1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,680 To the Lord this morning, what a privilege it is to be in God's 2 00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:12,600 house and I I personally testify today of how good it is to be in 3 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:19,640 his house. A man just shy of 15,000 air 4 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:25,320 miles traveled, not including hundreds of miles by train, 5 00:00:26,080 --> 00:00:32,560 trains, multiple multiple trains and vehicles. 6 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:38,120 I am thankful for the Lord's protection and I I had texted 7 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:42,640 the prayer band group started getting a little nervous before 8 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:50,080 I left Tokyo Friday, Japan time because of our government's 9 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,160 shutdown and the impact it's having on air traffic 10 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:55,800 controllers. They were starting to reduce air 11 00:00:55,800 --> 00:01:00,080 traffic, so the last thing I wanted to do was get stuck 12 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:04,400 anywhere but home. After almost two weeks, I was 13 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,040 ready, so ready to be back home. I appreciate prayer. 14 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,560 I should have been just a little more specific. 15 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:13,720 Sometimes you don't know how specific to be. 16 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:16,880 I got back home. Got back home to Evansville 17 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,600 Airport. Planes were on time, pilots were 18 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,000 good, God was great, and my car battery was dead. 19 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,920 So Lord still good, He's still gracious. 20 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,640 So next time I might add a few more elements to my, my 21 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,880 specifics on on praying to get home. 22 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,760 But I am thankful and it's so good to be here this morning in 23 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:42,160 the presence of the Lord with all of you wonderful people 24 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,360 today, the book of Romans, chapter 8 and 28. 25 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:49,080 I give honor to our Bishop and our pastor this morning, my 26 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:54,720 beloved, beautiful, wonderful wife who was waiting to greet me 27 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:00,560 coming home. I was so never so thrilled to be 28 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:05,440 back with my best friend. So thankful for her, my son and 29 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:07,800 daughter-in-law. And the last time I was in this 30 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,400 pulpit, Piper wasn't here yet and I talked to her from the 31 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:16,480 pulpit so I can continue that tradition because she's here now 32 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,680 and Pops has the microphone. So I'll say, Piper, I love you. 33 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,800 And you can scream and holler all you want to today. 34 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:28,800 It'll be just fine. Romans 8 and 28, the Bible says 35 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:34,160 everybody shout that first word with me and I'm going to make a 36 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:36,440 whole lot of friends right now because that's all we're going 37 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,360 to read. I'm not going to keep you 38 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:42,600 standing very long today. So I'm in I'm in the the mood to 39 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,000 make friends this morning at least for 5 minutes. 40 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:49,440 I want to talk to you this morning on the subject of and 41 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:57,200 powerful little word that has a great amount of meaning and a 42 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,600 great amount of context in the Word of God. 43 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,280 And we're going to dive into that with the Lord's help this 44 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:03,560 morning. Would you lift your hands this 45 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:10,200 morning and ask God to touch us today in the name of Jesus? 46 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,080 God, we're thankful for you this morning. 47 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,480 Help me to minister today with wisdom and clarity. 48 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:18,400 Let your anointing be present with us. 49 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,240 God, do things in the spirit realm this morning that I cannot 50 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,520 do. Go before us right now. 51 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:29,880 Make every crooked way straight. Bind every spirit that is unlike 52 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,120 you. In the name of Jesus, let our 53 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:35,880 ears be attuned to the Spirit of the living God. 54 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,520 So there is but one Lord, 1 faith and 1 baptism. 55 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:42,560 And today we're thankful for your holy Word. 56 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,800 In the name of the Lord Jesus, we say Amen. 57 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,680 The Lord bless you this morning. You may be seated. 58 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,160 That is a courtesy and not a command. 59 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:58,080 So that I not make any traditionalists uncomfortable 60 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:01,720 this morning because I didn't finish reading, I will read the 61 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:06,240 entirety of this verse. Romans 828 And we know that all 62 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,360 things work together for good to them that love God, to them who 63 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:20,040 are the called according to His purpose and the Word. 64 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:24,200 I've often seen the power of this word used in meetings and 65 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,560 discussions, particularly in team environments. 66 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:32,160 When someone suggests a particular idea and it initially 67 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:37,320 gets shot down quickly, And when another person responds and says 68 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:42,880 yes and they offer some alternatives to go along with 69 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:47,600 what was already said, it often shifts the conversation. 70 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,600 It adds more possibility. It adds context. 71 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:57,480 It adds a shift from that small little word and that doesn't 72 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,040 reject what was already said. It doesn't reject what is true, 73 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:03,440 but it simply begins to build on it. 74 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,600 The initial vision may not have been received very with clarity, 75 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:12,520 but when you add and and you start to build on it, it starts 76 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:16,160 to add some clarity. It turns limitations into 77 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,480 opportunities. It turns hesitation into 78 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,080 collaboration. It turns ideas into 79 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:26,600 breakthroughs. The word and is a simple 80 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:33,080 connector that joins 2 things together, like links in a chain. 81 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:39,480 It tells us that one idea, action, or statement is 82 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:44,200 connected to another, sometimes happening at the same time, 83 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,400 sometimes as a result of the first thing that was said. 84 00:05:47,840 --> 00:05:52,360 Alternatively, the word and is often used as a verbal comma 85 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,960 where someone will finish a sentence and they'll say and 86 00:05:58,840 --> 00:06:00,320 because they don't want to get interrupted. 87 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:04,160 This happens in multiple languages because people by 88 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,840 nature are just impatient and we want to jump in. 89 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:11,640 Sometimes we shove that and out there just to put you at a pause 90 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:16,520 to say, hey, I'm not done, but I need to take a breath to 91 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,600 indicate they've got a little bit more to say. 92 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:25,600 In the English language, it usually just adds one thing to 93 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,240 another. But in the Bible's original 94 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,400 languages like Greek and Hebrew, it can mean much more. 95 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:38,280 It can show purpose, sequence, and it can even show cause and 96 00:06:38,280 --> 00:06:41,440 effect. It was important for me to 97 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:46,840 verify the use of this word and was not merely an English 98 00:06:46,840 --> 00:06:50,280 grammatical edition made when the Bible was translated. 99 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,120 That was used solely to help us English speakers understand a 100 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,720 bit more clearly because you have to understand when 101 00:06:57,720 --> 00:06:59,760 translating from one language to another. 102 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:03,760 There is so much figurative language used that what is often 103 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,280 translated by word is not exactly what was said. 104 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,080 It's the spirit of what was said. 105 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:11,480 It's the meaning of what was said. 106 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,600 So it's quite possible that the word and or any other connector 107 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,840 could have just been added in there for us, but it wasn't. 108 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:26,800 What I found in research to verify this and in study was 109 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:31,680 that the word and was a verified word in both Greek and Hebrew 110 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:36,160 used in not only the way that we would use it, but in also a 111 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,920 deeper meaning and way to help us understand how God connects 112 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,880 one thing to another. So it wasn't an accident. 113 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,480 It wasn't a feeler. By definition, the word and is a 114 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:51,440 coordinating conjunction, one of the most fundamental connectors 115 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:54,160 in the English language. Its primary function is to join 116 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,240 words, phrases, clauses, or ideas. 117 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:01,480 Ideas of equal grammatical rank Examples could be word 118 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,760 combinations. We talk in the Bible about faith 119 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:13,520 and works, phrases to love God and to serve others or clauses. 120 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:19,560 He prayed and the heavens opened and typically signals 3 things, 121 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,840 addition, continuation and connection of equals. 122 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,840 In addition, it links one idea to the other. 123 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:33,000 In continuation, it indicates a sequence of thought or action. 124 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,400 In connection of equals, neither part is subordinate to the 125 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:37,840 other. They're both equal. 126 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:42,200 They're both important and disconnecting them, unlike the 127 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,600 word but in contrast or the word. 128 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:49,520 Because the word and does not inherently change tone, meaning, 129 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,720 or logic, it just extends thought. 130 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,800 In languages like Hebrew and Greek, the words translated for 131 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:03,680 and often carry heavier meaning or nuanced than what we have in 132 00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:06,120 our English language. They express sequence or 133 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:11,480 causation, emphasis or contrast. When these are transliterated 134 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:16,120 into English, the word and can sometimes seem repetitive or 135 00:09:16,120 --> 00:09:19,760 unnecessary to US English readers, but in the original 136 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:23,120 language it carried theological or narrative weight. 137 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:28,000 The word and can serve as a connector of divine action, 138 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:35,200 revelation or continuity, showing that one event or 139 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:39,080 promise is LinkedIn purpose to the other. 140 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:43,000 So I want to look at some references in the Word of God to 141 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:47,480 help us understand this a bit. Today Micah, six and eight says, 142 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:57,280 But to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with 143 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:01,960 thy God. The words and here are used with 144 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:06,840 intentionality because we need to understand today that the 145 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:13,200 prophet is tying together justice, mercy and humility. 146 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:18,160 He's doing so on purpose because it's important for us to 147 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,680 understand that justice without mercy is harsh. 148 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:30,960 Mercy without justice is chaos. Everything goes both without 149 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:37,120 humility is nothing but pride. The and weaves them into a 150 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:41,640 single moral fabric that helps us understand that God's not 151 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:46,200 asking for one virtue at a time. He's asking for a life where 152 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:52,920 justice and mercy and humility walk hand in hand, not just on 153 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:58,920 Sundays, not just on Wednesdays, but every day of my life. 154 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:02,600 He's looking for a lifestyle where that I demonstrate in my 155 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:07,160 walk with God his justice, his mercy, and I do so with 156 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:11,000 humility. And it's the and that connects 157 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:12,920 them. It's the and that brings the 158 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,920 power there to help us understand that all three are 159 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:19,040 equally important and we cannot leave one without the other. 160 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,760 Mark 12 and 30 says, And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with 161 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:34,000 all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and 162 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:39,040 with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. 163 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:47,800 Jesus refuses to let us separate devotion from compassion because 164 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:54,440 He's connecting our love for Him from our soul, from our mind, 165 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,800 from our strength, and telling us that this is the first 166 00:11:57,800 --> 00:11:59,920 commandment. You want to know what the 167 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:02,600 greatest thing is? Love the Lord thy God with all 168 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:04,240 your heart. He didn't stop there. 169 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:09,560 He could have just said love me with all your heart, but he goes 170 00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:12,920 deeper and connects it with and with all your soul. 171 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:17,760 And then he adds another layer and says and with all your mind. 172 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:25,160 Because what you think has power to reveal in your actions. 173 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:29,000 You don't have an action without first having a thought. 174 00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:34,360 And I read something yesterday that said you're not responsible 175 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:38,720 for your first thought, but you are responsible for your second 176 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:42,440 thought. So there's a responsibility that 177 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:45,920 we carry with what we think and with what's in our mind. 178 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,400 And God's telling us that he wants us to love him with all of 179 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,680 our mind and not just that, but with all of the strength that 180 00:12:53,680 --> 00:12:55,520 means everything that we've got in us. 181 00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:58,560 He's not separating, just saying I love you. 182 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:03,200 He's saying I love you with my heart, my soul, my mind, my 183 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:04,520 strength. What's that? 184 00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:08,440 It's the equivalent of saying I love Him with everything that is 185 00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:11,840 within me, from the top of my head to the sole of my feet. 186 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:16,720 Uniting spiritual love with social love between God and 187 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:21,560 others so powerfully connects us. 188 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:27,040 Love for God proves itself in our love for people. 189 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:34,680 I'm letting that marinate on purpose because that's a 190 00:13:34,680 --> 00:13:42,960 powerful statement. Love for God proves itself in 191 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:46,800 our love for people. Bishop. 192 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:51,880 It has baffled me for years how people can say that they love 193 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,320 God, but they clearly have nothing but hatred for mankind. 194 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:02,320 There are things about people that I don't like, there are 195 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,960 qualities about people that I don't like. 196 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:08,360 But when I get in the presence of God, I have to equally 197 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,480 recognize their qualities about me. 198 00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:12,320 Somebody else not like it either. 199 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:17,280 So when we stand before God, we stand equal in what we don't 200 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,920 like. We stand equal in those things 201 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:22,560 that aren't right or those things that aren't appreciated. 202 00:14:22,800 --> 00:14:27,160 But if we can somehow develop a love for people, our love for 203 00:14:27,160 --> 00:14:31,720 God will prove itself in how we love humanity. 204 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:38,760 The cross has a vertical beam and a horizontal beam. 205 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:43,240 I can't love God and leave people out because the cross of 206 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:49,360 Calvary had only the intent to horizontally reach over and save 207 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:57,200 humanity. So I can't say that I love you 208 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:06,440 and then treat you like I don't not love, not God's love. 209 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:11,720 John 4 and 24 says God is a spirit and they that worship him 210 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:16,120 must worship him in spirit. Everybody say it with me. 211 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:25,200 And and in truth, there's a lot of people today that love to 212 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:31,600 worship. We have had in this assembly 213 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:36,160 over the years, we have had on more than one occasion that I 214 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,080 can count. I don't know that I can count 215 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,680 them on all hands. I, I think the number goes 216 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:42,640 beyond what, what appendages I have. 217 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:45,800 But I have seen Brother Fred a number of times over the years 218 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:49,040 in this assembly where we have had people come to this church 219 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,520 and enjoy the music, enjoy the worship and leave when it come 220 00:15:52,520 --> 00:16:00,680 preaching time. Because there's a, there is a 221 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:03,960 spirit in the land today that wants to worship him. 222 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:09,440 They'll take the spirit, but they aren't looking for truth. 223 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:15,440 But the word of God said God is a spirit and they that worship 224 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:18,760 him. If you're truly going to worship 225 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:22,720 him, if you're going to love him, if you're going to devote 226 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:28,560 your life to Him, it is in spirit and connected together. 227 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:33,920 Not replacing one, but adding to it the importance of worshiping 228 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:39,880 Him in truth. Jesus is redefining worship 229 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:44,520 here, not just as emotion or intellect, but both. 230 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,040 Spirit speaks of sincerity in life. 231 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:52,280 Truth speaks of understanding and alignment. 232 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,080 I've got to know where I stand before God based on His word. 233 00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:01,160 Not based on what people tell me, not based on what my friends 234 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:03,480 say, not based on what my family is saying. 235 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:08,359 I have to align myself to the truth of God's Word based on 236 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:12,280 what he says. And that's where we find true 237 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,800 worship, the conjunction and is holding worship in perfect 238 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,000 tension between passion and principle. 239 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:28,800 True worship. True worship goes beyond just 240 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:42,480 enjoying the song. True worship goes to the depths 241 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:47,200 of the heart. True worship extends beyond just 242 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,320 the beat of the drum or the the click and the clang of the 243 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,440 piano. True worship is when the song 244 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:55,760 stops. My worship carries. 245 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:00,640 True worship is not predicated on having to praise team or a 246 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:05,400 praise band to sing and play. True worship is based on my 247 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,960 belief system in God. It's based on where I stand 248 00:18:08,960 --> 00:18:12,400 before Him. If the platform is silent, I 249 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,240 still have occasion to worship Him. 250 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,320 I still have occasion to bless Him. 251 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:22,960 I still have occasion to give God the glory He deserves. 252 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:27,560 My worship is not predicated on the sounds system carrying 253 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,560 volume. My worship is based on Jesus 254 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,440 Christ and He is the God of glory. 255 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:49,840 True worship. True worship in spirit and in 256 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:56,240 truth. The day that we start excusing 257 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:02,880 truth from our worship is the day that we stop worshipping Him 258 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:12,520 because He said God is a spirit and they that worship Him must 259 00:19:12,520 --> 00:19:17,960 do so in spirit and in truth. So if we do not follow that 260 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:22,040 recipe today, then we start worshipping something else. 261 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:29,640 Psalm 85 and 10 says mercy and truth have met together. 262 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:34,160 Righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 263 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:41,960 It's a poetry of reconciliation. Attributes that seem to pull in 264 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,320 opposite directions. Meet in harmony through God's 265 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:49,120 redemption power. The and here speaks of divine 266 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:56,120 balance at Calvary mercy and truth met justice didn't lose, 267 00:19:56,120 --> 00:20:00,120 grace didn't compromise, and peace kissed righteousness. 268 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:06,920 Acts 2 and 42 and they continued steadfastly in the apostles 269 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:11,720 doctrine and in fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in 270 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:18,200 prayer. The and is connecting sound 271 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:26,400 teaching with community. Fellowship, we draw strength in 272 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:30,440 fellowship. No man is an island to himself. 273 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:39,120 The worst thing you can do. Let me, let me let me rephrase 274 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:40,880 that because I don't know if it's the worst thing you can do, 275 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:44,800 but I definitely believe it's on the top five list of bad things 276 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,720 you can do for yourself is isolate yourself. 277 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,400 And that's one of the most tempted things we are to do when 278 00:20:53,400 --> 00:20:57,120 we start going through trials and situations is we want to 279 00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:00,040 isolate ourselves because the enemy convinces us. 280 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,760 No one understands, no one understands me, no one knows 281 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:06,360 what I'm going through. No one's walked in my shoes. 282 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,960 Sound familiar? So we isolate ourselves. 283 00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:14,640 And when we isolate ourselves, then it's easier for our 284 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:18,720 adversary to convince us that we're alone because we are, 285 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:24,480 because we did it to ourselves. You isolate yourself out of 286 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,080 fellowship. You will end up isolating 287 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:37,100 yourself out of God. We draw strength in fellowship, 288 00:21:38,420 --> 00:21:41,060 but we cannot have fellowship without worship. 289 00:21:42,380 --> 00:21:44,660 We cannot have fellowship without prayer. 290 00:21:46,300 --> 00:21:48,900 They broke bread. That's fellowship. 291 00:21:50,060 --> 00:21:53,840 But it says they also prayed. That's keeping truth center 292 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,360 focus to my fellowship. I'm not fellowshipping just for 293 00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:02,480 a barbershop gossip. I'm fellowshipping so I can keep 294 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:06,360 him center focus in my life. I need to draw strength from 295 00:22:06,360 --> 00:22:09,000 you. I might be weak and I need 296 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,320 fellowship. I need strength from my brother. 297 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:13,680 Or maybe my brother needs strength from me. 298 00:22:17,680 --> 00:22:21,400 And if we excommunicate the church and we knock ourselves 299 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:25,520 out of fellowship, we're losing the opportunity for God to help 300 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:30,400 deliver us from our valley. You cannot go through a valley 301 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:35,120 alone. It is not God's will nor God's 302 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:39,680 design. The Word builds the church's 303 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:45,960 foundation in a world of extremes. 304 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:58,320 God's truth often lives in the middle of and faith and works. 305 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:06,480 Some people preach faith. Some people preach nothing but 306 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,760 works. The people who preach faith only 307 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,960 preach against works. The people who preach works 308 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,800 only. Don't worry about faith because 309 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:17,680 they think it's all just in demonstration. 310 00:23:19,160 --> 00:23:24,920 The Bible desire is to have balance of both, for without 311 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:26,720 faith it is impossible to please him. 312 00:23:27,440 --> 00:23:31,960 But it also states faith without works is dead. 313 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,240 Not my word, I didn't translate it. 314 00:23:35,240 --> 00:23:39,360 That's that's God's word that says faith without works, faith 315 00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:50,240 without demonstration, faith without proof is dead grace and 316 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:57,000 truth, worship and service. We, we live in a world of 317 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,400 extremes where it's often far right, far left, and I'm not 318 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,240 talking politically, but outside of politics. 319 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:09,920 Our world demonstrates extremes because there's a lack of 320 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:14,520 balance, but God's Word lives and operates in divine balance. 321 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:23,160 There's no other way that you can find divine balance than 322 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,520 through obediently submitting to God's Word. 323 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:33,760 God had a plan. He had a plan that is revealed 324 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:39,080 to us in His Word. Acts one and eight says But you 325 00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:43,920 shall receive power after that. The Holy Ghost has come upon 326 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:51,680 you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and 327 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:56,720 all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth 328 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:03,640 in this verse and just doesn't join 2 clauses. 329 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:06,960 It ties together empowerment and purpose. 330 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:11,840 Because God didn't save you to be quiet. 331 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:21,320 Jesus was revealing one promise with two sides. 332 00:25:21,880 --> 00:25:25,360 Power received and power revealed. 333 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:31,440 The greatest witness we will often ever be isn't with speech, 334 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,280 it's with demonstration. It's how we live. 335 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:37,600 It's how we conduct ourselves. It's where we go. 336 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:40,680 It's where we don't go. It's the choices and decisions 337 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:43,160 we make above and beyond what we say. 338 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,600 You shall receive power after that. 339 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,440 The Holy Ghost has come upon you, then your witnesses. 340 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:59,600 The implication here is that we we lack valuable witness until 341 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:05,520 we have the power of God because he said we would have we would 342 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:10,120 be witnesses after the Holy Ghost come upon us. 343 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:17,080 Mark 1616 States and it's a bit of an indictment to non 344 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:22,920 believers but it says he that believeth and is baptized shall 345 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:29,120 be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned or cursed. 346 00:26:30,360 --> 00:26:35,160 It indicates and reveals to us the importance of baptism, the 347 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:41,160 importance of going beyond the step of repentance. 2 related 348 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:44,720 actions are present, believing and baptism. 349 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,200 Believing is internal. Baptism was the demonstration. 350 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:57,840 You can't see repentance, but repentance demonstrated is 351 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:02,840 baptism. It's public obedience to God's 352 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:06,600 Word. It signals connection and 353 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:10,320 completeness. Salvation involves both faith 354 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:17,200 and an outward act of obedience. Joel 225 He said, I will 355 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:20,720 restore, and you shall eat in plenty. 356 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:27,120 Hosea 6 and 1. He has torn and He will heal us. 357 00:27:27,680 --> 00:27:33,800 Psalm 5112 restored to me the joy of my salvation, and uphold 358 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:38,880 me with Thy free spirit. Jeremiah 31 and three, I have 359 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:43,560 loved you with an everlasting love, and I will rebuild you 360 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:47,680 again. First, John 1:00 and 9:00, if we 361 00:27:47,680 --> 00:27:53,760 confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins. 362 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:08,600 Confession opens the opportunity for God's demonstration and is 363 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:10,400 connecting it there. It's adding to it. 364 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:14,880 It is not either or. We have to understand that in 365 00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:17,240 our walk with God today. The Bible is not either or. 366 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:21,520 It's and either or implies there's options. 367 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:24,400 Either or implies there's another way. 368 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:29,320 The Bible emphatically tells us that there is but one Lord, 1 369 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:33,360 faith, one baptism. I didn't write that word. 370 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:38,520 He wrote that word and it is our our option to obey that word. 371 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:41,880 But when we obey it and we confess our sins to him, the 372 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:49,080 Bible says he's faithful and he's just to forgive our sins. 373 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:52,360 Back to Romans 828. And it starts us off with it. 374 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,640 It's connecting us to something else that's already been said 375 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,760 before we can understand the and in this verse, we need to 376 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:01,800 understand its connection to the verses leading up to it. 377 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:06,840 Romans 8 and 26 says likewise. The Spirit also help with our 378 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,960 infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we 379 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:14,360 ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with 380 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:16,240 groanings that cannot be uttered. 381 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:21,560 And he that searches the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the 382 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,680 Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the Saints 383 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:29,640 according to the will of God. And then the next word is and, 384 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:34,480 and it's not replacing everything that was just said, 385 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:37,880 but the culmination of everything that was just said in 386 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:45,200 poetic fashion comes together in verse #28 And he says and, and 387 00:29:45,200 --> 00:29:48,400 by the use of and the apostle Paul is saying, in effect, that 388 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:51,160 what I'm about to say is not separate from what I just said. 389 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:55,360 All things are working together for the good to them that love 390 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,440 the God. And this is the assurance that 391 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:03,480 you can claim everything in a believer's life, everything in 392 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:06,880 your life, in my life, struggles, blessings, 393 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:11,440 uncertainty is actively cooperating under God's purpose. 394 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:20,000 In other words, the Greek word here for and functions like a 395 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:24,040 hinge connecting human experience, God's sovereignty 396 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:30,520 and the ultimate good, bridging what is with what could be so 397 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:35,680 that He writes and we know that all things work together for 398 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:41,240 good to them that love God. How do I know I love God? 399 00:30:41,520 --> 00:30:45,560 I demonstrate my love for God through my life with God, 400 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:49,160 through my worship to Him. If I'm demonstrating true 401 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:56,880 worship, I'm proving my love to Him and to them who are the 402 00:30:56,920 --> 00:31:02,600 called according to His purpose. God's will is divine. 403 00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:07,960 His purpose is Our Calling. His desire is our mission. 404 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:15,760 We seek after His purpose. There's a reason we seek after 405 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:20,600 His will. Because He knows how to protect 406 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:23,440 us from things we shouldn't be involved in. 407 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:30,080 And if we don't give Him permission to protect us, then 408 00:31:30,080 --> 00:31:38,600 we do our own thing, our own way, our own time, and then we 409 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:42,400 take credit for the success and we blame everybody else for the 410 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:48,880 failure. All of this leads us to the 411 00:31:48,880 --> 00:31:54,680 capstone of all the ands, and that takes us to Acts 238. 412 00:31:56,040 --> 00:32:01,160 Then Peter said unto them, repent, and y'all going to be 413 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:02,920 sick of the word. And before you leave here today, 414 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:10,720 repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus 415 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:15,760 Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the 416 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:19,360 gift of the Holy Ghost. I'll tell you today, repentance 417 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:26,360 is great, but it only happens internally and it's only the 418 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:31,000 start. The Bible does not tell us 419 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:44,040 repent and or be baptized. It doesn't tell us you might get 420 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:49,040 the Holy Ghost. It's very clear. 421 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:53,600 It's very purposeful. It's very black and white. 422 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,720 It's very easy to understand. There is no confusion here. 423 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:06,360 Repent first step. After you repent and we're tied 424 00:33:06,360 --> 00:33:09,640 together next to our course of action, be baptized. 425 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:16,560 It adds baptism to repentance. This joins a personal turning 426 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:22,960 from sin with public action, and then for the remission of sins 427 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,680 or the removal of sins, joins forgiveness with empowerment and 428 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:31,120 renewal. Just as Joel chapter 2, Acts 238 429 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:38,080 progressively builds on itself with each new statement without 430 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:40,080 contradicting the previous statement. 431 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,520 Instead, there's addition from one to the other. 432 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:48,120 Repent, change of heart, baptism, outward step of 433 00:33:48,120 --> 00:33:52,040 obedience and cleansing, remission of sin, spiritual 434 00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:55,920 restoration, receiving the Holy Ghost, empowerment to live new 435 00:33:55,920 --> 00:34:01,080 life. And even after you get to that 436 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:08,159 point, repent, baptize in Jesus name, you get the Holy Ghost 437 00:34:08,159 --> 00:34:09,600 even after you get to that point. 438 00:34:10,239 --> 00:34:12,760 Many people have made the mistake of just stopping. 439 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:17,679 That's good. Yes, that's so true. 440 00:34:17,679 --> 00:34:24,199 I have heard people say, I have heard people say, well, I got 441 00:34:24,199 --> 00:34:25,480 the Holy Ghost, I guess I'm ready. 442 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:30,320 And they sat on the church Pew, never did another thing that, 443 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:32,360 ladies and gentlemen, is not in the word of God. 444 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:38,040 Acts 238 is just the fulfillment of your birth certificate. 445 00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:43,560 I just became reborn. I just became a new creature. 446 00:34:44,159 --> 00:34:46,360 I just started living a new life. 447 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:50,560 So now I've got a lot to learn. That's why the Epistles was 448 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,320 written. Now I've got a lot to learn. 449 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:55,199 The epistles was not written to sinners. 450 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:58,680 They were written to save Holy Ghost filled church members. 451 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:03,600 So they guide us principally on the foundation of how we should 452 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:10,480 live as a Christian. So and takes us from sin to 453 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:13,640 salvation. I'm closing this morning. 454 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:17,040 Takes us from death to life. Takes us from guilt to 455 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:21,200 empowerment. The passages we discovered today 456 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:25,080 in Hosea, Isaiah, Psalms, and 1st John all find their 457 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:30,000 expression in Acts 238. Forgiveness and restoration, 458 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,520 Repentance and baptism. Sins remitted. 459 00:35:33,560 --> 00:35:39,440 Holy Ghost poured out. God can and God is willing to 460 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:47,840 work in your life through the and through the connector 461 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:54,920 because he wants to connect each of us to his Word. 462 00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:59,040 He wants to connect each of us to the idea and the fundamental 463 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:03,560 principle that my life as a Christian is not about what I do 464 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:10,280 on Sunday. Society, Christian society, 465 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:18,520 worships the idea of church day. Please don't misunderstand me. 466 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:21,360 I'm not detracting from the importance of church day. 467 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,080 Church day, church night matters. 468 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:31,360 But we cannot worship the idea of Sunday morning church or 469 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,440 Sunday night church or Wednesday night church as the 470 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:36,400 demonstration of our Christianity. 471 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:41,040 My label as a Christianism isn't about me coming to church. 472 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:47,640 It's about me following Him. It's about me being connected to 473 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,120 him. The and in the Scripture is 474 00:36:50,240 --> 00:36:53,840 bringing me closer to him is providing a bridge in a 475 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,680 connection between who I used to be and who I am now. 476 00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:04,080 So God can and God will stand with me this morning. 477 00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:11,680 Work in your life through the and to bring forgiveness to 478 00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:15,400 bring his spirit to bring his power to bring his purpose 479 00:37:17,240 --> 00:37:19,800 because God has a purpose for every individual. 480 00:37:19,800 --> 00:37:26,200 Amen. My purpose today, my purpose 481 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:28,960 today is not predicated on whether or not I have this 482 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:35,200 microphone Bishop, what I am doing for what I've been doing 483 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:40,680 for the last 30 minutes and 52 seconds isn't about it's not 484 00:37:40,680 --> 00:37:41,320 about this. That's right. 485 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:44,680 That's not the demonstration of who I am, right? 486 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:47,280 Right. The demonstration of who I am is 487 00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,720 when this is absent in my life, what does my worship look like? 488 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:54,840 What does my walk with God look like in the silence? 489 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,320 What does my walk with God look like? 490 00:37:57,320 --> 00:37:58,960 When I'm not asked to do something? 491 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:04,800 I'm not worshiping God because I'm being asked to do something. 492 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:06,640 I'm worshiping God for who he is. 493 00:38:08,680 --> 00:38:15,120 We walk with him. For him the game is heaven, the 494 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:22,280 reward is Jesus, and He connects us today through His power. 495 00:38:22,280 --> 00:38:25,560 Would you lift your hands to Him this morning and thank God for 496 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:28,400 His presence? Thank God for His connection. 497 00:38:28,400 --> 00:38:31,240 Thank God for His interest in our life today. 498 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:37,120 I'm glad He's interested in me. I don't understand why he's 499 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:40,240 interested in me, but I'm glad that He's interested in me 500 00:38:40,240 --> 00:38:42,280 today. I'm glad that He loves me. 501 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:46,400 I'm glad that every day when the sun rises from from this side of 502 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:50,240 the hemisphere that the Bible tells us that mercies are 503 00:38:50,240 --> 00:38:54,160 reborn. I'm glad today that I'm not what 504 00:38:54,160 --> 00:38:56,480 I used to be. I may not be what I want to be. 505 00:38:56,720 --> 00:39:00,040 I may not be what I need to be, but I'm so thankful today that 506 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:04,440 by His power and by His grace and by His authority, today, by 507 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:07,080 His word, I am not what I used to be. 508 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:10,600 God is able. Today. 509 00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:13,400 This altar is open. If you, if you need to pray this 510 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:16,240 morning, if you want to pray, if you want to draw closer to him 511 00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:19,280 today, that opportunity is extended to you this morning. 512 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:23,600 As we sing and as we worship, God's deliverance is found in 513 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:26,360 the and connection of our life. Today, let's worship.