Sunday Evening Worship Service

aren't you glad to be in the house of the Lord on Sunday night if you are would you say another hearty amen say Amen Lord bless you I'm going to let you move towards your seats don't get too comfortable sitting though I hope we can have a holy ghost move in this house like we do all the time that's nothing strange that's nothing new I'm excited about what's going to what God's gonna do for us tonight I give honor to all of our leadership I give honor to all the ministering folks in this assembly what a privilege it is to be at First Apostolic church again tonight and I thank you First Apostolic church I Echo the words of Bishop thank you for opening your hearts and giving we will give you a report next week I'm so thankful for your free giving to the work in South America and I know that God is going to bless you for your faithful giving and I know that we're going to hear great results about what's happening in Argentina I want to get right into the word of the Lord but I must also say thank you Pastor Anthony for a wonderful word this morning to keep us reminded to remember the journeys that we are on and what God has done for us and to honor those things and let them be the guideposts for what we're doing now and what we intend to do I call your attention tonight to the book of First Corinthians the 12th chapter First Corinthians the 12th chapter we're going to read near the end of the chapter but I would encourage you if you want to follow along with your Bible to keep First Corinthians 12 handy because I'm going to go back to earlier passages of this chapter later on but I'm I'm going to start at the end you know sometimes you find a a good book That's so exciting that you slip ahead and read some of the back chapters before you finish reading the whole book well we're going to start in this chapter near the end and then we may go back so stay with me first Corinthians 12 verse 27. now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular and God had set some in the church first apostles secondarily prophets thirdly teachers after that Miracles then Gifts of healing helps governments diversities of tongues are all Apostles are all prophets are all teachers or all workers of Miracles have all the gift of healing do all speak with tongues do all interpret but covet earnestly the best gifts and yet shall I unto you a more excellent way I would draw our title from that last statement and I would simply preach to First Apostolic church tonight about a more excellent way let's pray savior I love you What a Mighty presence of your power we have felt already in this service and through this day Lord I Thank you for the Ministries that have gone throughout this campus from every class to Pia service to every individual that's already been touched by your power now God I pray that your word would Minister to my heart tonight look Lord let me speak what you'd have me to speak let me speak to the church as you would have me to say Lord we're grateful and thankful for this opportunity in Jesus name we pray amen a more excellent way build a better mousetrap and the world will be the path to your door this is a phrase attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson in the late 19th century the phrase is a metaphor about the power of innovation but in our passage of scripture that I read in your hearing apparently Paul is telling the church at Corinth that the diversity of spiritual gifts available to God's church when manifest would make the Excellence of the church even more excellent when the chapter begins we find Paul's intention for writing this chapter is to educate the church on diversities of spiritual gifts available to the Believers and to eliminate the word he uses ignorance concerning them First Corinthians 12 going back to verse 1 States this now concerning spiritual gifts Brethren I would not have you to be ignorant he said I need to educate you on something he's speaking to the Corinthian Church he said I need to educate you about something on concerning spiritual gifts you know that ye were Gentiles you know where you came from you know your pedigree in your past you were Gentiles carried away unto these dumb Idols even as ye were LED you you were into some idolatry you were into some goofy stuff but now you're the church and I don't want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaketh by the spirit of God calleth Jesus a cursed and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost the NIV reads this way concerning this same passage therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the spirit of God says Jesus be cursed if Jesus sent you in your message you got the wrong message if Jesus isn't in the church you're in the wrong Church and no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Ghost let me tell you the church will be moved on by the power of the Holy Ghost if we're going to have excellence in the church now I realize there are things that happen around us I'm excited I don't know about you but I'm excited now if you hadn't heard of it don't worry about it but I may as well go ahead and tell you about it I'm excited because there's reports of Revival and the Holy Ghost falling around the world well some of you seem to be excited said the Holy Ghost is moving around the world there's Revival falling now I want you to understand sometimes we're a little bit nervous if something like this is mentioned you know what some of us feel like some of us feel like if it didn't grow in our garden it ain't cabbage let me tell you I I'm excited about it we've been promised in time Revival what are you waiting on you see I'm not here to condemn or condone I'm not here to assassinate or assist I'm here to tell you let God work where God's going to work yeah I knew that preacher he's going to go after some kind of wildfire you better hear me the Holy Ghost is going to do what it wants to do when it wants to do it are we going to back up from what we believe and teach not one iota but I'm here to tell you we've been praying for end time Revival we've been praying for the Holy Ghost to follow the All Flesh brother O'Brien why should I be nervous about it We Know Who We Are you can be seated hear me a diverse multi-generational Multicultural church should be a more excellent Church and proceed in a more excellent way First Corinthians 12 4 said now there are diversities of gifts but the Same Spirit there are differences of administration but the same Lord there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all but the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit with all or to profit all for to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom to another the word of knowledge by The Same Spirit to another Faith by The Same Spirit to another Gifts of healing by The Same Spirit to another the working of me he said I don't want you to be ignorant now don't be dumb hear what I'm preaching tonight to another the working of Miracles I'm just reading your book to another prophecy to another Discerning of spirits to another diverse kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues but all these worketh that one and the self Same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will [Applause] he said diversities of gifts differences of administration diversities of operation but it would be the same Spirit the same Lord the same God could I give you an example not every church is called to have a Christian School and brother Anthony so aptly explained to us that we don't Lord the blessings that God has given us by putting somebody else down not everybody has the calling to have a Christian school and I'm not going to condemn other churches that don't have a Christian School well if you were really moved by God you'd have a Christian School like that's no God called us there's different administrations there's different operations there's a diversity that takes place in the kingdom of God and whatever God calls us to do we need to do it with excellence he said I show you a more excellent way that term diversity you see the enemy tries to grab things and pervert them I'm not afraid of the term diversity in fact the term diversity defined by Webster says the condition of having or being composed of different elements variety especially the inclusion of people of different races cultures in a group or organization inclusion does not mean we include sin in the church inclusion means we include Sinners and show them the right way that they can get out of sin we don't include sin into the church but we do include Sinners I will never sinner we can get to come through those doors I've got what they need you've got what they need I'm Not Afraid as Sinners I'm not afraid of people with problems oh if we're not careful the enemy will take terminology and he'll twist it and wrist it and pervert it to say oh I knew that's one of those diversity churches they're taking in every kind of sin no sir I won't ever sinner we can get in the house and we're going to teach them the right way from the word of God the word hasn't changed we're going to direct ly a more excellent church needs to be a diverse Church I said a more excellent church needs to be a diverse Church now let me illustrate everybody say anything can happen say anything can happen man that that sounds so good say it again say anything can happen camera people you better get ready anything can happen then you graduate from a Christian School would you say anything can happen anything can happen [Applause] just a young man just getting started out in life some of y'all are sweating already brother Alex doctor said you wasn't even supposed to be around stand up a minute doctor said told his mom and dad he wasn't even supposed to be brought into this world would you say anything anything can happen can happen I said anything can happen there's a diversity of stories in this house well preacher I'm feeling pretty good about this you know Bishop how old are you again 86. going on 87. Bishop you've been in this thing a long time you've seen everything that could happen would you tell everybody what can happen anything can happen any can happen even when you're 86 and a half but but wait a minute there's more Generations coming on two granddaughters over here stand up ladies I don't want anybody shy I'll give you a three count cause I love you to to say anything can happen one two three I said we're gonna be a multi-generational church we're not going to have one generation and kill over and die I'm here to tell you Anything could happen anything can happen anything can happen anything can happen anything can happen do you hear that anything can happen sit down just a minute some of you are okay so far but I'm needing some help preaching tonight I I I'm needing a little assistance here some of y'all worried to death now see us what can happen anything can happen anything can happen oh but wait a minute [Applause] that's a woman you let a woman speak in church anything can happen now you better hear me Peter quoted Joel in Acts 2 after the Holy Ghost had fallen he said in the last days I will pour out my spirit on All Flesh and he said your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your young men will dream dreams your old man old men will see visions and upon my servants and upon my handmaids will I pour out my spirit and they shall prophesy let me tell you ladies you're going to have a voice in a more excellent Church yeah I know what Ursa means to you it means to take power forcibly that means women ought not to act like a man as soon as it ensures the bible teach against effeminence ursipping means that a woman's Gonna Act Like a Woman but that means he doesn't have a voice to tell people about Jesus man I know I'm like a lost ball and tall weeds with some folks right now sit down thing can happen I show you a more excellent way [Applause] brother Dom stand up Brother Joseph stand up put your hand out there what different color but Joseph we've got a different ethnicity there's some folks as long as their church is one color they're happy oh wow come on Pastor come on Pastor come on come on Pastor listen if the Holy Ghost has ever spoke to me the Holy Ghost spoke to me in steady this week come on pastor what can happen brother Dom [Applause] [Laughter] listen we can't be an excellent church we can't have Excellence if we have prejudices in our heart against other ethnicities that don't look like us and talk like us somebody better hear this preacher tonight you stay there several years ago God touched my heart sister Jamie and I was on the way to church I've told this before but you need to know it again it's by the soccer field there was a field full of people I couldn't even communicate with them and my heart was so stirred I said God some way somehow I don't know how this can happen but give First Apostolic Church the opportunity to minister to those folks I don't have a voice they won't understand me [Applause] little did I know and I won't give his whole history but God brought Brother Joseph to us other Hispanic families started coming into our assembly but you know what anything can happen [Applause] say that again tell us did you understand what he said say it again that means anything can happen man don't you get to thinking that you and your particular ethnicity is all that God called and there needs to be some kind of Separation scripture talks about diversity of gifts diversity is of operations be seated [Applause] sister Gillette stand up in your way I want you to say anything can happen did you did you hear that wait let them see it turn around do it God's equipping us foreign [Applause] that I I couldn't do sit down sit down hallelujah hallelujah brother Escobar you gotta an interesting bloodline ain't none of us pure blood if we like we think we are brother Escobar has a Spanish name but he has an Arabic bloodline isn't that right stand up say something for me yumkin you said you know what he just said in Arabic anything can happen anything can happen hey you guys hey didn't you hear from East Tennessee did you know you married a girl from moldovia do you know it huh she speaks Romanian right won't you talk to me both of you you didn't know you understood Romanian did you they said anything can happen hahaha sister Brian where are you sister Brian is originally from the Philippines is that right I want you to say something for me anything can happen it I I said anything can happen Lord have mercy the Holy Ghost is in this house let me tell you there's a diversity if we're going to be an excellent church if we're going to fulfill what God has called us to do [Applause] Glory Hallelujah Hallelujah let me tell you I've heard folks say we're a colorblind Church no we're not colorblind colorblind is is a disease we're a colorful Church our diversity is what makes us strong we have the opportunity to reach in other communities that someone else may not can do it doesn't matter if you speak East Tennessee hillbilly there's somebody you can meet and reach it doesn't Alabama [Applause] when he said in the last days I will pour out my spirit upon All Flesh all means all there will be no limitations it doesn't matter if you're from up North and you say use guys are you from down south and you say y'all God's going to equip us to be a more excellent Church you can be seated but some will feel that if we don't operate exactly the same way as we have in the past that God isn't moving or we're moving away from the tenets of the faith that reminds me of the fella who kept losing his cell phone and was frustrated because calls kept dropping out so he thought he had a new invention he said I'm going to invent a telephone that you can attach a wire to and you won't lose it in your house you'll get that in a minute and you won't lose calls dropping out because they'll come over a wire into it listen we have no new ideas God's just going to expand we will allow [Music] Yates throughout this place and let our diversity as Jesus name Apostolic Holiness Blood Bought people remain an example among all flesh ah you see there will be diversities of callings know what you're called to do because if you're called to do something God will also equip you let me say that again if God called you he will also equip you that doesn't mean you don't have to do some preparation it don't just happen I prayed and ask God specifically about a Hispanic Outreach I didn't wake up the next morning magically able to speak Spanish but God equipped us he said there are diversities of callings and you see we must also be careful that we understand a call versus a want before you decide this is what I want to do make sure that's what God called you to do I may want to play the keyboard but if I'm not gifted and I don't practice it's not going to happen without being totally offensive could I Enlighten everyone everyone is not called to preach and could I even be more offensive did you know everyone is not gifted to sing sure y'all can sit down again there's a difference in wanting to preach and being called to preach there's a difference in wanting to sing and being gifted to sing second Peter 1 10 said wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling an election sure make sure that you're not wanting to do a mic grab and that God's called you to do there's many folks that'll never stand behind the pulpit Will Never sing a song but they'll win more souls to the Lord by being a witness teaching Bible studies inviting folks to church our goal is Souls our goal is not the platform and performance we're talking about diversities of callings now [Applause] frankly some feel like it's their call to call others don't ever try to call somebody else to preach man that sure was a good little testimony you gave God's got his hand on you getting ready for you to preach if God wants to preach God will call them boy I know I'm walking along some trail with some right now and let me tell you one other thing that God does not give you God does not give you the gift of coming up with great ideas for other people to execute Pastor I've got this great idea you know what the church needs to do well who are you are you not part of the church you know if the church would do this and if the church what about you oh boy God doesn't gift you with the gift that's coming up for something for someone else to do just listen to what he's called you to do and give of yourself when [Applause] oh Hallelujah [Applause] let me give you an example of a couple of things for you see for us to be more excellent and have a more excellent Church there's no room for Envy among God's people in a more excellent Church and numbers 11 25 we read of some issues that developed under Moses leadership understand Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt God has mightily used him to take this great throng out in verse 25 numbers 11 verse 25 says and the Lord came down in a cloud spaking to him and took of the spirit that was upon him and gave it unto 70 elders the spirit of the leadership the burden of the leadership was passed on to some sensitive and usable others in the congregation Bishop McCool gave us a vision a long time ago about having a Christian School but there's no way Bishop McCoo could come and teach every class there's no way he could come and do everything that it takes for the day-to-day Administration and operation of apostolic Kiddie Academy and Apostolic Christian school but you know what he what God did he gives men and women the Same Heart in the same goal in the same agenda hear me Child Care teacher when you're teaching little ones don't take that as a job God is using you as part of an Outreach God is ministering from the smallest to the tallest from the oldest to the youngest never take anything you're doing in the kingdom of God as being just a job or something I'm volunteering for so I'll have a better resume know that God wants to use you to minister in a way that nobody else can so notice what happened it said so this Same Spirit the spirit of Moses was put on 70 elders and it came to pass that when the spirit rests upon them they prophesied and did not cease man they there was now prophesied and did not cease didn't mean they got together and didn't carry on their day-to-day life I mean there was there was a spirit of Prophecy there was a spirit of expectation there was the same mindset that God had placed on Moses and and they were operating spiritually together but there remained two of the men in the camp now the name of one was eldad and the name of the other was me Dad and the spirit rested upon him they had the same Spirit as Moses and these other elders that had been touched by God they had the same Spirit it rested upon him and they were of them that were written but went not out of the Tabernacle they prophesied in the camp now apparently the elders were being sent out to minister among the throng that had been delivered from Egypt and they were speaking as one voice for Moses but these two remained in the camp and it said they prophesied in the Tabernacle they didn't leave they they stayed there and there ran a young man and told Moses and said eldad and me dad do prophesying the camp there's always a tattletale somewhere I got to tell pastor what's going on somebody's getting too spiritual somebody's getting out of their Authority they ran and told Moses and said El dad and me dad do prophesying the camp Joshua in his loyalty to Moses spoke up before Moses could say anything and Joshua the son of Nine the servant of Moses one of his young men answered and said my Lord Moses forbid them be careful when somebody comes up to you and says Bishop said to do this Mr said to do this Moses didn't even get to respond Joshua jumped out ahead and said Moses forbids them to do that well Moses I'm sure didn't want to pull the rug out from under Joshua for he was his number one assistant young man but I want you to notice and Moses said unto him envious now for my sake or are you trying to protect me he said I would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit upon all of them he said I wish the whole bunch would prophesy he was not worried about his position for he knew that anybody who God had laid his hands on had the same heart of the leader you see if we aren't careful we will find ourselves worried about someone speaking opposite when we ought to find more people who are validating and confirming what's been said from the pulpit what's been taught from church we need to be those who give the greatest confirmation to the word of God going forth I would to God everybody would validate what the word tells us to do this is a little bit of insight why Bishop mentioned today it's amazing how God confirms without consultation message after message after message when God's trying to get a get something across preaching teaching songs it may be in a different language but God will still be confirming things it will be in harmony you see there's no room Moses said I don't envy them he said they're speaking I wouldn't have got everybody would prophesy I want everybody to get more spiritual he was confident that God had called him he was confident that the spirit that God had laid on those Elders was his Spirit as well but I would also tell you Moses would deal with some folks with a different agenda and number 16 8. we read and Moses said unto Korah here I pray you you sons of Levi now these guys had a levitical priest's bloodline sameth it but a small thing unto you that God that the god of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel to bring you near to himself to do the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them and he had brought thee near to him and all thy Brethren the sons of Levi with thee and and seek ye the priesthood also for which caused both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the Lord and what is Aaron that you murmur against him now let me give you the background on what's taking place Korah and his cohorts I will call them they got to feeling more spiritual than Moses now we're talking about the same Moses that God would give the Ten Commandments to the same Moses that the Bible talks about being face to face with God but they got a revelation because now they were being used now stay with me we're still talking about a more excellent Church in a more excellent way somewhere along the way they were already ministering but they didn't appreciate the job that God had given them they felt like they had much as much spirit and as much Authority and as much voice as Moses should have and even more Cora and his cohorts had come up against Moses and Aaron and their leadership they were challenging Moses in his god-given authority now let me first say was Moses infallible he was not did he make perfect decisions of course not did Moses make excuses when he was first called and tried to avoid doing what God was telling him he said I'm slow of speech God said all right I'll give you a mouthpiece to speak for you he took away his excuses did he lose his temper when God told him to speak to the Rock and smite The Rock he absolutely did in his past life did he slay an Egyptian who was beaten up in Israelite and bear him in the sand yes he did would God eventually even hold Moses accountable for some of his misdeeds and mistakes absolutely Moses would be told by God himself you'll see the promised land but you're not going to get to enter in so please know that Moses was not a perfect man but he was God's called man now if you think the preaching that I'm doing right now is trying to make allowance for sin among leadership you've missed it by mile leadership should strive to be spotless and live a perfect and clean life before God but nevertheless as I tell you about Moses faults and his deeds God had called him and when Korah and his cohorts would stand up against him and stand up against the leadership there was a terrible price to be paid you see Paul said in Romans he said I magnify my office it wasn't him as a man he said but I magnify the office of whole I'm thankful for First Apostolic Church in the families who understand with all of the frailties and shortcomings of Flesh that God still calls leadership and you respect that leadership and you follow the direction that God gives God help me to be the leader that he wants me to be God help me to have the voice that he would have I should have for this church for you see there would indeed be a showdown between Moses Aaron Cora dathan and Abram in number 16 1 we see nakura and the sons of izzar and the son of kohath and the sons of Levi and Nathan and Ibrahim the sons of Iliad and on the sons of peleth sons of Reuben took men and they rose up against Moses with certain of the children of Israel 250 princes of the assembly famous in the congregation men of renowned it sounds like there'd been a whispering campaign going on I want to get to all of the influential folks men have renowned the famous people you know Moses he might have done a good job talking to Pharaoh but he's got us out here in the middle of the wilderness we're going to starve to death he has no plan where we're going I'm afraid he's getting over the hill man I I he may be a little bit senile and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them you take too much upon you seen all the congregation Are Holy and every one of them in the Lord is among them wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord and when Moses heard it he fell upon his face now I want you to notice the comparison and the contrast Moses knew when eldad and me dad were prophesying he said don't stop them I wouldn't have got everybody would prophesy but when Cora and his cohorts had a different agenda they were finding fault and it says that Moses fell on his face now we interpret sometimes that he fell on his face before God but the bible really doesn't say that he actually fell on his face before Korah you know what he was doing he was humbling himself in the flesh and saying you don't know what you're about to get into he cared more for Korah and his family and his friends and his associates then they cared for themselves too many times I've seen a man of God fall on his face I've seen my mom and dad cry and pray for folks who were doing such damage to their families and they didn't even realize it I've seen leadership time and time again pray for folks who had some way somehow rejected the leadership of God's call in their life so here was the warning Heat fell before Korah and a number 16 5 he said and he spake and decor and unto all the companies saying even tomorrow the Lord will show who are his and who is Holy and it'll cause him to come near unto him even him who he hath chosen will he cause to come near unto him had this happened today you know what Cora would have done man he'd have gone on Facebook and written a scathing diatribe and unfriended everybody that was friends with Moses and Aaron he would presented every accusation in complete complaint to every social media platform possible verse 16 of number 16 and Moses said in the court be thou and all thy company before the Lord and thou and they and Aaron tomorrow and take every man in his sensor and put incense in them and bring ye before the Lord every man is censored 250 sensors thou also and Aaron in each of his sensors and they took every man his sensor and put fire in them and laid incense thereon and stood in the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron and Corey gathered all the congregation against them under the door of the Tabernacle of the congregation and the glory of the Lord appeared in all the congregation see Korah and his cohort said see the Lord showed back up when we're here and the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron saying separate yourselves from among this congregation he said everybody you better step back from Cora and the Rebellion that's risen up he said separate yourselves from among this congregation that I may consume them in a moment and they fell upon their faces and said oh God the god of the spirit of All Shall one man sin will thou be wrought with the Congress here's Moses and Aaron pleading with God don't do it God don't do it God too many times I've seen God call people crying out to God seeing the destruction coming for someone else someone that may have not treated them properly and they're still saying God I want to intervene don't destroy them don't let them die don't let their spiritual life be destroyed they fell on their faces and said oh God Spirit of All Flesh shall one man sin will thou be rod with all the congregation Nation saying get you up from about the Tabernacle of Korah Nathan and Abraham he said they got one more shot separate yourself from them and Moses rose up and went unto daith and Abraham and the Elders of Israel followed him and he's spake unto the congregation saying depart I pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their sins so they get up from the Tabernacle of Korah Nathan Abram on every side and Nathan and Abram came out and stood in the door of their tents and their wives and their sons and their little children and Moses said here by ye shall know the Lord hath sent me to do all these works for I have not done them of mine own hand or mine own mind actually it says if these men die the common death of all men or if they be visited after the visitation of all men then the Lord hath not sent me but if the Lord make a new thing some folks meant but we're still doing too many things the old way we need a new thing I got a new idea you better watch it when God lets you have a new thing if it's not of God a new thing may be a thing that you don't want to be part of it but if the Lord make a new thing the Earth open her mouth swallow them up and all that appertaineth unto them and they go down quick into the pit then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord he had to speak words I'm sure that he didn't want to say but God had told him this is what would happen and it came to pass as he made an end of speaking all these words that the ground claim asunder that was unto them and the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up in their houses and all the men that appertained and Decorah and all their goods they and all that appertained unto them went down alive into the pit and the Earth closed upon them and they perished among all the congregation you see it wasn't the message that they had it was the agenda behind their message their original approach was Moses you take too much on you you know ironically Moses father-in-law told Moses the same thing Jethro his father-in-law had told him that that you're you're judging day and night and and Jethro told him this is not good you're going to wear away if you read it read it Jethro suggested the ministry of Delegation and the diversity of authority without diminishing Moses leadership let that sink in just a moment Jethro suggested delegation and diversity of authority without diminishing Moses leadership you see we can't be a more excellent church if we have infighting if we become jealous over one Ministry is getting more attention than another Ministry well I don't know about this Pia stuff they they they're getting to use the old Sanctuary no that's the Event Center but you know what they don't get to use it by themselves they have to share it they share it with kids quest they share it with Apostolic Christian School and they're not jealous of each other they're saying look at the blessing that God has given us look at the opportunity look what God is that we have a diabetes of Ministries please know your pastor is not preaching with an agenda because ain't nothing happened but good around here I'm bragging on things I'm not trying to deal with something or anticipating something I'm here to tell you they share that play the apostolic Christian School comes in use now we didn't quit yelling mark we never intended for the old Sanctuary that we now call The Event Center to become a museum I said when we moved we weren't gonna everything we've still got the elders cheers those blue chairs still up there we we've still still got the no we gave those pews to another church and got them out of there so somebody could have church over there and we could make it multi-purpose we put new flooring down you know why because we're a diverse church we want to do things in a more excellent way let me hasten to near the end you see First Corinthians 12 the chapter of our original text 12 12 says for as the body is one and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ for about one Spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be jew or Gentile whether we be Bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit for the body is not one member but many then you can read in that passage I won't take the time to read it all tonight but in verses 15-24 he gives the example now he's teaching the Corinthian Church about the diversities and and the proper administration of spiritual gifts and he goes through and he he deals with uh jealousy and he deals with Envy and the way he does it he gives the analogy or the example he says I can't say I'm the foot the ear can't say I'm the nose I said early in my message boy I'd like to be a keyboard player but you know if we all were keyboard players we'd have some ugly servers with everybody playing the keyboard you know that God didn't call me to do that ha I've told it before but I'll say it again I took piano lessons until my teacher died and I'm probably a lot what killed her it just didn't click didn't happen took piano lessons ended up playing the drums and the bass guitar go figure you see we're one body and we work together in harmony our diversity is what will make us excellent our diversity and spirit but it's still we have to remember we're one body and we have the same Spirit of Christ we have the same goal our goal is Souls our goal is to minister and witness our goal is to work with every gift that God has given us he gave multiple examples of the body being jealous he said some parts are more comely than other I can agree with that when I look in the mirror I'm not one of those pretty ones but God uses everything he can for the body is not what member but many and then he said this let there be no schisms in the body Schism defined as a split or a division between strongly opposed section or parties caused by differences in opinion or belief I don't care what you're doing in the church if there's misunderstandings and there's problems brothers and sisters ought to be able to go to each other without some kind of honorary disagreement let there be no schisms I've been studying this all week I don't know why God had me say that but God does you better hear me if there's differences and there's separations when part of the body hurts all the body ought to hurt the hand's not arguing with the feet the eyes not arguing with the ear the analogy is the body I got news for you if you're working with a hammer and you go if you're like me the rest of the body jumps to help you say ah squeeze squeeze oh oh red red the rest of the body tries to jump to the care where the injury is foot's not dancing I told you I knew that's going to happen knows inside I smell that coming the body works together whatever we're doing whatever God's called you to do find some way to work together find some way to let me tell you what fix a lot of problems and some of us would get our hide back in the Altar and pray through it's not just doing a job and showing up when it's time to do your job get your hide in the Altar and pray before you do your job find time to talk to Jesus when you're coming to church calm down you're screaming again for the body is one and half many members and all the members are of that one body let there be no schisms First Corinthians 12 26 said and whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member be honored all the members Rejoice with it wouldn't it be a terrible situation when these seniors are walking across the platform and they're being honored for their accomplishment if their foot was speaking up saying I'm not going across there I'm not getting to wear that hat I mean it's that ridiculous but that's what happens sometimes when folks get too worried about their Personal Agenda rather than seeing the big picture that God's called us to be one body to minister to the loss to reach out to a lost world to be an excellent church I want to be more excellent praise team come on they'll think I'm going to quit if you come our original text said and God had set some in the church that didn't mean he called you to come and sit right it said he set some in the church first apostles secondary of prophets thirdly teachers and that after that Miracles Gifts of healing helps government diversities of tongues are all prophets are all Apostles or all teachers or all workers of Miracles have all the gifts of healing do all speak with tongues do all interpret it's a rhetorical question that obviously is no covet earnestly the best yet show I unto you a more excellent way individual Ministries scripture goes on to name the five-fold Ministries as we refer to them that includes in that list evangelists and pastors events miracles then it mentions Gifts of healing did you know if we really take the time to examine what some of these words mean we sometimes think the word miracle and healing are synonymous and they are not God performs miracles and many times at the hand of someone who has given a special attention to prayer and being one who builds faith remember scripture says ask your faith so be it unto you Faith Builders many times bring about miracles but it separates the difference in Miracles and healings do you know what our addiction recovery Ministry is doing it's set up a Ministry for healing let's think about that just a minute it's setting up an opportunity for healing it's setting up an opportunity for folks to heal from The Vices and devices of this world can God give instantaneous Deliverance he has and does but sometimes healings are a process did you know there are some folks that have a special gift of providing healing by providing calm to very stressful lives and stressful situations there's some folks if I can just talk to them I feel better I think God has gifted them that they can help heal some things they can help meet somebody that God gives them the proper words to say God set some in the church and he mentioned the gift of healing that can be one who comforts those who enter Minister compassion in a time of loss First Apostolic church is one of the greatest healing churches that there is when when there's a loss that people are ministered to and you show up for funerals at the a time of healing and comfort when someone has had a loss Compassion Care for the hurting and it mentioned in the spiritual gifts now that's what he's addressing it mentioned the gifts of helps the gifts of helps huh I had the privilege yesterday sister Jamie and I did of speaking at Pia's first multilingual marriage retreat I was thankful first of all there was someone there that had the gift of interpretation of tongues thank you brother Joseph sister Perez but you know there was the most beautiful spread of food there for those that had showed up huh that didn't just appear sister Ellard and sister Weidner and everybody else that had helped them had done an amazing job you mean you say it's spiritual for somebody to cook you better know it if you don't think so try to eat my cooking listen potted meat soda crackers get old in a hurry popcorn and fried eggs and that's about the end of it if I go in longer than a two-day camping trip I get hungry let me tell you God gives folks ministries of helps they may never stand behind this Pulpit nor desire to but they're ministering to souls listen don't let the enemy diminish or devalue anything you do there are people that when they would like to be shouting and dancing or sitting behind cameras or up in that Booth up there or behind that soundboard that are having to do technical things could we do without it sure but I want to be a more excellent Church after all I better realize where I come from the Bible talks about the foolishness of preaching I want to make sure that everything we do we do with Excellence stand with me [Music] it mentioned the gift of governments I know there's a lot of folk like like to think that well it is just so Grand and glorious we need to be able to come together and just let the power of the Holy Ghost move and and we'll just entertain it and we'll have no form and that that just every time we come to let's just come together and just bask in the glory thank you the Apostle Paul put together government and organization in the Corinthian Church now I'm still preaching even though I'm not yelling there was order in the church he taught on proper order in the church he thought about the proper administration of speaking with tongues he identified the difference in the evidentiary tongues of the Holy Ghost being the initial evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost and prophetic tongues and he taught against the things that could happen if there was not proper Administration within the church he talked about Outsiders coming in that that thing here A bunch of nuts well he didn't say it quite that mean if there was an organization in a church service he was preaching to the church at Corinth all the time his ideas for the church to be more excellent I want to show you a more excellent way they had come from idolatry they had come from paganism and he said the church is better than that we have too much Gifts of helps Gifts of government diversity of tongues I wonder if there's anybody in this house tonight that would like to be part of a excellent Church would like to be part of a more excellent Church that starts with a time of praying saying God I want you to look down inside me I'm not worried about what anybody else thinks I'm not worried about what anybody else says but God I want you to make me a more excellent saint that I can be usable pliable in your hands God let me do what you'd have me to do Lord whatever you call me to do Lord let me do it with Excellence before you I praise you I worship you Hallelujah would you bless us in song right now as we come to the altar show me and show me a mountain he's the God show me one thing that's too hot show me Waters he's the god of the Breakthrough if anything is possible thank you there is [Music] every death thing is show me one thing that's too hot [Music] [Music] thank you all of my fear I will turn into Grace shake off despair as I sing out your name a victory dance I will dance I will crush this appointment and break every chain all of my fear I will turn into Grace shake off despair as I sing out your name a victory dance I will dance [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] Jesus right now Hallelujah First Apostolic Church would you go from this place tonight with the determination I'm going to be a more excellent child of God I'm going to be a more excellent Saint I want to portray Excellence to this world because that's what he's called us to do let's go from this place with the determination not that we're perfect but we're forgiven not that we're great but he's great we should go from this place tonight with that expectation I love you I appreciate you go with god let's have a great week in the Lord