Sunday Morning Worship Service - “Who Will You Marry” Pastor Mark McCool

lord bless you you may move to your seats thank you praise worship team for ministering to us i want to say a special welcome to all of our guests that are here in the house today and i want to say a very special welcome to brother isaiah comer glad to have him sitting in with the band today honored to have him from uh he's he's he's tennessee and just happens to live in indiana right now but glad to have you back home in east tennessee today thank you for helping us out we're so honored to see every one of you in the house of the lord at first apostolic church and i'm sure that god is continuing to bless you and reward you for all of the things that you are doing i'm excited because i know who holds tomorrow when we have such a wonderful wonderful time of praise and worship it is so uh easy to forget about the outside world and to forget about tomorrow but i have the blessed hope of knowing who holds tomorrow so i i'm going to live in today and i'm going to enjoy worshiping in today knowing that god has tomorrow in his hands as well i do give all honor to all of our leadership to our bishop to our pastors to all of the faithful ministers of god and elders saints of this assembly and to all of you for the opportunity to bring the word of god to you today i want to take us to a couple of passages that we'll read to set a foundational text we're going to read first in genesis and then we're going to go to the book of malachi so stay with me if you would book of genesis we read at verse 35 of chapter 29 genesis 29 35 genesis 29 35 and she this is speaking of leah and she conceived again and bear a son and she said now will i praise the lord therefore she called his name judah and left childbearing understand this was the last child born to leah wife of jacob who had bore him many sons who had names with less than stellar meanings they were names of sorrow names of grief names that represented what she was going to but the last child was entitled or his name meant now will i praise the lord malachi 2 reading verse number 11 judah hath dealt treacherously and an abomination is committed in israel and in jerusalem for judah hath profaned the holiness of the lord which he loved notice that past tense and if married the daughter of a strange god [Music] the lord will cut off the man that doeth this the master and the scholar out of the tabernacle of jacob and him that offereth an offering unto the lord of hosts notice genesis 35 first book in the old testament judah is born and named now will i praise the lord but now last book of the old testament after many generations and hundreds of years we find judah this is the offsprings the tribe of judah if you will doing something different dealing treacherously and abominable so i would give you this title for thought today make sure you marry into the right family make sure you marry into the right family let's pray savior i love you god i'm grateful for your word i'm thankful for your touch and lord i thank you because you've ordained it so for us to be here this day i pray that you administer the word to our hearts lord nothing that i can say or do but let your word be anointed and use me as your mouthpiece to speak to hearts today we're grateful and thankful for this opportunity in jesus name we pray amen premarital counseling is now strongly encouraged by the government before a marriage license is granted when sister jamie and i do premarital counseling one of the first preconceived ideas that i challenge couples to consider is i'm only marrying him or her i'm not marrying their family in most cases you're in for a big surprise i would say with that in mind i'm blessed beyond measure that i married jamie sellers who's mccool now for i married into an awesome awesome family i was so blessed to know her father and mother and her sisters and i i counted a privilege to be part of the seller's family and i hope she's not too disappointed with being a mccool because there's a a lot of strings attached there but normally a preacher preaches and asks for response but let me ask don't anybody give me any response right now i i want to keep everybody together and in unity don't even nod your head in agreement or say amen but i'll ask a rhetorical question how many know when you marry someone you do marry into their family we do marry their likes their dislikes their tendencies their habits the positive and negative traits we do mary into a family in some form in fact jesus when speaking of marriage said it this way in matthew 19 4 and he answered and said to them have you not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female and he said for this cause speaking of marriage shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife and they and they twain shall be one flesh question wherefore there are no more twain but one flesh well therefore god hath joined together let not man put asunder there is a joining and a uniting of individuals but there is also a bloodline and there are traits that will be carried through their dna for their offsprings there's also influences of the environment that we've been raised in we do marry into the family of our mate and by the way that did say say he made them male and female that didn't cost extra but that's scripture too for marriage one of the two scripture texts tells of judah that last born son man wouldn't it be wonderful to have a name with that kind of promise now will i praise the lord i mean that's a whole nother message right there now will i praise the lord no matter my circumstance no matter my situation if you had a name like that now will i praise the lord but you don't understand i i just had problems at work now will i praise the lord i came home and there was a leak in the house now will i pray see that's another good message right there now what what an what a name to have now will i praise the lord but now we also move ahead hundreds of years multiple generations and malachi we're in we've gone from the first book to the last book of the old testament and malachi states some pretty ominous things about these offsprings of judah those who name whose name meant now will i praise the lord apparently they have begun to indulge in practices which indicate they have joined to or they've married the daughter of a strange god obviously judah himself didn't live these multiple generations this is representative this is symbolic of where judah the now will i praise god generations have gone they have come one flesh they have become one flesh with practices that are opposed to the one true god somewhere in their multiple generational progression of time judah has flirted with playfully been romantic with has trifled with has dated gone steady with the daughter of a strange god now they're married they've become one flesh let me tell you it's dangerous to flirt with the daughter of a strange god what is the first commandment thou shall have no other gods before me that includes their daughters listen if you marry the daughter of the devil you're gonna have a problem with your daddy-in-law if you marry the daughter of a strange god you're gonna be married into a strange family so i want us all to know i want us to see the signs and inspect ourselves that we make sure we do not marry ourselves after multiple generations of being apostolics because we have a jesus name apostolic bloodline if we aren't careful we will do the same as judah another generation did we will find ourselves flirting with playing romantically with strike trifling and dating with and going steady with the daughters of a strange god you see malachi gave some signs some indications that judah had been flirting with the daughter of a strange god he'd been flirting with the daughter of the wrong family it said judah have dealt treacherously that term treacherously if you look it up and define it means disloyal untrustworthy unreliable providing insecure footing or support marked by hidden dangers hear me when one starts losing their loyalty to god to his word and to the church you're flirting with the daughters of a strange god when we no longer are reliable and trustworthy when it comes to commitment to sacrifice and to purpose we are winking at the daughter of a strange god when we lose our footing in righteousness we are wooing the daughters of a strange god when we stop seeing the hidden dangers that the laws of god and the standards of the church are protecting us from we are trifling romantic with romantically with the daughters of a strange god when we lose sight of import and the importance of consistent church attendance we're entertaining the daughter of a strange god when the activities of the world take precedence over the activities of the church we are about to put a promise ring on her finger when we constantly say why is this so wrong oh i don't agree with the church's stance i don't agree with the pastor's stance you're getting ready to pop the question you're about to marry yourself to the daughter of a strange god he went on to say an abomination is committed the abomination that term means hate contempt strong negative feelings when you become so constantly negative about the church and positive about the world let me say that again we're seeing who we're married to today what family are we about to marry into spiritually when i find myself that everything about the church is negative and everything about the world is so positive it may be me i'm flirting with the wrong thing i've got the wrong desires there's a strange god's daughter's been giving me some attention we should examine ourselves to make sure we are progressing properly to reach the loss and not satisfy ourselves when church always becomes about my personal likes and my personal comforts reaching the lost i better be careful who i'm winking at when my criticisms are always telling of the shortcomings of the saints and how wonderful and how great the world is let me tell you i'm preaching to myself i'm preaching to preachers right now as well i was in a service a few years ago and there was a preacher he felt like he had become so expertise or had so much expertise i should properly say that he felt like he could give advice to everybody on what it took to have a good church and he made this statement he said if you're pastoring a church and it's still you've been around 20 years and it's still only running a hundred you need to shut the doors and come and sit under a real pastor he said thee and he called a particular denomination movement he said they're buying their carpet by the acres this guy was numbers conscious he wasn't worried about souls he was worried about how many folks were sitting in the seats he was worried about how he looked to everybody else and besides that he made up so many stories his sunday school began growing during his message he couldn't remember the last number that he gave but i happened to be sitting by bishop when the guy was pontificating and the fellow told in the particular metropolitan city that he lived in how many folks were getting the holy ghost every week and i want everybody to get the holy ghost understand but he was telling how many folks were getting the holy ghost every week that's what he said next to me i heard bishop go click he had a ballpoint pen and he whispered to me that's amazing the population of his city according to him as such and such and so and so in three months everybody in that whole city will have the holy ghost now do i want everybody in that city to get the holy ghost you better know i do do i want everybody in knoxville to get the holy ghost you better know i do but i'm not going to achieve that by throwing off on the church he don't know what a church of a hundred may be doing in a community percentage-wise they they may be more winning more in their community than he was listen you don't have to criticize somebody else you don't have to criticize the church be thankful for what god does he'll have churches of a hundred he'll have churches of 500. he'll have missions works of 30. he'll have folks crouched down in countries that they're worried about their doors being closed and someone coming in and taking their life if one gets the holy ghost the angels rejoice when one when one listen i'm not worried about numbers i want everybody we can get but not at the expense of criticizing what somebody else is accomplishing all right remember things weren't perfect on the ark i'm sure caring for all of those animals for 40 days and all their issues there were issues on that ark that an air freshener and a plug-in wouldn't take care of febreze couldn't fix it and down he couldn't cover it up but let me tell you the stink on the ark was better than the storm outside hear me there's going to be negatives there's going to be issues in the kingdom of god but heaven help us when we find ourselves criticizing the church at the expense of looking through rose-colored glasses at the accomplishments of the world let me tell you if you find yourself in that condition you're flirting with a strange god's daughter you're finding yourself flirting with the wrong thing everything will not always be perfect everyone will not always like you jesus said in matthew 10 22 and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake but he that endureth to the end shall be saved if you're hated make sure you're hated because you're a good christian and not a bad one if you're going to be hated make sure it's because you're lifting up jesus and you're being what jesus would want you to be not because you're being a jerk did you say that in the pulpit i guess i did listen if folks don't like me because i'm a child of the name so be it but if they don't like me because i don't know how to treat my fellow man i'm coming far short i'm not being what god would have me to do i'm not representing christ as i should represent him it went on to say but when they persecute you in this city flee ye into another for verily i say unto you ye shall not have gone over the cities of israel to the son of man become i want to make sure that i'm representing christ well judah also it said now malachi was giving the attributes he was showing the signs of what it was like to flirt with the daughter of a strange god get that now it said judah hath profaned the holiness of the lord which he loved let that sink in just a minute judy used to love holiness but now he's profaned it you want to see one of the major signs that someone is flirting and getting ready to marry the daughter of a strange god they profane holiness what does profane mean again the definition to treat something sacred with irreverence and contempt to desecrate to debase by unworthy use not holy because of being unconsecrated impure or defiled profane language when holy living in conversation in appearance in integrity in lifestyle become a joke and something to laugh about and ridicule you're flirting with the daughter of a strange god let me warn you be cautious of social media forms that take pride in irreverent depiction of worship holiness and praise those are those who are advocating the profaning of holiness being holy is not a joke living a hole in this lifestyle is not something to be laughed at mocked and ridiculed first peter 1 said but as he has called you in you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for i am holy ephesians 1 4 said according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love second corinthians 7 1 says heaven therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of god psalms 29 2 said give unto the lord the glory do unto his name worship the lord in the beauty of holiness sounds like holiness is pretty important to the lord a holy appearance is beautiful a holy lifestyle is beautiful a holy conversation is beautiful and yes to remind us again i know those who would think because we teach a lifestyle of moderation which is the bible standard for being holy to be moderate to be modest in one's appearance to be modest in one's conversation to be modest and moderate in all that you do and i've had those again who totally misunderstanding scripture would say oh but don't you remember what the bible says the lord seeth not as man saith for man look at the outward appearance but the lord look at the former heart god don't care what you look like just so your heart's good that is an egocentric self-centered person who says that because they think everything's about them because acts 1 told me that after i got the power of the holy ghost i would be called to be a witness let me tell you the world can't see what my heart looks like the world can't see how dedicated my heart is all the world can see is what i look like and how i talk and how i behave myself that's all the world can see now if i find myself thinking well they'll just get to know me and they'll know what's in me they're not going to get a chance to know you if they've already got a preconceived idea because of the way you're acting you've got an old nasty attitude in the things of uh of flesh if you look like the world and you act like the world [Applause] the more reason we must look holy act holy be holy that doesn't mean we go around with our hands folded looking off into the distance uh acting like we're uh out of uh out of this uh atmosphere no we're friendly we're kind we look out for other folks we greet folks we look for opportunities to be kind because that's part of being holy as well hebrews 12 i read it the other night hebrews 12 14 says follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the lord looking diligently unless any man fail of the grace of god lest any root of bitterness spring up trouble you and thereby be defiled don't flirt with the daughters of bitterness don't find some issue and build you a hill to die on and be bitter over it because it will defile you it'll defile your family and defile your children ii peter 3 11 says see and then we all seen then that all these things shall be dissolved that manner what manner of person ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness holy conversation and godliness don't flirt with the daughter of gossip that's a bad family to marry into don't find yourself being the source of carrying rumors badness oh but blooming cool it's the truth well it don't matter if it's the truth you don't need to carry it if it's gossip if it's negative leviticus 10 8 said and the lord spake unto aaron saying do not drink wine or strong drink thou nor thy sons with thee when they go into the tabernacle of the congregation lest you die it should be a statute forever throughout your generation that ye may put difference between holy and how unholy between unclean and clean there should be a difference in god's people in the world we should have a different conversation oh man i talk clean when i'm at church well man pen or rose on your nose how do you talk when you're out in the world how's your conversation when you're out in the world what are you tweeting what are you liking what are you what's representing are you a child of god all the time are you just part time on sunday there's a difference between holy and unholy unclean and clean one can find yourself so intoxicated with this world or the cares of life that your ability to distinguish between holy and unholy clean and unclean is impaired once we start dealing treacherously with abomination and we profane holiness we can find ourselves in love with the daughters of a strange god you know just from observation backsliders especially from the holiness movement are quite easy to identify for they want to immediately show the stuff they used to love they don't love anymore it said he he used to love holiness they want to proclaim their freedom from legalism they want to make sure that everyone knows they have forsaken holiness that they used to love they would develop eventually the strange doctrines that are contrary to the truth because they've married the daughter of a strange god and they've become one flesh malachi said the lord will cut off the man that doeth this now if a stopped here seems quite negative but i'm glad to be in a church that married into the right family i'm glad to be with a bunch of judah praise and worshipers now while i praise the lord that a long time ago made a commitment that i'm going to be the bride of christ christ christ is going to be my husband and the marriage relationship has been made sure we are married to the lord a church that has not married strange gods a church that proclaims we are one flesh with the lord praise team and musicians get ready i'm going to take us to the end first corinthians 6 said this know you not that your bodies are the members of christ that was a question he said did you not know that your bodies our flesh are the members of christ shall i then take the members of christ and make them the members of a harlot god forbid what know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body for two saith he shall be one now corinthians is reminding us of those words of two becoming one that you're marrying the traits and you're marrying all and it's you've become one flesh he said don't marry yourself to anything that's prostituted its way away from god but he said in verse 17 but he that is joined into the lord is one spirit oh hallelujah i'm glad to be in a church that's one spirit with the lord a church that knows how to give praise unto the lord a church that that's not ashamed to give worship praise and adoration to the lord oh i would hate to think i was going to a church that it was out of order to worship a little bit i'd hate to think that i was going to a place that somebody was going to sit me down if i lifted my hands and i stood to my feet and i started praising the lord for all he'd done for me you see if i'm going to carry now will i praise the lord as my moniker i want to have the freedom to do that i want to be a part of a bunch of praisers how about you how about you would you stand with me i don't want to be in a place that's not married to worship and that's married to praise now will i praise the lord now will i praise the lord we're his bride we're his family i wonder if somebody would just lift your hands and love the lord just a minute would you just lift your hands and praise him just a moment savior i love you savior i thank you for the freedom that i have to worship you god do not let me stray from being part of your bride lord i want to be married to you the one true god i want to be totally committed to you savior lord i bless your name hallelujah for just a moment would you be a now praiser would you entertain his presence savior i worship you save your eye adore you and your presence hallelujah i want to be married to you hallelujah [Music] he said in the sixth chapter of second corinthians be not unequally yoked together [Music] with unbelievers i want to be married to the believers i want to be a part of the believers he said don't be fellowshipping with the praise of the unbelievers he said what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness what fellowship hath light with darkness what concord has christ with belial what part hath he that's a believer with an infidel he said what agreement has god's he said for ye are the temple of the living god he lives in us we're his temple and as god has said i will dwell in them and walk in them and i will be their god and they shall be my people he said wherefore come out from among them and be separate we must have a separation from this world oh does it seem like we're preaching that a lot this whole world has nothing for me this old world has nothing but heartache and trouble this old world has nothing but disappointment and death i want to be in the family of god i want to be married in the family of god he said if you come out from among them and be separate touch not the unclean thing i will receive you i will be a father unto you you shall be my sons and daughters said the lord almighty if you want to be a part of the family of god or if you're already a part of the family of god i would ask you to step out from your pew for a season of prayer would you come around the altar and say i'm part of this family i'm marrying to you [Music] [Music] join lord family together [Music] [Applause] [Music] you are the hope that i cling [Music] jesus [Music] my is [Music] me [Applause] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] oh [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh lord you are my everything [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] one more time savior we reaffirm our death to you we reaffirm our vows to you lord savor i'm married to you savior i'm part of your family savior i love you savior i love you savior i love you first apostolic church thank you for being married to jesus being in this great family so wonderful to be a part of this family of god i would remind everyone that we have prayer time at 6 00. our main evangelistic service starts at 6 30. praise team and choir praise team 5 15 choir 5 30 come expecting a great time the lord greet everyone as your personal protocols afford you the care you're dismissed