A Hill Worth Dying On | Student Pastor Zach Hammond

if you would remain standing and pull out your Bibles. Go into the book of Genesis, chapter number 22 this morning. What a great great gathering of God's people on this Memorial Day weekend. We honor you and thank you for worshiping with us. To the wonderful saints and to all of our guests, echo what Pastor Carpenter has already said. Thank you for worshiping with us this morning. It's the benefits of living in the the wonderful great Smoky Mountains that many come uh to visit. And thank you for joining us for worship. I know. I'll just be honest with you. I don't go to church on vacation. I know I'm carnal, but thank you to all the people that do. If you came on vacation and you're here this morning, you are awesome. Thank you for worshiping the Lord with us. And to all those that are here from um from the the wonderful Duncan wedding wedding yesterday. We thank you for worshiping with us. What a wonderful ceremony yesterday afternoon. And we honor we honor that family and thankful for both of those uh wonderful young people today. Tonight, everybody say tonight. >> It's Pentecost Sunday. >> I don't know about you, but I'm Pentecostal. Amen. >> And I don't I grew up on Pentecostal worship, >> Pentecostal fiery sermons on Sunday night. So, we brought in an evangelist for Pentecost Sunday. So, you don't want to miss tonight. >> He's a good one. >> Evangelist Kenneth Carpenter >> is going to be preaching tonight. >> So, I encourage you not only to be here, but bring somebody with you. There's no telling what's going to happen tonight. But I'm going, he's on fire. He preached somewhere a few weeks ago. He come home, he was a little bit offended. Somebody said, "You preach like a 40-y old preacher." He's like, "420? I believe that. I told him the other day, I said, "You're better than you've ever been." I think he's coming right into his prime. Amen. >> I honor pastor today. We're going to get him that sign for his birthday. Amen. Genesis 22 verse number one. And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham and said unto him,"Abraham," he said, "Behold, here I am." He said, "Take now thy son, thy only son, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Mariah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains, which I will tell thee of." Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and claved to the wood of the burnt offering and rose up and went into the place of which God had told him. Verse four reads, "Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place a far off. And Abraham said unto the young men, abide here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder and worship and come again." He he says, "Come again to you." What faith there Abraham had. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it upon Isaac his son. And he took the fire in his hand and a knife. And he went both they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father and said, "My father." He said, "Here am I, my son." And he said, "Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham Abraham said, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering." So they went both of them together, and they came to the place which God had told them. And Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, laid him on the altar upon the wood. Can you imagine? Isaac's thinking, "Where's that lamb at?" You know, and Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife to slay his son. The angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven and said,"Abraham, Abraham." And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything unto him. For now I know that thou fearest God, seeing that thou hast withheld, not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up as a burnt offering in thestead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah Gyra as it is to this day in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. I want to preach to you for just a few moments on this Memorial Day weekend and Pentecost Sunday on this topic. A hill worth dying on. A hill worth dying on. Would you lay your Bibles down, lift your hands to heaven, and ask the Lord to speak to us this morning. We thank you, Lord, for all that you've done for us. We don't deserve, Lord, what we have, Lord, in this room this morning. Not only do we feel your presence, Lord, Lord, we are, Lord, surrounded by a cloud of witnesses of your goodness, your faithfulness. Lord, we thank you for everything that we've experienced up until this point as a body, Lord, as individuals. God, you've been so good to us, Lord. And I pray this morning that as we honor you and being in your house, Lord, that as we come before you once again and worship you, that your word would go forth and continue to change us to be your people, to change us to be more like you, Lord. That we leave here, Lord, not like we walked in, Lord. Change us in your presence today. Shape us by your word. In Jesus mighty name we pray. Everybody said, "Amen." >> Amen. >> Amen. You may be seated this morning. It was on June the 6 of 1984 that President Ronald Reagan, who we've already heard by video this morning, stood on a cliff jolting out into the English Channel on the wind windswept coast of France. 40 years before, young men from the US Army, Second Ranger Battalion had scaled those heights during the Allied invasion on D-Day on a mission to take out the German artillery installation at the top of the hill. Behind the president stood a stone monument to these American rangers who climbed this hill and constructed a top this old German bunker representing the daggers the men used to pull themselves up. Sitting before him was Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and of Canada and many other dignitaries. But President Reagan was focused only on the 62 D-Day veterans, the boys who had climbed the 100 foot cliff 40 years prior. They used ropes and hooks and ladders to reach the top while machine guns and grenades rain down on top of them. 225 of them fought for two days and by the time they had taken the cliffs only 90 of them could stand to bear arms. And so on that overcast day on the northern shore of France at the place where the west held together, the patriot and the president had tears in his eyes and words echoed on the >> We in America have learned bitter lessons from two world wars. It is better to be here ready to protect the peace than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We've learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent. These are the boys of Pentaho. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. And these are the heroes who helped end a war. You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for. And democracy is worth dying for because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny. And you knew the people of your countries were behind you. Here in this place where the west held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Rididgeway listened. Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value, and born for their memory. Let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died. We stand here today because men were willing to say that this is a hill worth dying on. >> They were willing to climb. They were willing to fight. They were willing to, as we've already paid this morning to, to fight for a hill. And hills have stood for in our not only our history, but still today. They they offer such a strategic advantage in battle. Armies will nearly do anything such as this memorial that we've seen here today that hold it holds such a specific spot in history that that we own territory in other countries because it holds such emphasis on who we are as a nation today. Right. >> That memorial stands there because men were willing to get to higher ground by holding the high ground. We see whether it be a hill or a mountain, there's superior vantage points. And any attackers will fight, you'll see throughout history, it was if we could just get to this hill, it's the battle of battle of Bunker Hill. It's the battle of San Juan Hill. It's a little roundtop. It's uh it's it's the the video we just watched there at D-Day. if we can just get to higher ground. In fact, one of the most powerful photographs in our history is that the US Marines raising the flag at that highest point of probably one of the most iconic photos of World War II. Fighting to take a position of a heel from an entrenched army is nearly impossible. So it is always it always results in heav he heavy casualties. So they go in knowing that I may die on this hill. So this this statement this this quote the hill we choose to die on the hill worth dying on is something that resonates today on this Memorial Day weekend. But for every person in this room this morning, I know each and every one of you have a story. Each one of your families have a background, a story. You may have grown up in a wellestablished family. You may have uh just a great pedigrees. You may not have something that you're most very fond of, but um and and some of you, you may know nothing about the church, but some of you may have grew up and cut your teeth on the pews, so to say. in. But you you you you've been a part of this wonderful worship and powerful preaching perhaps and and maybe it's old hat to you by now. Maybe you you've just gotten used to it. But uh whether you were born in this country or whether you become a citizen of this country, whether you grew up in the church or this is your first Sunday in a church, there this is is something that I want to make sure that we all understand that there's people that went before us. >> That's right. that are the reason we're here. That's right. Whether we're looking at this land of the free and home of the brave, this one nation under God this morning, or we're looking at the church that was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ on Calvar's Hill, there was a hill worth dying on that went before each and every one of us this morning that were able to stand here and say, "Thank God that I live and I experience and I'm here a part of the church in the United States of America." So no matter if we have reaching roots into this country or this church, I'm here to remind each and every one of us this morning morning that perhaps if your your family tree has no uh it doesn't reach too far or maybe you have roots way back into this religion of Pentecost. This morning, in efforts to tie together Memorial Day and Pentecost Sunday, I just want to remind you that there is a cost for freedom. There's a cost for the spirit that we experience in this room today. You've felt it. If you've been in this room today and been even slightly aware, you have felt the presence of the almighty God. And that doesn't just come without a cost. Jesus Christ gave everything. He gave his life just as a soldier gave their lives for us to experience what we have today. Jesus Christ gave his life. >> So to every Christian, to every new convert, every saint, every apostolic family, every Pentecostal today, we owe an immeasurable debt of gratitude to those who came before us. >> They birthed this Pentecostal movement. They created this beautiful fellowship. They prayed this apostolic church into existence. They built the foundation. They bore burdens that we didn't have to bear. No matter how difficult it seems, they bore things that we no longer have to pay for. They fought the battles. They endured the attacks. This church of Jesus Christ has endured everything that you can think of. Many times something new is stirring up and you begin to look back in the pages of its history and you realize we already have overcome this criticism before. We've already overcome these things before. Why? Because it is the church that the gates of hell shall not prevail against. Amen. And I'm thankful to be a part of something that the back of the book tells me we win. Amen. But there were people that went before us that scaled the cliffs, so to say. They took on the hill. And for them, this church was worth dying for. This heel was worth giving everything for. The my grandfathers, as I begin to reminisce, sacrificed so that I could stand here today. My greatgrandparents sacrificed so I could stand here today. You say, "Well, I'm first generation." Well, you are living out today so that someone could stand perhaps in a pull pit generations later and say, "I'm here because of my greatgrandfather, my greatg grandmother, my my my ancestors chose maybe made a decision on a Sunday morning on Memorial Day weekend in Marville, Tennessee to say, I'm going to give my life to Christ. I'm going to choose to die because Christ died for me." So may maybe I could preach to you a little bit this morning. It so when you begin to think of all those that went before us, it baffles me to live in an era when some Pentecostals consider doctrinal teaching unwelcome. Convictional preaching unpopular. Prayer meetings unnecessary. >> To know what it took to get us to where we're at >> frustrates me. Brother Matt, what would it do this morning to you if somebody didn't honor that flag? What it should do to us this morning when people don't honor the house of God? >> What it should do to us as we honor our nation, we should do that much the more to God's bride. Amen. >> That this is what God purchased. This was the cost of Pentecost. Amen. that he gave his life. So it frustrates me to see what I know that a previous generation paid that some would say, "Oh, it's let's just do away with this." See some saying that this is unnecessary and this is not, you know, holiness living is unattractive and the moving of God's spirit is sometimes uncomfortable. That's not the way the elders saw it. >> And let me remind you this morning, that's not the way the apostles saw it either. >> 1 Timothy 4:16, take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine. Continue in them. For in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. Galatians Paul wrote 1:8. But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which is we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. I'd say he felt pretty strongly about it, right? I'd say Paul was willing to die on that hill. Hebrews 12:14, follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. You know, I I I love the scriptures that we want to, for instance, let me let's let's look at John 3:16. For God's love, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever, this is one of those warm fuzzy scriptures and I love it and I'm thankful for it. But you know, uh, the church in the book of Acts never used that text. Why? Because the words weren't written until AD90 when the Apostle John put pen to parchment. That was 60 years after the day of Pentecost. and 30 years after the death of Peter, Paul and the other apostles. So, no preacher in the books of book of Acts ever got to quote John 3:16. But they turned the world upside down according to Acts 17. With then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you. Not some of you, not whosoever wants to, but every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, not as an optional profession, but in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins that you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That's the promise that he purchased. Amen. >> They turned this world upside down >> with that very message. You see, it's one thing to hear the gospel message, but it's entirely something else to know what to do with it. >> Calvary is a beautiful, heart touching story, but Pentecost is the power, the lifechanging revelation of what he did on that hill. >> That's right. That's right. >> So, our elders preached Acts 2:38. Acts 2:38. Acts 238. My grandfather was kicked out of the of was was I want to be careful what I say here with um was was he wasn't educated enough to pastor at the church that he was trying to serve at. All he had was a message >> of Acts 2 and 38. Couldn't read just had one message of Acts 2 and 38. But for them it was a hill worth dying on. Th this is still that was spoken of by the prophet Joel in the last days. I'll pour out my spirit upon all flesh. It's the experience. It's the promise. It's the same spirit. Joel told about it. Moses witnessed it. David craved it. Samson got his strength from it. Noah was moved by it. Abraham, boy, he followed it. Adam breathed it. But I'm here to tell a group of Pentecostals this morning >> that you have received it. >> They all wanted it. They all followed it. They all felt after it. It was a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. But I'm thankful that something happened on a hill called Calvary, Brother Snitzer, that this morning I've got that spirit inside of me. And it's not just for me. It's for you. It's for anybody who wants it this morning. I'm thankful for Pentecost. I'm thankful for the Holy Ghost. I'm thankful for the church today. That's why the elders taught us. That's why the elders taught us this is a hill worth dying on. >> Preach that gospel message. Preach the plan of salvation. That's why the elders taught us to come out from the world and be you separate. They urged us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. They thundered about a highway of holiness, the narrow way of disciplehip, and the broadway of destruction. They told us that we were the temple of the Holy Ghost, that we were not our own. That's right. that we were bought with a price. According to Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 6, they knew that godliness brought more than protection. It brought power. Righteousness was more than a wall that kept people in or out. It was a weapon. It was a time that has proven uh time and time and time again. It's been proven right. And all the while we thought that we were keeping holiness standards. And reality, holiness standards were keeping us For the elderness, holiness was a hill >> we'll die on. >> Sadly, I see many saying, "That's not a hill I'm willing to climb. That's not a hill I'm willing to go up anymore. I I'll just settle for a gospel message." Well, we're having trouble keeping some of those people that have experienced the gospel because we don't feel like this is a hill worth dying on anymore. But I'm here to tell you what got us here is a group of men who says that we are peculiar people. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation that you should show forth the praises of him who's called you out of darkness into this marvelous light which in time past were not a people, but now we are now the people of God which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. I'm thankful for anyone who lifts up the name of Jesus in any measure. But quite frankly, that movement is not necessarily my tribe. I'm troubled. I'm troubled today as I see many scroll through armchair theologians, lazy boy Christians who do faith by Facebook and church by YouTube and the Godhead according to Google. We've created a watered down gospel that I think would cause many of our elders to roll over in their grave. >> We've created this highly adaptable, easily customizable, tolerant Jesus that I don't see in scripture. >> I'm sorry, but I could still hear the echo of Raymond Bishop standing on a hill shouting, "Here, O Israel. The Lord our God >> is one Lord. >> As President Reagan stood on that hill and declared the same truths from 40 years prior, Lord, let the church remember that in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. I don't ever want to forget who we are. Amen. His name shall be called wonderful and counselor and the mighty God. The prince of peace and the everlasting father. One lord, one faith and one baptism. One god and father of all who is above all. >> You believe that this morning? >> Through all and in you all. That's Pentecost. >> Yeah. Now they they got excited about the mighty God in Christ because he said it's without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in flesh, justified in the spirit seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory. Now that's a hill that they were worth dying on. This is a hill worth dying on. They said, "I'll die on that hill." Yes. >> In the early days, people who preached that were literally forced out of fellowships that they had helped build all because they wouldn't recant a revelation that they had seen. They were criticized, ridiculed, and resisted. They were mis represented and expelled. Some excommunicated. They lived to see that these brothers would become enemies who they used to love. It broke the hearts of many. And so, yes, this oneness doctrine that is the foundational stone of this apostolic church is a hill they chose to die on. I remember as I began to study this, it was in 1972 that my grandfather went to start church in Watkinsville, Georgia there at that intersection that he would tell the story, Pastor Carpenter, that he had been there just about two months. I think he said he had six services and a man showed up and came through the doors and he said, "I didn't know this was one of those kind of churches. I didn't know this was one of those Jesus name churches." He said he he he he declares there, "I'll make sure that the doors are padlocked on this place." My grandfather would tell the story quite often, however long it had been, he say that man, he passed a few years later and 54 years later that church, the doors still open. But it was people who faced ridicule and faced adversaries and faced many things that are that paved the way for us to be able to be here. If some hills are worth dying on, what baffles me perhaps this morning or maybe concerns me is the right word is that that means some hills are not. Some are worth dying on, but some simply are not worth dying on. We can't die on every hill. You shouldn't die on every hill. Yes, I'll die on the hill of the new birth experience. >> Yes, I'll die on the hill of the oneness of God. Yes, I'll die on the hill of holiness preaching. Yes. >> And I'll gladly die beside each and every one of you on the hill of Pentecost. >> But you may find yourself on your own if you decide to die on the hill of preference. >> It can be a lonely climb. It can be a frustrating climb. I know we're never going to surrender the hill of truth, the truth. But the older I get, the more I find myself being more and more careful not wasting my time on a hill of trivial things. I've never seen the righteous forsaken, nor God's seed begging for bread, but I see an awful lot of people arguing over the bakery, how it's done and how it's not done. And I'm thankful to be a part of a church today that I remember I remember the days earlier when I had moved here. This church was considered liberal. And man, as I embark on my few weeks of youth camp preaching over the next couple weeks, it's so funny to hear. And you all are considered one of the more conservative churches in our movement. Are you okay with this? Are you okay, brother? I'm okay. We're all right. Funny thing is, Pastor Carpenter's still on the same hill. The hill hadn't moved. It's still the same hill. It's still the same place, preaching the same things, doing the same. But that's how life goes. I'm thankful to be a part of a church today that stays true. >> It doesn't matter what the winds of doctrine and the things that happen within culture. I believe in a a Holy Ghost. I believe in the truth. And I believe that we receive power after that. The Holy Ghost comes upon us and we are to be witnesses. >> But you'll see here, I'll give you just this this example on Pentecost Sunday in Acts 1 and8. He says, "You're going to receive the Holy Ghost. >> You're going to receive power. But then when you receive that, he says, "You shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and under the uttermost part of the earth." Watch this. The first century church almost died on the wrong hill. They nearly died on the wrong hill. God begins to do a new thing. According to Isaiah 43, it's sprung up. The Holy Ghost has been poured out all around them, but they they were not necessarily ready for it. Yes, they had received the promise of the Holy Ghost, but his command to be a witness to Jerusalem and to Judea and Samaria and far beyond, but it was five years after the outpouring. Hear me this morning. It was five years after the Holy Ghost has been outpoured. five years before anyone ever reached out into uh to a Samaritan and only after God sent persecution to force them from Jerusalem and pushed them out of their comfort zone. It was 10 years before anyone ever moved to reach a gentile and only after God forcibly intervened to send Peter into the household of Cornelius. But the Jerusalem church at ground zero on the day of Pentecost, the direct recipients of the great commission, they still resisted >> because it was uncomfortable. >> Do I want to really make the climb to this hill? Do I really want to give my life? Do I want to get out of my comfort zone? This is not this is not normal. So when Saul of Tarsus shows up and shares his calling to reach the Gentiles, they were suspicious of him and they they wanted to put him on probation. in Tarsus for se several years. That's what it says in Acts 9. That's why the church in Jerusalem never did get to send out history's greatest missionary >> because they were 20 years after the day of Pentecost. They were still arguing >> and fighting on whether the Gentiles should have to become Jews. >> Read it. It's all through the book of Acts. Paul is talking about we're going to do this or we do that. And he gets into if if you're going to eat meat or you're not going to eat meat and you're going to do this, it's all about is is is this promise, this commission really for them. God gave this apostolic message to Jews originally, >> but he didn't give it to them exclusively. >> That's right. >> It is always been God's plan that whosoever will. >> That the Gentiles would be his church. That's what Matthew 12:21 says. But the Jerusalem church didn't like the plan. Why? Because they didn't like Gentiles. They were nothing like the Jews. So they struggled and they argued and they delayed and all the time the clock was ticking of the great commission. Years and years and years go by. You turn the page, but there's years between those pages of scripture where they are struggling. For the promise is unto you and your children and all. All everybody in this room today >> to your greatest enemy >> and your closest friend. >> That's right. >> To the prodal. >> To the person who has no idea. To all. It's for everybody today. It's not ours to decide. It's ours to share. That it's for anybody who wants it today. It took It took See this with me today. I I'm I'm just warning you. Don't die on the heel of trivial things. >> That's right. That's right. >> It took the preacher of the day of Pentecost a decade to believe his own sermon. That's right. >> It took him a decade to believe what Jesus put in his mouth to profess that Jesus wanted to save everybody to call anyone to use even people that were a far off. A far off from what? A far off from your culture. A far off from your Jewish pedigree. A far off from your heritage. A far off from your traditions. People that are addicted. People that are broken. people that are not Sabbathke keepers. People that are not circumcised, people that don't follow your dietary rules, people that don't look the way you look, people that are not Abraham, Isaac, or Jacob, people that don't know about the sacrifice. People that don't know about the Levitical priesthood. People that just need Jesus. So God, help us as the church not to get over here on the hill of preference and parking spots and where I sit. God wants to change somebody's life today. And that's why we're all still here. >> That's why they climb the hill. Is so that we could still have freedom today. That's why they died and preaching that wonderful gospel message is so today we could still experience the power of the Holy Ghost. I'm thankful. I'm thankful, God help us, that we don't become so accustomed to Acts 10 and34. And then Peter opened up his mouth and said, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respector of persons, but in every nation he that fearth him and workketh righteousness is accepted with him." The first century church nearly died on the wrong heel. >> Oh yes. when God began ushering an entire generation of Gentiles into the apostolic church. You know who those Gentiles who grew up into a totally different culture who built it a an appreciation of tradition with no knowledge of the things before without proper protocol and and the emotional response to the great heroes. They didn't know anything. You you you the Gentiles, they just fell in love with Jesus. You know who they were? >> Us. >> We are those people today. We are those people today. Thank God that the first century church finally allowed the Gentiles in without forcing them to adopt every preference of the previous generation of Jewish believers. But for far too long, they struggled, they argued, they fought, they delayed. The only thing that really mattered to God or to a world around them was that the gospel go forth. So don't die this morning on the wrong hill. People having division among themselves, families, this family and that family within the church, within the community, frustrated, bitterness, gossip, foolishness, and when you really look at it, it's just a little molehill that they're going to die on. >> God help us. I don't know if I can come to church because what so- and so said to me, you're telling me. >> Could we put it all in perspective? That's like saying, I'm not going to live in the United States >> because they they drive they drive too fast on the roads, right? It's a molehill. >> It's just it's just you're dying on the wrong hill. There's too much good >> and we're talking about eternity. >> For you to allow something so trivial to keep you from what's eternal for you to allow something that's so small to keep but yet we keep climbing that same old hill. We keep fighting for something that don't matter. We keep fighting for something that moth and rust is going to destroy and thieves can break in and steal. And our time and our talent and our treasure reflects something that's of no worth and no value. God help us. God challenge us today. I want to die on what's eternal. I want to die on the hill of truth. >> So we go back to our opening text. It's Abraham. Abraham said, "This is a hill that I'll climb. Go beyond just dying, but I'll give my promise back to God." Abraham said, "This is worth everything." And it's no geographical coincidence that when Jesus Christ was crucified, he would be crucified in those same mountains, those same hills. This is the hill that Abraham was willing to climb. Jesus says, "I'm willing to die." This is a hill worth dying on. So, we see Jesus Christ would come, climb Calvar's hill so that you and I could experience Peter's message in Acts two, the plan of salvation. It is the will of God for every person under the sound of my voice today to repent of your sins. >> That if you've never been baptized today to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ >> for the remission of your sins. >> Repentance is something that you can do. You just say, "God, forgive me." It'll turn you around. It's what he says. It's like a 180. But then when you go down in the watery grave of baptism, remission of sins, it turns your sin around. Yes. >> They say you might have had cancer, but your cancer's in remission, which means your cancer's not growing, which means you you might still sin tomorrow, but you're not sinning like you used to sin. Amen. You're not making the same mistakes that sin's in remission. >> If you do those two things and you take upon the name of Jesus Christ, he said there's a promise for you >> called the Holy Ghost. >> And that Holy Ghost is for everybody today. >> It's for each and every one of us. Why? Because that's the heal he wanted to die. He wanted to go and get that same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead on that third day. He wanted it to live in each and every one of us. >> Would you stand to your feet today? I challenge the person today who's never experienced Pentecost to make a decision to say, "Hey, I'm willing to give my life because he gave his life. I'm willing to give myself. >> I'm willing to go and I'm willing to repent because he died. I'm willing to be baptized because he was buried. And oh, I want that promise of the Holy Ghost. If that's you today, we have everything you need. We've got a change of clothes for baptism. We've got everything. If you want the Holy Ghost today, you can receive it today. If that's you, we uh we offer an opportunity that that that only God can offer that that God wants to do something in your life today. But let's say you've been in the church for some time to all the saints today that those of you that's we talked about earlier, maybe you cut your teeth on the pews. You've been in this a long, long, long time. I challenge you to do what God had done in me just a few weeks ago as he challenged me, brother or to take inventory. What hill are you really climbing? What is it that you're trying to achieve? If you got there, would it really be what you think it is? I've seen a lot of people get to their bucket list and realize it's not what I thought it would be. I've seen some of the most depressed people be some of the most wealthy people. >> Got everything but seemingly have nothing. So I ask you today, what hill are you climbing? Because there is a hill worth climbing. >> There is. He said he said at the end of it all, he says my word. >> My word's going to stand. Everything else is going to fade away. But my word said, "What hill am I going to climb? I'm going to climb that hill of truth. I'm going to stand for what's right. I'm going to stand for the church. It's eternal. >> I'm going to stand for his word. It's eternal. So when we evaluate this morning, you say, "Is this really the path we're going this morning?" Yes, it is. Because if we evaluate our lives today, at the end of it all, when we roll each and every one of us down this center aisle, we can be kind. We can be respectful. But oh, how powerful it is when we're able to speak truth to say, "This person was a pillar. in the house of God. This person put their time, their talent, their treasure. They put everything they had into climbing a hill. They would do everything they could to advance the kingdom of God. This church, this truth was a heal they thought was worth dying for. So this morning to those who need that Pentecost experience, it's here for you. But those of us who've had that experience and we just need to stir up that gift this morning, could we evaluate ourselves at this altar and just ask God, Lord, look at my life. God, show me if there be anything in me today. Lord, I want to take evaluation. God, I want to take inventory of my life today. Say, God, what am I doing with my time? If I look back over this week of my family, what have I done in the kingdom of God? If I look back over my months and years, what am I doing with my time? What am I doing with what God's given me? Come on. I'm asking every father this morning to look at your life and to evaluate. God, I don't want to be God. I don't want to be guilty of fighting for something that don't matter. For climbing something that has no Come on. The Holy Ghost is here. The Holy Ghost is here for anybody that wants it, anybody that's hungry this morning. He's no respector of person, but he is a respector of hunger this morning. If you hunger after him, you'll you'll be filled this morning. If you seek him, you'll find him this morning. Come on. For every father, for every mother, evaluate what hill you climbing. Your kids are watching what hill you climbing. Come on, that's it. I encourage you to lift up your voice this morning. Come on, lift up your voice in prayer. Come on. There's another generation watching you. There's another generation watching you. Lord, we come before you today. Lord, we come before you today. We believe in this God. We believe so strongly in the truths, oh God, that have got us here. Lord, help us carry it. Lord, help us continue steadfastly and the doctrine of the apostles. Lord, on this Pentecost Sunday, Lord, help us to continue in what it started. Oh hallelujah. Oh hallelujah. Come on young person. Come on young person. Talk to the Lord. Come on. Think about what are you living for? What are you living for? What are your priorities? What are your priorities? God, I want to serve you with all my heart. Lord, I don't want to put anything before you. God, I don't want to put anything before you, oh God. Come on. Right now, with every hand lifted, I believe if you'll I believe if you'll see God, he'll move. It's Pentecost Sunday. Come on, let that wind blow in this room right now. How long's it been since you spoke in tongues? How long's it been since you had the experience, the evidence? Come on, every hand lifted. Lord, we need you this morning. Lord, we need you this morning. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Heat. Heat. Hallelujah. Come on. For the next few moments, I wish a mother and a father, Come on, family would get together for the next few minutes and just pray. Lord, help us as a family. As for me in my house, come on, find your find your family. If you don't have any family here, find somebody else. And when you yoke up with them, grab the hand of somebody. Grab the shoulder. So, as for me in my house, this is a hill we'll die on. As for me in my house, we will serve the Lord. As for me in my house, I'll stand for truth. As for me in my house, I'll live. I'll live for what God died for. Lord, I'll live for what you died for. God, I don't deserve it, oh God, but I'll die for it. Oh God, we love you today. Come on. That's it, mama. That's it, daddy. Pray. Pray. Pray. Your prayers are reaching generations right now. Come on. We're all here because of the prayers of somebody that went before us. Oh God, keep us. Oh God, keep us. Brother Thurman Bates, upon the profession of your faith and obedience to the word of God, I now indeed baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. And the Bible says you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost in Jesus name. >> Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. >> Come on church. This is what it's all about. This promise is unto you >> and to your children and all. Come on. All that are a far off. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Lord, we bless you today. Rest on us today, God. Lord, rest on us. We bless you. Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Oh, you are you are Holy Spirit. You're all Holy Spirit. Rest on your >> Yes. Yes. Yes. >> Come on. Reach your hand up toward the baptismal pool. Stratton upon the profession of your faith and obedience to the word of God. I now indeed baptize you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. And the Bible says you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost in Jesus name. In the name of Jesus, we come to you again. Open up the gates for everybody. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. I'm here and I know you know my heart. You're here and I know you are here Jesus name. This is what it's all about. Amen. Yes. >> >> I want to close this way today. Come up here. Don't act like you're shot. Come on. Um today, two men got in the water. And it's not just a bornagain experience, a birth certificate for them. It could change the trajectory of every person that ever comes >> through their lineage. >> That's right. >> And this is why it feels so strongly to end today. And I can't it just just keeps it's as for me in my house. >> As for me and my it's not just this house. >> As for me in my house >> because this house happens only just a couple times a week. But my house, >> these boys know >> what hill I'm climbing. I have to make sure if I am going to if I'm going to hand it to them as pure as it was handed to me. >> If I'm going to allow them to experience the freedom and it not be jaded and it not be watered down and it not look like a struggle. I don't want it something that my grandfather sacrificed. People have sacrificed and died for this truth. Let me not make it look like, Sister Hawkins, that it's some kind of drudgery for me to be in. >> Church was something that they had to go in and set up and build and fight and do. And here we come in in the air condition and sit on car, you know, nice fine pews. And >> I'm blessed to be a part of the church. This is the greatest thing we'll ever be a part of. This is the hill we'll die on. Why? Because it's the it's the only thing that'll last. One more time, I'm asking you. Young to old. If you could see from that mountain, that mountain gives a vantage point. It gives vision. It lets you see beyond where you're at. I wish you'd lift your hands and look into the future right now of this church. Say, "God, help us. Oh God, help us to climb the same mountain. Help us to live the consecrated holiness life. Come on, that's it. Ask for me in my house. Ask for me in my house. Ask for me in my house. Come on, pray that prayer one more time. Ask for me in my house. We'll serve serve the Lord