The God Who Speaks | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

Before I read my text today, good morning in Jesus name to everybody and so good to see you in the house of the Lord this beautiful Sunday morning. But before I read my text today, I want to explain the difference between praise and worship. Praise and worship. You praise God for what he has done for you. You You praise him because he's done this or he's done that. You praise him for something that he has done. But worship worship's totally different and deeper. Worship is what he's not done because of his perfect will in your life that you think he needs to do. He didn't answer the way you thought he should answer. But yet, because he gave you a different answer that you didn't want, he's still worthy of your >> worship. I can praise him for my job. I can praise him for my raise. I can praise him for a lot of different things. But praise can be sporadic, but worship must be consistent. So I'm going to ask you right now, don't don't praise him. I'm going to ask you to worship him for a moment. Lord, you are worthy. God, you are the wise God. You're the only wise God. God, I worship you today, God. You alone are God and beside you there is none else. You alone are God today and your ways are perfect and your will is perfect and I'm in your hand God regardless of the circumstance around me. The mountain shall no death shall not cover me and the river shall not drown me and the fire shall not devour me. And the enemy I I I know today that I'm in your hand. Oh God, I worship you. I worship you today. Don't you love him this morning? >> You have your Bibles and turn quickly with me to the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews, chapter number one and verse number one. Hebrews, chapter 1 and verse number one. Thank you for being here today. Thank you to all of our guests and thank you for all of our wonderful, faithful church members that make FAC the place you worship the Lord. Thank you uh brother Dean Volantine and the team that took First Apostolic Church to the streets of Mville yesterday with the Kids Quest Express uh in the parade and uh I hear that they were the talk of the parade. They were the talk of the parade. And what a you glad your church has got a good witness. Amen. So glad it's got a good witness. And and I'm thankful. So thankful for that. I'm thankful for faithful people that attend church here. And one of the faithful people had a milestone birthday day this past week, Sister Gloria Franklin. And uh turned 85. I'm I'm tell you this, can't even say it about myself. She don't look a day over 60. I I mean to tell you and uh some of you single men around here, you ought to take that away from her. Amen. And uh she is so beautiful. We love you, Sister Franklin. We love you so very very much. Um my good friend Jimmy Tony, I was with him when he I was with him. He introduced me to Sister Mangan, Sister Best Mangan. And I thought it was so interesting how he introduced me. He said, "Bo Carpenter, this is Sister Best Mangan." And said, "If I was single, she wouldn't be." Amen. And uh she just slapped him. So Hebrews chapter 1 verse number one, God, what a way to start a verse. God who at sunundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days spoken. Everybody say spoken. >> Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his son whom he appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds. Let's pray. you have a need today, lift your hand up right now. Father, you know all the names that God that I've written down in my prayer book. God, you know all the names that have come in today by way of the internet and by God by way of email. Lord, as I looked over the list this morning early, God, Brother Bill and Donnie Burkett, God, I pray for them today. Lord, as I looked over all the names, God, and I prayed for those names, Lord, once again, Lord, in your house, God, hear and remember and move according to your will. Now, Father, for the next few moments, would you anoint your servant with the Holy Ghost that I may represent you well, that I may represent who you are and what you want to do. Lord, I'll give you all the praise and all the honor and all the glory. Lord, let us hear from your word today. In Jesus wonderful name we pray. Amen. Amen. Give the Lord a hand of praise right now. Give the Lord Give the Lord a hand of praise right now. Hey church, for the next few moments, for the next few moments, I want to minister to you on the God who speaks. The God who speaks. You see the difference between the God of Israel and the God of the pagans, it could all be summed up in this simple way. The God of Israel was a speaking God. And the God of the pagans, the God of the pagans could not speak. As a matter of fact, we find this in Psalms chapter 115:es 2-7. Psalms 115:2-7 describes this beautifully. Wherefore should the heathen, that's the pagans, wherefore should the heathen say, why do they say, where is now their God? Why are the heathens saying, where is their God? But our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols are silver and gold. Now here the heathens are saying now we've got all of these statues. We've got all of these these these idol statues. But you Israel, you people of God, where is your God? You have no idols. You you have nothing that you have made. And the Bible says their answer was in verse four. Their idols are silver and gold, the works of men's hands. Listen to this. They have mouths, but they speak not. They have eyes, but they see not. They have ears, but they hear not. But noses have they, but they smell not. They have hands, but they handle not. Feet have they, but they walk not. Neither speak they through their throat. In other words, God was saying, "I am a God who speaks, but I'm not only a God who speaks. I am a God who sees, but not only a God who sees. I have I am a God who has a hand and I have feet and I am I am a God that can reach to where you're at. But he said the idol gods, he said they have mouths but they never speak. They have eyes but they never see. You see God is our God today as our text said. The Bible said God who at sunundry times, that word sunundry there just simply means uh frequent frequent times, sunundry times, different ways that God would begin to speak. And in diverse manners, God spake unto the forefathers of Israel. God was a speaking God. In other words, your grandfather, your father, you serve the God of your father. And the God of your father said he is a speaking God. You served the God of your grandfather, the God of your forefathers. And they would say he is a speaking God. He is a God who who has spoken who has spoken to us. As a matter of fact, the earth the earth and everything we see in nature, think about this, is the product of a God who speaks. the earth. Everything you see physically and even that which you can't see physically is all the testimony of a God who speaks. Creation tells us that God is a God who speaks. As a matter of fact, creation itself is speaking of the existence of God. Follow me to Psalms chapter 19 verse number one. Somebody say, "Praise the Lord." >> Aren't you glad to hear the word of the Lord this morning? >> Amen. Psalms 19 verse number one. The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth forth his handiwork. In other words, the writer of Psalms said that the heavens are declaring the glory of God and that the firmament, the atmosphere around us is is is uh showing forth his handiwork, his work, what he has done. Look at verse two. Day unto day utterth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth. Their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the son. In other words, when God created, he knew that even creation itself would have a voice of the creator. that regardless of what language would be spoken whether English whether Mandarin Chinese whether Spanish whether French whether German Arabic it didn't matter the language that would be spoken God put one creation and that one creation speaks of the existence of an almighty God an almighty you can look around creation and regardless of you knowing anything about the Bible You can look at creation and somehow know that it's so designed that if it has a design, it has to have a designer. You can look and see. You can you can look and see today. You can look and see. And I just looked and seen my dear friend, brother Pastor Magna there in the back. Would you stand right now? We'd like to greet you. We'd like to greet you, my friend. This is my pastor friend, Pastor Magna. He's a church planner. He's a visionary. He told me he'd be here this morning. Pastor, we're so glad to have you at First Apostolic today. I love you, buddy. You can look around and see the creation. As a matter of fact, he said the atmosphere. He said the skies would declare the the the sky will declare the glory of God. Do you not know the shining heavens glorify God? Call attention to God and creation. Don't you know that the atmosphere was singing? The heavens were singing and glorified God in the incarnation. The heavens lit up with the heavenly host singing praise when God became man. They were darkened. The heavens were darkened to glorify God when he was crucified on Gagatha. The heavens opened to glorify God when he ascended into heaven. And I'm going to tell you something. There's going to be another sign from heaven because it's going to be a fiery heaven which will glorify God when Jesus comes back again to this earth. I'm so thankful today that even the heavens around us are a testimony. >> As a matter of fact, Psalms 14 and verse number one simply says this. Psalms 14 and1. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. Do you realize a fool does not say with his eyes, a fool has to shut his eyes and open his mouth. Because for a fool to look around at creation, a fool would even have to acknowledge this is not the product of an accident. This is not a product of a cosmic collision. This is not the product of evolution. I've often said, "I'm going to see King Jesus, not King Kong." >> I know some folks might act like monkeys, but I didn't come from a monkey. I was fearfully and wonderfully made in the image and the likeness of my creator. Come on, give him some praise. The The fool has to close his eyes. As a matter of fact, it would be the speaking God that Elijah would challenge a bunch of people that got caught up in materialism. They got caught up in serving the God of materialism. The God of Baal. That's that's really what Baal was. He was the god of materialism. He was the god that would make supposedly make your crops to grow. and the God that supposedly controlled the thunder and the lightning. And the God that supposedly brought prosperity your way, it would be the prophet Elijah that would step out to them and say, "How long haunt you? How long are you going to limp between two opinions? If God be God, serve him. But if Baal be God, serve Baal. Just just get on one side. Stop this limping around is what Elijah was telling the people of God. Why are you limping people of God between the Baal materialistic God and Jehovah God? And when he said that to them, they didn't answer anything. They were as mute as Baal was mute. They didn't answer anything. So he said, "All right, then let's make a challenge." He said, "Let's take two bullocks. Let's take two animals. You take one. I'll take one. You lay your animal. You you you you you uh you you you you slice it up. You lay it on the altar. And I'll do the same with mine. And the God that answereth by fire. Let him be God. And you know what they said? They said, "That is a wellspoken word. That's a well, you know, if we could just get a God to speak, don't you want to serve a God who speaks? serve a God who speaks to you. He said that that that would be good. The the God that answered. And so Elijah said, "I'll let you go first. I'll give Baal the opportunity to answer first." You you know, if the gods of this world were the answer, our churches would be empty because our churches are full today in America because the gods of this world have horribly and miserably failed the people. He said, "I'll let you go first. I'll let you I'll I'll let you go first." And so the the people of Baal, the people that worshiped Baal, they started in the morning. That's interesting to know. They started in the morning. And the Bible said they laid their bullock out. And from morning to noon, they called on Bale. Simple prayer, short prayer, repetitive prayer. Oh Bale, hear us. O Bell. O Bell, hear us. Oh, bell. Bel, will you hear us? Then you got to hand it to them because sometimes people in the world have more faith than people in the church because they prayed that prayer from morning to noon. Some of us that know God can't pray more than a few minutes. >> Well, I prayed that prayer and God didn't answer. If people if if the people of Baal can start praying can start praying in the early morning and pray all the way to noon. Oh, Bale. Oh, Ba, hear us. Well, let's change it up. Ba here. Hear Bale. Hello, Baal. Then the man of God got a little hry as some preachers can get. He just kind of come over and he said, "Hey, cry a little louder." And then he said, "Hey, you know, he may be a God that can only hold one conversation with one person at a time." Said he might be talking to somebody. Said, "Keep dialing in. Keep crying in." And then he said, "Hey, he might be asleep." Or, "Hey, Baal may be on vacation." He just taunting them. He's taunting them. And then, man, they took it to another level. They got knives out. They started cutting their skin. It's because they felt like if they inflicted pain, that Baal was a God that cared about them. That Baal was a God that would have compassion. Look at all this blood gushing up. Look at how miserable we are. Hear us, O Bale. Baal never answered. And then the Bible, this is interesting. They went from praying to cutting to prophesying. See, that's why you don't need to believe ever prophecy. They started prophesy. I mean, there was some bloody Baal worshippers that come around and begin to say, "Thus sayeth Ba, I shall answer soon." Thus sayeth Bale, I'm on vacation, but I'm coming home. Thus sayeth Bale, continue what you're doing, for I am coming soon. Now, thus sayeth Bale, and they prophesied until the offering, until the even I mean all day long. I'm preaching all that to tell you this. If you tried a God all your life and he never gave you an answer, don't come to the cross and give God a couple of weeks to straighten it out. If I was willing to give God year, if I was willing to give the world years of my life, I'm going to be willing to give a God who can speak the rest of my life. Can you give him praise right now? Well, he said, "Are you done?" They're done. They prayed. They prophesied. They've cut themselves. And Elijah steps out and prays a 58word prayer. If you got a KJV Bible, he prays a 58word prayer. And at the end of the 58 words of praying, I don't know how long it took him. I used to have it timed but I it would just take a minute or so to pray that short simple prayer. The heavens cracked open and the fire came down licked up all the water that Elijah had poured licked up all the dust and licked up the stones and licked up the sacrifice and they fell on their faces and they said the Lord he is God. Can I tell can I tell anybody today that's been serving Baal? We don't want to run you off. We don't want to see you leave. We don't want to see you be destroyed. What we want to see you is to hear from a speaking God and you'll fall on your face. Can I can Can I Can I tell you, former alcoholics make the best apostolic. Amen. Former drug addicts make the best deacons. Amen. Former harlots make the best holiness women around. If we can Oh, y'all ain't hearing me today. Y'all sitting there like you good goody tushu right now. You know what we used to be. You know where God brought us from. I am who I am today because I once was a Bale worshipper. But I got a hold of a God who could speak. I got a hold of that God. I got a hold of that God. I got a hold of that God who can speak. I got a hold I got a hold of that God. But I got a hold of that God who can speak. Amen. Somebody say, "Praise the Lord." >> Praise the Lord. >> Would you lift your hands up right now and give him praise? Just >> If you If you're thankful that you once were listening for a God, but now you're listening to a God, would you lift up your hands right now? If you if you're thankful that you once were listening to a God, for a God, but now you're listening to God. If you if you once were waiting on an answer and now you know the answer. Come on, give him praise right now. The God who speaks. The God The God who speaks. The God who speaks. You see, the Bible said, going back to my text, God who in sunundry times and divers manner spake unto the prophets. In other words, the writer of Hebrews is saying he's been a speaking God ever since creation. God spoke to Adam, did he not? God spoke to Noah, did he not? God spoke to Abraham and God spoke to the prophets. Yet, these all had a word from God. They had a word from God. But God was going to become the word made flesh. You see there's a difference in a word from God and when the word became flesh God who in sunundry times uh Hebrews 1 and1 again God who had sunundry times and diver manner spake unto the prophets our fathers by the prophets hath now in these look at verse two with me for a moment Hebrews 1 verse number two look look at this this is the urgency of the hour church this is the urgency of the hour hath in what days >> see people didn't talk about the last days. Can I tell you this was written over 2,000 years ago? What day was it when God became man? It was the last days. He has spoken to us. He has spoken to us by his son whom he hath appointed heir. That's interesting if you just leave that verse up. He appointed heir of all things. You see, when God created the first Adam, God created the first Adam with eternal life. But because the first Adam, brother Nolan, because the first Adam forfeited eternal life. How did he forfeit eternal life? He broke the command of God. And so you see, every person that would be born into Adam would be heirs of Adam. He would be heirs of Adam. He would he would be a joint heir of Adam. He would have that. He would have that. Some have said, "Well, Adam and Eve had eternal life. Would their children have had eternal life?" Well, absolutely. Whatever they would whatever they would produce would have would have eternal life. But here's what what happened. Here's what happened. Don't get don't get caught in the weeds. Now, when Adam sinned, he forfeited. He forfeited. He got taken out of the will. It was God's will for Adam to have eternal life. But when Adam and Eve sinned, they forfeited their right of dominion. Did God not speak and say, "Adam, I give you dominion over all the animals. I give you dominion over all of this. I give you power. You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. You are the ruler and not the rule." That's what God gave the first Adam in creation. He was going to rule over creation. But when the first Adam chose to believe Satan who came and I use the word form, isn't it amazing that Satan came in the form of a servant but our God came in form of a savior. Both offered light. Satan brought false information. The Bible says, the Bible says that the messengers of Satan transformed themselves into angels of light, angels of information. So, Satan brought false information. What was the false information? You shall not surely die. He slandered God. He slandered the ways of God. He slandered the motive of God. For God doth know that in the day that you eat, you'll be like him. And he doesn't want anybody being he doesn't want anybody being like him. Satan came in the form of a serpent with false information, false light. But when God came, he was the true light that lightth every man. So the first Adam forfeited the heirs. We're not heirs. But thank God the Bible refers to Jesus Christ as the second Adam. And because of the second Adam's obedience, because of the second Adam's work on the cross, we have now become hes of all things. I'm glad today I believe in Jesus Christ. I'm glad today somebody preached to me the gospel. I heard it with my natural ear, but that's not what is important. I heard it inside of my heart and I believed it. I embraced it. I repented of my lifestyle. I was waterbaptized in Jesus' name. I was filled with the gift of the Holy Ghost. I'm now trying to live a life holy and acceptable in the sight of God because one day I have eternal life, but I'm living in a temporary body. But one day, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, I'm going to be changed from mortal to empty. Oh, that ought to make you shout right now. Oh, that ought to if you believe it. I wish somebody just say hallelujah. >> Hallelujah. >> That God was going to become flesh. That's why he spoke in the book of Genesis 3:15. He said, "I'll go ahead and tell you, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel. This is the first scripture in the Bible of redemption. And I find it very interesting that this was spoken to the enemy. This was spoken to Satan. He says, "Satan, I'm going to put hatred between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head. It's going to crush your head, going to destroy your dominion, and thou shalt bruise his heel." He spoke to Abraham in Genesis 15 and5 and he brought him forth abroad and said look now toward heaven tell the stars if thou be able to number them and he said so shall thy seed be. He's talking about that seed that Messiah. He spoke again in Genesis 22:7 when he said that in blessing I will bless thee and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and the as the sand that is upon the seashore. Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. He spoke again in Genesis 28:14. And thy seed shall be as the dusty. He's talking about this seed from Genesis 3:15. Even on the day of Pentecost, one of the texts that Peter would use in Acts chapter 2 and verse number 30, he would use this verse. Therefore, being a prophet, knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne. He spoke about him all through scripture. Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore, the Lord shall give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son shall call his name Emmanuel." And we know that is God with us. Isaiah 9:6, he spoke again and said, "For unto us a child is born. For unless a son is given, the government shall be upon his shoulder. His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace." He spoke about his name. He spoke about who he was. He even come down and got a little prophet by the name of Micah. He said, "I want you to write something for me, Micah." Micah chapter 5 verse number two. But thou Bethlehem Epherta, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, you're a small city in Judah. Yet out of thee shall come, he shall come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose going forth have been from old, from everlasting. He said, I'm going to tell you something. It's the seed I'm going to speak to you. I'm a God who speaks. I'm going to speak to you. It's going to be the seed of the woman that's going to bruise the head of serpent. I'm going to speak to Abraham and I'm going to tell you it's going to be your seed. I'm going to speak to Isaac and Jacob and I'm going to speak to Isaiah and I'm going to tell Isaiah exactly who it's going to be. It's going to be Emmanuel. A virgin shall conceive. It's going to be Emanuel. I'm going to speak again to Isaiah and say, "Emmanuel, God with us." God is not his name. God is a title. I'm going to tell you he's going to have a name and his name is going to be called wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting father, the prince of peace. I'm going to tell you Micah. I'm going to tell you the exact city that he's going to be born in. Can I tell you that God has a timetable? What God has spoken, God will perform. None of us should ever doubt the rapture if we believe in Bethlehem's manger. So, well, that's a pretty strange thing. That's a pretty str I mean, it's it's it's it's it's a famous among denominational religious churches. Pled say that they don't doubt there's a going to be a literal rapture of the church because after all, that's kind of weird that people are going to be standing one day and a trumpet's going to sound, they're going to go up and that's kind of be weird, right? No more weird than a girl who doesn't know a man has a baby. So if you believe in the incarnation, you ought to believe in the rapture because their book ends. >> Oh, thank God. Don't you love him today? I'm so glad that we serve a God who still speaks today. But please listen to me. Please listen to me. This God that we serve has a timetable. This God that we serve has a timetable. Although God had told Abraham, he had told Adam, he had told Abraham, he told Isaac, he told Jacob, he told Micah, he told Isaiah, the timetable came. God has a timetable. And when the timetable came in the fullness of time is what Paul said in the fullness of time this happened. Luke 1:26. And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth. What did the angel? You know the story. The angel appears to Mary. You're highly favored of the Lord. Blessed art thou among women. you're going to conceive in your womb and bring forth the son of God. He shall be the deliverer. And on and on the angel went. And Mary said, "How will I know this? How will this happen? How will this happen?" And Gabriel said, "The Holy Ghost is going to come upon you and you're going to conceive because of the Holy Ghost that's come upon you." God is a spirit and God is holy. That's why we call him the Holy Ghost or some call him the Holy Spirit. It's the same thing. Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit. God is holy and God is a spirit and we call him we call it the Holy Ghost. When God when the angel said the Holy Ghost was going to come upon you, it's the same as Genesis 1:1 when it said and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the water. God was holy when the angel talked to Mary and God was holy when he moved upon the face of the waters. And so that when he said that, Mary turns and Mary says, "Be it unto me. I receive that word. So be it unto me as you have spoken. I received that word. You see, it's very important. You heard this Wednesday night, but I got to go back. It's more than you just hearing the word. You got to be more than just a hearer of the word. You got to be a doer of the word. You got to receive with meekness the engrafted word of God, which is able to change your life. And that's what Mary did. Mary said, "Let it let it happen to me as as as your word says." And she conceived. She conceived in her womb. But exactly what did she conceive in her womb? Well, John chapter 1 verse number one, this Gospel of John, I love how it begins in John chapter 1 verse number one, in the beginning was the word. Sound familiar? Because the Bible says in Genesis 1:1, in the beginning, God created. So what John wanted to do was bookend his gospel with creation. He wanted to go all the way back to creation. And so he says, "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God." This wo r d is logos. It means thought, plan, idea. That's what it means. It means a concept. It means a thought. It means a plan. It means an idea. You can read it. Do no harm to the word of God. In the beginning was the word. The thought, the plan, the idea. And the thought, plan, the idea was with God. And the thought, plan, the idea was God. In the beginning, God already had the plan. He already had the idea. He already had the concept. As a matter of fact, we're told in the Bible that Jesus Christ is the lamb slain from the foundation or the beginning of the world. Now, we understand that's got to be in a plan because if you get it literal, if you get a literal Jesus before the incarnation, then you got a lot of problem going on in scripture. You got him crucified twice. If he already is who they say he is at the incarnation, why would he have to have the incarnation? Why didn't Jesus just walk out of a cave somewhere in in in Israel? Why didn't he just walk out of a cave if he was already if he was already that? Why didn't he walk out? Because he wasn't in the plan of God. He was in the mind of God. He was you see creation creation just went forth. God already had the plan of the incarnation here, but he said this is before let there be light, but this is not going it's my plan. It's my word, but this is going to go forth first. And we understand there was created and we we overlook this, but we need to think about it. The Bible said, "And God said, let there be light." Did God have to say in order for there to be light, or is God showing us a principle? It's a principle. It could be in the mind of God, but somehow it's got to be spoken. It's got to be spoken. You see, it's not God's will that any would perish. But, Brother Paul White, I'm sorry for the personal reference today, but that's beautiful what he said. Send me a preacher. Why do I need a preacher? Because a preacher is going to speak what God's word has declared. Do you know that? That is a request from hell. The prayer request from hell by the rich man is send a preacher to my family lest they come to this to terrible place of torment. Thank God today it's God's will. That's why you're here today because I want to hear what God's word says. I'm here today because I want to be reminded there's one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. I'm here today because I want to be reminded of these things. >> Adam Clark, most of you ministers are here today that know that Adam Clark is one of the most revered and respected Bible commentaries. That every preacher, every pastor, every serious student of the Bible somehow has come across Adam Clark's commentary. It's interesting to note what Adam Clark says about in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Adam Clark says says these words God was logos. Therefore no subordinate being nor second to the most high but the word was the supreme eternal Jehovah. I'm glad we serve a God who speaks. >> When you see the manger scene, as you frequently will for the next few weeks, look and remember this message today. He is a God who speaks. He's a God who speaks. Well, I'd like to just take a moment and read down through John John 1 and1. In the beginning was the word, the thought plan, the idea. The word and the thought plan, the idea was with God. Thought plan, the idea was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men through him might believe. He was not the light. John wasn't the light, but was sent to bear witness of the light. Just like the preacher is not the light, but he's sent to bear witness of the light. That was the true light. Notice that if there's a true, there's a false. That was the true light which lightth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world. Watch this now. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, to them that believe, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor the will of man, but of God. Here it is, verse 14. And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace and truth. God became a man. God became a man. Wait a minute. Is he not the limitless God? Is he not a God who's not limited by time, space, or matter? Is he not a God that goes before time, space, or matter? Is he not a God that dwells in eternity? God doesn't wear a watch like we what like we have. God's not limited in any way. God is God. But wait a minute. Verse 10. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. In other words, brother Hammond, God who is limitless, God who is eternal stepped into time. God who is eternal stepped into the very order that he had created on the earth. But why would you step in? We we got to read a couple of verses here. We got to read a couple of verses here. I know that Jesus is God, but I I really want to take you down the road today to why did God become man? Why did God become man? He didn't become man so that we would know that God is one. Why did you become man? Hebrews 2:16. Look at this closely with me. For he for verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Please listen. Scoot up close to me spiritually today. Please. Why take on the nature of flesh? God is hearing. I want to identify with your life in every aspect. I want to identify with you. I want to identify with you. Hebrews 2 and 14, just go a couple verses behind. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power over death. That is the devil. You see, up to Adam, up to Adam, God had never had anything to die in his presence. Up to Adam, God had never created anything that could die. But God created a man. And God, even before God would would identify with death, he put death as the penalty for disobedience. And man disobeyed. Therefore, man died both spiritually and physically. Man would die. So in order for me to redeem those that are under the fear of death, I have to take on a form of something that can die. You can't kill God. You hear me? You can't kill God. He is a limitless. He is spirit. John 4:24, God is a spirit. Luke chapter 22, for a spirit hath not flesh and bone. If you're going to kill God, where do you shoot him? Where is he? Well, he's everywhere. He feels the heavens. He feels the earth. If you're God, where are you going to shoot him at? Where's his head? Where's his heart? He's God. He's the invisible God. But the only way you can put God to death, the only way God can identify with death is to take on the nature of that which can die. And he took it on not only for death. I want to identify with your sorrow. As a matter of fact, prophet Isaiah, would you write a little bit about when I become a man? Because I will be known as a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief. Why do you want to identify with sorrow? Because we're living in a sin-cursed world, trying to minister to sin cursed people that are trying to drink their sorrow away. They're trying to money their sorrow away. They're trying to marry their sorrow away. They're trying to drug their sorrow away. They're trying to popularity their sorrow away. that you hear this preacher today. Nothing will ever take the sorrow away from your life until you meet the one who's the man of sorrow. And come on, we got to give him some praise today. Let's all praise the name of Jesus. Let's all worship the name of Jesus right now. Come on, if you love him, praise him right now. Is there a praiser on your pew today? Come on. Could there be one praiser on every pew in this church today? One praiser, one praiser, one worshiper, one magnifier of God today. Oh, let me go. For as much then, Hebrews 2:14, for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he he also himself took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetimes subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him he was full of compassion. It behooved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted. He is able to secure, to help, to rescue, to deliver them that are tempted. Look at chapter 3, verse number one. Just go right over to the next chapter. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle, everybody say apostle >> and high priest >> of our profession, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is referred to as an apostle, but he's also referred to as a high priest. Please don't miss this. Please don't miss this. You're going to miss something beautiful. An apostle. What is the ministry of an apostle? The ministry of the apostle, the job of the apostle, the purpose of the apostle is to represent God to the people. An apostle brings God to the people. An apostle comes like an angel and tells the people, "I'm a representative from God." And I'm telling you, the mind and the will of God. So Jesus Christ is an apostle. He's bringing the will and the mind of the invisible God into a visible world. But it doesn't stop there. An apostle, the job, the ministry is to represent God to the people. But it not only calls him an apostle, it calls him a high priest. It is the job, the purpose of a high priest to represent the people to God. The apostle brings God to the people. The high priest brings the people to God. Oh friend, do do you see this today? Do you see how beautiful this is today? Jesus Christ, God in flesh, brought into a visible world, an invisible God. He said, "This is what I'm like. This is what I'm like. I'm letting lepers touch me. This is what I'm like. I'm forgiving a woman caught in the act of adultery. This is what I'm like. I'm delivering a demoniac. This is what I'm like. I'm holding up babies. I'm kissing B. This is Hallelujah. This is my Jesus. This is why I serve him. This is why I worship him. This is why I magnify him. Oh my my my my my oh mighty God of heaven but >> I want to identify with you. He can't identify with me. I'm so povertystricken. Oh, is that right? Do you know in Jesus day when a a male was born when a woman when a man and woman had their first born and it was a man male? Do you know that the law said you're to offer up a lamb? A lamb. You're to take a lamb to the temple and say this is my firstborn. I'm offer up a lamb for my firstborn. But then the Bible said, "If they be poor, if they be povertystricken, they can go out in the yard and catch two turtle doves. If they're rich, they'll bring a lamb. But if they're poor, they'll go out and catch two birds. And when Joseph and Mary brought the firstborn, Jesus Christ into the temple, there wasn't a lamb with them." Well, yeah, there was, but we'll preach about that another time. There wasn't a lamb with them. They were poor and they just had two turtle doves. Can I tell you today, I don't care if you're on welfare. I don't care what fair you're on. It doesn't matter. We're not going to judge you today because God said, "I can identify with the poor. I can identify with those that that that are poor. I can identify with those that are behind. I can identify with those that don't know where their next meal's coming from. I can identify with them. He can identify with the poor. >> How many are glad that he can identify with the poor today? Jesus can identify when society labels you. You know, some people can't live for God because we shout around. They can't go. I I'd like to come down there, but I hear y'all are just, you know, holy rollers. You know what a true holy roller is? A true holy roller is he who gets he or she who gets up on the holy day and rolls back over to sleep. I just, you know, I just, you know, I can't I can't, you know, society, hasn't society labeled God's people a lot of things? But we're still here. >> Why? Because they labeled him falsely. They said he was the son of an illegitimate. He was an illegitimate child. As a matter of fact, Joseph was ready to put Mary away. Was a just man. Didn't want to do it privately. Didn't want to make a public spectacle out of Mary. But he was getting ready to go see an attorney and write her a bill of divorcement. But he slept that night and an angel appeared to him and said, "Joseph, don't do it. That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." Can I tell you, don't stop serving God because what this crazy society labels you all kind of labels. Xcon, X this, X that, X this, all all these different labels. Can I tell you there is a name that is above every name? I I I'd like to come to the church, but I'm an excon. Why don't you come excon and let us baptize you in Jesus' name? And it's the name. >> I wish I'd get some people excited about Jesus this morning. Poor mislabeled. Well, brother Gon, I I just can't you know, we got so much we just got so much dysfunction in our family. We can't even get together at Thanksgiving and we can't even get together at Christmas. Dysfunction. Jesus had dysfunction. Do you know that his own family, he's preaching somewhere and his own family went out and got the security team. They said, "Abra, Abel Sephard, would you go tell my boy that he needs to come out here and see me?" Man, he just he he just preaching, preaching, preaching, preaching. He's a gong gong gone healing, healing, healing. Would you tell my boy to come out here? In other words, they were think he's he just got beside himself. So Jesus is preaching and they come to him and they said, "Jesus, your mother and your brethren are standing outside want to see you." He said, "Uh, they that hear my word and obey my word is my mother and my brethren." You see, all it takes to stop dysfunction in your family is get one person that keeps their mind on God. >> All it takes is one person to say, "We're going to have a good Christmas this year because we ain't going to talk about anything. We're not going to make any slight. I don't care if she brings the mashed potatoes in and she that we find a 4 foot long hair in there. We're not going to remind her that two years ago that happened. We're not gonna remind them that I cut into that turkey and it was still frozen. We're not g We're not even gonna remind them that pastor made a turkey one time. Sean Garnett told me how to make a turkey. I ate a turkey at his house and it was good. He told me to make you get this big pot and you put it in here and you pepper it and butter it and all this stuff and it was so good. It's so tender. So I came home, bought me went to Walmart, bought me one of them big old pots like got me a turkey. I got to eating my turkey. This had an aftertaste of it, like plastic. And I looked into the end of that turkey and I saw something kind of burnt and brown. And I pulled it out and it was a plastic bag with its neck and everything that you're See, all it take to have a good Christmas this year is to have one person with the Holy Ghost say, "You know what? We're going to talk about God. We ain't going to talk about anything that's going to upset anybody. We're not going to say anything that's going because that's not the will of God for our families to be tore up." I pray that we have the best Christmas time. I pray in the name of Jesus that we have the best Christmas time we talk about. Yeah, Lord. Some of you are looking like me like a mule, eating briars, looking through a picket fence right now, but you just don't know my aunt. You don't know my uncle. You don't know my mama. Pray them through before dinner gets there. I tell you what's a good thing. We have a tradition at Christmas when we open our gifts. Had it for many years. We start opening the gifts and before we open the first gift, we tell a testimony of what God has done in our lives. And it's one of the most beautiful scenes at our house when we all gather together. Yes, you can smile. You can smile. You say, "It can't have it at my house." Yeah. We, you know, we we have kids. We that that that you know, it's and it's not a camp meeting now and it's not two hours, all right? But it's just a time to honor God. And don't you just believe if this season we talk about the prince of peace at our homes that God won't come down and be the prince of peace in our lives. If you want that for your family, would you raise two hands right now? Invite the prince of peace in right now. Not going to be a time of trouble. Going to be a time of peace. Oh, come on. Invite him in right now. musicians, would you come and just begin to play something softly? >> Lord, you know I'm not done. Lord, you know I'm not done, but I think the folks are done with me. The Bible says that he came to show compassion on the ignorant and the un and those that are out of the way. It's in the book of Hebrews. Let me say it again. Brother Eric saying he came to have compassion. Now look at these two words on the ignorant and those that are out of the way. He came to have compassion on the ignorant and those that are out of the way. What's the difference? The ignorant have never been told. They've never been raised. You see, we don't judge people here. We don't look at people the way they dress. We don't look at people in our community and what they're doing. We don't look at people judge them. And man, they're crazy. Look at that. Look at that. Look at that. No. No. No. You know why? Because the only difference between you and anything you've ever seen at the mall is somebody told you about this God. >> You better listen to me this morning. You're about to fall off hard on your face. If you ever get to believing that something good, it's come from you. Something good is in you, but it didn't come from you. >> You could listen. You can look at anything you've seen on the streets of this city, any man, any woman, any condition that they're in, and know that there go I. You see, I'm here today because two things. I had a dad that highly respected Bishop Billy Mcool. And I had a mother that was willing to look down at her two boys, Kenny and Jerry, and know they're getting into trouble. And although I've got just got a brand new car and I've got an insurance check, it's been wrecked and I've got a check here in my hand to fix my car. But I can either take this check and fix my car or I can take this check and pay one full two years tuition at ACS for my two boys to go. Mama in heaven today. Thank you. Because when you put me in ACS, it will be February of that year in a chapel service that God of heaven would come down and God would begin to deal with my rebellious heart. I'd be filled with the Holy Ghost and baptized in Jesus name. And I'm here today because of that. But look at me today. How many kitties don't have a mama? How many Kenny's don't have somebody like that he can be compassionate to every person that's ignorant and hear this today. Man, I feel the Lord. Don't you? To those who are out of the way. If they're out of the way, they've once been in the way. I am believing God today that before the rapture that God gives us an Ezekiel revival among our prodals. >> I am believing God to touch the heartless hearts that have got out of the way. I'm asking God because I I'm going to tell you this right here. A lot of people are leaving. They leave churches that preach a standard. They leave churches that preach a standard of truth because somewhere around the community is somebody that's saying, "Oh, you can come over here and you don't have to do that. You can come over here and you don't have to be that." But here's what I know today. It is that standard that brings the anointing and the power and the presence. It is that truth that's preached. He isn't the second person. He is the alpha and the omega. He is the beginning and he is the end. Come on. That's the anointing right there. He doesn't anoint third century false doctrine. He anoints the first century doctrine. Hear me right now. You stand because I don't care how they've lowered it. I don't care what they're wearing or they're not wearing. They're sitting in places and they're saying, "Just don't feel like I used to feel. Just not filling me up like I used to be filled up. You don't have it like look at my family's getting out." And God is going to give us an Ezekiel boneyard revival of those that have got out of the way and they're going to wake up and they're going to say, "I'm coming back. I'm coming back to where Here's what's going to happen to him, man. I just feel the Lord. >> Here's what's going to happen to him. There was a man, Brother Mayo. True story. He had a beautiful peach tree in his yard. That beautiful peach tree rendered some of the most juicy, pleasant eating peaches. For years he would eat of that tree, sweetness of the fruit, fullness of the peach. But he began to notice over years that the peaches started getting smaller and the peaches started getting more lack of juice. And and then he said the peaches started having a terrible aftertaste to them. And so he went down and he began to fertilize around it. And he began to do everything that he could to revive the peach again. But money was spent and the peaches were smaller and more bitter and more sour till till it got to where it couldn't eat of it anymore. Somehow they found the problem. Underneath the roots of that peach tree was a septic line that had ruptured. And it was slowly leaking out waste. And the peach tree was slowly bringing that into its roots and up and into its fruit. Can I tell you today, haven't you lived off other people's sewer long enough? Haven't you tasted the bitterness of life long enough? Wouldn't it be wonderful on this Sunday morning for you to decide right now, he's a God that loves me? >> I don't care how many times you've come to this altar. Come one more time. I don't care how many times you came three Sundays and missed 20. Come one more time today. I don't care how many times you declared you were free. Would you come one more time today? Would you Would you come one more time today? He's a good God. He's a mighty God. He's an everlasting father. Come on. He loves you today. Come on. He loves you right now. Come on. He wants to wrap his arms around you and he wants to pull you close to his chest right now. He wants to whisper in your ear, "I forgive you. I forgive you." He He He wants to cleanse you right now. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. He's a God that speaks. He's a God that speaks. Let him speak in your ear right now. I have forgiven you. I have cleansed you. I can still use you. You are still valuable to me. You still have your calling. You still have your gifting. I'm greater than your mistake. I'm greater than your tragedy. I'm greater than your divorce. I'm greater than your crime. I'm greater than your hurt. Come on, pray right now. Pray right now. >> Come on, move in closer around the altar. There's a lot of people want to come right now. >> Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. >> I'm greater. >> I'm greater. I'm the God who speaks. Your name is your name. >> Come on, let him speak to you right now. >> Your name is >> Come on, let him speak to you right now. >> Shine through the shadow. >> Oh God. >> Oh God. >> Oh God. Give us that Ezekiel the Bible. God. >> Oh God. Wake them up, God. >> Oh, God. Wake them up, God. >> Oh, God. Wake him up, God. Wake him up, God. Wake him up, God. >> Wake him up, God. Wake him up, God. >> I see Jesus. >> God, touch me right now. >> Oh, God. Touching right now, God. Oh God, I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. >> Do your work right now. >> Do your work right now, God. Do your work right now, God. Do your work right now, God. Do your work right now, God. That's it. >> He's a God is faithful. >> Jesus God. >> Oh Jesus God. >> Oh Jesus God. Jesus God. Just lay your hand over on somebody right now. Somebody needs to let God speak to him this morning. >> Jesus. >> Speak to me, Lord. Jesus in the darkness over. >> Yes, he'll speak. >> Jesus. >> Speak to that troubled marriage. >> Speak to that. >> Speak to that troubled marriage right now. Speak to that troubled marriage right now. >> Speak to that troubled marriage. Speak, oh God, to that troubled marriage. Speak, oh God, to that person. Speak Lord. Speak, Lord. You love us, God. You love us, God. Oh, you love us, God. >> Oh, you love us, God. You love us, God. Speak to us, God. >> Speak to us, God. To break every st >> >> Shine through my name is your name is >> your name is your name is can break every stronghold. worth. >> >> Jesus in the darkness over Jesus for myus. I speak Jesus from the mountain. Jesus in the street in Jesus. Jesus for my family. For my name Jesus, Jesus are my friend. >> >> I speak the name Jesus. Your name is your name is >> your name is here. Your name is Your name is Jes. You're worthy of it all. of you and to you all. You're worthy of your worthy and to you. Oh, sing it again. Sing it one more time. You're the God who speaks. You're the God who speaks. You are you deserve the glory. >> One last time, give him praise. If you're glad that he's a God that speaks, thank God for that one that went down in the name that's above every name today. >> >> Thank God.