Sunday Morning Worship & Word | Pastor McCool

well Glory I'm going to let you start moving back to your seats we greet you in the precious name of Jesus so good to see every one of you here on this wonderful Lord's Day this Sunday morning what a privilege it is to be back in the house with the Lord with all the saints of God we do I pray a special hand of protection for many who this time of year who are making Journeys and traveling that God would protect them but I'm thankful to have all the home Focus here today good to see you here in the house of the Lord and I'll say I want to say I'm glad to have brother sister Patterson back they've been fighting illness good to have you home Lord bless you other as I know and I'll miss somebody's name when I start calling names and I saw some home folk that just happened to move out west uh brother Nikolai and sisterslana cops if I'm glad to have you folks home today Lord bless you good to see you their paths took them out west but they're all always going to be a part of First Apostolic Church good to have you here today and all of our guests thank you for worshiping with us thank you for being in the house of the Lord I would join my voice with that of Bishop McCool say saying thank you to all the saints that were able to uh journey to our Master rally and fellowship meeting this past Friday night with a marvelous time we had in the Lord I say a special special thank you to brother vanilla Russell who piloted that big 56 passenger pre-vote bus didn't he do you folks who went didn't he do an awesome job the church there uh in Church Hill they have built a beautiful new assembly but nearby uh the the roads got a little bit narrow and I was glad he was driving rather than myself driving I have my CDL but that didn't mean that I wanted to be driving that bus I promise you in fact when he came in the service I think the Lord had a special song for him I know the praise team might have been singing for everybody but they were singing I'm calling on the Lord who changes everything to turn this thing around well I was praying in some way somehow the Lord would turn that bus around and uh brother Russell had the guidance and got it turned around and what a wonderful time we had what a privilege it is to be at First Apostolic church on Sunday morning I truly mean that there's no other church that I'd rather be in and I counted the honor to be in this Pulpit I honor Bishop McCool uh Pastor Whitley uh Pastor Anthony and his absence he's down in Louisiana with the family and I honor all of our pastoral staff our ministerial staff our Elder staff and all the saints whatever job you are doing I do appreciate you ministering in the kingdom of God today I want to take us to the word of the Lord calling your attention to First Samuel the 14th chapter and I would say as I'm going there Bishop has already been uh ministering to us from first Samuel the 14th chapter in fact Friday Friday night I'd already been preparing my message and he got up and testified and I thought I might need to say just go ahead and preach that for me Sunday morning because he talked about Jonathan and he talked about Jonathan and his uh young man his armor bear who were at a disadvantage and Bishop told us that the passage of scripture said that it may be that the Lord will work for us he said sometimes what he won't do for me alone he'll do for us and I'm thankful for the collective agreement together of God's people when two or three gather together he told us two or when two or three suddenly God starts working not just for me he works for us and I'm thankful for that uh uh special time when he multiplies his outpouring so Bishop thank you thank you for preaching me a message from where I was going today so let me take us to one other part of that passage calling your attention to First Samuel 14 1 we read now it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bear his armor come let us go over to the Philistines Garrison that is on the other side but he told not his father let me pause and give you a little background here uh it looks like Jonathan is going against what his father had been ordering because again we've talked about this in the past a few Services Saul seemed to be out of touch with what God was wanting to have happened God was wanting the people to rise up against the Philistines Saul seem to be satisfied with pacifying and coexisting in bondage to the Philistines so Jonathan didn't tell his daddy what he was doing but he decided I'm going to pick a fight with the Philistines so down in verse 6 we read and Jonathan said to the young man that bears armor come and let us go over under the Garrison of these uncircumcised it may be that the Lord will work for us and I want you to notice today the next phrase for it says for there is no restraint to the Lord I'm going to pause there for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few and his armor Bearer said in him do all that is in thine heart turn thee behold I am with thee according to thy heart for a few moments this morning I would speak to you on this subject there is no restraint to the Lord and I would give it this subtitle turn Jesus loose turn Jesus loose today Hallelujah let's pray savior I love you God I thank you for this wonderful congregation who's assembled today I thank you for the Ministers of music who have blessed us in song and with the Melodies of Praise I thank you for every individual who is making this service possible now God I pray that you would touch me that I could speak as your mouthpiece Lord let us all receive from your word today we thank you we praise you we love you in Jesus name we pray amen there is no restraint to the Lord we in our Humanity face a lot of restraints and restrictions our flesh is restricted by a lot of things we're restricted by time that's why we all wear watches or look at our phone too often to see what time it is we're worried about being restricted by what we're allowed to do in a certain time frame we are restricted by schedules that's why we have calendars and day planners that we look at regularly to make sure that I I'm where I should be and I'm not where I shouldn't be uh because we're restrained by the boundaries of scheduling we're restrained by the elements that's why we have raincoats umbrellas four-wheel drive and snow tires sometimes the weather gets bad and you can't go where you want to it restrains us from doing what we need to do and some of the school kids said snow days can't come soon enough I'm sure we're restrained by numbers or the lack thereof that's why we count attendance keep score and check the balances in our bank accounts numbers sometimes restrain us during the pandemic we all know about what being restrained by protocols from masks to social distancing all of those restraints that were there and yes we're restrained by man's laws that's why we have speedometers and all apologies to our officers radar detectors and all apologies to you Saints and drive too fast speeding tickets we're restrained by man's laws yes we're even restrained by God's laws that's why we put Nets up for safety because God's law of gravity causes folks to fall and go down that's why we have graveyards because life spans are restricted by Humanity's Frailty and how Humanity Falls in fact if you get ornery enough you can even swear out in court a restraining order we got a lot of restraints don't we we're restrained humanity is restrained that term restrained means to prevent from doing something to limit to restrict to keep under control to curb to moderate or limit the force or full exercise of that's to be restrained but Jonathan made this declaration he said there is no Restraint of the Lord I'm here to tell you I'm serving the same God you're serving the same God that Jonathan was serving and the God we serve has no limits he has no limitations he has no bondage there's no restraints to our Lord so understand the element elements can't stop our Lord numbers can't stop our Lord man's law can't stop our Lord man's laws can't restrict him and I've got news for you his own laws don't restrict him for you remember Jesus when he was walking on the water was walking on the water gravity didn't work when Jesus said I need to take a stroll on the water you see Jesus God manifests in flesh has no restraints nothing to hold him back it did good to be serving a God who is unrestrained and we can recognize like Jonathan there's no restraint to the Lord so let me tell us all today if God is restrained with working in your life it's not his fault if God is restrained in your life from something happening God didn't do it you have put restraints on God yourself God is Not restrained of itself but we can put restraints on him working in our personal lives if we aren't careful some try to tell we Christians that our lives are so restrained and limited because we serve the Lord we're restricted we're confined we're prevented from fully enjoying life I'm here to tell you Jesus said it this way in John 8 36 if the son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed I submit that those who let Jesus work in their life and who have turned him loose completely in every facet of your life you're the freest people there are you're free to do what you want to you're free to operate and act because Jesus has no restraint so don't you let Jesus be restrained in your life today [Applause] but I also would remind us where restraints in our lives for God comes from sin indeed is the great restraining Factor today salvation is truly free but some seem to have restricted salvation from happening in their lives seem to be restrained from letting God reach his full potential in their lives if you aren't getting what you need it's not God's fault if you're not accomplishing what you want to accomplish it's not Jesus fault it's you've allowed the restraints of sin to separate you from Christ for there is a progression of restraint if you will there's bondage there's guilt and yes there's prison that restrains us all let me talk about those things for a few moments in Judges 13 you can read the specifics of something called the Nazarite vow these are the vowels that Samson took as disciplines in his life the Nazarite vow for Samson included he would not cut his hair for a season he would not partake of wine strong drink or any fruit of the vine he would touch no dead thing including even if his father and mother passed away and in the Genesis of his fulfilling his Nazarite vow he was so blessed by the power of God he was the great defender and the great deliverer against those who had God's people bound but something happened somewhere along the way in Samson's existence Samson became Cavalier or careless with his vows you see he still had the look of a Nazarite but he began Taking Chances with the things that he unveiled that he would do there's some vows that people make before God they're not essential but let me tell you if you make a vow before God you better keep it everyone was not called to be a Nazarite Simpson made that vow of his own free will if you make a vow before God you better keep it let me tell you there are single folks and they're married folks when you stand before God and take marriage vows you better keep them you're not having a ceremony when you're an Apostolic Church you're taking vows before God if you're going to take vows to be married you better take those vows unto God huh and now I I understand I am so Politically Incorrect right now but that's all right I'm not even politically concerned right now but I want to be biblically correct if I'm going to take vows before God that my wife and I [Music] love each other and we're going to be bound to each other until death doeth part that's not a bondage just because we're bound together we've made vows freely before God what was it we heard one lady say s she met some guy and he was kind of cute and she said you know who you look like he said who she said you looked like my second to be husband well she was already married and she was going to get married again she'd already decided sometimes if we aren't careful we'll take our vows so carelessly what did Samson do Samson begin without breaking his vows walking as close as he could to violating them God still gave him victories when he had a fight he grabbed the Jawbone of an ass and he slew the enemies but you know what the Jawbone of an ass is that's part of a dead thing he'd made a value you think God wouldn't have delivered him without that instrument there was another time where he slew a line and as he made a journey back he saw the carcass of The Lion and the bees had made honey in the carcass you know what he did instead of passing by that thing Samson said I'm going to be Cavalier with my vows I know I said I wouldn't touching that thing but that honey looks good there's honey in the line my brother no foreign he became careless listen some of the commitments that we've made before God if we aren't careful we will become careless with them and the bonds of sin will start creeping in you see when he started having this romantic relationship with Delilah he didn't immediately tell her where his secret of strength did lie but he got close he first you know said just do some weaving on my locks he wasn't he wasn't revealing his strength but he was moving closer to his strength till eventually he would reveal to her the Bible tells us all his heart and as soon as he went she said sleepy sleepy take a nap Samson she cut his hair and because he had become overconfident the Bible says when she revealed to him she said wake up Samson the Philistines me upon you one of the saddest passage of scriptures you can find is in judges 16 20. when it says and he went not that the Lord was departed from him how sad to once have been so strong and have the unrestrained god operating in your life only because of your own carelessness and only because you didn't take your walk seriously to awaken from the Slumber and find that their strength is gone and the things that said to Whit not when he didn't have his wits about him he didn't realize that the spirit of God was no longer dwelling him hear me today if you want to keep God unrestrained in your life don't you back up on the vows you've taken don't back up on the commitments that you've made to God he wants to work through you and keep you strong in him [Applause] someone may be in that situation today suddenly you've awakened to see that God's power is not working with you for there's something that you've been careless with in your commitment in your lifestyle you have your own strengths but you're headed for spiritual bondage blindness and rep irreparable damage to your life just as Samson experienced when you fail to keep your vows so bondage came to Samson he was ridiculed made fun of made sport of James 3 14 says this but if you have bitter ending and strife in your heart's Glory not and lie not against the truth this wisdom descendeth not from above but his Earth essential devilish for where envying and strife is there is confusion in every evil work preacher why would you read that because these are some of those things that are not so visibly identifiable by human evaluation oh we know if somebody commits certain sins man we can see it you can see it about them but you know you can still look like you've got the strength of Samson spiritually but you can have bitter envying in you you can have Strife in your heart and you can start working notice the scripture said notice this carefully it said this wisdom now that may not appear wise to you but you notice folks who work in better envying and strife they have strategies I mean there's some who they can't have a good day unless they've got in a good Rail and a fight with somebody some folks walk around just looking for controversy looking for so it doesn't matter if then the checkout line at Walmart they'll get in the fight with the cashier when they're going through the self-serve part you know they're just looking to have a fight they're looking to get upset about that they're looking to get offended about something don't find look folks I'm like you we all get our blood pressure up I I started to make a list Once Upon a Time about special people special people bother you you know if you don't know who special people are I hope you're not one special people are the people that have the privilege of parking in the fire lane when everybody else parks in parking places you know special people are the ones that are allowed to take up three parking places so nobody bumps their door special people are allowed to park in handicapped parking even though they've got two good legs see some of y'all are about to lose your Holy Ghost now thinking about it special people are the people they get to drive past all the orange cones and each in at the front of the line when they they put the traffic down to one somebody else said oh God I am a special person who seem like they're just looking for conflict all the time they're they're looking to operate with bitter envies and strife it said if you're that way don't glory in it that kind of wisdom that kind of operation is earthy that means it's in the flesh it's sensual it meets the desires of the flesh it's devilish for where Indian Strife is there is confusion in every evil work but the wisdom that is from above is first pure then Peaceable gentle and easy to entreat that means sometimes yeah you put your brakes on and you let them in and say go on hypocrisy the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace don't be an evil worker don't find the bondage of sin causing you to destroy the vows that you made to God a long time ago that I'm going to be more like you when you filled me with your spirit when I took on your name in baptism when I repented of my sins I'm going to try to be more like you Jesus don't let all of those evil things I won't take the time to read it all but if you read through II Timothy 3 1-7 there is a laundry list that during perilous times the things that man would become you see we must be cautious to not let sin start restraining us from what God wants us to do for you see once sin restrains you then the bond or the weight I'll call it the ball and chain of guilt comes in acts 8 23 said for I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity you see Through The Years dealing with troubled people and folks who have had are dealing with sin especially things from their past one of the main things that bind people is the ball and chain of guilt after the sin it wasn't just the act of sin but it was the guilt that keeps the reminding the weight of sin those who grew up in sin many times will counsel with me as a pastor and say I I've got so much so much remorse for things that I I did I I I'm reminded the weight of sin is on me I know the Lord but I'm having a hard time getting free from the guilt Hebrews said it this way let us lay aside the weight and the sin which death so easily besides us weight slows one down weight stops you from running weight restricts your movement rate weight becomes a constant negative reminder so you find yourself bound and then weighted down but after the bondage and the waiting comes separation I call it a prison that sin puts us in see when you lose your freedom you are separated from society when you lose your spiritual Freedom you are separated from the church and from The Fellowship of God's people too many times I see good people who make a mistake and sin starts it's bondage work guilt starts bothering him and then the next thing that happens say well I'm too ashamed to come around the church I'm going to separate myself from those who love me I'm going to separate myself and all the time they're putting themselves in prison and they're throwing away the key when you ostracize and separate yourself from The Fellowship of God's people this is where you find your freedom When sin has attacked you this is where you find your Liberty but too many times I'm going to stay away from church I'm going to stay away from fellowship I'm going to stay away from praise and worship Bishop said it again so well it's sometimes what God can do for us the Collective Agreement of God's people together in worship and praise and praying together and uplifting and encouraging each other nothing Delights Satan more than when someone makes their Proclamation I'm leaving the church because I've done too much and I'm too guilty about the things I've done or even others have done me wrong so I'm leaving the church you're handing Satan keys to a prison that you can't get out of but if I leave us here I would not have told you the whole story I'm telling somebody in this house today it's time to make a jailbreak it's time to turn Jesus loose in your life again you've been restricting him in certain areas oh I'll praise him at church but there's other things I'm not going to let him get involved in you need to turn Jesus loose completely in every facet of your life Romans 8 35 said it this way who shall separate us from the love of Christ you know it who can lock me up and keep me away from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or Peril or the sword as it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long we are a counted as sheep for the slaughter and some folks want to put a period there and say see look how bad it is verse 37 gives thee definite disclaimer it says nay in all these things we are more than conquerors if you want to conquer the things that's in your life turn Jesus loose on it stop trying to handle everything by yourself and turn Jesus loose on your situation he's not restrained he's not bound what did he say I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angel or principality nor power nothing's present nor things to come I don't care what's happening now or I don't care what's coming in I'm free I've turned Jesus loose on this thing I'm not alone I can't deal with it by myself but I know Jesus can have it turn him loose in your life turn Jesus loose in your life nor height nor death nor any other creature shall be able to separate don't put me in prison I will not be separated by the bonds of sin the weight of guilt or the prison that the enemy would put me in in separation musicians come quickly remember what Jonathan said he said there's no restraint to the Lord preacher you don't know what I've done you're right I don't I don't care there's no restraint to the Lord to forgive you don't know how bad I've been you're right I don't and I don't care because there's no restraints to the Lord you know I can only work from personal experiences and understanding of my culture most parts of the country if you've got a dog one of those those dogs that uh that uh retrieve things and they'll say you know let the dog go let it go let the dog hunt but you see we're in the south we don't say let the dog go we say sick him see all you Southerners in the house y'all know what seeking means don't you there's some stuff and I've not been in any way Blasphemous there's some stuff we need to seek Jesus out and quit trying to handle it ourselves we need to say Jesus take care of that situation I'm tired of trying to deal with this on my own I should have let you have it in the first place there's stuff we've been you having problem with an ornery boss it work won't you seek Jesus on that thing well how do you do that you get on your knees and start praying calling that boss's name in prayer loving them I don't care how mean they've been to you start loving them having a relationship situation turn Jesus with you having financial problems turn Jesus loose on your finances how do I do that follow his word pay your tithe give your offer watch the multiplication take place in your finances turn Jesus loose on that thing well let me take us back to our original text for you see Jonathan and his armor Bearer they were definitely in the minority they were definitely the underdog at least in man's way of thinking but that already decided we're going to pick a fight that already said we're tired of hiding from the Philistines Jonathan had already made the determination we've been restrained by the Philistines long enough and the Lord I serve is a god of no restraint he said Otis let me just read it to you first Samuel 14 12 and the men of the Garrison answered Jonathan and his armor Bearer and said come up to us now what happened they'd been hiding in a a ditch or a hole and they the Bible said they discovered themselves to them some of us are afraid to expose ourselves to the attack of the enemy because we think we're going to have to fight the battle alone there's some steps sometimes we've got to step out by faith knowing that the Lord is with us that already made the agreement he said if they tell us to stay at our place we'll stay but he said if they bid us come that's our answer and the men of the Garrison answered Jonathan his armor Baron said come up to us and we will show you a thing uh-huh when the Devils gets ready to show you something you better know how to say Sicky you better know how to say the Lord's with me and Jonathan said unto his armor bear come up after me for the Lord hath delivered them into the hands of Israel Jonathan knew what was coming the victory was already there when God tells you to do something step out by faith and do it and then get ready to win the battle we've got victory in our lives that's why we sing songs it says I'm going to see a victory Why We Know How It Ends already stand with me and Jonathan climbed upon his hands and upon his feet and his armor bear after him and they fell before Jonathan and his armor bear slew him and the first Slaughter you know what I learned in English a long time ago when you write something you don't have a first unless you got a second that let me know the first letter meant there was another Slaughter coming Jonathan this was just the beginning it said and the first Slaughter which Jonathan and his armor bear made you reckon that old Garrison of Philistines as they were having their skulls dented as they were being bludgeoned and beaten by Jonathan and it's by two men [Music] don't you wonder what ran through their mind in the last moments of their existence was this a trap there was two of them you see there was more than two for you see the Lord was on their side Jonathan climbed upon his hand upon his feet in the armor bear after him and they fell before Jonah's armored bear slew after him and the first Slaughter with Jonathan his arm to bear made was about 20 men 20 to 2. you may think you are the underdog you may think you're in the minority but let me tell you when it's you in the Lord you are the majority you have Victory power within it we're a half acre of land which a yoke of oxen might plow if you'll turn Jesus loose in your life he can plow your enemy up and into the ground if you'll turn Jesus light loose in your life whatever battle you're facing you will be victorious in him I close with this passage Isaiah 43 said this I even I am the Lord this is your lord speaking if he's Lord of your life today and beside me there is no savior I have declared and I have saved I have showed when there was no strange God among you therefore ye are my witness saith the Lord that I am God now he can't be God compartmentalized in your life you've got a turning loose completely in every facet of your life you can't just use him here and not have him here he's got to be in every part of your life he said I am God yay before the day was I am and there is none that can deliver out of my hand but here's what he finally said he said I will work who shall let it he will work work who's going to let him work in your life today will you let Jesus work in your life will you turn him loose in your life no matter what your situation if you need salvation if you need healing for your body if you need a financial blessing I'm challenging you to step out today come around this Altar and say I'm turning you loose in my life Jesus I'm going to give all to you I'm going to give all to you come on right now come on who will let him work in your life who will let him work in your life today [Applause] [Music] [Applause] are you free are you free no more change [Applause] no more bodies [Applause] hey hey hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah [Music] [Applause] shackles no more Chains No bondage I am free yeah Deliverance is here Victory Is Here I Am Free [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] and yes [Music] [Applause] lift your hands and love Jesus Oh hallelujah [Applause] hallelujah hallelujah I hope we can go from this place today encouraged and the true knowledge that we have deliverance and freedom in Jesus when we allow him to Reign completely in our lives thank you for being in the house of the Lord on this Sunday morning prayer time begins tonight at six o'clock followed by our main Evangelistic service at 6 30. you want to be here expecting a great time in the Lord until tonight greet everyone as your personal protocols afford you the privilege to do you're dismissed in Jesus name Shake Hands and greet praise team and musicians will meet at 5 30. praise team musicians no choir praise team and musicians at 5 30.