This Thing Called Pride | Senior Pastor Kenneth Carpenter

Praise the Lord. You may be seated tonight. Praise the Lord, church. >> Praise the Lord. >> So good to see you in the house of the Lord. So good to see you in the house of the Lord this evening. You know, I'm glad to be in the house of God with people that value midweek Wednesday night service. People that value they have a they have a value on it. They they say midweek service. That's that's something that we we we go to. It's often been said in religious circles that people go to church on Sunday morning because they they love their church. They go to church on Sunday night because they praise the Lord everybody. It's been said that people go to church. You've not heard this in a while. It's been said that people go to church on Sunday morning because they love their church. They go to church on Sunday night because they love their pastor. But it's been said, and I believe there's a little truth to it, people go to church on midweek because they love the Lord. >> I'm glad to be in a house tonight where people value a place of value. You know, I I would never want to fall in the category of a group of people that were told by Nehemiah, he said, "We're building the walls of Jerusalem. We're building a place of worship. We're building a place of protection." But he said to these people, because they were full of ridicule, they were full of sarcasm toward what Nehemiah was trying to do. He said, "But the day will come that you will have no right nor memorial in Jerusalem that there that you you you won't feel at home when you come through the gates. You won't feel like you belong there." And said, "After you're long dead and gone," said there'll be nobody there'll be nobody to remember you or what what you've done because you have you you've been filled with criticism and you you don't really know how to value the house of God. So therefore, you just don't have any right or won't have any memorial here. But you know something, I don't know how much longer we've got. I don't know if all of us will go by the way of the grave or by the way of the rapture. But either way, don't you just feel like at home here tonight? Don't you feel like I just I this is where I belong. This is the house of God, and this is where I belong. This is where I belong tonight. I I want to give praise and honor this evening. Uh we miss Sunday night. Uh brother Tony and you know how close he is not only to pastor and family but how close he is here to this local church. They were so kind. Brother Tony had just got elected uh down in Gainesville uh when we had our first Sunday morning service here. But even though he had just got elected to that church and he personally couldn't be gone, you know, just getting elected to a church, he couldn't personally be going. But Sister Tony and Caitlyn surprised us and they came in on that first Sunday that we walked through the doors of this church. Well, Sunday night they were having their very first service in their new church that they've got and oh, it's so beautiful. And uh you know, we were we were able to uh to walk back in and surprise them and and see the look on their face and we just had a great time on we had just had a great time on Sunday on Sunday night. Um I do want to give a praise report this evening. Uh many of you um know that yesterday there was a tremendous earthquake off of uh of the of Russia off of the Russian coast. There was a tremendous earthquake that caused at the time they felt like it was going to be a a record-breaking tsunami that was coming that was going to affect uh Hawaii and it was going to affect it was going to affect Alaska. Now, what really sounded an alarm to us and and uh I was on my way back from from Seirville campus last night and I was just catching just a little bit of it on the news. But when I got to the house, uh first lady s Carpenter, she was in fullblown uh half English, half tongues. I mean, she was she was getting with it and she was saying, you know, she was saying the Hawkins and the Sullivans are there and and and and and then she'd go to talking in tongues and then and then she'd get English and then she'd say text them and then she'd say call them and and then she would say just just do something. And I it's kind like what do you want me to do? Go get them. I you know let's let's just pray. Let's let's pray. But we had them in Hawaii and then we had brother Sister Lee, Ben and Angela and their boys were in Alaska on an Alaskan cruise. And uh we did what we could do and that is pray. We did what we could do and that is pray. And I'm glad that when the news finally got there, it wasn't nearly as bad as they thought it was going to be. Their Hawkins and the Sullivans and the Lees are safe. We've been in touch with them. And I do give God praise and honor and glory. I give God praise and honor for that. He is such a great and mighty God. Uh brother uh Hammond gave the report of Sister Puit being home and uh Sister Lee has had a trip to the hospital and I talked to Mike today. and Sister Carpenter and I went up on Monday and had prayer had prayer for her and we prayed for a fast recovery for Mother Lee tonight. How many are glad to have the word of God this evening? >> How many believes that we're in a season right now? >> God's doing something to FAC Marvel. You hear me? God is God is doing God is doing something to this church. We're we're in a season right now. I believe that I I believe that that tonight's the start I believe last Sunday and uh we watched the Sunday night service of a powerful move. Don't you want to move as a congregation tonight? If you have your Bibles and would stand with me this evening, I want to invite you to the book of Leviticus chapter number 26 verse number 14. Leviticus chapter number 26 and verse number verse number 14. Please don't forget Bishop Holmes is going to be with us Sunday morning and Sunday night. I know that u he has never been with us before, but I promise you the anointed wisdom that's going to come across this pull pit Sunday, you'll want to bring a notebook. You want to bring pencil pencil, paper, whatever, you're going to want to really sit on the edge of your pew because I believe that he's going to be used to take us to a new season here. Leviticus chapter 26:14 God says these words but if ye will not hearken means listen unto me and will not do all these commandments and if you shall despise my statutes or if your soul abhore my judgments so that you will not do all my commandments but that you break my covenant. I also will do this unto you. I will even appoint over you terror consumption the burning aug and that's a fever that's a swelling inflammation that shall consume the eyes called sorrow of heart and you shall sew your seed in vain and for your enemies shall eat it and I will set my face against you and you shall be slain before your enemies. They that hate you shall reign over you, and you shall flee when none pursueth you. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me. I know it doesn't sound real positive, but he says, "If you will not yet for all this, hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins, and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass. For a few moments tonight on this Bible study, I want to minister on this subject. This thing called pride. This thing called pride. If you want God to touch your heart tonight, would you bow your heads and lift your voices with me right now? Precious lamb of God, I do come before your presence tonight. I thank you for your infallible word. I thank you for your powerful word. I thank you, Lord, for the history, God, that is in your word because, God, you still speak to your people through the history of Israel. Lord, it's still applicable to us today. Lord, I pray this evening, God, that you would open our ears and open our hearts, God, that we would take a full examination of our souls, oh God. That we would live under the blessings of your presence, Lord. And Lord, move upon every man, woman, boy, and girl that's gathered here and move upon those that are watching online tonight. Let your spirit, God, go to them right now and touch them. We'll give you the praise and the honor and the glory for we ask it all in your wonderful name. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray tonight. Amen. Amen. Would you give him a hand of praise as you're being seated? This thing called pride. This thing called pride. Let's just go ahead and understand something this evening. Pride is such a poison to the soul of a man. Hear me now. Pride. Pride is such a poison to the soul of a man. It's it's a it's a poison. Pride. Such a poison. You see how powerful pride is? Pride was able to take an angel. Pride was able to take an angelic being created by God, created to worship God. Pride was able to take an angel and turn that angel into a demon. Pride was able to take a worshshiper so close to God, so close to God. Pride was able to take that one so close to God, the anointed cherub. Pride was able to take him and turn him in to the direct opposite of what God had created him to be. This thing called pride. Tonight, we know in Proverbs written by the wise man Solomon in Proverbs chapter number 16 and verse number 18. just gives a little little little story of pride and it says that pride goeth before destruction. Pride goeth before destruction and a halty spirit before a fall. You see, pride and a halty spirit are like cousins. If you got a halty spirit, you'll have pride. If you have pride, you'll have a halty you'll have a halty spirit. They're just kind of like cousins that they come from the same tree. They're they're halty in their spirit. They're stubborn in their spirit. But the crazy thing about pride is pride will blind you because the apparent destruction is is there ahead of you. But pride blinds you to that. Pride. Pride has a way of blinding you to what's happening in the future. Not only does pride have a way of blinding you, I first believe I believe the Bible teaches this doctrine that you know they tell me that the last thing to go when a person is dying. They tell me the last thing to go when a person is dying is their hearing. That their hearing is the last thing. They may they may lose the ability to walk. They may lose the ability to form words and talk. But they say that the the the hearing the hearing is the the last thing that that that that loved one can hear you. That's why that's why as they're parting this world, you ought to be whispering in their ear, I I I love you. I love you. I'll see you over yonder. I I love you. Because they said that that that that's the last thing to go with a person before they die. If that be the case, and I believe it is, I believe the first thing to go, the first thing to go before we die spiritually. I believe that it is our hearing, our hearing. Do you know how important it is? Do you all know how important it is to hear from God? You know how important it is to to hear to hear from God. I mean that's something that we all all of us ought to covet the ability to to hear from God when God is speaking through his word. That that word becomes more than just a red-faced fist pounding on the pullpit preacher. That that word becomes alive to us. That word that word becomes something that God begins to speak to our hearts. God begins. Can I get a witness tonight? God begins to speak to you through the word. Anybody ever had the word speak to you? I hope everybody raises their hand right now. I I hope a couple haven't, but that's okay. That's why you're here tonight is to hear from the word. All right. Uh to hear God's word. How How many How many have been praying about a decision that you're going to make, but you wouldn't dare make that decision on your own because you realize you're not your own? you you realize that you belong to him, but but but you're just praying about a decision, but you went to the house of God and and and and the word you you you heard the word. You you you you heard that word. You you see this thing called pride affects our hearing. You cannot have pride. Hear me now. You cannot have pride and hear from God at the same time. You you you can't have pride. You got pride. You you can't hear from God. You you you now you might think you've heard that. And how many would agree with me tonight that pride is a very deceiving thing? All right. There's people that get a good dose of pride and they think they're all in control of their life and they don't really realize when they stepped out of the realm of the word of God and they stepped out of the realm of the anointing of God that they stepped out of the realm of the structure of God that they were not on their own. They were nothing more than a puppet in the hand of Satan and he's just playing the game. Pride will make you think that you're in control. Pride can even Pride can even make you think that your thoughts are his thoughts. Pride can make you think that your thoughts are his thoughts. Won't stop there, will we? Pride can make you think that your ways are his ways. Now, you all know that's a familiar passage of scripture, but it's actually turned around. When when pride gets a hold of it, it turns it opposite of what it is. You see, pride has a way of affecting our hearing of God. Oh, don't you want to hear from God? As a matter of fact, as a matter of fact, let me say this. We often live our lives preaching the message, "Oh, I want to hear that trumpet sound, right?" How many want to How many have said that? How many want to How many want to hear that trumpet sound? Right? Well, you you do know that if you if you don't hear from God, you're not going to hear the trumpet sound. All right? You you you you got to understand the value. That's why I kind of started with value. You got to understand the value of hearing from God. You got to got to understand that that I I want to I want to hear from I want to hear from God. But but pride the first thing that if if we get pride in our hearts, the first thing happens is our hearing goes. Isn't any wonder that not once but several times in the gospels that Matthew chap 11 and verse number 15 is repeated several times by Jesus Christ the founder the leader the sooncoming king king isn't it amazing that several times through the gospel he makes this simple statement he that hath ears to hear. Let him do what? >> Let him hear. Now, obviously, he's not talking about those that have the ability to hear sound waves. He is talking about those that have tuned their ear. He is talking about those that have an ear to hear. He says, "He that have ears to hear." I think it's an interesting point to make. And um I I've just looked at it several times and I have my simple definition or simple reason I think it's there. But in the gospels he says he that have ears plural he that have ears to hear let him hear plural ears plural. But in the book of Revelation this statement is said four times. And it's said to the church not once, not twice, three times, four times. The Bible says these words in Revelation 22 29 says these words, "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches." Now, once again, once again, he's not talking about people that have the ability to hear sound waves and hear a voice tonight. He's talking about those that have developed a spiritual ear to hear from God. Oh, don't you want to value God's word, that you hear from God? But there's a little change here. Matthew 11:15, it's ears plural. In Revelation 2:29 and the rest of the times it was said in Revelation, it's ear singular. He that have an ear to hear. You know, as you get older, you might hear to you younger folks that are here, you might be talking to somebody and they may turn their head like this. And what will they say? They'll say, "That's my good ear. That that's my that's my good ear." Well, you know, I I think as we're getting older in the Lord, I think we need to develop a good ear. Sometimes we need to turn our face away from some certain things and say, "Hey, talk in my good ear right here because I want to hear what the spirit says." You you you you see, I I I hope that you're I hope that you're on the edge of your pew. I hope that you're taking it serious. I hope you know that it's not a it's not a preacher hype, but this church is in a season right now of God is moving in this church in a most marvelous, miraculous way. I believe we've seen miracles, but I believe we're going to see more miracles. I believe we've had the blessings of God upon us. But I believe FHC of Maryville is about to go to another level of miracles and blessings that are coming. If you believe that right now, would you just give him some praise right now? I just I just believe that. I I just believe that we're going to another level. Oh, we're going to another level through prayer, through dedication. Wasn't it amazing what we read tonight? Was it very uplifting? You talking about like talking about judgments and breaking you and conception and inflammation and and sorrow of heart and you're going to sew your seed. your enemy's going to eat it and and I'm going to set my face against you and you're going to be slain before your enemies and the people that hate you are going to reign over you and you're going to have a spirit of fear. You're going to run when nobody's after you and and and then he says, look at verse 18, Leviticus 26:18. But look what he simply says will reverse it. Look what he says that'll stop it. Verse 18. And if you will not yet for all this hearken unto me. In other words, I'm allowing you to be defeated to get your ears open. I'm allowing you not to prosper to get your ears open. I'm allowing things to happen in your life. You say, "Well, brother Carpenter, are you saying because I'm sick that I've got something in my life?" I'm telling you this. I believe if you get sick, it's a good time to take inventory. You can get sick without having sin in our lives. But I do think that God has a way when we won't allow his word to wake us up. Hear me now. When we won't allow his word to wake us up, God loves you too much to let you go merrily on your way to hell. And God has a way of trying to get your attention. God says, "Well, I can't get their attention at church. I can't get their attention when the pastor is preaching. I'm going to have to let this happen. I'm going to have to let that happen. I'm going to have to let things fall apart in their life. So, I'm here to tell you tonight, if things are falling apart on your life, in in your life, before you go to blaming others and the economy and everything else, you just take a good inventory of your soul. Look, look within. Look within. Look at verse 18 again. And if you will not for all this, yet not yet for all this hearken unto me, I want you to listen to me. then I will punish you seven times more. He said, I'll start out easy. I'll start out easy. If you won't listen, I'll I know this I know this doesn't fit with the 21st century Jesus that we've been uh saturated in, but he's God >> and he doesn't change. And oh yeah, you you can go find you a preacher that's going to tell you about your destiny and everything's cool and and and and and God loves you and God's got a pair of Bermuda shorts on. God just loves you. He's got flip-flops walking and God just loves you. Y'all go, you know, you know, you can go find that he is a God that'll love you. Not the beauty shorts, but he is a God that'll love you. He is a God of tender, loving kindness. >> But what would love be to allow us to walk contrary to him? without discipline. >> He says, "Now, now here's the whole thing, Sister Carpenter. Here's the whole thing he's trying to get in verse 19. Here's what he's trying to get. Here's what's caused all the problem. Here's what's caused the whole issue. Look at verse 19. See if you can dig it out with me. And I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth is brass." What's the issue here? He says, "I've got to break the pride, the power of your pride." Oh, God, break that pride in all of our hearts. Lord, break that pride in all of our hearts tonight. God, I don't want to live my life without searching and have an examination done. You know, we we uh we we go to a doctor for a checkup. We go to a doctor and give blood. We go to a doctor and let him check up because if you can catch something early, can I get a witness? If you can catch something early, say, "Man, we've caught this early." I've had friends of mine that that because it went for a checkup. Cancer was uh caught early in their bodies and that were able to go through some treatment and they're they're alive right now because it it was caught early. Oh God, if there's any pride in me or anybody in this congregation tonight, don't you want God to catch it early? I want him to catch it. I want him to catch it early in my life. I want my hearing to be good. I want to be able to hear his voice. Is that not what the prophet Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 13:15? Did Jeremiah not say this in Jeremiah 13:15? Look how it starts out. Could you say the first two words of of the verse? I'll read it all, but could you could you say the first two? >> Hear ye and give ear. Look at the next three words. What's that? >> Wow. Sounds like to me the hearing and pride is connected. He said, I want you to hear and I want you to give ear. Be not proud for the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God before he causes darkness and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains and while you look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness. Now now once again I'm I'm tell I know this is not preaching that makes you you know we're not talk we're not talking about the windows of heaven being open. We're not talking about blessed beyond measure too blessed to be stressed. We're not talking about none of that. We're not talking about no sloppy agopy. All right, we're not we're not talking about none of that right now. We're talking about pride and how he deals with pride. He says, "I'll I'll cause the darkness. You'll look for light, but you'll find darkness. You'll I'll turn your light into the shadow of death and gross darkness." Why? Verse 17. But if you will not hear it, >> But if you will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and my eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive. Jeremiah the prophet said, "If you will not hear it, the only thing I can do for you is to go to my secret place of prayer. And there in my secret place of prayer, I will lift up the pride. I will lift up a prayer to remove the pride." But don't be deceived. Just because Jeremiah is praying for them isn't necessarily all they need because somebody can pray for you. They can pray for you all they can. But God works this way. You have to want to change. >> I said you have to want to change. >> My prayers can't change you. My prayers can just simply create an atmosphere, an angel or two, the Holy Ghost to surround you. But at the end of the day, if you don't want to change, the change is not going to come. I've got to work on changing me. You work on changing you and God can get the glory and God can get it all because that's just how it works. I don't know how many discouraged mothers and grandmothers and people that I've had, they'll say, "Oh, I don't know why God is not hearing my prayer. I've been praying for my children. I've been praying for my for my grandchildren there. It's been years and nothing's happening. Nothing's happening." Well, you've got to understand that you can pray in the dark and you can weep in the dark, but God is not going to save them because of your prayer. God is going to save them because of your obedience to want to be saved. If you want to be saved, you can be saved. You see, pride is such a terrible thing. The second book of Corin uh uh Coronicles, excuse me. The second book of Coronicles, chapter 7, verse number 12 is really the antidote. It's really the medicine that we need for pride. It's the really the only thing that can turn pride around. It's the only thing. It's the penicillum. It's the it's it's it's the medicine that can can can heal pride. And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night and said unto him, I've heard thy prayer. I've chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice. If I shut up heaven that there be no rain or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a pestilence among my people, look at verse 14. Glue your, if you don't have your Bible, glue your eyes to the screen. If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray, seek my face, turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sins, heal their land. Now my eyes shall be opened, my ears shall attend to the prayer that is made in this place. Would you look at what happens? If my people first, the first thing we are to do is not pray. The first thing we are to do is to humble ourselves and pray. It's possible to have a spirit of pride and still go to the prayer room. It's possible. Let me tell you, Pharisees prayed. Pharisees even fasted. And they even prayed more than the disciples did. And they fasted more. But they had pride. It didn't do them any good. They had pride. They had a reward of man. But he said, "I want you to humble yourselves. Here's what here's what attacks pride. Here's what gets a hold of pride." He said, "I want you shall humble themselves." Let me show you what to be humble means. To be humble means to be subdued. It means to be brought down, be low, be under, to be brought into subjection. It means that you willingly submit your life to God. That you willingly in your heart right now that you willingly understand we are a congregation by people, but we're individuals in God's sight. And I willingly I willingly bring myself down. I willingly subject my myself to the word of God. I willingly buy into this with all my heart. I willingly I willingly I willingly have a hunger to hear from the voice of God. I willingly bring myself here. Willingly humble myself. Now can I tell you there's a story I believe Pastor Ericson preached a little bit about it the other night, but it's found in Jonah chapter 3 verse number four. It has to do with Jonah going to Nineveh to preach. I want I want you to see something here. Verse number four. Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey. And he cried and said, "Yet 40 days in Nineveh shall be overthrown." That was the word of God. 40 days, thus sayith the Lord, "And Nineveh shall be overthrown." That was the word of God. What happened? Verse five. So the people of Nineveh believed God. The first thing that happened with the preaching of the word, they believed what was being said. They believed what Jonah was saying. But they not only believed it, look at the next verse. And the next statement, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them, even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he lay his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. He caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, "Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed nor drink water. Let them not feed nor drink water, but let every man beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God. Yay, let them turn everyone, let them turn everyone from his evil way, from the violence that is in their hands. Listen to the king of Nineveh. This is not Jonah. This is the king. Who can tell if God will turn, if God will repent and turn away from his fierce wrath that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their wicked, their evil way, and repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them, and he did it not. I have three statements to make. A preacher, would you would you repeat after me? A preacher. >> A leader. >> A people. >> Let's say it again. A preacher. Come >> on, everybody, please. A preacher, >> a preacher, >> a leader, >> a leader, >> a people, >> a people. >> Now, let me see how this goes. My responsibility and my God calling is to be a preacher of the word of God. It is to preach to your soul to be productive, to be fruitful, to be a soul winner, to be ready for eternity. That's the that's the job of a preacher of the word of God. But now the words fall on the leader. This is a king. It may be you fathers tonight that's in this house. It may be you fathers, the head of your homes. It may be a mother tonight, a father and a mother. I'm telling you, the best place for revival to start is not in the altar. It's in the home. The best place for the church to have a move of God is not on a Sunday night when the choir's getting it, but it's right in the home where a father says, "You know, I really been stirred because what the preacher's been saying, you know, the preacher's been saying that we're going to another level. The preacher's been saying this." And when the leader in the home begins to say, "We're going to listen to what the preacher says." Because the preachers heard from God, then the leader, he he affects the people that which would be his wife. It would be the children that are in the home. You cannot separate that. I'm here to tell you, your children have a greater chance of being saved. Dad, if you're on board with the preacher and the word of God that the preacher is preaching, your children, their chances of being saved skyrocket. If you're behind what the preacher and the word of God says, it it go it go it goes out the ceiling. Oh, don't you believe it tonight? >> You see, that king had the authority of that nation. And that king led the way. He put aside his robe. He laid aside his robe. He took off his robe, put on sackcloth. That's a very uncomfortable type of burlap sack that was uncomfortable to the skin. There they cried mightily to God. God saw that they had listened to the preacher who had listened to the word and God turned from destruction and he did it not. Join me in 1 Peter chapter 5 verse number six. Now this is the same preacher that's preached Acts 238. It's the same it's the same one that his very shadow passing by people would be healed by the shadow of Peter. Look at first Peter 5 and verse 6. Look at these words. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. This is this is a couple points I want to make. Number one, you have to humble yourself. All right? The choice is yours. You have to humble yourself. That's I I can't do it. I can't do it for you. your your dad, your mom, your youth pastor, you have to do it. You have to take own. Don't don't we live in a world today that people don't want to take ownership? They want to blame everybody for for their life. They and they never want to take ownership. They never they never want to come to repentance and just take ownership. You know, you know, I've really not been living like I should, really not been praying like I should, really not been in this thing like I should. Life falls apart. I want to blame it on life, but truth of the matter is, I have to blame it. We're blame. where we I have to put the blame where it should go. It's right on me. But that's where we humble ourselves. That's where we're brought low. But did you notice in the verse what we're brought low under? The mighty hand of God. You don't have less power when you humble yourself. Hear me? You don't have less power when you humble yourself. No, no, no, no, no. Well, I that that little weak humble person. Oh, no. Don't ever say little weak humble person. They're they're not weak. You know why? Look at the mighty hand of God that they're under. When when when I humble myself. Matter of fact, that's where God has his hand at. God has his hand down. Well, even when God came to this earth in the form of a man, what did he come? He he didn't come in the form he when he could have taken on any occupation. He could have taken on any form. Now, I'm not talking outside of a man. He took on the form of a man, but he took on he took on a certain occupation. He could have been a great politician. He could have been the greatest uh uh uh this or that. But the Bible says, look at this. It's beautiful. He took on him the form of a servant. Do you know the last illustrated message that he gave before he went to the cross? I mean, the the the the last illustrated message he gave was not bread and wine. It wasn't communion. The last illustrated message he gave, he took a pale of water and a towel and he took off his garment and he knelt down the God of glory. The God that said, "Let there be light." And there was light. The God that spun universe and galaxies into existence. The God that our human brain cannot comprehend. That God knelt down and begin to wash feet. And he washed this one and he washed that one. You remember Peter? Peter said, "Oh, you're not going to wash my feet." Because it was pride on display. He was going to say, "These other guys may let you bend down and wash their feet, but I won't." And the Lord had to look at him and say, "Peter, if I don't wash your feet, you have no part with me. The deal's off right now. I know I said you'd be a fisher of men, but if you don't let me wash your feet, everything's canceled. I'll go to somebody else." And of course, Peter went to the opposite side. Well, not only my feet, but my hands. and they just pour the whole bucket on my head. Just go ahead. Just he said, "No, I just need to wash your feet." And when he got done, he put his garment back on. And he said, "You call me Lord and Master and so call you." If I have washed your feet, one of the very few times Jesus ever used the word happy. It's one of the very few times. And it may be I don't I don't want to say I won't say for sure, but it just could be. Yeah, I know he didn't use the word happy as far as a h a p y uh very often, but it's one of the few times he uses the word happy. He said, "If I'm your lord and master and I have stooped down and I have washed your feet, happy are ye if you wash one another's feet." What was he saying? You'll get happiness on the inside of you if you'll learn how to humble yourself and if you'll learn how to get under my hand and get under my power. Oh, don't live a powerless life. Don't live a powerless life. Get under the hand of God. Humble yourself under the hand of God. You say, "Why are you here at church tonight?" "Because I'm humbling myself under the mighty hand of God." Why do you give 10%? Because I'm humbling myself under the hand of God. Why do you do this and do that? Because I'm humbling myself. The Bible says, the Bible I want to tell you about just a couple more people here. Kind of had a rough way to go. 2 Coronicles 33:10. Join me there, please. And the Lord spake to Manasseh, that's a king, and to his people, but they would not what was God speaking? What were they not doing? Listening. They have pride. Manasseh has pride. God is speaking, but they're not hearkening. They're not listening. Okay? They're not listening. Verse 11. Wherefore, because of, with this in mind, the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with feeders, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was afflicted, and when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, humbled himself greatly before the Lord God before the God of his fathers, and prayed unto him, and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord, he was God. Come on, Manasseh. You got thorn scars all over you. You got you got they had to take you. They in in the imagery here, they tied him up with a rope. And as they led him captive down to Assyria, they drugg him through the brier patches. They drugg him behind horses through the brier patches and they afflicted him. But he gets down in Assyria and guess what he starts doing? He starts humbling his heart. He starts He starts humbling his heart. He starts looking down and he he starts saying, "Man, I have I I've made some crazy decisions. I've made some wrong decisions. I've made some sinful decisions. But I've come to tell somebody on this Wednesday night, it doesn't matter how many thorn patches you've been drugged through if you will humble yourself in the sight of God. God will hear your prayer and God will bring you back out of Assyria and God will put you back into the house of God. You might have a few scars. You may have a few places, but they'll be there to remind you. I'm going to listen the next time because God loves us. Come on, give him praise right now. Come on, give him praise right now in the house. God is doing something here at First Apostolic Church. God is doing something. I said, God is doing something. Don't miss it, church. Please don't miss it. God is doing something. Well, this may be the move of God that God gets you positioned to God gets you positioned to do some great miracles in your life. Th this may be the move of God that God gets the pride out of your ears. God gets the pride out of your heart and there would be a major healing and a major deliverance that would happen. This may be that time. >> Lord, I'm so I'm so I'm so full of anticipation of the people going to walk through those doors. I'm so full because listen, I look back on what God has already done. I look back on what where God has already brought us. I look back on the people that are here at this church living for God that I would never have dreamed of want an apostolic church, but here they are. And now we feel the puffing of the cloud and God is saying, "I'm getting ready to do some more things. I'm getting ready to I'm I'm getting ready to do some more things. Oh God, Brother Mayo, touch your mom and dad. Oh God, brother Mayo, touch your brother. Oh God, I I I just believe we're getting ready to see We've seen miracles, but we're getting ready to see some greater miracles. Can we somebody shout greater, greater, greater, greater. Oh God, this very building is mindblowing. This very property is mindblowing. Our reputation here in this city as an apostolic church is mindblowing. And God is saying, I'm ready to do some more. I'm ready to do I'm ready to do some more. You know, the only thing that'll stop God from working in your life now you and I hope this comes across sweet with honey and and a Snickers bar and everything else. But God's going to move with you or without you. I said God's going to move >> with you or without you. But I just love you enough to tell you I don't want one of us to be left out in this great move of God that we're on the verge of. I don't want one I don't want one of us here to be left out. I don't want one of us to be looking at the smoke at the cloud coming down and wish I wish I'd have got on that bandwagon. I I don't want one of us cuz I'm going to tell you pride. Pride even though it's the will of God non. The will of God to heal you, non. It's the will of God. That leprosy all over your face, that leprosy all over your body, it's the will of God, non to heal you. But it will be aborted if pride gets in the way. If pride gets in you, Can you imagine that? Things that's God's will, but it's aborted. the angels. Hey, stop. Don't bring it. Don't open the door. Don't do it. Okay, God. We were coming down with healing in our wings. We were coming down with deliverance in our wings. We We were coming down with a a new horizon. Stop. There's pride. I will not give my glory to pride. I will not give my move to pride. If pride gets out of the way, boy, don't you, those of you that know the story of non the leper, how close he came to dying a leper. Why? Pride. Because when he knocked on the man of God's door, and guess who showed up? a little servant barefoot and servant garment walked out and he said, "I've come to see your master." He said, "My master sent me here to tell you. You saw that river down there called Jordan that you crossed over?" Yes. Go back down there and dip seven times in that Jordan River and your leprosy will be cleansed. You know the story. He got mad. Why did he get mad? Cuz he had pride. He got mad. Listen to him. He said, "Well, I thought at least he would come out to me." Why does he think that? because he's got pride. He thinks too much of himself. He's got too big of a selfimage. He's got he got he he's got himself too big. Well, I thought that he would at least come out and do a ceremony and strike his hand over the leprosy. I thought, you know, he would, you know, after all, I am non. I am the I am the captain of the most powerful army. I you I am I am that. I am this. And he went away in a rage. Thank God for somebody that could talk a little sense into a prideful, stubborn head. He said, "Oh, oh, if he had asked you to do some great thing, you would have done it, wouldn't you? If he had asked you to climb a mountain, if he if he had asked you to bring back so many lions and tigers and bears, oh no, if he would ask you to do if he'd asked you to do all of that, you'd have done it." He said, Why don't you just do this? Can you see him going down? You see, more than likely he was eat up with leprosy, but he probably had a fine suit on like I do to cover it all up. But God said, "You got to go down and in front of everybody. You got to be willing to lose your pride." He might have possibly had leprosy on his face. He might have possibly had his face wrapped up and he's going to have to unwrap his face and he's going to have to take his shirt off and he's going to have to get down in the water and people are going to look and see the leprosy all over his body. But he doesn't care because the thing that causes you to have a spirit on you that fears other people is called pride. It's called pride. But you know the story as well as I do. When he dipped on the seventh time, when he went down on the seventh time he came up, his flesh was restored like that of a newborn baby. His flesh was restored. The leprosy was immediately gone. The white crusted scabs all over his body were were immediately gone. He he looked like a different man. He goes back to the house of Non now. And guess what he requests? He requests that there will be several sacks of soil put in bags. He said, "I want you," you read it there. He said, "I want you to put several uh bags of soil from Israel in bags. I'm going to take it back to my home in Assyria, and I'm going to put it in a room, and there's where I'm going to stand, and there's where I'm going to worship, for there is no other God like the God of Israel." Well, can I tell you, we have shortchanged ourselves when we live half spiritually and half in pride. We don't have the full scope of the mighty God that can do exceedingly and abundantly and above all that we can think and or ask. That's what kind of God if I could just get pride out of the way. If I could just get pride out of the way. Oh, would you stand with me right now? You know why I believe, brother Hammond? You know why I believe that God chose John the Baptist? I believe he chose him because he somehow knew that John would be an humble man. He would be an humble man. Well, how do you know, Pastor Carpenter, that John the Baptist was humble? The way he talked about Jesus, he said, "There's one coming after me greater than I, whose shoes I'm not worthy to lose." Can Can I tell you tonight, if I get ready to loose Brother Hammond's shoes, guess where I got to get down to? >> I got to go down. I I got to go down if I'm going to if I and he said whose shoes I'm not worthy to loose. I'm not I'm not I'm not worthy to get I'm not worthy to get down. Cir centyion. I got a sick servant at home. Jesus, I got a sick servant at home. Jesus says, well, I will come with you and heal him. But the Syrian, the the centurion said, "I'm not worthy for you to come to my house, but just speak the word only and my servant will be healed." And the Lord had to stand back and say, I'm going to tell you, I have not found this kind of faith. No, not in all of Israel. But guess what it was connected to? I don't feel worthy for you to come to my house. There's such a power. Lord, we love you tonight. Oh God, I ask you, Lord, first and foremost to search my heart. God, I ask you first and foremost tonight, Lord, to search my heart and know my ways. Lord, I know that your word tells me that our heart is deceitfully wicked above all and that no man can know his heart. But you, oh God, you search the heart, Lord. You search the heart, God, that your spir your spirit is the Lord, the the spirit, that candle, Lord, that lights up. And I I just ask you tonight, God, to search everything, God. Search my thoughts, God. And Lord, search my preconceived ideas, God. And Lord, search everything about my life, God, because I I don't want there to be any pride in my life, Lord. I I don't want there to be anything, Lord, that would dare hinder me from hearing your voice, God. And in the name of Jesus tonight, I pray over the congregation right now that they too would be praying this prayer along with their pastor that they would be praying right now that you would search their heart. And Lord, that you would search their heart, God. There's there's several of our members here, God, that have great needs in their lives, God. They have great situations that they need you to work on, God. And Lord, we're here tonight, Lord, and we we just believe that you've given us a calling. And we just believe, God, that you have us here for a reason, God. Lord Jesus, I I just ask you, Lord, to do the miracles that you're going to do, Lord. Lord, let your glory shine forth from this church right now. Come on, church. Let's take a few moments and just have a little an inventory tonight. Let's have a little inventory upon us tonight in the in the wonderful name of Jesus right now. In the wonderful name of Jesus. If if you would, you'd take your hands and put them on your chest right now. And you would just pray for yourself right now. you would you would pray, God, you see anything in me, Lord, bring it to my attention, God. Lord, if I have things in my life, God, I I repent over it, God. Lord, I'll get rid of it, God. I I I'll walk away from it, God. Lord, I'll take it off my phone, God. Lord, I I I I walk away from friends that that that cause me to go that direction, God. I got to be saved, God. I've got to have your anointing, God. I've got to have your power in my life, God. Oh, come on, church. Come on, church. The Bible said they cried mightily unto the Lord. They cried mightily unto the Lord. Come on, lift your voice up right now. Submit yourself to a preacher. Submit yourself to a preacher. The word of God says they lifted up their voice mightily to the Lord. Would you lift your voice up right now mightily to God? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I don't care who hears me. I don't care what anybody thinks about me. I will not stand here and be asleep. I will not stand here and do nothing. I will not stand here and fold my arms tonight. I need you, Almighty God. I've got to have you in my life, God. Come on, church. Just another moment. Just another moment. Pride, you got to leave. Pride, you've got to be gone. Pride, you got to leave me right now. Oh, yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Oh, mighty God. Mighty God. Mighty God. Mighty God. That's it, church. That's it, church. I hear the sound of the abundance of rain. I hear the sounds of revival coming. I hear the sounds of revival coming right now. Hell is nervous tonight. Hell is nervous tonight because of what's happening at First Apostolic. Hell is nervous tonight. Our families are coming in. Our loved ones are going to be saved. Citizens of Marville and Alcoa are going to be saved in the name of Jesus tonight. Oh, in the name of Jesus tonight. If you love him, if you love him, would you give him one last time? That was a prayer. That was a prayer. But would you give him a praise before you dismiss tonight?