The Missing Piece of Armour | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

If you have your Bibles and would meet me in the book of Ephesians, the book of Ephesians, chapter number six and verse number 10. We read down through verse number 18. While you're looking for that today, as your pastor, I want to tell you that one of the reasons that I have scheduled Bishop Holmes to be with us is because of prayer. Is because of prayer. And I'm thankful that camp meeting season is over. Praise God. I'm I'm thankful that it's I'm thankful that it's over. I'm thankful that I won't be seeing Holiday and Express for a while. Thank God that that camp meeting season's over because I purposely waited because we're going to really accelerate prayer. I feel, Sister Sutton, that God is speaking to your pastor that we're going to accelerate prayer and fasting here because I think that God wants to take us to another level as a church and he wants to take us to another another level as a church. And so, Wednesday night, we're going to be really accelerating the subject of prayer and fasting and and uh dedicating our lives aresh and new to God. You see, praise brings the presence of God. Did you hear me? Praise brings the presence of God. But prayer brings the anointing of God. >> And it's the anointing that breaks the yoke. >> Prayer Praise is like turning the lights on in his room. Praise will turn the lights on. Oh, God is here. But praise is like a laser beam. You take the same light, you condense it, you cut a hole in that wall with the power of a laser. So praise, it's good. Praise brings his presence, but prayer brings a laser that begins to break yolks and begins to anoint our lives that we are the church that he has called us to be. And so, how many want to go on that journey? Amen. >> 6 and 10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God. Underline whole. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the ws of the devil. That means tricks and plans and schemes. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore, because of, in light of, wherefore take unto you the whole, there's that word again, the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, your feet shaw with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. I want to minister to you today for a few moments on the subject of the missing piece of armor. The missing piece of armor. Father, I love you this morning. Lord, I thank you God for the word that brother Hammond God ministered to us on Wednesday night. Lord, I thank you God for the for the life application God that his message gave. And I Lord, I just want to build on that today, Lord, with prayer. Father, anoint your servant today. And I will give you the praise, the honor, and the glory for it all belongs to you, Jesus. In Jesus name we all pray. Amen. And amen. You may be seated. The missing piece of armor. Can I get a witness in the house today? You know, I think there's a difference, at least emotionally, of saying, "I've lost something," and saying, "There's something missing." There's something missing. Um, I think when you say, "I lost something," you you put a lot of blame on yourself. You put a lot of blame, you know, I lost it. I I misplaced it. I mis I I I lost it. But when something is missing, it's just kind of like it eats at you. It just it eats at you. It's it's that, Brother Knuckles. It's that it's that screwdriver in your toolbox that's not there right now. It's that it's that tape measure. It's that hammer that that that you knew you put it back in there. You you you knew that it would be right there and it's missing. It's just missing. And it just it just gnaws on you. It's a it's um it it's maybe not a value to spend much of a search looking for it, but it just it just it just nags at you. It just it's like a it's like a pebble in your shoe. I have two I have two dress shirts, a white one and a blue one. Uh that's missing. That's missing. And one of the things about the white dress shirt is what was that I found it and it fit me really well. Uh it fit me really well. It it's it's it's a got a little bubble area better right through here. And and it was one brother Mayo. It was one of my favorites. It we go to the dry cleaners often. It was just fit me good. The sleeves were long. The sleeves were good. The collar was good. The bubble was fantastic. It and and and it fit me good. But when I went to pack it for camp meeting season, couldn't find it. It's missing in my blue shirt. That's the twin to the white shirt. I couldn't find it either. So I called um Midland Cleaners and and um asked my mother-in-law. She takes she's so good to take our cleaning for us. and said, "Man, is it in the back of your car?" And no, it's not there. And I went and looked and it's not there. And called the cleaners and it's not not there. And then I got it. They've mixed up Nolan and Chad and Zach's dry cleaning and it's hanging in one of their closets. Nolan, no. Zack, no. But Chad, no. So, they're just missing. They're just missing. I may imagine they may be hanging somewhere in a Holiday and Express closet. I I don't know. But it just bugs me. It just It just really bugs me that that it's missing. I use that today. I use that today as a starter for this message because the Apostle Paul is like a lot of us, Pastor Ericson. He's like a lot of us in the ministry. We get inspired to preach a message off of things we see. All right? We see things and we get inspired to preach a message. And when you read Paul's writing, you know that the Roman Olympic games uh affected him. The coliseum uh the games affected him. He he talked about running a race. Well, he he he had seen the Romans uh at the Olympics. He had seen them in their their huge coliseums in Rome. He had he had witnessed the Olympic races and he had witnessed one time he he talked about that when he when that that that uh when he would box with the uh our adversary he said I I'm not I'm not shadow boxing. I'm I I'm not just throwing punches into the air. I I'm I'm making them march. So he had he had evidently seen that the the boxing matches that went on and uh all of this and there was another thing that he wrote about. not not only wrote about racing and and fighting, but he wrote about the armor of God. He wrote about the armor of God. Now, the Apostle Paul was very familiar with Roman soldiers because as you read the history and uh the diary, the the the if you read where all the apostle Paul went, you know that he was a frequent inmate in a jail and in a prison. He was frequently imprisonment. He was frequently being arrested by the Roman soldiers. So he would know he would know what a Roman soldier's armor would look like. Research will tell you that a Roman soldier had seven pieces of armor. He had seven pieces of armor. We know that when Paul wrote about the great battle that we are in. Anybody in a battle right now? Anybody in a battle? I didn't say a trial. A trial is not a battle. A trial is something that comes and goes. But a battle is something that you stepped in. The very morning or evening that you got baptized in Jesus' name and filled with the Holy Ghost and begin to turn your life around, you got on the battlefield and you declared war on your adversary. So, so there's a difference between going through a trial and going through a test. Trials come and go, but battles, no, no, no. They're here to stay. They're here to be with us until the trumpet sounds. And somebody say, "Praise the Lord." >> They're here to be with us until the trumpet sounds. I'm telling you, that devil is no respector of age nor persons. He will go to a youth group and try to tell a youth group, "There's nothing here." And and and you you your life is so valuable, you need to be out there. You need to be outside. You need to be doing your own thing. while that old slleuth slither into a nursing home and whisper into the ear of a 90-year-old saint of God and tell them, "Is this what God does for you?" >> Somebody understand today we're on a battlefield. So Paul began to write about the Roman armor. Being very familiar with the Roman armor, he says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." He said uh put on the whole armor. You know two words you notice he he mentioned the whole armor twice. He he said I you need to put all of it on. Don't don't don't no put part of it on. You need to put all the armor of God on. He mentions it not once but twice. He uses the word whole. Put on the whole armor. And he says uh you do all that you can stand. And he said we wrestle not against flesh and blood. He lets us know who that we're wrestling with. And then he says, "All right, now it's time to put on the whole armor of God." Number one, he said, "The belt of truth, that girdle of truth or belt of truth, that belt that went around the midsection of the Roman soldier, that belt that was good and tight because every weapon that he had would somehow be attached to that belt." So that belt was very important. So Paul uses that belt and says it is the belt or the girdle of truth. I want you to know today that we're here with our Bibles because we believe this Bible is the inspired truth of God. We're here today where we are fanatical about scripture. Why? Because scripture is the truth of God. Somebody asked me here a while back about a subject in the Bible and I begin to quote scripture and the person said, "No, no, no, no, no. What do you think about it?" Well, can I just tell you, brothers and sisters, it matters not what I think about it or what you think about it. It's what the word of God says because it is the truth of the word. The word is not to be debated. The word is not to be looked at and see how we can change it. The word is not to be debated. The word is to be obeyed. >> The old bumper sticker says God word God's word says it. I believe it and it's so you really need to edit that out. God's word says it. It's so whether you believe it or not. So Paul says the first thing we need is truth. The first thing that we need is truth. How many are glad for truth? Am I glad that you heard these words one day? Then Peter said unto them, repent >> and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. How many heard that today? Now, how many obeyed that today? How I'm so glad. I'm so glad for that verse. It's the belt of truth. And every everything that comes out of the Bible, we we believe the belt of truth. And then he said the breastplate of righteousness. You see once whenever you get the word in your heart you get righteousness you get right standing. And then he said your feet shaw with the prepar with the gospel of peace. Your feet shaw with the gospel of peace. You you see the Roman soldiers uh sandals had big spikes in them. And the reason they had spikes in them is a lot of their combat in that day was handtohand. It it was not they didn't have airplanes and they didn't have they didn't have all the technology we have today. Their combat was handto hand. And it was very important. It was essential that a Roman soldier stay on his feet because if you would get knocked to your back or you would slide it could cause you to lose your balance. So there would be large spikes in their shoes to help them to hold on. So he said your feet shaw. Paul looked at that and he said our feet need to be shaw with the preparation of the gospel of peace. He talked about the shield of faith. The Roman soldier had a shield that that he would be able to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy. That that enemy that not only would hit you with a dart, a dart very seldom took your life. It wasn't the dart. It wasn't it wasn't the dart uh going a half inch or so into your skin that that killed you. It was the poison that the do dart was dipped in. It was dipped in poison and then it was shot at you. and will shot at you and enter your blood system. The poison poison on the dart that would do that would do the job. But Paul said the shield of faith quench all the fiery darts and the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit. I have me I have me uh mentioned six of them right now. And we're already to verse 17. If you would put that verse back on the screen for me. Uh Ephesians 6:17. He's he gets to 17 and he mentions the sixth one, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Then he goes to verse 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all of the saints. So now once again this blue shirt and it's just how we preachers are wired. This blue shirt and white shirt that's missing is like gnawing at me. I will probably I will probably no doubt I will probably no doubt go back to hotels when I'm invited back to places I preached over the summer. I will probably ask them when I check in next year at camp meeting time. Hey, y'all wouldn't have happened to found a white and a blue shirt, would you? I'll probably do that. That's that's my nature. So it bugs me. I say, Paul, you mentioned six of them, but you failed to tell us what the seventh one would be. Because a Roman soldier has seven pieces of armor. He comes to the conclusion of this text, the spiritual armor. And there was one piece that we find out through research that he didn't mention or did he mention it? Because he goes to verse 18 and he says, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit." He said, "Now, here's your weapon. Here's your weapon." You see, prayer, not only I know we sing a lot about praise is my weapon, but I got news for you. Prayer is your weapon. >> Prayer is your weapon. Paul and Silas not only sang praises in that jail house, but the Bible said they begin to pray and sing praises. And so, not only is praise a weapon, but our prayer is a weapon. So, if our prayer is a weapon, if prayer is a weapon, then what kind of a weapon? What kind of a weapon is it? The seventh piece of armor on a Roman soldier was a spear or a javelin. it was a spear or a javelin. So we understand today that Paul now as he uses the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness and feet shod shield of faith helmet sword of the spirit that when he mentions prayer he is really saying this is your spear this is your spear that uh that that you're going to use. Now spear was used for two purposes. Close combat or distance. If you became very skilled with a spear, you were able to throw it at a distance. You saw the enemy coming and you were able to throw and hit its horse before it got to you. You were able, if you saw it a ways off, you were able to to launch that spear into the air and take care of the soldier, take care of your enemy from a distance. Or if they got too close to you, you could use it also for close combat. You you could use it if they got too close, you could use it for close combat. So the spear becomes a symbol of our weapon with prayer. Now it's it's interesting that Paul says praying with all prayer with all praying always. Somebody said how somebody says when's your prayer time? When's your prayer time? Well, I'm going to tell you really what our prayer time should be. Our prayer time should be always. We should be one breath away from saying a prayer. Praying always with all prayer with all prayer. What do you mean praying always with all prayer? Not all prayer is the same. You may have a routine prayer and then you may have a prayer of desperation or you may have a prayer of compassion. I imagine if you have a lost loved one. I imagine if you have a child or a grandchild that's not serving God. I imagine when you mention that child's name that it is with compassion. It's a prayer. It's a prayer of compassion. I imagine your prayer that you pray over your food is different than the prayer that you pray over your children. Praying always with all prayer. So Paul says,"I want you to take this piece, this weapon, this spear which becomes a symbol of our prayer." Something very interesting here. We understand that that Moses won a battle. Moses won a battle. And in Exodus 17 verse number 12, Moses wins a battle raising up a rod in his hands. Verse number 12 says this in Exodus 17 and 12. But Moses's hands were heavy. They took a stone and put it under him and he sat there on. And Aaron and her, these are two men stayed up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side of his hands were steady until the going down of the same. And and Joshua disisconfitted Amalecch and his people with the edge of the sword. And I want I want you I'm I'm really going somewhere with this and may may take me a moment or two, but Moses is the leader. He's the leader. He's the man that's got the rod, which which is a symbol of authority. It's a symbol of authority. He's got the rod of God. Just who do you think you are? Pharaoh says to Moses, "Just who do you think you are marching into this throne room of mine and demanding to let God's people go? Who do you think you are?" Well, when he starts to operate in that rod, he knows who he is. You want to know who I am? Let me take this rod down to the Nile River and smite the Nile River. It's going to turn into blood. That's what's going to happen. You let me hold this rod up to heaven and the skies are going to get black and flies are coming. Frogs are coming and lice is coming and plagues are coming that that this authority here is going to declare to you who I am. So in one of the battles that they fought there, God orchestrated that Moses would go to the top of a hill with the authority or the rod in his hands and he would raise up the rod. He would raise up the rod in his hands and Joshua would be down below fighting the battle. And as long as Moses took the rod and had the had the rod raised up, Israel won. They were winning against the adversary. But Moses's hands became weary. and his shoulders begin to burn and his hands became weary and and and and and he shook and he would lower the rod. And when he would lower the rod, the enemy would begin to prevail. And finally Aaron and her two men went up and they held up his hands until the Bible says Joshua down below fighting disconed Amalecch. Now the word disisconfitted means to weaken or disable something or someone. As long as authority was lifted up, the enemy was being disconed or the enemy was being disabled. The enemy was being disisconfitted. They were being they they they were being either weakened or they were being disabled. I want you to know that as a church we have established and I believe that we do very well at this. I believe we we would receive a good grade from God. We are wonderful at recognizing spiritual authorities in our life. We're wonderful in recognizing spiritual authorities in our lives. We don't have the issues that a lot of places have because they they they've never really stayed at spiritual authority. And and and authority is more than just somebody telling somebody else what to do. It's somebody telling someone something out of the good word of God. Something that will bless you that you can look around and say, "Hey, I'm a better man right now because I submitted to the word of God. I'm I I'm I'm I've got a better family right now because I have put myself under the authority of the word of God." Do you see that? We weaken. We weaken and we disable the plans of hell. Hell recognizes no authority. As a matter of fact, it is in the DNA of hell. It is in the DNA of Satan to buck authority because he was an angel created to worship God. But he got out of his place of submission and he tried to be something that he wasn't called to be. And so hell is full of disorder because they they do not recognize authority. A lot of things that we have going on in our country right now is demonic by nature. They can call it a peaceful protest all they want to, but it is simply telling authority, "We don't want you to rule over us." It's simply telling I'm going to tell you something. There's flaws in our government because there's flesh in our government. But I do believe that our Constitution, I'm not getting political, I'm just being factual. I do believe the Declaration of Independence and I believe the Constitution of our great country that has caused us to be a great country now for well over 250 years. I do believe it was God ordained from heaven to be the United States of America to give us freedom to worship our God. Yes. There's flaws in it because there's flesh in it. But flesh should never take away from authority. We're a great country today. We're a great We're a great country today when we submit our lives to ordained authorities. We live under those authorities and we're blessed by those authorities. Not only that, the Bible tells us the first commandment that God gave with a promise. Do you you understand this? The first commandment of the ten commandments, the first commandment when he gave ten commandments. The first commandment that had a promise attached to it was one of the 10 and it was in verse number chapter 20 of Exodus. Verse number 12. Here it is. Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God give. He said, I am giving you an authority in your life. I'm giving you an authority in your life. Parents are an authority. When God blesses you with children, you're not their BFF. All right? You are an authority figure. I'm not I'm not interested in being Nolan's best friend. Although I I am his best friend. I'm not I'm not interested in being his best friend. I'm interested in being his father. I'm interested in being authority figure in his life. Why? You want to rule up? No, I don't want to rule. I don't want a Lord. I just believe that I know through God's word what's best for his life. Yes, sir. >> It's not children raising parents. Come on, somebody. I said it's not children raising parents. It's parents raising children. Am I preaching today or what? >> Why? Why you Why it's it's parents that are raising children. And this scripture here is to the children that if children would honor their father and their mother, place respect upon them. That word honor there also means wait. Wait. If they would give waiting their opinion upon what does my father say about this? What does my mother think about this? If they would honor their father and their mother, God said, I'll attach a promise to it. You would live long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. We understand today that Moses was establishing that authority when he was holding that rod up. But guess what? Moses needed help. >> Do you know that the family today needs help? >> And aren't you thankful that the pull pit is giving you help? >> Because you want order in your family, but sometimes you get a little weary and and kids are saying, "Mom, nobody does this." And mom, everybody's doing this over here. But you get to go to church. your arms are getting a little weary, but you get to go to church and all of a sudden the pullpit begins to say, "Oh yes, that's what we believe. Oh yes, that's what we're going to do." And we hold up we hold up that authority. Colossians chapter 3:20 is interesting because when Colossians would reference what Moses wrote, Colossians chapter 3:20 said, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing unto the Lord." And he goes into, "This is the first commandment." You notice Moses said, "Honor them." Paul said, "Obey him." Do you know what? You cannot have one without the other. Anything you honor, you will obey. If you honor the Lord, you will obey the Lord. If you value If you value the Lord, it'll be easy. But if you don't know him, you won't honor him. Now, follow this. Now, Pharaoh says to Moses, Moses says, "Let God's people go." And Pharaoh says, "Who is the Lord that I should obey him? I don't know him." Well, that makes sense, doesn't it? If you don't know him, you won't obey him. But if you could ever know him, obeying him will be so simple to you. If you could ever understand God wants something better for you than you want for yourself. I believe that's what should happen every time we open up the Bible. I believe that we ought to open up the Bible and understand I don't know all there is to know about my life. It is not in man to direct his way. I do not know. I don't have it all together. I don't have it all. I I don't have all knowledge. I need help. That's why I'm here on a Sunday morning opening up the word of God to say, God, I want to know you a little bit better because if I can know you, come on, somebody help me this morning. Has he not done us nothing but good? Come on. Has he has he not done? When has the Lord ever let you down? When has the Lord ever asked you to do something that you had to turn around and say, "Man, I just really that didn't really work out for me. >> No, no, no, no, no, no, no." He held up He held up the the rod. He got it established. Church, church, listen to me now. We got it good on that. I believe we got I believe I believe we got that down. We honor God's word. We honor, we honor, we we honor that word right there. We honor We honor God's word. But here's where we need some help. Moses passes from the scene. Joshua becomes the new leader. He leads them to Jericho. There at Jericho, the walls fall flat and they win. In Joshua 7 verse number three, Joshua chapter 7 verse number three, something interesting happened. And that is their first battle that they were to go out. Everybody say first battle >> after Jericho. It was the help me now. It was the >> first battle. They go to a city called Ai. And Joshua sends a group of scouts to look over the city of Ai. The scouts come back and they have this report. They said, "Don't make everybody go to war. Don't don't don't have everybody in war. It's it's it's just a little city. It's just a one-horse town. It's just a one red light town. It it's just a little spot in the road. It's just a little community up there called called AI. Said, "Please don't make all the people go. Don't make all the people go." Said, "Just just literally send about oh two or three thousand of it'll be." Now, I'm I'm going to show you what's going on here. They're becoming confident in their flesh. Their flesh. They're becoming confident in their flesh. And the more you lean on you, the less you lean on him. They become confident in their flesh. And they truck on up to Ai. Joshua 7:3. And they returned to Joshua and said unto him, "Let not let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai, make not all the people of labor hither, for they are but a few." So they go on up there, and guess what happens? They're walking in their own flesh. That's what happens to us when we're not praying like we do. We're walking in our own flesh. that little old spot in the road, that one horse town, that one red light town, that little old little little spot in the road, man. They opened up that door of Ai and they came out chasing two or three thousand Israelite soldiers. And the Bible said at the end of the day, they chased them all the way back to their camp. And in doing so, 36 Israelites were killed. 36 men lost their lives that day. That meant there was now 36 widows in Israel and an undetermined amount of fatherless children. 36 men, 36 widows, and an unaccounted fatherless children number. The whole story. And I I don't want to go into the whole story, but Joshua got it right. got new directions because I'm going I'm gonna let you know something. There can be victory after the defeat. >> Your fall doesn't have to be fatal. >> There can be victory after the defeat. Now, if you want to build a monument and stay down, you can. But I don't think you want to stay down. I think you want to get back up. And so Joshua found out what the problem was. I want to talk to somebody today. You don't have to stay down. you can get back up. Joshua found out what the problem was and Joshua took a group of men went back up to Ai. This time he took all the men. Joshua chapter 8 verse number one. And the Lord said unto Joshua, "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed. Take all the people of war with thee. Arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given thy hand the king of Ai his people and his city and his land." Go down to verse number 18. He goes up to battle. They begin the battle there. Verse number 18. They're in the midst of battle. In verse number 18, and the Lord said unto Joshua, stretch out the spear that is in thine hand toward Ai, for I will give it into thine hand. And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city. Now, watch this, brother Nolan. Because just as God used Moses with a rod of authority, the new leader Joshua, that was going to take them further than Moses took it. Because authority will get us to the Jordan, but it's going to take us Joshua to get us on into the promised land. >> You see, just obeying the word will get you to a place. But then a new leader comes in, Joshua comes in. And Joshua, he doesn't have a rod in his hand. And I hope you're getting this. He doesn't have a rod in his hand. He has a spear in his hand. And God says, Joshua, stretch out your spear that you have in your hand over the city, over the city. Go down to verse number 24. And it came to pass when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field. How many did they slay? Help me. >> They slayed how many? in the wilderness that wherein they chased them. And when they were how many were fallen? >> All fallen on the edge of the sword until they were consumed that all the Israelites returned unto Ai and smote it with the edge of the sword. And verse 25, and so it was that all that fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, even all the men of Ai, they got they got 36 men. But if we'll do it God's way, we'll get 12,000 of them. >> Verse 26 is where I really want to go. For Joshua, look at this. For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai. Brothers and sisters, today I believe authority brings us here. But it'll be the spirit of prayer that'll take us further, further than we ever dreamed that we could go. If we can become a praying people, if we can get that seventh piece of armor in our head, if we can learn to operate in prayer, God will break addictions. God will bring people in your life. God will open up the W. I hope that Are you believing this this morning? If we can pray. Did he not say, "If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, then will I hear from heaven?" Come on, praise him for a moment right now. Praise him if you're receiving the word right now. Praise him if you're receiving the word right now. Now, please notice something with me, church. Please notice something with me. In order to establish authority, brother Perry, in order to establish authority, Moses needed help. He needed Aaron and her, two men to help him to establish authority. Thank God. Thank God that we have an established authority. Thank God today when I'm preaching and I'm teaching and the word of God is going forth and you're going home and your children begin to ask, "Dad, what about this?" You start off by saying, "Well, that's the Bible. That's the Bible." I I I still believe it's right. It might be an oldfashioned phrase, but I still believe that a phrase should go something like this in your home. That's what our pastor teaches. >> That's what our pastor teaches. Why are we going tonight? Because that's what our pastor wants us to do. While we pray and while we go in the prayer room, we pray at home. Our pastor likes to see us in the prayer room. >> Can I tell you something? If you'll yield to that authority, I'll help you. And the word of God is ultimate help. But here, let me get back on my subject. When Joshua held up the spear, nobody helped him hold up the spear. Nobody came and said, "I mean, I mean, it's a long time, Brother Steppp. It's a long time. He's just like Moses. He held up the rod. Moses did until he needed help. The battle's not been won yet. I need some help." Aaron and her held him up. Now Joshua stands with a spear in his hand. There's nobody there to help him. Or at least it's not recorded because I believe it's a spiritual analogy. Because in order to pray, you have to be selfotivated. >> You have to be, as a matter of fact, if you want to be successful in any area of your life, business owner, entrepreneur, whatever, you've got to learn how to motivate yourself. >> You you you got to get strong up here. You you got to get some muscle in your mind. You got to get some of this up here because everything else wants to hold you down. Well, we failed at AI once. I failed at this once, but you got to get some mind muscle up here to say, you know what? I'm getting back up. I wish somebody called me. You, you know, we we produce such weak people because people say, "Well, I'm just over here that ain't nobody I I've been sick. Ain't nobody called me. I've been this. Ain't nobody come by." I believe that's the excuse of the weak, spiritually minded individual that hasn't learned how to selfotivate themsel. I mean, just, hey, I'm going to get up. Did they talked about killing King David? They talked about killing King David, but David slipped over around the corner and the Bible said David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. But man, it it's good if you'll help me hold something up. But there's going to come a time when I got to hold it up all I got to get up, open up, walk up all I wish somebody shake off that old weak mentality right now. Come on. I wish somebody shake off that old weak mentality. I can do all things. Not we can do all things. I can do all things through Christ. I wish somebody giving a shout right now. Shake yourself. Shake yourself. I'll let it happen every now and then, but as pastor, as pastor, I'm not real fond of these young folks getting in the altar and lock locking shoulders and all rocking back and forth together. Now, I allow a little bit. What have you, you know, I'm standing there doing I'm standing there doing nothing. Somebody locks in with me and I begin to sway. Ain't going to come a time when you gonna have to worship God all by yourself. >> Cuz I got news for you. The tempter is not bringing a lot of things into this house and tempting you while you're here from Sunday from 10 to 12 or Sunday night from 6:00 to 8 or Wednesday night from 7:30 to 9:00. The enemy says, "Oh, just hold off. They they're with other people right now. Let me get them all by themsel and let me begin to tempt them." It's them that you got to be able to raise your sword up all by yourself. It's a Joseph. It's a Joseph in Piper's house. He wasn't in the youth group. He wasn't with everybody standing around. He's all by himself in a strange land. And he said, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. That's not going to happen to me." Because he was able Now, Mother Zender, I don't mean to rain on anybody's parade. I don't mean to rain on anybody's parade. Thank God for 36,000 people shouting, "Thank God for the thousands of post. This is what 36,000s apostolic sound like. We have failed if we go home to our church of 35. You know where I'm going. >> We have failed if we could jump, shout, jump the bananiers, hoop and holler with 36,000, but we go home to our home mission church of 25 and we stand there like, well, I I I just can't I I'll be all by myself here. I I'll be Well, it won't sound the same. It won't sound the same to you, but it sounds the same to God. I'm coming. >> Woo! Hallelujah. Halle Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Where there is no spear, there is no victory. Where there is no spirit, there is no victory. It is true, brother Pastor Ericson. I loved it what you said today. We're the only religion where our founder is still alive. They'll go for they'll they'll go millions of miles to go see the tooth of a prophet. They'll revere the hoof print of where a prophet took off from the earth and his his horse left a mark on the rock. They'll go revere that. Ours is still living. >> Ours is alive. >> Ours gave us victory. I said ours give us victory. Is your Jesus give you victory? Ours give us the victory. We walk with him. We talk with him. He woke me up this morning. He's in this room with us right now. At the mention of his name, he's right here with us. Lord, I got three or four different ways to go in a short time to get there. Yes, it is true that our victory has already been won through Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. But regardless of how skilled, bold, or courageous we think we are when it comes to the air, the issues of spiritual conflict, hear these words. Hear these words. Sit up on the edge of the pew. Listen, perk up your ears today. We simply cannot maintain a victorious position apart from our prayer life. Calvary is powerful. The blood is potent. Jesus is here. But without a prayer life, I am no match for the adversary. Let me say it again. Let me say it again as our musicians come and play softly. Let me say it again. Where there is no spear, there is no victory. Oh, brother carpet, I I obey the word of God. That's authority. Oh, brother Corbin, I obey this. That's authority. I do this. That's authority. Prayer. That's victory. That's victory. No, no spirit, no victory. Won't we say that together? No. No spirit. >> Say it again. >> No prayer. No prayer. >> No prayer, no victory. It's a powerful statement. Let's back it up with some word. Judges 5 and8. They chose new gods. Then was war in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among 40,000 in Israel? So they chose him a new god. And then there's no spear that were found. I could tell you scripture after scripture of defeat, the absence of spears. Not only was there a spear, there was a tool called a javelin. A javelin. Now, a javelin, a javelin is a spear, but it's like a pocket knife is a knife, but all knives are not a pocketk knife, right? A pocketk knife is a knife, but all knives is not a pocketk knife. So, a a javelin, it is a spear. It is a spear. And here's what I want you to understand today. People say, "Well, Bill Carpenter, I just don't know what to I just don't know what to I don't know what to say. I don't know how to pray." And I'm not being I'm not being uh kind of rude or whatever. If you can talk, I said, "If you can talk, you can pray. If you can talk, you can pray." Even people that that don't have the ability to speak learn sign language. If you can talk, so there's no reason. There's no reason. If you can talk, you can pray. And if you can pray, you've got a a javelin in your hand. As a matter of fact, just exactly what do your words produce? Do they wreak havoc on the enemy? Do your words wreak havoc on the enemy? Can I tell you, hell feels Hell fears a prayer meeting. If there's one thing hell wants to keep you out of, he wants to keep you out of a personal prayer life. As a matter of fact, let me tell you this right now. Developing a personal prayer life will be the most difficult thing that you've ever done in all of your life. It'll be more difficult than changing your wardrobe. It'll be more difficult than breaking a nicotine habit. Because friend, you can do all of that. You can change your wardrobe in a day. You can get victory over nicotine in a couple of weeks or maybe instantly by the Holy Ghost, whichever. But when it comes to prayer, hear your pastor today. You're gonna fight, fight, fight for a prayer life because your flesh doesn't want to bend in. And the adversary certainly knows if they start sending words up to heaven, it's spear after spear after spear after spear after spear after spear after spear after spear. Come on, stand with me right now. When I begin to pray, they're real. I don't mean to get spooky and goofy or nothing like that, but neither am I going to totally deny the de demonic world. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against wickedness in high places. If the demonic, the demons that are around our lives could be visualized, you would see them as ugly. You would see them as destructive. You would see them reaching for your children. You would see them reaching for you and reaching trying to drag you to the hell that they're destined to stay in. But if your eyes can be open and you shut that bedroom door and you begin to say, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, I need you. Jesus, I got to have you. Jesus, I got to have you." If you could see, you're taking your lips, you're taking that javelin, and you're throwing. If you could see the demons as they begin to say, "We got to get out of here. We got to leave here because Jesus, >> I want you to lift up your voice right now and I want you to begin to ask God to let you receive this word right now. Let that be your prayer. Let me receive this word. Let me receive this word. Come on. God's about to move right now. Hear me for just about another two minutes. Hear me for about another two minutes, please. about another two minutes. >> Saul, you have a javelin. You have the ability, Saul, to pray. You were anointed. You have the ability to pray, Saul. What are you going to do? I'm tormented. Get me a musician in here. And when David came in and began to play, Saul took his jabbling. Saul took his spear and tried to do what? Kill what was trying to help him. He's trying to kill. That's the adversar's biggest trick. He wants to play on your mind. He wants you to take your words and kill the very thing that's trying to help you and trying to deliver you. If he can get you talking wrong, hear me now. If he can get you talking wrong, he'll get your perception wrong. >> You see, if you come in here today with rosecolored glasses on, it doesn't matter what paint we paint this building in. You'll always see it through a rosecolored tent. Because if you're speaking the wrong thing, you have the wrong perception. That's why he spoke the wrong thing. That's why he looked at David. He looked at him and said, "They have said that David killed 10,000 and they said that I only killed a thousand." What more could he want? But the kingdom, his perception was all off. >> And he took what he could. Can I tell you, you don't have to pray against God. Just don't say anything about God. A silence is the same as a speak. Saul took his words and tried to kill what was trying to help him. I end with this today. The Bible said the enemy that we face, Sister Kim, is as a roaring lion. A roaring lion. Research will tell you that some lions have been recorded to roar so loud that their roar could be heard. This is on record. Their roar can be he can be heard five miles away. They can roar. It is proven that a a lion roars to claim his territory. His roar tells everyone in the in ears distance, don't get within the perimeter of my roar. It belongs to me. Is it any wonder when we get in the New Testament and we find demon possession that those who are demonpossessed all have something in common with the devil? They're crying out. The demoniac in the tombs. What was he doing? Crying out. What did it say to everybody? Don't go around the tombs. It belongs to the demon-possessed man. But thanks be unto God. Here's the key of prayer. There was one Lord God, Jesus Christ, that got in a boat and he went to where he was at. And when it was all said and done, I'm not afraid of your roar. I'm not afraid of your cry. He doesn't belong to you. He belongs to me. I'm done. The devil can be loud. Demonpossessed people can be loud. Jesus cried with a loud voice at Calvary. But it seems like that when you and I get together that the enemy wants to beat our volume down. I thank God for all of our music. Our music is second to none. But our music is never going to take the volume place of what you and I should walk to this altar right now >> and begin to lift our voice up and begin to pray and begin to talk to God. I don't know what burden you got this morning, but I'm talking to somebody right now that needs to leave your pew right now. And you need to come walking down the aisle with hands lifted and voice raised. >> I invite you into my life. >> I invite you into my life, God. I lift up the spear. >> Oh, I lift up the spear. Please, nobody pray with anybody right now. Nobody pray with anybody right now. This is you and God right now. You and God right now. Come on, lift up your voice. Please move in as close as you can. I believe there's going to be a lot of people want to come to the altar. Move him as close as you can today. Jesus God, I made you. I need somebody else. Nobody right now. Lift up your voice. Come on. Nobody praying with nobody. No one right now. Come on. Lift up your voice. >> You got to be louder than the roar of the lion. Your prayer's got to get louder than the roaring of the lion, louder than oppression, louder than depression, louder than the voice of your failure. You got to get louder than all that. Hallelujah. Come on, get louder. Come on, get louder. Get louder right now. >> Get louder right now. >> Oh God, I need you. Come on. This is your time, church. Come on, first apostolic. This is your time. Come on, saints of God. This is your time. You've done good with pastoral authority. You've done good with obeying what the Bible says. But right now, the spear is in your hand, and only you can hold it up. Victory is mine. Victory is mine. Victory is mine. Right now, I want you to put your hand over on somebody and pray. We've held the spear up long enough. Now, we want to impart our victory. >> Somebody needs a Holy Ghost. You can receive it right now. You can receive the Holy Ghost right now. Come on. We need a rebaptism. We need a refilling of the Holy Ghost. >> Oh, we need to talk in tonesues again. We need to speak in tonesues again. We need to let the spirit flow again and again and again and again. Woo! Come on. You're good at the authority. You've done excellent with authority, but it's time to hold the spear up right now. Come on. Don't be silent. Please don't be silent. Please know this is your only hope. This is your only help. Some of you got all kind of confusion in your life. Some of you got chaos in your family. The devil's running rampant in your life. The only thing he'll fear is your prayer. Victory. Victory. Victory. Victory. I got to hold the spear. I got to hold the spear. I got to be louder than the roar of the lion. You don't belong in my life. You don't belong in my mind. You don't belong in my life. I'm way louder than you are. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's coming. It's coming. It's coming. It's coming. It's coming. Victory is coming. Victory is coming. Victory is coming. It's coming. It's coming. It's coming. Pray. Pray. It's coming. It's coming. is coming. A glorious heaven. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. I will not forget you. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. for me. Hallelujah. You stand. Yeah. Take this forever Stop. You promise. Heat. Heat. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. the fight for me. Hallelujah. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Yeah. I'll sing of all you love. Heat. Heat. You stepped into my evil. You me you fre Come on. I want you to turn around. Pray for somebody right now. The Holy Ghost is in this house. The Holy Ghost is in this house. Turn around. Pray for somebody right now. Turn around. Lay your hands on today. The power of God. The power of God. Power. Power. Greater is the Lord. Greater than Christ. Greater is he in me. He that is in the world. Greater than alcohol. Greater than recognition. Greater than pornography. Greater than problem. This is the door. Don't miss your opportunity. Don't miss your opportunity.