The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

Before I preach tonight, before I preach tonight, release the name of Jesus. Oh, before you grab your Bible, call out on his name. Jesus. Oh, Jesus. Oh, I release that name. I release that name of salvation. I RELEASE THAT NAME for deliverance. I release that name for healing. I release that name to make a way where there seem to be no way. I release that name of Jesus tonight. I release that name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you choir. Such beautiful singing tonight. If you have your Bibles and would turn with me to the Gospel of Luke, chapter number 15 and verse number 11. Luke chapter number 15 and verse number 11. Please avail yourself of these advertisements for next Sunday night's choir recording and concert and um pass them out. There's a lot of people, let me tell you, there's a lot of people that will come to a singing. All right? There's a lot of people that will come to us singing. It's two things that'll cause a visitor to come. Singing and food. And God knows we've used both of them to get people in the door here because one touch of God's spirit. Just one touch of God's spirit. I want to say um I want to uh I want to say if you bring the monitors down please pretty please um we've got so busy having church brother Namy and brother Brian Triplet left a few weeks ago to go to Africa and do a little missionary work. They told me today that I believe that they have either baptized 70 or 70 have received the gift of the Holy Ghost and we're so thankful for that. That's a that's directly that is directly out of this church. Brother Namy and brother Brian Triplet. Uh, Brother Brian and Sister Diane came to me and they're feeling like that God uh is possibly leading them into wanting to go help our missionaries. And I thank the Lord. I thank the Lord for that. I got a text this past week from brother Tisdale, our district superintendent in West Virginia, and he had a young man uh preach for him last week. You may know him, Brother Dakota Bought, and he just sent me a long text. I Yeah, I know there's some folks over here. Um they uh he sent me a long text and he just could not say enough of how much brother Dakota Bought had impacted had impacted their church. Isn't that wonderful that God is just doing God is just doing such such a great work. I feel compelled to tell you tonight that Jesus is coming. And the whole reason that we gather is to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Lord. The coming of the Lord. Luke 15:11. And he said, "A certain man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of goods that fall to me." And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land. and he began to be in want. He went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain, having filled his belly with the husk that the swine did eat, and no man gave to him. And when he came to himself, He said, "How many hired servants of my fathers have bread enough and despair and I perish with hunger?" For a few moments tonight, I'd like to challenge you with the word of the Lord on this simple topic. The mind is a terrible thing to waste. The mind is a terrible thing to waste. If you'd like God to speak to you tonight, like the choir song says, would you lay your Bible down and would you just ask God tonight, speak to me, Lord? God, speak to me through pastor's sermon. Lord, speak to my heart tonight, Lord. God, speak to my heart, Lord, through the sermon, through the message, Lord. God, shake me and wake me. God, enlighten my eyes. Don't let me sleep the sleep of death. Oh God, touch me tonight Lord and God help me to realize God what I need in my life. Jesus wonderful name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Thank you for standing for the reading of God's word. The mind is a terrible thing to waste. I am not the originator of that statement. If you're old enough tonight, you will know that many years ago, there was an advertisement about education. And the advertisement trying to get kids to stay in school would simply just say, "The mind is a terrible thing to waste." And indeed it is. We understand tonight this parable that Jesus spoke. He's actually speaking to the self-righteous Pharisees. The men that thought that they were saved based on how clean their pots were and how clean their hands were and how much they obeyed the Sabbath day. THEY WERE QUITE AMAZED and quite offended that Jesus did not spend much time with them. No, Jesus could always be found speaking to a sinner man or to a sinner woman. He could always be found investing in them. On a certain day, they were ridiculing him. about him keeping company with sinners and he gave them a parable. I don't know if they ever got the point of the parable or not, but the parable was all about their self-righteousness. You see, the parable of the prodical son is really not about the boy that left home. It's about the self-righteous elder brother that could not rejoice that his brother had come home. So in the midst of this parable, something interesting that Jesus says, the young man left his father's house. Humanity left the Garden of Eden. Satan convinced them there had to be more. Humanity left the Father's house and went far from God. And there, humanity wasted their substance with righteous living. But it didn't take long for humanity to be in want. Here a young man live leaves the comforts of his father's house. He leaves all the provisions of his father. He strikes out on his own only to see that sin is a shortlived season. He ran out of money and when he ran out of money, no man gave to him. He finds himself employed on a in a on a swine farm and would have happily ate what the swine were eating. But one day things took a turn. For verse number 17 simply tells us the pivotal point in the whole story. The entire story changed on this one verse. And when he came to himself, when he came TO HIMSELF, WHICH TELLS US TONIGHT THAT ALL OF HIS actions of leaving the father's house, of wasting his substance with addicted living, all of the decisions that he was making, that he was not in his right mind when He made those decisions. He wasn't thinking right. HE WASN'T PROCESSING THOUGHTS RIGHT. He had thoughts that there was something more outside of the walls of his father's house. He had thoughts that there truly had to be something THAT HE'S BEING DEPRIVED of and held back. But all he would soon find out on that one pivotal verse and when he came to himself, he began to think the right thoughts. You see, a turnaround begins in the thoughts of the mind. IN THE THOUGHTS OF THE MIND, HE MADE THE STATEMENT, "How many servants in my father's house have bread?" I imagine he was looking at a at just what the the swine were about to eat. And it JUST TRIGGERED A THOUGHT IN his mind. How many servants in my father's house have bread AND ENOUGH TO SPARE? HE WAS THINKING IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE, THAT PLACE THAT I GOT TIRED OF BEING IN. THAT PLACE THAT I THOUGHT I WAS BEING HELD BACK IN THAT PLACE. NOW I'M THINKING THE RIGHT THOUGHTS. HOW MANY SERVANTS IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE HAVE BREAD and enough to spare? AND I PERISH WITH HUNGER. He begins his journey back home with the right thinking. Your change will come as soon as you begin to allow the right proper thoughts to run through your mind. Your mind is a terrible thing to waste. Let's not waste our minds on the things of this world. GOD GAVE US OUR MINDS IN ORDER TO PROCESS THE THOUGHTS THAT WE can make it to heaven that we can develop a relationship WITH JESUS CHRIST. GOD DIDN'T GIVE US OUR MINDS TO BECOME THOUGHTS OF GARBAGE CANS, thoughts of the WORLD AND ENTERTAINMENT. GOD GAVE US OUR MINDS SO that we can think heavenly thoughts so that we can think holy thoughts. so that soon OUR ACTIONS WILL FALL IN behind our thoughts. Can you give the Lord a hand tonight? Isn't it amazing in verse 17 when it says that he came to himself and he said how many he thought it how many have bread enough to spare and then that thought triggered another thing and he said I'll tell you what I'll do. I will arise. You see the right kind of thoughts always take you up and the wrong kind of thoughts always take you down. He said I will arise and I will go. Go is a direction. The right kind of thoughts lead you in the right direction and the wrong thoughts lead you in the wrong direction. I will arise and I will go to my father and I will SAY TO MY FATHER. You see the right kind of thoughts lead to the right kind of praise. The wrong thoughts lead to the wrong sort of praise. I don't praise HIM BECAUSE I'VE GOT material things. I praise him because he is my lord and my sooncoming king. That's why I praise him tonight. Material things are here TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW. But Jesus Christ, the anchor that can hold, is a friend that sticks closer than any brother. And he's always there with us. I will go to my father. I will say to my father, "Father, I have sinned." YOU SEE, THE RIGHT kind of thoughts cause you to take responsibility for your actions. Father, I have sinned and I'm no worthy, no more worthy to be called your son. And on and on the story goes. And we end up with the feast of the fatty calf and the playing of the band and the dancing of the family and we end up with a GREAT CELEBRATION OF THE prodal coming home. But let me tell you, before you think that the victory was in the music and before you think the victory was in the feast, before you think the victory was in the father's love of the prodal coming home, you got to think again. It would have never happened had that boy not came to himself and had the right thought going through his mind. The mind is a terrible thing to waste. As a matter of fact, demonic possession and demonic activity begins with someone yielding their thoughts to that damnable spirit world. They begin to yield their thoughts. That's where Satan comes in. He They begin to yield their thoughts. And the more you yield your mind to Satan, the more he'll just unload and unload and unload until you're making the wrong decisions and the wrong actions and doing the wrong activity. I don't know where it started. The Bible doesn't say, but somewhere there was a man in the Bible that began to entertain the wrong thoughts. The wrong thoughts led to the wrong actions. The wrong actions led to the wrong habits. And finally, one day, Satan said, "The man's mind is wide open. Let's fill him with many of our demonic spirits." and many demonic spirits filled the man. The man soon began to display destructive behavior because that's always the path of the enemy. He began self mutilation. He began to tear his clothes off and to walk openly naked in shame. He began to be tormented to such a place that he was moved out to the cemeteries. And there he slept. There he ate. There he howled at night like a coyote. There he continually banged his head against the rocks, cut his arms. There he was in torment, naked, cut, bleeding, hurting. But one day Jesus came by his way. And before the day would be over, Mark 5 and verse 15 records the simple visit by Jesus Christ. Mark chapter 5 and verse 15 simply says, "And they came and they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid." Can I tell you that what Jesus cast out the spirits of that man, he cast out the spirits that controlled his thought processes. He cast out the spirits that had this man tearing his clothes off, banging his head against the stone, cutting himself. He cast out the spirits out of the thought process. And when the spirits got cast out of that man's mind, all of a sudden the man stops running wildly and HE BEGINS TO WALK. ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE STOPS his wild behavior and he begins to sit down. ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE YIELDED himself to someone that brought him a shirt. Someone brought him a robe. He yielded. There had been many GROUPS THAT HAD BROUGHT CLOTHES out to him, but he would just simply tear them off his body. But not now. He yields himself to wearing a robe. He yields himself to being clothed. And the Bible simply says that when they came and they found him after Jesus got a hold of him that he was sitting and clothed AND IN HIS RIGHT MIND AND AT THE FEET OF JESUS CHRIST. YOUR MIND IS a terrible thing to give TO THE ADVERSARY TONIGHT. YOUR MIND is a terrible thing. That's right. To give to the adversary. You see, friend, I believe you understand this that the the problem with marijuana. The problem with marijuana is that marijuana leads you to harder drugs. It leads you. Marijuana is the stepping stone that leads you to heroin, cocaine, LSD, and the list goes on and on. Beer. Beer that you can drive a couple miles from this church AND BUY BEER. WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEER? Beer is the stepping stone to liquor. It is the stepping stone to becoming AN ALCOHOLIC. ALL ALCOHOLICS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON. THEY ALL STARTED being a beer drinker. You say, "Brother Carpenter, where are you going tonight?" I'm going here. One of the reasons that I I preach and believe that the music that the children of God need to hear is music that glorifies God. WHAT'S WRONG with rock music? Rock music is the stepping stone to immorality. ROCK MUSIC IS the stepping stone TO BECOMING DESENSITIZED TO THE MUSIC THAT YOU OUGHT TO LISTEN TO. Shame on any of us tonight THAT CAN OPEN UP OUR EMOTIONS MORE TO NASHVILLE THAN WE CAN THE HOLY MUSIC THAT IS PLAYED IN OUR APOSTOLIC CHURCHES. GOD HELP US TONIGHT. GOD, HELP US TONIGHT THAT WE CAN OPEN UP OUR EMOTIONS MORE THAN WHAT COMES OUT OF CALIFORNIA THAN WE CAN THE MUSIC THAT IS PLAYED WEEKLY FROM THE PLATFORMS OF OUR APOSTOLIC CHURCHES. SING ME A SONG ABOUT JESUS. TELL ME ABOUT HIS GOODNESS. TELL ME ABOUT HIS NAME. TELL ME ABOUT ALL THAT HE HAS DONE AND ALL that he will. You have to understand this man has changed his behavior because God put him in his right mind. God put him in his right mind. You say tonight, brother Carpenter, why would it matter to you what I listen to? It matters to me because my assignment on earth is to get you ready and keep you ready for Jesus Christ soon return. I'm not alone. Did you hear that? That's my assignment. That's why I'm never going to get off your back. And you better pray that wherever you go to church, you've got a preacher that'll get on your back. You You BETTER PRAY WHEREVER YOU GO. You need to pray WHEREVER YOU GO. YOU GOT A PREACHER THAT'S AFTER YOU WHEN YOU START GETTING A LITTLE bit cold. He he'll start he he he'll he will just start preaching TO YOU AND TELLING YOU GOT TO YOU GOT TO WARM YOUR WORSHIP UP. YOU GOT TO GET BACK INVOLVED. YOU GOT TO START THINKING THE RIGHT THOUGHTS. YOU'RE THINKING PROSPERITY IS GOING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. PROSPERITY IS NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. YOU'RE THINKING MATERIAL THINGS ARE GOING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU HAPPY. COME ON. YOU GOT TO YOU GOT TO YOU GOT YOU YOU GOT TO GET YOU YOU GOT TO START THINKING RIGHT. JESUS IS THE WAY. You ought to start thinking right. So why does it matter to you pre preacher what I do? It matters because you are my assignment for life. You are my calling is to keep you ready to meet the Lord and I am not alone. Look at 2 Corinthians 11 verse number two. 2 Corinthians chap 11 verse number two. Listen to the apostle Paul as he talks to the church at Corenth. He says in 2 Corinthians 11 and verse number two, I am jealous over you with godly jealousy for I have INSPACE VIRGIN TO CHRIST. HE SAYS, I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU. I'M JEALOUS. NOW, I know you're probably not going to raise your hand, but if you've ever loved somebody, you know what jealousy feels like. Let me tell you something. And if you let jealousy have its way, you'll know what jealousy looks like. A woman loves a man and another HOOCHIE MAMA COMES AROUND TRYING to get his attention. I'm graduating. I used to call them chaitita banana mamas. All right. You take a woman loves a man AND SOME HOOCHIE MAMA comes around. You'll watch what jealousy looks like. You'll watch it. You watch a man that loves a woman and you let SOME OLD DON JUAN START COMING AROUND, you you'll see what they look like. You'll see what it looks like. And if by chance the Hoochie Mama or the Dawn one gets their attention, you'll see that you'll SEE THAT BEHAVIOR GO TO ANOTHER LEVEL because they love them. AND PAUL SAID ABOUT THE CHURCH, HE SAID, "I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU. THERE'S THINGS trying to get YOUR ATTENTION. I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU, CHURCH. THERE'S A WORLD TRYING TO GET your attention. THERE'S A WORLD TRYING TO THROW OFF ON ME. THERE'S A WORLD TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE BETTER LOOKING. THERE'S A WORLD TRYING TO TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE SMARTER THAN ME. THERE'S A WORLD ENTERTAINMENT TRYING TO DO ALL OF THIS. TRYING TO TELL YOU WHY WOULD YOU WASTE YOUR TIME ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT? WHY WOULD LOOK, LOOK AT HERE. LOOK AT LOOK WHAT I LOOK LIKE. LOOK, YOU CAN BE WITH ME. I'M WANTING YOU. YOU DON'T WANT TO WASTE YOUR TIME ON HIM. I GOT NEWS FOR YOU. I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU. I DON'T LIKE THE WORLD having your attention. I DON'T LIKE THE WORLD CREEPING IN. I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN WE KNOW MORE ABOUT SPORTS STATS THAN WE KNOW ABOUT THE WORD OF GOD. I don't like it. I don't like it when you can set 4 HOURS ON A concrete slab, wear a jersey, fit in WITH THE FANS, BUT YOU WON'T COME TO A PADDED PEW AND SUBMIT TO SOME BIBLE HOLINESS. I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU, young people. I'm not your enemy. I know IT SEEMS LIKE SOMETIMES, MAN, HE'S ALWAYS AT ME. I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU. I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN YOU WANT TO DRESS LIKE THE WORLD. I DON'T LIKE IT WHEN YOU WANT TO SIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GLORY OF GOD AND NOT GIVE HIM PRAISE AND NOT GIVE HIM WORSHIP. I AM JEALOUS OVER YOU. I'm jealous over you. I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU. PAUL SAID, "I AM JEALOUS OVER YOU WITH GODLY JEALOUSY, FOR I HAVE SPOUSED YOU TO ONE HUSBAND THAT I MAY PRESENT YOU AS A CHASTEED virgin to Christ. WHEN HE COMES BACK, I WANT YOU TO BE A CHASE, CLEAN VIRGIN." But verse three, but I fear, AND BROTHER PAUL, I'M RIGHT with you. But I fear, lest by any means, the devil will use any means he can, lest by any means, as the serpent begiled Eve through his subility. SO YOUR WHAT? SOMEBODY SAY IT. SO YOUR WHAT? WHAT? SEE, SOMETIMES WE WANT TO TREAT THE SYMPTOMS and not the cure. The symptoms IS WHAT YOU WEAR. The cure is IN YOUR HEART. THE SYMPTOMS IS HOW YOU'RE ACTING. TOO MANY TIMES WE TRY TO TREAT SYMPTOMS when we NEED TO UNDERSTAND IT ALL STARTED IN THE MIND. He said the devil beguiled tricked Eve through his subility. So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. See how he see how Satan does. It's hard to serve the Lord. It's hard, MAN. THAT'S A HARD THING. THAT BIBLE'S A HARD BOOK TO READ. OH, THAT'S HARD SERVING THE LORD. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. It's hard in the world. The way of a transgressor is hard. He said, "It's simple. It's simplicity. Just obey his word. It's simple. Just oy from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he THAT COMETH PREACHETH another Jesus whom we have not preached, HE SAID THERE ARE THOSE THAT COME AND PREACH ANOTHER Jesus or if YOU RECEIVE ANOTHER SPIRIT which ye have not received. You come, they preach another Jesus whom we have not preached, you receive another spirit which ye have NOT RECEIVED OR ANOTHER GOSPEL WHICH YOU HAVE NOT ACCEPTED. WELL, STOP RIGHT THERE FOR A MOMENT. HE'S TALKING ABOUT THOSE THAT PREACH A DIFFERENT GOSPEL. SAME JESUS, DIFFERENT GOSPEL. THEY WERE PREACHING THE CROSS, BUT THEY WANTED TO TAKE THEM BACK UNDER THE OLD WORKS OF THE LAW. They come around and they preach THAT AND PAUL SAID, "I I I THERE COMES and they preach another Jesus whom we didn't preach or receive another spirit which you have not RECEIVED OR ANOTHER GOSPEL WHICH YOU HAVE NOT ACCEPTED." WATCH THIS. HE SAYS TO THEM, "Ye might wear well BEAR WELL WITH THEM." HERE'S WHAT HE'S SAYING. THEY COME AND PREACH ANOTHER GOSPEL AND YOU TOTALLY ACCEPT IT. THEY COME AND PREACH ANOTHER GOSPEL AND MAN IT'S JUST IT'S JUST TOTALLY ACCEPTED. LET ME GIVE YOU A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS. Let me give you a good example. I went to a denominational funeral in at this church AND THE PASTOR GOT up and he admitted and which I would I think it was a little cold what he said. He said I didn't I don't know the person laying here. I I don't I I don't know. To to my knowledge, I don't think I've ever spoke to them. And so he said a little something and then he said, "But I want to take my time tonight and I want to preach you the ABCs of salvation. A all have all have sinned, come short of the glory of God." He rattled off on A for a while. B. Believe thou upon the Lord JESUS CHRIST. HE RATTLED OFF ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. C. Confess your sins. Now, in that there were some of the ABCs I agree with, but I I was thinking there's some more letters to that alphabet. But you know what? Nobody in that place had any ISSUE WITH WHAT HE WAS SAYING. But I was preaching a funeral here and I begin to say this person WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST TALKING in tongues and A WOMAN IN THE AUDIENCE OUT LOUD SAID, "OH DEAR, is he going to go there?" Isn't it AMAZING THAT THE WORLD can readily accept another gospel? BUT THE TRUE GOSPEL THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH. WELL, if you can SHOW ME IN THE BIBLE WHERE THEY GOT THE HOLY GHOST ANY OTHER WAY BUT TALKING IN TONGUES, COME ON UP HERE AND SHOW ME RIGHT NOW. IF YOU CAN SHOW ME IN THE BIBLE WHERE THEY WERE BAPTIZED ANY OTHER WAY BUT IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, COME UP HERE AND SHOW ME RIGHT NOW. SO WHY SHOULD WE BE INTIMIDATED when we are preaching the truth? COME ON APOSTOLIC. COME ON CHURCH TONIGHT. YOUR MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE. DON'T WASTE IT ON. PAUL SAID, "I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU." Isn't it amazing how Satan works? The Bible SAYS IN GENESIS 3:1, "NOW THE SERPENT was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. He said unto THE WOMAN, YAY HATH GOD SAID, YE SHALL NOT EAT of every tree of the garden." What's the devil? What's the devil? He first comes in and he says, "You can't do nothing. There's nothing you can do." Eve said, "Oh, no." The woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden." Said, "No, you're wrong. We can eat of the trees of the fruit of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst OF THE GARDEN, GOD HAS SAID, "YE SHALL NOT EAT of it, neither shall you touch it, LEST YOU DIE." SAID, "NO, NO, YOU'RE WRONG, SATAN. You're wrong, Satan. We can eat from all these trees." Isn't it amazing? The devil wants to zero in. He wants to put all the thoughts through your mind of what you can't do. And I'm going to tell you that behind every can't that God gives you is a tucked away blessing. God would never withhold one good THING FROM YOUR LIFE. IF IT'S GOOD, GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE IT. IF IT'S NOT GOOD, GOD IS GOING TO FORBID YOU. HE DOESN'T FORBID it because he DON'T WANT YOU HAVING FUN. HE FORBIDS IT BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU AND HE DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING TO harm you. So, no, no, no, no, no, no. WE CAN EAT OF all the trees of the garden, BUT THAT ONE tree in the midst of the garden, God has said, "Don't eat of it or to touch it, lest you die." And the serpent said unto the woman, "You shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day that you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be open, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." You're not going to die. Now, see, this is the reason that you need to cut any thoughts off through your mind that question God's word. God's word is truth. Cut off any questions in your mind. Any thoughts that want to come against the knowledge of God, you're not going to die. God knows that in the day you eat, you're going to be like him, and he don't want you being like him. And on and on and on and on it goes. Do you know sometimes that Satan is not successful with his first drive by your place? But do you know that one thing you can say about him? He is a persistent devil. You know what Satan did on that day? He deposited doubt in the thought process. In the thought process of Eve, he just he just planted doubt. He just planted some doubt. She She's starting to think about it. She just planting doubt. Can I tell you that you will never see holiness entertaining thoughts of questioning holiness? Can I tell you and I shared this with brother Salards the other night? When it comes to holiness, I would rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. WHEN IT COMES TO HOLINESS, I WOULD RATHER MY GOD HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR ME. MY GOD HAS BEEN BETTER to me than I've been to him. MY GOD HAS BLESSED ME FAR ABOVE AND BEYOND anything that I can really imagine. And can I TELL YOU WHEN IT COMES TO HOLINESS AND THE THINGS OF GOD, I WANT TO GO BEYOND. COULD IT BE TONIGHT THAT GOD WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DOING some things not BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HELD OVER HELL? GOD WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DOING some things not because WE CAME TO THE PASTOR AND SAID, "IS IT A HEAVEN OR HELL ISSUE?" WE NEED TO LOVE GOD SO MUCH THAT WE'RE JUST WILLING TO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S JUST WHAT WE WANT TO DO FOR HIM. I got a I got a rock in my desk. It's a little polished rock. It came from one of the Senate. I think Lucas, it was Christmas time. Pastor had just mentioned a few gift CERTIFICATES THAT I HAD GOTTEN. I mentioned a few steakouses THAT SOME OF YOU MEMBERS GOT ME AND FIRST lady a a gift certificate. I I MENTIONED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON. FEW DAYS LATER, LUCAS met me and he said, "I want to give you something for Christmas." HE SAID, "I DON'T HAVE A RUTH CHRIS GIFT CARD TO GIVE YOU." AND HE PULLED OUT OF HIS POCKET. HE SAID, "I COLLECT ROCKS." HE SAID, "THIS IS MY FAVORITE ROCK RIGHT HERE." I said, "OH, OH, LUCAS, I I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW. I I can't." He said, "IT'S MY FAVORITE ROCK." AND HE SAID, "I WANT I WANT YOU TO HAVE IT FOR CHRISTMAS. But can I TELL YOU SOMETHING, FRIEND? AND I STILL GOT THAT ROCK IN MY DESK. And every time that I LOOK AT THAT ROCK, I'M REMINDED OF US GIVING GOD SOMETHING OF WORSHIP TO HIM AND SAYING, "GOD, I DON'T HAVE MUCH EDUCATION. I DON'T HAVE A BIG VOCABULARY. I DON'T HAVE ANY TALENT TO PLAY AN INSTRUMENT. I DON'T HAVE ANY TALENT TO BE AN ARTIST. BUT GOD, I I GOT TWO LITTLE OLD HANDS THAT CAN be lifted AND I CAN SAY, "THANK YOU, JESUS." I CAN SAY, "PRAISE GOD." I CAN MAGNIFY THE LORD. CAN I TELL YOU TONIGHT, YOU'VE GOT WHAT YOU NEED TONIGHT TO GIVE HIM IF YOU WILL JUST GIVE IT TO HIM RIGHT NOW. Oh God, I give you MY WORSHIP. GOD, I GIVE YOU MY PRAISE. And when we BEGIN TO WORSHIP GOD, I CAN SEE GOD STEPPING AWAY FROM THE ANGELIC CHOIR IN HEAVEN. AND I CAN SEE GOD SAYING, "I KNOW YOU'RE PERFECTLY ON KEY. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE THE BEETHOVEN OF BEETHOVEN, BUT I WANT TO STEP OVER THE BALCONY AND I WANT TO LISTEN TO THE REDEEMED AS THEY BEGIN TO PRAISE MY NAME. Your mind is a terrible thing to waste. Verse six. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And here we are. And it's all here because she began to think about what Satan planted in her mind. You see, when we look at life through the seeds of secular circularism, we begin to look at life through the eyes of the world, it can make sense to us. When we begin to look at life through the word of God, my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. If you're a young man here tonight, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. That's right. It's the dwelling place of the Holy Ghost. And to the best of my ability, whatever I put on this body, I want to put it on. I want to put on my body with the mentality, my body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. When people look at us because they can't see our heart, I want them to see the part they can see. And I want them to know there's something different about about that man. That there's something there's something different about the way that HE DRESSES. HE'S HE DON'T The young men here at the First Apostolic CHURCH, THEY DON'T WEAR THEIR underwear up around their armpits and their pants DOWN AROUND THE BACK of their knees. WELL, WHY NOT? BECAUSE OUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST. OH, it might get quiet FOR A LITTLE WHILE TONIGHT, BUT YOUR MIND AND YOUR BODY IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE. NOW, the best research I can do on this, the best research I can do on this, this is not cultural dress. It is something of late. And the best research for why young men will pull their underwear up and their pants down and when you drive by or walk by and especially if you got your wife, you hope they don't sneeze. Why do they do that? Oh, it's just a fad. It's just a fashion. FADS AND FASHIONS ALWAYS have messages. A young man wears his pants that way. He is saying to a He is saying to the opposite sex and maybe the same sex, I AM QUICKLY AVAILABLE FOR SEX. IT WOULDN'T TAKE ME LONG TO BE PREPARED FOR SEX. WELL, I GOT NEWS FOR YOU. TO THOSE OF YOU THAT'S GOT THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW OF, "OH, I don't know if he ought to BE SAYING THAT RIGHT NOW." I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU, YOU'RE THINKING WRONG THOUGHTS. Or maybe YOU'LL GET STIRRED UP WHEN YOUR LITTLE GRANDSON WALKS IN DRESSING LIKE THAT. HOW WILL OUR KIDS KNOW HOW TO DRESS IF SOMEBODY THAT'S JEALOUS OVER THEM DOESN'T GET UP AND SAY, "I'M JEALOUS OVER YOU." BROTHER BARRIOTT, GET UP HERE RIGHT NOW. COME ON. GET UP HERE RIGHT NOW. BROTHER CLOUD, GET UP HERE RIGHT NOW. TYLER, GET UP HERE RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW WHY THESE YOUNG MEN ARE DRESSED THIS WAY? THEY'RE FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST. NOBODY MAKES THEM DO THIS. OH, I know. Well, YOU MAY BE SE I KNOW WHY THEY'RE DOING THIS. I KNOW WHY THEY'RE DOING THIS. They're just dressing like that. Because the pastor does that. What's wrong with that? Isn't it amazing? Isn't it amazing? Years ago, there was a country singer that came out singing through his nostril. And one thing he had about him, poor little fella must have bought a belt too long for him because it dri it hung down the side of his leg about a foot. And one night I WENT IN A RESTAURANT AND THAT FELLA HAD COME TO town and there's a bunch of men in that restaurant, SO HELP ME GOD, that had been to that concert. They all had one thing IN COMMON. THEY ALL TALKED THROUGH THEIR LEFT nasal and EVERY ONE OF THEM HAD A BELT HANGING DOWN ABOUT A FOOT. BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT CUZ THAT'S THE WORLD. And the worldly ENTERTAINERS CAN HAVE INFLUENCE OVER THEIR WORSHIPPERS. BUT A MAN OF GOD THAT'S TRYING TO GET YOU TO HEAVEN. I'M GLAD YOU YOUNG MEN HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED. I'M GLAD YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR PANTS DOWN AROUND YOUR KNEES AND YOUR UNDERWEAR UP AROUND YOUR ARMPITS. I'M GLAD BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY GHOST. THANK YOU ALL TONIGHT. COME ON. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING AROUND HERE. YOU BETTER START THINKING THE RIGHT THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR CLOTHES. may be seated. Let me be a gender equal opportunist here tonight. The same issue with a young man wearing his underwear up around his armpits and his pants around his knees is the same reason. Young lady, buy you a dress that covers your knees. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Don't Don't clap. No, don't don't go. Please. I I got I'm I'm I'm I'm trying to in here in a few minutes. You know why I said cover your knees? Cuz the Bible definition of nakedness is your thigh being seen. Now, I know the world says, "Oh, you're naked. You're going young lady." Now you we I was at I was at Dollywood the other day uh Labor Day and I was going through the little scanner there and there was a woman behind me and evidently she wasn't dressed. Dollywood's got a standard and the man checking everybody in he said, "Uh, ma'am, you got a shirt you can put on?" "Well, I'd come. I'm going to Splash Mountain. I'm going over here." He said, "That's over there." He said, "This is the park." You know what she did? She said, "I got a shirt here in my bag." She put she I never turned around. I just loving Jesus. I just But can I tell you that WHAT THE WORLD VIEWS IS NAKED IS NOT WHAT WE view as naked. The world has standards that THE THE THE THE BOTTOM PART OF YOUR REAR END DON'T need to be showing. BUT THAT'S NOT THE BIBLE STANDARD. THE BIBLE STANDARD SAYS THAT IF A WOMAN'S THIGH IS SEEN THAT SHE'S NAKED. Why preach that? Why preach that? Because you tell you you bring a you bring and and I know this Sunday night and I think there may be there might be somebody here that that that that maybe you've never heard this before and I hope you will hear this and understand. I'm not trying to embarrass you. I'm preaching to the church. But just LIKE JUST LIKE THE YOUNG MAN THAT PULLS HIS UNDERWEAR UP and his pants down to send A SIGNAL, ANYBODY, I'M QUICK TO GO. I COULD HAVE SEX WITH YOU IN JUST A MOMENT. IT WOULDN'T TAKE ME LONG. IT WOULDN'T TAKE ME LONG TO GET UNCLOTHED A YOUNG LADY, A WOMAN THAT'LL WEAR A DRESS UP TO THE BOTTOM PART OF HER BUTTOCKS IS TELLING THE WORLD, "LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET." BUT YOUR BODY WASN'T MADE, YOUNG LADIES, HEAR ME. YOUR BODIES WASN'T MADE TO BE A GAZING STOCK FOR EVERY LUSTING MAN, BUT YOUR BODY WAS MADE FOR the my little girl. Hey, listen to me. I'm gonna quit here in a minute. MY WIFE AND I WERE BUYING SOME clothes for our grandkids the other day. London and and we were buying some clothes for for London. We was in the department store and there hanging up in her size to fit her was Daisy Duke shorts. Boy, the world's going to start them young, aren't they? That's exactly right. And if the world's going to start them young, the church better start them young. The church better start them young. And I want to tell every young lady, I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH SOME YOUNG ladies from the Sevirville campus today. I WANT TO TELL EVERY YOUNG LADY what you need TO SAY WHEN SOMEBODY ON YOUR JOB OR THE COMMUNITY ASK YOU WHY YOU WEAR A DRESS. YOU ANSWER THEM THIS WAY. I'M A GIRL. YOU KNOW WHY WE GOT GENDER MESSED UP? BECAUSE WE HAVE GENDER CLOTHING MESSED UP. WE'VE HAD THAT MESSED UP FOR YEARS. IS IT ANY STRANGE IDEA THAT BECAUSE WE MESSED THE CLOTHES UP, NOW WE'VE LEFT THE MIND UP? MY GOD, I FEEL LIKE PREACHING TONIGHT. Come on. THIS IS AN APOSTOLIC CHURCH. WE LOVE THE SINNER. WE PULL FOR THE SINNER, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET A PEOPLE READY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD. I'M A GIRL. When they ask you, WHY DO YOU WEAR A DRESS? YOU LOOK AT THEM and say, "Duh, I'm a girl." And when they ask it why you wear it down to your knees, you say, "Because I'm a lady." Thinking, THINKING, THINKING, THINKING. YOU GOT TO THINK IT. YOU GOT TO THINK IT. YOUR MIND'S A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE. THINK IT. THINK IT. Think it. Think it. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH HOLINESS. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH DRESSING RIGHT. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH COME ON. THINK IT. THINK IT. Think it. Think it. Think it. Think it. Think it. I'M THINKING I WANT HOLINESS ON MY CHILDREN. I'M THINKING I WANT HOLINESS ON MY GRANDCHILDREN. I'M THINKING TONIGHT, IF I WAS A SAINT IN THE PEW AND I HAD A PASTOR PREACHING LIKE THIS, I'D BE THINKING I'M GOING TO GO SHAKE HIS HAND TONIGHT AND TELL HIM, "THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Thank you." Well, Brother Carpenter, you're going TO OFFEND THEM. YOU KNOW WHAT? You can offend people for what you don't preach, too. The word offend means to trip up. Don't it surprise you? No, it don't. You take some of these young men that dress in that fashion, get them in trouble with the law, and on court day, you know what a good attorney tells you? Mama to get you? No, mama. GO AND GET HIM HIM UNDERWEAR that come up around his armpits. LET HIM GO IN THAT COURTROOM WITH HIS UNDER WITH HIS PANTS hanging down around his knee. AH, NO. NO. YOU'RE SMARTER THAN THAT. YOU'RE TELLING ON YOURSELF. YOU'RE TELLING ON YOURSELF. YOU'RE TELLING THAT WHEN YOU WANT THE WORLD TO RESPECT YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO PUT A SUIT ON. YOU'RE GOING TO PUT THE BEST THAT YOU'VE GOT ON. AND YOU'RE GOING TO STAND WELL, LISTEN. IF I'M GOING TO BUY A SUIT TO STAND BEFORE A JUDGE THAT CAN DETERMINE THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OF MY LIFE, I'M GOING TO WEAR SOMETHING TO PLEASE THE GOD OF HEAVEN OF WHERE I'M GOING TO SPEND ETERNITY. Come on, STAND WITH ME TONIGHT. A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE. HALLELUJAH. Wrong thoughts. Wrong thoughts can have eternal consequences. NON ALMOST DIED A leper because when the man of God TOLD HIM TO WASH SEVEN TIMES, he didn't like what he heard. And he said to the men that came with him, "Brother Thorp," he said, "I thought he'd come out here and strike his hand over the leprosy." non thoughts the wrong thoughts can have eternal consequences. Simon church, you better be careful what you see in church. You better be careful the thoughts you develop in church. What do you mean? Simon stands there in the eth chapter of the book of Acts. Simon watches as Peter and John come down from Jerusalem. Simon watches as Peter and John lay their hands on them. And they begin to receive the Holy Ghost and speak in other tongues. Jump and shout. Have a holy glow on them. Start laughing. Start rejoicing. Start saying how wonderful it is. Joy unspeakable and full of glory. Simon saw it and he came up to Peter and he said, "Peter, how much would it take? How much money would it take for you to give me that power that on whoever I lay hands they may receive the Holy Ghost?" Now, you got to understand something. Simon wasn't going to go through the land doing it. He was going to go through the land selling it. That's why I detest a lot of TV evangelism, selling prayer cloths and selling this and selling that. Water. The only time I've ever been tempted is a man down in North City said he had holy water to make you lose weight. I almost bought me some of that. Almost. My goodness, Penny, get me a bottle of that down there. I mean, but I didn't. Peter looked at him and he said, and one translation says it this way, I believe it's Philip's translation that Peter looked at him and Peter said, "You and your money both are going to hell. You and your money both are going to hell because you have thought that the gift of God could be bought. He said you ought to pray that God will forgive you the thoughts. You see, we live in a world that only judges you by your acts. We're in a spiritual body that God judges us by our thoughts. I end with this. When they crucified Jesus, I don't think it's a coincidence. Strong Tower, they crucified him at a place called Goltha, which is to say the place of a skull. They crucified him on a mountain side that resembled the skull of a man. And the first thing they offered him at Goltha was a mixture of drink that would affect his mind and he refused it. I believe what he is saying to every strong tower student, every mom and dad, every trend setter. I won the I won the battle for you. I won the battle over your thoughts at Calvary. You can control your thoughts. And if you can control your thoughts, you can control your actions. And if you can control your actions, you can control your life. the name of Jesus. Would you bow your heads with me right now all over this room? Would you just begin to pray right now? I know I put the plow down deep tonight. I I I know that. I know that. But I don't want to offend this church. I don't want to offend you tonight. I want you to know why we do what we do and why we don't listen to the music and why we don't have THAT ENTERTAINMENT AND WHY WHY WHY why thoughts bow your heads. Come on let's pray right now. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Mother of God, would you just begin to sing that right now just for a moment? I I I want this to sink in. I want this to sink in tonight. Holiness is what I long for. Can you hear that? Holiness is what I need. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness. You hear her sing, church, what you want to be. You hear her singing. You hear her sing that song. Would you join with her as she sings it? Would you sing it with her? Holiness, holiness is what I long for. Come on, sing it with me tonight. Holiness, holiness is what I need. Holiness is what I need. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness is what you want from me. Anybody here tonight and you don't have the baptism of the Holy Ghost and you want it, come to this altar right now. There's anyone here tonight and you've not surrendered your life to Jesus Christ. The altar's open. The altar's open right now. Come. Come. Come. It's what I Come come. Holiness. Holiness. What you want? Holiness. I want to call this church back to dedication. I want to call us back to holiness tonight. I want you to come around the altar. Let's rededicate ourselves to holiness. Let's rededicate ourselves to holiness. Oh God. Jesus. Jesus. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness. God. Holiness. God. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness. Come on, church. Come on. Pour your heart out. Ready. Reconsecrate. Come on, young lady. Come on, young man. Come on. Get rid of the music on your phone. Get rid of the music in your car. I long for your rightousness is what I need. Rightousness. Rightousness is what you want for me. It's what you are. So take my heart, my heart and pour it. Take my heart transform. Make my way to yours to yours, oh Lord. So take my heart and for it. Take my mind, transform it. Take my will to your to your holiness. Holiness. Holiness is what I long for. Holiness is what I need. Mercy. Holiness. Holiness. Holiness is what you want. Come on, let's just entertain the presence of the Lord tonight. Come on, sing about it right now. Oh, holiness, holiness, oh yes, is what I long for. Oh yes, holiness is what I need. Holiness, holiness, holiness, holiness. What you want from me? Oh, holiness is what you want from me. One more time. One more time. Get in your heart. Holiness, holiness is what I long for. Oh, holiness is what I need. Holiness. Holiness is what you want from me. Oh yes, God. Oh yes, God. Go home with this church. Go home with this. You don't give God nothing at repentance. You don't give God anything at repentance. God gives you forgiveness of sins. You don't give God anything at water baptism. God takes your sin away. You don't give God anything when you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. He filled you. And most people, we've got good theologians and good teachers today that we can explain biblically repentance, water baptism, and the Holy Ghost. And the average person does not trip up. The average person doesn't say, "I I I just can't go along with that repentance. I just can't go along with that water baptism. I just can't go along with that spirit baptism." The average person doesn't say that. But the average person that leaves the church leaves the church over the fourth step. And that's holiness. Because there's where we change things. It's not God giving me something. It's me giving God something. I'm giving it back to God. I'm giving it back to God. I'm giving it back to God. Church, God bless you. See you Wednesday night at 7:30. Shake hands. Next be friendly. You're dismissed in Jesus name.