Sunday Morning Worship Service

don't just remain remain standing as you're returning back to your seats we're going to go right to the word of the lord we're going to go to the book of numbers and as you are turning there i want to give honor to our bishop and to our pastoral staff pastor mccool sister mccool ministering in memphis this weekend doing some training at a church there we miss them and i will give honor to them and bishop and pastor anthony and sister kelly welcome them home glad they're back here today and then we want to welcome guests that are here with us today we are so glad to have dan and laura gagnon here these are friends of brother cole and sister coke we welcome them today we're so glad they are here today and we're so glad to have andrew lindsey here can we welcome andrew today we're so glad that andrew's here we welcome you and i know bishop and pastor anthony have already said it but i'm so glad to have the chesters here with us our dear friends we love them so very much can we welcome them again today amen amen just lots and lots of people here today so many guests that are here and we want to welcome all of you and those who are here from uh from brother shoulders church we welcome you likewise and we're just so honored to have you here with us it's gonna be a great week this week camp meeting tri-state camp meeting is this week we are the hosts of this great event wednesday night we kick it off 7 30. pastor matthew ball will be our evening speaker be here be here let's be a great host this week let's be here our choir we'll be singing on friday night it's going to be a great time then you don't want to miss sunday following camp meeting we're going to have james wilson here with us he is an outstanding preacher now saying outstanding uh singer songwriter and it's going to be awesome this week and this weekend so make sure you make plans to be here this week let's go to numbers chapter number 21. numbers 21. i'm gonna read a few verses we're probably familiar with but numbers 21 and we're going to read verses 5 through 9. numbers 21. verses 5 through 9. are you excited about the word of the lord today are you excited about being in the house of the lord it's a great spirit that is here numbers 21 5 through 9 and the people spake against god and against moses wherefore have you brought us up out of egypt to die in the wilderness for there's no bread neither is there any water and our soul loatheth this light bread look at verse 6 careful what you say sometimes you know complaining and criticizing is not a spiritual gift [Music] i want to say that again for those who didn't hear me who might just need to turn up the hearing aid a little bit um criticizing and complaining is not a spiritual gift god has not called any of you or myself to be criticizers or complainers thank you so much for that round of applause um and you know what being a jerk is not a spiritual gift either amen [Music] you can work i'm just go ahead and preach i'm a pastor listen a little while you can you can you can worship around here lift up your hands but you're if you're a jerk at home you're a jerk everywhere [Music] you can come in here and put on your patty pentecostal ways and you're holier than thou harry and you can go to your job and go to the restaurant and be a jerk there guess what you're still a jerk and god's not called any of us to be jerks you're not so holy you're not so spiritual that you can't put a smile on your face oh i'm not preaching yet but i feel like it it's not a spiritual gift for you to be always criticized if you're always criticizing it might not be everybody else it might just be numbers 21 verse number six because look look what happens here and the lord sent fiery serpents among the people careful what you invite you know you invite serpents into your life when you criticize all the time [Music] you invite serpents you invite spirits into your life if you're always criticizing amen and they bit the people you're not just inviting them in they're gonna bite you and much people of israel died therefore the people came to moses and said we have sinned for we have spoken against the lord against thee pray unto the lord that he take away the serpents from us and moses prayed for the people look at this look at look at the remedy the remedy the remedy for the fiery serpents and the lord said unto moses make thee a fiery serpent set it on a pole and it shall come to pass but everyone that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live and moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived this morning i want to preach just just for a few moments i promise i won't keep you alone but i feel like the lord is going to deal with somebody today and minister to somebody's spirit when god uses the venom when god uses the venom let's pray father we thank you for your word to lay up unto our feet to light into our path and i pray right now for a spirit of revelation and understanding let your spirit illuminate the word of god into our hearts and those who are weary those who are wounded those who are broken those who need deliverance those who need strength today i pray that they would find it in you find it in the word of the lord which is a rock in jesus name we pray and everyone said amen once you clap your hands unto the lord again today you can be seated in the name of the lord when god uses the venom in 1944 the influenza vaccine was invented to help prevent people getting the virus of the flu you are given a dead strain of the flu virus to help your immune system to fight against the possibility of catching the flu and i'm not sure about you whenever i would ever get the flu shot guess what i got the flu that may seem crazy but they actually give you a of the flu to help you fight getting the flu when someone is on the end a bad end of a snake bite people are treated with what is called anti-venom which in turn is taking some of the venomous animals venom and using it and finding the correct cure for the snake bite let me just go ahead and stop right there and put your mind and eat i am not going to bring out a snake here today okay if this is your first time in the pentecostal church we're not that way all right just go ahead and don't worry about that that's not us we don't do that okay so don't you get any don't you get worried because if there's a snake in here i am out of here and i'm turning catholic i'm gone zone it ain't happening so if you get a snake bite they give you anti-venom which is a portion of the animal's venom you would think the opposite you would think that if i'm going to be treated from a snake bite i would want something totally different to find healing i would want something the opposite of venom to save me or to rescue me or to heal me but the very thing that could be used to kill you is also the very thing which could make you better the story in numbers 21-5 is an incident that can be related to us the people of israel are wandering of the wilderness spoke out one too many times against moses and against the wilderness and against the manna sent from heaven well the lord had had enough there was no warning there was no preached word get right are there snakes coming no fiery serpents showed up they bit the people and some died right there on the spot it was a case of great trying something was killing them something was breaking them something was destroying them wreaking havoc on them in the camp these fiery serpents would bite them and the venom would stone would soon start taking effect and killing them there happens to be some who escaped a bite some who had just enough strength from their bite to get to moses and ask for forgiveness ask the lord to help us we're sorry that we spoke out one too many times they came before it was too late they came and cried out before they could be destroyed like many others who had the same snake bite they cried out seeking for deliverance from their pain their heart their hurt and their wounds they not only wanted deliverance they wanted restoration and then when moses sought the lord on their behalf i'm sure it came as a shock that the lord tells moses make a fiery serpent i'm sure there were some including moses who were looking at these fiery serpents biting them biting the people killing their family members looking and seeing all the wounded and the hurt around them the maimed the dead wondering did god hear us correctly we want deliverance from the serpents i want him to take away the serpents i want him to take away this issue i want him to take away this problem the lord said make a fiery serpent made out of brass you would think the lord would ask them to make a dove make an eagle or maybe even a teddy bear but god didn't want those things he wanted a fiery serpent to be made he wanted it to be put on a pole and lifted up he wanted those who were wounded to look up towards the fiery brazen serpent to get their healing what a strange request those who are being bitten and wounded and destroyed by fiery serpents were going to have to look up towards a fiery serpent and find their healing they were going to be reminded when they looked up at what was killing them was going to be the same thing that saved them you see there are times when god uses the venom we don't like to think that way we don't like to think of god that way we believe that he's gracious and merciful but his methods beloved his ways and his thoughts are not our ways they're not our thoughts and they're definitely not our methods there are times that god will use the venom the very thing listen to me now the very thing that you think is going to kill you or should have killed you or should have destroyed you is the very thing that god is going to use to bring you to healing and salvation because god will use what is killing you to heal you sometimes you need to hear me this morning it might just bring you closer to him it might just bring you closer to restoration you need to hear me this morning there are some things in your life there's been some things in your life tragedies hurts disappointments failures sin struggles that you thought was only for evil it's only going to kill me this is only going to bring this is going to be my demise right here and i'm sure likewise i can imagine those who were swollen and bleeding and with parched throats were in shock that they were told to look up at a fiery brazen serpent on a pole being lifted up they're probably thinking what we're thinking right now how can that possibly bring me any good don't you see this is what's killing us as fiery serpents and you want us to look up had a fiery serpent just take them away just just annihilate just take them away take them from us and god said no look up at what's killing you because there are times brothers and sisters that god has to use the venom i can't tell you the hearts the heartaches that i've had over the years i can't tell you of all the times that i've had disappointments and depression and wounds that i've had to go through and there are those who understand what i'm talking about today you've had to go through trials and testing you've been through some stuff you've seen some things you've gone through some things that people around you have no idea that you have experienced only the lord knows what you've been through abuse drugs alcohol addiction lust bitterness depression regret guilt shame and failures but the very venom that has been used in your life the very evil the devil thought would kill you and destroy you is going to be the very thing that the lord uses to bring you salvation you're not hearing me today it's the thing that's brought you closer to him it's made you develop a trust in the father it's made you develop a relationship with a divine deity the very venom that you thought was going to be used to kill you is the very venom that god's going to use to make you better [Applause] the very things the devil thought he would use to kill you was the very thing that brought you to your knees to pray to seek god to get some help to get some counseling to get some recovery the very thing that's drawn you to desperation and repentance was the very thing that was going to kill you and when they started to get bit and started to die they were drawn to ask for help forgiveness repentance it took them to their knees in a place of desperation to seek after god i'm telling you right now listen to me don't waste your disappointments don't wait don't don't waste your frustrations don't waste your trials don't waste your testing because it's going to be the very thing that's going to draw you closer to him it's going to be the very thing that you're going to turn around and use for a testimony and a witness to somebody else who's gone through something similar and you can say this to them i know what you're going through so therefore if i'm here and he did it for me he can do it are you hearing me today don't waste it second corinthians 12 2-7 this is what paul said i'm going somewhere i promise he said i knew a man in christ above 14 years ago whether in the body i cannot tell or whether out of the body i cannot tell god knows such and one caught up to the third heaven and i knew such a man whether in the body or out of the body i cannot tell god knoweth how that he was caught up into paradise and her unspeakable word which is not lawful for a man to utter of such and one i will glory yet of myself i will not glory but of mine listen to me infirmities for though i would desire to glory i shall not be a fool for i will say the truth but now i forbear lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be or that he heareth of me and lest i should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations there was given to me a thorn in the flesh there was given to me a serpent venom the messenger of satan to buffet and bite me lest i should be exalted above measure let me tell you something let me tell you something you want a higher level of the spirit i'm going to tell you something it's going to come with a deeper thorn in your flesh you want to hire you want yes i want to go i want to go to the next level let me tell you something if there's another level for you you better get ready for that thorn to go a little bit deeper be careful what you pray for be careful what you asked for paul said i've seen some things but i've also felt some things i've heard some things but i've also prayed about some things there's some things i want to tell you about i can't tell you about but one thing i can tell you about is i've got something in my flesh i've got something in my flesh that buffets me that bites me that lingers in my spirit that keeps me grounded there's some things i want to tell you about but i can't tell you about you want to go higher in the spirit you want a greater ministry you better get ready for a deeper thorn and if you don't want the thorns don't get ready for ministry oh i'm going to preach a little while now oh brother nay i want to do this i want to do that oh i'm not sure you really want to brother now i want to preach like you i want i want to do you don't want my devils oh i wish i could be like bishop mccool i wish i could have all this and you'll pay for it too oh i want this i want that oh god give me this use me okay here comes the thorn are you ready here comes some people to criticize you and to critique you hey moses you got two million people following you on on instagram i mean not in the wilderness i want that following and you know what he also had critics he also had complainers he also had people who want to strip away his influence and his leadership don't tell me you want moses's type of anointing if you don't want mo moses's critics and criticisms and problems i want to pastor a big church oh you're going to have a big church all right you have a big church a lot of people and when there's people there's problems you're never going to listen if you want to go oh i'm preaching now i want this i want that it's going to come with a price oftentimes let me tell you stop and just minister to you for a little moment oftentimes god doesn't remove the weakness or remove the wound he doesn't remove the serpents in your life because it's those things that cause you to pray [Applause] and if he took away the serpents you'd stop praying if you took away the venom you'd stop showing up the church but you know there's something just keeps biting me there's something that keeps tripping me up i better go pray i better go fast i better get in the house of the lord he's gonna oh somebody hear me right now don't waste it god take it away from me it's those things that keep you humble paul your reputation precedes you you're a man of the spirit you're a man of faith and paul said yeah those things are true but let me show you my wounds let me tell you about my thorn and everyone tries to figure out what the thorn is paul didn't say what the thorn was because he wanted all of us to relate to him you might not reload oh god he'll help me right now you might not relate to seeing visions and hearing things in the spirit but you can relate to somebody have a problem i've never seen an angel before in my life but i know what it's like to have a thorn in my flesh i've never been taken up to heaven and seen visions and things that i can't utter but i know what it's like to have a struggle and paul says if you're going to relate to me relate to my thorn don't relate to my experiences in the spa i wish somebody was hearing me right now oh i wish i could be like you and i wish i could be like you let me tell you something relate to us in our weaknesses relate to us in our failures our shortcomings well i wish i could pray like them you don't know why they're praying like that oh i wish i could do this and i wish i could do that do you want their thorn it's those things that deflate your pride and your ego it means me to stop and just write what i felt like the holy ghost spoke to me about this morning you can't allow a wound to make you bitter too many people oh god help me right now i feel him helping me they pray and they pray and they pray god deliver me deliver me deliver me deliver me and he doesn't do it and so guess what they do they get frustrated they leave well i guess it just i'm just this way instead of it being the thing that pushes you to prayer and seeking him it now becomes your crutch i can't do this and can't do that i guess i'll never get over this you better not let a womb make you bitter you can't allow a wound to fester without some healing you can't allow a wound to become so debilitating that it steals your worship oh help me now do you know what they did to me do you know what they said do you know what i've been through the more that's why you should be worshiping more that's why you should be praying more it should increase your prayer it should increase your worship it should increase your faithfulness not decrease or diminish it well i can't i can't do you know you know we'll just we'll just never get through this let's never get through this how about instead of it driving you away you allowed to draw you close someone hear me right now a wound should cause you to pray not to pout you don't know what i've been through i'll never have all that stuff i'll never be able to do all that must be nice i'll never get over this i want to i wish i could have a family like that i wish i could do all this it should never cause you to power it should cause you to go lord i know there's a reason why you've not removed this thorn i know there's a reason why you've kept me in this bed of serpents i know you've not removed the venom i know you know why i'm gonna pray i'm gonna fast i'm gonna seek oh help me right now it should draw you close not push you away [Applause] god will use the venom joseph was rejected by his brethren thrown into a pit given soul into slavery put in a prison but then was exalted to the kingdom of egypt to bring salvation and provision to god's people and you know what he told his brothers when they thought he was on an exact revenge on them he said you thought it for evil but god meant it not just for my good but for your you thought you were just doing the lord's work that's how you should respond to when someone talks bad about you you're just doing the lord's work you're drawing me closer to him you're helping me get closer to him to stay humble you're causing me to get rid of this pride that keeps me from coming down here and lifting up my hands you're just doing the lord's work you thought of he didn't and we always say well the devil meant for evil that's not what he says he said you meant it for evil but god turned it used it it became a tool not just for my good but for your good and your children's good let me tell you something god will use the venom he'll use the disappointments he'll use the failures he'll use the breakup he'll use the bankruptcy he'll use all of that if you just say lord whatever your purpose is whatever your will is don't let this cup pass from me it might not just be for you it might be for somebody else [Music] somebody hear me right now oh the venom that was used against joseph was the venom that god used to exalt him in a people good god almighty oh jesus help me right now the lord told moses moses i hear their prayer i hear the request now here's what i want you to do go get some brass and make it into a serpent now i want you just to think about this for a moment they didn't have a brass serpent laying around there they couldn't go to the dollar general do you all have a brass serpent available today i think that's an aisle seven uh maybe no they had to go get the brass now think about this people think about these people bit by a snake venom in their veins and moses gets up and goes anybody got any brass anyone got a hammer get it let's go how y'all doing down there oh my not good he said a serpent right aaron this is like a serpent to you i'm pretty good at doing calves and cows i'm not so sure about serpents you'll get it later you did it before i come on you're helping me now you're not me doing this right now i mean oh must be nice you know just hang around you throw you throw brass and gold in there and a cow comes out i got my kenneth you know hey moses can you hurry it up a little bit god said no i told him what i told him you complained i've put up with y'all for 40 years complaining about everything you didn't have enough water didn't like the bread didn't like the quail don't like this don't like that you're going to wait keep pounding away keep doing it moses they'll wait they'll keep praying until that thing shows up come on get it okay this is like a serpent yeah not yet keep the kids can you just keep you just keep isaiah 53 and 2 for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of the dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him did did israel need salvation when jesus arrived as a little baby they're going to wait 30 more years until he can grow up and i can make him into a savior and then when he becomes the messiah they will bludgeoned him and beat him and abuse him and mock him till there is no form that you shall desire him those roman centurions took that whip and they beat him to a pulp the victim of sin and the venom of evil and they beat all beauty out of the christ isn't that enough isn't it enough for him just to simply be beaten moses are you done with that serpent yes lord put it on a pole and lift it up lift up that pole moses and tell those people to look at it lord they might wince at this lord they might shy away from this this is pretty bad lift it up moses and tell him to look at it jesus said and if i be lifted up look upon me oh ye the earth and find salvation here in the venom of a broken savior here in a bruised broken flesh ripped open man find your salvation because beloved god will use the venom you're saying how how can he use this how can he do this why can't he just simply come and get us why can't he just simply come and rid himself of all this sin no he who knew no sin became sin he took on the transgressions he took on the form he took on all of it and they lifted him up look at what the venom's done look at what sin has done look upon him look at the fiery serpent look at the thing that's killing you look at it because that's where you're gonna find your salvation i don't know how god can do it i don't know how god can take the cross i don't know how he can take the nails i don't know how he can take the crown of thorns i don't know how he can take the pain i don't know how he can take all that he took it beloved i wish i could spare you from some wounds but it took a wound to save us i wish i could keep you from pain i wish i could keep you from suffering i wish i could keep you from loss i wish i could keep you from grief i wish i could keep you from all of that but it take it took a wound it took it took brokenness it took it took a wounding it took breaking that we might be saved and healed i don't know how god is going to use the venom that's in your life i don't know how he's going to use some things in your life i don't know how god's going to use all of this i don't know how he's going to do it but i know one thing he took on every sin he took on every evil every murderer every child molester every homosexual every liar every cheater every gossip every adulterer every drug addict every alcoholic everyone he took all of that sin and more that we all might look at him the fiery serpent the venom and find salvation he had to become sin he had to be beaten he had to be rejected and he also had to be lifted up and you have to look to him stand with me you me we pray the wrong prayer sometimes god take away the serpent i wake up and it's there every day god take away this weakness god it's me again i hurt again the anger's still there the lust is still there the bitterness is still there god take it away and god is saying that's not the prayer i want you to pray you're praying the wrong prayer the prayer i want you to pray is god use it to draw me closer to you you see if he removed the enemy you'd stop coming to church you'd stop coming to the prayer closet thinking that i've made it we're there we're okay i don't have to worship i'm to give i don't have to i'm okay take away the sickness take away the hurt take away the pain take away all the and god is saying i know i know i know i know i know you know i could take away all those serpents and i could take away all of that here's what i want you to do beloved i want you to look at me and realize that i took all of that i took all of that that i might be lifted up and that i might draw all men you think about how bloody gruesome vile that whole moment on calvary was and yet it was that that draws us to him it's the brokenness it's the wounds it's the hurt it's the pain it's the disappointments it's the struggle it's the affliction it's the addiction it's it's the thing that you just wish please take it away he says you're not praying the right prayer yes i can forgive yes i can restore yes i can heal but there's just some things i want to leave in your life because i know it's going to keep you coming back to pray it's going to keep you coming back to me brother nay are you saying that i can just keep living any old way that's not what i'm saying but i'm saying if you know the thing that you keep praying about if you would if you would analyze that and say you know what that's the thing that keeps keeps me on my knees that's the thing that keeps me humble that's the thing that keeps me praying and seeking after him if he took that away i might feel better but would i be better or is the venom keeping me closer to him i want to tell you right now brothers and sisters god can use the venom he can use all the disappointments and the wounds and say okay you want to go a little higher i'm not taking that away though might just actually put that thorn a little bit closer to your flesh [Music] there might be another one that comes along and okay what did jesus pray in the garden i'm closing he said lord let this cup pass from me but he said [Music] nevertheless thy will be done because it's the cup that i drink of suffering that will cause others who suffer to find healing would you pray would you close your eyes right now the holy ghost is moving in this room there's something in your life you just feel like i need some relief from well maybe it's the thing that god is using right now to help you to bring you closer together and your family to bring you closer together as a church body to bring you closer together to him and his broken body oh somebody hear me right now i wish somebody would come out of their seats that's that's fighting that's struggling you just don't know i just don't know wait on the lord i'm just waiting on the lord i just keep waiting i just keep waiting and he's he's making it he's making i promise you come on relief is coming deliverance is coming hope is coming restoration is coming healing is coming come on there's a wound come on there's a there's a wound there but just don't let it fester don't let it become bitter come on use that thing to let it draw you closer in prayer and take you higher in the spirit come on just wait on the lord just wait on the lord oh yes in the name of jesus in the name of jesus christ [Music] [Applause] oh [Music] [Music] oh [Music] right now come on god's gonna use that [Music] thing [Music] i'm there's holy strength [Music] yes [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] he will renew your strength [Music] yes come on receive it come on get it right now don't leave here get that straight come on that's what happens when you wake up get a little stronger get a little stronger [Music] [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] lift up your hands look up your hands lift up your head [Music] they shall [Applause] [Music] oh [Music] one more time would you lift up your hands all over the sanctuary and there is a holy strength you can go another day you can go another day another week let that thing draw you closer to him let that sickness let that pain draw you closer i want us to pray one more time we're going to dismiss a promise but the holy ghost is here father the name of jesus lord i know that there are those in this room who are fighting they are struggling but god i pray that you would give them some strength right now give them strength that can only come from you give them strength that can only come from your spirit god to go another day to face another tomorrow lord i pray that you would draw them give them a revelation of what you can do with that situation that they're going through and facing and fighting and praying about let them see that it's actually been it's been for their good in jesus name would you clap your hands all over the sanctuary today oh yes i want to tell you something and we'll dismiss from right here [Music] when jesus was resurrected from the dead and he showed himself alive to his disciples [Music] he told thomas reach your hand forth and touch my wounds you know he could have he could have completely erased those things from his body but you know what he kept the scars of the wounds because he knows what it's like to have some scars in your life there are some things that he's just not going to take away but it's going to be for a testimony of where he healed you where he helped you where he drew you closer to him do you believe that i believe it i believe it i believe it oh you don't want to miss tonight we're going to have a time revival tonight pastor anthony's going to be preaching tonight you don't want to miss it revivals here be here tonight six o'clock we have our prayer rooms come and pray come ready to receive something from the lord and we'll see you tonight at our worship service you're dismissed in the name of the lord welcome all of our guests and welcome in the first apostolic church of knoxville