Sunday Evening Worship Service

Well, glory, glory. Well, Lord bless you. I'm going to let you move back to your seats. Again, we say welcome. So honored to see every one of you in the house of the Lord on this Sunday night. It's always a privilege to be at First Apostolic Church. We give greetings and honor to all of those who are joining us uh on our social media platforms, in our city, in our region, in our nation, and yes, even around the world. I would tell you I've been in contact with Pastor Whitley and Sister Ashley and Sister Easton. They've been at a missions conference in Munich, Germany. And it takes a a couple of days even to journey back. So, I'm praying for them as they begin their journey home sometime in the wee hours of the morning. It'll take a couple of days to get them back here and acclimated, but we're praying that the Lord would give them a safe journey from the European Missions Conference. Uh but I'm glad to see every one of you here in the house of the Lord. I want to take just a few moments to welcome several guests that we have. I want to welcome uh again Brother Curry and Sister Robin Bounds. Uh these are uh special folks. This is Brother Ken Bounds' brother. And we love you folks dearly. And I'll say they have friends that they brought with them tonight. We're glad to have David and Sandra Elliott with us. David and Sandra, honored to have you folks worshipping with us. Give them a great big hand. And I want to say welcome to Kiki. Glad to have you with us in the house of the Lord. Her first time being with us here at First Apostolic Church. We're honored to have you worshipping with us. And then say I've got special family here tonight. Uh Brother Allen Williams, this is my second cousin. And he called me, told me he was going to be in the house of the Lord with us tonight. And I'm also glad to have uh Pastor Marty. Honored to have you worshipping with us. Brother Caleb and Brother Jody, these folks are from Johnson City, Tennessee. And they drove all the way down to be in service with us here tonight at First Apostolic Church. And we are honored to have you worshipping with us, and we want you to feel the welcome of First Apostolic Church. Could we welcome all of our guests? And I as I tell everyone who they're in service with us, of course we're all one big family, the family of God. And while you may be a guest once, you only get to be a visitor one time. Then after that, you're home, folks. So, I'm glad to have all you home folks here tonight, and that thank you for being in the house of the Lord. I give honor to Bishop and Sister McCool. I give honor to my wife and Pastor Anthony. What a marvelous word we heard this morning. It's not over. Thank you for ministering to me and to the church. What an awesome awesome word we heard, and I'm excited that God is still providing and still looking out for his people. I want us to get right into the word of the Lord tonight. Again, I would repeat one announcement that Pastor Anthony made in particular. I'd remind all the ladies who are interested in attending the Women's Esprit Women's Conference in Gatlinburg this coming Thursday night, Friday and Friday night. You can get all the information you want concerning that event on the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ website. That's aljc.org. And they have all the registration information. I realize that this event is right here in our community, and some of you would would drive up and drive back, but there will be service on Thursday night, all day Friday, and then Friday night, and we encourage all the women of First Apostolic Church to be involved in that conference. Calling your attention tonight to a passage of scripture that is familiar to us, and we we use that term sometimes as a precursor to begin reading scripture. All the word is familiar to Bible readers and those who study, but there are some passages some passages that are particularly dear to us and give us encouragement and strength. One such would be found in the book of Galatians the fifth chapter. The book of Galatians the fifth chapter. We're going to read a few verses. Galatians 5 beginning with number one. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the law. You're fallen from grace. For we through the spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision. But faith which worketh by love. Notice that statement. But faith which worketh by love. Then he goes on to say, "You did run well. Who hath hindered you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion cometh not of him that called you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. For a few moments tonight, I'm to speak to you on this subject, faith which worketh by love. Faith which worketh by love. Let's pray. Mighty God, we're grateful to be in your presence, and we thank you that we have already experienced your mighty power. Lord, once again, we know that you're the omnipresent savior. You are everywhere. But Lord, your word also lets us know that you manifest yourself where praise is and where your people are. Now God, I pray that we would give worthy sacrifices of praise, that you would manifest yourself in our presence as you have already done in this service. Lord, let us study your word that it would be an ever-present reminder of just how great you are and your saving power and grace. Lord, for all this we're grateful and thankful. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Faith which worketh by love. Verse 7 of this passage of scripture makes this statement. It said, "You did run well. Who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" That term hinder jumps out to understand the things that hamper our progress. In fact, the term hinder defines it means to make something slow, difficult, make the progress unable to go, to hold back, to prevent, to check, to delay, to impede, to prevent an action. And you see, our lives, indeed, seem to have to be challenged by many hindrances. Traffic jams, long lines, extra paperwork, unexpected bad weather, oversleeping, overeating, social media, nobody's saying amen. Gaming, phone scrolling, spam calls, can I get a witness? Procrastination and delay. There are a lot of things that hinder us in the natural. You know, there are some days that just seem you get up, everything is perfect. Everything falls into place. You arrive early for your appointment. You have all the answers. The sun is shining. Everything is great. No hindrances on that day. Oh, but there are other days. It seems everything just gets in your way. You're late. Your hair, what little bit you might or may not have, just didn't work out right. There was a traffic jam and you're already late. You forgot to fill up with fuel and that little fuel tank light's starting to come on in your car. Everything seems to be hindering you. The weather's lousy. It's just a tough day. And if we're not careful, life's hindrances that are temporary can become a lasting hindrance that permanently redirects us from our number one calling in Christ. It can ultimately take us away from what we really should be doing. In our text, Paul is not addressing rank sinners. Paul is addressing the church at Galatia concerning the doctrine of circumcision and as to whether it was something that was essential to salvation and to conversion. In summary, he's telling them, "Some of you folks, you have the liberty, the freedom that has set us free from those old laws and the requirements of being part of those laws, and you're trying to return to the bondage versus the liberty that the grace of God and the truth of who Jesus really is has opened the door for you. And this has become a divisive hindrance within the church. It's a distraction that's taking us away from faith and the work of God's love in our life." Now, notice, he said, "You did run well, but who hindered you?" He didn't say what hindered you. He had already identified the what here. It was the doctrine of circumcision, as to whether you must be circumcised to be a part of the church. He didn't need to identify the what. He said, "Who has hindered you?" I submit to you that Satan is the hinderer. Satan wants to put anything in your way that he can just to hinder you from doing the work of God and truly by faith being obedient to what God's WORD SAYS. IF I CAN PUT A DELAY, if I CAN PUT A DISTRACTION in everybody's way, I'm not wanting them to sit DOWN AND QUIT, BUT LET ME FIND SOME LITTLE PETTY DOCTRINE HERE. I CAN DETER THE CHURCH AT GALATIA FROM FOLLOWING THE SAVING FAITH and grace message because they're going to be arguing over whether you need to be circumcised or not to be a part of the church. He called it bondage to the law. He He said this going back to those old YOU SEE, THESE LAWS CAME FROM A DIFFERENT DISPENSATION, the dispensation OF LAW. BUT APPARENTLY WHEN PAUL started pointing this out it caused some people to rise up, or more succinctly, you might say he got a rise out of some of the folks. That's You know, that's a common vernacular nowadays. If you get a rise out of somebody, that means you deliberately provoke or annoy them. Causes an emotional response or an angry reaction. And then he went on to say, he said a little leaven in leaveneth the whole lump. He He caused something to rise up. Well, that term a little leaven in leaveneth the whole lump took me back to our southern roots. For the staple of we southerners in particular is the southern breakfast cuisine of a butter-slathered biscuit. Now, somebody may really Somebody may run before I finish. Whether it's sopping up red-eye gravy or a juicy slice of country ham. Whether it has wild honey mixed with real salted Irish butter or it has good old sausage biscuit gravy on top of it. Can I get a witness in the house? A light, FEATHERY BISCUIT THAT HAS BEEN golden brown and it has risen just right. Man oh man oh man. But I also admit one of the biggest disappointments is to be expecting that kind of biscuit and get one that's flat and hadn't risen. I remember hearing my grandpa McCool one time say he he he had tried to bake some biscuits and they came out and they were just flat. He said, "I'm sorry about my biscuits." He said they squatted to rise and got baked in the squat. But you see my mama always used White Lily self-rising flour. Can I get a witness, mama? And when she MADE THOSE BISCUITS, THEY WERE SO FLUFFY and light, they would rise. You would think you were going to have to put weights on them to hold them on the table. WHEN SISTER JAMIE moved here from Ohio, one of the things she started doing, she went to my mama and she said, "I want to know how to make biscuits properly." Mama said, "Get you some White Lily self-rising flour." And before long, at my house, it was my my my. Now, uh uh you know, it's not hardly Bible, but I'll tell you this. Uh I- if there's not something more important than biscuits, uh McDonald's would have started making uh toast and gravy instead of biscuits and gravy. Toast may work in a pinch, but thank God for our Southern heritage. I'll put it that way. But before I get distracted too much and we get distracted too much. Get the point. THERE WAS A RISING AGENT THAT CAUSED IT TO RISE. THE HEAT PAUL SAID, "I I'M GOING TO STIR UP THE CHURCH HERE. I'M ABOUT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU FOLKS ARE GOING BACK TO THE BONDAGE of the OLD LAW WHEN GRACE HAS BEEN INSTITUTED. AT THE CRUCIFIXION, A NEW DISPENSATION HAS TAKEN PLACE. NO LONGER WILL IT BE OLD LAW. NO LONGER WILL IT BE THOSE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THAT OLD LAW THAT DETERMINES WHO YOU ARE. INSTEAD, JESUS HAS PAID IT ALL." I CAME TO TELL EVERYBODY IN THE house we're still in the dispensation of grace. It has not changed. And that if THAT GETS A RISE OUT OF YOU, LET ME TALK to you just a little bit. FOR YOU SEE, THE THING WE'VE GOT TO BE LIVING BY IS LIVING BY FAITH WHICH IS WORK work by love. You see, he was making a comparison here. HE HE WAS EMPHASIZING THAT WHEN you go back TO THESE OLD LAW IDEA, HE SAID, "STAND FAST in liberty." You wouldn't think you had to encourage folks to want to be free. But it had risen up in the church, a hindrance, a distraction, if you will, arguing over a NON-ESSENTIAL DOCTRINE THAT SOME WAS TRYING TO MAKE A DOCTRINE. NOW, stay with me. Now, LET ME BE CLEAR. PAUL WAS NOT dismissing moral law from the Old Testament. Otherwise, that would discount the Ten Commandments. Instead, he is reaffirming the message of God's saving grace and truth in a new dispensation of grace. HE SAID, "I NEED TO MAKE SOME THINGS CLEAR." HEBREWS SAID IT THIS WAY IN Hebrews 10:1. FOR THE LAW HAVING A SHADOW OF GOOD THINGS TO COME, THERE WAS A SEASON WHEN THE LAW WAS IMPORTANT. AND NOT the very image of the things can never WITH THOSE SACRIFICES WHICH THEY OFFERED YEAR BY year continually make the comers there into perfect. He's reminding them of old law. The old law before the crucifixion was you didn't really get your sins remitted, you just pushed them ahead one more year with a blood sacrifice. In fact, at one time when Jesus was walking the earth, this is what the problem was when he went into the the house of worship and he said, "This this place should be a house of prayer and you've made it a den of thieves." They had turned it into a such a ritual. They had many changers that you could BUY YOUR SACRIFICE. THEY HAD TAKEN forgiveness from sin to a new level of uh being able to just purchase your sacrifice. Your sacrifice was no sacrifice at all. You could give a a sacrifice in anonymity. You could purchase a turtle dove or you could purchase this and purchase this and HAVE IT OFFERED WITHOUT anyone knowing. For your sins were not being forgiven. He goes on to say, "For then would they not have ceased to be offered? If these things forgave sin," he said, "you wouldn't have to offer any more sacrifices." Because that the worshipers once purged should have no more conscience of sin. BUT IN THOSE SACRIFICE, THERE IS A REMEMBRANCE AGAIN made of sins every year. Can you imagine? Every year your sin was being brought back up to push it ahead one more year. FOR IT IS NOT POSSIBLE THAT THE BLOOD OF BULLS AND OF goats should take away sins. Now, this may be rudimentary and fundamental to some of us, but let me tell everybody in THE HOUSE, THERE'S SOME that do not UNDERSTAND FULLY WHAT HAPPENED WHEN CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS. THERE WAS A NEW DISPENSATION OF GRACE, A NEW SALVATION MESSAGE THAT WAS APPEARING ON THE SCENE. NO LONGER WOULD IT BE OFFERING THE BLOOD OF GOATS AND BULLS TO PUSH MY SINS AHEAD, BUT THERE WAS FORGIVENESS TAKING PLACE. VERSE 10 SAYS, "BY THE WHICH WILL WE WILL WE ARE SACRIFICED THROUGH THE OFFERING OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST ONCE AND FOR ALL." WHEN HE PAID THE PRICE, THERE WAS A NEW DISPENSATION, THERE WAS A SALVATION COMING TO ALL MANKIND. AND LET ME TELL YOU, WHEN IT STARTED ON THAT DAY, IT HAS NOT CEASED TILL OCTOBER THE 18TH, 2026, HIS BLOOD STILL COVERING SIN. HE'S STILL FORGIVING YOUR SINS TODAY. >> >> OH, HALLELUJAH. ROMANS 5:8 SAID, "BUT GOD COMMENDED HIS LOVE TOWARD US IN THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US." THAT WAS HIS LOVE. NOW, NOW REMEMBER, PAUL WAS TELLING THE CHURCH, "If you're preaching this doctrine of circumcision." It said, "If you're circumcised or you're not circumcised." HE SAID, "IT DON'T MATTER." BUT FAITH, WHICH WORKETH by love, ROMANS SAID, "BUT GOD COMMENDED HIS love toward us." It was because of a loving savior that he would hang ON THE CROSS SINLESS TO DIE FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR SINS. OH, PREACHER, I'VE HEARD THIS CRUCIFIXION MESSAGE BEFORE, BUT OH, HEAR ME AGAIN TONIGHT. I DON'T WANT to lose my liberty. I don't want to go back to the rudiments and the fundamentals of old law. He said, "Much more than being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath through him." Romans 5:20, "Moreover, the law entered in that offense might abound." BUT WHERE SIN ABOUNDED, GRACE DID MUCH MORE ABOUND. OH, HALLELUJAH. THAT MEANS THERE'S NO SIN YOU'VE DONE. YOU HAD CAN'T BE TOO BAD FOR THE BLOOD. NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE, WHERE YOU'VE BEEN, HOW FAR GO DOWN YOU'VE GONE, THERE IS NO SIN TOO GREAT FOR THE BLOOD. CAN I GET A WITNESS in this house? HALLELUJAH. I DON'T CARE WHAT THE ENEMY'S BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU. DON'T YOU GO BACK TO SOME FROM OLD WAYS THAT YOU'VE GOT TO DO MORE THAN SOMEBODY ELSE. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, HE WANTS TO FORGIVE EVERY SIN. THAT'S WHAT HE DIED FOR. EPHESIANS 2:4 said, "But God, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE loved us, even when we were dead in sins, he has quickened us together WITH CHRIST BY GRACE YE ARE SAVED." WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? NOTICE THE SYMBOLISM. He said, "Your heart may still be beating, but you're dead in sin." When you're a sinner, you may be walking the streets, but you're dead in sin. Now, please understand when we start talking about the grace of God, scripture has to all be considered. For there would be those who would try to take advantage of the real grace of God. And they would misinterpret the grace of God. Jude said it this way. For there are certain men crept in unaware. Certain men crept in unaware, there's going to be these creeps that go Well, they crept. THERE'S CERTAIN MEN CREPT IN UNAWARE WHO WERE BEFORE OF OLD ORDAINED TO THIS CONDEMNATION, UNGODLY MEN. NOW, now Let's The Bible says what it means, means what it says, it has definitions. It said they were ordained of old. Now, if if you look up the term ordained, that means to officially make someone a minister, priest, or rabbi, to be ordained. What that MEANS IS THERE WOULD BE THOSE WHO WOULD PREACH GRACE, BUT THEY WOULD preach grace wrong. For it said FOR THERE ARE CERTAIN MEN CREPT IN UNAWARE WHO WERE BEFORE of old ordained to this condemnation, UNGODLY MEN, TURNING THE GRACE OF OUR God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God our Lord Jesus Christ. Let me tell you, I don't care if they've got more degrees behind their name than a thermometer. If somebody's preaching a message to you that you can live any old way and do any old thing and and and and keep on sinning and God's grace covers it, that's a creepy message. That's not what the grace of God does. The grace does not GIVE A LICENSE TO SIN. THE GRACE OF GOD GIVES US STRENGTH TO LIVE A SINLESS LIFE, TO CHANGE OUR LIFE AROUND, NOT TO BE SINNERS ANYMORE, TO BE REPRESENTATIVES OF CHRIST. OH, HEAR ME IN THIS HOUSE. >> >> PAUL ADDRESSED THIS misunderstanding of law versus grace in Romans. He said WHAT IN ROMANS 6:1? WHAT SHALL WE WHAT SHALL WE SAY THEN? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. HOW SHALL WE THAT ARE DEAD TO SIN LIVE ANY LONGER THEREIN? NOW, UNDERSTAND THE SYMBOLISM. HE SAID FIRST WE WERE DEAD IN SIN, but once THE GRACE OF GOD IS ENACTED IN OUR LIFE, WE ARE DEAD FROM SIN. >> >> HOW SHALL WE THAT ARE DEAD TO SIN LIVE ANY LONGER THEREIN? KNOW YE NOT THAT SO MANY OF US WERE BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST? WE'RE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH. UH-OH. NOW, they're starting to be A REVELATION COME FORWARD. THIS IS THIS IS WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN. NOW, I WAS WITH YOU, PREACHER, to as YOU LONG AS YOU TALKED ABOUT grace and and the grace OF GOD SAYING THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE. YOU GOT TO BE BAPTIZED into Christ. YOU GOT TO BE BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH. THEREFORE, NOW SYMBOLISM OF BEING alive and dead. Now, what do you do with dead folks? You bury them. THEREFORE, WE ARE BURIED WITH HIM BY BAPTISM INTO HIS DEATH THAT LIKE AS CHRIST WAS RAISED UP FROM THE DEAD BY THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, EVEN SO WE SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE. FOR IF WE HAVE BEEN PLANTED TOGETHER IN THE LIKENESS OF DEATH, WE ALL WE SHALL BE ALSO IN THE LIKENESS of his resurrection. Now, right behind that screen, never been here before. There's There's three big electric motors up there. And we can lift that screen up right there because there's a baptismal pool back there. Now, the reason that's there is because if you have never taken on the name of Jesus in water baptism, we want you to be baptized. We want you to experience that wonderful enacting of his grace. YOU SEE, IT'S SYMBOLIC. But it is of necessity. It's not an option. It's of a necessity for his grace. YOU YOU SEE, YOU YOU need to go down in the water. What's happening? WHEN WE REPENT OF OUR SINS, we're saying, "I'm sorry for my sin." And we're making a confession before God. Now, I realize there are some who think, "Well, you got to make this public confession, get up in front of the church, tell everybody everything you've done." Nope. Church can't forgive you sins. You need to talk to the forgiver. You need to get on your knees and talk to Jesus and say, "I NEED YOU TO FORGIVE MY SINS." THAT'S THAT'S CALLED REPENTANCE. And you see, when you repent of your sins, then the next step is you're putting you're putting to death that old sinful man. And when you put a sinful man to death, you need to bury him. And that's what was being stated in Romans. We are buried with him. That look That water up there, that's not holy water. That's good old Knoxville Utility Board water. But it's a spiritual act of obedience that takes on supernatural significance. You are in obedience to the word of the Lord. Taking on Jesus. You're taking on JESUS IN YOUR LIFE. YOU SEE, IT SAID FOR HE THAT IS THIS VERSE SEVEN. FOR HE THAT IS DEAD is freed from sin. Now, if we be DEAD WITH CHRIST, WE BELIEVE THAT WE SHALL ALSO LIVE WITH HIM. KNOWING THAT CHRIST BEING RAISED FROM THE DEAD DIED NO MORE, DEATH HATH NO DOMINION NO more dominion over us. FOR IN THAT HE DIED, HE DIED UNTO SIN ONCE, BUT IN THAT HE LIVETH, HE liveth unto God. YOU SEE, WHEN YOU'RE BURIED in his NAME AND YOU COME UP, YOU'RE A NEW CREATURE. YOUR SINS HAVE BEEN REMITTED, HAVE BEEN WASHED AWAY. LET NOT SIN THEREFORE REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY THAT YOU SHOULD OBEY IT IT IN the lust thereof. Neither yield you your members AS INSTRUMENTS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS unto sin. Verse 15 to that same chapter just to expedite time. What then? Shall we sin? Because we are not under the law but under grace? A rhetorical question with a simple answer. He said, "GOD FORBID." KNOW YE not that to whom you yield yourself SERVANTS TO OBEY, HIS SERVANTS YOU ARE TO WHOM YOU OBEY, WHETHER OF SIN unto death or OBEDIENCE UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS? BUT GOD BE THANKED THAT YOU were the servants OF SIN, BUT YOU HAVE OBEYED FROM THE HEART THAT FORM OF DOCTRINE WHICH IS DELIVERED UNTO YOU. BEING THEN MADE FREE FROM SIN, YE BECOME THE SERVANTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. OH, I DON'T NEED SOME OLD LAW OF CIRCUMCISION WHEN I REPENT OF MY SINS AND I'M BAPTIZED IN HIS NAME AND I'M FILLED WITH HIS SPIRIT. Back in the Old Testament, there were a season when they'd just been delivered from Egypt that uh they got to mumbling and complaining because they hadn't made it to the promised land yet. They'd been delivered, but they hadn't made it to where they were their ultimate destination was. Some got so disgusted with the journey. And they complained. You can read about this in Numbers 14. Uh uh they murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And they begin making outrageous statements. They said, "Man, I wish I'd have died in Egypt instead of being out here wandering around in this wilderness." In fact, some of them got together and they It says this in uh this passage. It said and they said one to another, let me let me give you exactly where that is. In In Numbers 14 4, they said one to another, "Let us make a captain and let us return into Egypt." I heard Bishop Collingsworth one time in the pulpit. He said he called him Captain Coward. Bible didn't give him a name, so Bishop named him. He said, "He's Captain Coward." Let me tell you, when you've been delivered from sin, you don't need to go back to sin. You don't need to go BACK TO EGYPT. GOD WILL CHANGE YOUR DIRECTION. HE'LL HE'LL Let me TELL YOU, I SMOKE ALL THE DOPE I WANT TO. OH, LORD, PREACHER, did you say yeah? God will change you want to. I drink ALL THE BOOZE I WANT TO. GOD WILL CHANGE YOU WANT TO. HE'LL CHANGE YOUR HEART WHEN YOU MAKE A COMMITMENT TO HIM. WHEN OH, SOMEBODY HEAR ME IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT. I'M TELLING SOMEBODY YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE ANY MORE HINDRANCES AND DISTRACTIONS. GOD'S GOT SALVATION FOR YOU IN THIS HOUSE TONIGHT. GOD'S GOT SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOU HERE TONIGHT. IT'S NOT BY ACCIDENT YOU'RE HERE. DON'T YOU GET YOUR HAT PACKED AND THEN GO BACK TO EGYPT. YOU SEE, HEBREWS 10:26 SAID, "FOR IF WE SIN WILLFULLY AFTER THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THE knowledge of the truth." Look, you hear in truth, "THERE REMAINETH NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SIN." If you've taken the grace of God and turned it into lasciviousness, that that means that you Lascivious means the lust of THE FLESH OR A DESIRE TO MAKE others lust. Some limit that to a perverse sexual sin, but it's a desire for all the lust of the flesh. Grace is not a license to sin. It's a power over sin in our lives. That's why Jesus said in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." We're going to minister to a lot of creatures. In fact, most of us, at one time or another, we were creatures ourselves. But, 2 Corinthians 5:17 said, "Therefore, if any man be in Christ, HE IS A A CREATURE." I'M STILL A CREATURE. I'M A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST. ALL THINGS HAVE PASSED AWAY. BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW. >> >> AND ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD, WHO HAS RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF BY JESUS CHRIST AND HAS GIVEN US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. OH, HALLELUJAH. AGAIN, verse 20 said, "NOW THEN, WE ARE AMBASSADORS for Christ. We are representatives of Christ." That's an ambassador goes around knowing he's not just or she's not just reckon the or not just representing themselves, they're representing Christ. They send ambassadors from our government to other governments around the world. And those folks are responsible for carrying the message of our government leadership. It's not just about them. It's about who they represent. I'm an ambassador of Christ. You're an ambassador of Christ. When you take his name on, you become an ambassador for him. For he has made us or for he has made him to be sin for us. Again, back to the crucifixion message. Who knew no sin. That he might be made the righteousness of God in him. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. It doesn't say, "He that believeth and is saved shall be baptized." It say says, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. There's an act of obedience. I already said it's the obedience unto Christ. 1 Peter 3:21 said the like figure WHERE INTO EVEN BAPTISM DEATH ALSO NOW SAVE US. NOT THE PUTTING away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, preacher what do you tell me? We don't have the hindrance of the message of circumcision. But we do have hindrances that Satan still places away. Praise team and musicians get ready. Make your way on up. The hindrance of unconfessed sin. Which means harboring or refusing to turn away from the known sins that are creating a barrier between you and God. The psalmist said it this way in Psalm 66:18, if I regard iniquity in my heart, in other words, I keep it the Lord will not hear me. That's unrepented sin. Unforgiveness or bitterness. Mark 11:25 and when you stand praying forgive. If you have ought against any that your father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Unconfessed sin, unforgiveness and bitterness. Now, there's a responsibility to be unrighteous. Your relationship, all you married men, your relationship with your wife is important, so you're not hindered. 1 Peter 3:7 said, "Likewise you husband Likewise you husband dwell with them according to knowledge giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel as being heirs together of the grace of life." Now, this is not talking about saving grace. This is the graces of life. Of of being graceful in your living, being that ambassador that's talking about, that your prayers be not hindered. Let me tell you. You ought to get along with your spouse so your prayers won't be hindered. Hebrews said this. And if you're getting nothing out of this message, at least you're getting a lot of word. I hope you're staying with me cuz I'm reading a lot of word to you tonight. Hebrews 12:11 said, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Now, what did our original text say? It said, "You did run well." Somebody's been hindering you. There's weights in our lives that weight us down and keep us from running the race that we should. Paul was reminding the church in Galatia, "You're neglecting preaching truth in faith and the love of God for a pointless, meaningless doctrine." He said, "You need to be preaching truth." What is truth? Well, Well, me tell you what the simple truth of salvation is. They when Peter stood up on the day of Pentecost, he had preached the same message, the crucifixion of Christ and him resurrected. That's the message that Peter had preached. He preached Christ crucified and resurrected. And he PREACHED IT SO POWERFULLY THAT THOSE WHO WERE AROUND, the Bible says they were pricked in their hearts. And they said, "What shall we do?" Here's the truth that Peter was wanting, or rather that Paul was still wanting to be preached in Galatia and all the churches. Here's what Peter said. He said, "Repent, be baptized, every one of you. Not all those you choose to, not those who says it's an option." He said, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of the one that died for you, Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the HOLY GHOST." WHO'S IT FOR? "FOR THE PROMISE IS UNTO YOU and to your CHILDREN AND TO ALL THAT ARE FAR OFF, EVEN AS many as the LORD OUR GOD SHALL CALL." IF GOD'S CALLED YOU, HE'S GOT THE HOLY GHOST FOR YOU IN THIS HOUSE. If you This is so easy. THIS IS JUST WHAT THE WORD SAYS. PAUL PAUL WAS SAYING, "GALATIA, QUIT WORRYING ABOUT THESE OTHER THINGS RIGHT NOW. JUST PREACH THE TRUTH. REPENT. BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF THE ONE THAT DIED FOR YOU, IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST." Stand with me. Praise I don't know what you plan to sing. But just in case. Y'all sang earlier song about I've witnessed your faithfulness. You know what I'm talking about. I want you get that song ready for me. So, change whatever you decided to do, okay? I want to take you to one more happening. But let me tell you. If you are devout in your desire, God will give you revelation as you study the word. Too many folks are worried about labels. I've got to be this like I got to forget labels. What's the word speaking to your heart and telling you? In Acts 8, we talked about this in Bible study the other night, but some of y'all weren't here. In Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship. And very likely, he had been stopped from going in to the house of worship because he was a eunuch. And old law back then said, "Because you're a eunuch, you're not allowed to go and worship." Now, he apparently had been studying. For he had a copy of the scrolls, if you will. And so, he was journeying back from a failed attempt to worship. But there was something he knew that he needed. And so, the Ethiopian eunuch in his chariot, And was a man of great authority from Egypt. And he had stopped and paused and he he started reading from the scrolls. And miraculously God had led Philip to be on this same journey. And Philip approached him and heard him reading he said, "Do you understand what you're reading?" He said, "How can I understand this without a preacher? I need >> >> I need somebody to explain this to me." In Acts 8:35 here's how Philip explained things to the Ethiopian eunuch. It says, "Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus." He didn't preach any doctrines. He didn't preach any ideologies or theologies. Philip said, "I'm going TO PREACH JESUS TO YOU. LET ME TELL YOU IF YOU'LL PREACH JESUS >> >> OH, HALLELUJAH. IF WE'LL JUST PREACH JESUS TO THIS LOST WORLD. HE PREACHED AND UNDERSTAND HE GOT UP IN THE CHARIOT WITH THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH. AND THE BIBLE SAYS AS THEY WENT ON THEIR way they came unto a certain water. Now, they were in the desert. They were in a wilderness place. But God knew there was an honest-hearted Ethiopian eunuch. He sent a man to speak to him. And as he preached Jesus the Ethiopian eunuch Now is it too much for me to even connect the dots when he preached Jesus? Something told the Ethiopian eunuch he needed to be baptized. That That's what happened when he preached Jesus. He He He He He knew he needed to be baptized. For here's what the Ethiopian eunuch said. >> >> He said, "See, here is water. What doth hinder me to be baptized?" It's time to remove every hindrance. The water's here. You're here. I have clothes for men, women, boys, and girls. I've got a man of God that will baptize you. Just as >> >> Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. Now, but notice, Philip didn't say, "Boom, let's just get in the water." But the next thing he said, he said, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." He said, "I'M NOT GOING TO BAPTIZE YOU IF YOU'RE NOT BELIEVING." I believe is part of the salvation message. Believing If If If you DON'T BELIEVE, ALL YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS GET ALL WET. OH, BUT IF you believe But let me also tell you this, if you believe and you really believe, you'll act on what you believe. Somebody runs in the building and says the building's building's on fire. You can say I believe it all you want to. If you really believe it, you'll act on it and skedaddle. Listen. He said, >> >> "If you believe with all thine heart, thou mayest." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." When When on Jesus, he commanded the chariot to stand still. They went down both into the water. Now, again, stay with me. This is so exciting. This is so good. This scripture is so beautiful. Now, understand, they went down into the water. >> >> Now, it's symbolic of death, burial, resurrection. Now, when in the natural, if it's symbolic, when we when we bury somebody, we didn't go sprinkle a little dirt on them. We put them under. 6 ft under. Let me tell you, if you're going to be buried with Christ, you need to go down in the water. He took the Ethiopian eunuch, and they both they went both DOWN IN THE WATER, BOTH PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH, AND HE BAPTIZED HIM. AND WHEN THEY WERE COME UP OUT OF THE WATER, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAUGHT PHILIP AWAY, AND THE EUNUCH SAW HIM NO MORE, and they went on his way rejoicing. Let me tell you. We got water. We got clothes. We got truth. What doth hinder thee? What doth hinder thee? Not tomorrow. Not next week. Romans said it this way, and that knowing the time, that now it IS HIGH TIME TO WAKE OUT OF YOUR SLEEP, FOR NOW IS salvation nearer than when WE BELIEVED. I'M CLOSING THAT. YOU'LL THINK I'M QUITTING. Let me tell you. If you're in this house, and you haven't repented of your sins, I'm going to open this altar in just a moment. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Scripture tells us all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. I want you if if If got unrepented sin in your life, whatever it may be, I want you to lead the charge. You will not come alone, for there are others just as you and who have been just as you that will come with you to pray. And you can pray a a prayer of repentance. And as I told you, if you've never been baptized in the lovely name of Jesus, we'll baptize you tonight in Jesus' name. Now is the time. And you are promised the gift of the Holy Ghost. I want us to pray, then I'm going to open the altar. Let's pray right now. Mighty God, I love you. God, we have brought your word as you have ordained it to be so. In the name of Jesus right now. God, I pray every heart in this room would receive your word. Lord, let not let me not be bound by any distraction or any hindrances. Lord, let there not be anything that would stand in my way from being obedient to your word. But God, I give all to you this night. Lord, knowing full well that the power of the Holy Ghost is your spirit dwelling in me, and that's what I want. I want to be filled with your spirit. To be filled with your spirit, I'll repent of my sins. I'll take your name on in obedience in water baptism. We believe it in Jesus' name. Now, would you start stepping out all over this place? If you're in this house, would you come and join us for a season of prayer around the altar? Thank God for the faithfulness of God. Faith, faithfulness, and the love of God. Sing it unto the Lord. >> >> Sing it. >> >> And the lights are bright up here. So, I have to look just a little bit. But, if there's anybody in this house, don't you be ashamed. If you'd like to be baptized in the name of Jesus tonight, if you'll raise your hand and lift your hand, leave it up. We'll prepare you for baptism. Is there one? Is there one? Hallelujah. Hallelujah. All right. All right. Then, we're going to sing this chorus one more time. And I want us to thank God. I want us to thank him for truth and for the guidance and let's reaffirm in our lives I will not be hindered from my mission to be an ambassador for Christ. I will not be deterred by any distraction from doing what God would have me to do. Would you sing for us again? Hallelujah, sing it. >> >> Now lift your hands in praise thanking the Lord for all he's done. Savior, I praise you. Savior, I worship you. I honor your mighty presence. God, I pray that your word would go deep in our hearts. Let us take this word tonight and let it cause us to respond to be greater witnesses and ambassadors for you. Lord, let everything that we do, we do in your name giving honor and praise to your mighty grace. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen and amen. Would you greet your brothers and sisters around you? You're dismissed in Jesus' name.