The Price of Unity | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the book of Acts, chapter 16, verse number one. and uh if they come and give us a report at the end of the service, we'll let you know what's going on. Exactly. I thank everyone for praying. I thank our medical staff. Aren't you thankful today to not only be in a praying church, but aren't you thank God for our medical staff that's here? Go ahead. I thank God today that not only we're praying church, but we got a great medical staff here. Acts chapter 16 and verse number one. Then came he to Derby and Lestra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timoththeus, or we know him as Timothy, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewish, and believed. But his father was a Greek, which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lestra and Iconium. him would Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters. For they knew for they knew all that his father was a Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to for to keep that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith and increased in number daily. What I want to preach on this morning is I want to preach on the price of unity. The price of unity. Would you repeat that title with me? The >> the price of unity. Father, I love you today. I thank you, Lord, for your love, mercy, and tender compassions. Lord, for the next few moments, would you anoint my lips of clay that I may speak your word. Father, I pray that you would touch the congregation today. And Lord, I pray that you would touch our minds, God. that Lord our faith would be in you that that everything will be all right with David that your hand is upon David and Lord I pray that we will take our minds now and turn towards your word for Lord you will bless us today with your word in Jesus name we all pray give him a hand of praise before you're seated the price of unity it's an interesting read verses 1-5 5 tells about the travels of the Apostle Paul, the cities that he went to. And then it tells about a certain young man named Tamoththeus or we know him as Timothy, a certain young man. And it it goes ahead and tells about that his mother was a Jew and that his father was a Greek. Now having said this, you would understand, you would understand with me that uh him having a father as a Jew meant or as a Greek meant that Timothy had not been circumcised. He had not receive he had not received the visible sign at 8 days of age. He had not received the visible sign of a covenant with Jehovah in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, that was a matter between being in covenant with God and not being in covenant with God. To put it simple, to put it simply, it was simply this. You were circumcised. You were in covenant with God. God had his hand upon you. If you were not, you were out of covenant with God and God had no knowledge of you. That's the reason that David had so much confidence when he went on the battlefield to fight Goliath. He never called him a giant. He never even called him by his name. He called Goliath exactly what he was. An uncircumcised Philistine is what he called him. So now the grace dispensation, the dispensation that you and I live in. God manifest in the flesh had come. Jesus Christ had suffered, bled, and died, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven. Now the Holy Ghost is poured out. And now we live in a different dispensation. We're not under the law. We are under the grace dispensation. The law has been fulfilled. all of the Old Testament circumcision and what have you has been has been fulfilled. And Paul would later write about a New Testament circumcision. He said in the New Testament that we are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands and putting off of the sins of the flesh and being buried with him in baptism. Uh that we through the faith of the operation of God have our sins removed. And so Paul is saying now now we receive a name just like in the Old Testament a child was not named until that eighth day. A child was not named until the circumcision was performed and then the name came. And Paul says our circumcision is when we go into the waters of baptism and we are baptized for the remission of our sins. And thank God we receive a name that is above every other name. But you must go with me. You must go with me in history because it wasn't like when the day of Pentecost happened that all the Jewish people accepted that the law had been fulfilled. Oh no, no, no. There were many of them, possibly thousands of them, that were baptized just like we are, received the Holy Ghost just like we do, was put in the same body, but they just couldn't tear themselves away from the fact of the way that they had been raised for hundreds of years. So, if you had time today to go through the 15th chapter of the book of Acts, the 15th, not the 16th of which we read from this morning, but the 15th chapter of the book of Acts. You will find that the apostles and elders, leaders of that church came together and held a council. What was the council about? there was quite a disruption and that is that there were certain people that were teaching the Gentiles because the Gentiles that's us we were getting in the church we were getting the Holy Ghost Cornelius we were coming in and then the Jewish people were telling the Gentile people well you're almost there you're almost there you got one more step and that is you got to be circumcised and this caused such a disruption in the church that Paul and and Peter and James and the elders got together and they held a council and there Paul spoke about the fulfillment of the Old Testament and there Peter Peter got up and and Peter told the council all the pastors and all the apostles there that day. He said, "Well, you all know what happened to me. How that I saw in a trance a sheep let down from heaven and all kind of unclean animals. Animals that the law tells me never to eat. Animals that the law said were unclean. You know that I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Rise, Peter, slay and eat." And not once, not twice. And I would say back to that voice, "No, I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." To the voice he spoke and said, "I've obeyed the Old Testament law. I've never eaten anything that's common or unclean." And then the voice finally came and said, "Don't you call anything that I have cleansed, common or unclean." He's talking about the Gentiles. He's talking about the cleansing power of the blood. And that time Peter told them that some men knocked on my door and they said that a gentile by the name of Cornelius had had a visitation from an angel and an angel specifically sister Angela specifically the angel said down to Japa that's a city and there's a man there by the name of Simon Peter get him to come here and he shall tell you words while by your you and your house will be saved. Peter said when they came and knocked on my door, he said, "I went with them doubting nothing, but he decided to take six Jewish men with him." As he walked into Cornelius's house, he found the house filled with Gentiles. He found the house filled with Cornelius's family, cousins, his family were gathered around. And Peter is really still in the dark because Peter says to Cornelius, you know that it's against our custom for me being a Jew to come under the roof of a gentile. Said it's not even it's not even proper that I'm in the house. Peter's still in the dark because he then says, "Will you tell me for what purpose or for what cause that you have called for me?" Salvation was not in Peter's mind. For what reason? What causes you called me? And Cornelius began to tell him that three days ago when I was an angel appeared and said to send for you and you would tell me words while by me were by me and my house could be saved. And the Bible said that Peter began by saying, I perceive that God is no respector of persons. He he got it real quick. I perceive that God is no respector of persons. And let me pause here for a moment and I want to say in the great year of 2025, God is still no respector of persons. He loves you because of you. Peter said, "I I perceive that God is no respector of persons." And Peter began to preach the only message that'll save you. He began to preach the death, burial, and the resurrection of one Jesus Christ. He began to preach that. Now, I personally believe I personally believe that it had to happen this way because Peter has a little doubt of why he was even called there. I am wondering, would he have just stopped at the death, burial, and resurrection? Would he have offered them spirit baptism? Would he have even offered them water baptism? We really don't know. I go on a I go on an assumption. I question because here's how it happened. While Peter yet spake these words, while he's telling them the death, burial, and resurrection, the Holy Ghost, Acts 10:44, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word while he's preaching. the holy. Now, now, now I'm telling you, Peter's rehearsing this to the apostles and the elders who were trying to decide, do we tell the Gentiles they've got to be circumcised? Do we put this on them? Now, while he spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision, who was that? The Jews that came with Peter were astonished. The word astonished means mind blown. It mean it means marbling. It means puzzled. And they were astonished because that on the Gentiles was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Here Peter's preaching the death, burial, and resurrection. And the Holy Ghost falls on Cornelius and all the people that are in the house with him. And they start speaking in tonesues just like we speak in tonesues. And the Jews that came with Peter were astonished. And they begin to look around at each other. Then it says, "Then Peter said, can any man," now he's talking to the six Jews he's brought. He says, "Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" Let me stop there for a moment. That really puts the nail in the coffin of people that want to tell you God only poured out the Holy Ghost one time on the day of Pentecost. Peter said eight years later in the house of a gentile, Peter said, "They have received the Holy Ghost as well as we." He said, "Can any of y'all deny that we shouldn't tell them to be baptized in water? Can any of y'all forbade me? Could Could you deny that they shouldn't be baptized?" And then when the six guys, I guess they looked and they said, "Well, they've got the Holy Ghost just like we. If they got the Holy Ghost just like we, then they ought to be baptized just like we have." And then Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Peter said, now he's talking to the council now in the 15th chapter. He says, God gave him the Holy Ghost just like us. And then I love what was said by either Peter or James. He said, "Hey, let's get real, folks. Why do we want to put this yoke on them? Why do we want to put a yoke on the Gentiles? it. We couldn't live it. It's what they said. We couldn't live it. Why do we want to put something on the Gentiles that we couldn't even live? Then James, who seems to be the the the the chief spokesman spokesman. He gave a list of things the Gentiles should keep themselves from. They should keep themselves from fornication. They should keep themselves from meat offered to idols. They should keep themselves from meat that had the blood from animals that were strangled and were not were not truly uh uh their their blood was not truly he he he gave them a long list of things. Now, one of them, one of them is fornication. And it ran rampant among the Gentiles. And the reason that it ran rampant, now it ran, it was in the Jews also, but it wasn't as commonly reported. And that's because the Jews were a privileged people to have been raised from children with the law, the word of God that directed them to stay away from fornication. But the Gentiles were not that blessed. They were not raised to hear that they were to stay away from that. So James gives them that admonition, stay away from fornication. And then he he tells them to stay away from meat offered to idols. He lists a number of things. And I really believe the reason he did was to teach them that they needed to respect in a way and live in a way as not to offend their brothers, the Jewish people. If the Jewish church at that time was going to accept the Gentiles and I say accept them, they were already accepted and they were going to respect the fact that the Gentiles were in the same body they were in. Then the Gentiles ought to respect the Jews that had the circumcision. Which would just for a moment I would stop and I would say it is to be a Christian is to live in such a way as to be concerned with how you live that it affects your brother or your sister. You are to consider one another, the way that you live, how you conduct yourself. How does this affect my brother and my sister? Because church, we need one another. >> We need one another. And so the judgment was passed. The 15th chapter of Acts was fed. Paul was sent on his way. The apostles were sent on their way. They had a decree. They were to tell everyone that the council had met and that we have accepted we have accepted that and we will not put circumcision upon the male Gentiles. But now here's where my Bible lesson this morning takes an interesting turn. That all happened in the 15th chapter of the book of Acts. That all happened in the 15th chapter. But now we have the 16th chapter and Paul is looking for a young man and oh he finds him. He finds a young man. He finds this young man Timothy and oh he's exactly brother Hammond. Timothy is exactly what Paul is looking for. We find we find what what what what was the characteristics or we find what Paul so loved about Timothy in second Timothy chapter 1 verse number two. Go there with me. This is what caused Paul to be drawn to Timothy. Second Timothy chapter 1 verse number two. To Timothy my own my dearly beloved son. Grace, mercy, peace from God the father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank my God. I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day greatly desiring to see thee being mindful of thy tears that I might be filled with joy. Can I tell you, anytime you're looking to do a work for the Lord, hook up with compassionate people. Hook up with compassionate people. You'll never do a work for God without compassion. You got to learn how to have compassion on people. You got to learn to see people for not who they are, but who they can be and what they have come out of. You got to have him. Oh, Timothy had compassion. And he was a he was a young man that was filled with tears. And Paul said, "That's exactly the young man that I want to take with me. He's well reported. He's got a good name." But then Paul, Luke, as he writes, he says, "Just a little issue here. His mother is Jewish. His father is a Greek. Everyone knows everyone knows that Timothy has not been circumcised. I know we've had the 15th chapter. I know the elders and the apostles have passed word that we won't put we will not put circumcision on the Gentiles. But the time is still new. Although they had decided at Jerusalem it was going to be hammered out in individual churches across the land. There would still be people that Paul would go among to preach that believe strongly. There would still be people that Paul would go into their synagogues that knew nothing but the law of Moses. And Paul wanted to preach to them Jesus and bring them into the fold. But he knew that if he takes Timothy, I need your compassion. I need you because you'll never be a soul winner if you don't have compassion. And I want to tell everybody in this room today, I want to tell everybody in this room, if you're a guest here this morning, you are in one of the most compassionate churches that you'll ever be in. We love when people come to the house of God. You don't have to look like us. You don't have to act like us. Why? You don't even have to believe like us for us to pour out upon you the great love and the great compassion of God. You know why? Because we once walked into apostolic churches and we didn't look like everybody else and we didn't believe like everybody else. But praise be to God, somebody had compassion. Are y'all picking up what I'm putting down this morning? >> Oh, how I want to take Timothy with me. He's so compassionate. He'll be a great soul winner. But I got an issue. Everybody's going to know that his father's a Greek. Everybody's going to know that his father's a Greek. When they find out his fathers are Greek, they won't listen to a word that he's got to say. And then Paul says to Timothy, if we want to bring into unity Jews and Gentiles, if we want to bring into one Jews and Gentiles, if we want to bring them together in one, Timothy, the time being, it would require you to go through the painful procedure of circumcision, Timothy, for you to be able to be a uniter. For you to be able to be a uniter, it's going to cause some pain. You're going to go through a painful a painful procedure. Go back with me to Acts chapter 16 verse number three, speaking of Timothy. him would Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which which which were in th those quarters for they knew all that his father was a Greek. There was a conversation that went on. It'll be painful Timothy. It'll be a painful procedure. But Timothy after the pain will come the unity of both Jews and Gentiles. So the procedure of circumcision was performed. Timothy willingly submitted to a painful procedure for it to produce the peace of unity. He heals. Verse four takes place. And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith and increased in number daily. Can I just tell you today that after the pain of being unified, after the pain of saying I see unity, the greatest thing that could ever happen in my life, Timothy got to witness the increase of the church in his day. And can somebody say, "Praise the Lord." Even though the apostles and elders at Jerusalem had with the Holy Ghost gave gave guidance on the subject of circumcision that it was not to be commanded upon the Gentiles. Paul knew that if I take Timothy among these brethren, he will not be accepted. When listen to this now, when it comes to unity, you are not so much concerned with your rights as you are the benefits of others. When it comes to unity, you're not so much as concerned with what you have the right to do as much as you are about will it benefit others. Church, what a wonderful feeling of unity. Can I get a witness? Are you glad that you got unity with God? Can I tell you that came at a painful price? You didn't get unity with God without going through the pain. Bible said they were pricricked in their heart. None of us came to God. We were out of unity with God. Born in sin, shapen in iniquity. all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We were out of unity with Almighty God. But through the painful process of repentance, turning our lives around, dethroning ourselves, the painful pro the painful process of admitting we were wrong, admitting we were going the wrong direction, admitting we didn't have all the answers of life. But now we stand today after repentance. And aren't you thankful to feel the wonderful effects of the unity that you have in God? When I first came to an apostolic church, I felt condemned. I felt condemnation. I gripped the back of the pews. I first came in. This was my form of worship. fingers embedded in the back of the pew because I felt the presence of God. But it the presence of God was saying, "We're out of unity. I'm not in you and you're not in me and you're going to be lost. You are lost and I have come to save you." And I'm going to tell you, when I went through the painful process of admitting I was wrong, admitting I didn't have the answers, admitting I was full of pride, those hands went from here and those hands went from there. And I begin to worship God again today. What a wonderful feeling to know that you're in unity with an allmighty God. Won't you go ahead and praise him right now? But you had to go through a painful My spouse is here. I think she's helping. I I I see her. She has stayed back in the back. Today. Today. 41 years ago today, we stood on an altar and we made vows to each other. Better for worse, richer for poor. sickness and health, death until death do we part. I didn't say death, I said death do we part. 41 years ago. Today we left Clarksville yesterday. Had ever plans of doing some shopping. She had ever plan of buying me something for our 41st anniversary. I had ever planned by or of buying her something for 41st anniversary. We had ever plans of doing dinner till a phone call came. A phone call came and said, "Lord is passed out. We're calling an ambulance and we're taking her to UT." And so, you know what happened then, don't you, Sister Selena? Everything was off. It was a mad dash to get from Clarksville, four hours away back here to check on our baby. And so, everything yesterday was just turned upside down. The first thought I had, well, really not the first thought. The last thought I had before I went to sleep last night is, "Oh, precious God, I didn't get her anything for our anniversary. Not a card. Dollar store is closed. I can't even I can't even run to not a card. Nothing." The first thing that came out of my my mind this morning, this is our anniversary. And I got got nothing. So I put my arm over on said, "Happy anniversary, babe." And she said, "Happy anniversary." Said, "Baby, I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to get anything." She said, "I didn't do anything either." All right. You know, it's been 41 great years, but I'm going to tell you today, we've had our ups and downs. I said we've had our ups and downs, and so have you, Bill Sharp, you didn't say amen. You know, you've had ups and downs. And Mayford, I ain't even going to deal with you this morning. I'm not even going. That's a no give right there. All right. >> But come on, folk. We've had all our ups and downs. >> We've had pleasure in our marriage, but we've had pain along the way, have we not? >> But how many are thankful today that you've endured the pain of, you know, that it's it's it's such a falsehood they tell you about marriage. And preachers will stand. We we we're not telling it like it is. We we stand at weddings and we say, "Oh, this is a beautiful union today." This is as two wonderful mountain streams, individuals, as they flow beautifully down the brooks and they merge into a beautiful stream. Not so it would be more like here stands two stubborn people. More like two garbage trucks hit head on. Trash goes everywhere. I got baggage. You got Come on, somebody. I got baggage. You got baggage. You was raised one way. I was raised another way. You You were a Jew. I was a Gentile, so to speak. And we got all that. And we spend a little time going through the process of pain. But I'm here today, 41 years later, to say every painful moment I may have had cannot compare with the pleasure of being married to Penny Lee Carpenter. You cannot imagine the pleasure. What a wonderful feeling to have the unity of God. What a wonderful feeling to have the unity of spouse. How about our children? How about our families? How about our friends? Can I tell you today, you don't have God, spouse, family, friends, or church without having moments of pain. >> But all of a sudden, it was not what you disagreed that you focused in on. It was what you agreed that you focused in on. And when two agree upon touching any one thing, it shall be done. We agreed. We have agreed throughout the history of this church. Throughout the history of this church, there's been ups and downs. There's been squables and there's been uh uh disappointment and disagreement that has come to leaders that has come to all of us. Come on now. That's come to all of us. >> All right. But in the midst of every disagreement, in the midst of everything, I don't think I would have done it that way. I think I would have done it a little different. I don't think I'd do that. I think I'd do it this way. In the midst of all that, we endured the pain of disagreement. We endured that to come together as a whole, as a church, and become one of the landmark churches in the apostolic movement today. Can you believe that? It's the truth. But we went through pain. Hear me now. To be one, to work for the good of someone or something. And to know that what I am in unity with is working for my good also. What I'm working in unity is working in my good also. Everybody say unity. >> The price of unity. Psalms chapter 133 verse number one. Psalms 133 is three simple verses. It's just three simple verses. The setting here is when they would travel to Jerusalem to worship God. They would travel in families. They would travel because it was time to go to Jerusalem to worship God. They would travel in families because robbers would h would hide out along the way to rob them. But if they traveled in bands, a robber was not likely to attack a band of people. So the setting of the psalm, his families got together, headed to Jerusalem to worship their God. Let's listen to the song they sung. Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Now, I want you to notice something. There is a difference between dwelling with someone and visiting someone. There's a big difference in visiting and dwelling. Two different worlds. Dwelling with someone and visiting with someone. When I visit you, you are at your best. But if I dwell or live there, I'm going to see you less than your best. We don't visit one another as the church. We dwell with one another as the church. But how good and pleasant it is. Don't you know as they made their pilgrimage to Jerusalem, there was some that said, "Hey, I'm tired of walking. I need to take a rest. I need to wait right here." And there was others said, "Man, we need to we we need to go a little bit further. We can go a little bit further today." Don't you know there was there was some differences along the way. But they all said, "We're going to Jerusalem to worship our God." And I could say on Sunday morning, "Behold, how good it is for brethren to dwell." We're not visiting one another today. We are dwelling with one another today. And oh yes, the reality is we've seen one another at less than our best. But it is where we're going and why we're here and what we are accomplishing that causes us to look over less than best and say, "Let's join arms and let's keep moving together for the cause of Jesus Christ." Come on, give him some praise right now. Let me read verse two. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, even that that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard that went down to the skirts of his garment. Can I tell you something today? There is nothing more precious than receiving the anointing of the Holy Ghost as an individual. There is nothing that can compare to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. If you're here today and you don't really know if you've got it or not, you need to come up around this altar in just a few moments because there's nothing that can compare to the anointing of the Holy Ghost that comes on your life. There's nothing that can compare. I've heard people say, "Well, it's like being drunk and it's like being high." No, it's not. It's not anything like being drunk. I've been in back when I was in the world. I've been on both of those, so I can speak about it. It's absolutely nothing like being drunk or being high. >> Being high, spirit of being paranoid hits you. Every car that passes by is an undercover agent going to bust you and take you to jail. Being drunk, you wake up in the morning, your head feels like it's a 55gallon bucket. You've had your head in the toilet last night. Don't tell me that's like the Holy Ghost. >> Cuz when God puts the anointing of the Holy Ghost upon your life, it's like nothing you've ever It's. It's Christ in you. You don't have a spirit of fear, paranoia. You have a spirit of faith. Man, I'm a brand new creature in Christ. Come on, give him praise. There's nothing like the anointing. There is nothing like the anointing. of the Holy Ghost upon your life. There's nothing like the the anointing of the Holy Ghost upon your marriage. There is nothing like having a disagreement. But feeling in the midst of the disagreement, then you just stop for a moment and you begin to pray because we're two are gathered together. There I am in the midst thereof. You going to tell you why we're here celebrating 41 years. It wasn't because I read every book that James Dobson had, and I believe I have. It wasn't that she read every book she could read to try to figure out stubborn men. Men are from Mars, women are from Jupiter, whatever that book is. She didn't read every book to find out how to live with a stubborn man. I didn't live ever I didn't read every book on how to live with a stubborn woman. You know what brought us to this date today? We got the anointing of God upon our marriage. And though we might have had some disagreements, behold how good it is for men and women to dwell together. There's nothing can compare to the anointing upon your life, to the anointing upon your marriage, to the anointing upon your children, to the anointing upon your church. There's nothing there's nothing that can compare to the anointing. No wonder the writer said it's like the precious costly. Anything that's precious is costly. It's like the precious ointment costly upon the head that ran down upon the beard. Even Aaron's beard even down to the skirts of the garment. It is the anointing of his presence. It's the anointing of his presence that puts us at our best. It is the anointing. I'll have to clarify this verse because this is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. First John 2 and 27. 1 John 2 and 27 reads like this. First John, not the Gospel of John, but 1 John 2 and 27. But the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you all of all things, and is truth and is no lie. And even as it hath taught you, you shall abide in him. Now, here's where I got to explain it to you. I've had so many people come up and say, "I don't have to have a pastor. I don't have to go to church. I got the Holy Ghost at camp meeting. I got anointing at camp meeting. And 1 John 2:27 says, "I have no need that any man teach me. I don't have to go to church anymore." That what that's referring to, in case there's one here or two here that that would see that say, "Oh, wow. Look at that." It's talking about carnal men. It's talking about men without the word. And it's talking, it's not talking about pastors and apostles and like. It's talking about the carnal world that we live in. You have no need that any man would teach you. But as the anointing is teaching you, I'm telling you something. You don't I'm not against education. No. Get all of it you can. But I'm telling you, if you'll let God anoint you, God will anoint you and teach you in ways that you never believe possible. before >> he says it in verse three of first of of Psalms 133 as the do of Hermon and as the dew that descendeth upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded the blessing even life for ever more it has been said that the due of Hermon it's been said by Bible commentaries that the de of Herman was so heavy that if you had your tent there, it would look like it rained on your tent. It is said that the dew of Herman the dew of Herman was really what caused vegetation to be there. It wasn't the rain. It was the dew that came and descended. And then he sat up on the mountains of Zion. You have got to realize, you have got to realize Zion is where King David built the house he personally lived in. He built the temple in Jerusalem, but he built his own house in Zion. Can I tell you today that God wants unity? And there's a price for it. There's a price for it in your individual self. There's a price for it in your marriage. There's a price for it in your church family. But don't stop there. God wants there to be unity in your home. He wants to place the anointing that is there in your home. Let me ask you a question today. Answer it in your mind. Are you one with God? Are you one with God? Are you one with your spouse? Are you one with the church that you attend? Or some people will say it this way, belong to. That's the church I belong to. Can I ask you again? Search your heart. Are you one with God? Search your heart. Are you one with your mate, your spouse? Search your heart. Are you one with the church that you attend? When you understand that all three of those questions, you must be able to say, "I'm one with God. I'm one with my spouse. I'm one with the church that I attend." You must understand, brother Perry, that you nor I can say I'm one with God spouse and church I attend without understanding. There's pain that gets in the way. I'm not one without I'm not one with God without pain. I'm not one with my spice spouse without pain. I'm not one with my church family without pain. But let me give you a caution light. Don't allow personality to come before purpose. Don't allow personality to come before purpose. God is in you for a purpose. You and your spouse are one for a purpose. We are here as a church established for a purpose. And that purpose is to bring glory, honor, and praise to the Lord Jesus Christ. For eternity cometh, and time will be no more. Only one life to live, and soon it will pass, and only what is done for Christ will last. I want to be one with God today to bring glory to him. I want to be one with my spouse today to bring glory to him. I want to be one with my church family today. Can I tell you? I like our musicians to come. Here's where we need to work. Here's what we got to work on. We purchase unity with the currency of communication. We purchase comm community. We purchase unity with the currency of communicating. Can I tell you there's no way around it. I don't care how painful it is to your flesh. There's no way around it. You'll never go anywhere to go with God without prayer. I know it's a little quiet. But you'll never get anywhere with God without prayer. What exactly is prayer? Communicating. You'll never develop a walk with God without prayer. You'll never develop a walk with God without the painful process of dragging our rotten, stubborn flesh to a place of prayer. And our mind wants to dismiss prayer and our flesh wants to say there's something else. Our mind will tell us prayer is what the pastor does for me. Prayer is what a few folks in the church are called to be. Not true. Not true. Prayer is for every baptized individual. You'll never get anywhere with God until you start praying and communicating with him. It is bought at the price of communication. How about marriage? How about marriage? You'll never de you'll never you you will never have a good marriage until you learn to communicate with each other. Got to communicate the good and the bad. You got to communicate. Well, I I get uncomfortable. That's called pain, sir. Well, I don't really like talking about it. Can I tell you silence is more painful to your spouse than not talking about it is the pain. Hear me church. No marriage in this place is going to prosper if husband and wife don't communicate with each other. Don't communicate. There will be falling out. There will be people that have disagreements. Somebody will offend somebody else. They'll never heal up until you learn to communicate. And communicating is not communicating with everybody else about what happened. Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13 verse 15. Paul says, "By Jesus Christ, therefore, let us offer the sacrifices of praise unto God continually." That is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. fruit of the lips. He's talking about what we say. Look at verse 16. But to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices, God is well pleased. Sometimes it's a sacrifice to communicate. Any relationship that cannot take communication is no relationship at all. Well, if I told my friend how I felt, he wouldn't be my friend. He's not your friend already. Because any relationship that cannot take communication is not a relationship. And the Bible says for to communicate for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased. God says that when we endure the pain of communication that it it's like we're laying a sacrifice on the altar. But you know as well as I do, church, that God doesn't let glorious fire, joyous fire, precious fire, fall on an empty altar. Fire falls on an altar that has a sacrifice. How many of us today can testify or would testify to the fact that you know I had to have the most uncomfortable conversation with this one or that one. We had to get together and look each other in the eye. It was uncomfortable. But after we did that, God came down and God healed this relationship. Can I tell you some of the sweetest relationships you'll have in your life are long-term relationships where you didn't walk away from them, but you stay tethered to them. I end with this. I end with this. I end with this today. I think it'll help us. Galatians 2:11, Paul is upset. Everybody say upset. >> Everybody say mad. >> How about everybody say man? We're talking about unity today. That about a quarter of you did that. All right. They still a little bit of you. You're still out there. You don't know if you want to be a part or not. Everybody say mad. >> Mad. >> Paul's mad. Paul's upset. Let's find out what he's mad and upset about. Paul says in verse 11 sec uh second chapter of Galatians. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withtood him to the face because he was to be blamed. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with Gentiles. But when they came when they were come, he withdrew himself and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. and the other Jews disassembled likewise with them in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their m with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, if thou being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as the Jews, why compelst thou the Gentiles to live as the Jews? Now listen to me now. Let me break it down and give you let me give you KRC's interpretation. Peter Peter had some hypocrisy in him. He'd just eat with the Gentiles. He'd just eat with them. He'd just fellowship with them. But when the Jews would come around, he'd get him some mouthwash and wash the meat out of his breath and slip out the side door and go talking to the Jews. And he'd walk right by the Gentiles. He used to talk to them, but he don't want them Jews to think he's got anything to do with them Gentiles. And the that kind of behavior spread to some other Jews in so much that Barnabas, we hear of Barnabas a lot in the Bible. Barnabas got confused. He really didn't know what am I supposed to do? And Paul said, when I came down, he said, I withtood him to the face. Let me break it down in KRC. I got in his grill. I got in his face. And you know what? I didn't even I didn't even take him aside. I got in his grill right in front of the other Jews and I told him he wasn't right. He said, "You You're living a life of hypocrisy and you're not right. You're not I got in his grill." Paul says, "Boy, that's the end of that." You know, I think what str what some people struggle with today is, you know, if I speak to if I tell them this, they may never talk to me again. Well, that may be true if they don't stay under the anointing of God. That that may be true. So, Peter, how did you react to that? I think I found a clue. Second Peter chapter 3, verse number 15. Second Peter 3:15. Listen to Peter. He's going to talk now. Peter's talking now. Paul's done said, "I got in your grill." An account that the longsuffering of the Lord is salvation. Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written. Peter took Paul getting in his drill. Peter received it. He he said, "You know what? I am wrong because listen to me brothers, listen to me, sisters today. You are not an island all to yourself. >> I'm not an island all to myself. I got to have leaders preaching into my life and helping me." So the fact that you get all alone and think you possess all the knowledge and you don't need to receive anything, you're really malnutrition today. You're you're really you're really shriveling on the vine today. We need one another. Paul got in his grill. >> Later, Peter wrote and said, "Do you feel the warmness here?" Put that back up on the screen, please. Put that back up on the screen. Second Peter 3 15. Do you feel the warmness here? An account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation even as our say it >> beloved. Three words. Say it together. Sounds like to me that Peter accepted it. Sound like to me that Peter said, "You know what, Paul? I thank you for having that talk with me. I thank you. I thank you. I thank you, Paul, for having that talk with me. I'm going to write about you a little bit later and I'm going to call you beloved brother Paul, the price of unity. Would you stand with me right now? And could we all just gather up around the altar? Could we all just gather up around the altar right now? Oh, Father, I love you today. Oh God, I love you today. God, help us to be one with you today, God. God, if I have anything in my life, God, that's not right. God, if there's anything in my life, God, that's not right. God, if I have any thoughts, God, that's not right. God, if there's any actions in my life, God, that's not pleasing to you, God. God, if there's anything, Lord, in my life that's not pleasing, anything, God, that's not pleasing to you, God. Lord, I want you to remove it right now, God. Lord, I want you to speak into my life. Come on, right now. Let's pray for unity with God right now. Let's pray. Unity with God right now. Move up around the altar as close as you can so everybody can get in. Oh God. Oh God. Just lower the music just a little bit. I I want the prayer to I want the prayer to to rise up right now. You're praying right now for unity with God. Are you in unity with God right now? Is there some things in your life you need to ask God to help you with? These are some things you need to ask God to forgive you of. Oh God, I want to be in unity with you, God. I want to be in unity with you, God. Come on, church family. Come on. I pray. I beg you. I I I ask you, God, today I ask you to You got to be in unity with God. You got to talk to him. You got to talk to him. God, am I pleasing, God, is my way pleasing to you, God? God, do I have things on my cell phone I don't need to have? God, do I have things in my life, God, that I don't need to have? God, do I have attitudes, Lord? Do I do I have attitudes, God, that I don't need to have? God, come on, pray. Please pray, church. Come on, lift your voice up a little louder. Come on, lift up your voice. I promise you, it'll help you communicate with God if you if you'll lift your voice up a little louder. Oh God, little louder. Oh God, I need you. I need you. I need you. I need you. I need you, God. I want peace with you, God. God, if there's anything in my mind, if there's anything, God, Lord, if there's any ways about me that don't please you, God, if there's any flirting with the world, God, if there's any flirting with sin, God, oh God, I ask you to forgive me. I ask you to empower me, to anoint me, God. Oh God, right now to those of you that are married, I want us to pray for unity with our spouses right now. Oh, I want us to pray for unity with our spouses right now. Come on, pray right now. Unity with your spouse. Lord, I pray for my helpmate today. God, I pray for her, God, body, soul, and spirit. God, I am to love her just like you loved the church and gave yourself for it. God, I plead the blood over my spouse right now. Oh, I plead the blood over my spouse right now. I plead the blood over my wife right now. If you're standing close by them, just reach out. Get their hand right now. If you're standing close to your spouse, you're standing close, just reach out and get them right now. Oh, God. Yeah. Oh God, I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. God, I pray over our children right now. I pray over our children, our grandchildren right now. Oh God, I pray over our children. God, I pray over Lord, I pray over them right now, God. Lord, I pray over the church right now. God, that we're unified, that we're unity, God. Lord, I pray over the unity of the church right now. God, oh God, I pray over the unity of the church right now. Oh Lord, the unity of the church that I attend, the unity of the church that I belong to. I pray over the purpose of the church right now. In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. Oh yes, God. Yes, God. Yes God, everything changes. Your kingom comes. >> Oh yes God is chains are breaking your kingom. >> Oh God let your kingdom come. >> Your kingom come. >> Let your kingdom come Lord. Everything changes. Everything changes to your kingom. >> Oh yes. >> Oh yes God. >> Oh God. >> Oh God in the name of Jesus. God everything. Thank you Lord for everything. >> Thank you Lord. >> Make us God make us Lord make us your kingoms have to move. Oh yes God. Every chain is Oh yes God. God we declare God we declare your kingdom is here. Oh yes God everyone will see out and your feet. God we declare God we declare your kingdom is here. Mountains have to move. Every single weare everyone will see. >> We're going to pray one last prayer. We're going to pray one last prayer. You know, we got to we really got to dismiss here in about 30 seconds or we hit the golden hour of 12, we all turn into pumpkins. All right, but there's one last prayer we need to pray. It's a prayer unity of the church. I'm one with God. I'm one with my spouse. I'm one with my family. But I want to be one with my church family. I want to be one with my church family. Would you just put your hand brother to brother, sister to sister? Put your hand over on them. Let's pray a prayer of unity right now. There's anything you need to make right with anybody, you need to do it quickly. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Pray a prayer of unity right now. Pray a prayer of unity right now. Oh, I pray a prayer of unity right now. Oh God, I pray a prayer. Oh God, I pray a prayer of unity right now, God. Lord, I pray a prayer of unity right now, God. Lord, in your name. In your name. In your name. Oh God, unity God. Lord, I don't want to be out of unity with the church I belong to. God, I don't want to be out of unity, God, with the church that I attend, the church that I support, tithe and offerings.