Sunday Evening Worship Service

Well, Lord bless you. You may be seated. Again, we greet each and every one of you in the wonderful name of Jesus. What a privilege it is to be back here on Sunday night on a holiday weekend. And it's good to be with the saints of God who do not take a holiday away from being in the house of the Lord. I honor you for being here tonight. I realize there are many who are journeying uh seeing family and friends and taking a bit of a respit but I'm thankful to be in the house of the Lord with every one of you and thank you for worshiping with us tonight join with the voice again of Pastor Whitley those who have come before me reminding you camp meeting is just around the corner expecting a great time in the Lord and I know that you will be anxious to be in every service and being a part. So, we're blessed and we're excited what God has in store for us. I want to get right into the word of the Lord. Don't forget Wednesday night, Wednesday night, worship in the word with Bishop Mcool. Have a great time in the Lord this coming Wednesday night. And again, I say keep praying for our young folks. They are constantly in our thoughts and prayers when they journey this far away from home. But I know they are being blessed and they are being a blessing. So keep praying for them as they journey. Calling your attention to the book of Acts, the 26th chapter. We're going to read just a few verses. I I'll uh by no means compare my abilities or my presentation to that of Johnny James. But I do remember Johnny James saying, "If I don't preach good, at least you're going to get a lot of word." So we're going to read a little bit of word. If that's all right, if you would stay with me, we're going to read the first two verses and then skip down to verse number 12 and maybe comment a bit as we go. Acts 26, beginning with verse number one. Then Agria said unto Paul, "Thou art permitted to speak for thyself." Then Paul stretched forth the hand and answered for himself. I think myself happy, King Agria, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews. Understand Paul is standing trial for heresy among other things. and he has made his appeals and he now stands before King Agria and he has uh heard the charges leveled against him and he's now getting the opportunity to testify for himself. I will not take the time to read his salutations nor repeat his pedigree, but he does that tells his history in his introductory remarks of his testimony. But I want to get straight then to Paul's testimony. For verse 12, he says, "Whereupon, as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and them which journeyed with me." And when we were fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, stand upon thy feet. Notice, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose. Notice that. for this purpose, to make thee a minister, and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon, O King Agria, I was not disobedient under the heavenly vision. For a few moments tonight, I would bring this thought to your minds for this purpose, living in the light. Let's pray. Savior, I love you. I'm grateful for this wonderful congregation of believers who have gathered here. Lord, now let us all receive your word once again, for it is settled and it is anointed. Lord, touch me that I might speak as your mouthpiece and say what you'd have me to say. Let us all open our hearts that we would we would receive from the word, but not receive only, but act upon your word. Lord, we're thankful for your saving grace. For all this we're grateful and thankful in Jesus name we pray. Amen and amen. For this purpose living in the light. Paul giving this testimony looked for his opportunity. And again when the opportunity finally arose he said I think myself happy. Huh. He basically said I'm glad I get to tell you my testimony. I'm glad I get to give you the details of what's brought me to this place. He was not in the least bit concerned about the accusations, nor if found guilty, what would be his sentence. Instead, he simply was looking for one more opportunity to tell all who would hear the experience that he had had of a great light from heaven shining down on him when he was headed to do destructive and terrible things to the people of God. He recounts all of this. But I couldn't help but think back and do some just simple rudimentary comparisons of what it's like for the light to be so bright that you can't see. And I would confess to you several years ago now I underwent Lasic eye surgery up until that point in my late 40s into turning 50. They had uh told me that I was severely nearsided and that it was true. I wore contact lens and and uh wore glasses and and uh uh it was very difficult without uh the aid of contacts or glasses to see things far off. I I I was nearsighted and I remember so well the anxiety of somebody telling me they were going to put some devices to hold my eye open where I couldn't blink. Some of you, your eyes are watering already. I can tell. To the squeamish, I'll give you the happy ending. I did survive and I can see. But they also would not do the surgery on both eyes at the same time. They would do one eye and then make sure that your vision was corrected and there was no issues before they would do the other. They said just in case there was a problem. And that just in case certainly made me nervous. I would tell you that. And then they told me in the procedure they said when it comes time for that laser to do its work, they said you will feel pressure on your eye. And they said it will go black. And he said, "Then you will see a bright light." He said, "Do your best to stare at that light." And I want you to know, I did that for about 14 seconds on the first eye. They paused a few moments and they raised me back up in the chair and I immediately noticed the clock that I couldn't read when they laid me back. I suddenly could read. I said, "Let's do that other eye quick." But I understood the anxiety of being in the dark before I could truly see. In 1947, Hank Williams pinned these words. I wondered so aimless, life filled with sin. I wouldn't let my dear savior in. Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night. Praise the Lord. I saw the light. I saw the light. I saw the light. No more in darkness. No more in night. Now I'm so happy. No sorrow in sight. Praise the Lord. I saw the light. Sounds a lot like Paul's testimony, doesn't it? But sadly, it has become popular in this old world that we're living in for many to embrace darkness. Some want to dwell in darkness. There are those among our society that seems to be growing every day that claim darkness and its characteristics as a way of life. This school of thought has produced dark music, dark comedy, dark dress, dark fashion. Darth Vader, the antagonist in the Star Wars series, even beckoned Luke Skywalker to come over to the dark side. I've read that there are many evil things on something called the dark web. Darkness is becoming more and more popular in the world in which we live. And some have seen darkness as being harmless and just an expression of an individualism. But Ephesians 6:12 said this, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." I submit to us today, when we murder our unborn, we're living in a dark, dark world. When the institution of marriage has been perverted and then legitimized legally, we're living in a dark, dark world. When we have violence in the street as common place, it's a dark, dark world. When any civil authority is jered and disrespected rather than revered and reverenced, we're living in a dark, dark society. When the innocence of childhood is sexualized and perverted, we're living in a dark, dark world. So I ask everyone in this house, ask yourself the question, am I walking in the light tonight? After all of this, did as Paul was called for a purpose, have you been called for a purpose? And have you been called out of darkness into light? John said it this way, the words of Jesus, and this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. You see, if you embrace darkness, it will affect every facet of your life. Verse 20 of that same passage of John 3 said, "For everyone," this is Jesus' words, "for everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deed should be reproved, but he that doeth truth." I want you to pause there and indulge me a moment to know what that says and what it doesn't say. It doesn't say he that knoweth truth. It says that he that doeth truth. I submit to you tonight. There's some actions that go along with truth. Truth has to be obeyed if you're going to do truth. That's one thing to know it. But are you doing truth? But he that doeth truth cometh to light that his deeds may be manifest that they are wrought in God. I want to do more than know truth. I want to do truth. Now it used that word wrought. The definition of the word raw means fashioned or ornamented a decoration to fashion or create a desirable product. The original definition of rot in the scripture actually means hammered as if a smith, a silver smmith would shape metal. I want to be wrought and shaped of God. I want to be fashioned of God. I I got news for you. When you dwell in darkness, you will be fashioned in darkness. Now whether we want to hear this or not in the day that we live, one's appearance will make a statement about where you're walking. It will reflect in your attitude, your outlook, and your desires, the way you're fashioned. Those who desire evil will usually dress evil. Those whose attitude would rebel against authority will reflect as such in their fashion. Those who have a lascivious spirit will dress in a manner that would be to suggest their spirit. Now I realize it's Sunday night and everybody's scared to death at preachers going to start doing clothesline preaching. Let me tell you, God is looking for a people who are fashioned in his likeness, in his word, and moderation and modesty. I won't read the whole thing to you, but I read an article that gave instructions on how to dress goth. It said, and it told that you needed to do this a little bit at a time to darken yourself up. It went on to give all the instructions of of how to not even reveal what your gender is as you progress in this darkness. And it talked about black clothing and now I'm not preaching against I got a black suit I wear all the time. Just stay with me now. But it was telling something about one's attitude. For a while there it, you know, it got popular. They used to talk about folks want to be sagging, bagging, and dragging. You know what I'm talking about? You guys particular walk around, get their pants too big, and they'd walk three steps and pick up their bridges. walk three more steps and pick up the britches and say yo yo yo few times I felt like saying yo yo yo yo underwear showing won't yo pull up your britches you know God's people will separate ourselves with a holy look, a look of moderation and modesty, not darkness and signifying rebellion, nor signifying trying to be lascivious. Well, let me read you scripture. Boy, it's quiet in here. I know you're listening. Proverbs 7:9 said, "In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night, and behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot. She was dressed like a harlot, whatever a harlot dresses like, and subtle of heart. She's loud and stubborn. Her feet abide not in her house. Now she is without, now in the streets, and lith and wait at every corner." There is a way of dressing that reflects the spirit and attitude of a harlot, a or a whoreonger. Pure trash. It's lascivious. It's a lascivious spirit. And if we aren't careful, it will permeate even through the church if not identified. Oh, Brother McCool, now you you going too far. I'm afraid you're preaching personal opinions now about appearance. Okay. Uh, if that be the case, would would you give me just a a little bit of leeway to quote how the world views some things? There was a western kuner several years ago. It was a group that was called Confederate Railroad. Now, who' have thought you were g? Brother Whitley was worried about quoting from the newspaper in the obituary today. Now, tonight I'm I I'm quoting from Hank Williams, Senior and Confederate Railroad. Lord have mercy. But the name of their song was Trashy Woman. And here's the words that they pinned to sing. Now, some of y'all are ducking, hiding already. You're embarrassed because you remember hearing this in the world. It said, "Yeah, I like my women a little on the trashy side. When they wear their clothes too tight and their hair is dyed. Too much lipstick and too much rouge gets me excited and leaves me confused." Yeah, I like my women a little on the trashy side. Those aren't biblical words. That's the world identifying itself. Brother Mcool, I can't believe you voted you quoted that in church. That's all right. I can't believe that folks aren't surprised and shocked at the way some portray themselves. I'm here to tell you, God is looking for a holy people that will represent themselves and represent him in every facet of our life. I'm not here to beat everybody up and itemize everything. But let me tell you, scripture says in 1st Samuel 16:7, "For the Lord saith not as man saith, for man lookketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord lookketh on the heart." See, some says, "Oh, well, see, it don't matter what you look like cuz God can see your heart." We're not witnessing to God. God already knows what's in our heart. We're witnessing to a lost world. If we look like the world and we act like the world and we appear to have a lascivious spirit about ourselves, what's the difference in us and the world? The psalmist said it this way, "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Not the beauty of homelessness, not the beauty of being unckempt, but being modest and moderate." that we represent Christ in all that we do. You see, one cannot enter darkness without being affected. First John 15 said, "This then is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all." If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. And the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin. I'm here to tell you when we walk in the light of the crucifixion and the saving and redemptive blood of Jesus, suddenly there's some things that are going to be illuminated to us and evil will flee darkness. First John 2:8 says again, "A new commandment I write unto you, which things is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passed and true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light. Now we're off the dress now, so some of you can relax. But wait, he that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. Listen, we better keep a spirit of love toward everyone, our brothers and our sisters. We must not allow hate to enter into our lives. If you got hatred in your heart, you're going to walk in the dark. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light. And there's none occasion of stumbling in sin. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whether he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes. Now understand, you can have hatred in your heart and you try to walk in darkness, you'll trip over something else. Let me tell you before you think you're all that in a shirt pocket. You do not know what you're capable of stumbling over when you walk in the deep, dark abyss of hatred. You see, there are many who have stumbled over a multiplicity of sins we could name, but it started out because they had hatred in their heart. He man, it's dangerous to walk in the dark. I I've given this example before, but you know, living with Sister Jamie, you have to understand she is prone to move the furniture sometime in the house. And just about the time I think I've got it memorized to walk through the house without turning the lights on, that's when she will have redistributed the furniture. And I'm talking about it's one of those things you go through the dark and all of a sudden you go, "Yep, she moved that chair and I found it with my big toe. You see, when you try to walk in darkness, it's unelling what the enemy can place in your way that you'll stumble over. Oh, but when the light of the Holy Ghost, the understanding of the shed blood of Christ bringing redemption into our life, suddenly we light up. There's also something I would term as dark communications and conversations. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Be not deceived. Evil communications corrupt good manners." Conversations and communications laced with suggestive, guttural, crude expletives are the sign of a mentally deficient individual trying to express herself forcefully. Now, if you want me to repeat that, I can. But what that really means, if all you can do is learn four-letter words, you're not real bright. Don't raise your voice and curse. If you need to make a point, increase your vocabulary. You see, God does not need four-letter expletives. God's last word, last name doesn't begin with a D. Boy, some of you looking at me straight. But let me tell you, we've been bloodbought. We've been brought into the light. First Apostolic Church. We're better than that. We don't have to find ourselves like stooping to some kind of guttural communications. We have a higher language. We have a conversation of class that Christ has put in us. We need to be able to speak. Let our words say what they mean and let them be sweet before Christ. You see, when speaking of the power of the tongue, we can get dark in our communications in a hurry. James said it this way, "Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therew with curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceeds proceedth blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Well, I was just out in the world. Elijah used to talk like this and I used to say that Ephesians 4:22 said that you put off concerning the former conversation. The old man which is corrupt according to deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, if you can't tell the truth, you're walking in darkness. Speak every man truth with his neighbor. For we are members one of another. Be ye angry and sin not. Anger is an emotion that is in all humanity. But how you react to anger will depend on whether you sin or not. I've learned one of the best ways to deal with anger. This is just for me now. I'm just doing me now. As they say, if I get angry about something, I need to pray more about it. If someone makes me angry, I need to talk to Jesus about them. I need to say, "Lord, help me. Let's let's straighten this out. Lord, I need your guidance." He said, "Be ye angry and sin not. Let not the sun go down on your wrath. Neither neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the things which is good, and he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no, let no corrupt communications proceed out of your mouth." We don't need dark communications, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Oh, please hear me tonight. It is important that we understand even in dealing with our brothers and sisters how we should find ourselves looking for statements that gracefully express even if we have differences. There's some who can never pass a compliment without putting a zinger with it. Hey sis, that's a beautiful dress you've got on. Looks a whole lot better than that one you wore last week. Jesus said, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh." If you got a dark heart, you'll talk dark. Simple as that. Ephesians said this. This is this I say therefore and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in vanity of their mind having their understanding darkened. He's mentioned their hearts being darkened. Now if your understanding is darkened, he said being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts. The world without Christ walking in darkness does not understand the simple basic rudimentary fundamentals of living a life serving Christ. That's why it's so important that we must be an example, a successful example. Please don't go around lauding, "Oh, how bad it is. I've given up so much to serve the Lord." You don't have to give up anything that's worth having to serve the Lord. I've given up a lot of heartache, given up a lot of trouble, given up a lot of distress and a lot of stress. I'm here to tell you serving God is the greatest life there is. Don't ever find yourself portraying to this world that it's a tough life serving God. It's the greatest life there is. We're walking in the light. Enjoy the journey. Enjoy the trip. I'm excited about walking in the light. I can see where I'm going. I know where I'm headed. Verse 22 said that you put off concerning the former conversations, the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Let me draw near the end. In fact, praise team musicians start getting ready. I do not have a desire to walk in darkness in any way. I don't like the dark. I want the light to be where I can see. I in fact I want to live in the light. Why? Because the light's where Jesus is. He said this in John 8:12. Then spake Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Oh, I'm looking forward to heaven, but I'm enjoying walking in the light right here on this earth. I I enjoy being with my brothers and sisters. I I enjoy being in the house of God in the fellowship of uh I've quoted it many times before, but I must quote it again cuz brother Lewis Hara pinned some of the mightiest words in the song that said, "I'm not only going to make it, but I'm going to enjoy the trip. I'm enjoying serving God." Listen to me. There's just too many benefits. There's too much to see to walk around in darkness. For Jesus said he was the light, but then he went on to tell us this in Matthew 5:14. He said, "Ye are the light of the world." Not only was he the light, when he lives in us, we become the light. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven. Stand with me. Most of us learned the little song in Sunday school. We said, "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine." We would sing, "Hide it under a bushel." No, I'm going to let it shine. And the favorite part was, "Won't let Satan it out. I'm going to let it shine. I'm thankful for the light of truth that has been shined on us. For here is as we quoted today, I give it to you again. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praise of him who did what? whoath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Jesus has called you out. You've been called out. If you're in this house tonight, he's got a call for you. You've been called out in the world. To be called out means you've been challenged. The word challenges us again this night to step out of darkness. not to let there be any darkness in our lives. I give you one more passage of scripture. Colossians 1:12 said, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meat to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin. I'm here to tell you if you're going to do truth and you've been called out, then you need to obey his word and let his blood bring forgiveness of sin for you. We have an inheritance. We have deliverance. We have redemption. We have forgiveness. And we have the light. If you want to walk in the light tonight, I want to ask every person in this house just for a moment. Would you lift your hands and love Jesus? Would you praise him just a moment? Savior, I love you. Savior, I love you. God, I thank you for the call that you have given us, Lord. I thank you for the revelation of your salvation plan, Lord. that I can ask for forgiveness of sin, Lord, through repentance, Lord, and that you will fill me with your spirit, that I can take on your name in baptism, and Lord, you can redeem me and shine your precious light of love on my life, God, if there's a person in this house that's not yet walking in the light, I pray, God, right now that the power of the Holy Ghost would convict, would stir, and would change right now. God, I praise you. God, I worship you. God, I call on you right now. Hallelujah. If you're in this house and you're walking in the light, would you gather in this altar for a season of prayer, saying, "Thank you, Lord, for the light." Let him shine his light of love on you.