Ain't Nobody Nobody

i'm going to let you move to your seats and be seated here in the sanctuary we greet you in jesus name what a privilege it is to be in the house of the lord today jesus is doing miracles in the house today if you need a miracle you need to be in the house of god if you need a problem taken care of you need to get to the house of god if you have a problem a situation the house of gods where you get that mended that's where you get it fixed oh hallelujah thank you for being with us we welcome all of our guests who are joining us here today we welcome those who are joining us online and most of all we welcome the presence of the lord that is ministering mightily here to the faithful saints of first apostolic church calling your attention this morning to the book of acts the 10th chapter i'll let you be turning there while i make a few remarks acts 10 i want to say thank you to bishop mccool for the mighty message he preached to us on grandparents day last sunday morning thank you bishop mccool for ministering to us and i got to get a little bit of the bridged version this morning on the television broadcast and so enjoyed that thank you first apostolic church saints the first apostolic church for your faithfulness all of our ministerial leadership our pastoral staff pastor whitley pastor anthony all of our ministers and elders who so faithfully give of themselves thank you for ministering to us today acts 10 we're going to begin reading at verse number 25 acts 10 beginning at verse 25 and as peter was coming in cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshipped him but peter took him up saying stand up i myself also am a man and as he talked with him he went on and found many that were come together and he said and he said unto them you know how that it is unlawful thing for a man that is a jew to keep company or to come unto one of another nation but god hath showed me that i should not call any man common or unclean therefore came out unto you without gainsayer without contradiction as soon as i was sent for i asked therefore what intent you've sent me and cornelius said four days ago i was fasting until this hour and at the ninth hour i prayed in my house and behold a man stood before me in bright clothing and said cornelius thy prayers heard and that alms are had in remembrance in the sight of god send therefore to joppa and call hither simon whose surname is peter he's lodged in the house of one simon a tenor by the seaside who when he cometh shall speak unto thee immediately therefore i sent to thee and thou has well done that thou art come now therefore are we all here present before god to hear all things that are commanded thee of god then peter opened his mouth and said please notice this of a truth i perceive that god is no respecter of persons let me read that again of a truth i perceive that god is no respecter of persons but in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him hoping you will stay with me just a moment to understand what i've asked our media folks to do i'd like to preach to you on this subject what is my status with god what is my status with god let's pray savior we love you lord we're grateful and thankful for the privilege that we have of studying your word and for being ministered to by the praise the worship and your presence now god i pray that your word would minister mildly to us let us say and do all that would please you in the name of jesus we pray amen what is my status with god when my daughter sister ashley was teaching an apostolic kiddie academy several years ago now and i'll i will ask you to indulge me if you've heard me tell this story before but many have not so it bears repeating as illustration she was teaching an apostolic kiddie academy and she was teaching the kindergarten four-year-old class i guess it was that we called it one of the challenges that she ran into was that during play time the kids like to play or have role playing they like to take the position of i'm this person and i'm that person during a particular time frame spider-man was the in-vogue character to be everybody wanted to be spider-man swinging from building the building wearing his red and blue outfit and hanging on the side of walls with his super human attributes so the kids would begin playing and invariably there would be an argument that would ensue and it went something like this i'm spider-man no i'm spider-man no i get to be spider-man you be batman i don't want to be batman i'm spider-man i called it first there was such disruption at this time there was one young man in particular i guess i will always remember his name till i forget it his name was dante dante was big for his age but he was a sweetheart sister ashley would say i know he's big for his age but he's just a baby that's the way she'd say it but because he was big for his age among four-year-olds if an argument ensued when it got physical he could usually carry his weight and if she allowed to go too long dante would prove that he's spider-man to the point that sister ashley said all right you can't role-play if it's going to cause an argument and dante wanted to always obey as well after a little convincing so as instructions sometimes do from one day to the next students have to be reminded so sure enough in just a few days by the way if dante's listening counting back the time he's probably a full-grown man now so dante i'm not throwing off on you i promise but the argument again began to take place i'm spider-man no i'm spider-man and dante wanting to obey sister ashley but wanting to be involved in the role play heard the others arguing and wanted to make his proclamation and he knew he was going to get in trouble and he was conflicted and the biggest kid in the class broke down and started crying and he said to sister ashley tell them not to do that cause sister ashley said ain't nobody nobody so today the real title of my message is ain't nobody nobody i want everybody in the house to know that ain't nobody nobody in god's eyes you see to all you english teachers and grammar sticklers i realize the english is not correct but the message is right on and this is exactly what was happening when peter and cornelius met with each other god had been doing a work in two different lives cornelius was a devout man while he did not have all the truth of who jesus is he was a devout man he had been praying and he had been fasting and a miraculous vision had come to him a a a a message that said you need to call for simon whose surname is peter he's at the house of simon the tanner he's got a message of truth for you let me tell you before all you truth knowing people think you've got it all there's some folks outside these doors that are devout in their hearts that are praying for all the truth and you better not stick your nose up in the air and think i've got the truth and i'm better than everybody else you better thank god for the truth and listen to the word of god he may be taking you to somebody to reveal the whole truth to them [Applause] so i read it in the narrative but repeat just parts of it simon peter showed up and the first thing that happened when simon peter showed up cornelius got on his knees and began to worship simon peter simon peter said get up get up said i'm a man i'm just like you but then simon peter began to reveal his prejudices he said now you know me coming here to minister to you is against the law he said because jews don't have anything to do with anybody of another nationality cornelius was of the italian band and you'll you'll know more about that later but he began to say i'm not really supposed to be here but he began to give his testimony for you see in those days cornelius was anything but a nobody cornelius was somebody if you go back to acts 10 and read the first it tells and gives the pedigree or the ancestry or the upper classness if you would of cornelius for acts 10 1 says there was a certain man in caesarea called cornelius a centurion of the band called the italian band he was a military leader he had much authority he was somebody he was a leader but the bible said he was a devout man and one that feared god with all his house and he gave much alms to the people he was a very generous man he gave of his abundance to help others and he prayed to god always hear me there are people that do not have the full revelation of the jesus name message that are devout people and they're praying to god and they're asking god give me everything i need we have the opportunity to be as simon peter if we have the truth in us but we can't go around sticking our nose in the air saying we're better than everybody else and we don't have anything to do with you [Music] notice cornea's prayer had influenced a super pious dare i say even prejudice peter for peter began giving his testimony in acts 10 9. he said on the morrow as they went on their journey and drew nine to the city peter went up to the housetop to pray about the sixth hour peter was a praying man too it said and he became very hungry and would have eaten but while they made ready he fell into a trance now i can relate to that when sister jamie starts making dinner sometimes if i sit down on the couch very long i fall into a trance but i don't always have same kind of visions that peter had for notice what happened it said and i saw heaven opened and certain vessels descending unto him as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air and there came a voice to him rise peter kill and eat but peter said not so lord for i have never eaten anything that is common or unclean he told god i'm somebody and the voice that spake unto him again the second time said what god has cleansed that call not thou uncommon this was done thrice and the vessel was received up again into heaven god said no you're not somebody you're nobody you see at the same exact time because two praying men in two different places god began to give revelation to both of them to cornelius he began to say i'm going to send somebody to you if you'll call for him to peter he said put aside your prejudice of being a jew only and you're not going to minister to anybody else you see if good god-fearing people will call on the lord if folks will pray god will start doing some supernatural some miraculous things he'll start talking to people he'll start ministering to people he'll start opening doors for you to be a witness [Applause] now both peter and cornelius realize to fulfill god's work in their lives they suddenly realized ain't nobody nobody but what about us you see until we realize who we really are and more importantly whose we really are we cannot fulfill god's work in our lives we must eliminate fleshly prejudices and assumptions that we have sometimes made that stops us from being the soul winners that we can be and we're commissioned to be as long as we are self-centered egocentric and self-aggrandizing in our point of view we will never fully do what god has called us to do but if instead we stay god-centered in our position toward the loss we can reach those once thought unreachable with the gospel of christ hear me if you're in this house today if you're listening out there online it matters not if you're rich or in ruin if you're an aristocrat or you're of common descent if you're a pauper or a king no matter your ethnicity no matter your race no matter your country of origin no matter your family lineage god loves you ain't nobody nobody it doesn't matter if your mama was a debutant or a harlot it doesn't matter if your daddy was a derelict or a successful entrepreneur when it comes to the salvation message ain't nobody nobody nobody's better than anybody else oh but let me pause here don't try to play the victim card either some look for attention from man rather than salvation from god some would rather wallow in their sin than straighten their self up and clean themselves off and say it doesn't matter my past somebody wants to keep sinning so they blame it on their past i'm here to tell you your past don't matter where you're living right now don't matter if you'll find an altar of repentance if you'll follow the word of god it matters not what you are ain't nobody nobody but god's wanting to make somebody somebody today you see it matters not your circumstance it matters not your difficulties it matters not what you've been through or what you've been or even what you're doing right now god wants to change you he wants to forgive you he wants to make you fresh and new you see too many get the wrong idea about what it takes to walk with god in acts 8 14 we read now when the apostles which were at jerusalem heard that samaria had received the word of god they said unto them peter and john you see evangelism starting to take place now peter gets it they're starting to minister to folks in different places who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the holy ghost for as yet it was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the name of the lord jesus let lets me know that there's part of this plan once you've repented of your sins you've been baptized in the name of the lord jesus the holy ghost is promised to you you've got to receive it verse 17 said then lay they their hands on them and they received the holy ghost they're in samaria now and when simon now this is not simon peter there was a different simon and when simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles hands the holy ghost was given he offered them money something some folks think they can buy their way in to the good graces of god saying give me also this power that on whomsoever i lay hands that they may receive the holy ghost but peter said unto him thy money perish with thee because thou has thought that the gift of god may be purchased with money thou has neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in the sight of god you can't buy this thing ain't nobody nobody it matters not what your bank account says it matters not how rich you may be it matters not how how much wealth you may have attained you can't buy this thing what did he say you needed he said repent you can't buy this you just need to repent repent therefore of thy wickedness and pray god if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee for i perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity and then answered simon and said pray ye to the lord for me that none of these things which you have spoken come unto me how beautiful simon and his wealth thought he could buy the power of the holy ghost but after a good message from peter he realized i need to repent i don't want to have bitterness hear me if you're in this house today rich people and poor people alike can get bitter sick folk and well folk can all get bitter let me tell you no matter your circumstance if there's bitterness in your in your heart at anything let me tell you god's already been doing miracles and taking bitterness out of hearts today that's miraculous that's god doing the work that's the holy ghost working [Applause] proverbs 22 2 said the rich and the poor meet together and the lord is the maker of them all he said ain't nobody nobody you can't by the holy ghost james 2 1 said my brethren have not thy faith of the lord jesus christ the lord of glory with respect of persons for if there come unto you your assembly a man with a gold ring and goodly apparel man don't he look good he's got an armani robe robot man looking good and there coming also a man in vile raiment and you have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing and sent him sith out here in the good place and say to the poor stand now there or sit here under my foot are ye not then partial in yourselves and are become judges of evil thoughts i don't need to itemize much here let the words speak to us right now it doesn't matter who comes through the doors and what their circumstance is ain't nobody nobody god's got salvation for everybody hearken my beloved brethren hath not god chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him we've been singing about it this morning the love of jesus the miraculous of jesus but you have despised the poor do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seat you know what he's really saying there wealth is relative i don't care how much you think you got that somebody got more than you do not by blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called if you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself you do well but if you have respect to persons you commit sin i didn't say that the word said that if you have respect to persons if you think this person ought to be saved and that person ought to get the good seat in the church but you ought to stand in the back here we don't need you around here but if you have respect to persons you commit sin and are convinced of the law of transgressors for whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend at one point he is guilty of all the church must never become spiritual sycophants who are eager to help those who are important in order to gain some social influential or financial advantage but still there are yet others who think they can earn their status with god without obeying the word ephesians 2 8 says for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of god god's grace is the saving grace that takes care of us all not of works unless any man should boast for we are his workmanship created in christ unto good works that god hath before ordained that we should walk in them now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and the household of god now please hear me i know some of us are veteran saints we've heard this preach time and time again but just let pause just a minute let me speak to some that maybe do not understand this concept there's a reason why first apostolic church doesn't have a formal membership role that we vote folks in and out of the church for you see we are fellow citizens with the saints of the household of god the simple explanation that our bishop is so aptly given so many times is when a new baby's born into the family the family doesn't get together and vote whether that baby's gonna be part of the family or not that baby's born into the family when you're born again you're in the family of god when you're born again you're part of this family somebody hear me we're all in this together we're all in this together oh families will have disagreements sometimes families will have disruptions sometimes but we're in this together we love one another rich and poor famous or infamous whatever our situation we are all god's children and it even gives a a finer description it said now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and the household of god and are built upon the foundation the apostles and the prophets jesus christ himself being the chief cornerstone jesus is our foundation if we don't have the common ground of jesus being our foundation what do we have in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the lord in whom you also are building together for a habitation of god through the spirit he lives in us he inhabits us when the holy ghost comes in we are the place he inhabits but lest some would misunderstand the meaning of the scripture in ephesians 2 and 8 for by grace are you saved through faith jude defined what real grace is and what real grace isn't jude said it this way in verse three beloved when i gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation now we're talking salvation talk it was need for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints for there are certain men crept in unawares would be ugly for me to say there's creeps if they crept there's some creeps running around where before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men now i'm reading your word ungodly men turning the grace of our god into lasciviousness and denying the only lord god and our lord jesus christ let me not be ugly but let me get the point across those who really believe that all you've got to do is believe and the grace of god covers sin is doing according to the word an ungodly thing it is ungodly to think that god would save you and leave you where you are let me say that again it is ungodly to think that the great god of heaven the god who has forgiveness for all sin would say i'm going to forgive you because you believed but you're going to be able to keep on doing what you've been doing he's going to deliver you from sin he's going to deliver you from ungodliness he wouldn't ask you to live a holy life if it was impossible he's looking for a holy people you can't buy it you can't earn it but by grace are you saved through faith let me tell you about faith folks who really believe will be obedient i said folks who really believe will be obedient if i [Music] for illustration purposes only told you hey the building's on fire we need to evacuate now you can tell me you believe all you want to until i see you doing something you ain't believing you see if you believe in the saving grace of jesus christ you will be obedient to what his word tells us to do it's just that simple first peter 3 18 said for christ also hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust jesus died for all who are unjust that's everybody ain't nobody nobody but jesus died for everybody that he might bring us to god and bring being put to death in the flesh but quickened by the spirit what's he saying now now please understand stay with me i've been preaching ain't nobody nobody now i want to convince everybody that you're somebody i want everybody in the house now i may need to change the title of my message again i don't know if they can do that or not now i want to tell everybody that you are somebody y'all are good i want you to know everybody is somebody when you know jesus for he said by which also he went and preached into the spirits in prison which sometimes were disobedient when once the long-suffering god weighed in the days of noah while the ark was a preparing wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water the like figure where unto even baptism doth now also save us let me tell you if you want salvation and you want to enact the grace of god you've got to repent of your sins then you need to get baptized the only bible way you've got to be obedient first peter 1 16 said be because it is written be ye holy for i'm holy and if you call on the father who without respect of persons there it is again ain't nobody nobody he's just telling everybody you're somebody verse 19 said but with the precious blood of christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot who verily was bordaine before the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you who by him do believe in god that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in god see ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth oh i'll skip to save time in saint john 7 39 it said but this spake he jesus had just spoken said that he that believes on jesus out of your belly is going to float rivers of living water and when he said that he was speaking of them that would believe on him that they would receive the holy ghost now that's what the bible says because at that point the holy ghost had not yet been given because jesus was not yet glorified but you see if you thought i could preach about everybody being somebody without quoting the book of acts the second chapter you don't know where i'm going yet for if we're going to be somebody in christ verse 37 said now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said pete it said unto peter and the rest of the apostles men and brethren what shall we do then peter said unto them repent and be baptized in the name of jesus christ for the remission of sins did i leave something out yeah what did i leave out when i quoted that then peter's letting them repent and be baptized what every one of you let me tell you ain't nobody nobody but everybody is somebody every one of you need to be baptized in the name of jesus christ for the remission for the washing away of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the holy ghost everybody somebody stand with me musicians get ready for he went on to say for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are far off even as many as the lord our god shall call everybody as somebody today you see peter had to take care of his prejudices his preconceived ideas to preach to cornelius and you see when he laid aside his prejudices and when cornelius in his devout desire to know more of god asked here's what happened in acts 10 44 peter preached this same message that he had been preaching in acts the second chapter [Music] cornelius and his household had gathered in god was doing a miraculous work because of devout prayer it said while peter yet spake these words the holy ghost fell on them which heard the word i'm just naive enough to believe if it happened [Music] back then it can happen here today if you don't have the holy ghost while the words going forth you can have the holy ghost today it's for you today it's [Music] ain't nobody nobody everybody is somebody in god's eyes and they have the circumcision that's the jews that still were doubting what had been going on they have the circumcisions which were which believed they were already believed were astonished as many as came with peter these were the witnesses that peter brought along with him to prove i'm not just going off on a tangent here but god has called me to do this he gave me a vision because that on the gentiles also was poured out the gift of the holy ghost let me tell you it's for everybody [Music] how did they know they got the holy ghost [Music] they got together and everybody signed a card and they voted them into the church no that's not what my bible says it said the evidence was for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify god [Music] then answered peter can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized which have received the holy ghost as well as we they got the same thing we got let me tell you i'm not going to pass judgment on anybody if somebody will repent of their sins if they'll get baptized in jesus name the holy ghost has promised you today and he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the lord then pray they him to terry certain days he said stay around a while [Music] let me ask you if you're in this house today and the enemy's been telling you you're a nobody [Music] look you can't buy this thing you can't earn this thing this is not a status symbol look before you saw a preacher i you're from a family of preachers i i know you've told how many multiple generations let me tell you there's nuts in my family tree as well [Music] saved by the grace of god i'm where i am i say that not as a boast but i'm telling you it's only by the grace of god that i am where i am and that god has allowed me to be where and every person in this place will testify to the same thing it is saved by the grace of god that he's brought you to where you are he's delivered you so let me tell you if the enemy's been telling you you're a nobody you can't have this thing you can't experience this you've done too much you've gone too far you're too defensive the enemy is a liar don't you believe him you're somebody today god's got something for you today [Applause] one preacher said it this way he said i'm a nobody trying to tell anybody about somebody who wants to save everybody i give you jesus today i give you to jesus today if you want the holy ghost i'd open the altar for you first you can come and receive it don't you wait on anybody else don't worry about anybody else if you don't have the holy ghost and you want it i want you to come right now god's got something for you i'm asking the church to believe if you want the holy oak somebody wants the holy ghost today hallelujah now who else there's prayer warriors that are going to come with you hallelujah if you want the holy ghost come and receive it right now in jesus name it's for you let the holy ghost speak through you if you need forgiveness for something would you come right now you're somebody god wants to forgive you today come on step out if you need restoration come on right now if you need a blessing come on in short if you're a child of god step out and get what you need from the lord today hallelujah yeah that's right my sister that's it let the holy ghost speak to you right now yeah yes come on church family let's come and [Music] hallelujah [Music] [Applause] [Music] that's it that's it [Music] [Applause] [Music] yeah yeah yeah [Music] [Music] [Music] sacrifices are purified [Music] washed in the blood of your sacrifice [Music] washed in the blood of your sacrifice your blood flowed and made me white my dirty rags [Music] washed in the blood of your sacrifice [Applause] [Music] is [Applause] [Music] sacrifice [Applause] [Music] [Applause] i'm [Music] [Applause] you watch [Music] of your sacrifice [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] huh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] make me [Music] [Applause] [Music] is [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] mercy [Applause] [Music] [Applause] in jesus name [Music] [Applause] [Applause] worthy [Applause] that you can make worthy [Music] [Music] now let me give you this word the enemy's gonna try to tell you that you're a nobody [Music] but once you get the holy ghost and you're forgiven that makes you a somebody in jesus you are somebody in jesus don't you let him bring you past up show him his future when he brings you past us hallelujah i'm forgiven i'm clean i'm made new i'm fresh in christ hallelujah [Music] hallelujah hallelujah holy ghost is here right now you hear me the holy ghost is doing a work right now in jesus name hallelujah come on my sister receive it receive it in jesus name receive it in jesus name hallelujah your victory is here the holy ghost is here hallelujah hallelujah that's right that's right that's right that's right [Music] [Applause] [Music] it in jesus name receive it in jesus name that's right receive it in jesus name [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] huh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] worthy [Music] [Music] worthy [Music] [Applause] [Music] yes lord yes lord [Music] hallelujah [Music] glory glory we're going to linger in just a moment hallelujah hallelujah [Music] glory glory glory glory [Music] hallelujah hallelujah now right where you are would you lift your hands and love jesus everybody right where you are would you lift your hands and love jesus say that i praise you savior i praise you right now savior i praise you right now hallelujah glory glory glory glory [Music] hallelujah hallelujah [Music] now let me remind you of something in acts the eighth chapter in acts the eighth chapter let me tell y'all something in acts the eighth chapter when they laid hands on them the bible makes a distinction in particular it says they received the holy ghost now it's important for you to understand you can't get the holy ghost unless you receive it now i'm not preaching any fast track or shortcuts to getting the holy ghost but there's only one holy ghost it's evidence was speaking with tongues and then it's a changed life there's only one kind of forgiveness when god forgives you you've got to receive his forgiveness some folks god's already forgiven them and they keep bringing up their past and god don't even know what you're talking about he's already forgotten it there's some stuff you need to lay aside and say i receive forgiveness i receive the holy ghost [Applause] that's one good thing about christmas when i get a gift it ain't mine until i receive it i like to tear into that thing it's mine when the gift of the holy ghost comes receive it accept it and say thank you jesus now i'm going to go on a walk in newness of life god's done something for you today hallelujah first apostolic church one more time let's praise the lord let's thank him for what he's done thank him for what he's done in this house savior i praise you jesus i praise you jesus i honor your presence lord i honor your presence we receive your word today we receive your forgiveness we receive your spirit into us lord let us go from this place to walk in newness of life we thank you and praise you in jesus name just before we close let me say a quick welcome i'm so glad to have louis stoner and family with us could we welcome them to our service today lord bless you [Applause] and then i want to say to some of our saints that are faithful viewers online serving our nation faithfully brother tyler and sister april ryan they've got a new addition to the family and her name is is it azalee aysley aysley think what's he i'm from the south i give it three extra syllables aysly violet could we welcome aysley violet to the service online with us congratulations brother tyler says draper we love you all dearly lord bless you you're dismissed in jesus name be back tonight at 6 30 expecting a great time in the lord