Body of Proof | Student Pastor Zach Hammond

open your Bibles to set your Corinthians chapter number four 2 Corinthians chapter number four and verse number 7 we'll go to the word of the Lord want to say just very quickly so great to see my friends the Adams we give them high honor so thankful to have them here as my wife would attest to I've told many people that if I didn't live in the United States of America I would live in cocal that's there's no doubt about it one of the places you'll ever go and I'm thank I thank God that there is a great church um there's a great church doing a great work there and I commend you all and your family um your kids and just the great work you're doing there um it's just honored to be a part um of what God is doing there if you ever go over there you got to go to those sausage trucks I I talked about food when I was up here this morning but um you ever go to crocka you got to go uh just got good food good good people I I just want to say it's an honor to have our friend uh Donnie it's good to see you here tonight we consider you family around here but it's always good to have you and they're a part of our school family he is a officer in Lowden County and we thank him for his service we honor him for being here with us tonight all of our guests just thank you for being in the house of the Lord with us tonight Pastor just text me um my phone little he just text me like right now and just said make sure to tell everyone he misses everybody million percent however much that is it's what it said a million percent and uh he is in route shortly to get back home they preached uh I believe Friday Saturday and today he just finished up and so we love our pastor in fact if he's watching today we just let them know how much we miss them and love them thank God for our leadership and what a wonderful wonderful word we heard this morning by Pastor Ericson let God be God Amen I believe that thank God for what he did in this place in this place this morning I will say real quickly I know I've got you standing we're going to read real quickly through this verse of scripture but we'll say real quickly I could feel and I've had some conversations over the past few weeks and Pastor eron hit on a little bit this week and I've just felt it number of times in prayer uh but but get out and vote um I I I know that I know that brings quite an uprising and then there's kind of that thing of like hey I don't know if you're supposed to talk about that let me just can I can I just give you just a a complete understanding the church is not supposed to get into politics and I understand that nobody's getting up here telling you who to vote for but I will tell you to vote your convictions don't vote a party but the it things have changed in the United States of America and what used to be let's just let's just call it what it is the church has not become more political politics has become more spiritual and when you stopped just riding tickets and giving out permits and all those sorts of things and started diving into a gender distinction and whether or not a a baby is a baby or not and all of the things and you're going to get into the school system and tell us what is a boy and what's a girl you've crossed the line to where if the church doesn't be the church I'll tell you this we live we live and Breathe by this if we don't Disciple This World you better believe the world will and if the Godless people don't speak up all that's ever going to be heard is the ungodly so I'm here to ask the church and beg with the church as many as watching online dare let let's not dare let the statistics be that the Christians are not out voting let me Jesus is not on the ballot never has been never will be but we don't use that logic in any other part of our life just because there's not a perfect person on The Ballot Box don't mean I'm not going to go up there and vote for the person that's going to help God work the best way that he can in our country amen if the good people don't speak up we are to blame for the condition of our country sorry Paul said in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse number 7 but we have this treasure in Earth and vessels that the Excellency of the power may be of God and not of us we are troubled on every side yet not distressed we are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed and verse 10 says always bearing about in the body of the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be might be made manifest in our body we would bear about the body of the dying of the Lord Jesus but that his life may be manifest in our body Romans 1 or Romans 12 verse one you may know it you don't even have to turn there I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your body somebody say my body my a Living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God for a few moments tonight I'm conscious of the time but I believe God is going to speak to somebody going to challenge someone in this place tonight my title for tonight is Body of Proof Body of Proof and we're going to minister for just a few moments to uh the church and I again thank you to all our guests for being here tonight but I'm going to speak to the the body of Christ the church tonight and uh if you if you want to hear from the Lord tonight if you've come to be changed by the word of God tonight I wish you would lift both your hands lift your voice more than anything else and pray that prayer God whatever you want to do in my life tonight Lord I'm here for it Lord I pray that your word would God minister to Every Soul every young person every age tonight Lord no matter the condition no matter the situation Lord I pray that you would Minister God in a powerful way tonight God because your word is is is so forever settled we want to get what's forever settled in heaven forever s settled in this room tonight in this place as it is in heaven in Jesus name we pray everybody said amen amen you can be seated tonight it was Joseph Joseph of arus that came to pilate and begged the Bible says said he craved one one one of the gospels says the body of Jesus that he would give him a proper burial the Bible says and with help from Nicodemus who they both came to Jes came came by night they were not uh they were not daytime uh Apostles they were nighttime Christians you know they kind of lived in the shadows they they didn't really want to be Associated When anybody could see them but nevertheless Joseph and Nicodemus they wrapped the body the Bible says with linen cloth and with proper spices and what have you and the manner the Bible says in the manner that a Jew would have been buried and it was a proper burial and it's just so uh so interesting to me that he finds him plac in a he he's placed in a garden SRE where a a watch of soldiers would gather and and and they would guard and and they would take this this this two ton Rolling Stone and they would seal it up with ropes and put the Seal of it on the front that would bind it and make it as sure as they could as pilate commanded them to for Jesus Christ may have been crucified as a thief and as a prisoner but he was buried like a king because Nicodemus and Joseph decided that they were going to take the body of Jesus I can just only imagine what it would have been like to thrust that ladder up upon the cross members of that cross and to go up and dismember Jesus Christ who was who has done nothing but good and to pull his hands off the nails perhaps and to feel his broken lifeless body fall on your shoulder is you're just trying to do what you know is right but could you imagine Nicodemus holding a bloody body as if you could just picture it with me that perhaps as his head hung that the the crown of thorns begins begins to slip off and and and and Joseph just helps as they take this mangled piece of Flesh because of the body the the importance of this body so the first day of the week the Bible says after Joseph and Nicodemus has done their part perhaps Mary and Martha didn't know exactly what had gone on but they go with preparation with more spices to prepare the body of Jesus and they walk and you know the dialogue you've heard it and and read it on many Easter Sundays that they are concerned and how we with you know you you ever been there you know you you got in you got an idea and you got these plans you you're on your way and you realize hey there's a two ton problem for what we're in going to do anybody ever ever done that it's like you go play go to play basketball and youve got a ball like there's a big problem right you you you you you you were planning to do this but there's a problem like these two ladies are going to do something about this body that's got a stone in front of it the size of a Escalade you know it's like what are we going to do about this thing and so they they show up and lo and behold the stone is already gone and to their surprise this body they're looking for is gone as well and uh so there's no body he the Bible you know you know the story he is risen and meanwhile these they're they're they're they're there trying to to preserve the body and and give it a prop give body a proper burial and it's gone the Stone's been rolled away and and and all the things are happening on the other side you got the guards the the watchs that had had fell asleep and they were they were they were scared to death fearful they ran to Pilot and Pilot's paying them off so while they're over here trying to find the body that they want to pay respect to the guards are over here getting paid off to tell a lie that the disciples stole the body and the most interesting thing of that whole deal is there's very few times in scripture although there's there there's a handful but it's quite a few few times is uh considering how many scriptures there are that they'll say things like this and I think it's very important they say that that that this is still believed unto this day and that I don't know if you realize that but that but that means to today that don't mean like that ended when when you know the scripture ended or whatever like that today there are still it says it's commonly still believed to this day among the Jews that he didn't rise from the dead that the disciples went and stole him and there was some kind of Houdini action going on and everybody just thinks that he got up right everybody's looking for the body there is no body he is not here the Bible says he's not in the grave but uh we all know that he's very much alive Acts chapter 1 says the for former treaties have I made o theopolis of all that Jesus began to both do and teach everybody say do and teach do and he wasn't just a teacher he wasn't just a talker he was a doer all right and I think that's very important we got a lot of talkers not a whole lot of doers right we got a lot of Facebook okay let's move on until the day in which they had taken up after that he through the Holy Ghost had given Commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen and so he shows himself alive and and the apostles here he says to who also he showed himself alive after his Passion by many infallible proofs now I I we could we could get into exactly what that was but the bottom line is he he's the Bible says being seen of them 40 days he gives them proof it was not just enough that they had been through everything he's been through he's not just going to come up and abraa dabra here I am and I'm going up to the heavens and I've taken care of death hell in the grave and I got the keys I got everything you need let's rock and roll I've been here been I've been in the Garden of Gethsemane I've been sweep coming drops of blood they beat me they spit in my face I I I wanted to call down the angels and drop kick them both ways but we've went through all this stuff and now I'm here but no it's not enough I'm going to stay here 40 days with you fellas I'm actually going to come out here and cook for you because you've already turned your back on me went back to fishing but I'm going to come out here I'm G prepare a meal I got to convince Peter to get to Pentecost because he's done denied me and cussed me like I told him would and they got all these things going on and Jesus like I'm I'm going show myself alive for 40 days because I believe that I need to give them some infallible proof so it's very very interesting here that he he's seen of them 40 days and speaking of these things pertaining to the kingdom he tells them in Luke 24 he's walking he he he don't even open the door he just shows up in the room and he's like hey doubting Thomas check out these bad boys it's me huh I know you don't it doesn't look like but here's the Body of Proof you got some doubt today here's a Body of Proof feel stick your hand right here where they pierced me put put your hands in my hands and feel the the the gaping holes and and we we see that this is very interesting and I I I got I got pulled into this and some people a lot I don't know I I read weird stuff so when people ask me they're like hey what do you reading right now I'm like yeah you probably don't want to know like it's just something I found somewhere but I finished the book a little while ago it's a long book book I I didn't read it all at once and I just kind of meandered through it and there was some good parts there was some boring Parts but it's it's called Person of Interest it's written by a former uh investigator and he is he is using his skills and he's been in been used on many missions with the FBI and all sorts of things he's got this big long resume and all these recommendations and all these things but he writes as a per person of interest he he's basically created a a catalog of just validating who Jesus was and he does it without the Bible he does it with all historical facts he takes Harvard he takes all of these things these artifacts and he he uses another resource that's called unearthing the scripture and he talks from fossils to museums to all these things that's been brought forth and he says I can provide you evidence that Jesus was who he said he was without even opening the Bible which I think is quite intriguing uh myself but he he begins to do these things and he begins to to reference in a portion of the book something that I thought was qu quite interesting and he says that there is such thing as a a nobody homicide he said it is by far in all ranks of all all the cases that you would try to solve it is in all ranks the most difficult thing to accomplish because when there is no body there's often times no solution there is not much convincing he said a jury when there's nobody there is not much of a conclusion that you can draw from anywhere if there's not a body of some proof and so he said although I wish it was different he said that many of the cold cases have a shelf life theft assaults burglaries Etc they have a date of which they expire but in a murder case or a homicide whatever the terms you want to use they remain open until solved so he said a very high percentage of all the cold cases in the world today are because they could not find a body because most of the time if they can find a body they can perform some sort of autopsy and they can find some kind of elements maybe it's in the bloodstream maybe it's from trauma maybe it's this happens or that happens they could ident ify something that would lead to them to what happened to this person right before death as we know this all lines up as to why Jesus would show himself alive but eventually would Ascend into heaven and I want you to see this because I think this is very important and we talked about all that to get to this one moment here that he ascends up into heaven he shown himself alive for 40 days and acts 1 and verse number four after he's showed showed himself alive with many infallible proofs for 40 days being assembled together with them commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait wait for the promise of the Father which sayith he have you heard of me for John truly baptized with water but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence the body physically was about to exit that was the Body of Proof of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ do we understand what just happened he was crucified he was buried and he rose again we have all sorts of debacle and all sorts of arguments over his body but the bottom line is he says I'm about to go away but I need you to go t in Jerusalem for I'm going to baptize he said John baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost ghost in just a few days so the body of Jesus May physically be gone but I'm going to send forth my spirit back into your body 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse number seven our opening text says that we now have this treasure in Earth and vessel as we know that the power of God was poured out in Acts chapter 2 when they were all in one Accord in one place he pours his Spirit out into this Earth and vessel this flesh that we have and and he says we are always bearing about the body of the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body that he may be manifest in our body are to he he he did all that he did so he could show it in you and I you say I duh that's the most simple thing ever right Paul writes and begins to explain this as we see that the gospels he goes but then in the book of Acts we begin to see that he creates a body that he's now going to dwell in not only just individually but collectively and so the body of Christ to sins and the birth of the church takes place no coincidence he begins that very book of actions with letting us know go t here go prepare for there's going you're going to be endued with power from on high but there the body of Christ is now going to be uh what what whoever allows the spirit of God to dwell inside of them so Paul then jumps from the book of Acts to the Book of Romans he begins to write here Paul writes in the Book of Romans there is no coincidence that they are in the order that they are in such technique using this powerful oxymoron of death and life you are alive in one way but you're dead in another that's the whole first I don't know 10 12 chapters of Paul chapter one you're dead in carnality chapter two you're dead in hypocrisy chapter three you're dead under the law that's the whole Narrative of the first three chapters but then he says you're alive he you're dead in the first three chapters now you're alive through faith in chapter four and you're alive through Grace in chapter five but it gets kind of weird because he you would think he's you're dead to carnality you're dead to hypocrisy you're you're dead under the law but now you're alive through faith it's like he turns the corner you're alive in Grace and but now chapter six goes back to you're dead to sin he loves using this this idea you'll see it in all of his books dead and alive dead to sin dead in sin so if you're going to be alive in Christ you have to be dead to something else so if you're going to be a Body of Proof in Christ you've got to be dead to sin so then it becomes fun and it's just a little word play your options are dead in sin or dead to sin that's that's our options tonight you're either dead in sin or you're dead to sin if there's going to be a death to sin then there must be a burial correct and we'll get we'll get we'll get there we're just going to hit a little Doctrine because I think we all need to be reminded there must be a funeral for your old life there must be a burial if you if you're really die You' really died to sin there's got to be a Body of Proof there's got to be evidence there's got to be repentance and burial in a watery grave of baptism that I need to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ because why he was buried for me he was the Body of Proof so therefore I'm going to honor God in my body Romans 6 verse number five for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death we shall also in the likeness of his resurrection knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin for he that is dead is freed from sin now that just so confusing how am I dead but I'm alive and how am I am I alive or am I dead how how does God view me yeah well he he needs you to be dead to some things in order for you to be alive in him and so baptism is not just a dead end it's a dead end to one thing but it's a new beginning to another because we rise and we walk in the newness of life and baptism is this legal declaration before God and His law and all my old sinful life is gone and I'm dead to sin everybody say dead to sin we got to be dead to sin and that's why the Bible refers to baptism as remission of sins when you're baptized sin starts going in the opposite direction you you and repentance turn yourself around you take a 180 and say God I'm not going to do this anymore I'm going to go this way well when you're baptized while you're going this way and and you've repented now God turns sin around and puts it in remission the best thing for someone with a diagnosis of cancers they say hey your Cancer's in that means it may not be all the way gone because God knows we still got some sin in our life but it's going the other direction amen that's the goal right we want to get it in remission so I got to be dead to Sin Sin can't be thriving in my life sin is no longer in control when I'm baptized because it declares my own whole life dead and buried Romans verses 6 number 8 says now if we be dead in Christ we believe that we shall also live with him and Paul you got to so I'm dead with Christ but I'm going to live with him too knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him for in that he dieth he died under sin once but in that he liveth he liveth under God how many are you confused huh likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ Our Lord so in all that in chapter six being dead is a good thing right being dead is a good thing because we are dead to sin and no longer has control over us we are also dead with Christ and if we've died with him then we will raise with him we'll be raised with him do we do we understand that this this validates that we must be born again we must be buried it it validates all in the dead man what was true of Adam what was true is true of you but in Jesus what was true of Jesus is now true of you in the old man you were ruled by the old nature everybody remember that person right but in the new you you are ruled by a new nature in the old man you were a slave to sin but contrary to popular belief it's not about Freedom it's about a new master because in the new man you are a slave to righteousness you are in the bonds of love you are are being led by a king of kings and Lord of lords under the first Adam you were a ruled by the law but in the second Adam you are ruled by grace in sin you were dominated by the flesh but in Jesus you are impowered by the spirit in sin you were condemned to Eternal death but through Jesus Christ you and I are destined to eternal life through that death burial and Resurrection you and I can all experience not just one time in obedience in action but in multiple times in spiritual uh spiritual obedience that we repent and we are buried in baptism and we receive the gift of the Holy Ghost we experience the death the burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what he took as a Body of Proof we now are able to become that body we able are to to now be manifested in the flesh many people are looking for God and and and then you really should feel ashamed that people can't see God in you right because he says that that we are this earn vessel that he's chose to put his body through this death burial and Resurrection we have a body of proof that is birth in the group in the book of Acts let me I'm going to I don't know that I'm sometimes I get way off into like Doctrine stuff and I realized that like everybody's just looking at me like hey can we hear something fun um everybody get my friend a hand oh uh I feel like when I'm reading Romans that uh Paul is uh this is Mr Bones he's from uh sister Helm's science class and uh he's happy to be here tonight and um I I can't help but see the powerful sometimes scripture doesn't even have to be read you can just read the heading and look at the layout and realize God is speaking to you because good news is followed by acts you get good news you get all that God just did for you and guess what now it's your turn now it's my turn that my responsibility pastor preached it a few weeks ago we have a responsibility you and I are breathing therefore we are required to look at the book of Acts now what happens to the book of Acts he birthed the church the body of Christ he says I'm not going to leave for very long without giving you a Body of Proof to now live and walk and dwell that it's it's going to continue to do what I I've been trying to do so somebody say Acts it is required that we act not act like put on a show but put to action the word of God so Paul declares that we all are dead to something dead to sin or could be dead in Christ we could be alive in Christ or we could be dead in our carnality or dead in our hypocrisy or dead under the law and we know all the things that are here but we don't ever put it into action so you're either dead in sin or dead to sins you're either Romans 1 or you're Romans 5 and this ought to be uh what the church looks like today we ought to have a Body of Proof now we're about the same size and um it's a little skinnier than me but my question for you tonight in this full foolish attempt to Captivate your attention is what do you look like to God do you look like this version or do you look like that version I I'm here so is he but he's dead he's here but you know he he knew to be here um he didn't come in when I ask him to but he God forbid that the church be in a community but look like this I ain't going to that church you see how they act I'm not going to that church you see I mean those guy all they do is talk about each other they're they're No More Alive they're no more active you know they won't even wave at anybody huh won't even smile you know why why would I want to be a part of something that looks dead you walk into work and oh got this going on I got that going on righteousness is dead to sin but it shouldn't look dead to the world huh God forbid that you be dressing the part and proclaiming Holiness huh oh I go to that church over there and yeah yeah you yep that's that's us we we we will dress it up buddy but we just look pitiful while doing it you know yeah I I don't do this and I don't do that and I don't I I yeah I dare wouldn't say that don't watch that no no and I don't run with them no sir re but you're not going to be saved by what you don't do and you can dress it up all you want but the bottom line is I I I want to know what and and you know again you you can say what you want but I ask people hey hey what what exactly is your perception of our church I asked a waiter the other night at aub's why because we like take over that place you know I got a report from a waiter at Olive Garden the other day like hey A large group of your people came in and you know they were jerks because here's the thing you can dress the identity part but when you show up dead when you show up and you g ain't got no joy ain't got no peace ain't got no love and no compassion what good is it to associate yourself with the body of Christ but Galatians 5:25 says we see after Paul gives us the works of the Flesh and the fruit of the spirit which I think is amazing The Works of the Flesh and the fruit of the spirit huh The Works they come a little bit more naturally the fruit is something it takes time to produce so if you're not careful you'll get frustrated that that oh yeah it's hard to be nice to them I get it you know people are people you know you're a jerk sometimes too you know but sometimes it's hard to produce Joy when you're going through something it's hard to produce peace it's hard to you know think on the things of God it's hard to do these but he he tells all these things you got the works of the flesh got the fruit of the spirit he lists them all and then Paul goes back to it he says if we live in the spirit let us also walk in the spirit if you're going to claim to be Christian let us also walk as Christians let us not be desirous of vain Glory provoking one another envying one another what's the quickest way to look dead in the eyes of God what's the quickest way to not be the body of Christ be selfish some of us are way too selfish to be spiritual that's the number one way we see it right here he says you get into this vain Glory provoking one Envy one another we got to walk in the spirit we got to have action the book of Acts is positioned there for a reason all of these words that God is calling us to do go into all the world be a light walk give share you're a body of action you're a Body of Proof we are not just just just people on a Pew we are we are a body of action if it cost God so much to pay the price for my sin than I ought to act like it presents your bodies a Living Sacrifice holy and acceptable unto the Lord this is your reasonable service that's not sacrificial service that's not something Beyond ordinary that's not no it's just your reasonable service you've heard me preach it before it's the least you could do to say God I give you my life why cuz he gave you yours but he did it in a much much much more painful way I don't know about you but when I come to this altar nobody's spitting in my face when I come to this altar nobody's beating me with a cat and N Tails when I come to this Altar and I get to walk up there and I get to be buried I don't have to go through what he went through it's my reasonable service it's a good deal it's a great exchange for you to take my sins since my sin and your sin is under the blood then I ought to act like it the Bible says old things are are passed away all things are made new just hearing that ought to just bring something up inside of you that says God I I thank you there is now somebody say now no condemnation for those who are in Christ born again you and I were all born in sin shapen in iniquity we all were broken dead headed to a devil's hell but God said now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ I've been born again I walk after the spirit not after the flesh I'm dead to sin and alive in Christ you may not understand why I do the things that I do but I'm dead to sin you may not understand the way the the reason that I that I act the way I act you might understand Holiness you might understand this you might understand my faithfulness you might understand how I I put Church attendance at the top of the list but I'm I'm dead to sin and if I'm not careful I'll find myself picking up the works of the flesh since God hears my prayers I'm going to pray like it it's acts so we we can claim to know we can claim Christianity we can claim the book we don't act since God's forgiven me of so much I'm going to forgive give others like it huh it's where we're at anything anything in this place right now can be handled with forgiveness anything you're releasing someone of something I've heard it so many times I talked to leaders on the phone I talked to pastors on the phone I talked to a guy the other day he's supposed to be over you know how many hundreds of people and he's like I just chose not to deal with those people anymore I just I just don't want anything to do with them I had a tough meeting with them last time and I just don't want to do anything I'm just just going to just kind of buy what do do I huh how how we're the body of Christ We're The Body of Proof anybody ever been and mute the mute mute that thing for I'm just kidding don't mute it but anybody ever been to nean Stadium huh anybody okay maybe some of you uh hund and how many thousand ish okay crazy people I mean it is loud just Bonkers I I couldn't help sitting that place one time my brother-in-law convinced me to go I had on some kind of neutral sweatshirt or something you know I heard Rocky to one more time I just glanced around thinking I wonder how many people I wonder what this looks like Christ looks down on this how many people in this place 105 106,000 people know the truth how many's been buried in baptism how many knows the power of prayer how many knows what it feels like to fill the joy of the Lord the peace and the comforter it puts things into perspective when you see how many people are just drunk out of their mind and I the qu the number one question I get right now it's it's the it's the going like number one thing that you know all the young people all the people who are just kind of like checking everything out out there in the world is like you're telling me everybody that hasn't done this is going to hell that's not what I said that's what the the Bible says that you must be so it puts it in perspective that since God has given me the truth and has done everything he's done for me then I must act like it I must participate in the body of Christ participate in the book of Acts we love the outpouring in Acts two but oh the responsibility that comes when they begin to go house to house he didn't pour it out just for one he didn't pour it out just for the 120 he poured it out so that we could break bread and multiply and we could get to work going into all the nations huh since I claim to love Jesus since I claim to be a Christian it's time that some of us start acting like it share the love of God you know the people that God has has put in your life I know we've given all the scriptures we go through all the things as a you know you know I I water and this one this one planted and you know God will give the increase I just left it in his cord but he also says that the Harvest is great but the labors are few so you don't get a cop out because you did some water and or you did some planting I I think there's some Harvest that's dying in the field because we are spiritually setting on our rear ends just waiting on God to do something here's the thing God is here ready to do and ready to work but he says hey do your part he's not going to go get it out of the field being present is not enough I've said it and I've said it and I've said it and I've said it and I'm going to continue to confront this generation specifically over here that if God God uses is a bunch of flawed leaders in the Bible you know why because he'll use somebody that'll step up and speak up it wasn't that that this person wasn't more qualified is the fact that they wouldn't do anything so he'll use a flawed leader somebody that keeps breaking my Lord he used Samson he broke every law the Covenant that he had it's like I got to use this guy he's the only guy that'll step up and fight anybody huh how many times we see God I'm asking will the church the people of God please step step up please speak up the godly people God is is is sent me tonight to to stir you up Jesus is coming soon and we ought to act like it there's millions of people dying and going to Devil's hell and the church cannot be sitting idly by just claiming oh I'll lift my hands on Sunday that's not enough it's not I got to be a Body of Proof I got to get on my job and I got to carry that cross and I got to talk about the love of God we must get into action I'm here to perform somewhat of an autopsy on you tonight and I'm here to shake you up if you don't praise him like you used to is is everything all right huh I I used to pray I used to sing I used to step out I used to to go to the prayer what's going on because this is not a time to be dead when God is having an end time Harvest come on Daddy come on Mama it's time to be present we we' got too many too many of us and now here comes the youth ra like here he goes you know he can't preach without getting out that phone I hear you winter huh I'm tired of you talking about all them cell phones and stuff hey this is what we look like right here some of us even in church hey I wonder who won that game name huh I wonder oh so and so's huh had pretty good attendance tonight huh you know just present huh well y I spent about four hours with the kids just scrolling through hadn't had a conversation hadn't talked to nobody just you know present can I I'm I'm getting ahead of myself and some of you are like thank God it's 7:45 so present let let me let me go this is this is this is my closer and I guess we'll just go ahead and get to that point here Bible says well done thou good and faithful servant and I'm afraid that some of us have forgot that last word we look at the faithfulness of God and we just expect oh then that's what God requires of me is faithfulness faithful servant faithfulness is not enough he requires fruitfulness too faithful servant faithful fruitful I I've got to be present that's that's great we've also got to be productive we in no other area in no other portion of the world do we look at anything and you just allow I mean you're you're a part of a a boring Corporation or a boring job if they just let you clock in and out and not be productive huh in no other portion of life in no other area of our world do we just allow people just to fly by and just not be responsible for anything and just live a irresponsible life but when it comes to Christianity oh if you're here we're good I'm just I'm I'm concerned that we have a church perhaps in cities people individually on pews that are absent when it comes to God's attendance action somebody say action action I heard the other day someone said functional atheism I'm a functional atheist I what was that mean I got to think about it I'm like I know a bunch of fun functional apostolics you know we like the community but we don't participate in the consecration we want to identify with the body and the resurrection but we don't want to in the caring of the Cross and so what happens Revelations chapter 3 and verse number one and closing the angel of the church at Sardis writes these things saith he ha the seven spirits of God the Seven Stars I Know Thy Works he's talking to the church at Sardis please if you haven't heard anything I've said tonight if you would listen to this portion I know thy works that thou Hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchful strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die for I have not found thy works perfect before God remember therefore how thou Hast received and heard and hold fast and repent if therefore Thou shalt not watch I will come on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee thou Hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garment and they shall walk with me in white and they are for they are worthy he that overcometh and the same shall be clothed in white rment and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my father and before his Angel he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit sayth to the church Sardis is the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Lydia was undoubtedly the wealthiest city in its day located on the mountain Plateau above the Valley of hermis the junction of five main operating roads that renowned for their military forces and their commercial center God delivers his message to Sardis through John but the church at Sardis had become complacent and content as if they had arrived the sacrifice of prayer and church attendance giving Outreach had slowly slowly declined Sardis was falling to enemies in overconfidence and falling asleep at their post on duty Sardis had not learned their lesson and John warns them of their final spiritual failure as they would be named a church alive and only name in their past glories a reputation of life but a reality of death with an Apostolic name over their door but the name apathetic should be written on their hearts I've come tonight as a minister in love to ask where is the body of Christ because this world needs a Body of Proof God help us young marrieds God help our Strong Tower students our adultish group God's not brought us here to be content and sit by the door God's not brought us to this moment I know it's beautiful everybody that comes in oh this place is just so wonderful this is the beginning this Sanctuary is not big enough this church is not just going to be Pastor teaching some Bible studies and we grow by however many that he can teach in a year it's this churches God has called each and every one of us no matter what age to continue God forbid we live all of our life and we get up into the ages where this church becomes third and fourth and fifth generation and all of a sudden we become less and less and less of proof and it just becomes a skeleton of what used to be it's the autopsy of the dying Church Let There never be a day when we talk more about what it used to be like because of a lack of what it is let us never be the ones who say man I just don't think we really have to do that old we don't have to do that stuff anymore we we don't really have to be that consecrated maybe I'm going to stop doing this or stop doing that if you want to check your pulse tonight spiritually check it in your prayer check it in your worship che check it in your desires huh to be alive in Christ is something that you're going to produce it's a it's something that is just just going to flow from you but if this just becomes this this work of the flesh I'm here to help you diagnose yourself tonight to say hey I I I've got to do I got to do more cuz repent is the message to Sardis repent and I won't block your name out of the book and I'll tell you tonight under the unction of the Holy Ghost which I feel sweeping into this place right now there is nothing more important than your name in that book daddy there's nothing more important than your name in that book there's nothing more important than your wife name in that book there's nothing more important than your kids name in that book and the good news tonight is it's unpublished but it's coming soon release dates unknown but there's a lot of things you might be left out of but you better find yourself alive in a part of the body of Christ when that trumpet sounds there's nothing more important my burden tonight is on this Sunday night that we have more people we have more people sadly in our movement that that find themselves don't get caught up with what the world's doing don't get caught up with all the things that are happening on social media and I know I mention it a lot but there'll be more people and more comments trolling people this week on whether or not a church celebrated Halloween or not when all the while they got Walking Dead happening in their churches I I want to see the church be the church I I want to see somebody do something in the kingdom of God there's nothing more frightening than a church that used to be there's nothing more frightening than a father that used to be I used to do this I used to do that I used to be involved but I've slowly slid back and I'm just a skeleton spiritually of what I used to be I don't even know how to worship now I don't even know what it would feel like to step out my wife would look at me sideways if I did this and my kids would think what in the world if I begin to to to to try to lead them spiritually because I've just become a skeleton of what I used to be nobody hear me under the unction of the Holy Ghost tonight nobody has done anything to you that Chang changes what God's done for you nobody has turned their back made a statement set you off to the side talked about you lied about you cheated on you no matter who it is no matter what it is that changes the fact that God went to a cross and took on all of your sins and he took so much pain in his body so that he could be buried and he could conquer things that you are still F whyne You're Made To Be A Body of Proof it's a treasure in this earth and vessel that the Excellency of his power might be in US you may be you may feel like it's pushing in on all sides he says where we're we're we've got all these things going on but no I I'm dead to that I'm alive in Christ Exodus 33 32 and verse number 33 as you stand and the Lord said unto Moses whosoever hasth sinned against me him will I blot out of my book and I saw the dead small and great Revelation 20 stand before God and the books were open and another book was opened and it was The Book of Life which the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their Works nobody wants to talk about that nobody wants to address that what's your bucket look look like in the kingdom of God Bucket List look like in the kingdom of God you said W brother I work every day I clock in clock out you wouldn't believe the the money I'm making now that I I know we're all Workaholics Lord we we we wouldn't dare who wouldn't dare miss work and I get it got to have money got to pay the bills got to do this got to do that but if all your dreams came true today what would the kingdom of God look like because that'll determine if your name's in the book or not and whosoever was not found written in the book was cast into to a lake of fire Luke 10 says now withstanding in this Rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you but rather Rejoice because your names are written in heaven he is the resurrection and the life and whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall never die and I'm here just to encourage you tonight to it's time to wake up it's it's time to I feel like I can't help but just feel like I'm looking over a valley of dry bones tonight where there's just a man or a woman or a young person that I feel so so burdened for tonight just say and God saying can these bones live can these bones live again can they once had life in them they have the structure of what used to be they have a structure of something that perhaps used to walk and talk and was maybe one day baptized they've they've regressed back and now it's just the valley of something of what used to be and it's just lying potential and I love the fact that that story says Dry Bones hear the word of the Lord huh I'm here just to tell give somebody the word of the Lord tonight that if you could just get just get the word of the Lord on these Dry Bones tonight that it's nothing but you're just one message you're just a response to the word of God away from be becoming an army becoming a body becoming somebody that's going to conquer something somebody that's going to do something but what does it take it takes us responding us Tes takes it takes us doing our part as you stand all across this place I'm going to open up these altars but I just want everybody in this place to hear well done thou good and faithful servant the day of spiritual skeletons is over the day of spiritually just getting by is over our world is not going to make it off of this we're going to have to bind together and make this thing attractive make this thing something that everybody wants to be a part of make this something that I how do we do that come alive smile Shake somebody's hand bring the joy of the Lord huh bring the fruit of the spirit act like it I I'm here tonight I'm just I literally just want to spiritually wave this word over anybody that feels like their life's just a dry and baren land there's not been any fruit there's not been anything come of it I I'm here to to to incite the Bible study teacher I'm in here to incite the one everybody's gifted in a different way some of you are gatherers some of you can get people in the door and you need to use the gift that God's given you some of you you're gifted to be a teacher and so when Johnny gets them in the door we need Sally to teach him a Bible study and God can use the body of Christ because why one of you is a hand that's going to reach but one of you is a mind that's going to be able to speak and when we get the body of Christ together guess what the kingdom of God will multiply and we're going to come together and God is going to do something so I'm here to declare tonight as he prophesied over a valley dry bones hear the word of the Lord be encouraged tonight be uplifted tonight but most of all we've got to get it in our minds God's coming and I got to act like it God's coming and I've got to act like it God's been too good to you for you to stand idly by God's been good to too good to you for you not to worship God's been good too good to you to not to come down to this Altar and respond accordingly to whatever it is that's going on in your life if you need to repent you ought to be in this to repenting if you need to be baptized tonight you ought to be baptized for the remission of your sins if you need healing tonight there's a body that wants to bring you in and allow God to heal and touch and deliver and set free I wish the church would gather around and I wish we could have 100% of those that are physically able push up around this front and let's recommit Our Lives Lord revive the church revive the body oh God come on that's it come on that's it the book of Acts come on begin to act in it right now lift up your voice give God your heart lift up your hands give a response he's worthy he's worthy he's worthy could you push as far to the front as you can to let everybody that wants to come forward God's going to hear your prayer tonight God's going to honor your efforts tonight God's going to honor your response tonight if my altar workers could help me move through the body come on let's be the body of Christ there's somebody going through something tonight there's somebody that needs help needs the prayer of the righteous needs the prayer of a friend tonight oh yes oh yes oh yes God we feel your spirit God we feel your presence oh God come on that's it we've got one to be baptized come on if whatever your response is to God God's asking I'll work but who will let me oh come on God's coming young people get ready come on God's coming we've got to bind together stand up for the right things speak up for the right things come on body of Christ right now in the name of Jesus we need you oh God we need your presence oh God we need your touch oh God come on I'm asking you right now to participate come on I wish the whole church oh in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus oh God me my with come on that's it come on without any music I believe God's looking for our response right now he's looking for your words come on he's looking for your cry come on you say well I've got all that I need from God but be the body of Christ and find somebody to pray with right now I wish a % somebody would be praying over anybody that needs a touch from Lord you see somebody with their hands lifted their head bowed I wish you'd reach over and just begin to speak the name of Jesus over them right now come on young people come on young people come on let God touch you let God use you oh yes God come on young marriage come on on God wants to use this generation in Revival come on God's going to use us but we've got to get to work in the name of Jesus oh God take us further God take us deeper in the name of Jesus oh I'm begging with you tonight find somebody to pray with come on would you leave up with somebody right now God wants to take us somewhere oh hear our hunger tonight God hear our hunger tonight for you Lord we want to be the body of Lord let us be that proving Lord that proving for our coworker that proving for our family member oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God God use us oh God use us oh God use us oh mighty God Mighty God Mighty God In The Name of Jesus in the name of Jesus come on right now I feel so strongly about this I wish somebody would find come on Andrew walk up here with me I wish every person would find somebody I I don't know who it is but every person finds somebody I don't want anybody to leave here tonight and not feel linked to the body of Christ oh in the name of Jesus Lord let us be a church in a Godless culture God help us to be a church oh God God every age group every generation oh God Lord let us be reaching oh God Lord give us your eyes to see Lord let us be your hands and be your feet oh God In The Name of Jesus come on that's it God's touching lives come on that's it God's touching lives right now come on that said God's encouraging folks right now yes God yes God yes God yes God yes that's it let God use you yes let God use you right now oh God come on young people this is not a dead season it's doesn't matter what grade you're in doesn't matter what season of life you're in it's time to stir up that Spirit within you come on it's time to stir up that Spirit within you I'm here to challenge you tonight I'm here to confront your comfort your comfort level right now in the name of Jesus come on lift up your voice make your flesh uncomfortable sweet God Of Heaven rest on us tonight rest on us tonight oh God oh God oh God oh God come on young lady let God wake you up tonight come on Long young man let God wake you up tonight come on pray with one another come on you know your friends you know that they need a touch from the Lord I know it may be uncomfortable but pray come on we're trying to put people in heaven tonight come on we're trying to rekindle the fire of the Holy Ghost with us oh yes oh yes God in the name of Jesus come on that's it come on that's it receive what God has for you receive What the Lord Has for you right now in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus the spirit of the Lord is so strong in this place right now you say how do I know that I'm dead spiritually if you can lift your hands right now the spirit of the god spirit of God will fill you it doesn't matter how long it's been since you spoke in tongues if you will lift your hands right now every man woman boy and girl come on if you I need to know I need proof I need evidence if you lift your hands God will give you an Evidence of the Holy Ghost it's speaking of another tongue that will remind you that's the proof that you're the body of Christ Christ come on that's it speak it out come on let the Lord feel you let the Lord renew you right now let the Lord renew you right now yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes holy God come on that's it just linger in his presence linger in his presence here h l love you Jesus just one more time just one more time before we close they're going to baptize this young man tonight we're thankful for being here to be baptized one more time could you just lift your hands just receive the word of the Lord come on Dry Bones hear the word of the Lord tonight Dry Bones hear the word of the Lord you are more than conquerors no weapon formed against you shall prosper goodness and mercy are following you he's bled and he's died for you come on you've got it right now God's God's here and he wants to to I God wants to encourage somebody tonight hear the word of the Lord oh Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah sweet Jesus oh God oh God God as they prepare for baptism I understand tonight that even when when I try to walk through scripture and prepare at any point to speak that statistics are always against you this church Prides itself and what you see tonight and that is nearly the entire church is in the altar responds but the Staggering statistics that get just thrown out by all those that are opposing the church every day as simple as it is but as relevant as it is just voting we started off talking about it the absence of the action of the church God is exceedingly abundantly He's Able he's more than able time and time again he works these powerful Miracles and it's like he can't just perform the miracle he's got to show his s alive 40 days he's got to kill all the doubt and the way he does that is so many times he allows there to be participation you want to be healed blind man wilt thou be made whole even ask him I mean obviously he wants to but he makes him do something if that's not enough he says go wash in that pool over there why because God is exceedingly able but he's going to require an action of us because the gospel is followed by acts so I can you imagine I just looking at scripture I bet there's people over there you know every blind person after that's over there just splashing water in their eyes of that pool you know it's not the point it wasn't the pool it was the power of the man that sent him right and so once again I I can't I can't stress to you enough of the body of Christ we are of all we're all in Christ but we're all different members you know I heard a had a crazy Aunt one time said that she was the nose so she just is always in everybody's business you know but we all play apart we all we all have our roles and not everybody's going to do the same thing and that's why the Bible says don't compare yourself among yourself and you shouldn't even if you're a hand compare yourself to the other hand he he even says it he uses this allegorically but it just all adds up because that's what scripture does and it's so fun to find all the things where it connect but don't even let your right hand know what your left hand don't don't compare huh but you you don't want to compare yourself but I tell you what you can compare yourself to is your capacity compare yourself to Your Capacity what can you do that matter what they're doing what can you do to advance the kingdom of God I challenge you every one of us have influence every one of us have an opportunity in front of us and so let's be the Body of Proof let's be a church that's alive and there's nothing more important than what we're about to do this is Scott's friend Daniel and we're so thankful that that he's here I'm so thankful to see one of our young people bringing somebody to the house of the Lord and Daniel's about to go down in that Wonderful Name of Jesus can we reach our hands this way and pray a prayer over Daniel Lord we thank you so much for your word but we thank you that it's forever settled in heaven and it's about to be forever settled in the life of Daniel Lord I pray over him tonight that you would Lord begin a great work that he's about to go down an old man but come up a new man he's about to be buried in Christ and old things are passed away all things will be made new tonight Lord I pray right now that you would move in a special way God that as you clean out this vessel that we believe you're going to fill Daniel with the baptism of the Holy Ghost In The Name of Jesus we pray Hallelujah Daniel Pinon upon the profession of your faith and obedience to the word of God I now indeed baptize you in the name of the Lord 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 Jesus name hallelujah hallelujah thank you Jesus thank you Jesus Hallelujah God touch Daniel right now in the name of Jesus Lord we thank you God we thank you so much Lord we thank you so much Jesus name I believe they've got one more to baptize is that one one more to baptize again those of all of all of you that want to remain here in the sanctuary and we understand I know it's it's 8:20 long-winded preacher you can get on tell brother cman say you're going to have to work on that guy he preaches too long so um but if you need to be dismissed we totally understand but those of you that are able to hang out able to remain in here just please be uh reverent to what's going on and we're going to uh celebrate actually we're already ready let's everybody oh this is awesome this is awesome Hallelujah Brady odman upon the profession of your faith and obedience to the word of God I now indeed baptize you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and I thank God you receive the gift of the Holy Ghost just a few moments ago in Jesus name Hallelujah yes God hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah thank you Jesus oh thank you Jesus come on church can we just celebrate just a little bit longer Lord