Sunday Morning Worship Service

well Lord bless you you may move to your seats again as the voices that have gone before me I say welcome to First Apostolic Church on this Sunday morning so good to see every one of you back in the house of the Lord uh what a wonderful week we have enjoyed here at First Apostolic Church uh many wonderful things going on been a very busy week had a marvelous time Wednesday night uh in the uh uh teaching uh Pastor Whitley and uh sister Ashley uh speaking on those subjects the uh spiritual guidance for leadership begins at home and then uh Thursday and uh Friday nights uh what a marvelous time we had at Tri-State District youth retreat and I'll say before youth retreat Pastor Anthony and I uh had the opportunity to uh get to attend uh the graduation of the uh city of Knoxville Police Department's newest graduate ating class and none other than our own brother uh Cody Reagan uh graduated from the police academy and that deserves a great big hand of appreciation for his accomplishment and I'll just put everybody on notice he was the top scorer for Marksmanship in his class uh so I I want to be on his side's all I can tell you uh but thank you uh for uh always caring for our community we have uh several public servants that attend First Apostolic CH Church civil servants who look after our safety uh when we are resting comfortably and uh we uh all pray for their safety and their guidance their wisdom and their Direction in our community uh I also ask our church family uh to uh continue to pray for uh several in our church family who uh have been sick or have had Medical procedures this week and for our church family uh for those who are uh caring for uh their own family are Caregivers for their own family I will not go into details for the Lord knows the details but uh it is a special special uh challenge that we need special anointing uh at times and special Direction guidance when we're dealing with uh uh family members uh who are aged or have infirmities and I'm thanking the lord uh for God giving uh guidance to all of those and I'm praying for you uh that God will continue to give you strength and give you Direction uh and I would also once again remind everyone uh Bishop MCU will be uh preaching teaching uh speaking uh next Sunday night you do not want to miss this no classes will be going out we want the entire church family here this is part of our Direction uh that God has given us with leadership begins at home and you will enjoy it and there's more good things to come that's all the preview I'll give you at this point I want to call your attention this morning to the word of the Lord uh if you would turn with me in your Bibles or go with me in your devices uh to uh the book of Philippians the 4th chapter the book of Philippians the 4th chapter we're going to begin reading at verse number 15 and keep Philippians handy because we're going to go back there a couple of times Lord willing in the uh body of our message Philippians 4 beginning with verse number 15 we read now ye Philippians know also that in the beginning of the Gospel when I departed from Macedonia no church communic communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving but ye only Now understand Paul is speaking to the church at Philippi this is a letter uh to the church at Philippi for even in thessalonica you sent once again unto my necessity not because I desired a gift but I desired fruit that may abound to your account but I have all and abounded I am full having received of epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odor of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well pleasing to God notice having received of edtis for a few moments this morning I would speak to you on this subject just a delivery boy let's pray savior we love you God I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak to your people today I thank you for this precious audience that has gathered here today to worship you to praise you to give you the glory you so richly deserve and Lord I Thank You for Your word that is ever settled in heaven Lord let us study again the examples that your word gives us for our lives let us find Direction let us find Comfort let us find strength but most of all let us find Salvation that you so freely give for all this we're grateful and thankful in the name of Jesus we pray amen I welcome again all of our guests that have been named or maybe we do not have a guest card from you we welcome you and those joining us on the multimedia platforms as well thank you for being in service with us just a delivery boy I dare say that there are any in the house if asked to list your top 10 Bible Heroes I doubt there's any that would have listed epaphroditus as one of your Heroes first of all you would have to have done like me and practice pronouncing it he actually plays a key role in Biblical history even though his name is not immediately recognizable to most he has mentioned by name twice in the book of Philippians one of the Epistles that Paul wrote while he was imprisoned understand Paul at this point is under house arrest in Rome and the church in Philippi desired to send Paul what we might all call a care package just some Essentials to make his life easier for he could not leave he was under house arrest and the Philippians gathered these supplies together and sent them to Rome by the hand of one of their own epaphroditus he was simply a messenger boy a delivery man if you will representing the church at Philippi his original assignment was simply deliver the mail if you will I find nowhere it recorded in scripture where epaphroditus ever performed a notable Miracle he was just a deliverer of a care package the church likely did not even realize his potential or his ability when they sent him to Paul there's no book in the Bible that he authored I have heard of no transcript of any powerful message he preached he never authored or sang A Psalm he just delivered a care package to Paul but you see if we read completely he would later deliver Paul's vision for the church at Philippi back to them and let me take you further in his history interestingly enough epaphroditus name is of pagan origin his name actually means belonging to afrodite the name of a goddess is Incorporated in his name this is likely evidence that he was a convert to the church he wasn't born into the church his parents had named him after a pagan goddess AP a Aphrodite an ancient Greek godess who was associated with love lust Beauty pleasure passion procreation and perversion he was named after sinfulness he was named after paganism but you see somewhere along the way epaphroditus was converted from paganism to the church at Philippi and became a follower of Christ you see this is the power that the turning your life over to Christ has it matters not what your name is it matters not where you came from it matters not what you were called in the world he knows how to change you for no longer would he be the property of or be referred to as one that belonged to Aphrodite now he was a follower of Christ he belonged to Christ let me tell everybody in this house today it does not matter where you came from it does not matter what your name means in this world we serve a god when you turn your life over to him he can change the most perverse things into being someone that's representing Christ and delivering some things of care you see Paul knew something about having a name change for he had once been Saul the persecutor of Christians he had stood and held the coach of those who with their self-righteous Pious attitude who would Stone stepen but when he was stricken down on the road to Damascus his life was forever changed he was blinded so his eyes could be open his name would be changed and forever his Destiny would be changed but now epaphroditus was bringing him a care package eph frodus First Call was simply to bring care let me tell you when you turn your life over to the Lord the first call we all have is to care for others you can be used like you never imagined before if you first care about everybody else it has been said that people do not care what you know near as much as they know that you care you see this world needs to know that we care about them that we care about their needs this world needs to know that the followers of Christ those who belong to Christ care about a lost world and their needs our text that I read in your hearing is actually the end or near the end of Paul's letter complimenting and thanking the church at Philippi for their care P package as well as it's identifying what epaphroditus had become but let's go back earlier in the letter for there are four chapters there and see the growth process of epaphroditus he arrived as simply a delivery boy but in Philippians 2:25 this is what we read that Paul pinned about him it said yet I suppose it necessary to send to you epaphroditus my brother my companion and labor and fellow Soldier but your messenger and he that ministered to my wants Paul is apparently if you read the tener of this text is reluctantly sending epitus back to Philippi and EP Prius is now going to be delivering this letter that Paul has pinned you see he arrived as simply a delivery boy but he became invaluable to an imprisoned Paul to minister to his needs let me tell you you may start out just simply caring but if you'll let God use you you can become something great in the kingdom of God he became a brother he became a companion in labor he became a fellow so to the Apostle Paul yes he was human for if we read on in the letter we find that he had dealt with severe illness and he had also dealt with being homesick in fact he nearly died but he stayed faithful let me tell everybody in the house service to God does not insulate you from the issues of life let me say that again service to God does not insulate you from the issues of life if you started serving God because you think there was going to be this perfect path for the rest of your life you're going to be disappointed we still are going to suffer all of the trials of humanity these old bodies are going to wear out man I wish I could tell you you're going to have a glorified body now but being 66 years old I'll just tell you the English is wrong but the message is right it ain't going to happen there's going to be the maladies of the flesh you're going to suffer sickness you're going to suffer illness from time to time the laws of God are going to be in your life you know the old law of gravity it's still going to work for you if you climb an unstable ladder and don't have somebody spotting you you can fall even if you're full of the Holy Ghost now some folks think man that preacher lacks Faith no I'm telling you we live in this world we are in this world but we're not of this world yes God can do Miracles he can protect us and he does but we will also you know the scripture in in Hebrews that gives that wonderful laundry list of Heroes the faith you know what it says near the end they all died that's not a downer to say don't have faith it said from the ad adamic curse that came into the human race from then on that we will suffer the maladies of Flesh so I'm not here to try to give you some rosec colored glasses idea but I'm here to tell you you're not a alone when you serve Christ there things you're going to go through but you're not alone he has a greater call for you when you start caring about others then suddenly he's with you he guides you he encourages you Paul as he's pinning the letter once you know who ephus is you will find his fingerprints throughout Philippians if you go back and and read Philippians again realizing who this was was Paul will write a little bit and then he'll talk about epitus and and his way he uh uh conducted himself and and much of Philippians is affected by what epaphroditus became he was human yes he dealt with being homesick he dealt with severe illness he nearly died but he stayed faithful verse 26 of Philippians 2 says for he longed after you all he got homesick and was full of heaviness because that ye heard that he had been sick now you got to understand they didn't jump on their iPhone and give updates on how somebody was feeling it took weeks and months and sometimes even years for news to be carried by letter and word had gotten back to the Philippians that EP fridus was ill and he wasn't worried about his own health as much as he was the folks worrying about him verse 27 for indeed he was sick nigh un death Paul's telling them about it but God had mercy on him and not on not on him only but on me also lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow Paul was saying God gave me mercy because I kept worrying about him and I sent him therefore the more carefully that when ye see him again ye may rejoice and that I may be less sorrowful receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such a reputation verse 30 because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death not regarding his life to imply your lack of service toward me he said he provided what you couldn't do you sent me a care package and I thank you for it but you sent me something much more valuable you sent me a fellow laborer you sent me a brother one writer said it this way to the Philippians ephod was a delivery boy who delivered a package to Paul however he was so much more a brother belonging to the same family a coworker a fellow Soldier epaphroditus was now a man of obvious devotion faithfulness and self-sacrifice he put the interest of others before himself so modeled the mind of Christ he labored on Paul's behalf until his own health broke and even when he was sick he took no thought of himself rather he was distressed because his church had heard of his illness and he didn't want them to worry here's what just a delivery boy would become he was the messenger he would bring what we refer to as the book of Philippians back to the church remember Paul would pin it but epaphroditus would deliver it what a valuable insight and teaching would be interesting into the hands of this just a delivery boy understand none of us will be an apostle Paul but we have all been entrusted with the message let me say that again none of us will be an apostle Paul but we have all been entrusted with the message and we have the opportunity to deliver the male for Christ if we have the salvation message in our heart we suddenly have the ability to be a deliverer of the message what a wonderful opportunity we all have for you see it would be that message going back to the Philippian church that even today we find encouragement strength and power in the words that Paul had pinned you see delivering the message does not necessarily and does not usually mean you're standing behind a pull pit preaching there are many more messages delivered outside the doors of the church than even inside I do remember to as to give you an example of something that stirred my heart and encouraged me here at First Apostolic Church just a few months back we had Pastor Wes comr preach for us and Pastor comr in his introductory statements began telling about his Origins here at First Apostolic church and I could go all the way back to the call of God that helped this church start the daughter work that we have in Clinton that is now a full-fledged wonderful Apostolic Church Eagle be an Apostolic church but with that said pastor comr told a particular story Pastor comr told of as a child that somebody named Allan Lee came and knocked on the door of their res resence Allan Lee didn't come and take a text and preach a message but here's the message he brought we'd like to invite you to come and visit Eagle bin Apostolic Church am I right brother Lee you were just knocking doors inviting folks if you'll just be the messenger let me tell you what can happen we were hearing this testimony from Pastor Wes comr who pastors a growing thriving Church in Indiana his wife and his children propagate the the apostolic message wonderful musicians singers uh Bible quiz managers sister comr has done that for many years uh it's untelling how many young folks have been affected uh memorizing and learning scripture for Bible quizzing and man I hadn't even started naming the best part of it CU we also got brother and sister Gillette and got Hannah who's married to Christian that's all in that family because one man knocked on one door and just brought a message of care we care about you let me tell you never underestimate what God has called you to do just to care about people just to bring the message you may never stand behind a pull pit you may never sing a song those things shouldn't be elevated in your understanding above being a witness that brings the message to The World God has given us all a call to be Witnesses and Messengers I titled my message the what I did for purose a purpose just a messenger boy there's too many of us that put just in front of what we do to diminish it I don't like to hear a lady say I'm just a housewife sweet Jesus if I follow my wife around all day I'm wor out when she's doing housework man I can't stay out of the way of the vacuum cleaner when she starts see the house I'll try to sit down don't sit there I'm cleaning that don't set that on the counter I'm wiping that do not diminish anything you do in the kingdom of God with putting just in front of it there ain't no just to it whatever you you're doing if you're delivering a care package do it with all your might whatsoever you find to do do it with all your might if you sing a song If you vacuum a floor if you greet at the door I whatever you're doing if you're a technician if you're a camera person you're not just you're a messenger in the kingdom of God and if you'll be faithful God has other things to reward you [Applause] with EMP emper fadus went from being a messenger boy to notice how Paul addressed him he said I'm a he's a messenger he's bringing this valuable word back and then he said he notice what he didn't say I should say he didn't say he's a brother he said he's my brother it became personal Brotherly Love is mentioned quite frequently in the word of the Lord especially in Paul's writings in Romans 12:10 he said be kindly affectioned one to another with Brotherly Love in honoring in honor preferring one another he gives some of the specific things that Brotherly Love does Brotherly Love prefers another rather than self it's not self-centered it's not egocentric egotistical instead it's prefer my brother 1 Thessalonians 4:9 says but as touching Brotherly Love need not that I write unto you for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another and indeed you do it toward all the Brethren which are in all Macedonia but we beseech you Brethren that you increase more and more I don't I think he put this here by accident I I think the scripture is in order that it's supposed to be brothers look after each other but they stay out of each other's business too verse 11 said and that you study to be quiet and do your own business to work with your own hands as we commanded you you see verse 12 went on to say that you may walk honestly toward them that are without if we have brotherly love with each other and care for each other but stay out of each other's business till we need somebody else in our business we become an example for those that don't understand the church yet they don't understand the walking with Christ they live outside he said we become an example the way we deal with each other Hebrews 131 said let Brotherly Love continue be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby ye have entertained angels unaware those two are together on purpose as well how would you treat an angel if you knew an angel was coming that's how you ought to treat your brother that's what he's saying now with all that I confess to you I'm an only child I don't know what it's like to have a natural brother but I will tell you this last Saturday night I was at the hospital doing what pastors do when there's was a need there were brothers and sisters that had showed up to support church family during a a tragedy and as we prayed and tried to give support I got a text on my phone had a picture of my office but my office changed in appearance it had over two Ines of water standing in it so I headed to the church brother Russell had called me and he' he'd been over here and walked by my office and the water was rapidly making its way out of my office was headed to the sanctuary and uh I was kind of arguing with myself on the trip should I go on to the the church I was in my my suit uh from being at the hospital or or should I run home and get some work clothes cuz uh we going to be there all night so uh I pulled into to the parking lot and to my surprise I was having to wait on other vehicles to get in there was one vehicle brother Courtney Harvey's truck had warning lights on it flashing out there I started seeing attorneys of all people I I saw brother Lambert com you know they they do attorney stuff they sit at desk and write papers and do I saw he and brother Ryan coming in the door in their work clo and and I was trying to go get my work close and couldn't hardly get back out because there was brother after brother after brother and sisters along with them coming in how can we help what can we do somebody had put out a call that there was a brother in need now that I know that may not seem very spiritual to you but let me tell you when the Bible tells us let Brotherly Love continue there I have observed siblings getting along brothers and sisters let me tell you what I have observed they will sometimes have disagreements sometimes times they argue I've seen some brothers and brothers and brothers and sisters that would even go to blows so now I'm my only child so I'm just telling you what I've seen okay but what I've also observed is after they have all their disagreements and all that stuff if anybody else tries to get on brother if anybody else tries to get on sister you got to with a whole bunch huh several several several years ago when Ashley was a toddler and Anthony was a baby don't you'all just hate it when I go there I know that just killed y'all mom and dad took them to Florida with them and I don't know specifically what was going on but Anthony was still wearing a diaper that's one of your pastors I'm talking about I'm sorry but he stood up in the seat in the car and wasn't supposed to be standing up and understand I'm going to pause the story there to tell you being an only child nobody told me if you had two children that they wouldn't always get along sometimes they would fight with each other I just thought they'd all get along you know sometimes Ashley and Anthony didn't always get along brother Whitley you don't have to say Amen but you're with me I know confessing family secrets but at this point Anthony stood up in the seat and Dad or Mom one of the other reached over and just swatted him one time on the diaper I mean he didn't feel it but it sounded terrible to which immediately they heard don't you touch my baby brother I don't know if she's ever defended you again after that ad thing I just happened to know that while brothers and sisters while siblings sometimes will have disagreements when the chips are down as we say we look out for each other this is in God's hands as brotherly love we're looking out for each other we may have a few differences every once in a while there may be some trials and troubles and disagreements but when the chips are down we're on the same team you're my brother you're my sister I'm your brother I want to love you I want you to love me we're in this together we've got a common cause we're carrying the message to A Lost World we're taking salvation to all that we can touch well let me hasten not only did he claim him as personal my brother he said he's a companion in laborer 1 Corinthians 38 says now he that planteth and he that WTH are one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor for we are laborers together with God you are God's husbandry you are God's Building according to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master builder I've laid the foundation another builth there on but let every man take heed how he builth there upon for other foundations can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ we're not worried about who was the first witness and who prayed him through at the altar or or who did the baptizing were they baptize the Bible way we're not worried about who was praying with them when they received re the Holy Ghost all we care about is the Holy Ghost fell on them they spoke with tongues as they did in the word of the Lord Deuteronomy 32:30 says how should one chase a thousand and two put 10,000 to flight remember what you can't do and what I can't do we can do that's called exponential increase one can put a thousand the flat as it is sometimes quoted 2 10,000 it didn't say 2 2,000 notice the exponential strength when we are companions in labor together for the cause of Christ we pull our strength we pull our resources and therefore we can do much more in the kingdom of God let me hasten he then called him a fellow Soldier Leviticus 26:3 says if you walk in my statutes and keep my Commandments and do them then I will give you rain in due season the land shall yield her increase and the Trees of the field shall yield their fruit and your threshing shall reach under the Vintage and the Vintage shall reach un the sewing time and ye shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land safely and I will give peace in the land and ye shall lie down and None Shall make make you afraid and I will rid evil beasts out of the land neither shall the sword go through your land and ye shall Chase your enemies and they shall fall Before You by The Sword and five of you shall chase a hundred and aund shall put 10,000 to flight and your enemy shall fall Before You by The Sword never mistake this scripture is not telling us to be warmongers but it is telling us about spiritual warfare second Timothy 2:3 and you folks don't have this upstairs uh in my notes I found this later to to read it says now Thro it said therefore endure endure thou th therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ no man that Warth entangle himself with the Affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier we have been conscripted of Christ Christ as a kid we used to sing I'm in the Lord's army I'm in the Lord's army I remember one song that we used to sing as well that was entitled praise him for the Victory and the word said the weapons we use are not bombs and guns what worship is the way the battle is won this is the way that we fight praise him for the victory let me tell you We Are Soldiers together in the army of the Lord we fight our battles on our knees we worship and praise to find victory in our lives Paul was making the point he said he's not only a messenger he's not only a fellow laborer he's my brother and he's a soldier in spiritual warfare he started out delivering a care package but oh what he has become edtis is now fulfilling the major call of carrying the word back to the church at Philippi musicians make your way out ah don't mean to tell you what to sing but I sure did like that song that y'all sang a while ago that said I have decided to follow Jesus they're pulling that from an old song we used to sing that said I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus I have decided to follow Jesus I won't turn back no turning back let me tell you I challenge everybody in the house would you have the same fervent of epaphroditus that you're not worried that you were just thought of as a delivery boy but instead you have the opportunity with whatever you're doing if you're ministering to Children you're fulfilling a call if you're greeting at the door you're fulfilling a call if you're working in technology you're fulfilling a call if you're singing a song If you're playing an instrument if you're ministering in any way you're fulfilling a call stand with me for this is part of the message that epaphroditus would take composed at the hands of Paul back to the church at Philippi Philippians 2:1 says if there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any Fellowship of the spirit if any bowels of Mercy fulfill ye my joy that you be likeminded having the same love being of one Accord and of one mind you hear what he's telling the church edius is bringing this back to the church I don't know if Paul offered it looking at the way if fius had been or not he said let nothing be done through strive for vain Glory but in loneliness of Mind Let each esteem the other better than themselves look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of other let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Oh what is Paul telling the church through the hand hands of edtis I I'm wanting you to be together I'm wanting you to be one and here is the way the letter concluded in Philippians 4:19 what encouragement what strength but my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in Glory by Christ Jesus not what you want what do you need you see that's the problem we have too many wants and God's not going to always take care of our wants but he is going to supply what we need Paul's getting that message across I know what you need in Christ Jesus now unto God and our father be glory forever and ever salute every saint in Christ Jesus the Brethren which are with me greet you all the saints Salute You chiefly they that are of Caesar's household the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all amen that's the way he said the end what did he reveal in that last couple of verses that in the household of Caesar there were Believers in the corruptness and the wickedness of Caesar's household there were Believers there were converts he was letting the church at Philippi know uh there's there's converts all over this country all over this world let me tell you First Apostolic church if we'll just deliver the message God's going to use us in ways we did not even realize he could here's what I'd like us to do on this Sunday morning I'm going to have the praise team sing that Lively song that they sang about I have decided to follow Jesus and as they sing that song I'd like for every believer that wants the reassurance that I'm going to keep carrying the message I'm going to do what God has calling me to do there's no justest in front of it there's no limitation in front of it whatever I'm called to do that's what I'm going to do and God's going to reward it would you step out and gather around for a season of prayer and praise right now Hallelujah I have decided to follow Jesus World Behind the World Behind the cross before and ion I have decied follow Jesus to follow Jesus World Behind the World Behind the cross and I I I de follow Jesus follow Jesus the World Behind the World Behind the cross and I follow Jesus World Behind World Behind the cross and I will back I won't turn back I won't turn back I won't turn back I won't turn back the World Behind the cross before and I won't turn I won't turn back no no [Music] no I'm not turning back [Music] no again again again me [Music] [Applause] [Music] yeah aren't you glad you've been born again yeah yeah yeah sing about it yes I am I'm dancing on the grave I [Music] live yes I am go on step on that thing that was troubling you you're victorious in Jesus he's called you he's commissioned you deliver the news deliver the message bring your [Music] care yeah hallu sing it y y y [Music] on the yes I am dancing on the gra w [Applause] [Applause] would you lift your hands and give Jesus praise he's given us the message let's care let's take that message to this lost world and let's let God use us every way he chooses to