The Bible Truth about Work | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

No wonder the songwriter said it so adequately. I love the thrill that I feel when I get together with God's wonderful with God's wonderful people. Well, don't you just love that feeling that you get when it's church time and you get together and we've been singing about Jesus since Sunday night. Oh, I know you have. You've been singing in your car on your way to work. I know you've been talking to Jesus. You got up Monday morning, talked to him, and you talked to him today. But you have to admit with me that although you can talk to him and sing to him all by yourself, it's so much better when you get in the house of the Lord with your brothers and your sisters and you begin to lift up that that name that is above every name. You You know it feels good. Thank you for being with us tonight. Thank you home folks. Thank you faithful people for getting off work and coming to the house of the Lord tonight. And if you're here tonight and this is your first time or you're a returning guest at First Apostolic Church, thank you. Thank you so very, very much for being with us tonight and worshiping the Lord. If you have your Bibles and would turn with me to the book of First Thessalonians, 1 Thessalonians, chapter number 4. Then we're going to go to verse number nine. And then after we read verses 9-2, we're going to go to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and verse number 6 through13. And um we're going to minister to you something tonight that I believe will help and encourage encourage all of us this evening. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 9. But as touching brotherly love, you need not that I write unto you. For ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed you do it toward all the brethren which are in Macedonia. But we beseech you, we beg you, brethren, that you increase more and more, and that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk honestly toward him, toward them that are without and that you may have lack of nothing. Now let's go to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 verse number 6. Same church, same writer, just the second time he's written. Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourself from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. For yourselves know how you ought to follow us. For we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you. Neither did we eat any man's bread for not or for free, but wrought with labor and travail day and night, that we might not be chargeable to any of you, not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies. Now them which are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in welldoing. How many's got a prayer request tonight that you'd like to signify by the lifting of your hand? How many's got something you need God to help you with or family member or you got a prayer request? Put your other hand up right now. Let's talk to him. God, you know the needs of this church tonight. God, as we we in the prayer room, Lord, you know, we brought many of those needs before you tonight, God. the names that would stroll across our stream, the people, God, that we're keeping on the prayer altar, God, sickness in their body. And Lord, those that need deliverance, oh God, and those, God, that simply need the touch of your spirit. Lord, I pray tonight you'll move upon every hand, every faith. Lord, I ask you tonight, God, to anoint my lips of clay that I may feed your people tonight, Lord, for these are your people, Lord, that I may encourage them, God, that I may help them, oh God, to live for you, Lord. We'll give you the praise and the honor and the glory. In Jesus' name we pray. Now, before you're seated, would you give him a hand of praise right now? Give him a great hand of praise. What a sound to worship tonight. What a beautiful place to worship. What a great consistent place. Wouldn't you say, Brother Hammond, what a great consistent place of worship. You know, I've been to some places, and we won't talk about them. We'll we'll just say I've been to some places. You You've often heard me say it's between here and Vietnam, but I've been to some places that they'll break loose and worship, but it's only a couple times a year. It's kind of like Christmas and Easter. You know, they'll they'll they'll break loose and get with it and worship just a few times out of the year. But I'm telling you what, I believe that First Apostolic Mirabil is one of the most consistent places to come and worship God. Believe it's one of the most consistent places to magnify the Lord, to feel the presence, to feel the presence of the Lord. And I'm so very, very, very thankful, very thankful for that consistency that's here at this church. Um, I want to continue my study on the Bible truth about. And tonight I've chosen for a topic which I felt kind of inspired. Bishop Holmes really inspired me because the entire time he was here, he was talking about nothing is accomplished without work. Nothing is accomplished without work. He would just drive that. Nothing is accomplished without work. Nothing just accidentally happens. That nothing is accomplished without work. So tonight from the Bible study, I want to preach on the Bible truth about work. The Bible truth about your your occupation. Now, if I were to ask a simple question tonight that would go something like this, why work? Why work? Probably the answer would come back. Sounds something sim familiar. Sounds something similar to this. You would say to provide a living for myself. a family to support the work of God, etc. It would kind of go something like that. Well, yeah, we work because I got to provide a living for my for my uh uh for my family and and I got to provide a living, you know, and someone sent me a text the other day. He said, "How come that a funeral home can go up on their prices and charge it blame it on the cost of living?" And um So, we would say something like, you know, I got I I work because I, you know, duh, I gota got to feed my family, take care of the house of God, on and on. But why don't we take a deep dive into why we work? Why don't we take a just a deep dive? Because I I could say yes to all that we just said. Provide, provide for your family, support the work of God, but let's take a deep dive into why we work. Because I want you to know something tonight. Work is of God. Work is of God. Now, I want to preface something. I may say this few several times tonight. This message is not intended to put a guilt trip or condemnation on anyone who is physically or otherwise unable to work. This it's it's not that. If if if if you're in this congregation or watching tonight online and you're physically any otherwise you're not able to work this this is not for you but all other people this message is for us. Work is from God. Everybody said amen. >> Genesis chapter 2 verse number one. Genesis chapter 2 verse number one. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them. And on the seventh day, God ended his what? >> What do you call it? >> God ended his work which he had made. And he rested on the seventh day from all of his work which he had made. I like that. Keep keep that going on. Let's try that again. That kind of took me off guard there. And he rested on the seventh day from all of his >> which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he had rested from all of his >> work which God created and made. So now we see that God sets the example. God sets the example of work. Go back one verse or two. Genesis chapter 1 verse number 31. And God saw everything that he had made. And behold, it was what? >> Very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. So now we see that God worked in creation. And now we see in that last verse that God looked out over all of his work. And what did he say the work was? >> Very good. Well, let's let's just go on. Let's go to Isaiah chapter 64 and verse number 8. Isaiah chapter 64 and verse number eight. But now, oh Lord, thou art our father. We are the clay. Thou art thou our thou art potter. Our potter and we are all the of thy hand. So I'm I'm establishing tonight. I'm taking my time because I want you to understand this thing called work has its foundation in God. This thing called work has its foundation. I don't know if I put it in this set of notes. I actually made two sets of notes in this one sermon today while I was, pardon the pun, working on it. Um, I made two sets of notes because there's a misconception among Christian people that there was no work. Man didn't have to work until the fall of man. That is not true. That is not true. Now, man would have more arduous work to do. The earth would work against him. But man worked before the fall when God created. God didn't create a man to be idol. God didn't create Adam to do nothing. God created Adam because God made a place from work and God gave Adam a work to do. He put him in the garden to keep the garden uh to replenish garden to work to work the garden. But once again, let's go back because that little misconception that oh, we have to work because sin. And you know, I think some people have got u the image from artists that when we go to heaven, we're going to be like these little naked angels with wings floating around heaven just, you know, just doing nothing. I'm here to tell you, we're going to be doing something in heaven. We're not going to be idle in heaven. Just like Adam and Eve were not idol before their fall. Adam had a job to do. He had a work that was to be performed. But I want Revelation 4 and verse number 11 to kind of wrap this up in in perspective to God. uh Revelation 4 verse number 11, they said in reference to God, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for thou hast created all things." There he is. He's the creator of how many things? >> All things. And for thy pleasure they are and were created. Now you understand now that the foundation of God's work was for his pleasure. But when God created an earth, he didn't create it out of a need for himself. He created it out of a pleasure for us. God didn't need the earth. We needed the earth. And so when God be to make all things and he made all things for his pleasure, he was not working because he was self-centered. He was working to bring pleasure to the likes of you and I. And I want you to connect this. He wasn't working just simply I'm working so I can get something for myself. I'm working so that I can help and benefit others. Let's there's a lady that I'd like to I I kind of stumbled upon a writing of a lady by the name of Dorothy Sers and uh Dorothy Saviors is her her name. She says this about work. Sister Carpenter, she says that work is the gracious expression of creative energy in the service for others. In other words, work is a a a gracious strong expression that is a creative energy, but it is done in the service for others. So now stay with me now please. When God created the earth, he didn't do it for himself. When God spoke the expression and the earth as we know it is here and we're here living in this life and you know one of the reasons, come on talk. None of us want to die. Way back at the Mcinley Street Church, way back at the Mcinley Street Church, I made that statement and it's so true. None of us want to die. You know why? God has made it so good here. >> Now, if you kind of like to debate that, we'll talk after service. But there was a lady I made that state same statement staying at the back door shaking hands and she came and boy she was a little upset that statement and she let me know that she was wanting to go meet the Lord right now. If there was a bus station she'd go catch the bus and go meet the Lord. Well, she was shaking so violently she little little nervous situation here that she had a big black I remember the color of a big black pocketbook and that big black pocketbook kind of opened up kind of like a satchel, you know, it kind of opened up and bless God there was a pharmacy in there. And so I just simply said, "Now I'm not telling you not to take your medicine, sister. It looks like you're trying to keep yourself alive a whole lot right there. All right. God's made it so good here. None of us want to die. But death is the product of sin. But when God created the earth, it was the gracious expression of his creative energy in the service for us. God didn't need air to breathe. God didn't need water to drink. God didn't need corn out of the ground. God didn't need fruit. God didn't need this earth. God didn't need any of it. But he worked it as an expression of his love to the likes of you and I. No wonder we ought to praise him. No wonder we ought to be thankful for him becoming a father. Becoming be becoming a father. It's hard to believe. F'll be 40 years old here. Just a few few It's hard to believe. It's hard to believe. I'm I'm sorry. Well, that's Am I right on that? You can't believe it either. Well, your mother, you know, we're going through the remodeling of our house right now. She got out of going through just cleaning out things and things we're going to clothing that we're going to discard and put in a rummy sale. But there's one old tattered tattered faded gown. I remember when we bought it. We bought it at J C Penney because it was the gown your mother was going to wear. She was pregnant with you and she was going to wear that gown after you were born and knew knew that people would come to the hospital and see her. I'm going to tell you something. Money could not buy that gown right now. Money could not buy that gown. You know how wonderful it is to become a parent? You know how wonderful it is to become a parent either by natural birth or by adoption. Isn't it wonderful? Come on, folks. Come on. You You can thank God for it. You don't have to be sneaky about it like, "I don't want to brag on it. If I brag on it, I may not." No. No. God wants you to brag on it. God is good. I said, "God is good. Doesn't God give us good things?" You know why we're here? It is a gracious expression of his marvelous divine energy to give us all these things. As a matter of fact, let me go ahead. Go ahead, brother Hammond. Let me tell you something. Every manifestation God ever took, he was working. When God appears in Genesis 1:1 as the father of all creation, what did it say he did? He ended his what? Work. God becomes flesh and dwells in human, a human. And that human spoke in John 5:17. This is what that human said. The man Christ Jesus said, "But Jesus answered them, my father worketh hither too. And what's the last three words?" >> Can I tell you every manifestation God ever had, he worked. Jesus said, "My father, which was the father of creation, worked, and now he speaks as the man." And he says, "And I work." John 9:4. I hope that's not over your head tonight. John 9:4. Listen to Jesus once again. John 9 and4. I must what? >> Work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night cometh when no man can work. John 14:10. You've heard this a lot if you've been in an apostolic church. Jesus said, "Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the what?" >> Works. God worked as the father of creation. And God worked as the son of redemption. Then the Holy Ghost came. And when the Holy Ghost came and dwells in our heart, listen to the Holy Ghost in Acts chapter 13 verse number two. Look at that. Listen to the Holy Ghost in Acts 13 verse number two. As they ministered to the Lord, that was prayer and fasting. As they were praying, as they were fasting, the Holy Ghost said, look at those three words. Say it with me, would you please? The Holy Ghost what it do? >> Said, "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the >> work where unto I have called them." The father of creation is at work. The son of redemption is at work. And the Holy Ghost in the church today is still is still at at work at work. So work work is of God. Now these Thessalonians, these Thessalonians, sure Thessalonians are a lot like us. All right? There was a rumor that got in the Thessalonian church, the Thessalonica church to be exact. The rumor was the Lord had already came and the rumor was that they had missed out on this. And no doubt there was some issues here in the Thessalonian church. And uh let's just go back to opening text of 1 Thessalonians 4:9. We'll just kind of skim down through here for a moment. Paul said, "But as touching brotherly love, you have you need not that I write unto you, for you're taught yourselves are taught of God to love one another." He said, "You've written to me about how to love your brother. You're just taught of God how to love your brother." Then he he praises them in verse number 10. He says, look at and indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in Macedonia. He said you you do have that love for your brothers. You you do have that love for your brothers. But then he says, you know, I beseech you that you increase more and more. In other words, you do have a love for your brother, but let that love increase. He doesn't change the subject. Please understand something. There is not a subject change by the or between There is not a subject change between verse 10 and verse 11. Verse 9 and 10, the subject is loving your brother. Loving your brother, not a subject change. And then verse 11, not a subject change. And that and that you study. Now the word study here means you aim or you focus. You aim or you focus to be what? >> Quite. It's an interesting word. Why he uses this here? The definition of quite is to rest or to cease from labor, to be contented or to be at peace. In other words, he said, "I want you to aim. I want you to focus on being content on being content." You know, we've got a lot of working people in our society, but we got more discontented people. And I think that I found I'm stumbled upon the reason why there's so much work but so much discontentment is because we're working for the wrong reason. We're working for the wrong reason. You say, "Well, Bill, don't I have to provide?" Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. But just hang tight. He says that you study to be quiet and to do your own business and to do what? >> To work with your own hands. as we did. What did he did? He suggest they work with their own hands. Now, now I did a little research on this and the culture of that day. Modern philosophers, the influencers of their day frowned on workers who worked with their hands. It was the it was the the influencers of that day that said you work with your mind. And they belittled any class of people that worked with their hands. And I'm going to tell you all work is honorable. White collar, blue collar, all work in the sight of God is honorable. >> We say, "Brother Carbon, I'm I work in sanitation in the city. I come by and pick up garbage. better thank God that we have people that are have a work. And if you'd understand, don't look at yourself is some lower class. Go to Cuba and see how important it is for them to have a system where someone comes by and takes away the garbage. Go go go go go through the go through the smelly streets of some of these cities and you'll you you'll understand the value and and if you are a sanitary worker you got to understand that you are doing a good work providing something good and benefit to others because yes it comes around and it blesses you as far as food on your table and food for your family and clothing and all that, but at the end of the day, you are doing something to benefit others. Can you say amen? >> He commanded them to work. He said yes to work with your own hands. Don't listen to the influencers of this day. Verse 12, that you may walk honestly toward them that are without and that you may have lack of that you may have lack of nothing. Go now with me because he had to write about it again in 2 Thessalonians 3 and 6. It's a little quiet here tonight. I don't know if you're going to run the aisles or not, but I I'm I'm here to tell you this is the Bible truth about work. The Bible truth about work is I'm not working to see what I can get out of it. I'm working to see what a benefit I can be to others. The the I almost said the Bible, but it's it's an acronym. Joy. Jesus first, others second, you last. And if we could ever get that mindset that I'm not doing something in order to get something to return, but how can I help you? If I'm a nurse at a hospital and I will I should be the most friendly nurse at the hospital because I'm not working at the hospital because the medical uh uh the the the the medical is good and and the medical all that I make a lot of money and I got a lot of benefits. I'm working there because I want to help people. That's how you're going to have real joy. That's how you're going to really be content. That's how you're really going to have rest. You're not going to have rest when all you can say is, "Give me, give me, give me, let me see what I can get out of this." But you're going to say, "Let me see how I can make you happy. Let me see how I can let me see how I can help you." Well, let me go on tonight. Let me let me travel on. Let me work on 2 Thessalonians 3 and 9, excuse me, 3 and 6. Evidently, they didn't get it the first time. So, Paul had to come around again. Look at verse six. Now, we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. He ain't casting out devils here. He He ain't casting out devils. I command you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which he received from us. Now this disorderly. Whoa. My goodness. Get away from someone that's walking disorderly. Let's find out. Verse seven. For yourselves know how you ought to follow us. For we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you. Okay. So he said we came and we were not disorderly. The second time he's used the word. The second time that he's used this word disorderly. He said we behave not ourselves disorderly among you. What is it about? Verse eight. Look at it. Neither did we eat any man's bread for nothing. In other words, we didn't come among you looking for a free meal. but wrought with what? Labor and travail day and night that we might not be chargeable to any of you. Now, he said, when we came among you, we didn't come for a free meal. We We didn't come and I'm I'm going to tell you something today. The spirit of entitlement will bankrupt you. >> The spirit you you want to live a discontented life, get a spirit of entitlement about you. just get a spirit of entitlement that some everybody owes you something and you're going to be some of the most discontented people that that that ever put a pair of shoes on. Paul says, uh, we we didn't eat the bread for nothing. We took care of it ourselves. We labored day and night that we might not be chargeable to any of you. Now look at verse nine. Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an example unto you to follow us. Now they were preaching the gospel, brother Namy. And Paul was a big promoter. Was it not Paul that used the Old Testament about support for the ministry? Was it not Paul that used the Old Testament muzzle not the ox that treadth out the corn? That was the Old Testament. They were not allowed to put a muzzle tie up a ox's mouth when he was treading out the corn. When the ox was working, the animal when the animal was working, they could not be cruel and tie his mouth up. If he got hungry working, he had a right to eat what he was treading out. Paul used it in the New Testament to talk about support for the ministry. He said, "Does the Bible not say that tre muscle not the ox?" And he said, "If we have rendered unto you things of God, is it any small thing that you would render back to the min? Do not others have this power over you?" And so now Paul is not saying Paul is not saying that the ministry is not to work. He just says, "Hey fellas, there's a problem down there in Thessalonica. There's some people walking disorderly. Had nothing to do with water baptism in Jesus' name. Had nothing to do with how many gods there is or not. It have nothing to do. It had to do with they were not working." So you know what Paul did? He came down and gave them a good example when he could when he could have said, "We need an offering. We're preaching the word to you. He didn't say it, but he labored in front of them. Are y'all getting this tonight? >> He labored in front of them to give them an example. Verse number 10. For even when we were with you, this we look at these strong words. This we commanded you that if any would not a little weak in here now. Neither should he. >> Boy, I wonder how we man. Why? We want to hear Paul. Oh, tell me about Paul sounding brass and if I have not love, sounding brass and tinkling. He said, boy, we want Paul's 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians. He said, I commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly. That's what he's talking about. He says if you are not working for the benefit of others that you are walking disorderly working not at all. And here's what happens to idle people. Here's what happens to idle people. But are busy bodies. They are busy bodies. Now them that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they they work and eat their own bread, brethren, but ye, brethren, be not weary in welloing. The word disorderly means deviating from the prescribed order or rule. If God opens the Bible up with working and Jesus Christ, God in flesh says, "I work." And when the Holy Ghost came, which were the dispensation we're living in right now, and all three times it says work, work, work. Should we not stand today and view whatever we do from white collar to blue collar, from being a construction worker or being some kind of software engineer, from being in the the profession of a lawyer to being down in lawn care, it's not here in here. It's all with God right here because we are working for the benefit of others and in return it comes back around to us. This Dorothy Sagers a little I just put down some words that she she spoke. She said society is dying. She said, "Society is dying because work has become about that which you do for a living. No one works for the sake of that which they do, but rather for money so you can do what you really want to do." She has a quote in an essay. It goes something like this. She said that a surgeon friend of hers put it very nicely when he said this. He said what is happening is that nobody today works for the sake of the thing they do. The result of the work is only a byproduct of the real aim. The real aim in work is money or status. So doctors practice medicine not primarily to relieve suffering but to make a living. The patient is something that happens along the way with lawyers. Some and I say some doctors and some lawyers. With some it's not because of their position or their passion for justice but because this is a professional a profession that enables them to make enough money to do and get the things they want. And so goes the story. So, so you understand today that truly if a doctor wants to be content, he should become a doctor. Not so uh he he drives a certain car. That may happen, but that shouldn't be his goal. >> His or her goal should be to relieve suffering. >> An attorney, their goal should not be what they can get out of it moneywise, but how that they can help someone get justice. So, whatever. Now, you just take your profession tonight. Whatever it is tonight, remove money from it and just say whether if I'm a contractor, let me build the best house for the best amount of money and make people happy. Right? >> Can I just confess to you tonight? I want to make people happy. Would you really want me? So, I'm I'm get up here and make them I'm gonna go up here and tick them off tonight. I just don't care. I want to make you happy. Do you know I want to encourage you tonight? Do you Do you know if you're here tonight and you're a sinner, I want to minister to you the gospel. you're here tonight. You You get around this place and I find out you're not baptized in Jesus name. You just mark it down. I go stealth on you. Every conversation we're coming back to the water. I'm not going to stop until you get baptized because I believe with all my heart that baptism in Jesus name is the only way a person should ever be baptized. >> So I'm here tonight. I want if you if you're born again, I want to I want to encourage you tonight. You're lost, I want to get you saved tonight. If you're going through a trial, I want you to know God is with you tonight. Why? Because that's my occupation. That's my occupation. And anytime my occupation is anything but that, we lose sight of our real purpose in life. So, just take your occupation right now. Just take your occupation right now, whatever it may be. If you work at the drive-thru at one of the restaurants around here, you ought to you ought to have the mindset that it's just not number 145 coming through. It's somebody I might can smile at. I just may be able to win them to God. I just may be able to do that. Amen. >> She goes on, she's got something interesting to say. I really liked it. She said that u a British man during World War II, he said the reason why men found themselves so happy and satisfied in the army was that for many of them for the first time in their lives they were doing something not for the sake of pay which the pay in the army at that time and probably still is miserable. And I'll just tell you this too, with our police officers here in town, they're not paid nowhere near what they ought to be paid. >> The men and women that risk risk their life, whether it's Alcoa, Marble, Blunt County, they are not paid. And and let me go, let me go a step ahead. Our educators in our public, I'm not running for office. I'm just telling you like it is tonight. Our educators in our private school and our Christian school are not paid anywhere near what they should be paid for the work that they're doing for the difference they were making. You tell me how much you can I know what they paid Michael Jordan. They said they averaged how much that man was worth every time he put a basketball. Now, this may have changed, but this is what I read a few years ago, that every time Michael Jordan put a basketball through the hoop, he made $30,000 every time it went through so that his name can be on a pair of tennis shoes and shirts and merch. But did you all see the other night when Bishop Holmes was here and last Sunday night when we called all these children up here and the lives that have been changed by teachers and Sunday school teachers and workers in this church? How in the name of our God do you put a price tag on a child that turns his life around? There is none, my friend. How do you put a price tag on a man and woman that come in a church and their lives are falling apart, but somehow through what you do turns them around and change? How do you put a price tag on that? Lord, let me get back in this teaching mode tonight. Lord have mercy. Have you put a price tug on it? He put a price tag. Thank you all you workers tonight. Thank you all you people that came from your jobs today. Regardless of what that job is, all work is honorable. All occupations are honorable. >> Thank you tonight. I wonder what Marville would look like had there been no apostolic church here. I'm going to tell you the reason we're here. Oh yes. The reason we're here, sweetheart, you folded up your G. You folded up your apron from working at that restaurant about 5:00. You folded it up. You brought a little checkbook to church with you. And you wrote out your tithe and you wrote out your tip. Oh yes, Mr. Roofer. Oh yes, Mr. Contractor. Oh yes, Mr. Accountant. You left your office and you drove here and you had your checkbook out. You know why we're here today? Because working people have made the work of God do what it is. You put that tithing envelope. Listen, we don't tell the amount. You don't get to go up and blow a horn and say, "What I'm putting in because that's not the reason you're putting it in. You're putting it in because God has given you breath. God has given you a job. God has given you a commandment. And because of all that, what would this city look like today if this was still a cowpacker? What would this city look like today had there been no Apostolic Christian Academy? I don't see Sister Prader here tonight, but I'll tell you what would Winchester, Tennessee be like tonight if there wasn't a Jordan Aes there. There's men, they got a they got a house where men and women go trying to get off drugs and alcohol and they and I've been through all their houses there. They got men that came in on alcohol and women that were addicted to pain pills. They put them through their program. Now they're workers in the house of God. But what would Winchester, Tennessee be like tonight if there wasn't a Jordan Aeson? Well, wait a minute now. If there's not an ACA, there is no Jordan Aison. If there's not a First Apostolic Church, there is no place for Jordan's daddy to pray back through. There is no place for Jordan's mother to come and worship God. Do you all understanding what I'm telling you tonight? Oh my God. You You got to shake off this poor pit of me. You got to shake off this po to poor pit of a me. If you're somebody that gets a monthly check and you write out your tithe and offerings and you look at what you're doing, look at the work. Y'all hear me tonight. The value of working people. The value of working people. I probably embarrass her tonight. Done got one down. Why not go for two? Fallon's 40. Mother-in-law, how old are you? Turn herinade up. 82. 82. Why don't you know, sweetheart? You supposed to retired a long time ago. >> Don't you Don't you know 63, 65, 67? Don't you know? You ought to you ought to you you ought to quit a long time ago. But do you know what I tell you keeps her going to work? She's 82 years old. She still drives to Knoxville. She manages a mini storage place over in Knoxville. You know why she still does it? Because she's told me on more than one occasion. If I quit doing this, I'm not going to make any money to be able to bless the house of God. I'm not going to be able to support any missionaries. I'm not going to I'm not going to be able to do all all this stuff. It's keeping her going. As a matter of fact, I believe there's a lot of people that are prematurely in a graveyard today because they had nothing to wake up for and they had nothing to live for. They had nothing that made them I I don't know about you now. Now, please I I may I may get a little criticism. You got to help me on this. I don't I'm talking about godly proud. It does me good to turn the corner and look at this church and say, "That's where we go to church. That's where we got a house of God. That's where that's where we come into the house of God." I it it it does me good. Brother Joel, Brother Joel Mayo uh flies for He's a pilot for Flight Choice, and I may have that mixed up. Flight Choice out here at McGee Tyson. He's a pilot, an airplane pilot. The owner of that company came out the other day. His son played practice ball out here on the field. All he could rave about, all he could rave about to brother Joe was, "I couldn't believe that ball field. I couldn't believe that playground. I couldn't believe that building. Man, those folks do things first class. I can't help it tonight. I'm not saying that so people look at us and think, "What great people we are." Oh, no. It's just simply the open door for them to be able to tell them, "We serve a great and a mighty God who's worthy. He's worthy of all the praise. He's worthy of all." But I got news for you. It would still be a cow pastor. If it wasn't for working people, then work and give and go. If you believe it and you're thankful for what God has used you to do, and it's not one big one. It's not we got a bunch of millionaires in the church and we got a bunch of this. No, no, no, no, no. As I told brother Frank Jones, God rest his soul. When he told me one time, "Brother Carbon, we got to pray for some millionaires to come in the church." I told him this, "Brother Jones, God will never send us millionaires till us $20 heirs give it up. >> Thank you workers. Thank you workers." Cody, would you stand back there where you're at? Cody Cog, will you stand? One of our public servants right here keeps us safe. Thank God for that right there. Apostolic boy. If >> he pulls you over speed, he's not going to give you a break either. Get him, Cody. Come on. Give our officer a hand. Thank God for our working people tonight. Thank God for our working people. Let me see. I won't land this. The value of working people. Genesis 15:E3. We're going to go very quickly. Genesis 15:13. And God said unto Abram, "Know of assurityity that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs. Shall serve them. They shall afflict them 400 years." God goes ahead. God goes ahead tells Abraham about the the Egyptian bondage. And also and also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge and afterward shall they come out with great substance. Let me see let me tell you this. God said you going to work for them for 400 years and they not going to pay you nothing. But there's going to be one night they going to make up for 430 years. For 400 years, they're not going to pay you nothing, but there'll be one night you're coming out with great substance. Psalms 105:37. Speaking of that night, he brought them forth also with silver and gold. There was not one feeble person among their tribes. Wow. 400 years of bondage, cruel bondage. But on that night, God brought them out with silver and gold. And God said there wasn't a feeble, weak man or woman among them. Exodus 3:22, God says, "But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, raignment. You shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, and you shall spoil the Egyptians. Let me say something because I I had him in my notes. Darren Cooper and your team, you know, they have a company. They have a company that installs LED screens or that brings churches up to the 21st century in technology. And you know what? That serves a purpose for the kingdom of God. That serves a purpose for the kingdom of God. I had him down on my notes to say that he serves a purpose. Churches have seen LED screens and and here they here they are. And here we are. They came out of Egypt. When they came out of Egypt that night, they put gold and silver. The Egyptians paid them. In other words, gave them gold and silver, all kinds of raignment, all kinds of clothing, all kinds of gold, all kinds of silver. Now, look at this with me for the next five minutes. What are you going to do with your wealth? Exodus 25 verse number one. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speak unto the children of Israel that they bring me an offering. Wait a minute. We're slaves. No, we're delivered. We don't have anything. Yes, we do. We got it when we came out of Egypt. Let them bring me an offering of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart. You shall take my offering. Let me just tell you this real quickly. Real quickly. He didn't ask for an offering when they were in bondage. He said, "Well, they didn't have nothing to give." They probably did. But people who are in bondage don't feel like giving. But if you ever get delivered and that which delivered you asked for something, you remember back when you were in bondage and you would not have had he not brought you out of bondage. He said, "Every man that giveth it willingly." And then he makes a long list. Verse three, "And this is the offering which you shall take of them. Gold, silver, brass, blue, purple, scarlet, fine linen, goat's hair, ramkins dyed red, badger skins, shadum wood, oil for lamp, spices for anointing oil, sweet incense, onyx stones." So stones to be set in the ephod in the breastplate. Here it is. And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them. He said, I have given you, you have worked 400 years, and I have given you in one night this great wealth, but I didn't give you this wealth for you to hoard it up. I gave you this wealth so that you could give it and that there could be a sanctuary. There could be a place that God I I I I mean what I say tonight. This is one of the most consistent churches you go to where there is worship and praise going on. Where there is a fire burning in the prayer room where there are people that are saying this is not just a Wednesday night. We're not going to have the Leoysa attitude and the lack of dasal spirit. Oh, it's just midweek Bible study and oh it's just Sunday morning Sunday school and oh come on strike up the band. Let's get with it on Sunday night. No, no, no, no, no, no. When we come to the house of God, we come to worship the Lord, to put everything that we've got in it. Why? I once was lost, but now I'm found. Why? I owe everything I am. And God, I owe it to him tonight. That's why he gets all of it tonight. I owe it. Oh, I wish you'd help me praise him. I wish you would praise him like you feel like he owes. Listen, if it wasn't for the Lord, if it wasn't for God, if it wasn't for his blessings, stand with me. Just stay standing with me. >> I wouldn't have nothing tonight if it wasn't for him. Moses takes what they got from Egypt. The building materials came from Egypt. Moses reared up a sanctuary. The Bible says in Exodus 40 and verse 33, "So Moses finished the work. The cloud covered the tent of the congregation. The glory of the Lord filled the place and no man was able to enter it." Can I tell you that's all typology? That's all typology. Because when we are doing it for the right thing, I've heard people say, "Oh man, we was having good church. We were having good church. The devil got in our church and tore it up." Right there, you told it. Your church. But when it's God's church, no man can get in it because it's God's church. what it must have been like stand there. What it must have been like to stand there and say, "You know what? I never believe that that few pounds of gold I held in my hand, they they said they made the ark of the covenant with it. They said they made I I I never believe that few pounds of silver I had in my hand would would make this and make that." Just like some of you, the enemy wants you to feel insignificant and you would think, "Look what the Lord has done." But that a little mount has dropped down. I put it in a container. Look what the Lord did. Let me Let me just say this is next Wednesday night. It's next not next Wednesday night. Yeah. Let me just finish next Wednesday night. Okay, Lord willing. Let me just finish because it's it's a it's a barn burner right here. This is this deep stuff right here. This only thing I'm going to say, they got their gold from Egypt. God gave them the gold to build the tabernacle. God knew it when he brought them out of Egypt. They're going to build the tabernacle with what they take out of Egypt. All right. But they got messed up. Some of them gave their gold to make a calf. Now, let's follow biology here. Okay. They took gold that should have been made for a sanctuary and they made a calf. Moses comes down. You preached about it. Moses come down, got upset, broke the commandments, took the calf, burned it in the fire, melted it down. Then he took a hammer and beat it small into powder, put it on water, and made them drink it. What should have went in the sanctuary flowed through their body and went into the sewer. What should have been used to build a place for God's glory went in their mouth and through their body and out into the sewer. So you ought to ask yourself tonight, what am I building? A sanctuary or a sewer? pardon the pun tonight, but there's a lot of folks in a mess because they think that job is all about what they can get out of it. And those things will never make you happy. But if you could ever learn to allow God to come into your life and see your occupation as a way to promote the kingdom of God, you're not going to do without. But seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will follow. Would you lift your hands with me right now? Receive that word tonight. Would you receive that word tonight in Jesus name? Come on, praise him real good and ask him, Lord, help me to receive the word tonight. Lord, help me to receive that word in Jesus name tonight, God. Lord, I want to receive that word in the name of the Lord tonight. Go ahead, just keep your voices good and loud tonight. Lord, I thank you. Lord, I praise you. Lord, I thank you for this occupation. Lord, I thank you, God, for what you've given me the ability to do. Lord, I thank you, God, for my giftedness. I thank you, God, for all that you've done. Lord, be upon these sweet, sweet people here at this church. God be upon every worker. God bless them Lord in all of their ways. God in Jesus mighty name we pray. Amen. And amen. You're dismissed. You got people.