Foundations

jesus we surrender to you loving you blessing you worshipping you right now lord we're going to your word and we need strength today lord to receive the word one more time lord i make myself available to you jesus anoint ears today and on our hearts today let the power of the cross be evident in our lives i pray we need you jesus we love you jesus we surrender to you lord our faith and confidence is in you jesus oh come on somebody would you love him for a moment longer i i believe in you i trust in you my hope is in you my faith is in you you alone jesus you alone jesus glorify your name hallelujah wonderful spirit of the lord in the house today can you say amen thank you singers musicians thank you all the helpers workers teachers those in involved in church ministry thank you for your work your challenges that you overcome for the kingdom amen i welcome all of you in the house of the lord today one more time we're here at cornerstone apostolic church bible-believing church filled with people who are looking for a place that has been prepared for them and that place is called heaven can you say amen yeah looking for heaven we meet together to sing to worship to pray to encourage and to grow closer to god if you are a member of our assembly i want to ask you right now while you're on your feet to give the lord high praise because he's a good god come on high praise hallelujah to you lord holy is your name worthy is your name come on high praise magnify the name of i jesus you lord i love your lord amen you can be seated if you feel like you need to now we all know that we have come from different places we gather in this place in one mind every service in order to become more and more of what god would want us to be amen we want to be vessels in the hands of jesus with all of our various backgrounds and the talents that we all have that we bring together i am certain that if we will seek after the spirit of god he will do something in us that will bring true joy peace love compassion and righteousness if there is one thing that all of us can testify to it is simply this the name of jesus is worthy to be praised and his plan for us is going to be out of this world amen we gather this afternoon to look into the vision of what god has for this sim assembly in a new year of course before i visit this new year i will talk about the old year for a moment 2020 was a year of shaking and moving what we saw as normal church was stripped away i remind you briefly of what transpired we started january of 2020 with a theme of regeneration a washing in the mikvah if you will a rebirth a cleansing an understanding that daily we had to be regenerated in the power of the name of jesus shortly after the year began we pushed into the year with high hopes and plans and god has not disappointed us listen carefully it was in a news conference on a particular day in 2020 that everything that was normal for the entire world was changed march brought to us a time that we had to lock our doors that we had to clean the house inside and out an unknown virus had flooded into our nation and across the globe so this unknown brought change and uncertainty in the hour in which we lived i'm here to tell you that the cameras the lights and the action that we're still using today it came because of a need it came out of a situation that we were forced into a change online streaming began to be the challenge streaming we proceeded with that we we didn't understand it we we knew it was there we had done it before but in order to make it successful there was a whole lot of thought and instruction that had to go into the challenge whatever and however that things looked had to be presented through a camera lens i don't mind telling you as pastor of this church somewhat old school it is a great challenge to preach to an empty room and a solitary camera but then along with that came the second blow a tornado we all know that we were part of it but here the preacher today with that we saw our neighbors like we had never seen them before the hurting and the humbled they had lost and they had destruction but as a church we jumped into action not certain what we were doing or how we were going to do it but every one of us felt the call of god leading us into helping our hurting neighbors we had no experience we had less understanding but god spoke and we listened we gave out food and we gave out supplies we worked without pay for those who had needs once the dust settled we were faced with one more time the unknown where do we go from here but again 2020 the voice of god spoke we went into a studio environment online only no touch no hug no interaction very strange hear me to an apostolic not to be able to clap together and hug one another and give each other high fives of encouragement but within a few weeks time here the preacher today it all began to happen things began to connect you guys stayed focused on the things of god although your prayer life changed although the reading of the word for you changed the lord god spoke and week in and week out church was had things were done hear me today i know and i am aware that where we are at right now presently it is not feeling like normal home but i assure you church this is where we are therefore this is our earthly home i wish you'd turn to somebody and say this is where god has put us therefore we are going to do what god called us to do i am reminded as i have prayed and looked for the hand of god in this year that we are now in 2021 i am reminded as pastor of the strength and the tenacity of a group of people who will say in spite of a virus in spite of no building we're going to do whatever we have to do to get together to sing and to worship and to cry and to shout and to encourage and to read and to plead and to do what the lord god has instructed us to do i feel like somebody in the face of opposition is more hungry now than you've ever been before the lord god brother jerome has brought us out of the unknown into the known god is god in spite of a virus in spite of a building in spite of the weather in spite of what the press says in spite of the president in spite of congress in spite of anything out there my god is still a god and he has proven to cornerstone that he is faithful in the face of any enemy he is very known just a couple of months ago i feel my help from the lord the leadership of this great church we gathered together for a time of planning and searching for what god would have for us to accomplish in the coming year from that meeting that meeting was very different and distinct i've already mentioned it shortly but we had a guest speaker to come and speak into that room via monitor over the internet into the group that was there and if the leaders of this church would remember the spirit of the lord broke out in that room as the hearts and minds begin to say this is a great challenge this is very different this is not like it used to be but my god is speaking into my life and he's letting me know get your eyes off of that on the right and the left and put your heart in your eyes on the things of heaven as pastor of this great church i begin seeking the face of the lord hear what i'm saying a year that would include one more time building another facility keeping the facility moving in motion always developing and trying to grow people to their greatest ministries and callings and not long ago i am reminded as i stood on igogat property and the immense amount of work that was yet to be done as i watched them carry away the concrete and the building materials all that was left was a piece of possibilities dirt and rock and i felt so very powerfully and strong at that moment nothing was left nothing will remain the same but the lord spoke very clearly and said all you need now is a foundation if you put down a foundation everything on top of the foundation is going to make the building to be complete a sure foundation means that all the purpose the planning the design the engineering of the final product is going to come the pipes the wires the drains the connection all those things that are in a foundation it must be first a foundation in the earthly sense and in the spiritual sense i considered what would be needed for the foundation because hear me friend i can see the final product i can almost smell the paint in the carpet but before anything happens to have the final we got to make sure everything underneath is exactly what is needed to support whatever goes on top of that foundation whatever pipes got to be there they got to be in the right place whatever things have to be there they got to be in the right dimension why because i am convinced if your foundation is wrong the building will not stand and it will not function the way it was supposed to do i was led to the book of ephesians chapter number two a letter written to the church verse number 20 and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets jesus christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto and holy temple in the lord in whom ye also are build it together for inhabitation of god through the spirit so in 2021 our theme for this year will simply be foundations foundations we will spend the next 12 months with fundamental truths hear me of the word of god and of the church every month we will look into the blocks that we must have in order to rebuild our efforts here in chattanooga this month of january if you have yet to figure it out our first fundamental thing is the word of god you've got to get the word of god you must understand the purpose in the word of god it is more than a book it is more than a series of verses and chapters and rhymes but it is a life-giving flow to anybody and to everybody that comes in contact with it hear this preacher right now you can take the word of god into any jail cell you can take it to any palace you can take it to the president's mansion himself and if you'll preach the word the lord god will show up and will do a work somebody needs to have a developed passion for god's word the next 12 months we'll talk about giving we're going to talk about love we're going to talk about truth we're going to talk about salvation we're going to discuss the family we're going to discuss trust we're going to go over the spiritual gifts we're going to talk about holiness we're going to talk about the second coming of the lord we're going to talk about how it is to be thankful and then we'll end the year with his story building blocks to make sure that we are founded upon the plan of god at cornerstone apostolic church hear me in all of these blocks you've got to see the power and the purpose of the plan of god in every one of these blocks you understand that to be a part of the church you have to understand his process now the coolest thing about this the theme of foundations is if you as an individual if you as a mom and dad if you as a family will spend time in this sanctuary you can go across town onto i go gap property and watch it be put into motion y'all that ain't bothering me a bit that ain't bothering me a bit come on if that distracts you something's wrong with your distractor you hear i'm saying something's wrong we're going to go through step at a time month at a time because by this time next year we should have a drive-in building we should have walls going in carpet on you know we won't be done but we'll be in the process we'll be in the midst of it uh you think this was a task and a job over the four or five weeks that that you guys put into it wait till that begins to happen over there oh now we ain't clapping see we already have an understanding of what it is to build something right because we've been through that and now we went through it and now we get to go through it again stay with me know that here at the church there are things that are put into motion that will change and develop every single one of us if we will allow it hear me connect groups they will strengthen your work with god they will strengthen the things you do for god as you connect to those who are similar to you in reaching into the community come on when somebody walks through that door they belong with somebody that's a connect group hear me life groups will give opportunities to fulfill god's purpose in your life as you simply live life you can walk together play together smoke things together on the grill and the smoker hear what i'm saying why those things will help you in your daily walk with god the ladies group they're starting a small group they're going to have a ladies bible study they're starting a small group why because there are a lot of hurting and a lot of things going on in people we want to give them opportunity we are developing right now as i speak we are developing a support ministry that helped to support the drug and the alcoholic so that they can find a way to get disconnected from that and come into the presence of the lord the music ministry department they continue to teach and to train worshipers one of the greatest things that could have ever happened was for me to look at that young man sit over there and say we've got to grow and continue to move forward hear what i'm saying and when you said to me pastor as we put this place together on your man i'll do it it was bigger than a keyboard it was bigger than a guitar and it was bigger than a set of drums it was god putting something in you for a passion for the things of god to say if i got to stay up late i'll do it you know what that's going to do that's going to lead you into saying come on singers and worshipers we got to be the first to do this we've got to be first in the presence of god why because it is worth the investment our youth in our college and young adults hear it you've got to plug them into the word of god they can't get loose from it they're already making plans for a national youth congress will it happen i don't know but if we can make things happen here at cornerstone in chattanooga they don't have to go to indianapolis to get it they can get it right here our marketing department now reach man they're doing everything they can do to try to make sure the banners are up to make sure that the signs are there make sure people know what's going on things are happening ministry groups are connecting one with another why because there is one thing hear me i'm mentioning our programs to you i'm mentioning some of the things that we do day in and day out as a church but there is only one thing there is one one singular one put your hand in the air like this there is one currency in heaven and that is souls one currency in heaven souls what i hear my wife's prayer every single day when i sneak by her she prays god give us new babies in the altar i'm hungry and starving to see somebody pray through to the holy ghost in our altar why that's a soul hungry for people to be baptized that the only saving name of jesus christ soul so everything we do we're going to focus on the fundamental things of the hurting and the broken lives that are around us but hear me church hear me we're going to do everything we can do to generate an atmosphere where the hurting and the broken can come to an altar throw their hands in the air and under the power and the conviction of the holy ghost they can be filled with his wonderful gift speaking in tongues i'm convinced as well that it will transcend the internet and go and somebody in a jail cell watching online somebody in their living room crying and weeping they can fall to their knees and receive the wonderful gift of the holy ghost why because we believe in souls for the hour we're going to begin this 2021 this process that we start every year we start with high hopes rest assured friend when i launched last year's campaign of regeneration i had no desire to stop it in march it's just the way it happened listen to me we are going to begin tonight 21 days of prayer and purpose everybody say 21 say i like 21. so 21's good say i can do 21. some of y'all ain't saying a thing this afternoon this evening again on your app pastor's desk go to the blog i'll just post a little thought there try to help get you going in your prayer time but over the next 21 days we're going to get ourselves into a place that god can speak to us i will not i refuse i i refuse i stand on my feet and i declare i refuse for our prayer director to pray me into the presence of the lord i will do that myself and i will be encouraged because she'll join me because others will join me that's how it is to work don't you wait on her but you get into prayer closet you find yourself in the place in the position of prayer realizing if you don't hear from the commander-in-chief you might be getting wrong information our focus is going to be getting ourselves into a place this is what i'm asking this is what i'm asking if you consider yourself to be a member of this church i want to ask you right now to do something that's going to probably be the most challenging thing decision that you've ever had to make in this whole year to date but i want to ask you this week to fast entertainment monday through friday anything that entertains social media social networking anything that you feel like you just gotta have that series you're watching or whatever you're doing if you'll stop it this week the next five days if you'll do that stand to your feet come on even if you've got to guilt your neighbor into at least they can stand now listen to me carefully as you're standing i want to pray with you about this because for some of you this is going to be an incredible challenge some of you this is very simple but for some it's a challenge listen to me some of you got problems going on in your houses in your homes right now don't you you know why they're there it's because the entertainment of the world is in there confusing you come on there's a right and a wrong there's an up and a down there's a good and a bad there's a heaven and there's a hell and what the world is trying to do is entertain you and lull you to sleep and get you away from the things of god for the next five days beginning tomorrow stop doing that and instead spend that time investing in the things of god determine within yourself catch yourself in the habit of doing that what you used to do and stopping it i almost hit yeah i almost hit go i almost hit watch but instead i stopped it and instead i laid it down and i turned it off and i put it on silent and i pushed it away and i began to pray and i began to get in the things of god i began to entertain myself in the presence of the lord and in doing so the things of this world begin to grow strangely dim come on i know right now some of y'all are gonna blow a gasket come along tuesday afternoon you're gonna wonder about that next facebook post i don't know if they win or not i don't know how the election went i don't know how that i don't know what's going on here you know what it ain't gonna matter hillary beans when you're standing up on the throne of grace you're with me pray right now slip a hand in heaven lord we're going to consecrate dedicate our lives to you over the next five days we're going to separate ourselves from the things of the world and the influence and the entertainment lord that's trying to distract us lord i pray you would help us survive without facebook and without social media help us survive lord without netflix and hulu god help us lord i pray let us lord plug in and connect one to another help us jesus to believe one with another god to get away from the things lord that are negative and that are influencing us negatively help us lord i pray strengthen us god give us lord i pray what we need in your name jesus i pray it you may be seated thank you thank you now listen carefully as you go through this over the next five days some of you are going to have to get anointing oil out i'm telling you the truth and you're going to have to anoint some places in your home that you allow things to come in mom and dad you've got problems with your kids get the oil out and pray over their room pray over their pillow pray over their door listen to me i'm telling you the truth i can't tell you how many times i've had to do that with my children and pray over them rebuke the in jesus name you know what we got on the front door of our house stuck to the glass coming in a prayer cloth does it work you better believe it i have yet to have an elephant come through my front door it has worked and when i walk out that door i'll turn around the lock and i put my hand on in the name of jesus y'all call it silly if you want to i believe that prayer works therefore listen to me carefully you spend time ridding yourself of the influences of the world as a nation that reels right now that is floundering right now with chaos and confusion let us as the church come to a time where we are drawing closer to god and the voice of god can be seen and heard in the church come on our city is going to be looking around where is truth where is hope i challenge some of you to become a voice on your job places i want to tell you where the power of god is it's in his word it's on your knees it's in the house of god it's in the name of jesus come on more than ever before you need to be used in the name of jesus plead the blood of jesus over your kids over your family plead the blood of jesus over your health over your finances and over your job come on i challenge the church over the next 21 days spend time in prayer now next week we'll go on to something else but this week help me listen when church becomes a priority when coming to the house of god becomes a priority then you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that your friends your neighbors your your your family members whoever is out there that's hurting this is the answer for them when you bring your families into the house of god things happen i challenge the men's department this coming week over the next few weeks you ought to pick a night brother josh and you ought to text every man out there early morning i don't care meet me at the church we're going to pray i want every man to be here come on some of you family some of you college kids need to say you know what meet me in the sanctuary we're going to spend an hour in prayer there you ain't got to let you don't have to call and ask me you got a key you know the code if you don't call somebody that's got it and come into this place and begin to pray begin to intercede for our city begin to call upon the name of the lord god some of you need to contact your neighbor friends or your connect group members and say listen we're not having an event this week but i want you to come and meet with us and we're going to pray tonight for an hour in our home and then next week we'll go to your home and we'll pray an hour come on prayer needs to be made things need to happen why that used to be the old timer said it this way you don't need a psychologist you don't need another drug what you simply need is to pray through your situation you know what that meant that means you're in the situation and you're in the midst of it now pray through it go through it go through it don't be pulled from it go through it pray through that and what will happen is when you come out on the other side and you've been through hell and hot water you can stand on your two feet and say my god has been faithful my god has shown himself one more time to be true i'm challenging the church over the next 21 days of prayer and purpose on the 31st of january will be our fifth sunday service as that happens to be that's 21 days you're going to have food here some of it's going to be really good i didn't say it never mind we got a guest speaker going to be here if you can pray yourself into position and you can invite somebody bring somebody on that day friend of mine they can walk into this sanctuary with 125 chairs and another 50 out there can be brought in the lord god can breathe into this room and a holy ghost explosion like chattanooga has never seen can happen because if my people who are called by my name come on if you'll humble yourself if you'll turn from the wicked things and you'll pray the god of heaven will move things will happen now please i i realize that we are in january of 2021 and i know that there are stipulations and there are regulations that are forthcoming of some size shape or manner are there not we can all see that we can all identify that the enemy of our soul is out there trying his best to wield his shield and his sword of fear and doubt but i serve a god of glory because in the midst of whatever our culture and our society and our regulations and our governmental officials say i don't have to be in this room to be in his presence come on i felt the anointing of the lord in my car i felt the anointing of the lord in my office i felt the glory of the lord believe it or not last week sitting on a beach i felt the power of the holy ghost working even in quarantine i felt him in the presence i'm telling the other day lord help me stay on track i'm watching the clock i'm good the other day i was driving to a job site that i had to go and finish and they had said come on it's okay we don't believe in covert whatever come do it so i went put my mask on clean my hands good and i go and i do this job i'm trying to drive down there and two hour drive down there i can't see for the tears i'm crying i'm weeping the lord god's in my little big truck and that's all i can do to get down the road y'all are gonna hear about it very soon because the lord gave it to me for us but i'm telling you in the midst of all of that when i climbed out of my little truck and went to work all i could think about was the blessing and the power of almighty god and in the midst of that i knew it don't matter what regulations or stipulations they put i can still get in the presence of a holy god and he can still speak to me just like he can speak to you now listen carefully this is what transpires when people pray brother doran would you come in acts the 12th chapter the fifth verse the bible simply says this peter therefore was kept in prison but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto god for him peter had every right reason to die in that place but prayer was made prayer was made everybody say prayer look at your neighbor and say prayer look at the one beside you and say prayer prayer was made now the story is simply this they prayed the angel came and peter got out how eloquent can i paint that picture for you to simply understand if you pray things happen the voice of god in prison people looking around at that moment trying to understand in all the chaos and the the cell doors breaking and the chains breaking loose and the only thing that they could come up with at that moment was when the jailer went in and said what just happened we're here because prayer was made church listen to me carefully some of you have been asking and you have been pleading with god for the miraculous in your life i say this all the time there'll never be a healing if there's not a sick first there'll never be provision unless there's a need there'll never be salvation unless there's a lost so what you've been praying and asking god for god at this moment is ready to perform ready to do it and follow through for many of us listen carefully for many of us whatever god is going to do we have already painted the picture for god to follow in fact some of us have drawn the picture with numbers in the blocks as a kid you call it paint by numbers now god here's what i want here's what i need it's already labeled i just need you to take your paintbrush and paint it so it turns out like this and our god is so wise and gracious that he ignores your picture and he says why would i do that when i'm working on a masterpiece right now in you it's been said multiple times in this church we can sell ourselves so short our vision can be so limited because we only know this much but you know what god knows god knows all things so as a church now how many in here know how to pray yeah come on you know how to pray now i thank him for this food god is great god is good now i lay me down to sleep come on some of y'all had to change that one up because if i die before i wake me scared i'm convinced katie beth that i don't have to scream at my god but i'm also convinced sometimes that i have to scream to get above me horton sometimes he's already got my attention i'm trying to get his and sometimes it's like this but the beams aren't matching up i i need to stop and say god find me and god lays his hand on me tomorrow through friday pray tonight before you go to bed pray you notice i haven't asked you pray an hour two hours three hours for some of you it would be a great feat a great incredible feat to simply stop and spend five minutes with god but i promise you if you'll start that five minutes by the end of this week you'll be looking at 15 or 20 into next week 25 or 30. come on the more time you spend with him sister renee the more you want him don't you and then you'll get out of bed in the morning as your life changes and you'll breathe his name first thing and then as you're standing at the coffee pot you'll thank him for it and it'll become a life of prayer and you'll pray without ceasing and things in your life will begin to wrap around him in spite of the situation of our world god still speaks stand on your feet would you please in this altar today in this altar today i want to invite everybody that will to come it is 119 for those watching the clock very shortly you'll walk out of here and go about your business of the day all right but today i want to invite you to our altar space if there's no room for you wherever you are you go there and today we are going to pray until something happens we're going to pray until something transpires i don't have to hype you up i don't need to jazz you up brother duran doesn't need to play that note but some of you are so hungry and thirsty for god pray until something happens that needs to be your desire right now would you do it right now lift your hands to the lord and begin to speak to him lord jesus come on talk to him lord jesus i love you come on that's right talk to the lord jesus i believe you're still the answer i believe there's hope in your name i believe there's power in the cross i believe i believe in you jesus come on somebody right now lord i believe in you and i pray jesus begin a work in me lord complete the work in me lord continue the work in me lord at whatever stage i am god i want you to do the work in my life i need you that's right come on walk into his presence here i come worshiping loving and blessing you lord trusting you lord when prayer is made things happen when prayer is made things happen lord god help us right now lord to settle in our minds to build on a foundation of your word and your truth and your power and your presence kilo rochelle yeah in the name of jesus in the name of jesus that's right come on families praying together right now reach out and pray for somebody for your family member right now reach out and pray for them god of glory touch my wife touch my children bless my family lord bless my husband lord god move jesus i need you life in the name of jesus i need you lord yes jesus i believe it's you i honor you i trust oh that's right hallelujah come on it all begins with prayer it all begins in prayer it all begins with prayer the name of jesus the name of jesus hallelujah to your name hallelujah your name to your name jesus jesus jesus in the name of jesus hallelujah come on that's right reach out come on turn around pray with somebody else that's right let the holy ghost use you right now in jesus name there is healing in the house there is deliverance in the house there is anointing there is unction right now i love you i believe you i honor you i trust you god you hold it all together lord we're believing you for complete healing lord complete in the name of jesus completely hold jesus no that's right come on pray come on get a hold of somebody pray with them in the name of jesus to the name of jesus jesus i trust you come on pray come on reach to heaven right now god of glory only you can satisfy the soul of man come on that's right pray come on the healers here today the savior is here today the waymaker is here today i love you jesus holy is the lord holy is the lord yes yes yes yes jesus yes jesus yes jesus hallelujah to the lamb hallelujah to the lamb hallelujah to the lamb of god hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah the name of jesus hallelujah that's right come on the holy ghost is here right now the name of jesus the name of jesus the name of jesus in the name of jesus in the name of jesus worthy is the lamb worthy is the lamb of god holy is the lamb holy is the lamb of god holy is the lamb now listen carefully it's before you go home some of you for quite some time you've prayed god i i just want to be used by you i'm not sure how and nobody else may see it or may understand it but lord i i'm hungry to be used by you listen carefully now is your time this is the day there is such an urgency in the spirit this is the moment come on if you're ever going to be bold now is the time if you're ever going to be a witness now is the time if you're ever going to be used of god right now is the time open your mouth tell somebody about the lord you don't have to be mean you just simply look what the lord has done in me if you're waiting for a greater opportunity what are we waiting on the condition outside these walls the condition inside some of your walls is horrible right now let god be god get him out of the box that you've put him into and allow him to work allow him to be what he is lord i love you today and i'm thankful for our time together help us lord as we move from this place to build foundations lord that will support the things of god as they unfold in our lives every day i pray lord for every heart in every home every family every individual i plead the blood of jesus over them i rebuke fear and failure in jesus name i rebuke it we come in faith today god believing that there are great things in store for the church help us god daily as we run to you in jesus name go with us help us encourage us let the church be the church in this hour in jesus name somebody say amen i love all of you i believe in you go with god shake hands and be friendly wednesday night we're back here seven o'clock god bless you all