Transcription
Good morning, [music] Central. Thank you for worshiping with us on this July 4th holiday weekend. Neighbors helping each other is a great American tradition.
[music] And our outreach department at Central has three great opportunities for [music] you to join us and help to pour the love of Jesus into our community. This Thursday, July [music] 9th, join us for 2 hours of packing meals for a local homeless ministry. It's [music] a lot of fun and great fellowship. And signing up is easy. Sign up by joining us at centralnc.org.
[music] The next Thursday, July 16th, we need dozens of you to [music] join us that evening here on our central campus to assemble over 9,000 prepackaged [music] meals. That's a lot of meals. So register your family ages seven and up to come serve with us. Later this month, July 23rd, [music] we need volunteers to organize supplies that will fill backpacks to be given out to families this [music] fall through the Salvation Army and several other ministries that Central partners with. We hope you'll join us for one of these events. Please register at centralnc.org and know that the Lord will bless you for volunteering.
Because of the holiday weekend, we won't have services this Wednesday, but Celebrate Recovery will continue to meet at the normal time. Come back on Wednesday, July 15th, [music] for the three remaining sessions of Walk Through the Bible. The series is titled Chiseled. It's a study on the life of Peter, [music] showing that in God's hands, anyone can be a masterpiece. Join us in the sanctuary [music] because Wednesday nights in July will not be live-streamed.
If you follow Jesus but have not been baptized in water, we encourage you to register for the water baptism class [music] on July 22nd. The class is required before you can be baptized. There's no cost [music] for the class. Sign up at centralnc.org.
Now, here's my friend Katherine Coltrren with some exciting events coming soon. Thanks, Sandy. All right, ladies. I [music] want to see each and every one of you on Tuesday, July 14th at our annual [music] summer social. It's so much fun. This year's theme is dinner and decopage. For $15, you get incredible [music] food, a super fun craft, and amazing fellowship. We've got free child care, and for those who [music] have kids that have just left for camp, you're going to be bored silly anyway and wondering what to do with your time. So sign up for dinner and decopage. [music] Tuesday, July 14th.
Prime Timers, tomorrow is your last chance to get tickets to the [music] Prime Timer movie matinee. That's this Saturday. We're going to enjoy the movie A Great [music] Awakening. It is so good. I've already seen it several times. Tickets are just $5 and we're going to have movie snacks [music] for you, too. Word down the street is that it's nachos this year. You know where to go. centralnc.org [music] or you can purchase your tickets in the lobby.
Thanks, Catherine. It's Family First Sunday [music] and Central Youth High School students can sign up for a visit to the quarry at [music] Carrian Farms on July 29th. The cost is $15 at centralnc.org for an afternoon of swimming, [music] sand volleyball, and great fellowship.
If you're like me, you might get home today and think, "What was that outreach thing I wanted to sign up for?" No problem. Just open your central app on your phone and in the lower right corner you'll see a button for the digital bulletin. [music] There you'll find all the details we've talked about today plus others we haven't had time to talk about. Thanks for joining me for worship today. Now let's begin our service.
>> Good morning. >> Isn't it great to be in the cool house of the Lord? Amen. And we Yeah. And we're hope you're enjoying a great holiday weekend celebrating Independence Day and we're glad you're here in the house of the Lord. We welcome you uh Lake Park Wilmington and all of the online viewers. We're glad you're here. Stand together if you would. And I I know we always have first timers understand we have an online viewer from Virginia somewhere out here. Thank you for coming.
[music] And uh so why don't you take a moment Central Church uh look around and uh welcome somebody that you haven't met. Okay. Thank you. Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, it's a privilege to approach the throne of grace in the name of Jesus Christ. [music] We thank you for this day. We thank you that you are in control. We thank you that you have the final say. You are the alpha and the omega. You're the author. You're the finisher of our faith. And what a good good God you are. So we bless your name today. We praise you. Uh we thank you for your kindness and your mercy. Uh we thank you for this great country [music] in which we live. As we prayed on on Monday evening at the prayer meeting, hundreds were here in this sanctuary. We prayed for our leaders. Leaders that you put in place by your sovereign hand. [music] We pray for the leaders of our nation, of our state, of our county, of this city. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray that you would use them to accomplish your plan. That you would lead them and guide them with wisdom from above. And as we prayed Monday, our greatest prayer is that they would know you with all of their heart. That they would serve you, live for you, and have a relationship with you.
Lord, I thank you for the sweet, sweet fellowship that we've enjoyed just a few moments ago. That's a lovely sound. And there is no sweeter fellowship than that of the body of Christ. We're brothers and sisters. [music] So we're so thankful today together with our brothers and sisters [music] and to worship you. But talk about fellowship, Lord. Sweet, sweet fellowship with you. We thank you that you're in this place today, Lord. Somebody who's walked in and feels all alone even in the midst of this great crowd. May they be reminded in your word. You say, "You will never leave us. You [music] will never forsake us. You're a friend who sticks closer than a brother. So may we enjoy sweet fellowship with you today as we sing, as we worship, these musicians play, as we pray, as we hear your word. All of it to your glory. To God be praised. In Jesus' name we pray. [music] Amen. Now let's enjoy worship. God is great. [music] Give him all the praise. Hallelujah. Name [singing] above all names. Fire in his eyes, healing in his veins. Everywhere his glory [music and singing] on display. Take a look at those stars. He can name them all before [music and singing] his throne. Every knee falls. The demons have to run. The [music] angels have to praise. Even the wind and waves [singing] obey our God.
>> He's an awesome [music] God. He reigns [singing] from heaven above with wisdom, [music] power, and love. Our God is an [singing] awesome God. >> Our God, our God, our God is an awesome God. [music and singing] He from heaven above wisdom, [singing] power, and love. [music] Our God is an awesome God. Even when I ran, he didn't run away. He came and put death [music] back in its place. Friday on [singing] the cross, broken from my shame. Sunday morning rose up from [music and singing] that grave. Take a look at those scars on his hands and feet. He saved our [singing] souls for eternity. Worthy is the [music] glory to the king. Oh, [singing] they're all the same. And the angels sing. Heat. Heat. [music] [singing] [music] >> [music] >> awesome [singing] awesome. [music and singing] [music] There will be a day. He will [singing] come and wipe our tears away. [music] No more fear, no more pain, no more sorrow [singing and music] set or shame. The king is coming back again. [singing] A reign that will never end. For everything you've done [music and singing] and everything you do and everything you are, I'll sing to you. My God, you're an awesome [singing] God. You're great. And all [music] you do are made to worship you. My [singing] God, you're an awesome God. What an awesome [singing and music] awesome God you are. No one like you. None beside you. God we worship you. Heat. Heat. [music and singing] [music] Heat. [music] [singing] [music] Heat. [music] [music and singing] >> [music] >> with an awesome [music and singing] God from heaven above the [singing and music] POWER [music] is awesome. Heat. [singing] Heat. [music] [singing] [music] HEAT. HEAT. [singing] [music and singing] >> [music] >> HEAT. HEAT. HEAT. [music] >> [singing] >> But it all goes. [music] [applause and music] Who thought [music] I'd find [singing] you at the lowest place? Who [music and singing] thought you'd feel me in the crowd? And who [music] knew [singing] you'd make good my mistakes? You're nothing [music and singing] like I thought you were. You're better. What a god. [singing] What a god. [music] Oh, what a [singing] god. What a god. [music] Oh, what a God. What a God. [music] >> Only who you are. >> What a God. [music and singing] What a God. >> What a God. What a God. I [music and singing] thought you chose for protection. Cuz what [singing] kind of God is for the lost? They say [music] it's over [singing] for the sinner, but you [music] say, "No, it's not." [singing] No, it's not. You say, "No, it's not. [music and singing] No, it's not. [music] [singing] What a god. What [music] a god. [music and singing] What a god. What a god. [music] What a god. >> What a mighty [singing and music] God you are. God. The mighty God is all my everything. Oh God. [music] If the highest [singing] place I reaches at your feet, then I've done it all. If the [singing] best thing that I've seen is your glory, then I've seen it all. Your [music and singing] love has changed my life. Forever satisfied. [music and singing] God, you are my everything. [music] The highest place I [singing] reaches at your feet. Then I've done [music] it all. The best thing [singing] that I've seen is your glory. [music] Then I've seen it all. [singing] Your love has changed my life forever. Heat. Heat. Heat. [singing and music] [music] Yeah. Heat. [music] [singing] [music] Yeah. Heat. [music] [music] >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. [music] [music] [singing] HEAT. HEAT. [music] [music] [singing] >> [music] >> IN THE HIGHEST PLACE I REACHES at your feet. THEY HAVE DONE IT ALL. THE BEST THING [music] that I [singing] see is your glory. Your [music] love has changed my life forever. [music and singing] Heat. Heat. [music] [singing] Yeah. HEAT. [music and singing] >> [music] >> Heat up here. [music] [music] [applause] >> [applause and music] >> The ver and [singing] crown of thorn and thistle. The king [music] of Jews was found on a cross blooded [singing] and broken crimson [music] river flowing down. Darkness [singing] fell upon Goltha. Tortured [music] body wrapped and shroud. Our Messiah laid beneath [singing] the ground. Every curse upon his shoulders [music] with our city was adorned. Perfect lamb [singing] led to the slaughter as a ransom [music] for our souls. One last act [singing] and it was finished. Power of sin and [music] veil were torn. On this cross was our victory won. By his love he would [singing] overcome. Long [music and singing] live the king. The wrath of God. Amen. [music and singing] Now satisfied. Long [music and singing] live the king. Once and [music and singing] once for all he paid the price and the [singing] die. Now every sin and sickness bows [music and singing] me. And I can't help but [music and singing] lift my hands and sing long. [music] Then within the [music and singing] bounds of Hades a trembling was made. The very breath of [singing and music] God descended which death itself could not enslave. The exodus [music] of ancient sinners must in triumph. [singing] Finally, hell had been overcome [singing] by Jesus [music] Christ, the anointed [singing] one. Long live [music] the king. The son of [music] God is proud with [singing] many crowns. [music] Long live the [singing] king. Heaven darkness [music and singing] be [music] the soul [singing] of every sinner now redeemed. I can't help [music] but [singing] see the king. [music] [music and singing] [music] Glor [music] [music] in the early morning hours. God's spirit [music] filled the grave, breathing life into [singing] the body of the lamb who had been slain. Resurrecting like [music] a [singing] light as the stone was roll away. Jesus Christ [singing] now glory [music] [singing] our redeemer. Yeah. Heat. [music] [singing] Heat. Heat. [music] [singing] [music and singing] Hey [music] [music and singing] creation [music] [singing] I can't [music] help but lift my Heat. Heat. [singing] [music] Yeah. [music] Heat. [music and singing] [music] [singing] Yeah. Heat. [music] [music and singing] Heat. Heat. [music] [music] >> [music] [applause] >> I [singing] was a catch. I remember [music] who I was. I was lost. [singing] I was blind. I was running out of time. Sin separated. [singing] The breach [music] was far too wide. But from the far [singing] side of the chasm, [music] you held me in your sight. So you made a [singing and music] way across the great divide. Left behind heaven's throne to build it here inside. [singing] And there at the cross, you paid [music] the debt I owed. Broke my chains, [singing] freed my soul. For the first [music] time I had hope. Thank you [singing] Jesus for the blood [music] of life. Thank [singing] you Jesus. [music] It has washed me white. Thank [music and singing] you Jesus. You have saved my life. brought me [singing] from the darkness [music] into glorious light. [music] So you took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin. [music] You were [singing] buried for three days, but then you walked [music] right out again. And now death has no sting, [music] knowing that life [singing] has no end. For I have been [music] transformed by the blood of lamb. [singing] Thank [music] you Jesus for the [music and singing] Thank you Jesus who has [singing] washed me. Thank [music] you Jesus. You have saved [singing] my life [music] from the darkness into glorious light. [singing] There is [music] nothing stronger than the wondering [singing] power of [music] the blood. Love [singing] [music] the calls of [singing] sons and daughters. We are by our father through love. [music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [music] [singing] Heat. [music] [singing] [music] [singing] Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Thank you Jesus. [music] [music] [singing] Thank [music] you Jesus. [singing] You have saved my life. You brought me [singing and music] from the darkness into glorious light. Glory [singing] to his name. Sing this with us. Gloryy [singing] to his [music] name. There [singing and music] to my heart was the blood of [singing] life. Glory [music] to his [singing] name. [applause] >> [applause and music] >> I won't be Take it. I won't be moved. My God is faithful. [singing] [music] His promise is true. So I'll speak to the mountains. Oh, it's time to move. [music] My [music and singing] God is big, better, stronger, greater than you. >> [cheering] [music] >> Why would I worry when giants stop calling my name? My God [music and singing] is so much bigger than troubles I face. Why would I [music and singing] hunger for power or riches or faith? >> [music] >> My [singing] God is so much better than all of these things. [music] I won't be shen. [singing] I won't be [music] moved. [singing] My God [music] is faithful. [singing] His promise is true. So [music and singing] I uses Oh, it's [music] time to move. My God [music and singing] is bigger and stronger, ger. Oh yes. My enemy [music and singing] scatter cuz they know the battle is gone. Oh my [music] God is stronger. The victories already won. Thank you, Lord. Oh, he [music] died for my [singing] race and rose up on the third day. Oh yeah. My God [music] is ger [singing] [music] I [music] [singing] God is his promise is true [music] Oh yes. I speak [singing] to the mountain. [music] Oh my god. [music] [music] There's no [music and singing] mountain to hide, no to. There's no [singing] fear that I have. He doesn't [music] already know. There's no [singing] problem to me. There's no weapon too strong. There is [music] nothing more. There's no mountain to [music and singing] no. There's no fear that I have. [singing] There's no problem [music] to me. There's no [singing] weapon too strong. There is [music] nothing for God in [singing] my [music] [singing] [music] room. [music] >> [singing] [music] [singing] >> Oh my [music] god. >> Holy. [music] Yes, he is. >> My God [singing] is >> rightous. Yes, he is. [music] >> My God is >> faithful. [singing] Yes, he is. Yes, he gives you. [music] >> My God is >> faithful. Oh, [singing] gracious. >> My God is bigger. [music] >> Oh, yes, he is. >> My God is better. >> He's so much better. >> My [music and singing] God is stronger. >> Stronger. [music and singing] >> Yes, he is. Heat. HEAT. [music] [music] HEAT. [music] [music] HEAT. [cheering] [applause] HALLELUJAH. [applause] I don't mind telling you I'm having a meltdown this morning. I was sitting there listening and I was just I was melting. I'm so glad I'm saved. I I I I praise God from the depths of my soul. >> That when I was lost, he found me. >> I know this is the way preachers do it. I I'm a preacher. >> When I was blind >> and did not know where to go, the Lord found me. >> I was dead, the Lord raised me. I was lost, the Lord found me. I'm having a meltdown this morning. I'm on my way to heaven. >> BEFORE I GET THERE, I'M IN HEAVEN RIGHT HERE. Praise God. I want to thank the Lord today for his mercy, his kindness to this nation. You know, our enemies are always poised and ready to attack us. And I will tell you and I mean what I'm saying. It's not our intelligence and it's not our military and it's not our police or anything else that's kept this nation safe. >> It is the hand of Almighty God extending mercy to us. [applause] And he is showing his mercy to this nation. Oh that we would redeem the time. Oh that a revival would come to churches. That men and women would fall on their fe face at his feet and realize they have all they need in Jesus Christ. >> Praise God. Somebody say amen before I do this. Whoever is in the back, show me that photo if you would please. I want you to see our high school group that went to camp. And this this is important to me. We show these pictures because you need to see what God is raising up out of this church. You need to see what you're supporting. These are young men and women in the formative years of their life learning what really matters in life. And you've got scores of workers who are there to counsel them and guide them. They heard the gospel. They sang the gospel. And this church has made it possible for these young men and women to go. And I thank all the volunteers, Doug, Pastor Doug and Amy, for your commitment and hard work. And I think week after next the I forget the age you the middle school will go off and that'll require a lot more prayer and volunteers. But uh for those people I'll comment on this later who think uh Pentecostals just sit around and wait on the rapture of the church and do nothing. You're you're that's such a silly silly accusation. [music] This is the busiest church I've ever seen in my life. I don't know half the stuff that goes on. Hey, I'm not just sitting around waiting on the Lord to come back. I'm working while it is yet day because the night is coming when no man can work. So, I thank you and I bless you and all the workers and all the young people who were involved in that. May God continue to do a great thing in their hearts.
Now, Father, we've come to this portion of the service. It's time to hear your word. I can never thank you enough for the richness of the music prayed over spiritfilled [music] music and these extraordinary musicians. Now, Lord, our hearts are ready to hear something from you. And my desire, my soul cries out that we all be changed today that we go out of here challenged and hungry for Jesus. So hungry that we will seek you as we have not in the past. In the name of Christ our Lord, I pray. Amen. Everybody said, "Amen." >> Amen. And you can be seated if you wish. I I pray for for permission to to do a little building this morning if that's okay. Last Sunday I took you to Revelation chapter 17. And in that chapter, we saw God's perspective of man-made religion and man-made government. I'll just read to you again what John said. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. There's that word. And on her forehead a name was written mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots, and of the abominations of the earth. And I did my best to explain to you that God sees any type of mixture or association or dependence on the church for something from the government as spiritual adultery. In fact, the Lord said to Israel way back in Ezekiel chapter 16, he said, "Because of your union with the nations, you have played the harlot." So, that term is throughout the Bible. It's a a derogatory um word of of sexual immorality that God simply despises. I also mentioned last week the emperor Constantine how that when he came to the throne his desire was to make Christianity the state religion and I made the statement that commentators have said that's one of the worst decisions any government official has ever made because we are still dealing with the effects of it today. What I didn't say last week, but I'm saying now is that because the emperor tried to do that, it spawned the Catholic Church in all of the purple and scarlet and gold and precious stones and pearls. all of the money that's spent on the frocks and the frivolous religious activity, dead works. And then the Roman Catholic Church and the emperor tried to work it out. It just didn't work. The Catholic Church became more and more powerful. And then the Catholic Church split. Then there was the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Catholic Church. Rome was the headquarters in the west and Constantinople the headquarters in the east. And it just got worse because uh from these dead religions, the tentacles of dead religion began to spread across Europe and Asia. So you now have the Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox with all of its dead works, all of the religiosity, the controlling power of religion over people, intimidation. Um the money is at the top, the people that give it suffer at the bottom. In those churches, you could buy a bishop's position, buying and selling power in the church. And it's gone on since all of that started. Uh, you even come to England. Now, the Church of England and King Charles III, I think it's interesting. I looked this up. King Charles is literally and factually called the supreme governor of the Church of England. That's part of his title. And one of his jobs is called the defender of the faith. But he decided to change all of that in recent times. And he wants to be referred to as the defender of all faiths. Everybody look at me please. We are moving steadily towards an antichrist. Governments and religions are becoming more and more inclusive and tolerant of one another so that they will never truly mix but they will truly cooperate. That's just the way it is. That's what religion is. It's dead people relying on dead works. and dead works keeping dead people dead. >> And so you end up with icons. Now, let me say this. Let me say this. You may be thinking, why would you be preaching this kind of stuff in a spiritfilled church like this? I will tell you why. Because we have a vast and growing audience watching us right now all over this world. Many of these people have never been taught what I'm teaching right now. Many of them have never heard the full evangelical gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are tied to and tied down by religion. Dead religion. religion that has icons, images, incense, relics, statues, and on and on and on. And people sincerely believe that if they can burn a candle for somebody, it could get somebody out of purgatory. or if if they could pay some amount of money, it could get someone out of purgatory. So, they uh burn and they buy and they worship and they build and it's all dead. Lost people doing dead things. That's what religion does. And by the way, the Church of England is a mixture of Catholicism and reformed theology. It gets closer and closer to home. You see, that's what religion does. But this is what nations do. Nations do the very same thing. They build stuff to honor, to worship. So the water recedes in the days of Noah, and the ark rests, and off of that ark come Noah and his wife, and Shim, Ham, and Japheth, his sons. And his son, the Bible says, Ham had a son named Kush. And Kush had a son. I'm sorry. Had Yeah, he did. He had a son. And his name was Nimrod. So now we're in the to the grandchildren and greatgrandchildren stage after Noah leaves the ark and Nimrod became a mighty hunter and a mighty man and a mighty builder. And the Bible says that he and his people said, "Come, let us build a city that we may be remembered. Come, let us build a tower that reaches into the heavens that we may have a name and be remembered. And that's the beginning of all of this where nations build things to be remembered. Every nation has built something. Uh France has the Eiffel Tower. Uh uh Great Britain has the parliament, India has the Taj Mahal. I guess I could go on and on, but it it's not necessary. All you have to do is come to this country and look around. This country, we do it. You know, uh Nimrod built all of this. It became anti- good. It became pagan. And and that's why we have all the pagan religions today because it's about a place, a thing instead of the true and the living God. So in religious history, you read about ziggurats that have been built and terraces. They find them in Mexico. They find them all over the world. And it's where people would go and worship the creation rather than the creator. We do the same thing in this country. If you go out to South Dakota to Mount Rushmore, you can you can see the faces of four men carved into a mountain. And millions go there every year just to look at it. I did. We did. We went, didn't we? Oh, and I just looked at it and said, "Okay." One, two, three, four. Okay. I paid all that money to see that. Whatever. You can come on back home. You can come to Washington and you can go to the Lincoln Memorial. It's huge and it's marble and granite and it's it's just a piece of rock and it's the image of a man. Yeah. A great man, but it's the image of a man. All you got to do. Am I upsetting people now? I feel a little Oh, I can tell. I've been doing this a long time. I know where it's coming from. You think I'm not being patriotic. I just told you I love this country. I pray for this country. I called hundreds of people here Monday night to pray for this country. It's the greatest country in the history of the world. But I am not blind. I will not ever cease from declaring that the judgment of God is going to fall on this country >> one day. This country will not be because God in his mercy has stayed his judgment. And we're living in that that brief time. God is giving us a chance. But I'm not going to overlook stuff because of patriotism. First of all, I'm a Christian. >> I don't want to preach that whole message again. I don't need to preach it again because if you question that, you your heart's not in the right place. All you got to do is come to Washington or go to Washington and there's the Washington Monument. 555 ft of marble and um granite. 555 ft straight up in the air. Or you could just go down the street a little ways to the harbor and you see this 305 foot copper bronze statue of a woman holding a torch. They call her Lady Liberty. And it is so moving to people. I've watched the documentaries like you have when immigrants are coming from other oppressive nations and they finally get into the harbor and they see her. There's documented evidence that they they cry, they weep, they hug one another, they take their caps off, they wave it at her while they're weeping because they've come to a free country and they believe liberty is here and and the old way of life is gone. only to find out when they get here that wicked people try to control them and wicked people oppress them here. I'm not going to go into a real evangelistic spiel right here, but I'll tell you this. There is no liberty in a piece of bronze. >> There is no freedom in a statue. >> The freedom comes when those people get off the boats. The freedom comes when people tune in and they hear that the only way to be liberated, >> the only freedom there is is in a risen Jesus Christ. AND AND IF THE SON MAKES YOU FREE, you are free indeed. YOU UH YOU ARE NOT FREE BECAUSE YOU CHANGE COUNTRIES. YOU ARE NOT FREE BECAUSE YOU GET TO START A business now. YOU ARE NOT FREE BECAUSE YOU HAVE INCOME. YOU ARE ONLY FREE WHEN YOU SMITE YOUR BREAST AND YOU SAY, "GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER." AND THAT WHICH [screaming] WAS BOUND UP, GOD WILL RELEASE. AND THOSE THAT ARE TIED UP IN THEIR SINS, GOD CAN CUT THE CORDS. GOD CAN SET THE CAPTIVE FREE. >> That's what nations do. But God said, "I'm not going to put up with this." So God reached way down into a country of the Calaldanss and he put his hand on a man named Abraham who was a pagan idol worshipper. He was as pagan as anybody and he worshiped all the gods that other other nations worshiped. God said, "No, I'm pulling you out of this. I want you to leave family, friends, country, everything. I'm starting a new nation. >> And this new nation, I will not allow to worship the creation and build stuff and be proud OF ITSELF. THIS NEW NATION WILL KNOW ME, WALK WITH ME, UNDERSTAND ME. I WILL BE THEIR GOD AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE. >> THERE WILL BE NO MIDDLEMEN. YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY MONEY. YOU WON'T HAVE TO LIGHT ANY CANDLES. YOU WON'T HAVE TO GO TO A CERTAIN PLACE. I'LL BE WITH YOU EVERYWHERE. I AM A SPIRIT. AND WHEN YOU WORSHIP ME, YOU CAN WORSHIP ME IN THE SPIRIT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD ANYTHING IN YOUR HAND. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIGHT ANYTHING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT CALL ON THE NAME OF THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD AND I WILL BE WITH YOU. And so he brings them out after all these years by Moses to the foot of Si and he calls Moses up onto the mountain. And God covers Moses in thick darkness. And God speaks to Moses and gives him the Ten Commandments. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. What does that mean? Because whatever it meant to Moses, then it means to me right now. You shall have no other gods before me or beside me or behind me. I am the only God you are to ever have. You are not to construct anything, imagine anything, design anything that even attempts to reach me or represent me OR REPLACE ME. YOU CAN'T KNOW WHO I am. YOU CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT I LOOK LIKE. Don't make an image. That's the second one. No one else is to be worshiped. Nothing else is to be worshiped. And you are to worship me nakedly, purely without any help, without anything to touch, without any aids. YOU CAN BE BY YOURSELF >> AND I WILL TOUCH YOU, COMMUNE WITH YOU, SPEAK WITH YOU. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING BUT LOOK UP AND BELIEVE. And while he was giving them that, and of course you know there are eight more, Moses goes down and the children of Israel have fashioned for themselves a calf out of gold. And they have taken their clothes off and they are dancing in the nude. and committing adultery. AND THEY ARE DRUNK AND THEY ARE GLUTTON. AND THEY MOSES AND JOSHUA HEAR THEM SAYING, "THESE BE YOUR GODS, O ISRAEL. THEY DELIVERED YOU OUT of Egypt." Because it's in the heart of man to worship something. They didn't even have the fullness of the knowledge of the God that was speaking to their leader on the mountain yet, but they were worshiping something. That's what people do. They worship something. I turn over to Romans chapter 1. Listen to these words. For since the creation of the world, God's invisible attributes are clearly seen. >> I don't have time to do all this. Lord, help me. God says everybody can know there's a God just by looking around, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead. Here it is. Here it is. So that they are without excuse. >> THERE ARE NO EXCUSES FROM ANY human beings about their knowledge of God. Because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became feutal in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image, made like corruptible man and birds and for-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore, God gave them up to uncleanness. That's as plain as you can make it. Paul is saying and [clears throat] you know uh nations are known for certain images that they project when you go to a Chinese restaurant you expect to see dragons right anything to do with Japan and I don't mean to be offensive because this is very elementary please don't be upset with me it has to do with the sun um India you don't know they have thousands thousands and thousands of gods in [snorts] different caricatures. You just don't know. This is what the Bible says men would do when they don't know the true and the living God. I want to read to you from Yeah, I'm going all the way back to Deuteronomy chapter 4. See, I preach the whole Bible. >> The whole Bible. Deuteronomy chapter 4. Listen carefully. God said, "Take heed to yourselves, [clears throat] for you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire." You know what that means? Now listen again. Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form. You didn't see a person. You didn't see a thing. You didn't see anything identifiable. I spoke to you out of the fire and the cloud, but I spoke to you as a spirit. Be careful lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a [clears throat] carved image in the form of any figure the likeness of male or female. And that goes for Mother Mary. the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them. He said, "Be careful. You don't worship any animal. You don't worship any person. You don't look up and see the constellations, the sun, the moon, the stars, and worship them." You don't do that. That's the creation. I let you worship me, the creator. Him and only him shall you serve. only him. Now, I want to call your attention once again to the Old Testament. There's a little history lesson here. Bear with me, please. Israel had backsliden so badly and so far. It's beyond me how this happens because I just read you to you Deuteronomy and now I'm in second Kings and Israel has become so paganized that they're they have assimilated in assimilated into the cultures of all the pagans around them. They have adopted all of their worship practices and they have adored all their gods. But God has a way of bringing a revival at the right time. And so in the 18th chapter, the Bible says that God raised up Hezekiah. I'm going to the fourth verse. Hezekiah was so disturbed by what he sees Israel doing. The Bible says he removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars. That means he went in and he had a fit and he started tearing things down that were built to other gods. And he cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made. For until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and they called it Nahushan. You got to hear this, church. Do you remember when the children of Israel were disobedient in the wilderness? And God sent snakes to bite them and scorpions to sting them. And Moses pleaded with God. And Moses uh said to God, "We can't take this. We're going to die." And God said, "Moses, I want you to fashion a bronze or brass serpent. Put it on a pole. Put it up. and whoever looks on that serpent will live. That was for that time. That was for that event. And God did what he said and people were healed and lives were spared. BUT WHAT DID ISRAEL DO? THEY WORSHIPED IT. THEY MADE AN ICON OUT OF IT. THEY DECIDED THIS THING IS SOMETHING WE CAN RALLY AROUND. AND SO HE FINALLY FOUND THIS THING. THIS, YOU KNOW WHAT MEANS IN HEBREW? IT MEANS IT'S JUST BRASS. THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS. IT'S JUST BRASS. Moses was saying, "Are you are you kidding me?" Or I should say Hezekiah was saying, "Are you kidding me? You're worshiping BRASS? IT'S JUST BRASS. WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE? YOU'RE WORSHIPING METAL. IT HAS NO POWER. GOD USED IT, BUT GOD WAS THROUGH WITH IT. NOW YOU'RE WORSHIPING IT. And he pulverized it and said, "No more." You know what? You remember that account where Satan argued with Michael about the body of Moses? Do you know why Satan wanted the body of Moses? So he could take it into Jerusalem and the people could see it and they would build a mausoleum or a suppler and they would to this day be worshiping the body of Moses. God said, "No sir, God took Moses away." Of course, we know where he took him away. He took him to heaven because he showed up on the mount of transfiguration with Jesus Christ. It's just the tendency of Israel and the tendency of people to put something in the place of the true and living God. I I need to I need to keep on with this. He trusted in the Lord with all of his heart. He prospered wherever he went. Listen to this thing that Hezekiah did. He got to the temple one day and he said, "I can't believe what I'm seeing. This is the temple of the holy God, the only true God." You know what he found? He couldn't even get in the temple because in the vestibule of the temple was nothing but city trash. The people had turned the holy temple of God into a warehouse. Things they couldn't get in their homes. Like I said this morning, some of you got stuff you can't get in the house, so you rent a place to store your stuff. That's exactly what Israel decided to do with the temple of God. We can't put this here, honey. Well, then take it down to the temple. Put it in the back of the sanctuary. And then in the mornings, the wife would say, "Honey, this trash is full. You got to take this down to the dump to the brook kiddron. That's where the city dump was. And you had to pass by the temple to get to the city dump. So if it's raining, it's cold or what if if if it's inconvenient, the husband's walking with two bags of trash saying, "I hate doing this. This is a woman's job to start with and she's got me doing it." And he said, "Well, there's the temple right there." and just sling it over in the vestibule of the temple. Are you hearing me, church? >> That's what Hezekiah found. And he said, "This cannot be." He called all the Levites and all the priests, hundreds of them. He said, "God's house will be cleaned up. Start right now." And so he sanctified them. Listen to this. It took hundreds of people eight days to clean out the lobby of the temple. Listen to this. It took them eight more days, 16 and all, to clean the rubbish out of the worship part of the temple. Did you hear me? 16 days, hundreds of people cleaning it out because [clears throat] Israel had forgotten who God is and the importance of the temple. Should I preach here? >> This disturbs me greatly because I realize that I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. This disturbs me as a pastor because I realize this body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. If I don't mind God's business and if I start letting rubbish, trash, false doctrine, worldliness into this place, it's only a matter of time before the spirit of God will depart. You won't be able to come in and feel this powerful thing. >> Did you feel it this morning? >> That's right. >> But I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. How easy is it for me to say, "I'm too tired this morning. I'm not going to read and pray today." And when I don't, something accumulates in my heart. You see, the only way to stay clean, to keep the temple clean, is to have it washed with the water of the word, >> the Bible, >> the only way to keep your heart right with God is to fill yourself with the word of God >> and lay in the presence of God. And the very reason that so many people are uncomfortable with strong Bible preaching and spiritfilled worship is because there's so much rubbish and trash in the foyer of their heart. So much stuff they have to deal with in their life that when the Holy Spirit moves and conviction begins to sting, they just don't want to deal with it. BUT HEZEKIAH SAID, "YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. THERE'S NO CHOICE. YOU'VE BEEN BOUGHT. YOU'VE BEEN CHOSEN. YOU CAN'T LIVE YOUR LIFE THIS WAY. YOU CAN'T BE A SUNDAY MORNING WEEKEND WARRIOR. YOU GOT TO WALK OUT OF HERE TODAY AND LIVE LIKE JESUS COULD COME AT ANY MOMENT. YOU'VE GOT TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD, FILLED WITH THE [screaming] WORD OF GOD every day of your life because things can just gradually accumulate. WHO HEARD WHAT I JUST PREACHED. >> So Hezekiah cleaned up things. Watch this. He died. His son Manasseh took over. I'm going to read what the Bible says. And Manasseh did evil in the sight of the Lord. according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. He raised up altars for Baal and made a wooden image as Ahab did. And he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. That means he was worshiping the sun, the moon, the stars, and all of the pagan goddesses and gods that went along with that. And he built altars for all the host of heaven, sun, moon, and stars. Also, he made his This This is awful. Also, he made his son pass through the fire. You know what that means? The god Molech, [snorts] a pagan god, required that some families put their babies on a blistering altar. They died in the fire. That's how far Israel had backsliden. And this fool did the same thing to his own son. And he practiced soothsaying and witchcraft and consulted spirits and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord. But then he died and his son came to the throne. And here's what it said. He did [clears throat] evil in the sight of the Lord. He walked in all the ways that his father had walked. And he served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. He forsook the Lord God of his fathers and did not walk in the way of the Lord. Now [snorts] listen to this preacher. From the time Hezekiah died, Hezekiah cleaned it up, but from the time he died till the time God sent another revival was only 46 years. Listen to this. Josiah came to the throne. Josiah repaired the temple again. Josiah said to his spiritual people, "What's wrong with this nation?" And a guy by the name of uh Hilkaya said, "I'll tell you, king. I'll be back and I'll show you what's wrong." He was gone for a while. He went down to the temple. He rummaged through all the trash, went to the back of the worship center, and found the Bible. He came back to the king and handed it to him and said, "This is what's wrong, oh king. The people have not heard this word in
46 years. They do not know the word. They do not know the law. That it has been hidden from them. And that's why they are in that condition."
And Josiah said, "Bring it to me." And he started reading it and he started weeping. And then he said, "Now go read this to all of the people." And all the people heard it, and all the people wept, and the Bible says, "Then he removed the idolatrous priests, and he brought out the wooden image from the house of the Lord, and he ground it to ashes, and he tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons."
You won't believe this, but the temple was so disrespected that they actually had booths in the temple for prostitution and for homosexual activity, even sodomy. It was going on in the temple. And people wondered why they were being oppressed by their enemies. Couldn't win a war. Their crops wouldn't produce anything. They were empty in their soul when they found out from the word of God what was wrong and cleaned it out.
AND JOSIAH SAID, "NOW we are fit to celebrate the Passover and remember the blood and remember our deliverer God and remember the law of Moses. Revival came again." But listen to this. Only 46 years passed between revivals. I'm standing here today as a man that's got only a little bit left in front of me of life. As a pastor STANDING BEFORE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, MANY OF THEM ARE YOUNG. I DO NOT WANT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TO BE IN A CHURCH WHERE THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS QUENCHED, WHERE THE WORD OF [screaming] GOD IS NOT PREACHED. I DON'T WANT THEM TO GROW UP NOT KNOWING THE POWER OF GOD, THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD. I WANT THEM TO KNOW WHAT PENTECOSTAL POWER IS ALL ABOUT AND WHAT SERVING THE LORD IS ALL ABOUT. [applause]
I'm about to finish. So Jesus sat with a woman on a whale one day. John chapter 4. And he got in a conversation. This is important. Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the father. You know what he's saying? God's not in a place. God is a person. You worship what you DO NOT KNOW. WHAT A SAD INDICTMENT. MOST PEOPLE IN DEAD CHURCHES ARE WORSHIPING WHAT THEY DO NOT KNOW. We know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming and now is when the true worshippers, true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and in truth. There's your trinity right there. Father, spirit, son, the truth. For the father is seeking such to worship him. GOD IS A SPIRIT, AND they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
>> Let me just say it one MORE TIME. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIGHT A CANDLE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO JERUSALEM OR ROME OR TULSA. YOU DON'T HAVE TO RUB SOMETHING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO TO A PRIEST. YOU ALREADY HAVE A GREAT HIGH PRIEST. HE'S ALREADY PAID THE PRICE. ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD, WORSHIP the true AND THE LIVING GOD. HALLELUJAH. THE CHURCH OUGHT TO PRAISE HIM THIS MORNING. [applause]
>> HALLELUJAH.
>> WELL, I'm going to go ahead and finish.
>> I don't want to,
>> but I'm going to preach what I listen to this. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, Paul's writing to the Thessalonians who were pagan worshippers, as pagan as you could possibly be. They worshiped them all. BUT WHEN PAUL WALKED INTO town and SAID, "LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A MAN NAMED JESUS."
>> OH, I felt an oldfashioned streak run up my spine right then. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A MAN NAMED JESUS. HE'S THE SON OF GOD. HE DIED ON A CROSS.
>> HE ROSE UP ON THE THIRD DAY.
>> HE CAN SAVE TO THE UTTERMOST ANYBODY WHO CALLS ON HIM BY FAITH.
>> And then Paul said, "And the whole world's talking about this, how readily you received us. You just said, "Is that the truth?" Then we want it. Come and preach to us some more. Paul said, "You gave us a great entrance into your midst." And the whole world's talking about how you turned to God from idols. You were done with your man-made stuff, with your pictures of animals, with all of your statues. You said, "If that God loves me enough, if that God would send his son and die for me, if that son rose from the dead, I don't need ANY MORE IDOLS. I DON'T NEED RELIGION. I JUST NEED TO WALK and talk with a risen Jesus Christ every day of my life. I don't have to know what he looks like. I don't have to TRIGGER FIGURE OUT HOW TALL HE IS. All I need TO DO IS CALL ON HIS NAME." BECAUSE IF I CALL ON HIS NAME, HE SAID HE WOULD COME AND ANSWER MY PRAYER. I CALL [screaming] ON THE TRUE AND THE LIVING GOD. HERE IT IS.
And to serve the living and true God. You see, you know you're saved if you're serving.
>> Uh-oh.
>> You're saved if you're serving. No spiritfilled Christian can sit and do nothing.
>> [laughter]
>> I didn't think that would go over too well. Nobody who's had their temple cleaned can sit and do nothing.
>> No, he said you've turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven, even Jesus whom he raised from the dead. So, we're just doing what the Bible says. We turn to God and we're serving. But while we're serving, we're waiting. Every day I get up, I say, I gotta work for the Lord today. Privileged to work with Christ, but he could come today. So, Lord, I'm gonna serve and wait at the same time. I'M GONNA DO EVERYTHING I CAN DO, BUT I'm waiting on you to come back who delivers us from the wrath to come.
I'M GOING TO CLOSE, BUT I'M GOING TO CLOSE with a loud note right here, folks. We're headed towards that time when the wrath of God is going to be poured out on this old earth. I JUST TOLD YOU A WHILE AGO, GOD'S BEEN merciful to this nation, but there will be a time when God will say, "That is enough." And he's going to say it to every nation in the world. AND HE'S GOING TO CALL HIS CHURCH OUT. AND WE'RE GOING TO ESCAPE WHAT'S COMING. What's coming? HE'S GOING TO OPEN SEVEN SEALS. And war is going to break out. And earthquakes are going to change the face of the earth. And water is going to turn to blood. AND SUPERNATURAL SCORPIONS ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF the earth AND IT'S GOING TO GET SO HOT MEN WILL DIE BUT THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO DIE. THEY WILL BEG FOR DEATH but will not be able to die. Horses are coming FROM EVERY DIRECTION. WARRIORS ARE COMING, FOLKS. We're in for a They are IN FOR A BAD TIME. [applause] BUT WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED FROM THE WRATH THAT IS COMING BY THE BLOOD [screaming] OF THE RISEN SON OF GOD. [applause] THE WHOLE CHURCH OUGHT TO BE SHOUTING THIS MORNING. [applause]
Stand with me.
>> [snorts]
>> If you're not right with God, I strongly suggest you get right with God. Because when the trumpet sounds and the church is gone, it's over. I personally don't believe that anybody who rejects Jesus now in this age of grace will accept him after the rapture. That's my personal belief from my study. If you can't believe on the Lord during the time of grace, what makes you think you can call on him when the church is gone? Today is the day of salvation. [music] Now, right now is the accepted time. All you have to do is say, "God, I'm a sinner. You're a [music] savior. forgive me of my sins. It's got to come from your heart. And then you got to get up and serve the Lord. Live like it. Walk away from the world. That's a sign that you've been [music] saved.
But for the remainder of us, [clears throat] my prayer has been all week long. I'll say it again. I knew last Sunday morning when the Lord impressed me to call a prayer meeting for last Monday night, I knew it was going to be on. I knew the devil was going to fight with everything he had against me. It's been a rough week. Oh, I'm victorious.
>> Every step I've taken has been victorious.
>> [clears throat]
>> But my prayer is that everybody will take this book and do some self-examination. Check Check your temple. See if you can find any rubbish in your temple. See if there's any garbage that's just been thrown carelessly and thoughtlessly into the temple. There's only one way to get it out. You need to be washed with the water of the word. And I promise you, because I'm an expert at it, that moment when you feel the water wash it all out, the forgiving [music] cleansing power of Jesus takes over again, you'll say, "This is life. This is life more abundant.
>> So here I am to [music and singing] worship. Here I am to bow down. Here [singing] I am [music] to say that you're my God. You're all together [singing and music] lovely, all together worthy, all together wonderful. [singing and music]
>> Everybody this time now.
>> Here I [singing] am to [music] worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I [singing and music] am to say that you're my God. You're all [music and singing] together lovely, all together worthy, [music and singing] all together wonderful [music] to me.
>> I love you, church. Sandra and I live to take care of this flock. May you go home and find yourself at the feet of Jesus, calling on him out of a pure heart. Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight. Oh Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen. The whole church said, "Praise the Lord."
>> Praise the Lord.
>> See you next time.
>> [music]
>> There is nothing [singing] stronger than the wonder working power of the blood. The [singing] blood that calls [singing and music] us sons and daughters. We are ransom by our father through the [singing]