walk through the doors. Give her wisdom to make those right decisions, God. Lord, I pray right now. Jesus, Jesus, God. Jesus, Jesus, God. Jesus, Jesus, God. Jesus, Jesus, God. Oh, God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Lord, I pray for Brother Jacob Sullivan. Lord, I pray for sister Alan Sullivan. Lord, I pray for Stephen and Amanda. I pray for Ken and Lori tonight. God, I pray for the I pray for Hyde family. Lord, I pray over them right now. God, in your name. In your name. In your name. I lay my hands. I pray for these people, God. >> Hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Glory to God. Glory to God. One more time. One more time. I'm I'm pressing you because I I really feel compelled. I really feel compelled. Go pray with somebody. Go pray with somebody right now. Go pray with them right now. Your voice will encourage them. Jesus name. In Jesus name. Oh God touch Lindsay. God touch Seth. God touch Seth and Lindsay. God touch Seth and Lindsay Long. Oh, God touch these families. God, God touch these families. Oh God, God touch labri tonight. Lord touch lab and her husband tonight. Oh God touch these families tonight. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Your prayer means something tonight. You are the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ. You are the body of Christ. Hallelujah. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah. Brother Richard, pray for somebody before you leave. Would you please would you pray? I know you've been praying, but would you just find somebody and pray with them right now? Glory to God. I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. Sweet Jesus. If you if you have to go home, I understand many of you got to get up early in the morning and if you have to to slip out right now, I totally understand. But I believe somebody's getting encouragement right now. I believe somebody's getting an answer right now. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I pray for my brothers. I pray for my sisters. I pray for those that need to get over. I pray for those that need to go forward. I pray for those right now. Jesus. Lord, I love you, Lord. I love you, God. Lord, I love you tonight. I love you tonight. I love you tonight, God. Lord, you're sweet. Lord, you're beautiful. Lord, you're magnificent. Lord I praise you.