Sunday Evening Worship Service

well Lord bless you I'm going to let you move to your seats what a wonderful crowd of Believers are here at First Apostolic Church church so glad to see every one of you here on this Sunday evening we say a special welcome uh to you all the guests that have already been named and uh uh I occasionally use a line that I heard a a bishop used several years ago he said I give protocol to those that I don't know to call so if there's anybody here that I that hasn't been honored uh I give you honor for being in the house of the Lord thank you for worshiping with us uh thank you uh Pastor Anthony for a marvelous word last night I briefly uh repeat uh Bishop's message of thanks of the the army of Believers that uh uh was here ministering last night and I mean that Ministry you ministered to me and to the church with what you did the uh saints that were at the hospital bringing Comfort to a family in a time of uh uh Despair and loss thank you for all that uh you did as well uh we're in one great big family and God is uh blessing us I want to get right into the word of the Lord tonight I'd call your attention to the book of Acts the 17th chapter the book of Acts the 17th chapter and oh I I want to say uh also another word uh I'm I'm happy for uh brother Cody Reagan uh brother Cody will be graduating from the Knoxville City Police Academy this coming Thursday that's an amazing accomplishment and uh I want to say congratulations to him we'll be mentioning that again I know he's finishing up his studies and all of those things and we are blessed here at First Apostolic Church to have H many uh faithful civil servants that work in our community and look after our well-being and safety when we're uh resting uh and sleeping in the middle of the night they are keeping watch and we're thankful for all of them the book of Acts the 17th chapter I want to begin reading at verse number 16 acts 17 beginning at verse number 16 now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens his Spirit was stirred in him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews and with devout persons and in the market daily with them that met with him then certain philosophers of the epicureans and of the stoics encountered him and some said what will this blabber say other some he seeth to be a set or for of strange Gods because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection and they took him and brought him to oropus saying may we know what this new doctrine whereof thou speakest is for thou bringest certain strange things to our ears we would know therefore what these things mean and please notice verse 21 for all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing tonight I want to preach to you on this subject for a few moments some new thing let's pray savior I love you I'm grateful for this wonderful crowd of Believers Lord I Thank you that you are ever mindful of every need that we have Lord I Thank you that you are the peace that passeth understanding for those who have experienced loss now God I pray that you would let your word Minister mightily to us this night let the power of the Holy Ghost overshadow us let it give us Direction guidance and strength for all this we're grateful and thankful in Jesus name we pray amen some new thing I must say I do stay amazed as I see the rapid advancement and improvements of Commodities and of uh devices that affect every facet of Our Lives from technology to Communications transportation to construction today's Cutting Edge is tomorrow's antiques let me use use a few terms here and see how Antiquated this sounds anybody ever heard of a flip phone I can remember that getting a cell phone was an amazing thing I remember my dad getting the first cell phone that we had in our family and the first call he got was a wrong number so help me I mean we were sitting around that thing rang and we were like wow sorry you have the wrong number I also remember some of the first cell phones were actually advertized because they were about the size of a brick or as my dad used to say a stick of stove wood however her big a stick of oak wood is that tells you how Antiquated I am uh but they said not only could you use it for a cell phone if you needed to you could use it for a weapon to defend people off they had actually advertised it but it's amazing now from flip phones to blackberries that's not just something you eat at one time touchscreens personal computers tablets we constantly feel worried if we don't have the newest thing oh no I just got my new iPhone and they're coming out with a new one and in fact it seems like the first message you get when you get your phone is you need to update your phone but it's happening all facets of Life Communications used to be weekly if you were excited to get a news reel that told what was happening around the world then we moved up and had newspapers that came once a day now we have live reports that can come instantly around the world and even before the news outlets get it out there are bloggers and folks with their cell phones that immediately communicate around the world the new thing the newest thing having the newest thing advertisers have learned that consumers love labels that say new and improved something about it no matter what it is if you get the new and improved version that's what everyone's looking for we we don't want to stay with some old things in fact I heard a an old man say the other day he said he went into an anti an antique store and they wouldn't let him leave so we want the new things we want to keep things fresh and new with that in mind notice the message of Jesus and the resurrection to the Athenians was considered some new thing a new doct Doctrine remember that to the Corinthians Paul had preached Christ and him crucified now he had taken it to the next step to the Athenians and he was preaching the resurrection of Jesus but in the day that we live in I'm amazed at those who have so much estranged themsel from the revelation of who Jesus is that the real doctrine of Jesus Christ and him resurrected seems to be some new doctrine oh they can still have Easter Plays and wear a crucifix they can still have manger scenes and Christmas musicals they can tell you the chronology of Bible stories and events from the word yet if you ask them why were you baptized and what formula was used when you were baptized they will not know or may not understand in fact if you explain it to them biblically they act like wow this is something strange this is some new thing see you got to understand in our text where Paul was iopus was mentioned this was also called Mars Hill this was a a hill just outside of Athens that had had Stones all over it that acted as seats for the council the aeropic the council and this Council they dealt with philosophy they also settled disputes they rendered judgments and they had wide reaching governmental authority to make decisions and because Paul had been preaching this so-called new thing this new doctrine there was discussion and disagreement on what this is he's preaching this some new thing this new doctrine some said he's a babler others said he's bringing strange God to God so so they took him to Mars Hill to ericus so he would explain this new thing verse 22 of that same chapter in Acts 17 it says then Paul stood in the midst of Mars H and he said ye men of Athens I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious man he didn't back up an inch from what he was telling them he said you guys are the ones with the problem said you're too superstitious he said for I passed by and beheld your devotions he did not denigrate that they were devoted to what they knew he simply was letting them know you don't know what I know know and I'm about to give some Revelation to you he said I beheld your devotions and I found an altar with this inscription to the unknown God they were so worried about satisfying deity even though they didn't know who Jesus was they didn't know who the one true God was that they wanted to cover all bases they said so we're just going to uh uh make sure that we we uh uh honor an unknown God he said whom therefore ye ignorantly worship now but his words were pretty strong he told them they were superstitious said they don't know who their God is and he said you're doing your worship out of ignorance that's pretty strong wording he said him declare I unto you he said before I finish with my presentation he's not going to be unknown to you anymore I'm going to reveal to you who God really is and he was speaking of Jesus resurrected flesh that had gone to the Cross had been in the grave and had rose again aren't you thankful tonight to have a revelation of who Jesus really is I certainly am but I remind you what Ecclesiastes said for Ecclesiastes 1 and8 and 8 and N said this all things are full of Labor man cannot utter it the eye is satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing but the thing that hath been is it is that which shall be and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the sun I've got news for you the Jesus name message is no new thing it's always been in the book it's already been settled and we need to just step up and say thank you Lord for the Revelation this is nothing new it may appear new to some but it's always been there to The Devout who will study and prepare it's always been in the book you see here's what can happen to you though if you get away from spiritual leadership and go with Earth and fleshly Leadership even those who have known can estrange thems from the truth and the simplest of things become new old truths become new I give you this as an example in 2 Chronicles the 34th chapter we see the total estrangement from God that had that had occurred over Generations when Israel chose to have have kingly leadership rather than Godly leadership they made a conscious decision we want to be like everybody else instead of God through His prophets and his ministers giving us Divine Direction instead of abiding by the Covenant that God has given us with this people they said we reject that instead we want a king like everybody body else apostolics when we want to be a denomination like everybody else we're turning away from God you see being Apostolic Pentecostal is not a denomination it's a lifestyle it's the apostles Doctrine that's the life I choose to live I want to be led by the word by his Spirit not by denominal decrees so notice what happened God's people chose a king and the decline was not complete but it began with Saul Saul would reject God and would God in turn would reject him David and then after that bloodline of bloodline King of Kings would enter more and more away from Godly guidance till you would find a people that no longer knew the true God they had preferred kingly leadership now human Direction had left them devoid of the understanding of a covenant relationship and an intimate connection that they as a people had had with God we The Church Must keep the Old Paths and not appear that what we're looking for is some new thing so here's what would happen eventually a child would become king in 2 Chronicles the 34th chapter an 8-year-old would become the king verse one of 2 Chronicles 34 says Josiah was 8 years old when he began to Reign and he reigned in Jerusalem 130 years and please notice the wording take the time to really see what this says it said and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord he walked in the ways of David his father he he gave reverence to the Past he declined neither to the right hand nor the left for in the eighth year of his Reign while he was yet young he began to seek after God of David his father and in the 12th year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from high places and from The Groves and the car images and the molten images I want you to notice what happened number one he started young sometimes we need a a new generation with fresh eyes being reminded of who we are and who we are I don't mind telling you I get excited when I I see everybody worship but when I see some of these younger ones that are already stepping up to be worshippers and praisers they're not ashamed to to shout and dance a little bit I I see them working brother and sister boss I saw somebody on a camera tonight oh y'all don't need to be using those kids you know they they need hear me the world starts them out young the world starts their indoctrination young the world wants to train them young why should we not start out young there were fresh eyes in Josiah Josiah started out when he was eight and by the time he turned 16 he said there's more to it than this fleshly leadership we are a different people there's something special about us he said here's the first thing I'm going to do I'm going to do right in God's eyes now that's no secret formula it's right to do right it said he didn't turn to the right or the left he stayed right on he walked in the way ways of his father now David was not his immediate bloodline father but it was that lineage that Heritage he went back and and and realized the the grander and the influence and the power that Israel had once had when David was King now they had been reduced to being another Nation Waring and battling let us respect where we've come from let us not forget our history let us not forget where God has brought us from now that doesn't mean when I say he brought us from he didn't bring us out of Egypt but we sure had to find our way through some early things I've got news for you there's senior Saints in this place that have sacrificed of the resources of their abilities so we could have carpeted floors have lights and air conditioning and heat it wasn't always that way we need to respect where we've come from and it's said he began to seek God Matthew 7 seven Jesus said this ask and it shall be given you seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you he started seeking God diligently as a young man as a young king and then the last quote bullet point that I would give you from that passage it said he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem you see there's stuff that we need but there's also stuff that we need to get get out of our Lives sometimes we need to go back and start purging our lives from some of the things that the enemy would place in our way to be hindrances some of the things that man he said tear down the idols get rid of the Groves get rid of all the carved images the molten images the high places that were serving false gods he said we've got to get back this is no new thing we need to get back into the book and find out what we're supposed to be doing so notice the chronology of what happened in verse 14 of that same chapter it said and when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord one thing they hadn't forgot how to do was take an offering and apparently wherever the offering was being kept there was a book of law that the Lord had given by Moses you see they still knew how to use money but they'd left the book of law in the closet and helaya answered answered and said to shapen the Scribe I have found the book of law Hokah being the priest he said I found the they' lost the law they' lost the law of God they had gotten so far away from everything they lost the law listen when the church abandons the word for social programs and man's ideas we're not being a god Le church anymore listen we will minister to our community in every way possible we'll preach the word but it's not my opinion it's God's word that we must live by he said I found the book of law in the house of the Lord and helaya delivered the book to shap it and shaen carried the book To The King and brought the king word back again saying all that was committed by thy servant's hand they do it let me tell you you cannot have true revelation of who God is without the word he is exalt us his word above his name you see from time to time there will be a movement or a dynamic personality that claims to preach some new revelation but invariably it seems that those New Revelations separate individuals from the church and are not based on the truth of God's word instead they bring false Doctrine scripture calls it Vain jangling and babblings some even claim new interpretations of the word second Timothy 2:15 answered that when it said study to show thyself approved unto God a Workman needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth but shun profane and vain babblings for they will increase unto more ungodliness I don't understand how folks can say it's a new revelation when most New Revelations seem to never lead folks to Godliness it seems to lead go people to worldliness oh I've got a new revelation of Freedom you don't have to do this you don't have to do that the word didn't mean that I have not not seen any Revelations that bring folks closer to God it's take care of Flesh now satisfy the flesh satisfy ungodliness selfishness self-serving ideas it never gets one closer to God it elevates my myself my freedom my desires job said it this way why seen times are not hidden from the almighty do they not know him not see his days some remove the landmarks they violently take away the flocks and feed thereof you see we must not remove those guidepost those landmarks I remember reading here several years ago 10 12 years ago and I may be totally off with my timing but at least that I'll put it that way when the horrible tsunami hit the Japanese Coast thousands of lives were taken I remember seeing the horrible video of the ocean taking out ships and cars and buildings as that tumult of water black water churned and just wiped out cities a nuclear plant was overrun with water and I remember in the aftermath of the Carnage of news reporters that began going to the hills just above where the tsunami had so devastated that part of of that country and there were old markers ever so often and when they begin interpreting those markers those markers simply said do not build below this line because of the tsunami it had been some were hundreds of years old you see the landar marks of protection that the word has given us it may not be an immediate storm it may not be an immediate earthquake let but let me tell you don't start putting your ideology of going lower than the word of God going lower than the guidepost and the landmarks that God has so wonderfully given from generation to generation you don't remove the landmarks God has put some things in our place to to protect us to protect your children to protect your grandchildren some of the horrible things I will not even itemize that the society that we live in is facing now the horrible things that we see in our news that mankind would do to one another and just because they made it legal does not make it moral hear this preacher just because man laws have said some things are legal it does not mean they are not sinful and they're not wrong in the eyes of God you see Josiah was now King a young man and he's going back and he's saiding we've got to recalibrate we've got to have the law he got the prophet haaiah he got the Scribe and and they were going back through the book of law I want you to notice this verse 21 says he said go inquire of the Lord for me for them that are left in Israel and in Judah concerning the words of the book that is found for great is the Wrath of the Lord that is poured out upon us because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord to do after all that is written in this book he said man our success has gone down we need to go back and see what made the past generation successful and where this steady decline has come from and notice this I may cross some of our theological swords but don't get too upset with me yet hear me verse 22 says and helaya and they that the king had appointed went to Hala the propheus the wife of Shalom the son of tith the son of hasra Keeper of the Wardrobe now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college and they spake to her to that effect Josiah inquired of an educated well studied college girl did you know God can still use educated young ladies oh all the misogynist can sit on your hands if you want to I'm not a misogynist and I'm not a misandrist either I'm not against men or women but I believe God has a calling on everybody in this house he's got a call for you to do something never mistake he's got a call for everybody it may not be a pull pit Ministry but he's got a call for you don't you reject that because of Any past ideas that some man has come up with he said I need to find somebody that can tell me what the book says he inquired of an educated well studied college girl God used a little college girl to bring Enlightenment the Bible said she was the keeper of the clothes worn by the prophet she was the rather the priest she was the priest haberdasher if you will now if you would indulge me for a moment the priest wardrobe a wardrobe is a collection of clothes that a person owns or wears you want some new revelation from the commentary of mul God knew what he was doing when he put a young lady over the Wardrobe instead of a man I'll just speak to you from experience guys don't raise your hands but be honest if any of you guys ever been someplace when your wife wasn't around and you were getting dressed for church and you only iron the collar and the Cuffs of your shirt and pledge you weren't going to take your your jacket off during service guilty have you ever chosen the dryer over the iron guilty you know at our house we've got a dry at the house it even has a setting that says wrinkle control I felt like that's for all men in fact after I turned 66 I thought about crawling in there myself see what it would do but I don't think that's what it means and think about it men if if they lift it up to us laundry would eventually be easy right because after about four loads everything I have would be gray you wouldn't have to separate the whites and the colors and and the hot and the cold it would all be the same thing now I just a little but understand she was doing a work she was working as the caretaker of the Wardrobe of the priest I read from Adam Clark's synoptic passage on Second Kings it said so helah the priest and ahikam and Anor and chaan and Azariah went to holda the prophet Prophet the wife of schulam and it said this is a most singular circumstance at this time Jeremiah was certainly a prophet in Israel but it is likely he was now at at an AO and could not be readily consulted Zephaniah also Propet prophesied under this Reign but probably had not yet begun hilah was the high priest and the priest's lip should retain knowledge shaen was the Scribe and must have been conversent in sacred Affairs to have been at all fit for the office yet holda a prophetes of whom we know nothing but but by the circumstances is consulted on the meaning of the book of law for the secret of the Lord was neither with helaya or with schaen the Scribe nor any other servant of the king or M Ministers of the temple he goes on to say we find from this that we have many facts in all ages to corroborate it that a Pon of a pope a bishop a priest in many cases do not possess the true knowledge of God and that a simple woman possessing the life of God in her soul may have more knowledge and divine testimonies than many of those whose office it is to explain and enforce them what he's trying to say is God will use those who trust in him and are available to him and are doing a consistent work in his kingdom and she answered them verse 23 thus sayith the Lord God of Israel tell ye the man that sent you to me tell the king thus sayith the Lord behold I will bring evil Upon This Place upon the inhabitants thereof even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah because they have forsaken me have burned incense under the go other gods that they might provoke me to anger with all thy Work all the works of their hands therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched man she wasn't real gentle was she she she laid it out pretty quick is you you guys are in trouble and as for the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the Lord so shall ye say unto him thus say the Lord of Israel concerning The Words which thou has heard because thine heart was tender here here God gave the ominous message but then through H he began to reveal a softer side he said because thy heart was tender you were a young man and thou D humble thyself before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitant thereof and humblest thyself before me and did rent thy clothes and wheat before me I have even heard thee also say the Lord she gave a confirmation God's heard you uh Josiah God's heard your plea he knows the innocence and the things you've been dealing with and now he's heard your plea behold I will gather to thee to thy fathers and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same so they brought the word again they God said because of your innocence and your faithfulness you're not going to suffer this you're not going to see it verse 29 then the king sent and gathered together all the Elders of Judah King went up into the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the priests and the Levites and all the people great and small and notice what happened it says he read in their ears all the words of the book of the Covenant that was found in the house of the Lord when Josiah heard the prophecy he didn't keep it secret he said everybody needs to hear this word he went to church he read the book he rediscovered the commitment or Covenant between the people and God and the King stood in his place verse 31 and made a covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart with all his soul to perform the word of the Covenant which was written in the book they thought they'd found some new thing and all the time it had been in the book verse 32 said and he caused all that were present in Jerusalem Benjamin to stand to it he made the people accountable that we have a covenant with God and we're going to keep it verse 33 and Josiah took away all the Abominations out of the countries that pertained to the children of Israel and all that were present in Israel to serve he said we're going to start a a service service we're not going to sit around and worship Idols where there's going to be service by the people it said he they were present to in Israel to serve even to serve the Lord their God in all his days they departed not from the following the Lord and the god of their fathers they removed the Abominations some of us need to go clean out our closets some of us need to clean out our music files some of us need to clean out of presets on a radio if they still have those some of us need to clean out our attitudes and desire to be like Christ rather than desire to be like the world Josiah did not depart from following it said in other words he stayed faithful well preacher thank you for the history lesson how does it apply to us I'm glad you asked because I got a couple of minutes left before we'll do whatever we need to do for you see just as it was a new revelation to a people that had estranged itself from the origins of what the book said the word has not changed but just as the Athenians Found Jesus resurrected a new thing there are so many in this world who find the apostles doctrine that we who are Apostolic have the wonderful blessing have the having the revelation of there are many who see the apostles Doctrine as a new thing or as vain J jangling or babbling let me give you this example because I said in my introductory remarks there are many who they have their Easter services they wear their crucifixes they have their manger scenes they have their Christmas musicals but they have no idea how they were baptized and why they were baptized Jesus said it this way just this simple in Mark 1616 he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved he that believeth not shall be Dam yet we have so many today who as the Athenians ignorantly worship and they say well if you'll just get saved out of obedience then you ought to get baptized in other words they just suppose Jesus words they're saying he that believeth is saved shall be baptized that's what the scripture said it said he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and they say why is it does it really matter how you're baptized does it really matter what formula is used when you're baptized well let me let me read you a little something and I I will not read it all but uh I did find out that Google's good for something I just for the fun of it Googled one day in study who changed the B baptismal formula from in the name of Jesus the father Son and Holy Ghost just I just want to do a Google search the first article that came up was written in October 5 of 2020 and appeared in the National Catholic Reporter a Jesuit frier by the name of Thomas Reese a columnist for religious news had authored this and the head heading and headline was this it said Vatican Causes Chaos by invalidating baptismal formula does it matter how you're baptized if if it's just a voluntary thing does it matter does the formula matter well he made this statement I'll read excerpts rather than reading you the four-page article it but he said this for centuries the baptismal for formula in the Roman Catholic church has been I baptize you in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost notice most Protestant churches have also used this formula toward the end of the 20th century however a few baptismal ministers began tinkering with the formula a few ministers have said we baptize to bring out the familial or Community dimensions of the baptism does it matter does the formula matter toward the end of the 20th century this happened and he said for example a priest might say in the name of the father and of the mother and of the godfa and the Godmother and of the grandparent and of the family member and of the friends and in the name of the commun Community we baptize you in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Ghost in June the congregation which is a congregation for doctrine of faith in the Vatican made this ruling in June the congregation which deals with doctrinal issues rule that a baptism was invalid if the minist said we baptize instead of I baptize does it matter how you're baptized does the formula matter the Catholic Church saw it being so important that you couldn't even change the ey to we his article goes on to say this caused absolute chaos in Detroit where Reverend Matthew Hood saw in a video his 1990 baptism that Deacon Mark Springer used the we formula as a result Hood was not a Christian let alone a priest because he could not be validly ordained a priest if he was not validly baptized Hood situation was quickly remedied on August 9th with his baptism and on August 17th with his ordination but the arch dicese is trying to track down everyone baptized by Deacon Springer who served in Detroit from 1986 to 1999 how many other priests and deacons around the country used we as unknown does it matter how you're baptized Catholic Church said if you change I to we we're invalidating your baptism it went on in the article to say this it isn't the first time the formula which the congregation that group that makes decision HS was mandated ated by Jesus in Matthew's gospel has been tested some priests have tried gender neutral nouns like I baptize you in the name of the Creator the Redeemer and the sanctifier others use Creator Liberator and sustainer both formulas were declared not only illicit but invalid by the congregation in 2008 in other words it was not only against the rules it didn't work the person not baptized and must be baptized again using the correct formula now please stay with me we're going somewhere and not I skipped to the next statement it said in a worst case scenario there might even be a bishop who was invalidly baptized not only are his masses confessions and confirmations invalid so too are his ordinations that means the men he ordained are not priest and all the sacraments they performed were invalid does it matter to the Catholic Church how you're baptized and what formula you use the real problem here is that the Vatican is treating the traditional words of baptism like a computer password without without it you can't get into the church that's what he said in fact some Scholars point to the Pauline letters for evidence that the early Christians were baptized in the name of Jesus not the Trinity who did the changing the Catholic and encyclopedia for example states that the baptismal formula was changed from the name of Jesus Christ to the words Father Son and Holy Ghost by the Catholic church in the 2 Century I say Amen frier you're right you're the one that changed it there's no new thing we've always believed it's always been scriptural to baptize in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins that ought to make somebody happy in this house that ought to make you rejoice please I'm not being dogmatic or ugly but we need to understand and know what we have the precious Apostolic Revelation would I would I be so bold to give you just a a few more history lesson that you already know Bishop published it in his book common questions concerning Apostolic Doctrine baptism was changed from the name of Jesus to the words Father Son and Holy Ghost in the 2N Century bratanic encyclopedia the 11th Edition volume three page 365 cany Encyclopedia of religion page 53 the early church baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus until the 2 Century there's no new thing here baptism in Jesus name is no new thing it's in the book it's in the book Hastings Encyclopedia of religion volume two Christians Bap Christian baptism was administered using the words quote in the name of Jesus page 377 baptism was always in the name of Jesus until the time of Justin Martyr the Catholic encyclopedia again is quoted here the author acknowledges that the baptismal formula was changed by their Church does it matter how you're baptized you better know it does if we is important to them Jesus name is essential to us I said Jesus name is essential to us now I'll stay with me just a moment more I know some of you folks can quote this like I can but there may be a new voice there may be somebody that out there that's been viewing us that's trying to figure out what's this new thing this Apostolic Bunch it's no new thing but brother mol is baptism even essential is it necessary well I'll take you again to the book of Acts the second chapter Peter was preaching about Jesus Christ and him crucified the same message that Paul preached at Mars Hill and Jesus crucifixion he was telling those folks that had gathered in all that had been around that had questions he was telling them that they had that the Jews had crucified Jesus who was both Lord and Christ and scripture said this in Acts 2:37 now when they heard this they heard Peter's message they were pricked in their hearts that's called conviction and they said said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles men and Brethren what shall we do in your mind underline italicize highlight that word shall in legal terms now we're talking about the law of God in legal terms the word shall is an imperative that usually means something is mandatory they said what's mandatory what shall we do Peter said it's simple repent and be baptized some of you be baptized all you that feel like it's voluntary and you want to you believe so now you want to get baptized no he said repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and Jesus shall show up and you shall it's mandatory receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the promise is unto you stand with me and to your children and to them that are far off even as many as the Lord Our God should call does it matter how I'm baptized you better know it does the reason I get so excited this is not some edict and some attempt to be a bully it's simply to say we've got a revelation it's no new thing thank God for it don't find yourself quibbling about other stuff it's just that simple if you're in this house tonight you haven't repented of your sins it's simple as this you come to an altar of repentance say God I'm sorry for my sinning if you haven't been baptized the Bible way we're not quibbling about ion we but I am telling you he said in the mandatory statement be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ why for the remission of your sins it's a symbolic of the death the burial and the resurrection and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost there's no new thing Hebrews said Jesus Christ the same yesterday today forever he said be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace not with Meats which have not profited them that have been occupied therein in Malachi his word says for I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob not consumed there's no new thing he is the same yesterday today and forever what about this word that you keep talking about the law of God the psalmist said it this way in Psalms 11989 forever oh Lord Thy word is settled in heaven word's not going to change the message is not going to change but when we receive revelation we should insteed in indeed find ourselves as verse n he said thy faithfulness is unto all generations thou H has established the Earth and it abideth they continue this day according to thine ordinance for all thy servants for just a moment I wonder if we could lift our hands on our hearts and thank God for his Revelation savior I thank you Lord I stand before you tonight in awe of the privilege I have of having the revelation of who you are Lord I do not boast with any kind of Pride or any kind of arrogance but savior I'm so excited that youve allowed me to receive the revelation of Who You Are God you have commissioned every person in this place to be Witnesses unto you God every person that's in this house right now your word is settled for them Lord if there's a person who has not yet repented of their sins Lord I pray that before this service is over that they will do just that and say I'm sorry for my sin and Lord if there's anyone in this house who has not yet taken on your name in baptism Lord we're prepared to be obedient to your word and Lord we understand the promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost and Lord I know you will pour your spirit out on those who are faithful to receive it Hallelujah I wonder if everybody in this house who's a Believer would take a few moments and gather in for a season of prayer if you haven't been baptized we'll baptize you if you haven't repented come and repent if you don't have the Holy Ghost come seeking believing that he's going to fill you tonight Hallelujah