Truth Beyond Belief

I was in prayer this week about this service, and felt the Lord stirring me in a direction. There was a little bit more a teaching way, and then normally on Sundays we're — we're vanja evangelistic, evangelistic in our approach. And I — I feel like we'll have some of that today, but I'm going to go a little slower at the beginning of my message, for a reason. And want to say that my goal today is not to hurt, nor offend anyone here. God loves everybody. Everybody. You've never laid eyes on someone that God doesn't love. And not only does God love them, He loves them just as much as He loves you. Let that sink in for a minute. You've never — regardless of how you felt about the person, God loves them. And God's desires to have a relationship with him, and to come into a full understanding and knowledge of who He is.

I'm thankful that God is constantly pulling for us, aren't you? I know where I was at when He was continuing to pull, when I had drifted away from God, and He didn't give up. He was constantly pulling at me. But there are truths that are in this word. And — and what I want to do today is — is talk about a truth that's beyond believing. So I'm afraid that sometimes we can get set in our own mindsets and traditions, and we have to be careful that we don't allow tradition to take precedent over truth. Is it okay if I say that? We got to be careful that we don't allow tradition to take precedent over truth.

So before I read my opening Scripture and get into what I feel God has for us today, I want — I want to pray a very specific prayer: that God will allow our hearts and our minds to be like that clay on the potter's will, that we can be sensitive right now to what He's wanting to do for us. Will you help me pray? "God, I'm so thankful for Your presence that is here. You are already moving and doing it work in our lives. But Lord, I pray specifically right now, that our hearts and our minds would be receptive to the truth that's going to come across from Your word. Lord, I pray that we would — we would embrace, and accept, and receive what You have for us today, and apply it to our lives. And in Jesus' name we pray, amen."

Acts chapter 17, verse number 11 — one verse, and then we'll get into the word, or into the message today. It reads this way: "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, and that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." Now I know about you, but that sounds to me like a dream congregation. I mean, if I was going to pick a verse out and say, "Man, can you have a verse of — of — of the congregation you'd like to preach to?" There it is, right there. I mean, look what he says: they're — they're fair-minded. They receive the word with readiness. They want it. Like, "Come on, preacher, preach to me right now." They receive the truth quickly. They are searching the Scriptures. They are hungry for something.

Now, what I've realized in my many years of ministry now, is not everybody approaches a service like that. A lot of times, people come in, and — and they are so hungry and desperate, it doesn't matter what gets said, they're ready. They receive it. They're hungry. Then there's other times when — when people come in, and from — from — from life's circumstances, and what's happened to them, they have a wall that's up. And it's really hard for — for God to penetrate there. They don't — they don't receive with readiness, and eager for what's going on. Sometimes it's tradition that keeps people from receiving the truth that God has for them. And I want to say this: not all traditions are bad. So don't — don't think I'm coming in here in this sermon today, and I'm fixing to just tear down every tradition, because that's not me at all. There are traditions that we do hold near and dear. But our goal is to make sure that our traditions always line up with the word of God. I'm going to say that again: we want to make sure that our traditions always line up with what God's word has to say. Because this, ladies and gentlemen, is the forever settled word of God. This doesn't change. God hasn't changed His mind when He's — from when He spoke it. His — His word says He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. This — this book also says that this is forever settled in heaven. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what you and I will be judged by. We won't be judged by our opinions. We will not be judged by our traditions. We will be judged by the word of God. That's why I feel like it's so important that we stay in the word, that we are people of the word, that we people — that we build our life on this word. Because a lot of stuff's going to fade away, but His word is there. It has stood the test of time. I don't have to defend it. It's done well all by itself, without my help. And when I'm long and gone, if the Lord chooses to tear you, this word will still be here. So we should be people who make sure that when our traditions are there, our traditions are based from the word of God.

Now, traditions should not be given doctrinal status. Y'all still okay? Yeah. Yeah, you're right. We're in an Apostolic Pentecostal church, UPCI. And I said this because I'm in it, because it's true: traditions should not be given doctrinal status. There is a doctrine. It's here, and we can build our life on doctrine. But be careful that we don't put tradition on equal playing field with doctrine, because it is not the same. Tradition is not bad, unless it conflicts with the word of God. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 says: "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or epistle."

Many people pick and choose what they want to accept and obey from the word of God. This isn't — and I know I'm going to date myself when I say this, okay — but there's a certain age demographic in the congregation who understand what I'm fixing to say: this isn't Morrison's Cafeteria. Some have no idea. But Morrison's Cafeteria — if you know what that reference means, would you mind raising your hand and making me feel better right now? Yeah. Morrison's, where you walk through, and you're like, "I'll have a scoop of that, and I'll have that over there." I never understood Morrison's, because most of the people that went there were a little bit older, and everything got its own ceramic dish. So by the time you got to the end to pick your tray up, it's 90 pounds. The word of God is not like Morrison's Cafeteria. The word of God is not a buffet for you to choose your favorites out of. But man, oh man, mainstream Christianity has approached us with the fact that: just pick and choose what you want, and if you don't agree with it, it's okay. Oh, we got to be careful. We got to be careful.

There are some people who would be more than willing to rip some pages out of this book. In fact, they may not rip the pages out, but they'll tell you that that doesn't apply. I'm just going to go ahead and say this: it's either all right, or it's all wrong. He gave it to us for a reason. Everything's there. Now, there are some things that are controversial — you bet they are. Yes, they are. They were controversial when they were put in there. I got another one for you: Jesus was controversial. So why would we think the word of God wouldn't be controversial? Why did we think that there wouldn't be something we'd read out here, and people say, "I don't know that that's right"? Well, I'm going to say it again: it's either all right, or it's all wrong. It's not going to be part right. Tough plowing today.

Some people would rip it out. They think: "Holiness? I don't need that." Men's rejection of certain parts of the Bible does not change God's word, nor does it change God's mind. The spirit of the day and age in which we are living in right now is that man's feelings and thoughts are placed on equal footing with the word of God. There has never been a day that my opinion has equal footing with the word of God. And I got — I got a truth for you: neither is yours. The word of God is just that: is the word of God. You cannot separate God from His word. John 1 says: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." You cannot separate Him from His word. And if you say some of the word doesn't apply, you're saying some of God is no longer applicable to your life. And I don't know who we are to say that we don't need all that God has for us. Again: it's either all right, or it's all wrong. That's right. It doesn't matter what we reject. It doesn't matter what the feelings of the day are.

We — we're in a world now where, uh, we're running into a majority of the people who don't have a full understanding of any of the Bible stories that were going on. We're — we're moving into this — to this culture that has — has shifted away, in — in — in such a fashion, that it's no longer — we can say, "Do you simply believe in God?" Because people have no concept of God whatsoever. And not that that is — is something that's beyond God's reach. But we have to be sure that we understand that — that His word is so much different than my word, or my feelings, or what I think should be going on. The — the message of the day is: "Be true to yourself, and be true to your heart, and follow after your feelings." I'm going to tell you right now, that's a fool's errand, each one of them. They will mislead you. They'll misguide you. They'll leave you — broke. They'll leave you hurt. They'll leave you without. But I'll tell you this: God's word is still the test of time. And I've not only witnessed it in my life, but I've seen thousands of other individuals who said, "My feelings don't have any — any bearing in what God's word has said. Even if I don't agree with it, if I'll line myself up with it, time will prove that it was true, and I was wrong." Her attitude should never be: "I'll take what I want, and leave what I don't." Because life is more important than tradition. Because if you're not careful, tradition will weigh you down, and drown you. We have to be careful that we never hold traditions more sacred than the word of God.

Hebrews 12, when one, says: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so greater cloud of witness, let us lay aside every weight and sin." Please understand, there is a distinction here: every weight, and sin. Uh, I think oftentimes we read Hebrews here, and we think we need to get rid of the sins that are in our life — and we do need to get rid of the sins. But he also used the word "weight." And sometimes we place undue weight that had nothing to do with sin, but it's a traditional weight that becomes an albatross around your neck, and it prevents you from moving forward into the deeper depths that God has for you in your life. I'm not talking necessarily, in this particular moment, about those that are beginning their relationship with God. But I'm speaking directly to those who have had a long-term relationship, but you found yourself plateauing. If this is you, let me tell you right now: there might be a tradition that you're hanging on to, that you're giving too much weight, and where it is. And God's trying to show you that He has a lot more for you in your walk with Him. But until you let that weight go, you're never going to discover what God truly is in your life. "Lay aside weight and sin, which so easily ensnare us. And let us run with endurance, and race set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endure the cross, despised and ashamed, and He sat down the right hand throne of God."

Let me ask you a question this morning: is there anything in your life that you hold as sacred, that the Bible's telling you to walk away from? Is there anything that you're holding is sacred, but the word of God is telling you to walk away from? Is there any relationship that you're holding on to, that you know is never good — it's no — no good outcome. It's — it's weighing you down, it's preventing you — that you need to walk away from? Is there any tradition that you need to walk away from, and let go of? Is there any weight that you need to drop, that's preventing you in your walk with God? Maybe you're not even fully even remember why it is you begin to do the thing you did. But are you hanging on to it anyway?

In — in South Africa, the world's largest man-made hole in the ground, there was a man named Cecil Rhodes, who was the founder of the Rhodes Scholarship, began to make his riches as miners dug, and were able to find diamonds. They kept digging, and they kept digging, and kept digging. But even after they dug such a hole, they realized that the best diamonds are nearest the surface. Now I bring this up for a reason: because there's a whole lot in this word of God. There's a whole lot in the Bible. And as we dig deeply into God's word, you're going to find scriptural treasures that are there. And you bring these things out, and they're so wonderful and good. And the word has — has unsearchable riches to it. And the deeper you dig, the more you discover about God, and the more you have a better understanding of who He is. Proverbs 25 and 2 says: "It's the glory of God to conceal the matter, but the glory of kings is searched out the matter."

Most of all love it when — when a man of God gets in the pulp, and he spent some time, and he digs out a good — good nugget there for us, and he preaches, and brings it across the pulpit, and we're like, "Wow, I've never heard that before. It's so good." Those things are wonderful. But you don't have to dig down into the depths of the word of God to discover salvation. Didn't hide it. He didn't disguise it. He didn't put it down there where you had to spend majority of your life trying to find it. The most valuable diamonds are found right on the surface of God's word. Paul, writing to his — his young Titus, he said this in Titus 2:11: "For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared unto all men." Grace hath appeared unto all men. It didn't say you had to go dig and find it. It said, the grace of God hath appeared unto all men. "Teaching us, denying ungodliness and worldly thus, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present age, looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."

When it comes to salvation, ladies and gentlemen, you don't have to look deep. Salvation hath appeared unto all men. Grace made it possible. That's what Paul was telling Titus there. His truth is not hidden so difficult, deeply, that it's difficult for you and I to discover and find it. Truth is easy to find, and anyone can understand it. Only requires a careful such search on the surface of God's word. But we have to be careful, because in our desire to continue to think — make things easy — sometimes we can add stuff that's never meant to be added. Much confusion exists over what it takes for a man to be saved.

Let me ask you a question: how would you respond if someone asked you what they had to do to be saved? There's much diversity in Christianity on what it takes to be saved. So it's not a strange question for me to ask: if you were put on the spot, what would you tell someone is the answer to the question, "What must I do to be saved?" For this question has been asked for many years. Paul, when he — he was getting released out of prison, he — he was asked in Acts 16, by the — by the jailer that was there, about to take his own life. And Paul said, "Hey, hey, we're still all here." Then he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" It's a question that has been asked for thousands of years. And there is a simple answer to the question. It's not necessarily answered by tradition, nor by having to dig deeply in the word because it's difficult to find. It's right there on the surface, for everyone that is there. And if you've been around an Apostolic Pentecostal church for any length of time, you have discovered that we are people who love Acts 2. And we love Acts 2 for this reason: there is no scholar worth their assault who's going to argue with you on when the New Testament church started. It started in Acts chapter 2. And it started because somebody was asking the very same question: "What do I have to do to be saved?"

Now here's something you need to know: Acts 2 starts off by telling you that all of the disciples were present in this moment. So when the question is asked, if there was any discrepancy whatsoever — they were all there — they would have been somebody say, "No, that's not right." But we have no record of anybody arguing with the answer to the question. Acts 2:37 says: "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles" — who, it was Peter, and who — everybody's present and accounted for — "men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter, what you've just preached, that message has cut me to my bone. And I'm feeling conviction right now, based off of what you said. So I'm asking Peter, and everybody else is standing here: what shall I do? And then Peter said unto them, in verse 38: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." This is the answer to the question: what must I do to be saved? The apostle Peter went on to say, in verse 39: "For this promise is to you, and to your children, and all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call."

I want to ask you a question: are you called by God? If you are called by God, then this is for you. If you are called by God, this is for you. If you've ever asked the question, "What must I do to be saved?" — the answer was given. Now, I know sometimes people look at Apostolics and say, "You guys are hung up on Acts 2:38." I don't know where else to go to find the answer to the question, because the — the question was asked, and it was answered in Acts chapter 2. I got Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus Christ, and His disciples are following after Him. But the only history book we have in this Bible is the book of Acts. It's the Acts of the Apostles. It's the only history book in the Bible, in the New Testament, is the Acts. So when I look at what they did — they asked the question, and the disciples answered: you have to repent, and be baptized in Jesus' name, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. And it's a promises for you, and for your kids, and everybody that's a fall, even if as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Romans, and Corinthians, and Galatians, and Ephesians, and Philippians, and Colossians — they were letters written to the church. They were not history books. They were letters written to the church, not to sinners, but to the church. Not to people that — didn't know God. But letters written to the church. And they were affirming what was taking place in Acts, in the book of Acts. So I say this to you: some feel baptism is not important. But it was important in the book of Acts. Let me ask you a question: if the disciples — the ones who spent the most time with Jesus, the ones who were the closest to Him, the ones that were around Him to hear everything He said, and see everything He did — if those very ones, in the book of Acts, were obedient to what was done, that we have recorded in the book of Acts, why would we do anything different? Were the disciples misled? Did the disciples misunderstand? Did they not get it? No, they understood fully what was going on. There was a revelation that was taking place in — inside of them. And once God poured out His Spirit there, in the beginning of Acts chapter 2, Peter come out, because Jesus had already told him that he had the keys. Peter already was notified that he was a rock, that there was going to be something come from him, that was going to be so pivotal. So no wonder it's Peter who answers the call in this moment, when the question was asked. And if Peter would have been wrong, somebody in the other bunch would have said, "No, Peter, that's not right. You're saying it wrong. Jesus never said it that way."

Acts chapter 16: baptism was so important in Acts chapter 16. A badly beaten preacher named Paul believed it was so important, that he baptized the jailer in the middle of the night. He didn't even wait. He didn't use excuses: "I'm beat up. I need to rest just a minute." Baptism was important. Baptism must have been important to God, for Him to take Philip from a great revival in Samaria, and send him down the lonely road to the Ethiopian eunuch, in Acts chapter 8. It was important enough to God to send a man named Ananias to a street called Straight, to baptize Saul, in Acts 9. God also sent an angel to Cornelius, in a vision to Peter, to prompt him to go baptize Cornelius in his house, in Acts chapter 10.

But one of my favorite examples here, of the six examples about Jesus' name baptism in the book of Acts, is Acts 19, when it says this: "And Apollos was at Corinth, and Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples, he said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' And they said unto him, 'We have not so much has heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.' Then he said, 'And then what were you baptized?'" He wasn't — this wasn't just common folk. These were disciples. And he goes to the disciples, and says: "I need to understand what it is you believe. Have you received the Holy Ghost?" "I don't even know if we know anything about our Holy Ghost." "Okay, well then, how were you baptized?" "We were baptized into John's baptism." John the Baptist. John, who Jesus said, "There's none greater who's ever wore shoes than John the Baptist." That John. The forerunner. The guy who went before Him. He had a message of repentance. But Jesus added two, because that was not the finished work. In fact, John even said that "I was poor. I had to — to move backwards, and allow room for His ministry to take over. I have to decrease. He has to increase." And he said, "In them, what were you baptized?" John's Baptist. Verse four: "And then Paul said, 'John indeed baptized the baptismal repentance, saying the people that they should believe on Him that come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.' And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul laid his hands on him, the Holy Spirit came upon, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied."

Paul finds the disciples, and the first thing he does is tell them how you've been baptized. Don't tell me you can be baptized anyway. Don't tell me it doesn't matter how you're baptized. It matters how you're baptized. It matters so much that Paul was willing to stop him, and say, "Ho, ho, ho, ho, that's not the right way to do it." And they believed it so much, they got re-baptized in the name of Jesus. It matters how your Baptist. I'm not trying to hurt anybody's feelings. I'm not trying to make you feel bad about anything. And I sure don't want you to be mad. But listen to me: you got to be very careful on what is a tradition, and what is the word of God.

I know — I know Matthew 28:19. I know Jesus said: "Go therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, of the Holy Spirit." That is what Jesus said. That's exactly what Jesus said. I don't back away from that at all. But what is the name of the Father? What is the name of the Son? What's the name of the Holy Spirit? He — he wasn't trying to — when Matthew was writing this to the Jews, understand the — the group of people that Matthew was writing to: he's writing to the Jews. He's not trying to come up with a new baptismal formula. He's stating exactly what needed to be stated: you baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son, the Holy Spirit.

My name is Kevin. I'm a son. I'm a father. I'm a husband. But my name is Kevin. If you're gonna call me, you're not gonna say "son," unless you're my dad. You're not gonna say "husband," unless you're my wife. You're not to say "dad," unless you're my daughter. If you want my attention, you say "Kevin," and you have my attention. What Jesus was saying is: you got to go make disciples. And part of making disciples is baptizing him. And you need to baptize them. And the only saving name there is — it's the Father's name. It's the Son's name. It's the Holy Ghost name.

Had a baptism just a few minutes ago. That baptism right there is such a spiritual thing that takes place. Please understand that — that we refer — we are referred to as the church, as the bride of Christ. Let me ask you a question: if we're the bride, where's the ceremony take place at? Where do I take on the name? Here's my beautiful bride, right here. 22 years of marriage. Hey, clap. She's put up with me that long. That day, we stood over there in the old chapel. She came up there. She stood aside. When we held hands, Bishop performed the ceremony. We gave our vow to each other. In the exchanging of those valves, she took on my name. She was Chastity Hancock before that moment. But after we said our vows to each other, she became Chastity Allen. She became my bride in that moment. She didn't belong to anybody else. She became mine. Before then, she was part of her mom and dad. But after that, she became mine.

When you go down in those baptismal waters — yes, you go down for the remission of sins. You go down to wash those away. And I can tell you more about that, because that's powerful. But you also enter into a covenant relationship, and take home the name of our God. That's why we baptize you in Jesus' name. When you come up out of that water, you have that name. That name that's above every name. That name that every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess. You take on that name, and water, and baptism. That's why it's significant that you're baptized in Jesus' name. Again, I don't — I don't want anybody to be mad in this moment. But I'm telling you, that's the truth that is in the Scriptures. We have six instances in the book of Acts where they're baptized in Jesus' name. We have none — none — where they were baptized in the titles. There's not one. I can't believe He would ask us to do something, and there's no examples, and the disciples never did it. They never did it. What do I do with that? The name's important.

I want to engage your understanding today. I want you to understand why the name of Jesus is such a big deal. When you read this word, you often see the word "Lord" used in reference to God. The Hebrew word — word Yahweh — has been interpreted. There are some 270 names for God in the Bible. He is so gracious. He is so enormous. And everyone has those names that reveal something about His character and His personality. One of the common used names, in describing Him in the Old Testament, is the word "L," such as El, coming from Elohim. We read about it when we read about El Shaddai, God Almighty. Or — or — or we find it in Bethel, the house of God. Or — or an Emmanuel, meaning God with us. But Yahweh is different. It's much more personal. It's used when God made humanity. It's used when Abraham closed mountain, climbs up Mount Moriah, and a place where the temple is being built, in the area where Jesus started shoes. When Abraham took his son, and went to worship — it's the first place worship was ever mentioned — it was there that God provides a sacrifice, and reveals Himself as Yahweh in that moment. Jehovah is the Latin word for use for Yahweh. And it's the one that's more familiar to us. It's where we get our words like hallelujah, and all praise belongs to God. And it helps us, as we celebrate, and as we worship Him. But this revelation reaches its climax when, in Exodus chapter 3, God reveals Himself to His people, when He's speaking to Moses. And Moses asks the question: "Who do I tell him has sent me?" And He says, "Say that I AM THAT I AM." He is the self-existent One. He is: "I will be what I always will be." God was declaring His reality, and His covenant with His people. And God says this in Exodus six, verse two: "He spoke to Moses, and said, 'I am the Lord. And I appeared unto Abraham, and unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty. But my name Jehovah was I not known to them.'" You see, God was establishing His covenant relationship with His people. And He wanted them to know that: "I can be anything you need Me to be. Whatever your problem is, whatever your circumstances is, I AM THAT I AM. That's how you can know Me." And through the Scriptures we see that Jehovah, Yahweh, is being revealed: El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty. Jehovah Nessie, the Lord is my banner. Jehovah Ra, the Lord is my shepherd. Jehovah Rapha, I am the Lord who heals. Jehovah Shema, I am of the Lord who is there. Elohim, I am the everlasting God. Jehovah Jireh, I am your provider. Jehovah Shalom, I can speak peace into the middle of your chaos. He is a covenant-keeping God.

But when He comes to earth, when the Word becomes flesh, the name Jesus means Savior. It means Christ. It means the Anointed One. He was the Messiah that they had been waiting for. And in Jesus Christ, we have all of the covenants of the Old Testament wrapped up in one. I don't have to have a list of the names. All I have to do is say "Jesus." In John chapter 8, the Jews were there, and they were trying to kill Him. In John 8:58, "Jesus said to them, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you: before Abraham was, I AM.'" No wonder they took up stones to kill Him, because He wasn't trying to do anything else but to declare that: "I am the Almighty God, standing before you right now." Acts 4 and 12: "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name given among men, whereby we must be saved." There's no other name. There's no other name. There's no other name. I don't have to memorize anything. All I need to know is Jesus. That's why we're people of the name. I know sometimes Christianity looks at the Pentecostals and says, "You guys have lost your mind." I don't know what else to do. When I read the word of God, it tells me, when I say "Jesus," I got His attention. That's why we baptize in that name. I take Him on in that water. Romans tells me, when I'm buried with Him, I'm buried with Him in baptism. But I come out, I'm washed, I'm redeemed, and I have a name on me that I did not have before I went down in that water. I'm set aside, and I belong to Him. I am His bride. That's why it's important.

As I get ready to end this message today — the musicians come — I prayed a lot about this message, because I know it can be somewhat controversial in mainstream Christianity. My heart is not to offend, nor hurt anyone. But I say this to you, as a minister of Christ's gospel: I have to give an account for the words that I speak. And I need to be able to stand before Him with my hands clean, to say, "God, I delivered the word that You gave to me." What you choose to do with this is up to you. But I'm teaching you what the Scriptures say. Perhaps you've been taught a type of tradition. Perhaps you're wondering, "Well, what about my mom, or my grandmother, my brother, my — whatever the case may be?" I — I don't know how to answer questions about people who've passed on. All I know is, He's a merciful God. He's a merciful God. But His word also says: to whom much is given, much is required. And there's a — there's a — there's an obligation, when truth has been conveyed, and left. Maybe you have not been searching for answers to "what must I do to be saved." Maybe you've had bad experiences with churches, and so-called Christians.

I read a story once, about a farmer who had a orchard of orange trees. His friend came to visit him one day, and the farmer offered him one of the oranges to refresh him. To which his friend responded: "It's okay. I — I've eaten your oranges before, and that they're just not really good. They're a little bitter, if I'm just being honest." The farmer asked, "What's wrong with my oranges?" "Just — there's not me." The farmer looked at him and said, "When have you eaten one of my oranges?" He said, "Well, I was walking down the road, and I plucked a few off there, on the edge of the orchard field. And I've tried two or three different ones, and just wasn't good." The farmer roared in laughter. He explained: "The trees that I planted on the edge of the orchard are indeed bitter. I did this on purpose, to discourage the children from stealing them. But the trees that are in the middle of the orchard, I promise you, are very good. Taste one and see."

Many times, a person on the edge of accepting the truth of who He is, and His plan for you, experience bitter things, like guilt, and conviction, condemnation, blame. But when he moves into the middle of where God is, he finds: the closer he gets to God, the more pleasant he is. Which is exactly how David penned the words, when he said this in Psalms 34 and 8: "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in Him." Truth being revealed is necessary. For its truth that we need to hang on to, and not tradition. Will you obey the treasures of salvation, revealed on the surface of God's word? Will you taste and see that God is good? For the choice is yours. It's yours.

Before we pray, let me say this: if you've never been baptized — it's one of the most spiritual things you ever do in your life. It's not about getting wet. No. It's about entering into that covenant relationship with Him. It's the marriage ceremony. We have plenty of baptismal roads, and the water's warm. If you'd like to be baptized today, I — I would — I would encourage you to pray right now, if that's right for you. If you don't know Him as Lord and Savior of your life, I invite you to an altar, where He can reveal Himself to you, and His plan He has for you. If you're comfortable right now, I'm going to ask you to bow your heads, and close your eyes, if that's okay, if you're — if you're comfortable. And I want to pray. And I want you know, this altar area is open anytime you feel you'd like to move. "Jesus, I have preached the truth that You revealed to me in Your word. I've delivered my heart to Your church here today. Got to know Your desire is to do a deeper work in people's lives. God, I pray, as Your Spirit is moving right now, Lord, You would draw me into where You want them to be. God, bring people into a deeper understanding of who You are, Your purpose and plan for their life. God, if there's any weight that we're carrying around — whether it be weight of tradition, or weight of mistakes, weight of failures, hurts, pains, disappointments — God, I pray that we could lay those things aside, and move forward. And You deepen our relationship with You. God, do what You do best. You take broken things, and make beautiful things out of them. In Jesus' name we pray, and amen."

It's prayer time. I — I can't leave this service, or dismiss, without giving an opportunity to pray. If you'd like to pray, I invite you to come. Come, and let God do what God does best — them do a work in your life. It's prayer time. You —