Sunday Evening Worship Service

Lord bless you. You may move to your seats. We greet you this evening in the precious name of Jesus. Join the voices that have spoken before us. Welcoming you. Welcoming those joining us both here in the sanctuary and our multimedia platforms. What a wonderful, wonderful crowd of believers are joined here tonight. I say thank you to all of the saints of First Apostolic Church for your faithful work in the kingdom of God. I want to take a moment again to say uh thank you to all who were involved in our uh marriage retreat last weekend. I also want to say a special thank you to brother Courtney Harvey for uh helping us get our parking lot cleaned off to all the uh uh inclement weather that we had. And thanks all of you for your faithful attendance and contribution and your willing to be a part of this church family. I sometimes am uh overcome with absolute amazement and joy at what the Lord has privileged us to be a part of being with the FAC church family. I truly am the amazing abilities and talents of the saints of God who have dedicated their lives uh whether it's in teaching in music in maintenance in any ministry of this assembly. Thank you and thank you for your faithful uh attendance to the house of God. Please remember prayer revival tomorrow night to give honor to our bishop and sister Mcool give honor to my wife. give honor to our pastoral staff. I don't believe we've mentioned it publicly, but uh praying for Pastor Whitley. Pastor Whitley has been uh journeying. He was actually in uh Mississippi on uh Friday, ministering there, and then uh uh got home just in time to catch a flight to Michigan and has been uh preaching up in Michigan. And uh I asked Sister Ashley what the weather's like up there. She said that Pastor Whitley said it's colder than Russia. Uh and he's qualified to say that because he's been both places. So I'm praying that he gets back home to East Tennessee and hoping that the weather forecasters are right this time with those 60s by midweek. We'll take that until spring gets here. So, uh, I'm thankful and we're praying for Pastor Whitley in his absence. Calling your attention tonight to a familiar passage of scripture. In fact, I'm going to use two passages, one in the New Testament and one in the Old Testament. We'll begin in Psalms, the 22nd chapter, and then we'll be going to Matthew the 27th chapter. First in Psalms 22, we read, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring? Oh my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not. and in the night season and am not silent. But thou art holy, oh thou that inhabitest the praise of Israel. Our father trusted in thee. They trusted and thou did deliver them. They cried unto thee and were delivered. They trusted in thee and were not confounded. If you look up that word confounded, it means they were not annoyed or angered or confused. And notice verse six. He says, "I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised of the people." Then I take you to the book of Matthew the 27th chapter verse 46. One verse words of Jesus at the crucifixion. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sectani. That is to say, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? For a few moments tonight, my subject would be forsaken flesh, but a satisfied soul. Forsaken flesh, but a satisfied soul. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, I thank you for this precious congregation. Lord, the greatest church family that any pastor could hope to be a part of. Now God, I do thank you also for the opportunity that you've given us to study your word this night. Lord, it is ever set, ever settled, and ever anointed. But Lord, let us present it as you would have it spoken. Touch my lips, touch my heart, touch my mind that I could say and speak as you would have me to. Lord, let us receive and react to your word. For all this, we're grateful and thankful. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. A forsaken flesh, but a satisfied soul. The two passages that we read and you're hearing illustrate the emotional distress expressed by humanity when flesh is in despair and agony. Both David and Jesus in an interrogative emotional plea questions, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And frankly, some of us could at least relate to David making such a statement in a moment of despair because we know all that David suffered from time to time, much of his own doing. But how could Jesus possibly make a same statement and say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? This after all is God robed in or manifest in flesh. But I would remind you that Hebrews states that he was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Jesus flesh would suffer the indignities, the disappointments of the flesh at the crucifixion. He would be aware, sure, that Hebrews would later state, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." David in another instance would state as pastor Anthony so eloquently stated today, "I've been young and now I'm old. Yet I've not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread." But in this snapshot in time before David and for Jesus, the plea of a forsaken flesh is made known. The distressful feeling of being forsaken, abandoned, deserted, left entirely. This description is one of being a cast being cast off or desolate, left alone. To be forsaken implies extreme loneliness, brokenness, a lack of loyalty, and hopelessness. Scholars conclude that when Jesus made this statement, it was humanity crying out to deity or the flesh pleading with the spirit. After all, in humanity, let's be honest, we're all pretty attached and find our flesh to be very dear to us. Now, you know, I'm not speaking of the epidermis, but our humanity, our fleshly makeup. Notice how we care for the flesh. We groom it. We bathe it, we perfume it, we lotion it, we feed it, and then work it out and exercise it to keep it in good shape. In the year of 2025 that we've just departed from, the United States skin care industry generated about 24 billion dollar in their annual revenue, growing roughly four to five% every year. That's just the United States. Globally, skin care remains the largest beauty category and is expected to exceed $222 billion by the year of 20 and 30. We care about our flesh, don't we? In fact, Paul used the beautiful example of how much we care about ourselves when he was telling husbands how to treat their wives in Ephesians 5:28. He said, "So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hateth his own flesh, but nourisheth it, and cherisheth it, even as the Lord, the church. Is it any wonder that the enemy desires to destroy both flesh and spirit? Jesus would give the warning in Matthew 10:28, "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." It's important to understand that relationship that the enemy does indeed want to destroy your flesh and he wants your flesh to feel forsaken. For if he knows he can find you to FEEL FORSAKEN IN THE FLESH, he can affect your spirit. Scripture gives accounts of flesh that had taken over an affected spirit. In Mark 5, we read the story of the demonic of the gatherines. It says in verse one, "And they came over under the other side of the sea into the country of the gatherines. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. This guy had a bad spirit. Who had his dwelling among the tombs, and no man could bind him, no, not with chains, BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN often bound with feeders and chains, and the chains had been plucked to by him, and the feathers broken in pieces. Neither could any man tame him. And always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs crying and cutting himself with stones. A bad spirit HAD CAUSED HIS FLESH to destroy itself. Uhhuh. But verse six says, "But when Jesus a far off, when he saw Jesus a far off rather, he ran and worshiped him." I want you to notice something here right quick. This man had not yet been relieved of the torment of evil spirits. In fact, Jesus would have conversation with the spirits that was within the man and the spirits would identify himself as being legion for we are many. But when even the spirit of legion which was many was in THIS MAN. WHEN JESUS CAME ON the scene, he ran and worshiped him. LET ME TELL YOU, THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST HAS ALL POWER OVER the enemy. Even when the flesh and the spirit has been destroyed or has been terribly affected. But it should also make us understand that we must be cautious that just knowing who Jesus is is not good enough. FOR IT SAID, HE CRIED with a loud VOICE AND SAID, "WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH THEE, JESUS, thou son of the most high God? I adjure THEE BY GOD." HERE'S A MAN WITH AN EVIL SPIRIT TRYING TO CALL ON GOD TO REBUKE JESUS. I got news for you. If we don't have control of our flesh and we have a bad spirit, we'll make some goofy statements. HE'S TRYING TO CALL ON GOD TO rebu rebuke the flesh Jesus from tormenting him. And here's all Jesus said. Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. Jesus knew how to take authority over a bad spirit THAT WAS AFFECTING THE FLESH. I'm here to tell you tonight, our flesh and our spirit do go hand in hand. And we have a responsibility to understand that a forsaken flesh is not a sign that the spirit can't be in charge. You may go through issues in your flesh, but you need to keep your spirit right with God. FOR IF WE DO NOT KEEP OUR SPIRIT RIGHT WITH GOD, OUR FLESH CAN BE AFFECTED. WHAT DID THIS MAN DO? SCRIPTURE SAYS HE LIVED among the tombs. You can find yourself dwelling in some bad places when you got a bad spirit and it affects your flesh. He would cut himself. He would injure his own flesh. And you know the story. I will not read it all, but we'll remind you that Jesus would speak to this spirit or these spirits called legions, for we are many, and cast them out. And the spirits would begin to beg. Well, we've got to go someplace. Can we go dwell among the swine? And the Jesus when he cast them out allowed them to dwell among the swine. The swine apparently had more sense than a lot of flesh did because swine would rather been dead than have that evil spirit. They ran into the water, the Bible says, and choked themselves. They drowned themselves. Now, there's an interesting note in this passage if you'll pay attention for this is where we're living today dealing with flesh versus spirit. A forsaken flesh. We're talking about for verse 15 said, "And they come to Jesus." They, those who were in the community, including the owners of the swine, they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil, the demonic, as he's called, of the Gatherines. He's the former demonic. Now they see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion sitting clothed and in his right mind. Think it see if I get too loud AI tries to take over on my iPad. sitting clothed and in his right mind. Anna, by the way, if you get a phone call from me during the message, it tried to call you while I go. That's my family. But isn't it ironic that those around when he tried to find himself in this kind of state, he would find himself with folks that were afraid of folks in their right mind. Afraid of folks in their right mind. Think about that JUST A MINUTE. WHAT'S IT LIKE TO BE AFRAID OF FOLKS in your right mind? What what could that mean? We're living in a society today that folks are more afraid of what we used to call a normal family, a husband and a wife and a family going to church. They're more afraid of someone committing their life to the Lord than to be involved in all kind of perverse, perverted activities and ideology. Our present society is more comfortable with evil spirits than they are with someone seated and clothed in their right mind. Figuratively, we're living in an in yourrface society. It stands up and gets in your face. Sure don't want to wear clothes anymore. And folks are out of their mind with some of the things they do. I submit to you the real motivation is involved. If you look at what happened, the reason they were really afraid of him being seated and clothed in his right mind is because it had affected their commerce. It affected their pocketbook. They lost their livelihood. Their swine that they were raising and selling. The unclean spirit had caused destruction of the flesh. The cutting, the tearing, the indecency, the uncontrolled, undisiplined lifestyle. Let me tell you tonight, if we give in to the fleshly desires and don't let our spirit be ruled by God, you can FIND YOURSELF IN A terrible state of mind that affects your flesh. Another instance I could give you scripturally in reference in scripture. First Kings 18:27 says, "And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them." These were the 400 prophets of Baal. They were having a showdown. Who's the true God? And Elijah mocked him and said or cried aloud, "For he's a god." He was speaking of their god, Baal. Either he's talking, he hadn't done anything, but he he's mocking them, but it said either he's talking or he's pursuing or he's in a journey or per adventure, he sleepeth and must be awakened. And notice their reaction in the flesh. They cried aloud and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets till blood gushed out upon them. What are you saying, PREACHER? IF YOU'RE TRYING TO find yourself giving IN TO THE FLESH, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF IN A SITUATION THAT YOUR FLESH WILL expect will affect your spirit to the point that your entire life is being affected. Pastor Anthony, I want you to take my iPad. It's wanting to help me preach. I have no idea what it's doing. I was preaching chapel several years ago and I used to have an ESPN app on my iPad and right in the middle of the altra call it went I got an update. So I have no idea what that thing is doing, but if it starts saying amen, you can give it back to me. You see, God requires us to have both our flesh and our spirit together. But let let let's examine what the enemy would require of our flesh and compare it to what the spirit would want you to do. Think about this. The demonic of the Gatherines. He would cut himself. He would break chains. He lived in the graveyard in the mountains. But the the society of that day was more accepting of that than him being seated clothed in his right mind. But is today's society any different? Think about it. If the church, if we the church required, all right, if you're going to be a member of First Apostolic Church, everybody needs to on your left shoulder get you an FAC tattoo. Acts 2:38 or hell on it. OR IF WE SAID, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THOSE NICE blue robes that THE CHOIR WEARS, BUT WE WANT TO BE COLORCOORDINATED. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO SING IN THE CHOIR, YOU GOT TO HAVE BLUE HAIR. NOW, that sounds crazy, doesn't it? OR IF YOU'RE GOING TO TEACH A SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS, YOU MUST PUNCH a hole in your ears, your nose, your lip, your navel, or wherever they punch holes. YET OUR SOCIETY WILL ACCEPT THAT TO FIT in with ITS NORMS AND BE MORE AFRAID of worshiping, PRAISING NORMAL PEOPLE THAT GOD HAS CREATED TO SERVE HIM. I WANT TO TELL YOU, I WANT MY FLESH TO BE UNDER CONTROL BY MY SPIRIT, NOT THE INVERSE. Now never mistake this is not a license to associate holiness with holiness. These are not synonymous words. In fact, scripture implores us to give glory do his name to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Scripture encourage modest encourages modesty in lifestyle in conversation in communication and in dress. You know, I believe in holy modest appearance, but our communications should be the same. We should not be a confrontational people. We should stand up for what we believe without being confrontational. ROMANS SAYS, "IF IT IS POSSIBLE, AS MUCH AS LIFE in you, live peaceibly with all men." Oh God, I want to look right, but let me be a peaceable person. Let me not be roaming the streets looking for controversy, looking for every opportunity I can to escalate every situation to some kind of major conflict. God, let me have a peaceable spirit. LET MY FLESH EXEMPLIFY YOU. For you see, a forsaken flesh is not an instance that God has forgotten you. Instead, a forsaken flesh many times is a satisfied soul. ROMANS 8:1 SAID, ' AND THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO condemnation to them which are IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO WALK NOT AFTER THE FLESH, but after the spirit. Oh God, LET ME NOT BE GIVEN MY LIFE OVER TO FLESHLY IDEOLOGIES. LET ME not be worried so much about WHAT THE FLESH WOULD DESIRE, BUT LET ME HAVE YOUR spirit in me. For the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF THE LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HATH MADE ME FREE FROM THE LAW OF sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh. How is the law weak through the flesh? Here's what happens when we pass a law. THE FLESH LOOKS for loopholes and exceptions. Before I point a finger at all you, I got to look at the three coming back at me. Our old flesh. We want to take care of old flesh. SO WHAT WE DO AS SOON AS THERE'S A LAW, WE WANT TO FIND A LOOPHOLE around it or want us to be made an exception. IF THE LAW PULLS US OVER FOR SPEEDING AND THEY ASK YOU, WHY WERE YOU SPEEDING? OH, I WAS JUST KEEPING UP with the traffic. It's everybody else. or we'll say, "Uh, well, maybe I was the only one you could catch, you know." Oh, I I want an exception for me because I I I I deserve it. That's what THE FLESH DOES. THE FLESH THROUGH THE LAW COULDN'T BE SATISFIED IN THAT IT WAS WEAK THROUGH THE FLESH. GOD SENDING HIS OWN SON IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH AND FOR SIN CONDEMN THE SINS of the flesh. YOU SEE WHEN JESUS MADE THAT STATEMENT ON THE CROSS, MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY ART THOU FORSAKEN ME? THE FLESH WAS MAKING ONE MORE FEEBLE attempt to derail our redemption. It goes on to say, "The righteousness of the law might be fulfilled IN US WHO WALK not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit. But to be carnally minded is death, and to be spiritually minded IS LIFE AND PEACE." BECAUSE THE CARNAL MIND IS IMMITY against God. AS LONG AS I'M TRYING TO SATISFY THE FLESH rather than HAVING A FORSAKEN FLESH, I have enmity, I HAVE A HOSTILE ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So the so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 14:22 says, "Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God? Happy is he that condemnth not himself in that thing which he alloweth." Am I going to be ruled by my fleshly desires? Or is the spirit going to take charge over the flesh? The answer is the reason Jesus said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He was defeating the flesh on the cross because the flesh can't please God. You see, in our text, David would further lament the challenges that his flesh was going through. He was having a pity party. His flesh was under attack and it was starting to affect his spirit. He was feeling forsaken. I mean, when the man who would be called the man after God's heart, when the fair-haired giant killer, when the the shepherd boy and harp player would find himself so down that he would make the statement, "I am a worm." And no man, that's pretty low. When you proclaim you're a worm, I'm a reproach of men. I'm despised by everybody. You go on down verse 14, he says, I'm poured out like water and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It's melted in the midst OF MY BOWELS. MY STRENGTH IS DRY. BOY, HE'S IN BAD SHAPE. What a pity PARTY DAVID'S HAVING. MY STRENGTH IS DRIED UP LIKE A POT SHARED. MY TONGUE CLEAVETH to my jaws. THOU HAS BROUGHT ME into the dust of death. This is Psalms 22 I'm reading from. For the dogs have compassed me. THE ASSEMBLY of the wicked HAVE ENCLOSED ME. THEY PIERCED MY HANDS and my feet. I may tell of all my bones. THEY LOOK AND stare upon me. Everybody's looking at me. They part my garment among them, AND CAST LOTS UPON MY VESTURE. BE NOT FAR FROM ME, OH LORD. OH, MY STRENGTH hast thee to help me. And notice verse 20, he's he says, deliver my soul from the sword and my darling from the power of the dog. What does that mean? First of all, symbolically understand this is thousands of years or hundreds of years I should say before the crucifixion would take place. But yet David is getting just a little taste of what would happen at the crucifixion. His hands and feet are being pierced. His garment is being torn and being cast lots. He said all is looking at me. And he makes that statement about deliver my soul from the sword and my darling from the power of the dog. I I found that a quite interesting statement. So I I began researching it a bit. That idea of delivering my soul from the sword. He did not want his soul to be destroyed. But what is this darling that he's needing to be delivered from? I submit to you that the darling that he's wanting to protect is his flesh. Now understand the dog here that he's speaking about is not man's best friend. This is not a domesticated lap dog. This is not a cuddly puppy. It's not our beloved Titi that passed away after 14 years this past January. Sister Jamie and I are still grieving. This was not a purebred po Pomeranian. It's not a pedigreed poodle. It's not a docile dachshund. It's not lassie or smokeoky. It's not even 101 Dalmatians. But this analogy represents a pack of wild growling, biting, SNARLING, VICIOUS HOUNDS OF HELL that feels like it's attacking his flesh. Dogs of division, addiction or personal weakness. Canines of envy and strife that attack us. Pooches of self-pity and piety. A pack of menacing muts attacking David's flesh. You see, we feel like that we have domesticated the dog. And oh yes, we have. We've taken them into our houses. We bathe them like children, fed them from our tables. But never mistake, dogs still have the nature of a dog. I will give you personal experience. I mentioned our pup that passed away and we loved him dearly. was so docile and kind. I think we deserved him. God gave him us. And by the way, don't anybody feel sorry for your pastor and bring me another dog. I won't have one. But we deserved Titi because before Titi, we had a dog whose name was Murphy. Some of you met Murphy. Murphy was a ninepound mixed breed. Jack Russell, Chihuahua, and a little bit of Tasmanian devil. We loved him, but he had moments of crazy. He bit Bishop at a service station because he was barking and Bishop tried to get him to be quiet and tried to pet him and he bit Bishop. I mean, any dog that would bite Bishop's got to be crazy. He stole brother Jim Deusk's pickup truck one time. Now, well, we'll say he occupied it. Brother Jim Deusk came to our house. We were going to a camp meeting. Brother Jim Deusk was coming by and was picking up the mail every day at our house. And brother Jim Deusk made the mistake of leaving his truck door open when he went to the mailbox and he was going to get our mail. And he came back and Murphy was sitting in the driver's seat of his truck. Brother Deusk said, "Come on, get out of the truck." Murphy said, "Brother Jim said, NOW COME ON, GET OUT OF THE TRUCK." TO THE dog's reply was. And brother Jim spent several minutes trying to coax and bribe Murphy from to leave his truck so he could go home. Brother Denny Livingston preached a revival for us. Made the mistake of leaving his bedroom door open. He was getting ready for church and Murphy got his socks. And when brother Livingston tried to res retrieve his socks, he got the same response and showing his teeth. Nine pounds. Little guy. He once clawed through a sheetrock wall at our house. Sister Jamie had a new banquet dress for Christmas banquet. We went to work one day. She'd had it freshly cleaned and pressed and she hung it from uh the top of a door facing out of Murphy's reach, she thought, but he could jump. And we when we got home, he must have thought the dress was too modest because he had torn the sleeve out of the dress. We put him in the vet who had a 4 foot high pin only to come back and the vet shaking his head said that dog of yours said he's climbing a chainlink fence and getting out. What are you trying to say? I'm trying to say the old flesh needs protection from the attack of the enemy's hounds of hell. The real nature spiritually explained and expressed. HE SAID, "DELIVER MY SOUL FROM THE SWORD AND MY DARLING, MY flesh from this pack of hounds of hell that's trying to destroy me. Oh God, let me have the same desire to say, I'll need my flesh to BE FORSAKEN BEFORE I GIVE UP MY SOUL. I WANT MY SOUL TO BE WHAT STANDS BEFORE YOU. IT'S NOT WHAT I CAN ACCOMPLISH AND SATISFY IN MY FLESH. LET MY SOUL, YOU PREACHED it today. LET THE STORM COME. LET THE WINDS BLOW. I WANT MY SOUL TO BE ANCHORED IN JESUS. IF MY FLESH MUST SUFFER, LET IT SUFFER. IF I HAVE TO GO THROUGH TRIALS AND TEST, LET IT COME. I WANT MY SOUL TO BE PROTECTED. PROTECT MY SOUL. MY flesh can suffer. Praise team, I want you to get ready. I want that song that you sang earlier in the service that said praises. You deserve praises for I want to take you to a conclusion. David said in verse 21 of that same Psalms 22, "Save me from the lion's mouth, for thou has heard me from the horns of the unicorn, the mythical creature, the things that are in my mind. MY FLESH IS SUFFERING EVERYTHING. Even I I'M BEING TORMENTED BY THINGS CREATED IN THE MIND THAT AREN'T EVEN REAL. SO, WHAT'S the resolution? How do we solve it? Here's what David said in verse 22. He starts realizing that he's not forsaken. He says, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst OF THE CONGREGATION. WILL I PRAISE THEE?" THE ANSWER TO A FORSAKEN FLESH is start praising. >> I SAID THE ANSWER WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE IN THE MIDST OF A STORM, START PRAISING. WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR FLESH CAN'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP, START PRAISING. DAVID SAID, AND HE DIDN'T SAY, "I'M GOING TO DO IT HOME. I'M GOING TO THE CONGREGATION. I'M GOING TO GET IN THE HOUSE OF GOD." BROTHER BRIAN, I'M GOING TO COME AND PRAISE WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. BROTHER RUSSELL, I'M NOT GOING TO BE ALONE. >> I'M GOING TO COME AND PRAISE WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD. WHY? BECAUSE MY FLESH HAS GOT TO BE DEFEATED. >> I'M NOT GOING TO LET MY FLESH AND ANYTHING I FORSAKE MY FLESH. I WANT MY SPIRIT TO BE LIFTED UP. Stand with me. >> Let me go on. >> Verse 25. HE SAID, "MY PRAISE SHALL be of thee in the great congregation. I will pay my vow before them that fear him." Now, this is the same guy just a few verses earlier. He said, "I'm a worm." I don't know what you came in the house of God feeling like tonight. You might have come in feeling lower than a worm. I don't know. But if you'll start praising God, whatever you've been going through, HE SAID, "MY PRAISE SHALL be of thee in the great congregation. I will pay my vow before them that feared him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied. They shall praise the Lord that seek him. Your heart shall live forever." When you feel that you're under the biggest attack of your flesh, >> praise will satisfy your soul. And I don't know if you've noticed it or not, we've been reading as our text primarily from Psalms 22. Anybody in the house, do you remember what comes next after Psalms 22? something called Psalms 23. Did the light bulb come on like it did for me? YOU SEE, AFTER HE COMPLAINED, AFTER HIS FLESH SEEMED FORSAKEN, AND HE STARTED PRAISING, HE COULD PIN THE WORDS, "THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT." HE MAKETH ME TO LIE DOWN IN GREEN PASTURES. HE LEADTH ME BESIDE THE STILL WATERS. HE RESTOTH MY SOUL. I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT MY FLESH. MY SOUL'S GOT TO BE RESTORED. HE LEADTH ME IN THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE. I'm getting my priorities right now. It's not about my flesh. It's about my soul. Yay. Though I walk THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH, I WILL FEAR no evil. WHY? FOR THOU ART WITH ME. THY ROD AND THY STAFF, THEY COMFORT ME. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil symbolic of the healing power. My cup runth over. Man, you start counting your blessings. We are so blessed beyond measure. God's done so much for us. My cup runth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. If I could give you an analogy from David in 22 of the hounds of the ha of hell at least let me analogize a little bit more. Maybe goodness and mercy for the shepherd are two old shaggy sheep dogs and they're pursuing. Surely goodness and mercy, they're everywhere I go. GOODNESS AND MERCY, THEY'RE FOLLOWING ME. IF I LAY DOWN and sleep at night, goodness and mercy wants to cuddle up to me. IF I GO THROUGH A TRIAL, THEY'RE RIGHT THERE WITH ME. GOODNESS and mercy, THOSE TWO BIG OLD SHAGGY SHEEP DOGS. I I CAN AT LEAST imagine that, can I? Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of I got to be with you folk. I GOT TO BE WITH Y'ALL. NOT IN THE BRICKS AND MORTAR. I GOT TO BE WITH GOD'S PEOPLE. I'LL DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD FOREVER. If you're in this house tonight, I hope the word would reinforce what we heard this morning. I hope the word is continuing to speak to our souls that I've got to be anchored. My soul's got to be in the house. I'm going to find rest. I'm going to find comfort in every situation because I've learned to praise and worship him. praise team, would you step out here? Would you start singing that song softly? Would you start singing about When I think about your love, when I think about all you've done for me, I I I can never give enough. Romans 8:12 said, "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. Or if you live after, for if you live after the flesh, you shall die. But if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God." If you want to come praising tonight, I challenge you. Come forward around this altar. Let's have a season of praise unto the Lord. Would you lead us in worship? Hallelujah. >> Yes, Lord. Think about your love. >> I can never say enough. >> I can't think of all you've done. >> When I think of all you've done. >> When I think of all you brought me. When I think about your love, >> I can never say enough. >> When I think of all you, >> think of all he said, give him praise before you have a party. Have praise in your heart. Praise in the congregation. can never say enough. Lord for the way that you for the price that you for your mercies every day. That's why I owe you for the ways that you have paid for the price that you have paid. for your mercies every day. That's why I owe you >> for the ways that you >> for the ways that you have that you have >> for the price that you have paid. >> Mercies every day. >> I praise you. >> That's why I praise. Oh Lord, you deserve. Oh Lord, you deserve all my praisees. Oh Lord, you deserve only. You deserve all my praisees. Oh Lord, you deserve. Oh Lord, you deserve all my praisees. Oh Lord, you deserve. Cuz when I think of all you've done, when I think of all you brought me, when I think about your love, >> I can never say enough. When I think of all you, when I think of all you me. When I think about you, >> I can never say nothing before the ways that you pay for the price that you for your mercies every day. That's why I owe you praise for the ways that you pay for the price that you pay for your mercies every day. That's why I owe you. >> Hallelujah. Would you love the Lord again right now? Hallelujah. I hope we can go from this house encouraged and strengthened tonight knowing that no matter what happens in our flesh, our soul is satisfied and it's anchored in Jesus. I love you. First Apostolic Church, be here tomorrow night 7:00 7:00 for prayer revival. We'll have a great time in the Lord Wednesday night worship in the word. Would you greet your brothers and sisters in Jesus name? You are dismissed.