Transcript of a published conference session by Wayne Huntley, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
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Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Welcomed — and a thank-you for prayers
- The cut opens on the host welcoming Huntley to come preach the word (the host segment stands inside the span; see packet.md). Huntley thanks "brother Williams" (as captioned; the referent is not settled — see packet.md) for refocusing our vision — it helps, every once in a while, to look way out there and see what good things are ahead for every child of God. He stands here tonight overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord, the power of the Spirit, and the potential of the apostolic Pentecostal church.
- He asks indulgence for a personal word: thank you to all who prayed for him during what he terms his "health event" — "totally shocking, startling, surprising." It ruined his testimony in one sense: he used to enjoy telling doctors at physicals that he had never been in the hospital in his life; this time he had to stay a few days. "The worst part of it all is I only attended Because of the Times in my pajamas — it's better in a suit." He watched all of the services, and he is especially blessed to stand here tonight by the mercies and grace of God, overwhelmed by the love of this organization — the kindness, the cards, the calls were humbling.
- He thanks his son-in-law Brian, on the front row tonight, who drove him to the hospital — "the nurse said whoever brought you here saved your life; I thank you, Brian, for being there with me" — and mentions his son (captioned "Pastor rony"; the sentence around the name is garbled in the captions — see packet.md) in the same thanks. He jokes that it is a crazy time to die when you're trying to bury somebody else — everybody should have their own day. His wife tried to slow him down while he was rehabilitating; he told her she was trying to get him to quit, but she was trying to keep him alive, and she is a great reason he is alive tonight. His only fear had been one thing: "would I be able to preach — is this it?"
The text: Hannah, and the question that names the sermon
- "1 Samuel chapter number one. I do not come to you tonight with what I wanted to preach; I come to you with what I felt the Lord said I had to preach." Interwoven with a thank-you to the Pentecostals of Alexandria for their impeccable, first-class hospitality, he announces the verse twice — "1 Samuel chap 1, verse 2"; "the first book of Samuel, chapter 1, verse 2" — and reads the Hannah account aloud in order: Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah (captioned "panina"); Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. The man went up yearly to worship and sacrifice in Shiloh, where Eli's two sons (captioned "hfni and finaz") were priests; he gave portions to Peninnah and all her sons and daughters, but to Hannah a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah — but the Lord had shut up her womb. Her adversary provoked her sore, year by year, so she wept and did not eat.
- Then Elkanah (his name is garbled throughout the captions — see packet.md) asks her: "Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved?" — "and the source of my message tonight is the next question: 'Am not I better to thee than ten sons?'" From that question he announces his subject: "I preach to you tonight: there is no substitute for sons — no substitute for sons — there is no substitute for sons." He has the congregation repeat it after him, a little louder, and leads them in thanksgiving.
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 1:2-8
The scriptural profile of Hannah
- He asks them to note the scriptural profile of Hannah, drawn right out of the word of God: she wept; she wept sore; she would not eat; she was grieved in her heart; she was in bitterness of soul; she prayed unto the Lord; she was provoked of her adversary — "I believe what that really means is she was made fun of, she was ridiculed"; she was of a sorrowful spirit; she was misunderstood; and, as he states it, she was marked by the ministry — "one understanding of that is that the man of God literally slapped her face" (his own gloss on the episode, carried here as his statement — see packet.md); she was afflicted; she was a woman of complaint; and she was desperate enough to tread into the uncertain arena, greatly warned of in the scripture, in that she made a vow to God.
- "And every bit of that was rooted in the fact that she was barren — she was barren. To Hannah, maternity exceeded marriage." What he is preaching is this: "just being saved is not enough — we must have sons; we must have sons, because there is no substitute for sons." (At this one point the caption track renders the refrain word "signs"; it is settled at packet.md Flag 11.) He believes the Holy Ghost is doing a refocusing in this meeting, if the ministry will put its ear to the pulpit and to the voice of the Spirit.
What the church is: a soul-saving station
- He redefines the church: "People dance here, but this is not a dance hall" — and we need our dance. "People fellowship here, but this is not a fellowship hall. People sing and play music here, but this is not a platform for Nashville rejects" — not a platform for the demonstration of human ability. "People are entertained and find recreation here, but this is not a recreation center — this is a re-creation center" (his wordplay; the captions spell both halves "recreation" — see packet.md). "The ship of Zion needs to drop anchor one more time at the original port of purpose of the New Testament church, and that is: it is a soul saving station — the church is a soul saving station."
- In the Old Testament, barrenness was considered a reproach, and he declares to this apostolic church tonight that spiritual barrenness is a reproach: "empty parking lots are a reproach; empty pews are a reproach; empty altars are a reproach; empty baptistries are a reproach" — and it ought to be something we cry over, complain about, are grieved about, and vow about. Barrenness disturbed Hannah; barrenness disturbed Rachel, whose cry he voices — "give me children, or else I die" (her wording, quoted without any citation — see packet.md).
- "The only hope of life for this apostolic church is spiritual children. Without new converts we are destined to die: without new converts, enthusiasm dies, faith dies, praise dies, evangelism dies. The only way we're going to live is to have children" — and if we don't have new converts, we're destined to "traditional, professional, robotical Pentecostalism — if there's anything I oppose, it's traditional professional robotical Pentecostalism."
The voice that says be satisfied — and the God who opens the womb
- Elkanah (the captions render his name "ELCA," "Hela," and like forms — see packet.md) "represents a voice that is speaking subtly, strategically, and subversively to the apostolic church in this hour": he tried to appease Hannah's displeasure and defer her disturbance by saying, in effect, just be satisfied with gifts — "just be satisfied with portions; accept your sterility, and give up on your novel dream of having sons." Against that voice the congregation rises to shout the refrain.
- "Since God — the Bible said — had shut up her womb, only God can open that womb. There's not a program that will open the womb of your church; there's no fleshly scheme that will open the womb of your church, because when God shuts it, only God can open it, and when God opens it, nobody's going to shut it."
- The New Testament opens with two angelic annunciations, forecasting two supernatural births — Jesus and John: one born of Mary, the other of Elizabeth. Mary is the virgin; Elizabeth is the old married lady who has been exposed but never conceived. Mary represents the foreign fields, where the virgin gospel has not yet entered — the whole missionary front, where the preacher hasn't got there yet — but she is going to have a son: "we're going to have revival where there's never been revival." Elizabeth represents what North America is more confronted with — the old, barren, elderly churches that have been exposed but have never conceived, churches that have never had revival — but Elizabeth is going to have a son too: folks are going to be saved in churches that haven't seen people saved; altars will be alive, baptismal tanks full, parking lots overflowing, "because there is no substitute for sons."
A mother, not a babysitter
- Elkanah "exposed his ignorance of women — the fact that he was clueless when it comes to women — when he said, 'Am not I better to thee than ten sons?'" Huntley notes there is a reason his wife is not here tonight: "she's at home with the grandbabies, so brother and sister ballero [as captioned; see packet.md] could be here tonight" — she told them, I love you, I'll be praying for you, but I'm going to stay with the babies. "you might as will wake up and realize elaa: there is no substitute for sons."
- He leads the refrain as a catalogue — when he makes a statement, they shout "no substitute": thank God for cathedrals — no substitute; thank God for crowds — no substitute; thank God for collateral — no substitute. "There is absolutely no substitute for sons being born at the apostolic altar — and until that happens, nothing ought to make you happy, and until that happens, nothing ought to make you eat, and until that happens, nothing ought to make you smile" (the caption track splits a word across lines at the end of that run — see packet.md).
- "We are in an hour of the onslaught of substitutes: PR symbolism — symbolism for substance, fables for truth, che for the expensive, convenient for the commandment, and the imitation for the original." But the substitute the Holy Ghost has been talking to him about, the one vying for acceptance in the apostolic church, is this: "the church being substituted from a mother to a babysitter." A babysitter knows only how to provide, entertain, and preserve somebody else's babies — somebody else's children; "she knows nothing about labor, she knows nothing about pain, she knows nothing about delivery. And the devil's trying to turn this apostolic church into a babysitter instead of a mother."
Growth that is not growth: transfers and swelling
- He fears the model of ministry outside the apostolic church — the pseudo icons of congregations of massive proportions — is perverting the philosophy and concept of church growth in some of our younger ministers and pastors. "I'm not calling any names; you know who they are — you drive around their buildings, you preach their sermons, you shallow over their crowds (as captioned; see packet.md). But let me set the record straight tonight: those places are not about reaching the devil possessed; they are not about delivering the addicted; they are not about liberating the sinners. They don't grow their churches out of bars and drug dens — their crowds come from other congregations and other churches. They don't have converts." Against that: "we're digging the homeless out; we're putting marriages back together; we're getting liquor out of their hands; we're getting sin out of their hearts" — and those places "are not mothers; they're babysitters."
- "Our only true growth comes out of our altars: repentance, water baptism in Jesus name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost." We must not become content to babysit the floating church of every region — the move-ins, the transfers, the church hoppers: "it's not about the transferred; it's about the transformed. Don't shout over a mov in like you do somebody that's moved out of sin." He has preached places that boasted great revival and phenomenal increase where, surveying the audience, he couldn't see anybody that looked like a new convert: "if you're having revival, there going to be some makeup there, there going to be some earrings there, there's going to be some ladies with cut hair — there's going to be some looking people; and if that's not the way your church looks, you're a babysitter and not a mother."
- "There's no substitute for sons. There's nothing God can give me to get me off of my knees: I won't sons, I want daughters, I want babies." We must not use our superior personalities, giftings, and skills to entice other Christians — real, apostolic Christians — but to reach the lost. Some preachers are comfortable around saints and very uncomfortable around sinners. "We must not celebrate our increase by a brother's demise and call that revival — if that's your case, you're not growing, you're swelling": when somebody builds a bigger building or gets a better choir, your swelling goes down, "but your sons and your daughters will not leave you, no matter what's going on anywhere." Our addition must not come from someone else's subtraction. "There's a difference in a big church and a growing church — I'm not interested in a big church; I'm interested in a growing church." Don't shut your schedule or set your standards to prey on your brother (captioned "pray on" — see packet.md); shame on you if you fill your churches with somebody else's compromisers. The captions garble his marquee line at this point (see packet.md); his question stands: "Who are you designing your church for? Who's your program for? What's this all about? It's to bring a beer guzzler in; it's to bring the prostitute in; it's to bring the liar in; it's to bring the murderer in — not somebody else's saints."
God counts who is born there
- "Notice this: Psalm chapter 87, verses 5 and 6." He reads them: "And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her — and the highest himself shall establish her. The Lord shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there." His point: "when God counts, he only counts the ones that were born there. So — if God only counts those that are born there, how large is my church? If God only counts the ones that were born there, then really — how large is my church?"
- The test he offers: "Go home next Sunday and say: if you came to the Lord here — if you obeyed acts 238 here [the obedience named as this meeting's label, never read or expounded — see packet.md] — stand up. Are you mad enough to do that? You'll find out if you're having revival or not — if there's more move-ins and transfers than there are those that were born there."
- Tom Foster (as captioned; see packet.md) told him he was going home early from this meeting; Huntley told him, "Tom, I need you" — because Foster hasn't built a church with a vacuum cleaner. "Just because you're smarter than somebody else doesn't mean you deserve their saints, and just because you got a better program doesn't mean you deserve their saints. You might have a bigger house with a swimming pool, but my babies ain't going home with you. If you want to build a church, count those that are born there." And to every pastor: "If I've got a hundred more next Sunday than I had last Sunday, but I didn't pray them through and I didn't baptize them, I'm going to keep on crying, and I'm going to keep on complaining, and I'm going to be grieved in my spirit until I get my own son."
Scriptures: Psalm 87:5-6
Brother Libby and the zero
- "The devil is doing his best to substitute this church. Brother Libby — can I use you for an illustration? Might as well — I've preached it all over the country; I might as well use you. I appreciate that permission — what a willing soul." Libby (the captions vary his name's form — "Libby," "liby," "Libya"; see packet.md) comes from way out somewhere on the east coast, where he has been laboring — Huntley asks him how many years, and the answer comes back in the exchange: 32 years — "praying, fasting, discouraged, encouraged, excited, depressed — roller coaster; greatest church in the world, buch of devils and dingbats — 32 years."
- A preacher called him: "I wonder, brother Libby, could you spare Saturday with me? I'm interested in coming into your area and starting a church — would you have time to show me some of the diverse areas around your city?" Libby, a kingdom-minded man, spent the whole day with him — north, south, east, west — and as they ate together at the end of the day the man bottom-lined it: "I want to know, if I come into your area, how many souls can I count on you giving me?" Huntley's verdict: "that's elaa he's Clueless." (Inside this telling sits a fragment about God telling Abraham to look; the caption line is garbled and carries no citation — see packet.md.)
- "I love what brother liby said: brother liby leaned across the table, in his own unique way, with extreme tact and diplomacy, and said, 'Brother — how big of a zero can you draw?'" The application: "If you're going to build a church, don't go next door to a big church — build a church. Go somewhere where people are not being reached; go somewhere where there's not a lighthouse." Everybody shout: there is no substitute for sons.
What God does not count
- "Miracles, signs and wonders must not be a substitute for sons. The best I know: God doesn't count healing. I didn't say they didn't matter; I didn't say they weren't wonderful — I just stay in the book, and said God only counted what was born." He fears a deceptive spirit that wants us to go out after church and brag about how many got healed: "We don't need to get all wrapped up in telling pregnant women whether they're carrying a boy or a girl — nine months, they'll know. We don't need anybody reading Social Security numbers at the fair; they tell me they can guess people's weight and age."
- "I told Brother Baker: you say miracles, angels — and they go nuts; you talk about souls, and — I'm not against that, but I'm telling you: they're not to be a substitute. The greatest miracle is salvation — the greatest opening of blinded eyes is when somebody shouts, 'I see Jesus as God — I see Jesus is God — I see Jesus is God.'"
Holiness is no substitute — and neither is devil-chasing
- He was telling his wife what he was going to preach; she said she knew why he got this job: "You're the only one crazy enough to say it." Too many of our churches are opening spiritual karate classes (the captions garble the style's name — see packet.md), coming to church in fatigues, teaching how to chop the devil. "God doesn't count how many devils were cast out; he counts how many repent, and how many get baptized in Jesus name, and how many get the Holy Ghost." The only time he'll fight the devil is when the devil gets between him and somebody he's trying to reach for God: "I don't care about being a professional devil defeater. Devil chasing, spiritual warfare, is no substitute for sons."
- "Holiness — come on — is no substitute for sons. God forbid that I should ever be little, minimize, or make fun of some might is walk with God; and if you don't like how holy they are, just be quiet about it — leave them alone; that's between them and their God. Don't use a pull pit, apostolics, to make fun of standards and holiness and separation from the world." But his estimation is this: "we spend way too much time washing nets and not enough time fishing. God does not compliment clean nets; God does not celebrate clean nets. Fish is his wish, and he wants it smelling like fish, looking like fish, sounding like fish. Our churches ought to be fishy — something fishy about this church."
Keeping the five while gaining five
- He tells the parable of the talents (the parable is named as a story; no book, chapter, or verse is ever spoken — see packet.md): the man commended was the one that gained five — "but the secret of his success was that while he gained five, he did not lose the five he was originally given. He didn't trade the old five for a new five; he was only commended because he got five new ones but kept the five old ones. If growth causes us to lose what we were originally given, it is not true growth."
Statues or sons
- He says it plainly, in an aside whose caption lines are partly garbled (see packet.md): the heart attack helped him — he has nothing to lose, he isn't trying out for anything, he has no ulterior motive "but just to say: this is what God said." Then the closing text: "Second Samuel chapter 18 and verse 18 — a unique verse of scripture." He reads it: "Now Absalon in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the king's dale, for he said, I have no son to keep my name in remembrance — and he called the pillar after his own name, and it is called unto this day Absalom's place."
- His application: "Since absolum had no sons, he built statues; since absolum left no people, he built pillars; since absolum left no men, he built monuments." Looking at the building: "I ask you tonight — how will you be remembered? statues or sons pillars are people monuments are men Because he had no sons, he built statues to be remembered. You will be forgotten if you're not a soul winner."
- "There is no substitute for sons. Don't let your gifts and your portions satisfy your empty altars and your empty baptistries, and you leave bragging about the increase of the tithes or the talent that is now on your pews, instead of sons." The close is an altar appeal in the refrain's own terms: "I feel like the Holy Ghost would like to root somebody out of these seats, on their feet, saying: thank you for the gifts — but I got to have sons; thank you for your kindness — but I got to have sons; thank you for the portions — but I got to have sons; thank you for the blessings — but I got to have sons; thank you for the numerical increase — but I got to have sons; thank you for those that have come to help me — but I've got to have sons." He takes up Hannah's cry as the church's own (see packet.md): "Give me children, or I'm going to die — only sons will keep your church alive."
- The final appeal refuses every satisfaction — move-ins, being in a good part of the country where everybody wants to move, a climate-control church, a strong financial environment to draw people to him: "I've got to have some sons." The capture ends there, on the sermon's title phrase, ten seconds before the video's end (see packet.md).
Scriptures: 2 Samuel 18:18
Scripture index: 1 Samuel 1:2-8; Psalm 87:5-6; 2 Samuel 18:18.
Transcript
would you welcome brother Huntley to come preach the word and everybody shouted hallelujah hallelujah thank you brother Williams for refocusing our vision and helping us to get a far away look it certainly helps every once in a while just to look way out there and to see what good things are ahead for every child of God I stand here tonight overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord and the power of the spirit and the potential of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church unlimited if you would indulge me a moment just let me say thank you to all of those of you that prayed for me during a totally shocking startling surprising what I term Health event it was a health event it ruined my testimony in this sense I used to always enjoy testifying to doctors when I went for physicals that I had never been in the hospital in my life they messed me up yeah I I had to stay a few days yeah messed me up bad the worst part of it all is I only attended because of the times in my pajamas it's better in a suit and I want to tell you I watched all of the services and I want to thank you for your prayers yes I am especially blessed to stand here tonight by the mercies of God the grace of God and I am overwhelmed by the love of this organization right the kindness the cards the calls it was humbling humbling to see so many of you take time to call or to let me know that you were praying for me and I give thanks I appreciate my son-in-law being here on the front row here tonight my son Pastor rony's first United Pentecostal Church the driver that took me to the hospital and the nurse said whoever brought you here saved your life I thank you Brian for being there with me you know it's a crazy time to die when you're trying to bury somebody else right right funeral you need to let everybody have their day you know don't barge in here let everybody have their own time don't try to double up here but I I thank God for his kindness and when you walk through these doors after situations like that it has a whole different meaning and it all looks different and just to be able to stand here and see you and and to be able to preach tonight I had no fears except would I be able to preach is this it that was my only concern I didn't want to I I my my wife was trying to slow me down and all after I was rehabilitating a little bit she was trying to get me to do this do that and the other I said you are trying to get me to quit and I'm not yeah amen yeah right but she wasn't she was trying to keep me alive and and she's a great reason that I am alive tonight and I commend her enough of that thank you for this invitation to be here tonight and I feel privileged to stand what preaching we have heard every man of God God is speaking into this body yes he is and I appreciate it 1 Samuel chapter number one I do not come to you tonight with what I wanted to preach I come to you with what I felt the Lord said I had to preach and I'd whole lot rather do that than what I want to do 1 Samuel chap 1 verse 2 thank you to the Pentecostals of Alexandria for all of their impeccable first class Hospitality kindness it's marvelous isn't it we rejoice in their kindness the first book of Samuel chapter 1 verse 2 and he had two wives the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the other panina and panina had children but Hannah had no children and this man went up out of his City yearly to worship and to sacrifice un the Lord of hosts in
Shiloh and the two sons of Eli hfni and finaz the priests of the Lord were there and when the time was that elaa offered he gave to panina his wife and to all her sons and her daughters portions but unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion for he loved Hannah but the Lord had shut up her womb and her adversary also provoked provoked her sore for to make her fret because the Lord had shut up her womb and as he did so year by year when she went up to the house of the Lord so she provoked her therefore she wept and did not eat then said elaa her husband to her Hannah why weepest thou and why eatest thou not and why is thy heart grieved and the source of my message tonight is the next question am not I better to thee than 10 Sons am not I better to thee than 10 Sons I preach to you tonight there is no substitute for Sons no substitute for son there is no substitute for Sons would you repeat that after me there is no substitute for Sons just a little bit louder now clap your hands and thank God for his goodness and mercy to us Lord I bless your allmighty name tonight and give you praise Hallelujah give you glory Lord and everybody shouted amen God bless you and you seem to know what to do I would like for you to note with me the scriptural profile of Hannah the description we draw right out of the word of God of Hannah the Bible used terms like this it said she wept it said she wept sore it said she would not eat it said she was grieved in her heart it said she was in bitterness of Soul the Bible said she prayed unto the Lord she was provoked of her adversary I pause to say I believe what that really means is she was made fun of okay she was ridiculed the Bible said she was of a sorrowful Spirit the scripture said she was misunderstood and she was also marked by the ministry one understanding of that is that the man of God literally slapped her face she was marked by the ministry the scripture said she was afflicted the scripture said she was a woman of complaint the scripture said she was desperate enough that she treaded unto the uncertain Arena that is greatly warned of in the scripture in so much that she made a vow right yes to God and every bit of that was rooted in the fact that she was barren
she was Barren to Hannah maternity exceeded marriage come on what I'm preaching is just being saved is not enough we must have sons we must have sons because there is is no substitute for sons I believe what the Holy Ghost is doing in this meeting if you will listen to the ministry and put your ear to the pull pit and to the voice of the spirit there is a definite refocusing and redefining of the purpose of the church in this moment of time hear me as I redefine the church for you just a moment people dance here but this is not a dance hall and I know there are some folks that don't feel like they've had church if they don't get their dance and we need our dance but this is not a dance hall people Fellowship here but this is not a fellowship hall that's right well he didn't even shake my hand no yes this is not a fellowship hall people sing and they play music here but this is not a platform for Nashville rejects this is not a platform for the demonstration of human ability to make a living without taxation people are entertained and find Recreation here but this is not a recreation center this is a recreation center the ship of Zion needs to drop anchor one more time at the original Port of purpose of the New Testament Church and that is it is a Soul Saving Station the church is a Soul Saving Station clap your hands and shout hallelujah in the Old Testament barrenness was considered a reproach I declare to this Apostolic church tonight that spiritual barrenness is a reproach it is absolutely it is a reproach empty parking lots are a reproach empty pews are a reproach empty altars are a reproach empty baptistries are a reproach and it ought to be something we cry over and something we complain about and something we're grieved about and something we're grieved about and something we will vow about barness Disturbed Hannah barness Disturbed Rachel for she said give me children or else I die the only hope of life for this Apostolic church is spiritual children without new converts we are destined to die without new converts in enthusiasm dies Faith dies praise dies evangelism dies the only way we're going to live is to have sh and if we don't have new converts we're going to be destined to profession robotical
traditional Pentecostalism if there's anything I oppose it's traditional professional robotical Pentecostalism ELCA represents a voice that is speaking subtly strategically and subversively to the Apostolic Church in this hour this is what I sense is happening in this movement right now ELCA tried to appease Hannah's displeasure Hela tried to defer her disturbance and the way he did it was by saying just be satisfied with gifts just be satisfied with portions accept your sterility and give up on your novel dream of having Sons but we're going to rise to our feet tonight to shout there is no substitute for s since God the Bible said had shut up her womb only God can open that womb there's not a program that will open the womb of your church there's no fleshly scheme that will open the womb of your church because when God shuts it only God can open it and when God opens it nobody's going to shut it the New Testament opens with two angelic annunciations forecasting predicting and prophesying two Supernatural births two sons would be supernaturally born Jesus and John would be supernaturally brought forth one of those boys would be born of Mary the other of Elizabeth yeah Mary Mary is the Virgin right Elizabeth is the old married lady but has never been able to conceive she's been exposed but never conceived and the angel said not one woman is going to have a baby but two are one's going to be a virgin the other's going to be an old lady that hadn't been able to conceive Mary represents the Foreign Fields where the Virgin gospel has not yet entered she's the whole missionary front where the preacher hadn't got there yet but she's going to have a son we're going to have Revival where there's never been Revival Elizabeth represents what we in North America probably are more confronted with Elizabeth represents the Old Baron elderly exposed but never had conceived Elizabeth represents the
churches that have never had Revival but the angel said not just Mary goad but Elizabeth is going to have a son too I've come to tell you folks are going to be saved in churches that hasn't seen people saved altars are going to be live baptismal tanks are going to be full parking lots are going to be overflowing because there is no substitute for Sons El kaaa exposed his ignorance of women right the fact that he was clueless when it comes to women when he said am not I better to thee than 10 Sons up you got it there's a reason my wife is not here tonight she's at home with a grandbabies so brother and sister ballero could be here tonight I love you I'll be praying for you but I'm going to stay with the babies you might as will wake up and realize elaa there is no substitute for Sons I'm going to make a statement when I do you shout no substitute ready thank God for Cathedrals no thank God for crowds no subtitute thank God for collateral no subtitute there is absolutely no substitute for sons being born at the apostolic Altar and until that happens nothing ought to make you happy and until that happens nothing ought to make you eat and until that happens nothing ought to make you smile and until that happens nothing ought to PE you we are in an hour of the onslaught yeah of substitutes PR symbolism for substance fables for truth Che for the expensive convenient for the commandment and the imitation for the original but this is what the Holy Ghost has been talking to me about here's the substitute that is buying for Acceptance in the apostolic church and that is that the church being substituted from a mother to a babysitter yeah from a mother to a babysitter a babysitter knows only how to provide entertain and preserve somebody else's babies somebody else's children she knows nothing about Labor she knows nothing about pain she knows nothing about delivery and the devil's trying to turn this Apostolic Church into a babysitter instead of a mother I Rise to shout there is no substitute for
silence now hear this part very carefully because this is what I'm concerned about I fear the model of ministry outside the apostolic church and the pseudo icons all right of congregations of massive proportions on are perverting the philosophy and the concept of church growth in some of our younger ministers and pastors I'm not calling any names you know who they are you drive around their buildings You Preach their sermons you shallow over their crowds but let me set the record straight tonight those places are not about reaching the devil possessed they are not about delivering the addicted they are not about liberating the Sinners they don't grow their churches out of bars and Drug dens their crowds come from other congregations and other churches they don't have converts they've got prided people and you kick yourself and you wonder why we can't do that why we aren't that way they're not even in the same business we're digging the homeless out we're putting marriages back together we're getting liquor out of their hands we're getting sin out of their hearts and too many of you are saying I want to be like them hear me when I tell you they're not mothers they're babysitters our only true growth comes out of our altars repentance water baptism in Jesus name and the infilling of the Holy Ghost we must not become content to babysit the floating Church of every region to babysit the move ends everybody has got some the movein the transfers or the church Hoppers but hear me when I preach to you tonight it's not about the transferred it's about the transformed don't shout over a mov in like you do somebody that's moved out of sin I have preached places where they boasted great Revival great move of God phenomenal increase and it have been better if I have had blinders on because when I surveyed the audience I couldn't see anybody that look like a new convert if you're having Revival there going to be some makeup there there going to be some earrings there there's going to be some ladies with cut hair
there's going to be some looking people and if that's not the way your church looks you're a babysitter and not a mother there's no substitute for Sons there's nothing God can give me to get me off of my knees I won't Sons I want daughters I want babies let's not be guilty of of using our Superior personalities Superior giftings Superior skills to entice other Christians I'm talking about real Christians I'm talking about Apostolic Christians but let's use our personalities our gifts and our skills to reach reachs the Lost H it's amazing to me how comfortable some preachers are around other people Saints and very uncomfortable around Sinners we must not celebrate our increase by a Brother's demise and call that Revival and if that's your case you're not growing you're swelling because when somebody builds a bigger building than yours and gets a little more fire than you got it's got a better choir than you got your swelling's going to go down but your sons and your daughters will not leave you no matter what's going on anywhere our addition must not come from someone else's subtraction you got you're right but I'm afraid some elements in our movement are being impressed but you got to have a big church oh Lord there's a difference in a big church and a growing church I'm not interested in a big church I'm interested in a growing church and if our converts become so many we've got to build another building let's build it but not off a bunch of movein that have been lighted from somebody else my God don't shut your schedule to pray on your brother and don't set your standards to pray on your brother shame on you if you fill your churches with somebody else's compromisers I don't care if you put on
your Marquee this month special TI 7% who are you designing your church for who's your program for what's this all about it's to bring a beer guzzler in it's to bring the prostitute in it's to bring the liar in it's to bring the murderer in not somebody else's Saints notice this Psalm chapter 87 verses 5 and 6 and of Zion it shall be said this and that man born was born in her and the highest himself shall establish her the Lord shall count when he writeth up the people that this man was born there when God counts he only counts the ones that were born there let's have Revival with sons and daughters there is no substitute so since the Bible said God would only count those that were born there if God only counts those that are born there how large is my church if God only counts the ones that were born there yeah then really how large is my church you want to know what kind of church you got go home next Sunday and say if you came to the Lord here if you obeyed acts 238 here stand up are you mad enough to do that you'll find out if you have in Revival or not if there's more movein and transfers than there are those that were born there come out now Tom Foster told me he was going home the other day early from this meeting I said Tom I need you cuz ain't nobody helps a preacher like brother Tom Foster I said I need you stay here and help me you see him on his feet here because he hasn't built a church with a vacuum cleaner and just because you're smarter than somebody else doesn't mean you deserve their Saints and just because you got a better program doesn't mean you deserve their Saints you might have a bigger house with a swimming pool but my babies ain't going home with you and if you want to build a church count those that are born there count those that are born there there is no substitute for Sons I'd like for every
Pastor to push your way out of that chair and Shout that right now if I've got a 100 more next Sunday than I had last Sunday but I didn't pray them through and I didn't baptize them I'm going to keep on crying and I'm going to keep on complaining and I'm going to be grieved in my spirit until I get my own son the devil is doing his best to substitute this church brother Libby can I use you for an illustration might as well I've preached it all over the country I might as well use you I appreciate that permission what a willing Soul I'm going to brag on you I wouldn't embarrass you this guy comes from way out somewhere to the east coast where brother Libby has been laboring how many years you been there2 32 years yes sir praying fasting discouraged encouraged excited depressed roller coaster greatest Church in the world buch of devils and ding bats 32 years this preacher calls him and says I wonder brother Libby could you spare Saturday with me he said' I'm interested in coming into your area and starting a church always are would you have time to show me some of the diverse areas around your city brother Libya Kingdom Minded man brother man got a Kingdom Minded man say God told Abraham to look so brother Libby spends the whole day with him they go north they go south they go east they go west Sons beginning to sit on the day of interview and they're having a meal together and they're as they eat the guy says well brother liby let's just bottom line this today he said I want to know if I come into your area how many Souls can I count on you giving me that's elaa he's Clueless yeah I love what brother Libby said brother liby leaned across the table in his own unique way with extreme tact and diplomacy and said brother how big of a zero can you draw if you're going to build a church don't go next door to a big church build a church go somewhere where people are not being reached go somewhere where there's not a lighthouse I hate on everybody shout there is no substitute for Sons miracles signs and wonders must not be a substitute for sons the best I know God doesn't count healing I didn't say they didn't matter I didn't say they weren't wonderful I just stay in the book and and said God only counted what was
born I'm afraid there's a deceptive spirit that wants us to go to shies after church and brag about how many got healed we don't need to get all wrapped up in telling pregnant women whether they're carrying a boy or a girl nine months they'll know we don't need anybody reading Social Security numbers at the fair they tell me they can guess people's weight and age that now I know you're getting quiet on me because you can preach anything but so when it get folks excited I told Brother Baker you say Miracles angels and they go nuts you talk about souls and and I'm not against that but I'm telling you they're not to be a substitute the greatest Miracle is salvation the greatest opening of blinded eyes is when somebody shouts I see Jesus as God I see Jesus Is God I see Jesus is God devil chasing I was telling my wife what I was going to preach and she said I said I don't know why I got this job she said I do she said you're the only one crazy enough to say it too many of our churches are opening up spiritual karate classes tondo W whatever it is talking in t coming to church in fatigues teaching how to chop the devil God doesn't count how many Devils were cast out he counts how many repent and how many get baptized in Jesus name and how many get the Holy Ghost the only time I'm going to fight the devil Hallelujah my soul the devil the only time I'm going to fight the devil is when he gets between me and somebody I'm trying to reach for God I don't care about being a professional devil defeater devil chasing spiritual warfare is no substitute for Sons Holiness come on is no substitute for Sons God forbid that I should ever be little minimize or make fun of some might is walk with God and if you don't like how holy they are just be quiet about it leave them alone that's between them and their God don't use a pull pit apostolics to make fun of standards and Holiness and separation from the world but my estimation is this we spend way too much time washing Nets and not enough time fishing
God does not compliment clean Nets God does not celebrate clean Nets fish is his wish and he wants it smelling like fish looking like fish sounding like fish our churches ought to be fishy something fishy about this church in the parable of the talents the man commended was the one that gained five but the secret of his success was that while he gained five he did not lose the five he was originally given he didn't trade the old five for a new five no he was only commended because he got five new ones but kept the five old ones if growth causes us to lose what we were originally given it is not true growth Lord that was his I said that heart attacks helped him you know why help me I ain't got nothing to lose I ain't trying out I ain't hoping for something else out of this I don't have any ulterior motive but just to say this is what God said this is what God Said second Samuel chapter 18 and verse 18 a unique verse of scripture now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar which is in the king's Dale for he said I have no son to keep my name in remembrance and he called the pillar after his own name and is called unto this day absalon's place since Absalom had no Sons he built statues since absolum left no people he built pillars since absolum left no men he built monuments look at this building I ask you tonight how will you be remembered statues or Sons pillars are people monuments are men because he had no
Sons he built statues to be remembered you will be forgotten if you're not a soul winner there is no substitute for Sons don't let your gifts and your portions satisfy your empty altars and your empty baptistries and you leave bragging about the increase of the tithes or the talent that is now on your pews instead of sons there is no substitute for Sons would you bow your heads I feel like the Holy Ghost would like to root somebody out of these seats on their feet saying thank you for the gifts but I got to have sons yes thank you for your kindness but I got to have sons thank you for the portions but I got to have sons thank you for the blessings but I got to have sons thank you for the numerical increase but I got to have sons thank you for those that have come to help me but I've got to have sons Hanah why why why I've got to have a son don't be satisfied with just good church don't be satisfied with just a lot of shouting don't be satisfied with just everybody feel good when they go home don't be satisfied with everybody bragging about your sermon give me children or I'm going to die only Sons will keep your church alive there is no substitute for Sons thank you for my Cathedral thank you for the crowd thank you for the collateral but I got to have sons turn around to somebody and say pray for me I've got to have sons I refuse to be satisfied with movein I refuse to be satisfied with being in a good part of the country where everybody wants to move I refuse of having a climate control church I refuse to be satisfied with a strong financial environment to draw people to me I've got to have some there is no substitute for sons
Scripture references as spoken: 1 Samuel 1:2-8; Psalm 87:5-6; 2 Samuel 18:18.