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Would you pray with me, church? Lord, we are so thankful that you've given us an opportunity one more time to come together with people of like precious faith. Thank you, Jesus. Today, Lord, we have gathered. We have sung songs. We have testified. We have witnessed the good things of God. We've exalted your name, Lord. And we know that if you are lifted up that you will draw men to you. One more time. Lord, I make myself available again to you. Help us, Lord. Lead us in the word. Let us draw closer to you. There is healing virtue in this room right now. Lord, there is direction and answers, Lord, for the lost in this place right now. There is hope for the hurting. Jesus, have mercy on us today and lead us, Lord, I pray. Hallelujah. Together with me, would you give the Lord a hand clap of praise while you stand? I I love you, Lord. Unto you, oh God. Honor and glory, praise, majesty unto you. I love you, Jesus. Thank you so much for being in the house of the Lord. Turn around to somebody and say, "Man, you make me look so good sitting by me." If you're a guest with us, we welcome you. We are so glad you've come. If you've joined us online, we're welcome you into our worship time in the word. I will make a disclosure here. You have to keep your hands on the wheel if you're driving. I welcome all of you here. It's so good to be in the presence of the Lord to feel the power of the risen Savior working in our lives. I am convinced that all of us here today are walking miracles. Amen. If the Lord's been good to you, say amen. >> Amen. >> So, if you could stand after I'm done, you can sit down now. That's fine. I do welcome all of you here. So good to see old friends. The Hortonstein's here today. Yeah. Good to see them. The sister Ununice is back to set things in order. Amen. I got to meet Presley's Crunchy. First generation Crunchy. He said, "Good to see you." Vy's family for some reason came today. Glad you other guest with us. I give you honor. So thankful that you've come to the house of the Lord. thankful. There is an incredible attitude in the room today. And I'm thankful for that. I'm convinced that if we are hungry for God, if we thirst for him, he will fill us. He will sustain us, and he will change us. Somebody say, "I've been changed." >> Amen. Amen. I honor all of you for being here. I I do come today to let you know that I believe that you and I live in one of the greatest nations of our world, the United States of America. I believe that regardless of what anyone will say, I am still believe that the principles and the ideas of not living under the rule of one single throne matter. In fact, our church family, we we believe that we do. We we have Tyler today. Tyler's over in another world defending our freedoms today because he believes it. And I'm I'm thankful today that men and women will go to the ends of the world, if you will, to protect that freedom that God has given us. Um I have had the opportunity in my life to be in countries where it was not near so open. And I'm thankful that the Lord lets us worship openly today. I I know that our heritage and our history as a great nation has brought us to this point in 2026 that we have learned that if if we will study history, if we'll look into the wise and the whatfors, we'll understand a little better of what in the world we are doing here in this great nation. I I know, please do not misunderstand me. We do have cracks, failures. We have systems that don't work. We have things in place that might could be bettered. I am certain of that. But I do also tell you today that in all of the places that you could live, this is still the greatest nation under God, indivisible, justice for all. 2025 the consensus that was t the census excuse me that was considered to be consistent with consistent consensuses declares that there are more than 1,500 different ethnic groups living in this great nation tribes pueblo communities camps familia lines all of that all the corners of the world come to the United States of America and somehow someway we are a nation that are connected in so many different groups of peoples. This is certainly a melting pot of nationalities. Are there any true Americans here today? We want to honor you. True Americans, 100%. Let's go there. I know there's probably a bunch of us that are partial true Americans of some sort. I have an Indian uh can of corn in my cabinet. I don't know if that Sorry. We are coming to Thanksgiving, so we may be a little closer with corn and all that. But anyway, we're a melting pot. German, Irish, uh, Lithuanian, Hispanic, Brazilian, Chinese, any other kind of ease you want that. I mean, we're all from different parts of the world. One of the cool things about living in this great nation is that with every one of those 1500 plus types of of ethnic groups, man, there's kinds of languages and manners and lifestyles and bathing rituals and foods that are different in every one of them. Is there any American here that likes Chinese food? Ain't it funny how that works? Huh? Watch this. You ready for another one? Is there any Hispanics here that like Chinese food? Ain't that funny? Yeah, brother Richard, come on. Don't leave me out here. Yeah, it it's just funny, right? I I've told this before, I'm sure, and they may be watching right now. The dry cleaners that I go to, that's a Korean husband and wife. Now, I walked in one day and the guy in front of me walked out was speaking Spanish. So, I started in Spanish with them and here they go in Spanish. I'm like, "Wait a minute. How do you Koreans know Spanish?" Said, "We served a year in Paraguay." And I went, "Well, And now when I go in there, it's the funniest thing to watch these Koreans speak Spanish. And I'm staring going, "Everybody thinks we're foolish." But that is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Our daily life, it's been so impacted by all of these ideas. We're trying to accomplish something. We're trying to get to a place to where we can live a healthy life peaceably among all men. Right? Some of you maybe were born into a wealthy family and you don't have to struggle near as much for what you have. That silver spoon scenario. Some of you maybe were born on a shack on the back side of a desert and you simply don't understand how wealthy people do it. Some of y'all are wondering about I'd like to try. Right. Anyway, if you were raised on the west coast or raised on the east coast in this nation, there are different ideas of what actually would be called living the good life. I mean, everybody's got an idea of that. That is what makes this nation so interesting and so exciting. There's always somebody to bring something else into the picture. Aren't we thankful today for diversity of people? I'm glad today that all of you don't look like mwah. Y'all couldn't handle it. I'm just saying. See, come on. They couldn't handle it, could they? Takes a lot of tacos to make this right here. Pre got church going on over here. In all of the places, the ideas, all the things that have gone on in your life, and your history, there's little by little things change in this country. When you leave a place and go to a place, you bring with you everything you know about where you're from, but then things begin to alter and change. I I know this firsthand. I've lived in other countries to where I took my things there and it somehow didn't work. I remember trying to buy tortilla chips and there was none to be found. So, we found corn tortillas and cut them and fried them. It was horrible. BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE SAME. Brother say, I don't care what you say. I got Seth there got food all over him. All of us have understand that we have to change thing. I'm thankful that I can go to Publix right now and get a whole stack of 300 tortilla shell. Come on, somebody. And I didn't have to make one of them. I just got to make sure they're still within date when I eat them. When you're talking about things that are very distinct and very different, it also brings us to a place that I've come to talk to you today about. If you'll give me just a few moments. The month of October that we are in here at CAC, we are focusing on greater community. A community by its definition is a unified body of individuals with the same traits and goals linked by similar social choices and indications. community. When I when I spoke earlier about the 1500 plus different ethnic groups that that indicates that there are all these communities around us around even this particular building where we sit today and it's always the glue that holds a nation together. It connects you to someone else. I like the fact that not everyone drinks tea the way I drink tea. I am thankful today that I have still yet to appreciate a crumpet and a scone. I'm not sure what it is. But here's the thing about the differences of our communities. If we can somehow someway come to a unified point of agreement, then the community becomes strong enough to sustain itself in whatever climate or whatever situation it is in. Has anybody here ever felt like the proverbial square peg and a round hole? Man, it just doesn't make sense. It's just not what people do. It's just not how it goes in this particular culture. Why? Because you and I as humans, we want to belong to something. WE WANT TO FIT in to something. We We WANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY TO those around us, I I'M SIMILAR TO YOU. I'm not that much stranger to you, that much stranger than you. Not that much, but I do have my ideas and my thoughts and it makes me who I am. And I appreciate THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE YOURS. WE WANT TO FIT IN. WE WANT TO LEARN. NOW, there are some things that I have decided are my choices. I enjoy some things and therefore it IS MY CHOICE. IT DOESN'T make it right or wrong. It simply makes it mine. Everybody, come on. Use that two-year-old when you were a 2-year-old word. Mine. Say that. It's mine. It's who I am. It's what I do. It's who I am in this place. But in all of the things that we do as humans, fitting in is one of the greatest values that people hold. There's a group of likeminded people. It gives you the ability for safety and the ability to grow and to thrive and become. Y'all stay with pastor for a moment today. When you go outside the box, issues do arise. Why? BECAUSE IT IS THE NATURE OF HUMANITY THAT GOD put into humanity.

Let let me give you a a little Bible. It's okay. We use a Bible today. You'll like it. If you don't, you'll like it. YOU'LL LET'S GO TO THE book of beginnings. That's Genesis chapter number 12, verse number one. Now the Lord had said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, from thy kindred, from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show ye thee, and I will make of thee a great nation. I will bless thee, and make thy name great. Thou shalt be a blessing, and I will bless them that bless thee, curse them that cursseeth thee, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." God speaks to Abram. Listen carefully to this story. the place where he was raised or the cali that's where he was was a very distinct and a very different place very different land very different mindset religion all the things if you are a history buff go back and read and study about the calaldans man they had their own language they had their own math system they had their own medicines very very established it was from that though that God of all CREATION SAYS ABRAM GET out of there and I'm going to put you in a place where you can begin TO GROW NOW IMAGINE ABRAM if you will. In his mind, he's like, "I'm okay." But God had a bigger plan. SOMEBODY THANKFUL FOR GOD'S bigger plans. Knowing that Abram, the Bible says, heard the voice OF GOD, GET OUT OF YOUR COUNTRY, leave your community, and go to a place where you don't know anybody, WHERE YOU'RE SIMPLY going to walk in. But where you walk in, I'm going to give you that land, and it's going to be blessed BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION. I HAVE A FEELING today that when God starts something like that, HE'S GOT A PLAN in mind that's going to BLOW YOUR MIND. SOME OF YOU LISTEN TO PASTOR TODAY. YOU are sitting here under the sound of my voice and you're the only one in the family that you know about THAT'S LIVING FOR GOD. AND YOU wonder why you can come into this assembly AND NOT BE OF THIS ASSEMBLY, BUT SOMEHOW FIND YOUR PLACE IN THIS ASSEMBLY, this community, and somehow you can BE SOMEBODY IN THE MIDST OF PEOPLE OF LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH. YOUR FAMILY MIGHT NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU, BUT YOU FOUND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BELONG. SOME OF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAD TO GIVE UP FAMILY AND RELATIONSHIPS AND THINGS AND FRIENDS AND PLACES YOU LIVED ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT YOU WERE WALKING around in a place you didn't belong. BUT LO AND BEHOLD, you came in CONTACT WITH THE MASTER AND HE BEGAN TO DO A WORK IN YOUR LIFE. AND YOU'RE SITTING HERE NOW TODAY IN YOUR RIGHT MIND WITH THE BLESSING OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE. I CAN ASK SOME OF YOU, DID YOU ENJOY YOUR FAMILY REUNION? NO, IT'S THE WORST DAY OF MY LIFE. WHY? I GOT NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THEM. HEY, BUT WHAT ABOUT COMING TO A FIFTH SUNDAY MEAL? MAN, I'M ALL ABOUT THAT. WHY? BECAUSE I FIT. >> I FIT. I HAVE SIMILAR IDEAS, DESIRES. WHY? BECAUSE THIS COMMUNITY MATTERS TO ME. >> A community was formed. Abram, I'm sitting here looking at this whole story. COME ON. WE have the story of Abraham where he was go bless. Look up. There's all that. Look at the sea. YOU'RE GOING TO BE SO BLESSED BECAUSE OF this community that I'm building in you. An entire world, an entire system was built upon that community. Listen carefully to this. Go back in your Old Testament. find the laws, the precepts, the respects, the things that were established, the customs, the mannerisms, how you were to talk to folk, how you were to interact with folk, how you were to teach generations to come. Come on. You think it was an accident that GOD MADE SURE, YOU BETTER get this in them here, oh Israel, the Lord our God is, you better make sure they talk about it in the morning and when they lay down at night and when they go about the way and when they sit down at the table. Why? BECAUSE IF IT EVER LEAVES YOU, YOU STAND THE OPPORTUNITY OF LISTEN JOINING ANOTHER COMMUNITY. >> GOD EVEN TOLD GOD WAS EVEN SO PRIVY TO THIS THAT HE TOLD JOSHUA, HE SAID, "LISTEN, JOSH, YOU'RE GOING TO GO OVER THIS RIVER and you're going to go into a land and you're going to live in houses you DIDN'T BUILD, EAT FROM VINEYARDS YOU DID NOT PLANT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE GARDENS IN YOUR BACKYARD that you didn't plant, and you're going to RECEIVE ALL THAT. BUT LISTEN, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING, JOSH. YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT I AM THE ONE TRUE GOD." WHY? BECAUSE WHEN YOU'VE BEEN WALKING AROUND THIS WILDERNESS and you've been watching people die and you've been BURYING THEM OUT HERE, THEY'VE NOT HAD TO DEAL WITH WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE WHEN YOU GO OVER INTO THE PROMISED LAND. THERE ARE STRANGE GODS THERE. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN MARRY OVER THERE THAT DON'T DO THE SAME THING YOU DO. THEY'RE A DIFFERENT CULTURE. THEY'RE A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY. AND GOD SAID, "YOU BETTER MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND I AM A CHILD OF JEHOVAH GOD. HE IS MY ONE TRUE GOD AND I SERVE HIM. WHY? BECAUSE IF I EVER DEFILE THAT, MY COMMUNITY IS JEOPARDIZED. >> Y'all hang on to me. Is 103 for us clockw watchers. WE SEE IN THE MOSAIC ACCOUNT THAT THE SCRIPTURES ESTABLISHES GOD'S PLAN WITH HIS PEOPLE. AGAIN, THE COMMUNITIES ESTABLISHED. WE SPENT AN ENTIRE YEAR LAST YEAR TALKING ABOUT HOW THAT THIS TABERNACLE WAS THE COMMUNITY, THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WOULD COME AND WOULD SPEND TIME WITH GOD. EVERYBODY SAY IT WITH ME. COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS THE LIFESTYLE THEY LIVED. IT WAS THE LAWS that they embraced. It was how THEY DID THINGS. NOT EVERYBODY IN ALL THE COMMUNITIES did the like same things. I stand here today reminding every single one of us, listen carefully, of the simple possibility of a community. Allow me for a moment if you will. Let's go.

For those who don't like Old Testament, go with me to the New Testament. Acts chapter 2 verse number five. And there y'all thought I was going 238, didn't you? There were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven. Everybody say, "Airware." >> Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together were confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own language. Listen to this. They were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, "Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?" And now here are we, every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born, Parththeians, Mes, Elilummites, and the dwellers of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Capidoshia, Pontis and Asia, Fia, and Phil, Pamilia, and Egypt, and the parts of Libya, about Sirene, strangers of Rome, Jews, proelites, cites, and Arabians. We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. THIS WAS THAT DAY OF Pentecost that we hold so prideful and so true to us, understanding it is our community. But at that particular moment, these guys are scratching their heads. They're wondering what is going on here. There's some 15 TO 17 DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES, nationalities that have come here to worship and to do Pentecost. And yet we HEAR, WE KNOW THAT THESE GUYS DID NOT STUDY IN THE SCHOOLS WE STUDIED IN. WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT FROM THE PLACES WE ARE. THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME PEDIGREES WE HAVE, BUT SOMETHING WE HEAR coming out of their MOUTH IS THIS. IN OUR OWN LANGUAGE, WE HEAR THEM IN THERE IN THAT TONGUE TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS OF GOD. HOW CAN THAT BE THAT GOD WOULD ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN? GOD SIMPLY WAS SAYING, "I HAVE COME INTO THE WORLD TO CHANGE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD, AND THIS IS GOING TO BE A COMMUNITY THAT will literally turn their WORLD UPSIDE DOWN. I DON'T CARE WHERE THEY WERE BORN. I DO CARE THAT THEY ARE BORN AGAIN. I DON'T CARE WHERE THEY WERE RAISED, BUT I DO WANT THEM TO BE RAISED IN MY WORD. I'M NOT REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN. I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT IN ME THEY ARE WELCOME. I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE WORRIED SO MUCH ABOUT THE HOUSE THEY LIVE IN OR THE JOB THEY WORK AT. I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT IF THEY'LL COME UNTO ME ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE WEARY AND HEAVY LADEN, I'LL GIVE THEM REST. WHY? BECAUSE MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN'S LIGHT. OH, SOMEBODY OUGHT TO UNDERSTAND IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE IN, IT'S MORE THAN JUST A GROUP OF FOLK THAT GATHER ON A SUNDAY AND A WEDNESDAY, BUT IT IS AN EVERYDAY DAY IN AND DAY OUT. WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR EYES IN THE MORNING, GOD IS THERE. WHEN YOU LAY DOWN TONIGHT AND CLOSE THEM, GOD WILL BE THERE. WHEN YOU PRAY WITH YOUR CHILDREN, GOD IS THERE. WHEN YOU SPEAK IN TONGUES, GOD IS THERE. WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO, GOD IS THERE. WHY? BECAUSE IT IS THE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS. >> I wish somebody would say community. >> Community. They came to celebrate Pentecost. BUT IN THAT SOCIAL AND cultural system, so many ideas and so many ways and so many mannerisms, so many languages and legalities, so many customs and courtesies. But something began to happen. They were all gathered, one place, one accord, and the spirit of God begin to move. >> Somebody say community. Does anybody here enjoy the community of the Lord God? >> Oh, come on. Is there a witness in the house that will say, "I love church. I love my church family. I have to love all of them, but I got to love them enough to get to heaven. >> Oh, come on, somebody. I I believe that being in the family of God is important. Come on. This is not a cult. This is not something that I can swear you into and you raise your hand and say, "Here though, here the two." This ain't what this is about. I come to tell you, friend, you know, one of the most coolest things about CAC that I like is the fact that you like me. Okay, most of you. Listen carefully. The fact that when I'm standing up here on my side over there, that's my side. That is my corner. Somebody say, "Pastor's corner." That is where I am. These little ones over there, I don't know what they think they're doing, trying to get up in my grill. But, uh, I tell them, "Y'all better back off. My water." There is no greater joy than the pastor to look across this congregation and watch young and old come to this carpet and lift their hands and say, "I've come to love Jesus." Because why? Because I'm in the community of believers and I believe that I may have come from a different place and I might have different traditions and I might celebrate this this way and they might celebrate it that way, but I am thankful that I'm a part of the kingdom of God. >> Hey, listen friend. If you can't get along with me here, you're not going to heaven. Come on. >> If I can't get along with you here, I'm not going to make it there. >> Come on. The kingdom of heaven is bigger than you and I will ever imagine. >> Can I let somebody in on a secret? The kingdom of heaven is going to be that one body that is unified in the community of Jesus Christ. It is not going to be those who stumbled THROUGH THE G. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE I'M AT. NO, IT'S GOING TO BE THOSE WHO HAVE SAID, "I KNOW THAT JESUS CHRIST HAS DONE A work in my life. I KNOW THAT I WENT down in water IN JESUS' NAME. I KNOW THAT I SPOKE in tongues when the Holy GHOST CAME. I KNOW THAT I GOT UP IN the morning, I PUT ON MY PANTS like any other man. But I know too THAT WHEN I PRAYED, THE LORD GOD STOOD UP AND SAID, "I'VE COME TO BLESS YOU AND TO BE SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY ME ENOUGH MONEY FOR." I KNOW THAT WHEN I SHOULD HAVE LOST MY MIND, THE LORD GOD STEPPED IN AND GRABBED A HOLD OF IT AND SETTLED IT. I KNOW THAT WHEN MY SPIRIT WAS SHAKING AND TREMBLING THAT I WAS STANDING IN THE WORD OF GOD AND I DIDN'T HAVE TO QUIT. I DIDN'T HAVE TO THROW IN THE TOWEL, BUT I COULD SIMPLY LOOK THE DEVIL IN THE FACE AND THEN NOT TODAY, DEVIL. I AM A BLOODBOUGHT CHILD OF GOD. UH I AM PART OF THE FAMILY OF GOD. UH I'VE GOT A BODY OF BELIEVERS PRAYING FOR ME RIGHT NOW. UH I'M BEING ENCOURAGED IN THE HOLY GHOST RIGHT NOW. UH SOMEBODY, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE IN THE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO FRET NOR WORRY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND YOU. BUT YOU CAN DECIDE TODAY I BELIEVE THAT GOD IS ON MY SIDE BECAUSE I'M IN THE family >> of God. Hallelujah. >> Y'all won't let me pastor for just a moment. Some of us are nervous about that because of the way we treat our own families. >> I did I just did I say that out loud? >> Huh? I I'm not I don't have to come to condemn you. I don't have to convict you. I can simply let you know something. The word of God doesn't change because of you. >> And it doesn't change because of me. That's right. >> It is the only thing forever settled in heaven. You real this is so amazing to me that that we are looking for a place that we've never been. >> Huh? >> Whose builder and maker is not man. So, we don't even understand the building code of heaven. >> Oh, come on, somebody. I talked to somebody this week and they they didn't pass their building inspection because of a window or something. I'm like, "Oh, Lord, how does I'm thinking, "Oh, God. I wonder if heaven's going to have that." Come on, Horton. What do you think? I don't know. I don't think so. I know this that if I has not seen and ear has not heard that I don't have to worry about what's there because that's not going to be the point. >> But if Jesus is there then I know that I am in the right community to believe that he has my interest >> at his heart.

Now for us that are thrilled about this community. It's 112. Y'all are still okay. For us that are thrilled to be in the community of believers, allow me to say something to you. I wish I w I wish with all that I could that I could encourage you today with a great word for 2026. I really do, but I cannot. Matthew wrote it like this. 24-9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, shall kill you. You shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Mark wrote it this way. You shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he that shall endure until the end, the same shall be saved. Luke, the other author, wrote it like this. You shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but there shall not an hair of your head perish in your patience possess ye your soul. I I want to be part brother Sam of the church, but I'm already given indication here by the gospels that I will be hated. Not because of my name, but because of his name. All of a sudden, community takes a turn. See, I could offend so many of you right now by using the wrong phrase, the wrong terminology, the wrong thing. And some of y'all could be so upset with me right now because I would use something out of context and you go, "I can't believe he said it that way." And you'd be offended. But you'll live in a world that will try to offend you a thousand times over and you call it okay. You'll allow all kind of junk into your mind and into your home and into your family and think, you know what, that was funny. That was hilarious, wasn't it? If you're going to if you're living in a Come on, somebody. If you're living in 2026 and everything's hunky dory in your life, you might ought to look at your life. >> They're going to hate you. Hate is the word used. >> But it's not going to be because of you. It's going to be because of his name. >> I come today simply to tell you this, friend. When we talk about community, and this month, that's what we're going to focus on is community. We want to shout, worship, and love the Lord and say, "God, you're good." And when we come into this environment, man, I can feel the power and the anointing and the excitement, the electricity, if you will, of the spirit of God working in this room. The Bible is very clear and very specific. In the last days, perilous times will come. >> That translates to dangerous. Brother Rob, I don't want to live in dangerous times. Anybody out here saying, "Boy, I hope tomorrow I get beat up." Come on. That sounds foolish. Woo! I'm gonna starve tomorrow. It's going to be great. They f to afflict me. They're gonna BEAT ME ON THE BACK. THAT'S GOING TO BE GREAT. MOM, you coming? None of us want that. I don't have any idea. I really don't have any idea what was mentioned here. Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I look at this and I'm like, Lord, this is so discouraging. Come on. I just spent 35 minutes talking about community. We get excited about what God's doing in the community, but the fact still remains. And this week, I was reminded of this. So incredibly powerful. The world in which we live, we have no idea of what is to come. None. Only thing we are focused on is trying to make it today and trying to make retirement and trying to live and trying to live a peaceful life. Come on. That's our prayer that that we could live a peaceable life with all men. That's what we want. But the fact still remains that if heaven is real and the word of God is true, then there's going to come a time when you're going to be hated because you believe in the name of Jesus. You okay with that? Are you are you surely okay with that? Huh? We're all sitt here. YEAH, YOU BETTER KNOW IT. My Starbucks and I can sit down with all of them talk over sconce and crumpets. And then when they threaten your life, I don't mind saying if my wife's life is threatened, it's a whole another story than my life being threatened. >> And my children, you better not touch my grandchildren. My children, okay, they can defend themselves, but I mean, I didn't throw you out, Lauren. I didn't throw you out. I didn't throw. Okay. Yeah, Sam, you got it. You got it. But this little guy right here. >> I mean, come on. >> Can Can pastor be transparent for a moment? >> When I'm attacked in my mind by the enemy, it is not with my wife and my children. Nine times out of 10, it is that something bad is going to happen to my grandbabies. >> I had a dream the other night about that, Sister Pam, about my grandchild. And I sat up in bed saying, "What?" And you better not. You better get away. I don't care who you are. You're not gonna touch my grandbaby. >> There is no greater joy >> than to watch the heritage of the Lord pass from one generation to the next. Listen to Listen, I'm not getting sidetracked. I'm going to tell you something, church. If we're going to be the church of the hour, these four walls will not contain what God has in store because that's the community. >> But you also better understand something. The world is not going to love you and embrace you. They're going to hate you. >> They're going to hate you. >>

Matthew five, look at this. Anybody know anything about having a good attitude? Because these are the biatitudes. 12. Rejoice, be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Rejoice and be exceeding glad. I am so GLAD THAT I'M PERSECUTED RIGHT NOW. This is the best ever. Come on. We want to read the scripture and say Paul and Silas, they in jail, but at midnight they sang. And all I don't know, but man, if I'm sitting in a stinky jail cell with all these other guys and the scurvy and all the critters and the rats that big walking around on me and all, I don't mind saying that'd be hard. Come on. Y'all might be spiritual. Huh? Y'all y'all might just be all that. I love the ratage. Yeah. No. All right. I I I know right now a spider walking here. I got a big old man sitting over there. It's going to scream like a little girl. Spider that big. >> What are you going to do if you're in stocks and and you're in all that and they're SAYING, "YOU BETTER DENY THE FAITH." But don't put a spider on me. I'll be fine. Listen to the camera. Lift the camera. There is something about a reward >> that I'm looking for. >> See, this same group of guys, y'all still with me? It's 19 after this same group of guys, followers of Jesus. >> Did a little research, and y'all may have done the same thing through your life. I did a little research and I found out, Presley, that they didn't die lovely, wonderful deaths. They didn't at all get the Hollywood version. Couple of them were crucified upside down. One of them was flayed alive. Two of them were beheaded, stoned. Couple of them were killed by the sword, saw a sunder. One of them was peeled alive at the flesh. Several if you've ever again I refer I refer to the Fox's book of martyr so many times because it so impacted my life. Burned in pots of oil >> because they didn't want to deny the power of Jesus. >> Guys, listen. I got good news to bring. Heaven is in view, but they're gonna hate you all the way you get there. >> But great is your reward. Hey, I'm I'm not living the way I'm living because I think it's a cool idea. I've come to tell somebody when Jesus saved me, he changed me, and he put something in my life that said, "You know what? If you're going to be one of mine, you're going to have to go through some things. You're going to have to embrace the fact that folk are not going to like you. In fact, you're going to have to make some really strong decisions and some declarations in your family. You're going to have, listen to me, mom and dad, grandparents, let me tell you something. You're going to have to stand up to your children. I don't care if everybody else is doing it. We're not doing that. You're going to have to make some declarations, mom and dad, that your young ones are not going to understand. But you're going to have to tell them, "Listen, I don't know what the devil's telling you. And I'm not sure where your friends at school are getting their information. I don't even I know you're homeschooled, but listen, I've come to tell you something. In my house, we're going to serve the Lord. We're not gonna let that junk in here. YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THAT GARBAGE." LISTEN TO ME. YOU WONDER WHY THERE'S BAD BAD JUJU in your house. or you wonder WHY YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO CONTROL YOUR HOME. YOU might need TO DO AN INSPECTION OF YOUR home and simply say, "AS FOR ME IN MY HOUSE, THIS STUFF'S GOT TO GO." WHY? BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU WISH IT WOULD. IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN. LORD, WE GETTING UP AND GOING TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. WE'RE GETTING UP AND GOING TO PRAYER MEETING. WE'RE GETTING UP AND WE'RE GIVING IN THE OFFERING. WE'RE GOING TO GET UP. WE'RE GOING TO PRAY A TITHE. WE'RE GETTING UP AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE EVERY KNEE TO YOU IN PRAYER. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET THE MESS UPS AND ALL THE JUNK OF THIS WORLD SIDETRACK US. WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO HATE US FOR YOUR NAME'S SAKE. BUT GREAT IS THE REWARD THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. And got somebody where Tim came up on piano. Where you at, Tim? Is he back there? COME ON. THERE'S A SONG WE USED TO SING. HE WOULD KNOW THIS. SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, y'all youngans won't know that, but this world is not my home. I'm just passing through. Oh, I see. I got the beat off. Yeah, my pastor used to do that. He make sure you make stay on me. Woo! See, Tim, you know that song. This world is not my home, just passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. Come on, Israel. Sing. The angels beckon me from heaven's open door. Sing it. You know it. Hey. Oh Lord. OH LORD. YOU KNOW I HAVE NO friend like you. If heaven's not my home, Lord, what will I do? The angels beckon me. Come on. From heaven's open door. >> Oh Lord, you know I have no friend like Heavens, I'm sorry. I got the home roar will I do. Angels beckon me. My grandson likes this song for some reason. The Jericho is coming down. Anybody know that song?

My Jericho is coming down. Ain't one of us understands that. None of us. Sh. None of us. >> Hey, I got an opinion. Sh. >> Hey, I got a question. Sh. Now listen. I got an opinion and I want you to listen to me. I am entitled to these walls coming. See, that's what we would hear in our day. We'd even have a long discussion about it. You can't mean mug them. You can't talk to them like that. You can't make them feel bad. HEY, MY JERICHO IS coming down. I wonder if any of us WOULD TRULY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF SIMPLY SAYING, "I SUBMIT TO THE WORD OF GOD 100%." And if you said, "Be quiet, I WILL BE QUIET. I WILL walk around THESE WALLS UNTIL I DIE IF I HAVE TO. WHY? BECAUSE JERICHO IS IN THE WAY OF THE MIRACULOUS AND it needs to come down. Huh? I'm living in A GOOD LIFE NOW. I'VE GOT THE HAND OF THE LORD ON MY LIFE. WE WANT TO SING THOSE SONGS, BUT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE SACRIFICE THAT YOU GOT TO MAKE TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I COULD BE MAKING A MILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW, BUT I CHOOSE NOT TO. WHY? BECAUSE I NEED TO HUMBLE MYSELF UH BEFORE THE THINGS OF GOD AND DECLARE, I'LL BE IN CHURCH ON SUNDAY. I'LL BE IN PRAYER ON MONDAY. I'LL BE IN CHURCH ON WEDNESDAY. I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE THINGS OF GOD. I'M NOT GOING TO LET THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD GET IN MY WAY. WHY? BECAUSE HEAVEN IS IN VIEW. I don't WANT TO OFFEND NOT ONE OF YOU. I DON'T WANT TO OFFEND YOU. I WANT TO CHALLENGE YOU TODAY. THERE'S A reward that you're looking for. So many of us get hung up on minor things. As the old-timers, Brother Sam used to say, you choke on the gnat. As a community of believers in this assembly, we are trying our best to reach this community outside of the assembly. Now, I believe, please understand, pastor, it's going to come from the horse's mouth. I don't believe we're the only church going to heaven. I don't because the church of heaven doesn't have a name except Jesus. And some of us get sidetracked. This is not me and my custom and my courtesy. But some of us get sidetracked to think that somehow someway by a handshake or by a nod or by a presence that we're going to reach out into this community of lost and dying people. That is not how it's going to happen. It ain't going to happen because you sing pretty. It ain't going to happen because you teach pretty or you play an instrument pretty. None of that. It's going to happen because there is something that begins to move in this community where that community says, "Hey, my community is messed up. What do I got to do to get into another community?" Come on. Some of us are facing mountains of discouragement and despair because you fabricated that in your life. I've come to tell you that every time you come to the house of the Lord, it is a time to get to an altar AND MAKE A SACRIFICE. AND SOME OF US NEED TO GET RID OF ALL THE JUNK that we're lugging around because it's keeping us FROM THE MIRACULOUS THAT GOD WANTS TO DO. UH THERE'S A REWARD THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. AND THE REWARD IS NOT A LARGER CUP OF COFFEE. IT'S NOT A BIGGER HAPPY MEAL. AND IT'S NOT A LARGER STEAK COOKED JUST RIGHT ON MY PLATE. BUT THE REWARD IS THIS. I'LL BE SHOUTING ON THE HEELS OF GLORY. AND MY CHILDREN WILL BE THERE. AND MY GRANDCHILDREN WILL BE THERE. AND MY DAD AND MY MOM WILL BE THERE AND MY GRANDPARENTS WILL BE THERE. AND THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE. WHY? BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND UH THIS WORLD IS NOT WHERE WE'RE STAYING. UH WE'RE PASSING THROUGH IT. BUT I COME TO TELL YOU, GREAT IS YOUR REWARD. UH IF YOU WILL ENDURE, if you'll endure.

Stand with me, please. We came into this service today. 128. Y'all still good? Brother Sam got up here and made an audacious statement. Bold, man. The Lord's here. That's what he said. Man, the Lord's here. That's right. You say it, buddy. Some began to get beside themselves. I saw it. I watched you. You were doing this cuz that's courtesy. And some of you got beside yourself and started doing this because you got the strength. And then I've noticed that in apostolic churches, you can only do that for a short spell. Cuz then others are like this. Oh Jesus, don't break me. Oh Jesus, don't break me. Oh, come on. You know I'm telling the truth. I wonder I wonder, brother Rob, what would it be like if we understood the value of our community? Let me tell you why I say it that way. He He and I have had the great blessing, challenge of serving in other countries as missionaries and watch people that didn't have nothing, zero. thought it was cool that the church had a light. Have any of you guys ever sat in a worship service, an apostolic worship service, and preached off a oil lamp, only light in the whole room? Anybody? I've had to do that. I I didn't know what eyes the Lord, you know, I I didn't even have this cool thing here that I could see people with. I had had my notes and then Spanish being translated into Creole and the power was off in the whole community. They brought a lamp and said, "There you go, pastor, preach." I felt like a coal hunter. There she blows. I didn't know what to do. Come on, y'all think I'm That's the truth. I said it, Lord Jesus. You know, I don't know if there's five or 500 out there. Thus says the word of the Lord. If you'll humble yourself and pray, seek his face, turn from your wicked ways, he will move in your life. He will change you. Your community can change. 15 minutes into the message, that's as far as I ever got on the mission field because I tried to keep it as simple as my little mind could go. And all of a sudden, this rush of people come to me. And I'm standing here still trying to altar fils with people, eyes wide open, tears running down their face, speaking in tongues, worshiping the Lord. And I decided at that point that my conveniences were not determined on who I was, Chesty, but on who God is because he could work in this situation. Y'all, y'all ready for it? standing in church getting ready to preach and the lights went off. Power went off. And then it was pitch black. I mean, I'm standing there. I'm afraid. I don't know if I'm going to get shot or robbed or what. Lord Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. G. I got to preach now. I don't even know where the podium's at. All of a sudden, this flashlight comes on. And then another one comes on. Huh? That was my 12-year-old son. Had four flashlights in his pockets. Remember that? said, "Where'd these lights come from?" Stephen standing there. "I got you, Dad." I said, "Baby, why you got flashlight?" I I don't know where everybody's at. I gonna make sure I got to keep everybody there. He's 12 years old. Now, what gave him the idea that he needed a flashlight in church? I don't know. But I know this. The entire church said, "Thank you, cuz we can now see." community said, you know, when it's dark and we don't know where we are, but if anybody if anybody at all will turn on some light, we can see and we can still worship the Lord and have church. I come to ask somebody today, what has God done in your life? Are you still glad that you are born again, baptized in the name of Jesus? Full of Come on. Anybody here ever been healed? You have been reconciled unto somebody? Have you ever been put back together when you WERE BROKEN? I'M INVITING you to an altar this afternoon and spend some time loving the Lord AND TELLING HIM, I KNOW THAT THERE are things going to HAPPEN IN MY FUTURE. BUT GREAT IS THE REWARD UH FOR those who WILL SEEK YOU, LOVE YOU, SERVE YOU, UH COMMIT TO YOU, UH BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY, SERVE GOD WITH THEIR WHOLE HEART. COME ON. SOME OF YOU PARENTS NEED TO SHOW YOUR CHILDREN THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE APOSTOLIC. SOME OF YOU GRANDPARENTS NEED TO INDICATE TO YOUR GRANDBABIES, THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE IN AN ALTAR. THIS IS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO SERVE GOD IN THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. COME ON, SOMEBODY. THEY'RE GOING TO SING A SONG, BUT IT'S TIME TO WORSHIP IN THE HOUSE of the Lord. UH BRING PRAISE. BRING PRAISE. THE LORD GOD HAS SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE. OH, GREAT IS YOUR REWARD. UH IF YOU'LL SERVE HIM, LOVE HIM.