Sunday Morning Worship Service

Calling your attention to the book of Judges, the 2 chapter. Judges, the 2 chapter. We're going to begin reading at verse number seven. Judges 2, beginning with verse number seven. And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua who had seen all the great works of the Lord that he did for Israel. This is scripture that is u identifying a generational shift. Verse eight. And Joshua the son of Nun the servant of the Lord died being 110 years old. They buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timirs in the mount of Ephraim on the north side of a hill gaesh. Verse 10. And also all that generation, speaking of Joshua's generation, were gathered unto their fathers. That mean they a whole generation had passed away. And there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. Everyone say the works. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served Balam. They forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods of the gods of the people that were round about them, bowed themselves into them, and provoked the Lord to anger. They wanted to fit in. They wanted to be like everybody else that was around them. and they forsook the Lord and served Baal and Ashtroth. For a few moments this morning, I want to speak to you on this subject, the works. The works. Let's pray. Savior, I love you. I'm grateful for the people that are in this house. Grateful for your word that forever encourages, directs, and changes our lives. Lord, I pray that your word would minister mightily to us today. Let it go down deep inside us and give us direction to salvation. Give us direction to serving you. For all this, we're grateful in Jesus name we pray. Amen. the works in food services. When it comes to ordering entre to order the works means with all available toppings. I realize that right now my message is all that's between you and your favorite place to eat. So I will try to be brief. Culver's has something called a butter burger, but on their menu they also have a butter burger with the works. Culver's butter burger with the works means a burger topped with ketchup, yellow mustard, dill pickles, and sweet onions. One burger joint when ordering a cheeseburger with everything but onions, it was announced by the waitresses, I need a cheeseburger medium. take it through the garden and leave off the tears. Most burger joints have some form of the works with everything on it. Papa John's has a pizza called the works pizza. First watch has a works omelette. In Knoxville, there is a Mexican grill called Papinos that offers the Works Burrito. It's got everything in it. And yes, for all you healthy eaters, you can go to Aldi and they have something called the Works Salad Kit. Well, please know I'm not here to dictate to you what toppings to order on your pizza or what your preferences and hamburger toppings should be. I am not attempting to influence your cuisine desires, but I am here to declare to everybody in the house today, when it comes to the kingdom of God, I want the works. I said, when it comes to the kingdom of God, I want the works. Now, if you came for something deep today, you can take your spiritual galosshes off and put your flip-flops on. This is as deep as it gets. I just want you to know I don't want part of what God's got for me. If I'm going to be in another generation, I want to know the Lord and I want the works. How about you? Do you want the works today? You see the Joshua that had just died, if you go back in a few chapters, you'll find that he had made this statement. He said in chapter 24 verse4, "Now therefore, fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in truth. Put away the gods which your father served on the other side of the flood and in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord." He had remembrance of what they had come from in Egypt. He said, "And if it seemed evil to you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your father served, they had come from heathenism. They had come from id idol worship." And he said, "You can serve the gods from the other side of the flood, the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." He made a directive. He didn't say there was any question to it. He didn't give any option. He said, "Me and my house, we're going to serve the Lord." But in our text, I repeat such a sad next generation statement. When Joshua died at 110, verse eight, and then verse 10, all of the generations, his generation, when they had died, there arose another generation that knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. If you don't know the Lord, you won't know the works. Consequently, if you don't know the works, you will not get the benefits of of knowing the Lord and getting what he has for you. We need the works. We need it all. We need everything God's got for us. The Psalmist said it this way in Psalms 103:2, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not his benefits. Don't forget the works." Now, please don't think I'm doing violence to the word of the Lord by minimizing a comparison with toppings for food. But please instead understand this is what the works or the benefits of serving the Lord are like. He said, "Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities? Who healthth thy diseases? Who redeemth thy life from destruction? who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tenderness, who satisfy thy mouth with good s things, so that thy youth is renewed like eagles. I want all of that. I want every bit of that. I need the works. Don't try to give me a God without the works. I want everything he's got for me today. But he said they there arose a generation that knew not the Lord. If you don't know the Lord, you're not going to get the works. So, how do you get to know the Lord? I'm glad you asked. Paul told the Philippians in Philippians 3:10, he said, "That I may know him." Here's how you know him. In the power of his resurrection. We're not serving a dead savior. We're serving a savior who is a resurrected savior. That's how you get to know him. You got to understand, we're going to have Easter celebration soon. We're not into some kind of pagan holiday, but every week we celebrate a risen savior, not a dead savior, not a crucified savior. We celebrate the resurrection, a resurrected savior that died and rose again for my sins. Do you know him today? You're not going to get the works if you don't know him. that I may know him in the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings. He was bruised for our transgressions. You see, the stripes on his back was for my healing. Do you know him? in the fellowship of his sufferings, being made, notice this, conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Now, let me tell you, there's no more apostolic Jesus name message than you just found in those two verses. Let me explain. When you are baptized in the name of Jesus after you repent of your sins, you are symbolically taking on the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus. When you're filled with the Holy Ghost, that's that resurrecting power. That's a new life. the death, the repentance, the being baptized, signifying the burial and the resurrection. He went on to tell the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 2:2, "For I'm determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified." Let me tell you, if you're going to know Jesus to get the works, you've got to conform to what his word tells you about death, burial, and resurrection. You need to repent of your sins. You need to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. And you are promised the gift of the Holy Ghost. That's how you fellowship with his suffering. That's how you come become conformable to his resurrection. We in the apostolic movement have sometimes found ourselves trying to be defensive because we've been accused of believe believing of saying that the Acts 238 message plan of salvation is believing that works save us. That couldn't be farther from the truth. When we repent and are baptized in Jesus name, then filled with the Holy Ghost, we are, as Paul said, getting to know the Lord Jesus. What does that word know mean? It means having developed a relationship with someone through meeting and spending time with them to be familiar or friendly with. Do you know Jesus today? Do you spend some time with him on your knees? Do you worship him and do you praise Do you really know the Lord today? James said it this way about this works stuff. James 2:18 said, "Yay, a man may say, thou has faith, and I have works. Show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest, there is one God. Thou doest well." The devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, oh vain man, that faith without works is dead? Now please stay with me. Don't get distracted. Now understand what the word is telling us. Hebrews 11, the faith chapter that's many times referred to says, "But without faith, it is impossible to please him." Now, think about it. Let's let's put scripture together. Let's get the the works if we're going to know who he is. You see, it said faith without works is dead. And Hebrews said, "But without faith, it is impossible to please him." If you don't believe in doing the works of the Lord, your faith is dead, and you can't please the Lord. Now, that's just simple logic ABC. It goes on to say, "For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Unless you do what the word says, you really don't know him. And if you don't know him, your faith is dead. And if your faith is dead, then you don't get the rewards. That's the works. If you don't know Jesus, you're not going to get the works. You see, it's just this simple. It's stated, "Thou believest there one God. Thou dost well. The devils also believe and tremble." If believing alone saves us, what you going to do with the devil? It said the devil believes and he trembles. Why does he tremble? Because he knows he knows that and because of the spirit of rebellion that brought him into being. He knows who the Lord is, but he knows he has been damned to destruction for eternity. That doesn't mean he's saved because he believes. Ephesians 2:8 says, "For by grace are you saved through faith." Now, where do you get faith? Faith without works is dead. You're going to have to work in the kingdom. That includes being obedient to his word. If you call that a work, then that's what you've got to do. You've got to obed be obedient to his word. By grace are you saved through faith. That not of yourselves. It it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Is it telling us to be disobedient to his word or you're doing works? And that's not going to save. Of course not. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. We must do the work of God if we want to get the works and know him. To know him is to is simply to obey his word. Well, brother Mcool, what what are these works that you keep talking about that you want the works? Well, let's go see what they are. The psalmist said in Psalms 19:1, "The heavens declare the glory of God. the firmament. He showeth his handiwork. Listen, all of the things that we enjoy, now I may be just a little bit biased. We journeyed to Florida last week. Palm trees are pretty, but boy, give me these East Tennessee mountains is all I can tell you. Sorry for all you folks that live other places. His handiwork's just special to look over kind of southeast of here and see what God has wrought, what his handiwork did. You look at all the things of the beauty that he created just for us. And Psalm 33:4 said, "For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done in truth." He doesn't have to fool us. His works are true. They're forever settled. Need I itemize all the works God did for Israel? Throughout scripture, the Lord performed numerous miracles for Israel in the Old Testament. Some of those included he parted the Red Sea. He provided mana and water for them in the wilderness. One time he stopped the sun for them. He gave them victory at Jericho when the walls fell down. He once made the sun set back in time. Y'all think thought daylight savings times is something neat. He could set the time back if he needed to. Throughout their history, time and time and time again, the Lord protected Israel from enemies through miraculous intervention. That's his works. Need I remind you of God manifest in flesh the miracles that he did? Scholars number his recorded miracles in scripture to be some 40 miracles from his virgin birth to his ascension. But John said it this way about the things Jesus did in John 21:24. This is the disciple which testifith to these things and wrote these things. And we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written everyone I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. He said what kind of works did Jesus do? We only have 40 recorded miracles. But John said if you tried to write all the things that Jesus did in his short time in flesh on this earth, he said the world couldn't contain all the books that would be written. I want the works. I want everything he's got for me. I want everything he would provide for me. I don't want some milk toast plain something another. Give me all you got. I want the works. I got to know him. First Apostolic Church, need I take the time to start itemizing all the works that he's done for us? We can go all the way back in our history to the miraculous things that God did from providing concrete for steps that brought us to finding the property that we're on. The miraculous things that he's done, the healings time and time again, the miracles of the bricks, the I want the works. I want it all. Call me selfish. Stack it high. I want it all. I want the works. Oh, time would not permit me to to itemize all the things he's done just for us or even just for me personally. See, to know the Lord is to get the works. Then to get the works, you'll do the works. Here's some more of the works identified. First Corinthians 12 tells us of some of the works. It's the Bible calls them the gifts of the spirit. The gifts of the spirit are a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, the discerning of spirits, faith, miracles, healing, tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. There's a few folks that he mentioned tongues because there are some that'll try to tell you that tongues are not for the church today. There are others that will try to tell you that tongues are the quote lesser gift. First of all, you won't find any of that in scripture. They may be telling you that, but it's not in the book. But let me tell you, if tongues were called the lesser gift, I still want the works. I want it all. I want everything he's got for me. I don't want one thing left out. You see, if you're going to get the works, you going to have to do the works. in Matthew 17 14-20. To save a bit of time, I'll paraphrase some of it. There was a multitude had gathered and somebody came up to Jesus and said, "Lord, I need mercy for my son." He's a lunatic. Huh? Really had a high opinion of his son, didn't he? But, you know, come to think of it, a lot of the stuff we deal with today, things haven't changed a whole lot. There's a lot of lunatics running around that need the Lord and they need the works of healing. And see, here's what happened. He said, man, he was abusing himself. Said he he would he was so vexed. He would throw himself into the fire, throw himself into the water. And they brought him to the disciples. And the disciples said, "We tried to heal him. We couldn't heal him." And here's what Jesus said. He said, "Oh faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you?" Listen, if we try to have church without knowing Jesus, we become a faithless and perverse generation. This is what's happened to a lot of denominations. They become comfortable with the way they like to have their certain services. Boy, don't bother getting Jesus involved. We're we're going to minister to the community and we are. Our our outreach, our FAC serves. We're we're helping feed the hungry even this coming Tuesday. We're ministering to our community and our surrounding area. But let me tell you, that cannot replace a move of God in the house of God. That cannot replace the supernatural works that God wants to do. And here's how he does it. Jesus told him, "Hey guys, you can't just start casting these spirits out of this man." He said, "This kind cometh by what? Prayer and fasting." If you're going to know the Lord, you're going to have to still have a prayer life and know how to fast. Deny the flesh. There's sometimes that we're going to have to fast ourselves. Too many times we're worried about our hamburger, but there's other stuff we need to be laying aside in the name of serving God. Some of us do a good job to go on a good long fast from our iPads. Woo! Hallelujah. Sit down. Some of us might ought to put our phones away for a while and get off social media and take a little fast from there and spend some time socially mediating with the Lord. He said, "The reason you couldn't do it was because of your unbelief." He said, "If you got faith as a grain of mustard seed, we're still talking about faith. That's how you know the Lord." He said, "You can say the mountain, be thou removed from hence yonder place, and it shall be removed." He said, "For there's nothing impossible. If we want the works, we got to know how to fast and pray." And then let me say, if you've got the gifts of the spirit and you know the Lord and you want the works, you're going to exemplify the fruits of the spirit. Galatians said it this way. Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections of the lust with the affections and lust. No, you can claim to know the Lord all you want to, but if you don't have love in your heart, if you're not joyous and peaceful, if you're not longsuffering, if you're not gentle, those these things go against our fleshly nature. Folks that have fruits of the spirit aren't running around having confrontations over road rage because somebody cut them off in traffic. Preach, you're not supposed to go there. Let's talk about healing and shouting and dancing. Sure, I believe in Second Amendment rights, but I as I told our men, I'll tell everybody, if you going around armed is an excuse for you to be aggressive, you need to quit worrying about gun control and start getting self-control and get in the altar and repent of the way you behaving. [Applause] See, you're going to exemplify the fruit of the spirit if you want the works. You're going to have goodness and faith and meekness and temperance. Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh. You've got control of yourself in all of these things. Listen, don't point your finger at anybody else, but take a long look in your spiritual mirror. Oh God, am I being the example that I should be? Long before I can give a testimony to being crucified with Christ, let somebody see in me a meek and gentle spirit, let someone see joy in pe Look, apostolic, we ought to go around with a smile on our face so much that the world's wondering what we're up to. We ought to stay happy in the Lord. We have a a a future that no one else can can claim. If they don't know the Lord, they don't have the future that we all have. Ephesians 5:9 said, "For the fruit of the spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, proving what is acceptable unto the Lord." Let me draw to a close. Musicians, go get ready. Praise team. Acts 2 16. Here's where the work would be identified in us. If you want the works, we want it all. It said, "But this is that which was spoken of the prophet Joel. And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams. and on my servants and on my handmaidaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy. Do we really want the works? Do you do you really want it all that God has for you or do you want to be an alleart Christian? I do remember as a child When it was my turn to order, I used to order, I want a cheeseburger plain. I wanted it bland with nothing on it. But as I got older and developed my pallet, as you can see, I matured into wanting the works. I I wanted the lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayonnaise, little bit of mustard. If I wasn't going to get a smooch from Sister Jamie, I wanted the onions, too. I wanted the works. I wanted it all. But Hebrews tells about those who want to dwell in one place. Hebrews 5 said, "And when for the time you ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again, folks that stay on the bland plain diet, which be the first principles and the oracles of God, and are become such as have need of milk and not strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe." Now, interpreting what this says, it's telling us that we have to mature in Christ, there's going to be babes in Christ that'll come into the church and they don't have a clue what's going on, but they like what they feel. That's because conviction takes place. And we who have the maturity, the spiritual, and I please understand, I I hope you can feel my spirit today. This is this is not being uh in any way condescending to a new convert. But they're going to learn how to worship from what they see around them. They're going to learn how to work for God by what they see around. It's it's going to be more than what they feel when they come in. Yeah, it's g it's going to be a good feeling, but there's going to be times that they're going to run into you when you're out in this world. When you're not in church and the praise team's not singing and there's not a a great fiery message going on there. You're going to be an example. And if we aren't careful, we'll find ourselves to be a movement without the works. No doctrine, no holiness, no commitment, no spirit, just wanting denominational inclusion and acceptance. I submit to you, I don't want a bland denomination. I want the works. I want the power of God doing everything. Look, we're not Burger King. You can't have it your way. I want it all. I want it God's way. Stand with me. I want the works today. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Jesus said in the book of John, "Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very work's sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto my father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, what name? Who's talking? The name of Jesus, that will I do, that the father may be glorified in the Son, if she he shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. Amen. I want a simple commitment today by raising of the hand. Who wants the works today? I want the works. How about you? Do you want the works? Is there something you're wanting to leave out? I'm here to commit today. I want the works. I want everything that God has for me. Here's what we're going to do. We're going to open this altar in just a moment. And I'm going to ask everybody in the house that you want the works. You want everything that God's got got for you. You're going to come and you're going to surrender all and say, "God, give me all you've got for me." Would you do that? Would you step out right now? Give me all the works that you have for me. Give me everything you've got. Hallelujah. Yay. Hallelujah. Yay. Sing it. Yeah. I want the works. Great are you, Lord. Great are you, Lord. Give me everything you've got, Lord. God, I I want all you have for me. I want everything you have for me, Jesus. Yeah. You're so great, Lord. You're so great, Lord. All the earth, all the earth will shout your praise. Our hearts will cry these praise on you Lord. Hallelujah. [Music] Hallelujah. Hallelujah. God, I need everything you got for me. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes. Sing it unto the Lord. All the earth will shout your praise. Our hearts will cry. So great, so great are your blood. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] So we pour we pour our praise after you. I want it all. I want it all, Lord. [Applause] Hallelujah. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. It's your breath in our lives. Oh, we pour out our thanks to all the hallelujah. Hey, would you lift your hands and love him? Would you lift your hands and love Jesus? I want everything you have for me, Lord. Lord, don't leave anything out. I will fellowship with your suffering, Lord. But I will praise you in the power of your resurrection, knowing that I'm not alone, knowing that you're with me in every situation. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Glory, glory, glory. First Apostolic Church, go from this place today to do the work of the Lord. Going equipped with all of the work that he has for us and the works he's going to do for us.