The Doctrine of Repentance | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

Thank the Lord. Thank the Lord. Thank the Lord as our worshippers are going back to their pews right now. You can divide it all up this morning. We have our musicians and we have our choir, our singers. But the Bible adds another category. It says the congregation. And uh what I want to do right now as they're making their way back and we're all gathering back in to hear the word of the Lord. What I want today is and I not only want to hear from our musicians and I not only want to hear from our singers, but I want all three of us to blend together right now. >> And let's lift up a praise to him today. Hallelujah. >> Glory to the lamb of God. Glory to the lamb of God. Lord, I worship you. Lord, I magnify you. Lord, I lift your name on high right now. Lord, I take every breath that I breathe, Lord. I take every breath that I breathe right now, Lord. And I give you praise and I give you honor. For in the name of Jesus, I have victory. And in the name of Jesus, I have been set free. And in the name of Jesus, my future is secure. And in the name of Jesus, there's power in this house today. Power in this house. Come on, let's let's give him a praise right now, power, power in this house right now. If you would remain standing with me, I invite your attention to the book of Mark, chapter number eight, and we'll begin reading at verse number 22. And as you're searching for that passage of scripture, I want to greet everyone that is watching us online. It is so good to have you with us this morning. Or if you're watching it later today, it's so good to have you. Sister Carpenter and I just returned from the great state of Alabama which we were invited to preach a regional it's called they they called it a regional uh revival for the United Pentecostal district that was there that's there in Alabama and they call it a regional revival and um one preacher three nights three different churches we were in South Alabama Brother Davis And then we went the next night, Thursday night, to Brother Bean there in Alabama. And then we ended up Friday night in Birmingham, Alabama with Bishop Sutton and Pastor Collins and the New Life Apostolic Church there in Birmingham, Alabama. And uh it was just a a wonderful time in all three churches that were in. There were many people that came up and uh as I introduced myself to them, they said, "We we know you. We watch you every Sunday. We watch the uh worship every Sunday. We watch the choir every Sunday." And uh I'm glad that we're not only having an effect locally in our county, a great effect locally in our county, but that we're having a global effect Honduras and all around. And I think it's really wonderful. Would you help me welcome our online congregation right now? It's what a blessing to have you this morning. What a tremendous blessing. What a tremendous blessing to have you. And while we're talking about being everywhere this week, uh our Kids Quest choir uh was at IBC and uh they absolutely I've got reports that the Kids Qu all the singers in Pentecost and I think they were there at every cost. I mean everybody was there. all the singers that were that that were there, David Jennings, all the all the singers, Brother Chad Ericson, but they said the Apostolic First Apostolic Church Kids Quest Choir stole the whole show. They just they just they just took over and I'm thankful. I'm thankful. Mark chapter 8 verse 22. Mark 8 and 22. and he cometh to Bayeda. They bring a blind man unto him and besought Everybody say besought. >> Besought him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when he had spit on his eyes, he put his hands upon him. He asked him if he saw ought or how do you see? And he looked up and said, "I see men as trees walking." After that he put his hands again upon his eyes and made him look up and he was restored. Saw every man clearly. He sent him away. And he sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town." I come with a heavy word on my heart this morning. as your pastor, as your spiritual leader, as the one that will stand one day before the throne and be judged by a higher standard by Almighty God because I'll be judged by what I preached here today. And I've got a heavy spirit on me today. You know, praise and worship will affect you for the moment, but the doctrine of repentance will will affect you for a lifetime. And it would be a vain. It would be vain. It would be very vain. It would be very to no avail, to no profit. And almost I teeter on saying the words a waste of time. It doesn't matter how loud we are. It doesn't matter how it doesn't matter what kind of demonstrative worship we produce if it doesn't change our lives. So I'm going to preach today about the doctrine of repentance and I'm going to see some lives changed by faith in Jesus name. Father Lord I love you today. Lord you called me to preach your word. You called me to be an evangelist. And Lord, then years you would call me to be the pastor of this church, the overseer, the feeder, the leader, God, the one that'll stand and give an account of what is preached in this pull pit. Give an account for the counsel that I give these saints. And Lord, I thank you today. God, I I I do thank you today for this privilege. But God, I do realize it's an it's a responsibility. God, I ask today that you would touch our hearts and our minds. We'll give you the praise and the glory and the honor. Jesus name we all pray. Amen. You may be seated. Have different things I would like to do right now and I I'll get to them maybe later in the service. But um greeting our guest and um a picture of a brand new member that we was birthed this week, the Mayos. We're so thankful for addition to their family, a beautiful baby boy. And we're so thankful. We're so thankful for that. But I have a heaviness on my heart at the moment to preach on the doctrine of repentance. One of the largest churches in America. One of the largest if you were probably it would be maybe the second largest one of the largest churches in America. Shortly after COVID in 2020, they decided it would be a good time to poll their congregation. They pulled their congregation. Thousands of members go to this church. Thousands of members. They poll them. And they asked the church in a poll shortly after CO. They asked the church, "What do you want to hear from the pull pit? What subjects are you wanting to hear from the pull pit?" And overwhelmingly, overwhelmingly, this church of thousands, this church that can do everything from change your tires while you worship for 10 minutes in their service, this church that is would do whatever, however, it would take to put somebody on the pew when they pulled their thousands of members. members, their thousands of members overwhelmingly said came back with a statement, we want to hear more doctrine. We want to hear more Bible doctrine. Sad to say, the leadership of that church totally ignored what they were being pulled, what they pulled, and what they were asked to do. Because the leadership of the church knew if we preach doctrine, doctrine is not relevant to man today. I beg to differ. Doctrine may not be relevant to the masses, but doctrine is very important to the serious child of God >> that wants to make heaven their home. >> This world is not our home. >> Heaven is going to be our home. This doctrine of repentance today begins in the book of Genesis. And it weaves its way. If you have your Bible, would you just hold your Bible? The doctrine of repentance weaves its way from Genesis all the way through to the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ. You will find repentance woven. It was King David who committed adultery and murder, but it was King David that repented at the preaching of the prophet Nathan. It was an entire city called Nineveh that was hellbound in 40 days. But a prophet named Jonah went and preached a simple message of repentance and an entire city. Over 180,000 souls were spared because a man preached repentance. The Old Testament ends with a call of repentance to backsliden Israel. The prophet Malachi for four chapters extends a hand to a backsliden nation and he called for them to repent. If we were to turn to the New Testament in the book of Matthew, the New Testament begins with John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Anybody like to take a wild guess on what they started off preaching? >> Repentance. The church was birthed on the day of Pentecost. And the first message that birthed the church, the first words that came out of the Apostle Peter's mouth, the man that has the keys to the kingdom of heaven, the man that was the spokesman for the church birthed on the day of Pentecost. When asked men and brethren, "What shall we do?" The first word that flew out of the mouth of the Apostle Peter was >> repent. We go to Romans through Jude, letters written to the churches that were established in the book of Acts, letters written to believers just like you and I. And the epistles are instructing the saints who have sinned to repent to repent. The book of Revelation opens and gives us the true picture of the throne of God. The glorified Jesus Christ appears in the book of Revelation walking among the seven golden candlesticks which would be later interpreted as the church because the church is a light in a dark world. It matters what we believe. It matters it not only for your own soul salvation but for the salvation of our community. It matters what we teach here in this local church >> because we are a light to our city. We're a light. And Jesus walked among the seven golden candlesticks. And I could add this to this message today. And in his right hand were seven stars. Were seven stars in his right hand. And he's walking among the seven golden candlesticks which is interpreted as the church. And later the seven golden stars in his right hand would be interpreted as the leadership. It would be interpreted as the messengers, pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers. It would be it would be interpreted as the ministry of the seven golden candlesticks which is the seven churches there the complete the whole church. But these ministers would be likened to stars. Why would you liken ministers to stars? Because in that day, if you were on the open sea, you navigated your vessel by the stars. And friend, still today. Still today. And I give a cry out to everyone listening to me today. Any pastor, any evangelist, any any any preacher of the word that's listening to me today, don't allow our society to dumb you down. Don't allow the society. They're going to label you anyway, and you might as well let them label you whatever they want to label you. But for God's sake sake, don't stop preaching the word. It is the guidance. It is the light. It is the compass. It is what is going to save. Can I get a witness today? Don't stop preaching the word. Brother Carpenter, I didn't come here this morning to hear a story from Reader's Digest. I didn't come here today to hear some hoppy message that'll make me feel good. You are not my life coach, brother Carpenter. You are my pastor. Get me to heaven. Preach to me the living word of God. That's what I want. I affectionately love on brother and sister Gable, one of the newest families to move here to the church. And I affectionately love on them and tell them, I'm going to be the pastor that's going to take you all the way home. Amen. I'm going to be the man going to take you all the way home. Jesus Christ walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks with the seven stars in his right hand. And do you know what the prominent message of the glorified Christ was to these churches? Repent. Read them. Chapters 2 and chapter 3 of Revelation. Read it. Not now, but read it. And you'll find the glorified Christ preaching a message to these churches about their behavior. And the message is repent. But it's just not repent. You got to remember it was repent or else Else else what? Else I will remove you out of my presence. He didn't say you would stop being a church. He said I will remove you out of my presence. He he didn't say your attendance would go down and you'd have to sell your building. He he said I'll just take you out of my presence. He he he didn't say he he didn't say any of that because there's a lot of places that function today that have larger crowds far larger than this. But because they don't preach the doctrine of repentance, I believe the Lord has just removed them out of his presence. And what good would it do us today to be here if he's not here? >> Do you do realize that's why we have prayer before church? >> Well, why do y'all pray before church? Because we want him here. We want our prayer to be an outward symbol of our faith with what's inside of our heart. I want him here with everything inside of me. Why do you want him here? Because I realize if he's here, anything is possible. If he's here, miracles can happen. Lives can be changed. Do you do you know if if if if he's here, a guest from Atlanta, Georgia last week, if he's here, Jordan Nash, a guest from Atlanta, Georgia, can come and be baptized in Jesus name. He can leave here with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. If he is here, cancer can be healed. If he is here, marriages can be mended. If if if he is here, but he if he is not here, then your hope is in a man. And oh God, help us when our hope is in a man only. One of the saddest verses in the Bible, I told you I have a heavy spirit on me this morning. One of the one of the saddest verses in the Bible is in Hebrews 12:17, where it talks about a man by the name of Esau. And it says, "For you know how that afterward when Esau would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." You you do realize that the Bible should have read he's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Esau. But everything changed. It is now he's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Do you know what changed that name? One bowl of soup. One measly bowl of soup that a fleshly man, Esau, said, "Give me that bowl of soup or I will die." And Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright. Sell me your birthright." Can I tell you, your flesh will speak to you and tell you that you've got to have the things of this world or you're going to die. But the truth of the matter is, you're selling out from nothing but a bowl of soup. That's all you're selling out to. When you allow your fleshly lust to rule you and reign you and make excuses and and and and qualify and justify why you are who you are, can I tell you something today? There's no behavior in this room that cannot be corrected by good Bible doctrine repentance. When you change your mind about when you allow the word to change your mind about your situation, it's the first step in deliverance. It's the first step in a behavioral change. But if you never change your mind, if you never allow the word to tell you, doesn't it doesn't matter. >> Well, I don't feel it's wrong. I got news for you. It doesn't matter how you or I feel. It's what the word says. You see, it should be Abraham, Isaac, and Esau, but for one lousy bowl of soup, he traded his birthright. But the Bible says he would later try to find a place of repentance. He would later try to find a place that he could turn around and he sought it carefully with tears but he never found that place. Why is that? Why is that so? Because repentance does have an expiration date on it. You read the book of Revelation, you'll find how merciful our God is. It was a woman by the name, she went by the name Jezebel, but she was just a match for the Old Testament Jezebel. She was a word hater. She was a she was a word of God hater. She was she was a man of God destroyer. She had no greater priv She had no greater desire than to silence the mouth of all of God's prophets that said, "Thus sayaith the Lord." And this Jezebel in the New Testament was in the church. She was in the church and she was a voice. Thank you, brother Nolan Carpenter, for that anointed message Wednesday night. Was that not a word from the Lord? Was that not a word from the Lord? Wednesday night, your mother and I were driving back. We were an hour from our hotel room and we were driving back and we we just about had to pull the car over and we were shouting and listening to that word. But you know how merciful our God is. Our God would say these words. He said, "Unto Jezebel, I gave her space to repent and she repented not." Isn't it amazing that a woman that vile and evil, God in his love and mercy and kindness would say, "I'm going to give you an opportunity to repent." Isn't it wonderful today that our God loves us so much that he calls us here to this building this morning? He says, "I give you an opportunity to repent." >> But the sad thing is the Bible goes on and says, "But she repented not. Therefore, I will cast her into hell and all which follow her voice. But let's get to my text today. It's an unusual text. Has to do with a city by the name of Bayada. Bayada. The history of the town Bedayada is just a small fishing town. As a matter of fact, that's even what the word Bayad means. It means house of fish. Just a small insignificant town there called Bedayada. It's where the Jordan River empties in. Small, just a small fishing town. There's there's nothing special about Bayada. Just ordinary people are in the town of Samaria. But can I tell you about my Jesus this morning? He has been known to frequent ordinary places. He has been known to frequent ordinary places seeking ordinary people to turn them into extraordinary people. It would be the city of Bayada that Andrew would come from. It would be the city of Bayada that Philip would come from. It would be the city of Bayada that the Apostle Peter would come from. just an ordinary place with ordinary people. But when an extraordinary God comes through this place, he can turn these ordinary people into great powerhouses for him. But not only were the people chosen from Betheada. Many miracles were done in Bayada. It would be Bayada that would have a boat arrive at its dock. It would be Bayada that this boat will have 12 baskets of bread. Very unusual thing. Normally boats dock at Bayetta with 12 baskets of caught fish. But not on this day. On this day it would have 12 baskets of bread. What's the story of the bread? What's the story? You ought to have been on the other side. What happened? There's over 25 th,000 people on the other side of the lake and they were hungry. And Jesus took a little lad's lunch and break the fish and break the bread. And when Jesus took a a lunch that would barely feed a small child, it turned out that he fed over 25,000 people. What are the 12 baskets? That's what we walked around and we picked up the bread that was lo that was laid on the ground that was there. Not only not only that beset becomes a place of miracles, signs and wonders becomes a place where the power of God is prevalent. Becomes a place of miracles, signs and wonders. In Mark chapter 6 and verse number 54, look with me as I read. And when they were come out of the ship, straightway they knew him, ran through that whole region, Baya round about and begin to carry about in beds those that were sick where where they heard Jesus was. And whethersoever Jesus entered into villages, cities, country, they lay the sick in the streets, and besought him that he might touch, if it were, but the border of his garment. and as many as touched him were made whole. Think about Baya if we're with me. It's going to really play a role in this message. Think about this ordinary small fishing village that Jesus calls Andrew, Philillip, and Peter from. But think about this ordinary fishing village that turns in to an epicenter of miracle signs and wonders. people bring the sick and lay them in the beds and Jesus touches them and they came out and touched the hem of his garment. The blind would begin to see and the deaf would begin to hear and the mute would begin to speak and the lame would begin to walk. Come on, somebody now. Miracles would begin to happen. Say, brother Mayo goes from a fishing village to a miracle village. It's known not for the fish they catch. It's known for the miracles that are taking place. But something happened. Jesus goes back to Bayada. And there they bring a blind man to him. He's in Bada. He goes back to Bayada. They bring a blind man to him and besought him that he would heal him. That word in the Greek besought means to plead with, to beg with. It means to exert energy. To beg, to plead. It's a beseeching. It's a it's a it's it's it's a begging. It's a begging. Would you please heal him? Would you please Would you please touch him? Jesus, is there any way that we can get you just to touch this man? Notice the change. Can I tell you when we are right with repentance, there is no begging from the children of God for God to do what naturally comes to him. The Bible says in Acts 10:38 how that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil. Can I tell you when our hearts are right with repentance, our prayers are not pleading, begging times, but there are rejoicing times when God just naturally does what he does because our God is a good God. He naturally wants to bless you. He naturally wants to give you mercy. He naturally wants to work in your life. But if repentance isn't there, Would you please heal him? Would you please work on him? And the Bible says something unusual happens. He takes the blind man by the hand and he leads him out of the city. He takes him out of Bayada. And when he gets him out, I don't know how long it took. Don't know. Know it took three or four hours. Don't know how long it took. But he takes him out. Everybody say out. >> It takes him out of the city. And when he gets him out of the city, he then spits in his eyes and lays his hand on his head. He spits, which is the action of utter contempt to be spit upon. He Jesus spits on the eyes of this man. And in the middle of the spittle as the spittle drips down his face, Jesus lays his hand on the man. But then with like no other miracle, Jesus says, "How do you see? How do you see?" And the man said, "I see men as trees walking. I see men bigger than they are. I see men as trees." And then the Bible said he made him to look up and he put his hands on him again and he restored him and he saw all men plainly. And then listen to this. He says to the man, "Don't go back in that town. Do not go back in that town. Don't tell it in that town. Don't tell it to anybody. Go to your house, but don't tell it in the town." A serious Bible reader cannot just pass over this because here we have Jesus acting out of character. We have him totally out of character. So what is it? I'll tell you what it is. It is described, it is explained to us in Matthew chapter 11 and verse number 21. Matthew chapter Matthew chap 11 and verse number 21. Look with me as I read. Look with me as I read this. Excuse me. Matthew chap 11 verse number 20. Matthew chap 11 verse number 20. Look real closely with me. Then began he, Jesus, to upgrade the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done because they repented not. >> Can I tell you, God doesn't give us Holy Ghost kill bumps so that we can just say, "Didn't we have a good Sunday morning service?" And God just doesn't do miracles among us so that we can say, "We've got our we've got our genie in the bottle. We got our Jesus in a bottle. We got our rabbit's foot. We got our four-leaf clover. We got our little Jesus here. No church, no first apostolic church. He doesn't do miracles among us for us to remain in the unrepented state that we're in. He gives us miracles so that we will change our lives. And and just in case I have to clear something up, just in case I need to clear something up, baptism in water is a one-time thing. Holy Ghost initial Holy Ghost. You can only receive the Holy Ghost for the first time. One time. All right. These two things are a once ina-lifetime thing. One time you're baptized in Jesus name. One time you receive it initially for the first time. But you look at your pastor this morning. Repentance is an every day, every week, every month, everything about all of us. There is nobody in this church today that has graduated from the doctrine of repentance. Whether you're the pastor of this church or you're an usher or you're a choir member or you're a millionaire that attends here, you listen to me this morning. Repent. God wants us to repent. I come heavy-hearted today because I'm telling you, there's some people in this church that need to repent. >> Your gossip isn't spirituality. >> You see, you're waiting for me to get to the big sins. There is no big sins. More people are destroyed by a tongue >> than they are about anything else. >> And God wants to deliver us from gossip. >> And God wants to deliver us from I just can't stand that person. You need to repent. >> Let me get down here on the floor this morning. It been a while since I've done some preaching like I said you need to repent. Yes, sir. >> Well, you don't know what they did to me. I don't need to know what they did to I know what Jesus did for you. >> You need to repent. Oh, got to pull in on this side of the parking lot cuz they park over here. Got to sit over here because they My God, you need to repent. You need to get down to where God can change your life until you can wrap your arms around them and say, "Man, let's go to heaven together. Some of you young people got music on your phone. You need to repent. >> You hear me? >> You need to repent. Some of you got things in your life, things ain't nobody knows about it. As long as long as nobody knows, you ain't hurting nobody but me. No, God knows >> and it is hurting you. >> And he began. I told you I had a heavy spirit on me today. We're not going to get to heaven. And God say, "Why? Why? Why? Why didn't you preach to these people? Why why what why didn't you tell these people? Why what why didn't you tell?" And let me go ahead and tell you. Let me go ahead and just share this with you. If your spiritual devotion is less today than it was 5 years ago, repent. >> Can I tell you the only thing that's going to stop me from coming to church is going to be my health. I said, "The only thing," and you can say, "Well, yeah, you come Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night because you're the pastor." I give you a news flash. I was coming Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night long before I was ever a pastor. I was coming Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night when I was just a kid in the Knoxville church. Didn't even have a full set of teeth. Didn't have a fancy suit or nothing like that. I was I I was a kid that said, "You know what? I'm going to go to the house of God. I'm going I'm going to go to the house of God. And I and I'll go ahead and tell you this. I'm gonna preach till I can't preach anymore. I can't think about a life without preaching. I can't think about, "Yeah, a Florida vacation's nice every now and then. If you don't get shingles, oh, that's all right. But I'm going to tell you something. It's just a short temporary thing. Get me back to a pull bed. Get me back to preaching. That's what we were called for. If you have less church in your calendar right now than you did five years ago, >> thank you. I thought you was agging me on to preach. I got my I got my glasses out. I thought you What would you tell somebody this? What would you Zack Camel? What would you lift up your voice in one word tell somebody to do that has less church right now than they did five years ago? What should they do? Stand and say it. What's repent mean? Change your mind. >> Because evidently you had a change of mind. >> Well, well, you know, I I you you know, I'm saved. Well, that's good. You're saved, sweetheart. But what about saving somebody else? >> Well, well, you you know, my family's doing all right. How about somebody's family that's not doing all right? You ever thought about that being a Christian is not only about giving, it's about it's only about getting. It's about giving. >> Hey, come on. Come on. Shake yourself. Repent. You got to change your mind. Repent. Repent. Repent. Change your mind. What's changed? What's changed? Well, you know, it just I don't feel the same. Open your Bible. Does it change? It it it does it true. Well, look, I got to get up early on Monday morning. You ever heard about giving God a sacrifice? >> Would the church just lift its hands and worship for a moment? >> The doctrine of repentance. >> You'll never be delivered from pornography until you repent. You'll never be delivered from alcoholism until you repent. >> You'll never be delivered from nicotine until you repent. You'll never be delivered from a life that's lived in the flesh till you change your mind. Jesus comes. Jesus comes to the cities where he had did a lot of his miracles. Look at verse 20. Luke 11:20. Then he began Matthew, excuse me, Matthew 11:20. Then he began to upgrade the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done. Now get ready. They don't paint pictures of what they think Jesus looked like here. The word upgrade means to defame. It means to rail upon. It means to chide. It means to taunt. It means to grit the teeth when speaking reproach. He came to these cities. No, he don't have a lamb laying over his shoulder. No, he's not seated with the the mount of biatitudes teaching. He's walked into some of his cities where he did a lot of work and his teeth are gritted and he's railing and he's taunting. He's railing and he's taunting them because I did a lot of things in this city. I healed a lot of people in this city and they weren't repenting. was still gossip going on. It was still the Jezebel spirit that tries to destroy the voice of the pull pit. It was still all lust taking place. Bless God, they didn't do that. But they sure did undress the woman with their eyes. I told you I got a heavy spirit on me this morning. >> Because we're not a church if we can't repent. Woe. Verse 21. Woe. Wo unto the old chore raisin. Woe unto thee baya. For if the mighty works which were done in you were done in Ty and Sodom, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Ty and Sodom at the day of judgment than for you. and thou capernium which are exalted unto heaven shall be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works which were had been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day. But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. You know what God would look at Sodom? He will judge the perverted by a different standard because the perverted didn't have a preacher. Sodom didn't have a Bible. Sodom didn't have a church. Sodom didn't have the opportunities. And Jesus said, "I will judge you more harshly because you had me in the midst of you and you repented not." I'm preaching to everybody today. We are a chosen generation. Blow your horn. Blow your horn. We're a chosen generation. But bless God while you're tooting your horn that we're a chosen generation. You better remember that we are a privileged generation. And privilege comes with a price tag. We have been privileged to know the truth. We have been privileged to know the Holy Ghost. We have been privileged to have the revelation of the almighty God in Christ walking among us. Privileged to baptize, right? Privileged to speak in tongues. Privileged to have somebody privilege, privilege, privilege, privilege, privilege, privilege. If you don't get it right now, we'll be back Sunday night to tell it again. Privilege, privilege, privilege, privilege. And if you don't get it Sunday night, we'll be back Wednesday night. Privilege, privilege, privilege, privilege, privilege. I was on a conversation this week with some leaders in the apostolic movement and one of them made a statement because he's nestled in a part of the country. You see, there's always, even among us apostolics, even among us apostolics, there's always those that are willing to move in beside you and cut the cost so they can get you off these pews and in their building. Their opening statement would be, "Well, he's a loving man, but I I just don't see it that way." and all they're trying to do is bargain basement you out of a good holiness church. >> That yes, it does take something to live for God. >> There is a price to be paid for living for God. What we feel here, what we feel here in this church is called the anointing. You can't duplicate it. You can sing the same songs we sing. You can even have the same form of worship, but you'll never duplicate a church that will spend time in prayer. You'll never duplicate a church. You'll never duplicate a church that'll spend time in prayer, open the doors up five days a week. Well, don't you know people are busy now? Don't you know that people you you know we're going to go back to less having less church because people are busy? If there's ever been a day when we need to have more church, it is today. We're not living better. We're not living better. We're just living with better excuses. First Apostolic Mville, I plead with you this morning. Repent. If you've been gossiping, stop. If you've been lusting, stop. If you've been doing things God's displeased with, stop. If you got things on your phone, get it off. You You You got to live for God. That person that you have to park over here because they park over there, you have to sit over here because they sit over there. >> Keep working on repentance. And I'm going to tell you who the bigger person. Let me tell you who the bigger person is. The one that puts a hand out first. >> That's the bigger individual. The one, oh, you know, I just don't know how they're going to act. It doesn't matter how they're going to act. It's God and me. And God has seen what I have done. Would you lift your hands in worship just one more time? >> Come on. This isn't a sermon today. This is a message. This This isn't a sermon right now. It's a message. It's a It's a message. just a message. Come on. That's not That's really just not enough. Hey, some people ain't even open their mouth yet. You ought to repent. You You really ought to repent. You You really ought to repent. I'm going to tell you, there's going to come a day when you're going to cry out for the rocks to cover you up. But that that's that's the end of your repentance, though. >> Help me, God. Help me, God. Help me. Help me, God. Help me. Help me. I need to change. God, help me. We are a privileged people. Tot. We're a chosen generation. But bless God, you better understand we're a privileged generation. And dare we and let me let me let me just kind of pick at the school students for a moment. Let me kind of jab at you a little bit this morning. You can just say you can just say, "Hey, it's always on the kids." It ought to condemn every one of us when we allow students to come from other denominations that have far better morals. Kids that have been taught in denominational churches what to listen to and what not to listen to. What to when to share their body and when not to share their body. But they would come among us who know the truth. Bless God. We know how many gods there are and we know the name of Jesus in baptism and we know this and bless God we won't cut our and I'm not throwing off on any of that but if that's all you have to show that you're a child of God the Pharisees had more than you had but yet we've got we've got repent students have a school revival repent of this it should be the way we live that causes that denominational kid to say you know what they've got something I don't have and I need it. I was talking to some I mean major major players in the apostolic movement and one of them we wasn't even on the subject. I just sat on a committee and one of them has a church and there's some others that have moved in that's cut the price. You don't have to do this anymore. You don't have to do this. You don't have to do that. And the pastor told me, he said, "I got a call from one of the members that I'm pretty sure is going to make their way down to the Walmart Apostolic Church." All right. Said, "I'm pretty sure." Said that the first phone call's already been made. And here's how it went. Pastor, what's driving you? You seem when you preach to bring such heaviness into the room. And one of the board members heard it and he spoke out and he said, "You ought to have told them, ever heard about conviction?" >> Ever heard about conviction? Anybody got the story that I've got in here? When I went to an apostolic church, I didn't feel hoppy. >> When I sat on the pews of an apostolic church before I knew the Lord, I didn't feel hoppy. I didn't feel like my life coach is just telling me how sweet and how good to be and everything. I'm telling you, my eyes filled with tears. My throat got clogged up. My belly got in knots. My head went down. Why? There was a holy God coming among a unholy man. And a holy God was saying, "If you will believe my word, if you will believe my message, I'll create an avenue that I can come into you and I can change your life. Could you Could this church if you're here today and you're a guest and you're wondering what in the world have I got myself into?" I get it. I understand. If you're a member of this church, would you one more time lift your voice up to God in a prayer? >> In a prayer. Come on. Could it be? Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on. Church. Come on. Some of you have written some ugly things on Facebook about one another. Repent. Some of your busy bodies. You're always in everybody else's business and you've neglected your own walk with God. Repent. Come on. Repent. Repent. Repent. Oh my. I want to call you in the altar and I want to call you to the altar in at least six minutes from now, but would you listen to pastor real close? I think I've stumbled on something. They besought him. Would you please heal him? Would you please do this? Please, would you please? I wonder today because I've heard people say, "Well, brother Karp, you say pray and I'm praying, but I don't. Nothing's changing. Could it be that we can pray but not be repented? And when we pray with an unrepented spirit, it's binding. It's tedious. It turns in more to begging. Why? Because there's a God that saying, "Don't you remember when I healed your tumor? Don't you remember when that doctor showed you that screen of that cancer on you and you went to church and it wasn't Brother Carter or the elders that healed you? It was me that healed you. And you would take the same breath that's in that lung that I healed and you would fill it with gossip. You would fill it with backbiting, would fill it with tearing down one another. And then you're still trying to go to prayer, but it seemed like, "Oh, God, please. Oh, God. Oh, God." You know why? There's a God that's over you gritting his teeth and he's saying, "I've been too good to you. I've been too good to you." Where you at? Where you at? Recline back on that lazy boy watching it online. And I understand we got people sick that can't be here. But if you got breath in your body and you got you you can go to Walmart, you can go to every place else, you can go to work on Monday morning. I wonder if God doesn't look at you and think, "Is this how you pay me back?" I told you I was heavy-hearted this morning. Is this how you? And so prayer can be prayer can be binding. But not only that, not only that, he spit upon that man because he wanted that man to know his disgust. He spit upon him. He wouldn't spit necessarily on the man. He was spitting on the condition of the city. But in the midst of his spit, he put his hand up and he touched them. Oh yes. In the midst of his gritted teeth this morning, don't you dare think that he doesn't have a heart that say, "I want to love you. I want to love you. I want to reach down and I want to wrap my arms around you. I haven't given up on you. I haven't turned you over to reprobate mine." But with but he knows if I just keep being good to you and you keep living the same old way, you're not going to spend eternity with me in heaven. So I've got to allow some spittle to drip down your face. I've got to allow some tightness to be in your prayer because I'll never wake you up. But if we somehow can let him put his hand on us today. And then he said, "How do you see?" He said, "I got men like trees. I got men bigger." And and I could tell you about offense. I could tell you about offense. People that don't repent are easily to be offended. People that don't live a repented life, you can't say enough kind words. You can't get the air right for them. You can't get the sound right for them. You can't get the sermon right for them. You can't get the length of service right for them. If they have a situation, you can't you can't solve the situation because they have the they have a non-repented spirit. And because they have a non-repented spirit, they have a spirit of the fence. And anytime God comes down and touches them and they open their eyes, they've always got man bigger than what man ought to be. All right? But then he touched him again. And that's what I want. And when he touched him again, it said he saw all men clearly. Repent. Change your mind. Change your behavior. Would you stand with me right now? Repent. >> Hallelujah. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh Jesus. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God Jesus. Listen to me for just a moment. Man, listen to me because that's where it starts. Man, I feel the Lord right now. Just would you would you just worship one more time, please? Please. I know you want to listen to pastor for a moment, but let's just talk to God. If you would, if you would, I know we got several people on the floor right now. If you just stop right where you're at. If you'd stop right where you're at. David was a giant killer. David was a giant killer. David was a man after God's own heart. Brother Perry David saved up money. It is commonly believed that when David was told that he could not build the temple, David didn't get a bad spirit. But David, David began to save money and put back. It is commonly believed that David when he died that Solomon had the equivalent of $10 million to start building the temple with. He's a giant killer man after God's own heart. leaves behind $10 million to start Solomon's temple. But I want you to hear this now, brother Salards. None of it would have taken place had not this one statement been made by the prophet Samuel. call Jesse to the sacrifice. Jesse is David's father. Do you realize it was the sacrifice that Jesse went to that got the oil poured out upon the head of David? The future of this church rest in the fathers, the Jessis that are in this room right now. If I cannot get you, I know I've got your David to the altar. I know that I've got your David worshiping, but if I cannot get Jesse to the sacrifice, the days of the history of First Apostolic Church of Mville are already numbered. We will become just another story of a church that had about 25 years of a good good or 45, however old we are. It just had a good time of revival, but we are dead. I'm calling every father right now. I'm calling every Jesse to the altar right now. I'm calling every father to the altar right now. Every father, every father in this room right now in the name of Jesus, I'm calling you to the altar. I'm calling you to this altar right now. It is time you take spiritual responsibility for your family. It's time that the church is not the primary means, but the church is a supplement and that you are the spiritual leader of your home. I'm calling every Jesse. Come on, Jesse. Come on, Jesse. Come on, Jesse. You got a David right now. You got a David that's at home. He'll never feel the oil. He'll never be anointed. He'll never kill a giant if you don't make it to the sacrifice. Come on, men. Come on, men. Come on, men. Come on, men. Right now, you listen to me and pray it with me. It's got to be your responsibility to get your family to the house of God. It's got to be your responsibility to make sure that they're in the prayer room. It's got to be your responsibility. It's got to be your responsibility, Father. Come on, Jesse. Come on, Jesse. You got to know the condition of your wife. You got to know the condition of your helpmate. You got to know the condition. Come on, Jesse. Come on, Jesse. Please. Come on, Jesse. There's not enough praying right now. I'm just telling you, there's not enough brokenness right now. Come on, Jesse. Come on, Jesse. Move up around the altar as close as you can, Jesse. Come on. I got to get you in the altar right now, Jesse. Come on, Jesse. Are you too proud to beg? Are you too proud to lift up your voice, Jesse? Come on. Are you too Are you too prideful to come to the altar? Oh, God can touch me back. You're in my pew. He sure can. But you would show your family that you're obedient. You want your family to obey you. You would show your family obedience. That's what the pastor wants. The pastor wants Jesse in the altar this morning. Let's put some things on the altar right now. Come on. We've been watching some things we shouldn't watch. Come on. We've been watching things we shouldn't watch. Come on. We've been entertaining things we shouldn't entertain. We've been entertaining thoughts. We shouldn't entertain them. They are not of God. Come on, men. Come on, men. I can lead you to the altar, but I can't repent for you. Come on. I can get you here, but I can't. You You got to take over from right here. God, forgive us for what we've watched. God, forgive us for the thoughts that we've allowed to be in our minds. God, forgive us that we've cooled down our dedication. God forgive us that we've got in a we've got in a we've got in a a fleshly mindset about the church. Come on. We need every Jesse right now. Come on, Jesse. Is this the best I'm going to get out of you this morning? Is this the best I'm going to get out of you right now? Won't you lay your hand over on somebody? A Jesse to Jesse right now. Won't you lay your hand over on somebody right now? I'm telling you, there's things that need to be deleted from phones today. There's people that need to leave this place today and you need to get in your car and you need to start deleting things from your phone. There there are things you need to start talking. You've been doing things with other people and you need to make some phone calls today and say, "I'm done with that. I'm finished with that. It's not right. Come on, Jesse. Jesse, if you don't come to the sacrifice, Jesse, Jesse, if you wasn't over getting your family to church Wednesday night, Jesse, you missed an anointed you missed an anointed message from Brother Nolan Carpenter. Your family missed an anointed message. I want you to hear me right now. I'm not calling the young people. I'm calling the Miss Jesse's right now. I'm calling our wives here. I'm calling our mothers here right now. I want you to make your way up around this altar. And if you can find your husband, would you join your husband right now? Repent. Come on, Miss Jesse. Come on, Miss Jesse. Come on, Mrs. Jesse, you set the tone in your home. Come on, Miss Jesse, you set the tone. Come on, Miss Jesse. The way you respond to holiness preaching is going to have an effect, good or bad, on your grandbabies. Come on, Miss Jesse. Come on. You better not say a negative word about your hair. Come on, Miss Jesse. You better not say a negative word about your dress. Come on. God's calling us back to repentance right now. Come on, Miss Jesse. Come on, Miss Jesse. If you If you spoke negative about holiness, ask God to forgive you right now. Come on, Miss Jesse. If you spoken negative about your hair, your dress, come on. You You got to ask God to forgive you right now, Miss Jesse. Come on, Miss Jesse. Come on, Jesse. If you've said something negative about tithing and money, if you've said something negative, you need to ask God to forgive you right now. You listen to me today. I don't know any better way. I'm going to be as transparent with you as I can be right now. But Jesse, what you say about the leadership of this church and what you say about the holiness of this church, you may be able to weather your negativism, but you got some grandkids that'll wipe their feet on this church one day and it'll all be te it all be tethered back to Jesse said the wrong things. >> I don't know when I've been more deeply hurt. I don't know when I have been more deeply hurt. And I don't know when I've been more deeply crushed in my spirit. Been pastoring here for 42 years. June 3rd be 42 years. And I don't think I've ever been stabbed as hard as in the heart as I was the other day. We're here because of missions giving. We're here because of that. I don't profit anything from the money that's taken up in this church. You hear me? When I got a call from the school the other day that some students had to be reprimmended about a conversation that was held after we received over $90,000 for Rome and a conversation was was inter a conversation was overheard and reported to the teacher and it got to me and the conversation went something down these lines. I guess now they took that offering last night, he can take him another vacation. I'm gonna tell you that stabbed me so hard in my heart. But here's what really got me. More than likely, more than likely those kids didn't come up with that on their own. And if you're a Jesse and that's come out of your mouth, you ought to ask God to forgive you. You ought to ask God to forgive you. You ought to ask God to forgive you. You ought to find Miss Jesse and ask her to forgive you. And y'all to get them kids around and say, "Hey, let me tell you something. I should have never said that in all of the world." I told you I had a heavy spirit on me this morning. But the future of this church is in the Jessis that are standing right here. No Jesse to the sacrifice. No. David kills a giant. I really don't know how to end. Could Could we just take a maybe a few more moments and just talk to God right now? Come on, Brother Ericson, sing that song for us. I believe it'd be a good way to leave. I surrender all. I surrender all to thee my savior I surrender all. I surrender all. I surrender all to thee. >> Come on now. Come on now. >> Couple more things and I'm done. Couple more things and I'm done. Please, Jesse. The church has never been a democratic thing. That's a western culture. Sometimes when I get to preaching like this, there's there's there's Jesse's that want to look around to see how's everybody accepting this. How's everybody accepting this? It don't matter. It don't matter how anybody accepts this. Did I preach anything from the Bible today that's not Bible doctrine? It It just doesn't matter. And people, you're going to lose your own soul, Jesse, concerned with how everybody else is responding to this when you are going to answer for your own house. As for you and your house, you need to serve God. One comment. We're going to be dismissed this song. Jesse's and Miss Jesse's monitor what your children are listening to. >> I got one. Amen. >> I said monitor what your children are listening to. The podcast, the music. Moni monitor. And you've got a right as a parent. I I I know I'm going to get on some backsliding website or podcast. You've got a right as a parent to say you don't listen to that. We don't have that in this house. This is not going down here. Mom and dad, listen to what your children are. The podcast. There's a lot of podcasts going on today. We just had to minister. We just had to minister to some students that were listening to anti-Israel information that were getting a bad spirit toward Israel. Look up here at me right now. God doesn't have a covenant with the government of Israel, >> but God has a covenant with Jew and with the land of the Jew. That's where it started and that's where it's going to wind up. >> Our kids in this church. When the name Israel is mentioned in church, well, well, but you know where that comes from? Podcast. >> Podcast. There's all kind of crazy stuff. And even let me let me tell I wish our Hispanic church was in here today. But our country is divided. The border and all of that. All of that. That's our government. That's our government. All right. It's messed up. Our immigration system is messed up. >> It's messed up. But it's been messed up because we've not had one party willing to step up and say, "Hey, this is how it ought to be. We can't get the vote." And that's all of that. But when you're here in this country, you don't need to allow voices. This is the best country on the face of God's planet. We have the best meth best method of voting in our president and voting out of president. We have the Oh, yes. You ought to hear me right now. We've got the best me go to Iran. You don't like it here. >> Go to Iran. Voice your opinion. >> See what happens to you. But we have to be careful. Jesse and Mrs. Jesse. We just had to get it off my heart today. I know it's friend day. I know it's family day. But you know what? I just I just happen to believe that we got some family members here that are thinking, "My God, I'm glad they go to a church like that right there. I'm I'm I'm I'm glad they they don't they don't go to Father, in the name of Jesus, today, I thank you. >> You gave me the message on repentance, God. I thank you, Lord, that this message will bring forth fruit. Lord, I believe that there'll be behavioral change starting today. Lord, I believe that people, God, are are are going to change their ways. And God, they're going to work on methods of deliverance, God, through you. Now, Lord Jesus, take us from this place today, but not from your sight. Lord, let the word find a rich place to grow in Jesus name. Sing it through one more time, and you're dismissed.