United We Stand - Part 3

Being here with us. Exodus 33. I'm going to read a rather lengthy portion of scripture, as we are continuing on with a series that started on the first Sunday this month called United We Stand. If you want to just remain standing for this reading of the word, it says this in verse number 12: Then Moses said to the Lord, See, you stay with me, or you say to me, Bring up this people. But you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight. Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in your sight, show me now your way, that I may know you, and that I may find grace in your sight. And consider that this nation is your people. And he, this is God responding back, said: My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. Then he said to him: If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that your people and I have found grace in your sight, except you go with us? So we shall be separate, your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth. So the Lord said to Moses: I will do this thing that you have spoken, for you have found grace in my sight, and I know you by name. And he said, this is Moses, he said: Please, show me your glory. Then he said: I will make all of my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But he said: You cannot see my face, for no man shall see me and live. And the Lord said: Here's a place by me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand while I pass by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen. And one more verse here. Hebrews chapter 12 verse number 14 says: Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.

God, I'm so thankful for your presence that is here, what you're desiring to do in this service today. God, I pray that we would be sensitive in this moment. Lord, let us receive what you have for us today. In Jesus name we pray. And amen. You may be seated.

Two Sundays ago I kicked off a series that I called United We Stand. For I feel as though God is doing something very specific in our church, moving us in a direction for a new thing that he has for us. And what I did two Sundays ago was talk about how it is very, very important that you and I realize how much we need each other. I need you. And whether you know this or not, you need me. We will never be all that God wants us to be unless we realize we need to be get, we need to be together. We are better together. And then last Sunday my focus was to go a little bit deeper into what I call non-negotiables. In the ever-changing climate of our society, I feel as though it's time to shore up our foundation a little bit, so that we, we don't get confused when the wind starts blowing contrary to us. We feel that, we feel that pressure coming in. We need to know who we are. We need to know whose we are. Those things are very, very important. And I talked about some Apostolic truths that we must unite against. And are preached about the mighty God in Christ, Jesus being our Lord and Savior. I preach that there is one God, and that his name is Jesus. And when you say the name Jesus, all of heaven pays attention. And then today I want to move on a little bit further, because this is what I feel deep in my spirit, is that in what God desires to do among us, he's going to move us into where the miraculous is a part of our everyday reality. That is, we are in these last days preparing to work in the harvest, or the revival that is already there. We're gonna have to pray for it. Revival's here. Harvest is there. It's that we've seen such a beautiful example, and Abby and Hope sharing their story just touches my heart. I love those. How many more moments like there are, those are out there for you and I right now. They're there. But here is something that I feel that God's doing extra, is there are many of you, and please listen to this right off the bat, please listen to me, seasoned saints and Apostolics in the house, some of you have been desiring for God to do some special things in your life. You've been praying and feeling like God's preparing you for that. And I, and I'm going to bring a word to you today that's going to help you understand the requirements for that to take place. I'm going to preach something that is in all likelihood not going to be preached anywhere else in this city today. It's not a subject that gets covered in mainstream Christianity on any kind of regular basis. Old-timers used to talk about it, and it was more prevalent of a, of a sermon topic than it is today. But it does not negate the importance of it being in our lives.

Again, I'm talking about things that you and I must unite together on. And I'm preaching a foundational Apostolic truth today. I'm going to preach about sanctification. Sanctification: the process by which God fills you with his Spirit, which for many they feel like as a final product. But I'm here to tell you that in that day he filled you with his Spirit, that's the day you started walking with him. And the process, that walk, that journey that God has for you, that's called sanctification. And it's to be a part of our lives. We are to be the salt and light. We are to manifest, say that word, manifest. We're to manifest his glory. We are to reflect it in our world everywhere we go. And my reason for wanting to get this part right is because we're living in a world that has taken the basic essential value of Christianity and modesty and holiness, and has outright rejected it, has come against it on every front, everywhere we are. And I believe that it is our separation — Moses was talking about it in the passage I just read to you, and he said, show me your glory — that we are to be a separate people from all of the rest of the world around us. God's people has always been separated and belonging unto him. It is that separation, or another word to say it, is that sanctification process, that God is drawn to. And it is his desire to allow his glory to shine through that process.

Our enemy is smart. He is wise. And he understands this also, and spends the majority of his time trying to get us to exchange our glory for something of a lesser value. And we must be careful, ladies and gentlemen, that we don't sell, that we don't find ourselves being like Esau, selling out for a moment in time what eternity would reveal was so important, that we should ever, should have never sold. So I ask you to buckle your seat belts. This is a big boy message. It's going to be preached today. If you're a note taker, I encourage you to get your pen out. Go ahead and check it. I unapologetically will use a lot of scripture, as I do in these kind of messages, because I want you to know what I bring to you today is a journey through the scripture. What I bring for you today is an anointed word. Not because I'm here, but I'm telling you, his word is anointed. He has opened and given understanding in here. And what I will show you today in this journey will be the process of sanctification, and why it's important for you and I to be obedient, for us to go to the next level. I'm speaking to everybody in this room before I get started. For us to go to the next level, sanctification is a must. And there are levels and degrees that go to. Some of you have attained some things. Some of you operate in some, in some areas. But there is always and ever pull into more and more in the depths of God. Don't sell yourself short because your flesh tries to stop you.

So Exodus 33-18, Moses asked God, show me your glory. I love this story. Oh my goodness, I'm excited today. I'm excited to preach, because I'm going to weave together what I feel like God has given me. So many of my favorite passages. It has been my personal journey, as I have continued to study the scriptures, that, that our bishop, was my, he was my pastor many years ago. He's bishop here, this assembly. He had told me that you will reach a point to where God will take the knowledge of scripture that you continually put inside your mind, and all of a sudden he, you will reach a point in your ministry where he will unlock the scripture and begin to show you the themes and patterns that go through. And it's been the last several years where God has been opening my mind and let me see, not a new doctrine, not a new way of salvation, no, no, those things are forever settled. But he is showing me a bigger, broader picture of what he desires to do with his church, especially in these latter days.

In this moment, in Exodus 33, I see Moses. And I think to myself, how powerful, how amazing it is, to have the kind of relationship where you're having an open conversation with God about what he's desiring to do. And that, that you the man will be reminding God of what he should do. To the point, because Exodus 32, they're dancing naked around a golden calf. And in case you don't know that, he wasn't happy about that moment. In Exodus 33 though, we see here where he said, it's time to move from the mountain. It's time for you to leave where you are. It's time for you to move forward and go someplace else. I want to take you. And Moses says, we can't go if your presence doesn't go with us. Matter of fact, if you're not going to go, we're just going to stay right here. We're not going to move. There's something there very important for you not to understand. If God's Spirit isn't moving that way, you better not go. You better not go, because you need his presence to go with you everywhere in this world.

So I see this. We see that, that Moses is, is in this intimate conversation with him, to the point where he asks God: God, I know you're talking about your presence and your glory. Can you show me? Oh New Testament church, we, we are blessed people. For we, we have an opportunity to see and hear his presence on a regular basis. But we're talking about an Old Testament moment to where there was not a regular occurrence of his glory being manifest. To where Moses is saying, I enjoy our conversations. I love these moments while we have. But I would really like to see the glory. I can feel your presence, but I want to see your glory. Is it possible for me to see this? To which God responds and says, I hear what you're saying. I'm going to grant your request to a point. Because there's, there's a part of me that cannot be revealed. There's one aspect of this that can't go on. And you, you can't see it. So he's, he says this: Look Moses, there's a spot here beside me. God always has a place for you. He always has a place for you. And he says, there's a spot right here beside me. I'm going to place you in this spot. Don't ever discount the places where God puts you. He could have argued. He couldn't. He could have said, this is a hard place. It's in the cleft of a rock. I don't like it. It seems as though I'm stuck. And matter of fact, when the, the word of God says he puts his hand over him as he passes by, there's no doubt in my mind it got dark for a little while. Anybody been in a dark place before? Even though you were being obedient to God, you felt a little darkness in your life. This is where Moses is at. But God said, I'm putting you right where I want you to be. I'm going to do something special, because you've, you've asked for it. I'm preaching to somebody who's been asking for a little deeper depth. And God today, listen to me, there may come a moment where he puts his hand on you in the cleft of the rock and passes by. Moses, you want to see my face? I can't show you my face. But I'll pass by you and I'll take my hand off, and you can see the back of me.

Now this is where I, I believe, and most, most theologians believe, this is how Moses was able to write the creation of man in Genesis. In case you don't know that, Moses is the one that wrote the Pentatonic: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. He wrote these books. He's there. He's writing these things out. How did he have that understanding? How did he have the knowledge of the creation of man? And it is, it is my belief, and I'm not alone in this, that as he passed by, God was revealing the past. God was showing what had taken place already. And Moses was able to have an understanding and a revelation of it. Now he's saying to Moses, I can't show you my face yet. I, I can't take you there, Moses, because, because it doesn't exist yet. But what God could not show Moses on one mountain, he was able to show him on another mountain.

We know that John chapter 1 verse number one, I covered this last week, says: In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. We also know that First John chapter 5 verse number 7 says: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are. Jesus, before his betrayal, is praying this. It says in John chapter 17 verse number five: And now, Oh Father, glorify me together with yourself, with the glory which I had with you before the world was. So we see here that in the beginning was the word. But I want to show you that in the end there is glory. And the beginning was the word, but in the end there is glory. We understand in the beginning was the word. But I'm telling you, glory is on his way.

Now he may have said, Pastor Kevin, I have no, I can't even follow you. I don't know where you're at right now. Can you please help me navigate these waters? I'm telling you this: in the beginning he was the word. And this is what Jesus was saying in John chapter 17: I'm going to go back to being the word. And we know this because we read in the book of Revelations, when he comes back in Revelations 19 verse number 13: And he was clothed with a vester dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. But I want to draw your attention to verse 14 of John chapter 1, when it said: In the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Who was the word? God was the word. And he was made flesh and dwelt among us. If you don't understand this fully, I invite you to go back to last Sunday. I covered this in depth. But, but listen here, it says: And he dwelt among us. And we beheld his, we beheld his glory. The glory is the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. I can make this symbol for us today. If you desire to see God's glory, we must find something that manifests his word.

Manifest. I've already asked you to say that once. They said again, we manifest. The very definition, Oxford's definition of manifest is: to display or show one's actions and appearance. Now science and nature have proven through time that all things return to their source. When you die, you return back to dust. I don't care how great a coffin you have. I don't care, care how great a vault you have, or how well you've been preserved, and what chemicals they pump inside your body. Eventually you return to dust. You return, because you returned to that, that was your source, that which you were created. In the beginning was the word. And whether you know it or not, your salvation started with a word.

First Peter 1 23 says this: Being born again, not of corruptable seed, but of incorruptable, by the word of God. By the word of God. Psalms 119 130: The entrance of thy words giveth light. Some of you want to argue here and say that it was the Holy Ghost. But the gospel of Luke records Jesus's words when he says this in Luke 16 and 16: The law and the prophets were unto John. Since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. We desire for people to be saved here at this church. I love the story Hope while ago. It's such a beautiful testimony of what God is doing. But I want you to know this: it was God's Spirit that was drawing you, and you pressed into it. That's how this takes place. That's what the word of God says. Except the Spirit draw, except the Spirit draw. It's not by random chance you're here today. But the Spirit of God has been drawing you back, drawing you back. Why? Because it's the source, and you return back to the source. There's something that was hardwired in you and I from the day we were created, as we were being put together in our mother's womb, that was already there. A desire for you to be close to God. And there are moments in life that will activate that. And too many people confuse what's going on as some spiritual experience. What's happening is the Spirit is drawing you back to the source of where life came from. When the gospel is preached, it activates that.

We desire for people to be changed, so we preach the gospel. Even though some in our congregation feel like the gospel is offensive. Here's, here's the truth. It is offensive. It is offensive. Jesus Christ was offensive. You cannot read this and read the gospel account of his life, where he went and what he did. He was always offending somebody by it. Always. He was offensive in his approach. That doesn't mean we go around and we act all arrogant and haughty and high-minded as if we know everything. That approach doesn't work for anybody. But here's the deal. It's not for you and I to be offensive. It's a, it's to let the word of God do, do what the word of God does best. I don't have to defend it. It stands all by itself. It's been here for thousands of years. And I don't know how long the Lord's going to tear. But it's not up to me to keep it going. It's just my job to tell you what the word of God says. And by itself it'll still be here. It supports itself in everything it does. But when the gospel is preached, and we know that the kingdom of it intersects with man's kingdom, stuff happens. When the life-changing gospel of Jesus is preached and it intersects with your life, something changes inside of you. You can choose to resist it. You can choose to deny it. You can say that it's not real. It doesn't take one thing away from the gospel. It doesn't make one thing change in the gospel. The gospel is the life-changing power. It is the ability. It is the source that will take you back to where life started, whether you believe it or not.

Jesus talked plainly about denying self and taking up a cross. We must never forget that God's plan and purpose has been, and always will be, for us to conform in his image. That's what this is about, is moving back. We were created in his image. Somewhere along the way, sin entered in. Sin tarnished. Sin stained. Sten tried to, to, to turn it into something it was never meant to be. Some people talk about being on journeys with God. And, and, and I hope that your journey is true, because your journey is to take where you are and transform back into where you're supposed to be. The Bible talks about the Spirit of truth. And Jesus said, my word is truth. When you receive the Holy Ghost, the gospel is preached, and light comes in, you receive the Spirit of truth. But you can also say you receive the Spirit of the word. Why? Because God is taking you somewhere. He never leaves you where you are. He never leaves you where you are. And anytime you read through the scriptures and you find an account where they have an experience with God, or an experience in the New Testament of Jesus, he never leaves them where they are. They are always changed. Now they may choose to walk away. But God gave them an opportunity to be different. Case in point: the Rick's young ruler comes to him and asked what he had to be do, what he had to do. And it was listed off: you need to do this. To which he responded: I've been doing all those since birth. And then he said: Oh yeah, there's one last thing. You need to go and sell off all you have, and give it to the poor. Now that is not a command that we have to live in poverty. But that was Jesus realizing that inside that man, he had trouble with his riches. So he was telling him that it's your riches that are going to prevent you from getting to where you need. See, this is the moment of intersex. And this is what happens. There are times when God comes in, he's very specific to us. And I'm speaking to a group of people that I feel like today God's wanting to do something very specific through you. But the process of sanctification. But you will reach a moment in time when he will point out that, that you have, that you hold on to and covet the most. And he will not have any other gods beside him. So which means they're going to reach a point in your life when you're going to come up to where he's going to get to something that seems like it's going to cost too much. And you got to make a decision. Are you going to respond like the rich young ruler? Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen: it was not about the money. But it was about what that money was doing to him. And he walked away. And when he did, his process stopped. It stopped.

God's taken us somewhere. It starts with the infilling of his Spirit. This is God making a deposit in you. A deposit of light, of his nature, to fulfill his purpose in your life and in his kingdom. As I've said already, it was in that moment that God said: Okay, boom, here we go. I put it in you. You've got my Spirit. It's a gift. It's a gift. It's a gift. It's a gift. It's a gift for everybody. It's a gift. But the gift was put there for a reason, for a purpose. To get you from where you are in that moment, to where he wants you to be. It was in that moment that his Spirit, it enters inside of your body. And when it comes in, it says: I have one job. And my job is to get you back to him. One job: to give you the ability, the power, to live an overcoming life. Not so that you can have your dreams fulfilled. Not so that you can have your will done in your life. But my one purpose for being inside of you is to get you from where you are right now back to him. I know you, most of you agree with me on that. But this is where it's fixing to really get down there, as you like for me to say. I'm gonna drop the plow now. Let's dig a little bit.

Second Peter verse number 3: According as his divine power hath given unto us all the things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to what? Glory and virtue. Now anybody confused? It says divine power. What is that divine power that's been given to you? What is it? Holy Ghost. It's the Holy Ghost. It's his Holy Spirit. All right, y'all with me? Paul is talking here. I mean, Peter's talking here, giving his letter. And he's saying, look, it is that Spirit, that is coming out of that divine power, that's going to help you have the knowledge to him that hath called us, the glory and virtue. Verse number four: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promise, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. The scripture is saying that anything that has been imparted to you called glory, filled with his divine nature. God is light. God is love. God is holy. When you receive his Spirit, you receive the Holy Ghost. You receive the Holy Spirit. The divine nature's job is to guide you from that point forward through a journey that's called sanctification.

Paul talking to the church of Corinth. II Corinthians chapter 3 verse number 18: But we all, with open face behold, and as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. From glory to glory. What's he talking about? It's a process. It's a journey. Something we'll be a part of. Paul tells us that we go from glory to glory. And that doesn't mean that we simply go from here to heaven. No. This means that we go from where he found you. And there will be stops along the way. And when you have grasped what you needed at this level, the Spirit has taught you all that it needs to teach you in this moment, he will take you to another level of glory. It's a progress. It's a progression of living life. When the Spirits taught you what you need, you move on to the next stop. But you won't go to another level until you've learned the lesson that this level has to teach you. And that's why some people simply stay at the very beginning level of the experience that they have in an altar, and they never move past it. Because they don't take the time to allow the Spirit to show them the things in their life they no longer need to be doing. They refuse: I've had experience with God. I've spoken tongues. I've been baptized in his name. Therefore I'm saved. I don't like that word. You know, I don't like that word. Because we're in the process of being saved. That process is called sanctification. You should be further along in your walk: one year, two years, five years, ten years. But what I see is some people plateau. They, they stop growing. They don't listen to the Spirit. The Spirit's constantly trying to lead in new ways. And they will let their flesh give them an explanation for why they don't need to do that. And the enemy, he plays right into it. And he'll say: You don't have to. You've already been filled with his Spirit. He knows the book better than you. But to get to maturing in Christ, there should be a hunger that's been placed inside of you, that is activated by that Spirit, that causes you to say on a daily basis: God, what do you have for me today? How can I grow deeper today? How can I be further along today? That I don't look for piddly little excuses to, to compromise areas of my life, because my flesh desires to do it, or because I don't think it's necessary in the moment, regardless of what the word of God says. It's a dangerous place to be.

Oh, the enemy will let you speak in tongues until your tongue flaps out on the floor, as long as you don't live a life of sanctification. I'm afraid some people are going to be so confused. Rapture's going to take place, and they're going to look around, and the church is going to be gone, and they're going to wonder what happened to me. When you have refused to let the Spirit do its work inside of your life. See, there's, there are things that go on. And this is why it's important that you let pastor do the pastoring around here. You let pastor be the one who works with people, and his staff, to help people work through the process of sanctification and holiness and our lifestyle convictions, and answer the questions that we need to answer. And when the timing is right. Because you can, you can put too much meat out there, and newborn babes will choke on it. They can't comprehend it, and they end up falling and walking away. And I've seen this happen time and time again in Apostolic churches, where people were forced to live a standard they couldn't comprehend or understand. Understanding the moment, they were being force-fed meat when they still needed milk. It wasn't the Spirit inside of them leading them that way. They were being drugged to another level that they didn't have an opportunity to possibly comprehend, because they didn't have enough word inside of them. Paul says we go from glory to glory. We have to learn.

Paul talking to the church at Corinth has explained in the light of the glorious gospel. He talks about the glory of God in the face of Jesus. And then he explains that we have these treasures in earth and vessels. So take you back to Moses. Moses wanted to see. God said: I can't show you that. God said: I can't show you, because he's not there yet. So I'll show you the backside of what's going on. But God loved Moses. Moses is disobedient. Moses struck the rock when he sort of spoke to it. I know you and I look at that and say, man, what chance do I have if Moses, if Moses didn't get it? He just simply, you know, he still got the water out, but he just didn't speak to it. He smacked it. But let's be honest. He was listening to a bunch of gripes and complaints. I don't know, I've been whacking out only rocks, heads and mouths, and everything around me. But he loved him enough that he took him to another mountain. He took him to the mountain transfiguration. And he showed him in that moment: I couldn't show you then. I couldn't, I couldn't show you then, because it wasn't there. But you want to see my face? There he is. And on the mountain transfiguration, that's Jesus there with the other three. And they're seeing what's going on. There was a lot more than just confirmation from the disciples to understand who Jesus was. Moses was there too. Oh, he loved Moses enough, Sister Kennedy, that when they, when, when, when the devil was trying to find his body, he told the archangel: You look at the devil, and you say, the Lord rebuke you. Oh, he had every intention of fulfilling what Moses had. Moses just had to go through the process along the way.

I'm speaking to somebody in this room. You've had promises spoke over your life, of the great things you're going to do in God. Go through the process of sanctification. And allow that Spirit he placed inside of you to take you from one level, to another level, to another level. Don't argue with the Spirit. Don't gripe and complain about what's going on. Just be obedient in the moment. Love God enough to listen to what he's trying to do in you. And he'll take you from glory to glory.

Wesley, you read Second Corinthians chapter four verse five through 10 for me. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. And ourselves your servants for Jesus sake. For God, who command the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure. We have what? What do we have, ladies and gentlemen? I need you to speak it. What's the word? We have a treasure. Do you know we have a treasure? We have. So what Paul's talking about, he's addressing the glory that came. It was there for a reason. And we have this treasure. Go ahead. But we have this treasure and earthly vessel. Stop. Treasure, where's the treasure at? What's the earth and vessel? Right here inside of this: I have a treasure. Go ahead. That the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of ourselves. We are troubled. Treasure in earth and vessels, to display glory. Now God knows what he's doing. God knows what he's doing. He knows there's a process that we need to go through. And he's talking about a journey. He has put a treasure in you called the Holy Ghost. You are the clay vessel, and the Holy Ghost is a treasure. Go ahead, Wes. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Cast down, but not destroyed. Always bearing about in the body of the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. What you're seeing in this passage is two parts. Say two parts. It's what the clay's going through, and what the treasure is going through. You're seeing what the clay's response is, and you see what the treasure's response is. The clay is troubled, but the treasure's not distressed. The clay is perplexed. Oh, I, anybody been perplexed? Anybody been stressed? Anybody felt a lot of pressure, or things not going right? But the treasure, the treasure is not in despair. No, that Spirit's just fine. It's not worried about what's going on out there. It's okay. The clay is persecuted, but the treasure is not forsaken. The clay is cast down, but the treasure is not destroyed. There's things we're going to face. And our flesh is going to tell us it's not going right. But that Holy Ghost inside of you is saying, it's still going to do what it's always going to do. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. Even though it may be seemingly running off the rails right now, that treasure in your earth and vessel is going to get you from where you are to where he wants you to be, if you'll be obedient. That's why you got to learn to let the treasure do its job.

Second Corinthians 4 verse 17 says: For our light afflictions — I'm going to have a conversation with Paul when I get there. But light afflictions, his definition of light, I think, is different than mine — which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Listen to me, Apostolics. This shows me that there is more to be had. There is more to be gained. It is trying to give us more along the way. Paul wraps up this chapter and lets us know that this treasure is working out in us an eternal weight of glory. The Spirit, from the moment you received it, is trying to lead you back to where it came from. It's trying to get you back to the source. It's trying to say: My job, and my only job, is to give you the ability, if you'll listen to me, to navigate you through this life, so that when the roll is called up yonder, you are standing in attendance, because this treasure allowed you to get there.

God's day's work, what he does and how he operates, is always contrary to what we think about in our own human logic. When you go back to the word of God and you look at the creative day that was there, and what he did, he started in the evening and worked through the night into the day. It's there. Go to Genesis, look. The creative day started in the evening, worked its way through the night, and into the day. Now we, we, we start our day. Most of us start our day when we know there's sunshine outside. A few of us get up before the sunshine, because we like to see it rise. Thank God for being able to see that sun. I know I'm probably in a minority in the room. But there are some of us who enjoy that. But with God, he works in an opposite way. See, there, there are times. And, and you see this happen. And I mean, yo, okay, you okay? Can I do a little teaching for a minute? All right. So, so here, here's what happens. You come in, and you have, you have a bet. Come here for a minute. Can I use it for a second? Y'all met back yet? He's my friend Beck. He's a good guy. So Beck, God's doing the work, gonna do work in Beck's life. And, and what's great about when God starts something is he begins to stir us up. Y'all felt that before? He starts stirring us up and changing some stuff inside of us. We feel that going on. We like what we feel. And then when it starts stirring, and that's a good time. And then, then we have a moment with God, where God always will show us, right? You go through the scriptures, God's always showing us. He showed him when he had to take him out of Egypt. He showed them what he would do. He proved himself to be God. I've talked about this in the past couple weeks. He proved himself to be God, so that they were without doubt that God could do what he said he could do. He backed it up by showing them. Now once he got him out there, he said: Look, here's my deal. I delivered you. I brought you out. Now here's the deal. I want to be your God, and I want you to be my people. But in order for that to happen, here's a few things I require of you. Now that's an interesting term. Thank you, Becky's time. That's an interesting term. Because we live in a world where, like, you know, salvation is, is free. It's been paid for. You're right. It has. It has. It has. That it's a, it's a gift. It's a gift that was purchased on Calvary. It belongs to you. Just receive it. Just ask him. And if you have it, then, then today's your day. God will feel you. But if you, if you have it, that deposited, that treasure inside of you. But there are requirements of the treasure to move forward. Because the treasure's going to point out and show you things in your life that you need to change.

Now what happens here? Now follow me. I know, I know those of you who've had the Holy Ghost any amount of time in here will know this to be true. You've had your moment with God. You came down to an altar. God did amazing things. Whether you left here, you would have tackled a bus for Jesus when you walked outside. I mean, you just took it down. You bit the bumper and pulled it off, just because what God did for you. I mean, it was just like, wow. But here's, here, you know this to be true. Right after that moment, right, right after, not, it didn't seem like you even hardly got the new off the thing, it got dark. It got dark. Your family told you he was crazy. They did. What are you doing? The appstock church, a bunch of devil worshipers and snake handlers. I'm gonna tell you, if he's handling snakes, this old boy wouldn't be here. No. But what happens, all of a sudden, all of a sudden that treasure being put of you seems to get dark. Well, you're in a new creative day. You're in a new creative day. God does his best work in the dark. Because it's in the dark that the treasure's saying, trust him. Trust him. Listen, my job is to get you back. My job is to get you to another level. I know it seems dark. But he knows where you are. He knows where you are.

Now many of us remember that. Remember that we, we started making some changes in our life. We started separating from a few things. We had some people we didn't hang out with anymore, because they were, weren't best influences with it. But we were feeling that shade, right? We were feeling that darkness. It seemed like we were all alone. Where's everybody at? It's a dark place we're going through. But it's God's creative day. And he brings you to a moment where all of a sudden things start feeling better. You start getting more secure. You start putting my word in you. The treasure starts bringing you out. And all of a sudden it lifts a little bit. And you start seeing what light in your life. You start getting a little bit more established. And you start feeling a bit better about what's going on. And things are okay. And you've learned to overcome a few things. And some of those temptations that seem to bog you down, they don't bother you anymore. Because he's now brought you into the latter part of that day of glory in your life. And as you are learning the process, all of a sudden the light shines bright. And in that moment, that treasure has shown you everything you needed at this level. And then you feel a moving and a pulling, because it's constantly trying to get you to turn into more of him. So you'll make you, you'll come in. There'll be a church. There'll be a message preached. There'll be a conference you go to. There'll be a, there'll be a book or a devotion you read. And all of a sudden you feel that in there, that treasure going: We got something else for you. Like, oh, I feel like I need to. And you step out, and you make a commitment. Anybody made a commitment to God before? Anybody? Come on, after stocks, didn't trick question. Everybody made a commitment to God, made a commitment, right? You felt that Holy Ghost knocking, and you answered the door. And it says: Look, we're gonna go over here. Okay, I'm gonna lay some more stuff down in my life. I'm gonna, I'm gonna separate from a few more things in my life. And then what happens? Right after you made the commitment, right after you decide to fast, right after you decide to do something, what happens? Dark. Dark. Have you noticed that? Have you noticed? Am I by myself? You feel it come in. You know what's going. A new creative day. It's a new creative day in your life. You're going from another level of glory. Remember, we're talking about this exceeding weight of glory that he has for you. That treasure is trying to take you from another place. Because here's what's happened. Some of that flesh you're wrapped in, some of that clay pot, has to be broken off so that you can bear more weight. There's gonna be some things you're gonna have to give up.

Now how many, how must be willing to admit, you know, especially those that were not raised in church. You come in, you come in from the world, right? You come in outside. And you're like, man, you have a stock chair against everything but clean air. I hope you, hope if you've been with us anytime, I hope you felt this in this church, that we, we're not pushy in what we do. Because if I push you with this, you're going to buck, and you're going to kick. And I know that, because that's what happens to me anytime I get pushed in the corner. I fight back. It's just in me. That's just me telling you, don't push me in the corner. It's just in me. My flesh will resist it every time. But what I have seen is the treasure inside of me begins to explain to me: Hey, it's going to get dark for a little bit. But it's in that process that God has me back on the potter's wheel. He's, he's shaping me. He's molding me. He's forming me. He's, he's, he's pressing in. He's, he's, he's found a few mard spots that he's got to dig out. He's found a little rock, a little stick. I didn't think, I thought I was pretty smooth. But all of a sudden I feel like something else is going on. And he's shaping me in this star. And it's another creative day. But I gotta listen to the treasure.

How does God put his glory on us? Anything that manifests his word reveals his glory. Sanctification is the process that we re lose some of the clay, some of the flesh, so that we can carry the new glory he desires for us to have. How does God do it? We have to manifest his word. John 1 14: And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, that places us in a little treasure, with the sole purpose of getting us back to where he is. And on the way back, the treasure will take us through sanctification process, that will conform us into his word and into his glory, and show us there are some things you just have to let go of. See what's going on. And this is what was taking place in John 1 14.

All right. Y'all still okay? It's raining. You're not going anywhere anyway. Thank you God. Just keep it right until we're done. Verse 14. What was taking place there? The, the word of God says that God is a Spirit, right? That's what it says. How do you see a Spirit? You don't see spirits, right? I mean, you know, every now and then there'll be some manifestations. But you don't see spirits. So what happens was, it says in John 1: In the beginning was the words, with God, the word was God. It was talking about invisible things. Verse 14, the invisible became visible. How do we know that? Because I just, I just showed you. Put it for, put 14 back up there for me, Debbie. It says: And the word was made flesh. The invisible became visible. What was moving in the background all of a sudden came to the foreground, and we could see it.

His Spirit in you is invisible. But he desires for you to be the visible glory that the world sees. His Spirit inside of you is invisible. But his desire is to take the invisible and make it visible, so that the world can see what's going on. That's what I've told you, the word of God. You cannot, you cannot, you cannot study these scriptures and come away with any other conclusion other than this: his people have always been distinguishably different upon sight, before you ever talk to him. You don't believe me? Just go to the airport. Essentially go up northeast. Go to Newark, or, or, or Reagan. Or go to lo, go to any of those up there. And what you see, you'll see Orthodox Jews walking around. You know something's different with them. What's hanging out your jacket? What's some tassly things hanging down? What's them little curly things on the side of your head? They're distinguishably different. Oh, but Pastor Kevin, we're living in the New Testament. Yes we are. Thank God we live in the New Testament. But that does not mean he still doesn't want us to be separated and dedicated unto him, through the process of sanctification.

See, here's the deal. God understood that the only way we were going to understand the godhead was to make it visible. So he took the invisible word and made it visible, and called him Jesus. He represents God's glory. The word of God says that all creation reveals his glory. But many in our world have tried to change his glory into something it was never intended to be. You okay? Y'all still with me?

Pastor Michael, will you read Romans chapter 1 verse 18 and 25 for us? For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them. For God hath showed it unto them. Stop right there. Because that which may be known of God is manifest. Go ahead, Michael. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuses. Stop. They are without excuse. You should see it in nature. Even his godhead should be understood. It is not a complicated process. If the treasure's in you, the treasure will reveal it to you and show you these things. And you are without excuse. Go ahead. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God. Stop. Another way you can literally translate this, and you go study out yourself: Because when they knew God, they glorified him not. They did not allow him to be Lord. He has to be Lord of your life. That is his desire, is to be Lord of all. He's either Lord of all, he's not Lord at all. He's not going to take part of you. He's not going to take a piece of you. Okay. They knew him. They knew him. But they glorified him not as God. Go ahead, Michael. Neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations. And their foolish heart was darkened. Stop. They allowed their flesh to silence the treasure's voice. They silenced it. The conviction was moving them. They felt it. They felt it. But they silenced it. They wouldn't hear it. And because that, their heart was doc, it was dark. And go ahead. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptable God. Look at it. Look at it. And change the glory of the uncorruptable God into an image made like corruptable man. Now look, this is a, this is a progression going downwards. Go ahead, Michael. And to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, through the lust of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God in a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the world we live in today. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the world that is even taking place in mainstream Christianity right now. Where they're changing the things of God into a lie, and they're walking away from truth. They're walking away from what the word of God has spelled out so specifically, and said so much. But they are silencing the treasure's voice. They're silencing it. Because they've went to a level where they're comfortable. They went to a level where they feel okay about themselves. But the treasure said: And we're not satisfied with here. And because they won't let the treasure do the work, God turns them around and says: Okay, I'll give you over to your own lust. And then they take and try to use the word of God to justify their lusts and desires, and will back up why it is they do the things they do. And they'll turn into something that was never meant to be. And the glory of God is nowhere to be found. We cannot change the glory of God, because his glory is only revealed in something that manifests his word. You hear me? You're only going to see it in something that lives out, that validates the approval of his word. And when you take his word and try to make it something that's not, he looks and says: No, my glory ain't there. That is not what I created. That is not what I said. And when he made Adam, he made him in his image. And he manifested his glory. Genesis 1. And then he made Eve out of the side of Adam.

And as we continue on Romans 1, Paul is telling us that some people are trying to change what God has established in the beginning. RJ, read verse 26 and 27. And for this cause God gave them up unto vile affections. For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another. Men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves the recompense of their error, which was meat. They're trying to take what God created and make it into something that was not. Take his glory of his most prized creation, and to transform it, to trans, trans, uh, transition it, and even transgender it. Man tries to make what he thinks it should be. And God says: That's not my glory. That's not my glory. I will not let my glory be a part of that. And he pulls back on those things. And man will justify. Man will reach out. Man will go on. And all of a sudden it's the desires. It's what we feel. And it's, we're gonna sure God. It's right there.

Paul was, Paul was dealing with this in Romans chapter 1. This is a letter written to the church at Rome. And he was telling him: Look, this is going on. And if this happens, God's going to just turn you over. You'll reach a point. He still loves you. He still desires that your life will turn around and change. But you have silenced the voice of the treasure inside of you. And the glory will not be there. And you will glorify the creation over the creator. Oh, how great it is that they are able to live the life they feel.

This goes further. Corinthians 11. God wanted to take something visible to show the invisible. We cannot see authority. It is invisible. Paul, being led by the Holy Ghost, lays out the creative order designed by God. It is his order. You go to First Corinthians 11, read it right there. Paul says: Follow me, as I follow Christ. And then he lays out God's creative order. Talking about what is head over what. It's his. You want to get mad about it, take it up with God. It's not mine. It's what his word says. He spells it all out. God tells us that man stands in his glory. He was made in my image. I don't want him covered. He is manifesting my creative word. So man comes into the presence of God uncovered. And he represents God's glory. That is man's position. But God tells us in First Corinthians 11 that a woman is the glory of man. And the head of the woman is man. And the head of man is Christ. So when she comes into God, he wants her covered. He wants to recover. You cannot see submission. It is invisible. But God said: I'm going to give you a visible sign. I'm going to put it on her head. I'm going to call it long hair. Ladies, the way God decided that you would reveal his glory, as a sign of submission and the thing that people cannot see in your heart, he put glory on your head. So when a woman stands covered with the glory of God, he gave her the visible show in the invisible. She can now stand in the presence of God. She can pray. She can prophesy. She can be in the presence of God. I know some people have a problem with women being involved in ministry. I don't have a problem with them to be involved in ministry. How can you read the life of Jesus Christ and not see there are women involved in ministry? You're misreading somewhere along the way. But I'm telling you, the way it works is when they stay under the creative authority, manifesting the glory which God has, being in submission, it was there. I know submission, you say that nowadays, and amen, you get ostracized and throw on the bus. It is like a four-letter word, saying somebody needs to be submitted. Well, who would he think he is? Or, I'm gonna be submitted. Well, you can step out all you want to. This doesn't have anything to do with me. I'm bringing you what the word of God says. And last time I checked, I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be judged by what thus saith the word, not what does saith you.

So somewhere along the way, you better understand that we all have a place in the word of God. And we need to figure out where our place is, and stay that way. And the only way that ever happens is you got to listen to that treasure that he deposited inside of you. Because it's gonna speak to you and tell you how you can see God work things out in your life.

Let me tell you right now, I don't lord over my wife. I love her. I love her dearly. And when we got married, there wasn't two doormats that got married. There were two mules that got married. She's a good-looking one too. And we butt heads on a regular basis. But we both understand our place inside the marriage. We both understand where it is I'm supposed to be. I'm supposed to live in such a way that she knows, without any hesitation or reservation, that I will die for her. I will never let anything harm her, if it's inside my ability. I will really die. And because that, it brings a security to her, that she will willingly therefore come back and submit to me. I'm not setting back willing to die based only of if she's going to submit. You're not submitted, so, so long. No. This is beautiful representation of what God is. I've got to follow Christ. I'm following Christ to lead my family down the path I feel like God's bleeding is. And she comes along beside me. God took her from the side of man, not to be under my feet, but to be beside me in everything that we do. She comes along. She has weight. She helps me in the decision-making process. But I'll tell you this. At the end of the day, guess who's going to stand before God and give an account on how I led my spirit fam, my, my family spiritually? It's me. It's me. I'm going to stand there and say: God, I did the best I could to, to take your word and teach my family all the principles that were there, to bring them from one place of glory to another. But if you take your glory off, if you try to become like him, and in some cases she tries to become like you, God's saying: I'm not a part of that. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm telling you, you have to understand your place. You have to understand it. God starts each creative day in your life with the word. And as that word manifests itself in you, his glory is being revealed to this world. What glory are you wanting to be known for? Man's glory, are God's? What do you want to represent? What his desire is for you in life, or what your desire is? Because you're gonna, you're gonna reflect something. So are you reflecting his glory? Are you reflecting your glory? Man's glory is centered in his accomplishments and his adorning. How much he can come up with. And nowhere is that more prevalent in the world in which we live in today, because it's all about what we have. I'm not against things. You've heard me enough to say, I have my, we got a, we got a nice home, brick home we live in. I like it. We got a few nice cars. I got a motorcycle, a set of golf clubs, I got a bicycle, several bicycles. My wife says I have too many bicycles. I got a lot of bicycles, all right? I got things. I got stuff. It's my stuff. You know what? It could all go away. I don't want it to, but it could. And if that causes me all of a sudden to fall apart, as if I have no worth anymore, that lets me know that I had my values in the wrong place. Because I should not be made up by just how much stuff I have, because all that stuff's going to burn anyway. Now have your things, but don't miss your identity in your stuff. My identity is in him. It's in him. Do people know that he is Lord of your life, or do you keep it hidden? Does he know? Do they know that he's Lord of your life?

Paul talks in Acts 17, warning us not to be confused about things, not to be confused about the godhead, or with gold and silver and graven images of a man's heart. Those things were in the temple. So why were those things in the temple? You all know why they were in the temple. Listen to me. Listen to me. This is important. You know why they were in the temple. Why he's talking about? Because there was no glory in the temple. So they had to bling it out. People wanted to go in there and see their queens come by, to walk through them, like: Look at this. This is amazing. Because there was no glory in the temple, something had to draw them in there.

Now, now listen to me. This church, we got a pretty church. Got a pretty building. I'm thankful for what we have. But let me be honest with you. They are prettier sanctuaries. There are prettier churches you can go to. Uh, ours is beautiful, but it's there. They are. Because it wasn't about you coming in and standing in awe and wow over, over chairs and carpet and lights. Our goal was to hopefully make you comfortable in here, so that when the presence of God moves in, and we begin to worship him, the glory would start to manifest. And it would go up, so that the, though, that it wasn't just the presence of God. It's the power of God. Listen to me. It's not about the presence of God. Because the presence of God is everywhere. I mean, a drunk on a bar stool at a bar can feel the presence of God. So, so just, you come in here, we feel the presence of God, doesn't wait any different than you go down the bar. You go to Toots, and feel the presence of God. Power. Listen to me. Power only comes by individuals who are allowing the treasure to take them from glory to glory. Glory, that there's a maturing of the saints that's taking place. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. But the word of God also says that it is by his Spirit that men are drawn. And I want to know that, that what happens in this place is that people are drawn by the Spirit of God. That his glory is being made to manifest, because his word is being lived out. And his word was made flesh. And it's because of those things that people are drawn here. Peter explained this process of God's ever increasing addition to us. In Second Peter 1 verse 3 and: According as his divine power given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are giving unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these you may be partakers of the divine nature, haven't escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And besides this, given all diligence, add to your faith virtue. Until you virtue knowledge. Into your knowledge temperance. And to your temperance patience. And to your patients godliness. Into your godliness brotherly kindness. And to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall neither be bearing nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind. They cannot see afar off, and have forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

This is the process of sanctification. I'm getting ready to close. Musicians can come out. I'm getting ready to close. But I'm bringing you to this point right here. Because what I am reading to you right there, what I just read to you in Second Peter, is the process of sanctification. That as you're moving from one level to another, that that treasure in you is working these things out. Because, because it starts with faith. You have to believe that there is a God. You have to. The word of God says: Without faith, it is impossible to please him. You have to have faith that there is a God. And that faith is the beginning. But from faith comes virtue. Things become added to you. It's the journey. It's the process of sanctification. And from virtue comes knowledge. All of a sudden it leads you to the word of God. You start opening it up. You start reading it. You start studying out. You start making notes, as I said on Wednesday night. You start making little whales and treasury spots where you can go back to and draw from it, and pull from these things. Because it's, it's changing you. It's growing you. It's making you. And then from knowledge it leads you to temperance. Because you don't lose your mind and check out when something doesn't go your way. You're not the person screaming through the drive-through window at the lady at Wendy's, because she dropped your Frosty. I see a whole lot of people that are living for God that lose their ever loving mind. It's maturity. It's growing. It's moving from knowledge to temperance. From temperance comes patience. Patience brings godliness. See, it's what's telling you. It's a process. Because some Apostolics try to, try to go from faith to godliness. No, no. Because when you did that, you skipped knowledge. They don't know why. You skipped temperance. You skipped patience. And guess what happens? They become unpatient. They become mad, angry. And they don't know why they're doing what they're doing. It's a process, you see. I never rush it, because I allow that treasure to do the work. My job is to be the encourager. My job's to be the encourager, is to come along and say: Is there anything I can explain to you? Because I know that Holy Ghost in you is leading you further. So can I help you at all? Is there a passage of scripture maybe you don't understand it? Maybe you heard me teach or preach about something. You know, I'll sit down with you. Because that's growing.

And see, here's what I know. And I'm, this is my last thing. I'm just saying, I'm going to read my last verse. I'm just going to end right now, because God's getting ready to do something. Here's what I know. Is there are many of you who are sitting, listening to me preach for however long I've preached. Probably a long time today. You're listening to me, and you have a hunger and a desire for more things. You read about what goes on. And you feel like the Spirit is saying: That's for you. That's for you. You're gonna lay hands on the sick, and they're gonna recover. You're going to have a word of faith that's going to change somebody's life. You're going to speak a prophetic word that's going to come to pass. But here's what I know also, if you're not being obedient to that treasure, if you're not letting it, in the dark times of night, take some of the clay off of you, so that it can put a more weighted glory on you. See, here's the deal. Is, is there some areas that you cannot move into, because if you moved into it, it would crush you. He'll crush you. Say, what do you mean, Pastor Kevin? Of course he would. Your flesh would take over, and you would get the big head. You would get proud. You would get arrogant. You would get haughty. It would become about you. See, every mighty man of God, every, every mighty woman of God, they meet, they may be confident when the Spirit moves on them. But this is what I've noticed. This is, this is me. I've noticed with every one of those who operate in the miraculous and the prophetic, most all of them in private are the most humble people you'll ever meet. They think nothing of themselves. And they, they reflect all glory up. Because they've spent time in the dark, while pieces of the clay was being broke off, so that they could have a more exceeding weight of glory placed on.

Here's what I know. This is where I get. I preached for an hour and two minutes. Wow, that's a long time. Stand with me. I'll keep preaching if you don't. He's shown me that this church is going to operate in the miraculous on a regular basis. But there's some of you that need to allow that treasure he placed inside of you to take you where it wants you to go. Because we are the hands and feet, you and I. And this isn't all about pastor praying with everybody. But I'm telling you, there are some of you in this place, that you're going to be the ones who talk and pray. Put your hands on them. Speak a word. Make a phone call. That's going to change. We're going to hear about it. And this city is going to know that if you want to see the glory of God, go to Center Pony Episode Church. You want to see the power of God manifest, go to Center Point Apostolic Church. We have to be united in this. And when we do, when we do, when we do, when we get in that one mind, in one accord, it moves. It moves back.

Will you buy your heads with me, if you're comfortable? Jesus, I have delivered my heart to you, to this people. This is your church today. It was the truth that is in your scripture. Everything that you directed me to say, I said. Now Lord, I turn this over to you. God, I know you desire to fill someone with the Holy Ghost today. So I pray right now that they would feel that pulling inside of them, that drawing, that your Spirit is pulling them to a place where they can come and know you. I'd fill somebody with the Holy Ghost today. God, I know that you are desiring to take individuals in this place to a deeper level, a more weighted glory. God, I pray that you would give them the courage, the courage to listen to the treasure's voice. God, take us to where you want us to be. Take this church where you want us to be. In the name of Jesus. In the mighty name of Jesus. Let it be done.

This place has already been prayed for today. There were ladies who get here early in the morning. They have prayed for God to do work. I feel it in my spirit. If you have a need, whatever it may be, this altar is open. If you need salvation, come. Come. He is here. If you need a healing, come. He is here. If you need to work through the level that you are at right now, to see what it is you need to learn, that Spirit needs to teach you that, I invite you to come. Don't miss this opportunity for what God is doing here today. This is a pivotal moment in our church. Please be sensitive and obedient to what the Spirit is doing. It's prayer time, church. It's prayer time. Will you come?