Stirred Up Saints | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

if you have your Bibles and would open up to the book of Acts Acts chapter 17 and verse number one and I'd like to welcome some very honored special guests with us tonight brother and sister Anders from the great state of Mississippi we are so glad we're so glad to have you all here with us tonight and they are here celebrating an anniversary and we are so glad to have them in the house of the Lord are you glad to have the anders with us tonight man of God and his precious wife from Mississippi and I look forward to fellowshipping with you for a few moments after service thank you so much for being with us tonight now this this announcement um I don't have I don't have a problem announcing this this announcement it's the other one that I have the problem with but this coming Sunday we're going to be honoring sister Carpenter first lady her birthday is July the 4th and we're going to be honoring her with a a birthday offering on this coming Sunday so be prepared to bless to bless uh first first lady and she's doing an awesome job I I I I can tell you she's done an awesome job she is the she is the wind in my sails she's the wind in my cell and uh I told her the other day I told her the other day she said she didn't really want me to talk about it I thought it was good I said you know she's such a problem solver she's such a problem solver she could solve problems and I I said I said if I go before you if I if you go before I go let me get it straight you go before I go I said I've already got the text for your for your memorial service well she didn't like that at all all right that just you know who wants to hear about the text you got rid of but they had a problem in the Bible they had a problem they brought a problem to Jesus they said who do we render tribute to and he simply he simply asked him a question he just simply said show me a penny all right I said Penny even Jesus was using you way back in the Bible well I don't know if I use that one or not anyway let's let's go let's go to Acts chapter 17 verse number one now when they had passed through amphibulus and apple Apollonia I've been practicing on those they came to thessalonica where was a synagogue of the Jews I want to minister tonight and just keep your Bibles open there because we're going to go through this 17th chapter but I want to minister tonight on stirred up Saints all right stirred up Saints isn't it wonderful how relevant our Bible is it Wonder of how relevant our Bible is that whatever you can be going through you can start boom there it already wow I can relate to that I'm so glad for this word tonight father I thank you for your word the lamp and the light I thank you for your word God I thank you for the honey God I thank you Lord for the honey God that is in your word tonight I thank you for this group of people God that have come to study your word on this Wednesday evening Lord allow me and anoint me God to minister your word I'll give you praise and honor in Jesus wonderful name we pray amen and amen you may be seated this history that is recorded in the book of Acts this Luke the recorder of the one that wrote the book of Acts is writing of the history and the ministry and the traveling of the Apostle Paul verse number one he tells about a city that Paul came to and then at the end of verse number one of chapter 17 he says where was a synagogue of the Jews in other words Paul had landed to replace it had a synagogue we would we would know it as a as a church verse 2. and Paul as his manner was went in unto them and three sabbaths reasoned with them out of the scripture now as his manner was I am so glad to be in the habit of going to church that's what that means there as his manner was or as his habit was he went into the synagogue he stayed three weeks three sabbaths and he reasoned with them out of the scriptures verse 3. opening and alleging that Christ must have suffered and risen again from the dead and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ he went into those synagogues those places of worship and he began to open up the scriptures and he began to prove through the Old Testament scriptures that this Jesus who had recently been crucified and recently rose from the dead and ascended up into heaven he is he is teaching them through Moses that this is that this is the Christ verse 4. and some of them believed and some of them believed and consorted that word there means to keep company with and consorted with Paul and Silas and The Devout Greeks a great multitude and of the cheap women not a few now this this is a this is a a sizable revival going on this is a size of well it's not a Revival let's let's get the Bible terminology correct it's not a Revival because something had to be alive for it to be revived and so these people have never had spiritual lives so this is this is a harvest this is someone that Paul is planning the word of God he is sowing the seeds of the word of God and these people begin to believe him now please know it's with me in verse number four it says and some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas and of The Devout Greeks a great multitude so now some believed and then it went into The Devout Greeks it went into the to The Devout Greeks and when it goes into there it says a great multitude so this is a great number this is a great number of people and then it even goes on and adds and of the chief women not a few in other words there were some very notable women in this in this area and they believe the gospel they believe what Paul said and and they believe so there's a great multitude and there are there there's some there are some of the that believe and consorted with Paul this is a great Revival is excuse me this is a Great Harvest isn't it this is a great harvest we like Harvest around here don't we we we we love we love the fact that people get baptized on a regular basis around here don't we we love the fact that people get the Holy Ghost on a regular basis around here right we love the fact that we have guests come about every service we'll have guests coming we've got interest of people wanting to know about wanting to know about the apostolic gospel Doctrine we like that don't we Church certainly we do verse number five but the Jews which believe not now the Bible said some believed but what about the ones that believe not they are not content just to simply not believe but the Jews which believe not moved Within Me took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a company and set all the city on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason that's where Paul was allowed to stay that's where Paul was allowed to Lodge the house of Jason and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out unto the people now now now look at the the the the the scenery here we have a great harvest we have some that believe we have a multitude of devout Greeks that believe we have not a few of the cheap women that believe and obey the gospel but it seems like that the party that didn't want to believe were not content with just not believing what Paul said they had to turn around and be motivated be motivated to try to destroy those that believed and the Revival as a matter of fact they come and the Bible says look at verse number five they assaulted the house of Jason now now look at this let's go back and read verse 5 again here's the motivation but the Jews which believed not moved with Envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sword they they took they took people that were lewd they took people that that that that were that were this were lewd means vulgar all right they took the baser they took the they took the baser of the people and they they ignited them against the house of Jason against were the word was being or Paul had lodged and they come against and look at the word there in verse 5 they assaulted the house of Jason and brought and sought to bring them out to the people and when they found them not they drew Jason and certain Brethren under the rulers of the city crying these that have turned the world upside down have come here also now look at their charge look at their charge they have turned the world they have turned the world upside down what a crime what a crime to turn the world upside down which I'm going to tell you the world got turned upside down with sin the Blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ will turn the world right side up they've turned the world upside down whom verse 7 whom Jason he's received and these all do contrary to to the degrees of Caesar saying that there is another king one Jesus now I want you to know that Jesus Christ neither any of the Apostles preached a revolt against the government none of them did Jesus Christ said who should you pay tribute to they said bring me a penny he said whose inscriptions on that coin they said Caesar Jesus said Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things that are God they did not preach revolting against their government Jesus didn't nor any of the Apostles preach any such but look at how these lewd people of the base your source has to bring a slanderous report a half truth and it's not even this is not even a half truth here it's and I've always said a half truth is always a whole lie and it says verse 7 whom Jason hath received these all do contrary to the degrees of Caesar saying that there is another king one Jesus and they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things and when they had taken security of Jason and the other they let them go now I put these words together tonight stirred up Saints but really I just need two words tonight Saints and Stern because if you ever have a church you'll have a stirred up devil it is impossible to be the church without having a stirred up devil so let's not think it's strange when we're being the church that there would be a stirred up devil now what we're not going to do is call a truce with the Devil we're not going to call a truce with him we're going to preach true we're going to preach Holiness we're going to be the people that God has called us to be because let me tell you something hell can't win and Heaven can't lose so let's don't think it's strange you got you got this being stirred you've got this being stirred up well let's continue verse 10. and the Brethren immediately sent Away Paul and Silas By Night unto Berea Who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews they said listen y'all better move out of here move out of here and they go down to this city called Berea and what do they do they keep doing what they've always done they go into the synagogue verse 11. these bereans these were more noble than those in thessalonica they were they were better men than the people Paul had left in that they received the word with all Readiness of mine and searched the Scriptures Daily whether those things were so now these bereans that's a good group to be a mom because they were studying the scripture to see what the scriptures had to say verse 12. therefore many of them what come help me tonight now many of them what believe also of honorable women which were Greeks and of men not a few boy here's another good harvest see if we if we'll just keep doing what God's called us to do Church we'll keep getting what God wants and that that's a that's a harvest so Paul said hey if this look thessalonica don't want this and they cost an uproar we got down here to Berea and here we've got now we've got another we've got another Harvest on our hands look at verse 13. but when the Jews of thessalonica that's where they that's that's how folks got stirred up when they have thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached to Paul at Maria they came theater also and look what they did wherever God's moving the devil's going to try to stir people up stirred up the people and then immediately the Brethren sent Away Paul to go as it were to the Sea but Silas and timothius of both their Steel and they that conducted Paul brought him to Athens and receiving a commandment unto Solace and of mothius for to come to him with all speed they departed now now let's just look at this journey here he got Paul in thessalonica and he had a great harvest there but it stirred up the devil you got Paul at Berea he had a great harvest there isn't wonderful how relevant the Bible is he had a great harvest there what happened stirred up the devil so they just kind of take him down to Athens they take him down to Athens and they're waiting for they're waiting for timotheus and Silas to meet Paul there and as Paul is waiting I want to divide this up for you tonight Rome was the center of political power Rome was where all the political power was Corinth was were all the educational power Corinth was the Greeks it was where all the intellects were there but Athens Athens was the center of culture it was the center of the blendings of different different cultures and so now Paul finds himself at Carl finds himself excuse me it Athens look at verse 16. now while Paul waited for them at Athens his Spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city holy given to idolatry holy given idolatry now I did a little historical a little history research here and there was a common saying about the city that Paul's in there's a common saying there was so full of idols there was a common saying there's more Idols in Athens than men there's more Idols you can find more Idols there than men and Paul when he saw this city when he saw when he saw this city that was holy given to idolatry therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews and with The Devout persons and in the market daily with them that met with him in other words he wasn't just going to sit there in the midst of a city that was full of idolatry and not open his mouth he was going to declare unto them the gospel he was going to declare unto them the one true and living God and can we all agree tonight you'll never find satisfaction until you found Jesus you will never find satisfaction no not in political power not in education and not even in man-made religion or culture you will never find satisfaction the only way to find satisfaction is through the born-again message the only way to find satisfaction is through that relationship with Jesus Christ so therefore Paul went into the synagogue and he found any devout person that he could and in the marketplaces anybody that would meet with him verse 18. then certain philosophers and epicureans and the stoics encountered him and some said what will this babbler say what will this babbler say other some he seemeth to be a set of fourth of strange gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection now when he got the word out again Athens was a place of culture it was the epicenter of culture of the debating of ideas of the debating of logic and philosophies all of these things these two groups of people here the Epic Koreans and the stoics these were philosophers and when they began to hear Paul they said um look at verse 18. it wasn't very kind to him whether they said what does this babbler what is it babler say that word there literally means word pecker wordpicker it comes from woodpecker that's right in other words what's this man beating his head up saying oh what's it what's this word pecker doing what what's this woodpecker doing this pecker that's how these philosophers sing Jesus Christ that's our excuse me the Apostle Paul that's how they saw Jesus Apostle Paul he's just somebody he's just a babble listen to him over there babbling babbling he's singing To Be A Center Forth of some strange God because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection now anytime you had to build or you wanted to introduce a new god brother Holland anytime you wanted to to present a new God and I'm I'm kind of adding this to help us put the pieces together anytime anytime you wanted to present a new God and you wanted to present a new God so that you could get a permit to build a new Idol you could have a piece of ground on Mars Hill to have a new Idol built you had to stand before this almost like Senate um verse 19 is where we we find this at and they took him Paul and brought him unto the RL apocus saying may we know what this new doctrine and whereof thou speaking is in other words he had to stand before the Senate the Senate of people and he had to plead about this new God this Jesus Christ and the resurrection so now they take him and place him before this Senate he stands there in verse 20. they say for thou bringeth certain strange things to our ears we would know therefore what these things mean for all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else but to either tell or to hear some new thing that's what this whole Council was all about is if somebody had a new idea they had a new philosophy they had a new culture they had a new way of living they had a new way of gender identity they had a new way of what morals were all about this is where they stood so they take Paul and they said this is a strange new God this Jesus and the resurrection this is a strange new God speak Paul verse 22. then Paul stood in the midst of Mars Hill and said you men of Athens I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious now this was really a way to open up with a compliment he's really complimenting them because remember the saying of Athens there's more statues there's more Idols in Athens than there are men so Paul is standing in a place that there's just Idols all over the place because remember remember this fact remember this fact they believed that the gods always came down to the Earth they believed the gods came down to the Earth and so when Paul says I perceive that you're too superstitious he's really saying to them I perceive that you all are hungry I perceive that you're searching for something I perceive there's a hunger there's a hunger in in your hearts and he says he bases it on verse 23. for as I pass by and beheld your devotions or way of worship I found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God now this is this altar they had got together there at their Senate and they had a God here and a god there and a god war and God A Reign and a god of flowers they had all these remember there's more Idols in in Athens than there are men and somewhere along the way someone had the bright idea that there may be a God we don't know there may be a god we've missed out there may be and somebody said well let's make an altar to the unknown God and we'll go there to that God we'll go to that Altar and we'll say you know we don't know what to name you we don't know what to call you but if we've left you out we want to give you worship if we've left you out we want to give you we want to give you flowers or whatever whatever they would give if we've let you left you out it's the altar of the unknown God and Paul says I saw this altar with this inscription to the unknown God whom therefore ye ignorantly worship Him declare I unto you I am going to present to you the unknown God I am going to tell you about this unknown God verse 24. God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in temples made with hands neither is worship with men's hands as though he needed anything see it seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation that they should seek the Lord if happily or that's by chance they might feel after him and find him though he be not very far from every one of us for in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own poets have said for we are also his offspring now I want to stop there at verse 28 he begins to declare unto them the unknown God and he declares that the unknown God is the creator of the heavens and the earth I don't know what other statues and Idols they had for creation God of rain God of harvest God of this and God of that but Paul wanted to start off by saying the unknown God is the creator of Heaven and Earth the unknown God is the creator of the sun and the moon and the stars the unknown God is the god that created rain and clouds the unknown God is the god that created vegetation to come out of the Earth the unknown God not only did he create the Earth but this unknown God created all of us humans we all come from Adam we all come from the creator of this God so he begins by saying this unknown God this unknown God is the creator he he he tells them in verse number 25 that he is not worshiped with men's hands as though he needeth anything see if he give up to all life that's verse 25 verse 24 he said the god that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is the Lord of Heaven dwelleth not in temples made with hands what is he doing what is he doing he is showing them that they are serving The Works of their hands he said this unknown God doesn't live in one of these temples you've built this unknown God all these statues that have to be painted on a yearly basis all of these places that have to be kept up and you're serving these Idols he says the unknown God created heaven and the unknown God created Earth he doesn't dwell the unknown God doesn't dwell in any of these any of these idols and then if you would go back to verse 27 he says that they should seek the Lord that's the unknown God if happily or by chance they might feel after him that's his that's emotions if you can feel after him and find him though he be not very far from every one of us in other words he said if you would just use your emotions if you would just if you would just use your energy that you use to build these Idols if you would just use if you if you would just use several several years ago several years ago I lived beside a man he's a precious man he's a precious man he was a good neighbor he was a good neighbor his religion was Hindu his religion was Hindu and so one day he invited me into his home and he had had a a a room it would have been a dining room but in this room was little altars and poster boards and a little a little altar area there and and uh I I asked I asked could I step in there and he simply asked if I would remove my shoes and so I I did I removed my shoes and I stepped in and I saw dried fruit on this this little altar area here and I saw others and he was explaining to me the the different needs if he's got this need he goes to this this God and if he's got that need he goes to be thankful for life from this God and then there was a a and we both got a chuckle out of it there was a poster board of a of a woman and she was decked out in all kinds of jewelry and she had her hands like this and coins were coming out of her hands and he told me this was the god of financial prosperity and he said I pray to her a lot I pray I pray quite a bit I pray quite a bit to her and so he he was he he was walking me he was walking me all all around and and as a matter as a matter of fact probably the only disagreement the only time he ever he did he did chide me one time scolded me once his scold would be the better word to use I had an ant hill in my front yard and it was on my property Although our property's buddied up I had an ant hill there and those ants he ever you know don't ever try to mow an ant hill down it's a wrong thing to do you'll bear the marks on your ankles for a whole long time all right and so I decided just to pour gasoline on on this ant hill here and he was very upset because in his religion that's not acceptable to do and he began to you know the scold me in but anyway that's the part of the sermon he used to begin to scope scold me about it but he was very emotional about his God can I tell you that what Paul is trying to tell these people at Athens if you would show emotions to this one called Jesus Christ if you would just feel after him because he's not very far away from any of us for in him we live and we move and we have our being can I tell you tonight the Lord is not a thousand miles away from us he's just one emotional gust of Praise of oh God I love you and I thank you and I praise you God you have been so good to me God you have blessed me when I didn't deserve it God you have come on could we just do that right now could we just give a a gush of him oh God I just thank you tonight Lord I Just Praise You Tonight God God you've been better than me Lord than I've been to myself come on keep it up right now just for a few more moments he said if we would just feel after him we would just feel after him he said if you just put your emotions in this verse 28 for in him we live and move and have our being as certain also of your own poets your own prophets have said we are we for we are also his offspring now here's what he says if your own poets if if the people that are your Prophets say that human beings is The Offspring of God and I want you to follow this even at Athens their own prophets said that human beings were The Offspring of God than what Paul says here he says here he says in verse 29 for as much then As We Are The Offspring of God we ought not to think that the godhead is likened to gold or silver or stone Graven by Art of man's device he says if we're The Offspring of God why are you building these buildings over here you see it's been said God created man God created man in His image and in his likeness it's in the scripture God created man in His image and in his likeness and then sin came and then let me add this ever since sin came man has been creating God In His Image and in his likeness we were first made in the image of the likeness of God but sin has so warped our minds that man now says let me show you this God this is the god that I serve this is the god and it's all a part of their imagination it's all a part of their philosophy and so Paul is just waving I can see Paul waving his hands at these temples these columns these statues these works of art and he said if we are the image and the likeness of God then what are all these buildings we ought not to think of the godhead like silver gold stone gravened by Art and man's device look at verse 30. at the times of this ignorance God winked at it was a time that God winked at that but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent to change their mind because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given Assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead now look where he starts he starts with God being our creator with God becoming a man the man Christ Jesus and he goes all the way to the end of the world the world's going to be judged but Jesus Christ there is a Judgment Day I know some people live like there's never going to be a judgment day but you gotta you gotta understand there will be a Judgment Day Paul spoke of the Resurrection now watch this verse 31 he talked about he is appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the by that man whom he hath ordained whereof he hath given Assurance unto all men in that he hath raised him from the dead what is our assurance the resurrection the resurrection is proof positive that Jesus Christ was who he said he was God manifested In the Flesh the Resurrection the empty tomb the empty tomb is the greatest it is the greatest Assurance a Believer has Because He Lives I Can Face Tomorrow I guarantee you none of us have ever faced anything like what Jesus Christ faced but he faced the cross he faced death hell in the grave and came forth Victorious and because he's Victorious we can be victorious tonight through Jesus Christ Our Lord can you give him praise right now but that's the gospel that's the gospel verse 32. every man is over giving his own response and when they heard of the resurrection of the Dead some mocked others said we will hear the again we will hear thee again of this matter so Paul departed from them how be it certain men claim unto him and believed which was die anisimus and that other place he's from right there and a woman named Damaris look at the three would you just hold up three fingers would you just hold up three fingers three there's three responses to the gospel there's three responses to the gospel you can hold it in derision you can hold it in derision you can hold it in mockery that's what derision means derision means to Market something derision means to laugh at something it means to look at it and laugh and mock at something and when these so-called educated philosophers heard of Jesus Christ in the resurrection of the Dead they laughed at it they mocked at it and scoffed at it can I tell you that it is in the DNA of the New Testament Church for markers ever since there has been a New Testament Church there has always been mockers around if you are going to let mockers discourage you you get ready to be discouraged if you are going to let people that feel there at a higher plane of of learning and they're they're just a little bit better than you because they don't have to lean on this crutch called The Gospel you just you just might as well get ready to be discouraged they were in the days of the Bible they said nonsense isn't it in the book of Acts Acts chapter 2 verse number 13 the Holy Ghost was poured out and there were some people there that said what meaneth this they were truly inquisitive what meaneth this we hear these men speaking our own tongues wherein we were born and they were truly inquisitive how what what meaneth this but the Bible says in Acts 2 13 and others mocking said these men are full of new wine there will always be markers in our world there will always be those it's their right to mock God gave them the ability God gave them the choice they can hear with their ears and they can choose to believe with their heart or they can choose not to believe and they can choose to mock at it but just because someone walks at it does not diminish one iota of the life-changing power of Jesus Christ can mock at it you can mock at it you can scoff at it you can walk at it as a matter of fact as a matter of fact anytime God begins to move you'll find mockers in the room in the gospel of Mark the gospel of Mark I go there very quickly the gospel of Mark chapter 5 verse number 39 jairus's daughter is laying a corpse in a room she's died Jesus shows up Jesus shows up in verse 39 verse 39 of chapter 5 of Mark and when Jesus was come in he saith unto them why make ye this ado and weep what are you so upset about why are you crying the damsel is not dead but sleepeth look at verse 40. and they left him to scorn but when he had put them all out he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel with him let me just stop reading there can I tell you something he'll never have God work in your life until you remove the markers and the stoppers out of your life as long as you keep a diet I don't care how educated they claim to be as long as you keep a guide of mockers and sculptors in your life you are going to handicap the power of God in your life it's time to put the markers out it's time to put the stoppers out of your life and Let Jesus resurrect your dead can God do it you better believe God can do it he still is a miracle worker he still is a problem solver he still is the lame man healer he still can do come on now exceedingly abundantly above all we can think and our ass but can I tell you the old saying is your saying is to get the last laugh right he gets the last laugh let me take you to Proverbs Chapter 1 for just a moment Proverbs chapter 1. God identifies his wisdom God identifies himself as wisdom this is God in chapter one The proverbs chapter 1 verse number 13 listen to God this is God this is God Proverbs chapter 1 verse 23 excuse me Proverbs 1 verse 23 listen to God this is God turn you at my God God says turn at my reproof behold I will pour out my spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you because I have called God says I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded but you have said at naught all my counsel and would none of my reproof in other words God says I reach for you I sent a preacher to you I sent a message to you but all you can do was scoff at it all you can do is mock at it and pick at it and find fault out on it he said I reached for you I reach for you but listen to God Listen to What God Says in verse 26 this is what God says I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock you when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early they shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord they would none of my counsel they despise all my reproof therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be filled with their own device now I know in this over baptized grace and mercy culture that we're in we can't see God doing that in this culture that all we hear about is a loving God that'll take you back any old way and I do believe that God's love is beyond our comprehension but I can't deny the fact that he said when I'm reaching for you and I I'm trying to give you the word if you set my word at naught and you mock at me and you mock at them that love me and you make fun of them that love me he said there's gonna come a day that I God am going to get the last laugh I'm going to laugh at you when your destruction comes I'm going to close my ears to you when you cry out unto me now I know that's a hard word tonight and you know why it's a hard word because we have lived in a culture that has become obsessed with wanting to hear nothing but a god that'll be everything to me but I don't have to have any responsibilities back to him well I understand one thing tonight I am glad when I heard the gospel I didn't come to him the first time he dealt with me but I want you to know something right now I can't answer for everybody in this room but I never mocked him I didn't serve him right away but you look up here at this green-eyed preacher tonight I never mocked him I didn't serve him right away but I never mocked him the next people the Bible says the Bible says let me get this let me get this back verse 32 of Acts 17 verse 32. and when they heard of the resurrection of the Dead some mocked and others said we will hear thee again on this matter it's called delay it's called delay see I even believe tonight that there's people in this congregation tonight or people watching online that you're going to serve the Lord you want to serve the Lord but somehow you keep pushing the delay button it's almost every time you hear the Holy Ghost begin to ring the alarm in your heart at church and you know you need to be baptized and you know you need to repent of your sins and you know you need to dedicate your life to God you know you need to read your Bible you know you need to come out in the Holy Ghost he begins to to sound off the alarm we just simply seem to want to reach over and hit the delay button oh I'm gonna get baptized oh I'm going to get the Holy Ghost oh I'm going to get victory over this sin oh I'm gonna I'm gonna really do that these people here said they weren't mocking they weren't mocking they wouldn't mocking at what Paul said they just simply said hey just not today just not today we'd like to hear you again some other day now I can tell you and I believe we're all in this boat tonight I did delay I did delay not tonight not tonight but I'm glad that there was finally a Sunday night or what what night it was that I finally said I've hit this delay button my last time I I've hit this button my last time I'm selling out I'm I'm going I'm going for everything I'm I'm giving up this world this world doesn't have anything to give you but heartache and misery this world can't comfort you when your World falls apart this world says go get drunk this world says go get high this world says go buy something else this world says go get another relationship but it's only through Jesus Christ when your World falls apart that you can come to him and say Lord you said you never leave me and then all of a sudden you get grip when you're insides are quivering when you're inside you're quivering but you've got enough emotions just say Jesus you split a Red Sea Jesus you kept them safe in the fiery furnace Jesus you delivered Daniel Jesus you made a way through all of a sudden there's this Incredible strength that just grinds you around and I can live another day I can worship another day I can praise another day thank God it wasn't a big city-wide Revival it wasn't a big shitty white Revival you're certain men one man is named and one woman is named out of that whole culture hey I'd like to say we'll see it I'd like to say we'll see it I sure wouldn't turn it turn it away if it happened but we're living in a culture that I believe that we can just keep reaching one here and one there and one here and one there all got down there every place Paul went every place Paul went because he was doing the right thing he stirred up the devil but every place Paul went people heard the message and people were saved aren't you glad you said yes to the message let me hear me are thankful you received the message tonight do you know how blessed you are you received the man would you stand with me right now I'm glad you received the message tonight I'm so glad you received the message tonight how many when you were coming to God from the world how many I don't want you to call don't don't say their name out loud I don't know say their name out loud but some of you were friends of mockers maybe some of you attended a Revival service with your friends with your friends and your heart was under conviction and you responded by saying I receive it Lord I receive it Lord but your friends they heard the same message they fell under the same conviction but instead of saying I receive it Lord they begin to mock it they begin to laugh at it they begin to scoff you know something about the mockers they're not here tonight I went to a Revival service with my friends my friends my friends I went to the Revival service with them when I got the Holy Ghost and got in church I just knew that there were nights and things that thank God the church had activity isn't that wonderful thank God the church had activity how blessed we are to have a youth camp going on right now you realize how blessed we are motherly 10 years ago when we rented that Auditorium over at that college campus when we rented it it probably seen a thousand it'll probably see the thousand in that Auditorium you know what the problem we had about 10 years ago about 10 years ago all we could fill up was about three or four three or four four rows brother brother-in-law in that places and we look like a BB rolling down a four-lane highway I mean we look lost in that place but 10 years ago somebody prophesied and somebody said I'm going to fill this building with young people and last night I looked around and I'm going to tell you all we need is about 200 more and we're out of space over there I mean it's it's it's incredible what God there's a big Fountain out front in that that University we got permission there's a big Fountain and youth leaders from all over the country youth leaders are bringing their youth there and and on any night after service you might find a youth leader rolling up his pants getting in that Fountain and we're baptizing them in Jesus name right right there right there in that place aren't you thankful we got activity for our children you see when I came to God some of my friends didn't I know what it's like sister Hurst I know what it's like for the phone to ring at one o'clock in the morning and for my former friends to be singing in a mockery way Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound singing for the preacher boy now singing for the preacher boy now and then hang it up can I tell you tonight that I'm so glad that I didn't mock him and I'm so glad that I stopped delaying and I'm so thankful that I started believing in Jesus Christ and the resurrection if you're thankful that you received him tonight could we end this service with praise and honor from heartfelt saints of God oh God I thank you tonight oh God I magnify your name tonight God I praise you tonight God I give you glory I give you honor tonight Lord you're my everything you're my all in all tonight come on Church come on there's a lot of noise can be made in this house right now come on just thank him that you received him thank him tonight that you received him thank him tonight do you received I I'm thankful God I said yes to you I'm thankful God that I walked up into the baptistry and got baptized in your name I'm thankful God that I carried until I received the Holy Ghost I'm thankful that I kept on coming to church and I kept on hearing the word and my life is abundantly blessed tonight come on Church let's just love him right now we have received God's word tonight we praise him this evening we magnify his name tonight we Glory by his name tonight great is the Lord and greatly to be praised I'm glad I said yes to you Lord I'm glad that I said yes to you God oh God I'm glad I received you in my life Lord since you came into my life Jesus Everything Has Changed Lord since you came into my life I don't feel like trash I feel like treasure since you came into my life I don't feel like I don't have any hope but I feel like I have hope since you came into my life God I have a future since you came into my life I have a future I have a future I have a future oh I'm glad I received that word tonight aren't you I'm glad that I received that in the name of the Lord in the name of the Lord God bless you I'll see you Sunday morning at 10 o'clock let's have good church