Hitherto | Rev Raymond Woodward

praise the Lord everybody isn't it wonderful to be in the presence of God tonight it's tacular to be part of his church I I've enjoyed every moment of this great weekend and you know every once in a while you have those people that fly into the airport and drive up to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg and clog up your roads and you know just get in your way I'm one of them I feel like I'm a tourist just enjoying all the sights and all the people and all the wonderful activities but it's Church there's nothing like the church in just a moment I'll let you be seated but before we do that um Beverly sends her greetings and her love and together we send our great thanks for your prayers and all is well we have great confidence in the Lord and we have great confidence in the prayers of his people and we're so thankful for you and she wishes she could be here of course um and she owes me a trip down here because we got a testimony we'll need to share with you next time we see it I think I just invited myself back to Maryville I'm Shameless Bishop was so kind in his introduction I know you're still standing Bishop was so kind in his introduction that scripture if that was written for anybody it was written for that great man that leads you leads the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ he was up here receiving the offering and he left his phone on the Pew sort of beside me he just gets messages all the time I was getting a full body massage there just at vibrating around the pew beside me brother and sister Carpenter have such massive extensive bandwidth for the kingdom and we're so thankful for both we really are and all of your other pastors the ericssons and the Hammonds and Carpenters we're so grateful for all of the great leaders that lead you and for all of you Saints and with that said I want to get straight to the word of the Lord tonight because I do have a word for God's people and specifically for this local assembly so before we get there would you lift up your hands lift up your voice higher than your hands instead of us there is a river of Deliverance and healing and the miraculous flowing through this Sanctuary from side to side and front to back you were in exactly the right place to be touched by God healed by God delivered by God set free by God there is no limitation to him for with God nothing shall be impossible the last chapter of the Book of Joshua chapter 24 verse 27. and Joshua said unto all the people behold this Stone shall be a witness unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shall therefore it shall be therefore a witness unto you lest you deny your God go ahead and be seated when you get there and you get your Bible sat down clap your hands to the Lord one more time and shout unto God with a voice of Triumph some trust in chariots and summon horses but we will remember the name of the Lord our God they are brought down and Fallen but we are risen and stand upright my my my in the Bible anytime you see a heap of stones it means that number one something died here number two God did something miraculous here or number three we made a commitment to God here or many times if you see a heap of stones in the Bible it means that all three happened in the same place at the same time Joshua built many altars during the conquest of Canaan there were the stones on the bank of the Jordan River where they crossed over there were the stones in the midst of the Jordan River where the waters had parted and the Ark had stood and they built an altar in the middle of the river and the waters closed over it there were the stones in the valley of acor where Aiken and his family died there were the stones at AI where they buried its king after they won a battle there were the stones on Mount ebal where they read God's blessings and God's curses and gave the people the choice there were the stones at the makeda cave where they conquered five Kings at once and won a great victory but the final altar in the Book of Joshua is just that single large Stone in chapter 24 and verse 27. Joshua said unto all the people behold this Stone shall be a witness unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shall therefore be a witness unto you lest you deny your God what are you saying Joshua I'm saying if this Stone could talk it would tell some testimonies that you can't even begin to comprehend if this Stone could talk it would tell of our deliverance as a people out of the land of Egypt after 430 years if this Stone could talk if this Stone could talk it would tell you that we were slaves for over four centuries but in one night God spoiled the Egyptians gave us a great deliverance and gave us back pay for 430 years and we walked out of free people if this Stone could talk if this Stone could talk it would tell you of 40 Years of wandering in the wilderness and it wasn't fun and it wasn't pretty and it wasn't nice and we wouldn't choose to do it again but all the way our savior led us all the way our God was with us it was the Wilderness but we've conquered some enemies while we were in the wilderness we won some victories while we were in the wilderness we overcame some things while we were in the wilderness so when I set up this Stone let me tell you if this rock could talk it would tell you some things and I stand here tonight in the midst of people that I love very much and I say to you my friends if only the walls of this church could talk they are a witness too yes we know that the church is not a building thank you for letting us know and yet if any time in human history has taught us that buildings are important it would be the horrible months of the pandemic how you missed gathering together during the time that restrictions were imposed and how thankful you were to walk back into this beautiful place I've said it before and I'll say it again if we can build great arenas for sports and Grand Theaters for performance and giant malls for shopping then it's only right for us to have beautiful sanctuaries for worshiping God so I'm grateful for the church and I'm grateful for the local church only two times in your new testament does the bible use the word church to apply to the church Universal the church around the world every other time the New Testament uses the word church it's the local church it's a church just like this where people are accountable to their leadership and in fellowship with each other and they're a witness and a light in their community if only the walls of this church could talk they might say something like this I'm your church I'm brick and mortar I'm metal and wood I'm a sanctuary and a steeple a platform and a Pulpit on furniture and bibles and offices and classrooms I am your church but I'm much more than that because the family of God is measured in Saints people whose lives and families and Futures and eternities have been changed by the preaching of the word and the power of the spirit people who pray and give and worship and live life together every single week people who laugh together around tables and dance together around altars and weep together around caskets people who have a redeemed past and a glorious future people who love God and love each other and love those who are still lost Beyond these walls precious people called to be Saints it was only a few short decades in your state that men and women felt the call to preach this one God message in the face of intimidation and even outright persecution they started in borrowed tents on rented Lots but they opened a Floodgate Of Revival that has persevered until this present day and as they obeyed God's voice he honored them with a move of his spirit that had long been vacant in so many denominations of the day but you see that's not just a distant memory to me because I still possess that old-time Pioneer spirit because I am your church my Beginnings in your community some 40 years ago were quite humble just a modest converted house on McGinley street with only a tiny group of worshipers present and then a decade later it was a real church building just a mile up this very same road on William Blunt Drive and then it was a Christian School and a Family Life Center and then after two more decades it was the miracle miracle this beautiful building that you've now worshiped in for the last seven years but brothers and sisters one thing has remained the same in every building there has been a Pulpit filled with preachers who have heralded the apostolic message to everyone who would hear and that's why the family of Believers began to grow and if these walls could talk tonight they'd say you know what I've grown up with them over the years I'm your church I'm now a host of volunteers who have caught the vision of ministry from the Pew as well as the pulpit I'm a multi-million dollar debt-free complex of auditoriums and classrooms and offices I'm a team of pastors who teach and preach and Mentor leaders literally around the globe I'm a website and a webcast using timely technology to preach a Timeless gospel I'm a Christian School impacting the lives and the families of future Generations I'm the apostolic Collective creating songs for an army of singers I am the movement conference investing in the Apostolic Church all around the world I am little children who are learning to pray great big prayers I am young people who are living unashamedly for God in an ungodly age I am families who put God's Eternal Kingdom first in their everyday careers and commitments I am seniors who still have a passion to reach the loss and a love for everybody that enters my doors and I am now the sacred memory of dozens of dedicated Saints who poured their very lives into this local assembly and they influenced all who would follow in their footsteps and we owe them a debt of gratitude yes your church has grown up over the years but so many things remain the same and if these walls could talk they might say I'm still exuberant in worship I'm still Apostolic in Doctrine I'm still Pentecostal in experience I am still separated in lifestyle I am still missions minded I am still sacrificial I am still baptized in the name I am still filled with the spirit I am still overcoming I am still headed for heaven I am still in love with Jesus and I am still preaching the powerful message that unlocks the shackles of Sin from the lives of men and women as they are born again look around if you listen close you can hear the walls talking they'd say I am four decades plus of history and Heritage a legacy of service and sacrifice preaching and teaching giving and going all wrapped up in a future filled with hope and promise I am your church Joshua said behold this Stone shall be a witness unto us because this rock has heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us these walls Echo with prophetic words spoken by your pastors over this Pulpit these walls have heard everything you've heard they're a witness to us in the book of First Samuel something very similar happens as the Book of Joshua as the dust settles after a stunning defeat by the Philistines at a place called Ebenezer the Israelites are left with 34 000 dead soldiers and the horrific realization that the Ark of the Covenant has been captured never before in the history of Israel had the Ark of God the tangible symbol of his presence fallen into Pagan hands but what Israel failed to recognize is that the ark was already in Pagan hands when backslid and hofnai and Phineas broke God's commands removed it from the Tabernacle and carried it uncovered into battle and that is why God allowed the ark to be taken and them to be killed on the very same day it is a day of unbelievable defeat Soul crushing defeat when the high priest Eli hears that his sons have been killed and the Ark has been taken he falls off his seat backwards breaks his neck and dies on the spot and when his daughter-in-law hears about the tragedy her labor pain suddenly come upon her and she dies in childbirth but not before she can name her newborn son she calls him Ichabod the glory is departed from Israel kabad means Glory Ichabod means no glory so this little boy that we call Ichabod this child has no parents no grandfather no God and no hope all because the glory is Departed that horrific moment in first Samuel 4 is so tragic that scripture addresses it decades later Psalm 78 so that God forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh the tent which he placed among men and he delivered his strength the Ark of the Covenant into captivity and gave His glory into the enemy's hand after seven months everybody in the five cities of the Philistines are scared to death of that little gold box called the Ark of the Covenant Israel had mishandled it but that Ark had the tangible presence of almighty God resting on it and God is perfectly capable of looking after himself thank you for your concern I know the media pokes fun at church people and Christians and all things religious and they make fun of God like he's some kind of fairy tale don't you worry about God and he's perfectly capable of looking after himself at the end of seven months many judgments have fallen on their Nation their Pagan Idols literally lay broken across the thresholds of their own temples as if to say we bow before the presence of the true God so they definitely learned that Israel's God was more than capable of defending himself so they packed up that little gold box with the two gold Angels on the top and they sent the ark back to Israel on a wooden cart much much later after the Ark of the Covenant is restored to its rightful place the prophet Samuel leads Israel in a National Prayer of repentance and while they are in a prayer meeting God himself defeats Philistine armies who are trying to attack that prayer meeting and that is the moment when Samuel does something that Joshua had done he sets up a single Stone as a memorial to what God just did that we prayed and the enemy Was Defeated even as we prayed and here's the setting first Samuel 7 and 12. then Samuel took a stone and said it between mizpah and shin and called the name of that stone Ebenezer saying hitherto hath the Lord helped us in chapter 4 the Exile of God his presence the Ark of the Covenant the Exile of God was memorialized in the name Ichabod which means the glory is departed but now in chapter 7 the victory Of God is memorialized in another name Ebenezer which means hitherto the Lord hath helped us literally the name means Stone of help Ebenezer had been the site of Israel's greatest defeat but now it became the sight of a great Victory all because they turned to the Lord in prayer and so they named that rock Ebenezer hitherto the Lord has helped us I guarantee nobody has used the word hitherto in casual conversation today but it is the word that I bring to you tonight hitherto the Lord has helped us up till this point up till this very moment we can look at God's history for us and we can say we don't know what tomorrow holds we don't know what next week brings we don't know what info's next month or next year here's the only thing we can tell you up till this moment God has been faithful God has helped us God has delivered us God has been with us I know the devil likes to boast and brag and threaten and try to make you anxious and nervous you need to look him in the eye and say I can't talk to you about tomorrow there are many things I don't know about tomorrow but I know this up to right now my God has been faithful to me he's seen me through every day of my life and I stand here looking at this building looking at these people looking at God's faithfulness and I say hitherto the Lord has helped us now it's not that Israel will never have another enemy it's not that they'll never have another battle to fight it's not that there will never be any more dark days it's not that they'll never have another perplexing circumstance it's not even that they won't suffer another defeat because they will but when they do they will be able to look back to this moment and look back to this Stone and say that's the stone called Ebenezer it means up to this point God has helped us oh my goodness but Ebenezer means even more than that to us because there's another Stone acts 4. this is the stone which was said it not of you Builders which has become the head of the corner neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby you must be saved we've got a stone better than that stone that Samuel set up we've got a stone better than that stone that Joshua set up there's a stone the Chief Cornerstone you can build your life upon it because his church is built upon it Ephesians 2. now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners but you are fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone we've got a stone of remembrance we've got a stone that is a memorial stone we all have a moment when we can look back and you've got a BC in your life before Christ and before him you were hell-bound before him you were Bound in sin before him your life was destroyed and messed up or may be so successful that you didn't even know anything about God but now you who were strangers and foreigners you've been welcome into the family of God and our lives are now not built on the shifting Sands of this world our lives are not dependent on the stock market or the Twitter feed or the news feed our lives are built of the Chief Cornerstone this church is built on a firm foundation but it's even more than that my life is built on a firm foundation you see we too have a place where sin should have defeated us but God won the battle when we turned to him in prayer it's called Calvary brothers and sisters the cross is our Ebenezer God took his glory so seriously that he himself took the punishment when we fell short of that Glory he forgave our sins and he forgave all of our failures and faults and flaws because of his own perfect sacrifice and if you could see it in the spirit Realm the cross stands Like a Stone named Ebenezer saying hitherto the Lord has helped us Calvary looked like a total defeat Jesus body like the Ark of the Covenant had been captured by death and buried within the Temple of the Tomb and the enemy was laughing and mocking Heaven as Jesus breathed his last but on the third day he came walking out of that grave on the third day the power of Satan and death and the grave and Hell lay broken on the threshold hitherto the Lord has helped us lift up your hands right now in the moving manifest presence of God I speak to someone that's anxious I speak to someone that's got trouble in your family I speak to someone that has a sickness in your body I speak to someone that has anxiety in your mind I speak to you tonight and I say I can't tell you what's going to happen tomorrow that's above my pay grade but here's what I can tell you up till right now God has been faithful to you and he who has seen us this far is gonna see us all the way through in the generation that succeeded Samuel there was a young leader who was a man after God's Own Heart and in his humility David prayed this prayer First Chronicles 17 and David the king came and sat before the Lord and said who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou Hast brought me hi hitherto you ever prayed that who am I nobody's special eight billion people on this planet here we are God has been good to us brothers and sisters we have no idea how good he's been to us and David said oh Lord God who am I what is my house we're nothing special and you've brought me hitherto you've brought me up to this point I can look back and I can hear the Echoes of the blessings of God I sit in church sometimes at home and I watch people worship because pastors have this thing you know especially when you've been at it for a few decades you remember the stories that was delivered from drugs and that one used to be an alcoholic that one lived on the street and that one had a messed up marriage and that would had a messed up mind and that would had a terrible sickness a fatal disease in their body and and they're still here and they're saved by the grace of God and when you see that it puts a holy boldness inside of you and the devil loves to torment the people of God the devil's constantly in your ear through a variety of sources he talks through the news media oh yes he does he talks through your newspaper they publish all kinds of bad news they publish all kinds of stories and statistics and surveys and studies if you read all of those you are going to be a paranoid schizophrenic Pentecostal you're going to be curled up in a ball in your lazy boy in your living room and you're never going to leave your house that's what's going to happen to you but I have a the devil will get in your ear and tell you God doesn't love you anymore you messed up one too many times you're not good enough you don't pray well enough you're not faithful enough you're not holy enough the devil loves to get in your ear and just taunt and torment he just loves that but when he does you need to turn around and say you know what I can't tell you anything about that you say tomorrow it's all going down you say tomorrow it's all going up in flames you say tomorrow I'm gonna get sick and die I'm gonna fail God I'm gonna just it's gonna be messed up I'm gonna lose my job I don't know what the devil's saying to you and I don't have the ability to look into tomorrow and neither do you but I do but I do have the ability to look down the road where I laid my heavy load I have the ability to look at the past and the past tells me that hitherto up to this moment God has helped me oh oh oh I wish somebody would get your hands and your voice and your voice in the air and bless the name of the Lord yes yes foreign I can't tell you about Monday Tuesday Wednesday but I can look back and tell you about Saturday Friday Thursday all week God's been good to me all week God's been faithful to me take somebody by the hand lift your hand with their hand and praise God together bless the name of the Lord together yes yes yes yes yes yes yes there's a shout in here there's a shout of victory in here oh I hear you oh it's not all in the shout no it's not it's all in him and because I've got him I've got a shout oh oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah oh lift up your voice a long shout a loud shout a high praise God's in charge of his church God's in charge of my life God's in charge of my tomorrow oh take care all right yes somebody think of a miracle God did for you of a blessing God gave you somebody think about that and just give him praise for that just giving praise for that it might have been last week it might have been 10 years ago but just think of one thing oh he's done hundreds of things but think of one and give him praise and The God Who healed your body back here he can heal your body right here the God who delivered your family back here he can deliver your family right here I'm looking for some worshipers that want to get in the Altar and say up to right now God has helped me up to right now God has been faithful and if he's been faithful up to here he's going to be faithful over here keep coming if you will there's people in the aisles keep coming if you will if you need a healing in your body tonight's your night if you need the Holy Ghost tonight's your night if you need a miracle tonight your name up here right now God has been faithful I know he's gonna be faithful for the rest of the journey yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah hello look around lay your priority and pray for them out loud in Jesus name with faith God is going to minister to them tonight foreign yes yes yes yes yes yes foreign I feel the joy of the Lord in this room tonight I'm not trying to mess with you I speak to somebody in Jesus name right now there's a time to laugh and a time to cry there's a time to sow and a time to reap in Jesus name take your hand wipe those tears I know you've cried a lot but I want you to wipe those tears in Jesus name for a minute and I want you to lift up your hands and pray with joy weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning it's coming it's coming yes yes yes yes some of you prayer warriors start moving through this crowd start laying your hands on everybody God's gonna work through some of you prayer warriors tonight foreign foreign thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus it's here let it start like a wave in a football stadium a wave of worship a wave of volume a wave of Praise a wave of prayer just let it start and roll from side to side there's Deliverance in this building tonight foreign yeah yeah yes yes yes keep right on praying those of you that are praying the Bible says in the very last chapter of the Book of Job that God turned the Captivity of job when he prayed for his friends we are used to praying with somebody besides somebody that is the position of empathy sympathy fraternity it's wonderful but there is a position of authority it's when You Face somebody and you lay your hand on their head and you pray not with them but for them some of you there's somebody in your church family that's on your mind right now but they're on the opposite side of the sanctuary I'm telling you in Jesus name you need to make your way quickly through the crowd and you need to go for them go to them go with them and pray for them I gotta ask you I know it's out of our comfort zone I'm going to ask you to turn to somebody lay your hand on them and pray for them facing them would you do that doesn't matter if it's your spouse your friend your child your sibling would you turn to somebody lay your hand on them and lift up your voice that's the posture of authority that's the posture of authority be loose right now in the name of Jesus be free right now in the name of Jesus be filled right now in the name of Jesus be healed right now in the name of Jesus