Wednesday Night Bible Study

Thank you so much for your giving. Thank you musicians for leading us in worship and greetings in the precious name of Jesus. So good to see all of you in the house of the Lord. Uh, as Pastor Whitley has already mentioned, we have ministries going all over this uh, campus tonight where our young folks have a youth night going on. They're having uh, service in the event center tonight as we have Bible study. There are several other events going on our be free ministry and we're thankful for all of those opportunities. But I join uh with the voices also that have gone before me of welcoming all of our guests. If this is your first time at First Apostolic Church, we welcome you. And I I'll mess it up, too. But we're I want to join with Sister Batson. And uh this is Sister Chandra >> Chanda. All right. That's I want to get it right. But now now here's why. because she's formerly of Nashville. She's now of Knoxville. And I want us all to get to know Sister Chanda. We're honored to have you with us. Thank you, Sister Batson, for bringing her. And uh this is a always an exciting time when we have someone joining us. And I would also say welcome to all of those who are joining us online in our uh multimedia outreaches. Thank you for being in service with us and hope you can be in a service here in the near future. I also want to one more time just say a special thank you to uh First Apostolic Church uh and all the saints uh who uh were so kind with your uh words of uh of comfort and condolence to the Mcool family, the Warhol family uh during the time of uh Sister Katie Mcool's passing. uh the church family was so so uh considerate and we thank you so much for everything that you did, every kind word. And on behalf of Uncle Gary, I would tell everyone a special thank you again for all that that you did. I want us to get into our study of the word of the Lord tonight. It's always uh a privilege and an honor uh to study the word in a Bible study format and to have this opportunity to uh uh just uh feast on what the word gives us uh as we feed our spiritual man. Our lesson title tonight from our curriculum is the good news. Everybody in the house, I hope you enjoy getting good news. I've got good news for everybody here. Uh and so that's what we're going to talk about tonight. We're going to talk about good news. Of course, our uh uh study and the theme of our curriculum is speaking in the first person as Jesus said, "Follow me." But we're going to talk about good news tonight. calling your attention for a key passage to the book of Matthew, the 28th chapter. Matthew 28. We're going to read beginning at verse number 16. Matthew 28, beginning at verse number 16. Then the 11 disciples went away into Galilee into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. They had an appointment with Jesus. Notice that. And when they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the world. Amen. Let's pray. Savior, I love you. God, I thank you for the privilege that we have of studying your word. Lord, I know it is ever settled. It is ever anointed. Now, God, I pray that I could be your mouthpiece tonight, not of any ability that I have. But Lord, let your anointing speak through me as your vessel that we might all hear and receive your word and all it has for us. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, and we love you. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Going to the book of Matthew, the eth chapter. It's important as we read what is given us as our key verses or key text to go back just a little bit and examine the first verses of Matthew 28. For indeed, Matthew 28 is one of the most important passages in the scriptures when it comes to telling the story of the crucifixion and the resurrection. So, let me go back to the first of Matthew 28 and give you a quick synopsis that we all know, but just to be reminded of the context of where we are. If you go back to the beginning of Matthew 28, you'll find that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, as scripture refers to her, have just discovered an empty tomb. What a a wonderful discovery they've made. You'll read in those first few verses that a great earthquake takes place and an angel of the Lord has descended from heaven. Man, there are Roman soldiers who have fainted all around. The Bible said that they were as dead men. The those who had been assigned to guard the tomb, they're all laid out. And the stone that had been rolled over the entrance of the tomb of Jesus is now rolled away. And the angel states one of the most wonderful statements that scripture gives. The angel says, "He is not here. He is risen." I told you I had some good news tonight. I know we're reviewing things and stories that we have heard. We're reviewing this most wonderful time. But aren't you glad to know even tonight he is not here. He's risen. He's not in the grave. He's risen. He's alive. That's good news. I like to hear it all over again. >> Now, you know, some might come, oh, expecting uh some new discovery in scripture. There's nothing new in in the scripture. So, what we're talking about tonight will be a review for all that understand. But I want us to realize the gravity, the importance, the wonderful news that was taking place. Then the angel, after the angel uttered these words, started giving instructions. He said, "Go quickly and tell his disciples that he's risen. Go spread the word. You got the good news. Don't keep it to yourself. Go spread it to his disciples." And as they departed to the tomb, they met Jesus. Jesus said, "All hail." And then in Matthew 28:10, he said, "Be not afraid. Go tell my brethren that they go unto Galilee, and there shall they see me." He said, "Tell the 11 I need to have a meeting with them. We're going to mountain in Galilee. Now, Matthew 28 then also takes the time to identify something else. These same Roman soldiers who had guarded the tomb and had fainted as dead men. The elders approached them and said, "We got to get our story right. We've got to get our story together. We've got to cover up this thing called Jesus being resurrected. We've got to give a fleshly explanation for a supernatural event that's taking place. So, the Roman soldiers would become part of of a conspiracy with the elders. They were bought off. They gave them a bribe, if you will, to say that we fell asleep on guard. And while we were asleep, Jesus disciples came and stole his body. And these Roman soldiers, I don't know how much they were paid, but they were paid enough to make them at risk of their reputation and even their lives propagate a lie of the stolen body of Jesus. Now understand, and again, we've talked about this before, but the custom was if you went to sleep while you were on guard duty in the Roman army, it was automatic death penalty. Furthermore, it was not just a death penalty to the one who went to sleep, but to all of your fellow soldiers that were on watch if they had allowed you to go to sleep or they you all were subject to be put to death. What would make them be willing to risk their reputation and even their life to propagate this lie? The elders even said, "Hey, we've got inside information." Said, "Should the word of this get to the governor?" Now, I'm using a little bit my own imagination here, but it basically says if if the governor finds out, we've got him in our pocket, too. We'll we'll back up your story, so you're in good shape. Can you imagine? Think of this right now in history. If you were witness, I'm not talking about you heard about it, not you were there in the same community, but if you witnessed the greatest event of all mankind, the resurrection of Jesus. Think of those Roman soldiers. They witnessed the greatest event of humankind. the resurrection of Jesus. But yet they were willing for a price and for a agreement of conspiracy to sell out what they had witnessed. It's pretty easy to condemn them for doing such a thing. But sadly, I would tell you, I've witnessed folks who received the revelation of the apostolic message and the truth of who Jesus really is, who have refused to obey the word of God because of religious traditions and being loyal to those things rather than obeying the truth. Heaven help us when we're more willing to sell out for tradition than we are to obey revelation. So with all this in mind, it brings us to where our text was. For they now have reassembled the 11 apostles and Jesus. They've assembled at Galilee. And Jesus is giving them instructions. This is the first instructions of Jesus after the crucifixion. Now I would let you know Jesus didn't tell them the good news. Jesus was the good news. He was the gospel. He was the living embodiment of good news. You see, he was the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. He had conquered sin. He had conquered death. He was the source of eternal life. Jesus was now standing before them. And he was about to give them instructions as to what they should do as his apostles and disciples. In fact, if you do a little word study, the New Testament writers use two key Greek words to convey the gospel of Jesus Christ. a messenger in Greek and don't don't worry I do not claim to be a Greek scholar but basically the word messenger was written as apostto which actually meant one sent forth and was usually translated as a messenger or an ambassador. If you're going to be a disciple, if you're going to be an apostle, you need to be sent. you need to be a messenger. And the other word that they used was evangelian, which means good news. The apostles were called to be messengers of the good news. If we're going to be followers of Christ, if we're going to be disciples of Christ, we too must be messengers of the good news and the message of Jesus Christ. Oh, preacher, everybody's already heard it. Tell them again. I know folks won't believe it. Go ahead and tell them anyway. We've got the good news. We've got the message of a resurrected savior. Aren't you glad to know that tonight? I I I need to hear it again and again and again. You know, even as a a minister and a preacher, when you start preparing and studying, sometimes you can feel like, well, I know everyone's heard this before, but I need to hear it again. If you're tired of hearing the message over and over again, don't condemn anybody else. I bet you probably won't rewatch Andy Griffith reruns either. Tell me the story again. I I I want I want to know it. I've been I've been made a messenger when I decided I was going to be a follower of Christ. I've got the good news message. You see, Jesus started telling the disciples what they were supposed to do. In Mark, we find a s synoptic message as was in Matthew. In Mark 16:15, Jesus commanded, he said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Now Luke said he said in Luke that I want you to teach. He said go ye therefore and teach all nations. In Mark he said go into the world and preach. It sounds like the disciples were being given instructions to not keep the message among the 11. Sounds like the followers of Christ have a responsibility not to just take it to those immediately around them. That's only the start. He said to all the world. He He said take it to everybody to every nation to all the world. So they had to be reminded of their purpose. But if you'll also note Jesus in another instance in Luke would remind the disciples of what his purpose was as well, what the crucifixion was really about. In Luke 24:45 it said, "Then he open then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures and he said unto them," this is Jesus words, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead the third day, that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You see, I find a common thread all nations, the world preaching, teaching, carrying the gospel. He used the word behooved. Well, that's a fancy word. It behooved c. What does behooved mean? Well, if you look at that word, it is basically interpreted as it is necessary. If you read it in that context, thus it is written and thus it is necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. Everything he suffered, the anguish he suffered, the injustices, the pain of the cross was making a way for sinners to be forgiven. His death was for the atonement of sin and it would satisfy God's righteous law. But we must know that without the resurrection, Calvary would just be another story of tragedy. But you see Jesus loved all humanity. And what did humanity do? Humanity crucified him. But his resurrection on the third day was a triumphant culmination of his redeeming work. He would fulfill Old Testament prophecy and affirm all that had been stated before that he would indeed be God manifest in flesh. So I'd ask everyone in the house tonight for just a moment. Do we really remember the purpose of the good news? The purpose of the gospel before because it has a two-fold responsibility. Number one, it's personal. The gospel is for me. But then it's also a mission gospel. It is instructions to carry that message. Not just personally, but to all that would heal. 2 Corinthians 5:14 says, "For the love of Christ constrainth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." When Paul said, "The love of Christ constrains us," he literally meant it leaves us no choice. I've got no choice. If I've got the revelation and I've really got him living inside me, I've got no choice but just to tell somebody else the good news. >> So, it takes us back to the purpose that he would instruct the disciples. He said, "Preach the gospel to every creature." He said, "Teach all nations." In fact, Mark 16:15, when it said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature," it went on to say, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned." Matthew 28:19 said, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and the holy ghost." There's also a common thing we find in his message. He first told everybody to go. He told them to go into all the world. He said to preach and he said to teach and then he said to baptize. So, I want us to go there. I want I I do want to go there tonight. When he said to do that, that's why we support Missions America. That's why we support World Missions. That's why we have ACS and AKA and PIA and Be Free and Adul. That's why we have Bible study and evangelistic services on Sunday morning and Sunday night because he said, "Go ye Who's ye? Everybody do something for me. Say, I am ye. When he said, "Go ye." That's me. We are ye. I'm glad to know that he was talking to me and he was talking to you. When he said, "Go ye. We are ye." We're the ones that have the opportunity and the privilege of carrying the gospel. Hallelujah. You know, probably one of the most surprising things that took place in his culture in that day was to the Jews who were there who heard Jesus preach the say we need to preach and teach the gospel to every creature. You see, the disciples knew that the good news had come to the Jews, but now Jesus was saying, "Go to all the world." This again reflects his desire for all humanity. Could I take that home to we who are apostolic? If we aren't careful, sometimes we'll get to thinking we've got the market cornered on the gospel and we're just going to share it with each other. And all I've already told you that I like to hear it over and over again. I want to share it with each other. But you see, if we ever become selfish and think we have some exclusive rights to the salvation message, we are missing the call. This reflected when Jesus said this, God's desire for all humanity. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's me and ye as well. That's everybody. It was not limited to one ethnicity. It was not limited to a bloodline that he was born into because he was born into a bloodline that was not pure contrary to some of that day and their ideology. It was his idea and it was in the mind of God that all should be saved that would accept him. You see, salvation is indeed a universal message. 1 Timothy 2:4 says, "Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth? For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. The gospel is not a private and personal message. It's a public declaration of the victory over sin, the victory over death. It is a message that we should be bold with to preach to every creature. Now this idea of teaching all nations, he commissioned it. He told it, he went on to say, "Lo, I am with you even until the end of the world." Amen. He was giving them the understanding that when teaching the gospel, there would be there would be challenges. There would be conflict. And he was letting them know that that whatever that conflict was, he would be with them. His spirit would be with them. Now, let me pause here and back up just a little bit to verse number 17 of our original text in Matthew 28. Verse 17, it said, "And when they saw him," now again, let me take you back. This is the first time the 11s getting to see Jesus after the resurrection. It said, "When they saw him, They worshiped him, but some doubted. Sound like church nowadays, doesn't it? Some folks worship and some folks doubt. Can you imagine? You've heard him preach it. You saw the resurrection take place. You've heard the news of the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary has told you where to assemble. They go to Galilee and assemble and there Jesus is some of them. Oh Lord, we're going to worship. And some of you remember Thomas. He would be a doubter later on. And in the synoptic do gospels, you'll find this everywhere. Some will worship and some will doubt. God help me if I find myself in the company of the doubters. I'm going to trust in him and be a worshshiper. Just because I don't understand all the details, I'm still going to worship God. I may not have all the answers yet, but I do know one thing I can do. I can worship him. If I'll worship my way in trials and tests instead of doubting, he's going to be with me to the end of the world. He said, I'm going to be with you always. Oh God, help me not to be a doubter. Let me be a worshipper in the house. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. So he said, "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name the Father, name of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." All right, we've we've got the going part down. I think we've established that we're supposed to go. But the next thing he said to do, he said to baptize. He said, "Go preach and teach." We've got that down. Need to go preach and teach all the world. Then he said, "Baptize." Now, these are the rudimentary, the fundamental instructions that the apostles received. I would be remiss in reminding us if I didn't take you to a few excerpts from Bishop Mcool's book, Common Questions Concerning Apostolic Doctrine. This question is asked, must I be baptized? Acts 10:48 said, "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord." It sounds like if somebody says it's a command, that doesn't sound optional to me. Sound like you need to do what he said. He He just when he commissioned the disciples, he said, "Go to the other world, preach the gospel every baptizing." Well, if he said baptized, does it matter how I'm baptized? >> In Acts 19, let me give you what it says. Acts 19 verse number one says, "And it came to pass that while Apollos was at Corenth, Paul having passed through the upper coast of came to Ephesus, finding certain disciples." Now these are disciples. These are followers already. He said unto them, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" And they said unto him, "We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." And he said unto them, "Unto what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Unto John's baptism." Now, man, we remember John the Baptist, man, he came preaching repentance and he he so they'd been baptized under John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verely baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, now these were disciples. These were already believers. When they heard this, they've already been baptized into repentance. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. If John's disciples had to be baptized properly, I submit there is a proper way to be baptized, and that is in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. He He hadn't misunderstood. Paul didn't misunderstand what the commission was. Peter didn't misunderstand. When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, when when when Peter got up uh among and and said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Nobody raised their hand said, "No, no, no, no. That's Jesus said, "Baptize in the name of the father and the son and the holy ghost." Did Peter misunderstand what Jesus had said? I submit to you absolutely not. Instead, Peter told them to do what Jesus has said do. They understood that to obey the command of Matthew 28:19. They had to find out the name of the father and the name of the son and the name of the holy ghost. Bishop's book asks this question. Does Acts 2:38 and those folks being rebaptized that we just read about, does that not conflict with Matthew 28:19? And the simple answer is no. For you see, nowhere in the Holy Scripture was anyone ever baptized using the words Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. You can't find it. It's not there. The reason is quite simple. Jesus said, "Baptizing them in the name, singular, not names, not titles. Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not names, but they are titles of a position. I'm a father, but that's not my name. I'm a son, that's not my name. I'm a husband, but that's not my name. You see, Bishop's book said it this way. Any male parent is a father and a son. So the only way one can baptize in the father's name is to first find out what is the father's name. To find out the father's name, we only have to find out the son's name and how he obtained it. In Hebrews 1 and4, it says, "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." If my name's Makool, any doubt what my daddy's name is? I inherited my name from my daddy. If my name's Makool, his name's Mcool, too. If Jesus acquired his name by inheritance, is there any any doubt what the father's name is? Further proof we find when we read in St. John 5:43, he said, "I am come in my father's name." If Jesus inherited his name as in Hebrews 1:44, there can't be any doubt as to what the name of the father and the son is. But what's the name of the Holy Ghost? You see, the Holy Ghost is the spirit of God. In John 14:26, Jesus said, "But the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name." Who was talking? Jesus was talking. He said, "The Father is going to send the comforter in my name." If Jesus was talking and was coming in his name, the comforter who is the Holy Ghost name must be Jesus. Let me tell you, there's a reason we sing. It's all in him. The fullness of the Godhead is all in him. Hallelujah. I'm supposed to be teaching. I'm excited >> now. Why is it not understandable why all the apostles baptized in the name of Jesus rather than titles? Also, if we consider the purpose of water baptism in the name of Jesus, we can understand better what was going on. 1 Corinthians 1:13 gives us the purpose. It says, "Is Christ divided?" These are rhetorical questions that you should already know the answer to. Is Christ divided? No, he's not divided. Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? The absurdity of Paul's questions is meant to amplify the importance of being baptized in the name of the one who was crucified for you. >> Romans 6:1 says, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer there therein? Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father even so we should walk in newness of life. Let me tell you, when you take on the name of Jesus and water baptism, there's a supernatural transformation that's taking place, your sins are being remitted. Baptism is emblematic of the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. The death of Christ was the substitutional death for all of our sins. For the penalty for sin is death. When lust is conceived, it brings forth sin. Sin. And when it is finished, it brings forth death. He took my place on the cross. We're still ye. He took your place on the cross. His substitutional or vicarious death is what we do when we go down in a watery grave. That's why it's important that we do not even adopt and try to adapt to some of the rituals of misguided doctrines. that being baptized as a symbolic act that is a supernatural act should be by immersion because it's signifying death, burial, resurrection. That's why we don't sprinkle folk. I haven't been to a f funeral yet where they laid the body out and took a little dirt and just sprinkled it on top of them. Don't work that way. You got to go down in Jesus name. You got to be buried in his name. This it this is the example that we're given. It's a public proclamation. It's a supernatural remitting of the sins. It is not just a ritual. It's a response of faith that we're burying the old man. We're identifying with Jesus death, burial, and resurrection. And yes, through baptism, our sins are remitted or washed away. We are making a public declar declaration of our allegiance to Jesus. Some folks have even tried to argue that baptism is a work that you're trying to be saved by works. I got news for you. Jesus does all the work. >> He does the washing s. All you got to do is step in the water. Let Jesus do the work. That's the only work that's taking place. Stand with me. So it's my responsibility. I'm talking to me and I hope you can hear it for you knowing that he saved us and filled us with his spirit that we will be a witness for him. I would close tonight with little comment but reading to us all again from Acts the first chapter beginning with verse number one. By the way, did you notice? Have you thought of it for a while acts are? This is this is action that took place. This wasn't called the book of beliefs. This is the book of acts. This is what happened. These are the acts that took place. It says, "The former treaties have I made, O Theopoulos, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen, to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs." In other words, there was evidence everywhere. Didn't matter if you'd bought off the Roman soldiers, if the elders had put their bribe. There were too many proofs that he was alive. He had been resurrected. Being seen of them 40 days, speaking of the things which pertained to the kingdom of God, and being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem. Where did he tell them it was going to start? He said it would start at Jerusalem, but we're going to all nations. But they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, Ye have heard of me, the promise of the Father, you heard me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with Holy Ghost, not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wil thou at this time restore again the kingdom of Israel? They were still thinking fleshly mind. And he said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father put in his own power. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. Every nation, every creature, I want to take it to the world. Every every opportunity we have, I want to tell somebody else about Jesus. I want to tell him about this wonderful gospel. We're his disciples. We're his called. Could we praise him for the opportunity right now? Mighty God, I love you. Lord Jesus, I thank you for this beautiful, wonderful truth. Lord, let us never grow tired or apathetic because we have heard the truth of the salvation message. But Lord, let us let it be renewed in our hearts with a new and fresh excitement of carrying the gospel to everyone that we can reach. Lord, as we give of our offerings for Missions America that other churches can be established, as we give of our offerings for World Missionaries to go around the world and carry the gospel. Lord, as we minister to children in our school and our child care center, as we minister to those who speak other languages in our community as we do with PIA, Lord, as we minister to those whose sin has tried to destroy them, but you have called them to be free in your gospel. Lord, as we minister to the church family, let us never grow stale and tired of hearing your gospel. God, I thank you for the privilege and the honor of carrying your gospel. Now, Lord, go with us. Lord, let us be willing to take every opportunity to present you to the lost world. For all this, we're grateful and thankful. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. And amen. Lord bless you. Greet your brothers and sisters. You are dismissed in Jesus name.