The Bible Truth about God II | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

You have your Bibles and would join me. 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse number 16. And uh so good to see everybody here tonight, but it's not only good to see you here tonight, but it's good that you're doing what God wants you to do tonight. And that is you're worshiping his holy great name. And uh that makes that makes all the difference in the world, doesn't it? When we worship, we praise his name. Tonight, I want to say it's so good to have brother Asa's mom and dad family with us tonight. And brother Asa, one of, if not the greatest sound technician in all the world. We love him here at FAC. We love him so much tonight. So glad to have my brother-in-law here with us tonight. Roger. So always good, Roger, to have have you. He was holding his grandson. His grandson kept beating me in the back and I thought it was Roger. I wasn't paying no attention to him. Roger, we love you. You know, you count your blessings. Your family is your blessing. Your true value is not what you have in the bank. It's what sits around you at the table. And I'm so blessed to have such an incredible family. I I definitely married I definitely married way over my head. And um I've got such a wonderful got the best I got the best mother-in-law in all of the world. The best mother-in-law in all the world. I'm I love my family. I love my family. Roger. Why you laughing down there? You You should be laughing right now. I know you know her. How many is ready for the word tonight? the word. 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16. 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse number 16. And we're going to continue tonight on the Bible truth about God. The Bible truth about God. How many came tonight to hear what the Bible has to say? hear what the the the Bible has to say. Well, that's good. And I hope you have your Bibles with you. Let's listen to Paul. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. And we're going to pray right now. If you would please remember brother Roy Nash in prayer. He will be having surgery, I believe, tomorrow. And uh place a port in him. And let's just pray for brother Nash that the Lord would keep his hands on him. And also Sister Linda Thompson. She has come home from the hospital. And uh let's continue to lift her up in prayer. Precious God, tonight we come before you. We're so thankful, Lord, for your love and for your mercy. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, God, for your love. And thank you, God, for your mercy, God. Lord, you give us, God, you give us far more than we ever deserve, Lord. Lord, I ask tonight that you would touch these people, Lord, who I've mentioned. And Lord, the others, God, that have strolled across the screen, their names. And Father, I pray tonight that you would anoint my heart as the word goes forth and it feeds us, God. Lord, your word is the only thing that can feed us and lead us in the right direction. and we'll give you the praise and the honor in Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen. And amen. You may be seated tonight without controversy. You look at that verse with me. Without controversy. Without controversy. That word controversy there means an argument. Uh a controversy. It means an argument, a dispute, a disagreement. And without controversy. great is the mystery of godliness. Now, a mystery uh is something that is to be revealed. It was a mystery and there's several mysteries in the Bible that have been revealed over time. And the mystery of godliness or god likeness is that what that word actually means there was simply this. God was manifest in the flesh. Everybody say the word manifest. Manifest. God was manifest in the flesh. The word manifest here means to make visible or to make known what has been hidden or unknown. Um you can manifest something by words or by deeds or by other ways or in this application is to make actual and visible. To make actual and visible to make known to make actual or visible. So when it says God was manifest in the flesh, it is saying that God was made visible. God was made actual. we we could could could see him in this flesh. Uh let's go to Colossians chapter 1 verse number 14 and 15. And uh you say, "Well, brother Carpenter, you you read a lot of scripture." I I do because I believe scripture preaches scripture, right? Scripture preaches scripture. And scripture is kind of like the keyboard up there if you know how to touch it on the appropriate places. It'll play a beautiful song for you. But if you don't know how to touch it where you need to touch, all it is is sound. So if we can be taught the Bible and know where to touch the scripture where it needs to be touched, it will play a beautiful a beautiful song for us. And so God was manifest in the flesh. And now in Colossians chapter 1 verse14 speaking of Jesus Christ in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgiveness of sins who is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of every creature. So now again Paul not only says that God was manifest in the flesh now he says that Jesus was the image or the visible image he was the visible image of the image of the invisible God. Again in 1 Timothy 1:17, Paul again says, "Now unto the King, eternal, in mortal, invisible, the only wise God be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." Now, I'm weaving this because I'm using the word when it refers to God as the invisible God, as the as the invisible God. And of course, I'm cross-referencing it that Jesus Jesus was God manifested in the flesh. Again, let's go to Hebrews. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 1 and verse number one. And uh when I go to Hebrews, I'm I am of the strong persuasion uh that Paul wrote the book of Hebrews. Now, I know there's there's some in in the realm of scholars that that that disagree that disagree with that that it really wasn't Paul. It was it was someone else. And and of course, you know, you know, the way that I do things, but you know, I believe that everybody has got the right to their opinion. Uh and and I personally believe that everybody's got the right to be wrong. I believe this is Paul that wrote this here. All right? And and so we'll uh and and you know, let's just all face it. You're not going to get to heaven. And one of the questions before you enter into the pearly gates is who wrote the book of Hebrews. All right. It's not going to be uh well, it was Peter. Well, you're out of here, Carpenter. Or it was Paul. Let's just go with Paul for tonight. All right. Um and if if you think it's anybody other than Paul, if you would meet me on a Wednesday night after service, probably the year 2008, uh we'll sit down talk about that. All right. Verse one. God who at sunundry times. That word sunder there means just different seasons. It just different seasons. God who at different times or seasons and in divers manners. Now that word divers there means just different ways different different types. Divers manners spake in time in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. Now let's look at he he said now God who throughout many different seasons many different times many different centuries has spoken who's speaking God over different times at different times different years by different methods he would speak by different methods the Bible says that he spoke unto our fathers and the writer is referring to the past by the prophets. God spoke through the prophets. Verse two, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself self purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Underline this verse three that he has spoken now through his son who is the express image. Look at that at verse three. You write in your Bible, you ought to underline and the express who is who is the brightness of his glory and the express or expression expression of his image of his person or he his son is the expression and how do you express something with your words? He is speaking in sunundry times through different matters. God spoke through his pro through the prophets. Uh and now hath in the last days spoken to us through his son. And then it goes in he is the expression of his image or the the express image of his person. Now I want to add the word uh here or I want to add on a little word um personality. In other words, Jesus Christ came, God came in the flesh to reveal to you and I his personality what he is like or his true his true nature. Now, let's step back for a moment as we study our Bibles tonight before time because we know that God is eternal. God existed before time and God will exist after time. As a matter of fact, if you could just visualize God as eternal and time is a bubble in the middle of eternity because God who is eternal was before time was before time and God who is eternal will be after time. So now let's go to before time. It would be, I guess, if we were wanting a scripture for this, it would be, would you turn in your Bibles to Genesis 1 0? All right. Would you turn in your Bibles to chapter one of Genesis and would you find verse 0? Well, I'm going to show you verse zero here. Before time is God who is eternal having no beginning or ending. The nature and the personality of God was love. The nature and personality of God was love. So now we must understand that God didn't become love with the conceiving in Mary's womb and becoming a man. God didn't become love when God became a man. God became a man so that you and I could experience his love. He was that love in eternity. He was He was that love in Genesis 1 verse 0. He was that love. Let's go to Let's go to to the Bible again because after all this is the Bible truth about God. First John chapter 4 and verse number 16. Somebody say amen tonight. First John and say while you're looking for that, did Pastor Nolan evermore do a great job Sunday night? Was was that just not a great Man, I I tell you that was absolutely some awesome preaching and I believe that God confirmed that word during the altar service. I know a lot of people were touched including I pastor here I was also touched Sunday Sunday night. First John chapter 4 and verse 16 listen to John as he writes and we have known and believe the love that God hath to us. Now, he says, "We know and we believe that God has a love to us." And then these next three words, I believe it'd be good if we read the these next three words out loud together. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. God is love. God did not become love when God became a man. God was already love and he expressed his love to you and I by becoming a man. Now the love that God has the love that God has is really revealed in John. Now not the epistle of John but the Gospel of John. One of the most familiar verses in all of the Bible. John chapter 3 and verse number 16. How does it start? For God. So love. Look at that word there. So love. For God, it doesn't just say that God loved the world, brother White. But it says that God so loved the world. Because to comprehend love, the love of God would be to comprehend God. And none of us can comprehend God. God can do things so that we can understand his love. For God so loved the world. How much did you love the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever Aren't you thankful tonight? A lot of things in this world we don't qualify for. A lot of things in this world we simply don't qualify for. I was listening to a commercial on television the other day and it was talking about investments and it said on this commercial it it it the fine print the fine print read that you had to have a quarter of a million dollars that's where the investment starts at I said well that writes me off right there how they got all these this infomercial about this investment without that that right I don't qualify I don't qualify for that as a lot of things in this world you and I don't qualify for but I'm going to I tell you the most important thing in this world that we all qualify for. Whosoever will, whosoever believeth on him. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish. It was a giving love. Can you say amen? I said it was a giving love. It was a sacrificial love. It was a love. Can I tell you, God didn't become any more God when he made you and I. He didn't become more God when he made the earth. He didn't become more God. God God is before the earth. He's eternal. He didn't become more God when he made the earth. He didn't become more God when he made you and I. He was as much God then as he is now. But he made you and I because he wanted a place and a person that he could express his love to. He made you and I. Now I I know when we talking about you, you know, he's God manifest in the flesh that we want to, you know, hammer away on fully God and fully man. And I believe that we're very well verssed in that. But maybe we need a little educating tonight that why did he become manifested in the flesh. He came so that we could comprehend just how much God loves each one of us. We are the he we were his only desire and motive was to love us. Now what? Follow me now. Please don't go to sleep. The only reason he loved us and gave himself for us was to make us better. How different that is in the world today. Some people will love you to get some love back in return. But you're not talking about God. God loves us tonight for one reason and one reason only. To make us whole. To make us better. He He loves us in that in that vein tonight. It's a love that we need to comprehend as we live for God. Romans chapter 5 and verse number eight, look at this verse. But God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Can I tell you tonight that you're trying to make yourself good? This is where a lot of people get all messed up. They'll say, "Man, I'm going to come give my heart to God. I'm going to try to clean some things up, and when I can clean my life up a little bit, I'm going to come and serve God." You done went at you went at it the wrong way. You'll never get good enough for God. If you could get good without God, there would have been no reason for God to manifest himself in in love. The truth of the matter is, you can't get good without God. You can't deliver yourself without God. You can't pull yourself up without God. You don't have the strength. You don't have the ability. It's not within you. You listen to get good enough to stand and write with God would be to say, "I can jump flatfooted and touch the moon and come back down. It's impossible for you to do that." But aren't you thankful in that while you and I were yet in our sin, he would manifest his love. That's the kind of God I'm serving tonight. You You You want to ask me what you You want to ask me why I'm smiling tonight. You want Because that that's the kind of God I'm serving tonight. I I'm sorry. I'm just sorry. I don't mean to I don't mean to burst anybody's bubble. I don't mean to get in a theological debate with anybody, but I have a hard time comprehending a three strike, you're out God. I have a hard time in believing that we serve a God. Now, I I don't want you to take that to the to to the empty degree and think, man, you just live any old way. No, there's going to be a judgment day. And if you don't respond to that love back to God, you will stand in judgment. There is, hear me now. Listen to me, saints. There's a heaven to gain and there's a hell to shine. But we're living in right now. We're living in a in a time that I have it hard to believe that he's a three strike. You're out. I don't care about you. To hell with you, sinner. I have a hard time comprehending that God. But you know what? I find in pastoring now for over four decades that there's been more people get back up from the pig pit of fallen and are on pews in Sunday school teach in Sunday school rooms teaching. They're in the choir. They're praising God because somebody preached to them. Not a three strike, you're out, God, but a God that has his arms open. A God that has a love that's far beyond anything that you and I could ever imagine. Come on. I think we ought to praise him right now. God commended his love for us while we were yet sinners. Titus 3 and verse 4. But after that, the kindness and love of God our savior toward man appeared. First John, we're going to go to 1 John 4:9, 10, and verse 19. We're going to go to 1 John 4, chapter 4. We're going to read verse 9, verse 10, and verse 19. Here we go. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten son into the world, that we might live through him. Verse 10, herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation. That means covering. That means atonement. That means payment for for our sins. Verse 19. Would you look at this together? And I can't help but want to ask you to read it all out loud. Read it loud enough that you can if you care about it tonight. I if you're connected to this tonight, now if you're just here passing time and you can't wait till 9:00, I I feel sorry for you tonight. But if you're really here and you're in a relationship with him, would you read it? Would you read it out loud with me? We love him because he first when did he when did he become love? Not at Bethlehem's manger. He was love in Genesis 1 and zero. He was that he was that love. Why did he come? Why did he manifest himself? Why did he just manifest himself? spoken. Brother Carpon, you got me convinced tonight that he's loved and that he manifested himself for love. Well, that's part of it. First John 3 and5, 1 John 3 and5 reads this way. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins. And in him is no sin. That sin part, that incurable part, the only cure for sin is the love and the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. The only the only remedy and cure for sin. Oh yes, that uh eternal plan of God was to reveal himself to his love to sinners. I feel like saying it again. sinners just like you and I. He revealed that in Genesis 1 and one. I'm go back to this this eternal God before time began. This eternal God. What was going on in the mind of this eternal God before time began? Well, let's look at Revelation 13 and verse number eight. Now, this is this is a scripture that's going to talk about Genesis 1 or time uh eternity before time. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him. That's talking about the Antichrist now. Whose names are not written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Calvary was there with him. He already had it planned. It was already his thought. It was already his idea. It was already the plan. It was in the mind of the eternal God waiting until the God of eternity would create a thing called time. and the God of eternity would speak his plan into existence. How did the world get here? How did the world get here? We are the product of the spoken word of the eternal God. We're the product and God said. And God said. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse number four. Again, I'm going back to Genesis 1. Ephesians 1 and4 according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. You know, a lot of people think that moral living a life of morals is something that we had between 1930 in 19 mid 1950s. It was the little house on the prairie here. It was it it was it was all kind of a moral United States. But can I tell you tonight that morals isn't about man or culture. The God of eternity had already predetermined we would be a holy people. That we would be a holy people. The church would be holy. Titus 1 and two. Titus 1 and 2. We keep opening the curtain back into eternity. Titus chapter 1 verse number two. in hope of eternal life. Which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began. There's a promise, brother Hammond. There's a promise right there. When God makes you, God made us a promise. And that then the Bible says, we talked about there's nothing God cannot do. Oh yes, there is. God cannot lie. Every promise God made is alive and is for us in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began. 1 Peter chapter 1 19 and 20 verse 19 and verse 20. but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who speaking of Christ, was who verily was for ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. Look at this. We're not just talking tonight because there's one God and Jesus is 100% man, 100% God. We all we I believe we're very rooted in that. But I want us to get our roots the reason why did he manifest himself. He manifested himself to show us his great love. Now let's go. I've been playing with you with Genesis 1 and zero. Now let's sincerely go to Genesis 1 and 1, the very first verse of the Bible. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. Let's go to John 1 and one. It's going to sound a little familiar. John John chapter 1 and verse number one. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Isn't it amazing? Not coincidental, not an accident. There is a reason. It starts in the beginning. God created the heaven and the earth. And John starts his gospel by saying in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Word is logos. It means thought, plan and idea. In the beginning was the thought, plan, the idea. And the thought, plan, the idea was with God. Oh, did he not have it in the beginning? Have we not spent the majority of my Bible lesson tonight telling you did did God not have a plan before Genesis 1:1? Did God not have a plan? We don't we we we don't we don't read scripture where God talked about light and trees and rivers and oceans and mountains and all that. But we do read that in eternity past that he had a plan. He was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The word was with God. The word was God. Everything was created. Psalms 33 and verse number six. Psalms 33 and verse number six. Look at this. Talking about creation. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. By the word of the Lord. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Now, are you ready? Adjust your snorkel just a little bit. We're going deep right now. All right. just kind of kind of make sure your oxygen tank is good because we're going to kind of go deep. Um, we're created everything on earth. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the Bible said, "And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters and God said." But now, now in Luke chapter 1 verse number 30, God has one more expression to give. God has one more expression to give. Man has sinned. Man is in sin. And the Bible said in Luke chapter 1 and verse number 30, and the angel said unto her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. Behold, thou shalt or shall conceive in thy womb. It hadn't happened yet. Follow me now. That that oxygen tank, you could put a little oxygen here. It hadn't happened yet. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the son of the highest. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee." In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. There's a natural darkness there, and there's a spiritual darkness. There is a natural darkness. We turn the lights out in this room. It would be naturally dark in here with the absence of light. But there is also a spiritual darkness and that is when someone is blinded by sin and cannot see the light of the glorious gospel. Look at the parallel here. In the beginning, darkness was upon the face of the deep and God moved upon the face of the water and said, "Let there be light." And Mary says in verse 35, she says, "How shall this be?" And in verse 35, the angel said, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee. The power of the highest shall overshadow thee." Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God. That's God's plan. Follow this closely, please. That's God's plan. But do you realize that everything that is God's will is not always brought to pass. Why? It has to go through flesh. It has to go through flesh. The first act of creation was because he spoke it and it was. But the second act is when he did the finality, when he did the expression of all expressions, when the angel took the word to Mary and said, "You're going to conceive in your womb and bring forth." And she says, "How would this be?" And the angel said, "The Holy Ghost is going to come upon you, and that that thing or the the power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the son of God." That was God's plan. But here, here in the next couple of verses is where we have to understand something. And again, I'm going to go back. Everything that is God's will doesn't always come to pass. Not because God changed his mind, but because it had to go through flesh. And in order for it to come to fruition, we have got to be willing to say, "Yes, Lord." We have got to be willing to submit to God. I I I I I give to you tonight. There's a lot of people living far underneath the blessings of God all because they don't have the spirit of submission to the word of God. Has nothing to do. Too many times we think of submission in the pastor. You you you need to put that to the side right now. If you don't have submission to the word, it doesn't matter if you are submitted to a man. You only get a man's approval. You get a man's blessing. But oh, if we can be submitted to the word of God, we get God's blessings upon. How can this be? Holy Ghost is going to come on you. 30 verse 35. Then watch what the angel says. Verse 36. And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, Mary, you have a cousin named Elizabeth. She's a She's a very older woman. She's been barren. She hath also conceived a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month. She's already six months pregnant with her that was called barren. Now, watch the angel again in verse 37. For with God nothing shall be impossible. Here it is, Mary. It's your time to respond, Mary. It's your time to respond. Watch what Mary does. And Mary said, Behold, the handmade of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her, brothers and sisters. And I'm going to prove it through scripture. She conceived at the moment that she said, "Let it happen through me." Boom. She conceived inside of her womb. Because the Holy Ghost when it works with flesh has got to have a submissive way, submissive way to come in. But at the moment that you and I get rid of our stubbornness and the moment you and I lay down our our stiff neck and we just begin to say, "Yes, Lord, I just believe that's your word." Things begin to change when we just believe that when we begin to praise him that God hears every prayer that we pray. It changes everything when we begin to pray. Pastor, I really wish you'd prove that. All right, let's go next verse. And Mary arose in those days and went in and went into the hill country with haste into the city of Judah. She got in a hurry. I'm going to tell you where she's going. She going to visit cousin Elizabeth cuz the angel done said that she who was barren is already six months pregnant. And so at the moment the angel left, Mary got in haste and I I did a little research on it. Some some 40 miles, they believe that if someone was in a hurry, they could have got there in three days. And I love three days, don't you? He she she got there in three days. Now, you got to realize there's no telephone. Uh there's no internet. There's no, "Hey, cousin Elizabeth, I'm coming to see you." No telegram. Uh there's no there's not even pl pigeons in that day. All right? I I I mean, you know, Elizabeth, she's just there. Her husband can't talk and she's probably glad he can't say anything. And she's six months pregnant and and and she's there at the house. Mary has this angel come and tell her she going to conceive and Mary says, "Let it be. I'm the handmaiden of the Lord." She gets in here. She gets in a hurry. She runs to Elizabeth's house. No way. Mary and Elizabeth communicate before she gets there. Verse 40. Are y'all still with me tonight? And entered. Mary entered into the house of Zachariah and saluted Elizabeth. It went something like this. Are you home, cousin Elizabeth? Are you here? Are you home, cousin Elizabeth? And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary. The babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. When Elizabeth heard the word of Mary that when she heard Mary's word and Mary's pregnant right now, when she heard the word John the Baptist that was inside I can't explain it. I'm just a preacher. John the Baptist was inside Mary's womb or inside Elizabeth's womb. He went to leaping and Elizabeth got filled with the Holy Ghost. Now, now wait a minute now. Don't let anybody you didn't speak in tongues. Wrong dispensation. God can fill people with the Holy Ghost for them to do a particular job. But we're filled with the Holy Ghost for regeneration. We're filled with the Holy Ghost to get a brand new heart. We're filled with the Holy Ghost because it's based on the blood. She Lord have mercy. Hey, Elizabeth, are you home? She back there. She hears it. The baby leaps. She gets filled with the Holy Ghost. And she spake out loud with a loud She spake with a loud voice. I'm going to tell you something. When the Holy Ghost gets on you, we can't help but get loud. I said we can't help get loud. Shotguns are loud. Motorcycles are loud. loud. Get a holy one. Gets loud. You hypocrite. Why can't we get loud for God? We want everything loud but our religion. She spoke with a loud voice and said, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy women, the fruit of your womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of the salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb, for joy, and blessed is she that believed, for there shall be a performance of those things which were told thee from the Lord. You want to tell me when she conceived in her womb? When she listened to something that would take a miracle and she said, "Let it happen through me, Lord." Why don't we just lift our hands right now? Love God for a moment. Come on. Why don't we just love God for a moment? Come on. Why don't we just love God for a moment right now? He loved you. He cried with a loud voice from the place of the demonstration of his love. Could we not cry with a loud voice from our place of salvation right now? He cried with a loud voice from the cross. He manifested his love toward us. Can we not cry with a loud voice from our padded pews? Can we not cry with a loud voice and say, "God, I love you. Lord, I take my breath and I love you. I love you, God. I love you, God. Love you, God. 30 years later. 30 years later, they let a man down through the roof who was sick. And he said, "I'm going to do something greater. These people around here have no problem if I heal this man, make him walk. But when he came down from the ceiling, Jesus said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Is that amazing? He didn't even ask for his sins to be forgiven. He didn't even ask. He didn't come down. He didn't come down say, "Jesus, forgive me. Forgive me. Forgive me. Jesus, forgive me." He got down there and Jesus said, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." Why did he forgive him of sins? Because he loved him. Because that's the reason he came in the world. He didn't come into this world for any of us to get rich or try to get rich. He didn't come in this world so we could we could live life comfortably. He came into this world so that we could live with him. throughout eternity and he came down. He didn't even he didn't do you see what I said, Sister Angel? He didn't even ask. Come down. Matter of fact, the motive was healing. I want to be healed. He came down. They wrote the Lord in ropes and he came down and Jesus said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." And boy, that evermore got the Pharisees in a in a tizzy. They stroked their long beards and they said, "Who can forgive sin but God alone?" Thank you, Rabbi, for the revelation because he is God manifested in the flesh. Or how about the woman caught in the act of adultery? Can somebody please show me a verse in John 8? That's where the scripture is. John chapter 8. Can somebody show me a verse where the woman asks for forgiveness? She remains silent until the Lord wards off all of her accusers. And he says to her, "Woman, where are your accusers?" She said, "I have none, Lord." She said, "No, man." And he said, "Neither do I condemn you. go and sin no more. How about the harlot that washed his feet in the house of Simon the Pharisee? How about the harlot? How about the harlot? Come on now. I don't have to go I don't have to say more than just the harlot, the woman of the night. How about the harlot that washed his feet and anointed with ointment? And that once again, the Pharisees stroke their long beards. And if he were a prophet, he would know this hussy that's kissing his feet right now. He was if he was really a harlot. I mean, he he was really a man of God, he'd know this hussy. He he he he'd know this as a woman. And boy, he just gave him a little parable and said, "When you forgive people little, they love you little." Thank you, Jesus. Coffee shop open. Oh, no. No, we don't do that. We We don't whisper anymore in church. We text. You know why there's no worship with some people? Because in their mind, God forgave them a little. I'm I really wasn't really a real bad sinner like like that boy that hoops and hollers over there on the other section six over here. I I wasn't really crazy like he was. Do you realize there's not a hell for uh one type of people and a hell for another type? It's It's all Well, I I I don't know if I've really connected tonight. I I don't just feel like a connection here. If you feel like he has forgiven you a lot, you'll praise him a lot. And And I'm going to tell you something. I'm going to tell you, you don't have to have been a heroin addict. You don't have to have been a harlot. You don't have to to to to be one that kept the harlot in business. You don't have to be all that. But you do have to realize that without the grace of God, whatever anybody else done, you're capable of it. And brother, the day we ever get to thinking, "No, I would never do that." That's the words. That is the words of a person that's about to take a tremendous fall. I'll tell you, I would never do that. I tell you, my kids would never do that. I I tell you, my family would never do that. You better say by the grace of the almighty God. You better save by the grace. And I'm going to tell you something. The only thing that keeps you is prayer. The only thing that keeps you is worship. The only thing that keeps you Oh Lord. Let me see. Let me see. Let me see. Let me see. Let me see. The Bible truth about God. The Bible truth about God. Let Let me see. I don't have anything to give to God. I have absolutely nothing to give to him. How about a man hanging on a cross who's there because he's a criminal. He's there because he's a criminal. He deserves to be there. He hangs dying. He's been through the same treatment almost that Jesus was. One thief looks over and says, "You're the son of God. Get us off here. Come on, miracle worker. Come on, water walker. Come on, blind eye healer. Come on. If you're really him, get us off here." And the next thing leans over, says, "You do do you not have any fear of God? We're here because we deserve to be here. That man has done nothing a miss. He's done nothing wrong. And then he uttered a prayer. Lord, would you remember me when you come into your kingdom? I know you're going somewhere. Would you just remember? I'm not asking you to save me. I'm not asking I'm I'm just saying, would you just would you just remember me? Listen to the words today. You'll be with me in paradise. What a God. What a God. I know that some of us have this standard of love that we're not going to love until you measure up and we're not going to love until a time goes by. But I'm glad that the mighty love of God would listen to a man and say, you know, today you're going to be with me in paradise. It's because what a God. What a God. What a God. Could we praise him one more time? Can we praise him one more time? Come on. Could we praise him one more time? I know I'm digging at you tonight. Know I'm digging at you tonight. We preach the new birth experience. That is that you believe upon Jesus Christ as a savior. You repent of your sins. You change your mind. You're water baptized in Jesus name for the removal of those sins. You're filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is the spirit of God with the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues. It's Bible. It's real. Now listen to me now. God gives us the Holy Ghost for Romans 5 and5. Romans 5:5 and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. Now I'm I'm gonna really step on some toes right now. If all you can do is speak in tongues, but you can't love, that ain't God. You might be jabbering something from memory, but that ain't God. Because when God gives you the Holy Ghost, he pours in your heart his love. The love that lets a harlot wash the feet. The love that forgives a woman caught in the act of adultery. The love that has a man, he's not taught Sunday school. He's not given any offerings. He's not cleaned up his life. He's just asked to be remembered. That's I'm not preaching against talking in tonesues. I thank my God I talk in tonesues more than you all. But if I don't have God's love, I'm a sounding brass and I'm a tingling symbol. That's all I am. Come on, stand with me tonight. Come on, stand with me tonight. That's That's all that I am. That's all that I am. You think we may do a lot better? You think we might retain a whole lot more people praying back through if we're not really trying just hard. I'm not I'm not preaching just praying back through and talking in tongues. But if we can ever get that person praying back through to know God loves you. God loves you. God loves you. Oh, God loves you. Every prodal, every prodal, every prodal, Brother Hammond, you're going to get a little nervous right now, but please don't get nervous. I ain't going to spoil that good thought. I I I I know you're I I know you're you're you're tight right now, but I'm gonna tell you that prodical son's father got to running and it was love in his feet that caused him to run. He had some love. I'm not I'm not spoiling what you said. He's got some love in his feet. That's why that's why he he he went to running is because he had love in his feet. The go John John is a man of love in the Bible. John's a man of love in the Bible. He's the beloved. He's the one that Jesus loved. He's known as love. Peter and John get in a foot race to go to the to go to the supplr where the report is he's risen from the dead. Peter and John get in a foot race. They got to running. But guess who outrun? Guess who arrived first? Love got there first. John represents love. Peter represents authority. We don't need authority to get to them first. We need love to get to them first. Hey friend, we don't need you telling them what they got to clean up and what they got to give up. We don't need that getting there first. We need the live of God to get there. Thank you that you're here. God's going to do something great. Thank you that you're here. God's going to move it. Oh, thank you that you're here. God What good is it to know that he's 100% man and 100% God if we don't realize the reason he became 100%.