Bethel Sunday Morning Service August 25, 2019 Message by Micheal G. Lewis

[Music] there's nobody else I know [Music] Oh [Applause] [Music] [Music] just worship if notice worship Him music [Music] [Music] [Music] like you are [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] whoa ha [Music] Jehovah [Music] [Applause] [Music] somebody called him by his name this party say cheese somebody say cheese somebody said cheese somebody said Jesus somebody say Jesus I'm a name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that's his Lord of lords that's his King of Kings if you see him this morning lips you're handsome let's jam her see him this morning yes he's the Lord of law yes he is the king of kings hallelujah we worship you [Music] just lift our hands and give glory to God at this time [Music] the congregation to stand at this time praise God as we join with crystals and ministers in repeating some twenty-seven praise the name of the Lord Jesus everyone stand in hallelujah the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid when the wicked even mine enemies and my fools came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell though and who shouldn't camp against me my heart shall not fear the war should rise against me in this will I be confident one thing abiders iured of the Lord that I will seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and enquire in his temple for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion and the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hides me he shall set me up on a rock and now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me therefore will I offer in his Tabernacle sacrifices of joy I will sing yay I will sing praises unto the Lord here Oh Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me when thou sittest seeking my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek hide not thy face far from me put not servants away in anger thou has been my help leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation when my father and my mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in a plain path because of my enemies deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies for false witnesses are risen up against me and such as breathe out cruelty I had fainted unless I believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart waves I see on the Lord praise the name of the Lord Jesus praise God we're gathered in his house one more time to worship Him let us as we're here today commit to give over all to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ he is worthy to be praised as we gather in the sanctuary let us focus on him alone we will put away all our other cares and concerns and for the next several hours while we are here he will be the center of our focus let us ensure that we're here not just out of custom not just out of tradition but we are here to give praise unto the Lord as the sámi says one thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life it's beautiful to be in God's house today praise the name of the Lord Jesus then it's at this time repeats or mission statement and pledge we endeavor to love obey and serve our Lord and see Jesus Christ striving always to fulfill our purpose in making disciples of all men for the advancing of the kingdom of God on earth under the direction and power of the Holy Ghost and with an empowered people we will foster unity love and fellowship with in the Apostolic community in carrying out our mission we pledge to build God's kingdom through the ministries of apostle prophet evangelists pastor and teacher as we seek to rescue our fellow man from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light teach believers the word necessary for maturity growth admission and prepare believers for the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ praise the Lord Jesus remain standing as evangelists rocky barely come to lead the section of the service bless it all everybody praise God it's a wonderful day to be in the house of the Lord it's a beautiful day to offer worship praise and thanksgiving to the Most High God Jehovah Jireh Jesus King of Kings Lord of lords everlasting father and the Prince of Peace hallelujah we come unto Him this morning to give Him glory that is to want to him we'll continue our worship with the singing off I believe the true report and that's him 1:38 for more pentecostal him known [Music] Oh [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] wonderful is a jesus my lord I shall see [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] reading and it comes to us from Saint Luke 15 reading from verse 11 through 232 that said Luke 15 reading from verses 11 through 232 and we'll read with brother Leo Plummer if you find it say praise the Lord Saint Luke 15 verse 11 to 32 I will read in your hearing if you finally say praise the Lord and he said a certain man had two sons and not many days after the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country and there wasted his substance with riotous living and he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country and he sent him into his fields to feed swine and when he came to himself he said how many hired servants of my father's have I bred enough and to spare and I perish with hunger [Applause] and I'm no more worthy to be called thy son made me as one of the hired servants and the Sun said unto him father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and I'm not and I'm no more worthy to be called thy son and bring hither the fatted calf and killed it and let us eat and be merry now his elder son was in the field and as he came and you nigh to the house he heard music and dancing and he said unto Him thy brother is come and I father hath killed a fatted calf because he had received him safe and sound and the answering said to his father lo these many years do I serve thee neither transgressed I at any time that Commandments thy commandment and yet though never gave us me a kid that might make merry with my friends and he's and he said unto Him son thou art ever with me and all that I have is 9 we're going to be reading 32 together it was me that we should make merry and this this is the word of the Lord praise the Lord the parable of the two sons which one are we this morning praise God let us examine ourselves as we prepare to hear the word later praise Jesus we'll be singing for Pearl close to thee that's him 2:21 from our Pentecostal hymnal him to 21 from are Pentecostal him now [Music] now [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] Oh [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh [Music] ah [Music] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] all-powerful God all-knowing God maka Shonda the God that Roulettes in the lives of men the God that calleth the stars of be in place the God that says it shall be done and it was done ha hoo Shama the God who died on Calvary's cross for us we bout your sovereignty this morning markku Shonda we bout you this morning maka Shonda and we cry this morning you are holy we cry this morning that you are holy Lord we are nothing before you this morning all our righteousness this morning is a filter acts before you Lord are we pale in comparison to your awesomeness and saw this morning Lord with fear and trembling will come before you this morning my God Almighty we pray that your mercy this morning will be extended to us this morning Lord we come trembling this morning we are done this morning mighty God but we are launching mercy this morning Lord wash us this morning from within and without slow we pray you purchase with fire this morning we pray you purchase this morning God coming your Oh [Music] this morning we have glory we bow to your wisdom this morning we don't know nothing you who hold the universe in your hands this morning we stand as nothing we standing off your great glory we stand it off your great wisdom we stand in awe of your majesty this morning forgive us of our pride forgive us of the pride that we have my god when you can just say one word we are no more forgive us God holding on to something that we should have long ago put at your feet trying to fix it when you are the only one who can fix it for us trying to hang on to something that you said we should have let go a long time ago whoa we crave for mercy we cry because you've walked in our own way Lord God Almighty this morning and some of us suffering sickness some of us suffer God in disappointment some of us suffer in despair suffer because we have not allowed you God to take charge we love you God to be the center of our beans we have not allowed you God to have your way in our situations and uyama maku shaitan dilemma Monday or Sunday Amma we glorify you this morning and so God we pray you might instructors afresh we pray this morning Lord God that you would give us your word afresh so heal our bodies to heal our minds to heal our situation your people cry to you this morning my tip god of Daniel we cry to you this morning because we have failed but you have not failed Oh God and so Lord as we stand in your presence Lord God Almighty we know that because you died for us because you shed your blood Mako's Shanda and your word says none that the father is given to you have you lost oh god a sheep before you this morning we closed a remote but we lift our hearts and our mouths in praise and adoration to you we close our understanding of what we think we understand and we open our understanding to your suffering this morning we open around us spending to your working this morning and we glorify you Lord we're not here to ask you of anything but we're here to prostrate before you we're here God for you to wash us we're here this morning for you to cleanse us we're here this morning for you to change your reminds of Magica from what we think we know so what you want us to know this morning we're here God for your instruction speaker word this morning will heal us this morning this morning Mike's a guard on this is unsafe among us this morning this morning this morning this morning Shanda Holly you something God you place in us hallelujah hallelujah that's heart of caring but God we can't care above you mighty God we can tear above you hallelujah and sometimes God may try to fix things but God this morning we confess that we have only made it worse mighty God saw this morning as I stand here hallelujah has a woman my presence stand here as a mother as I stand there as a blood wash this morning Lord God Almighty I cry on behalf of the family this morning I cry on behalf of the family this morning I cry on behalf of every mother this morning Lord cannot make a tune up but reporters we don't want you to do that because your words that you would pour it out you're gonna make a baby cry about our children [Music] mush mush ended you are suffering this morning you are suffering this morning Kushina we have us Lord we hail your savior we have us deliverer this morning ma cushioned my cushioned lord if anybody among us is sick this morning holy God we pray this morning Michael Shinde they will leave it here because your world declare now we should cast all our cares on you because you care it for awesome magic goddess Tanya if everybody's in this house this morning without only goes my daughter can't manage without you my god I can't fight the battles without you they can't overcome without you oh my gosh and AHA you are says not many days hence I'm so glad I married we pray that they will let for everything that they know we pray that they will hope in their understanding this morning we pray that they will hope in their hearts this morning to receive you this morning to receive the blessings of the Lord to receive your glory this morning to receive your instructions this morning a mighty God and so this morning as your words go forth makuu Shonda hallelujah touch fire to hit God O God that it will accomplished my to God wherewithal you send it this morning hallelujah and so God as we lift our pastor up before you oh holy God as we leave the family of before you lord haha Shonda we are sure that you are with them we are sure that you will take care of them we are not worried this morning because we know your mighty hands is there as we lift our associate possible for you O Holy Spirit we pray you my rejuvenates her we pray my restore restraint we pray you might lift a perfecta Oh Holly I just grounder with your glory and your honor we lift up the ministers Lord God Almighty means lift up the missionaries oh holy God some of us are suffering alone but we know in whom we believe and we are persuaded that he will take us the end of the journey you God with Joseph maximum relief of the saints before you every single on a fossa mighty god of Daniel Oh Holy Ghost is in time and the pressure is on but as good soldiers magic of your fighting back and so this morning we pray that our self in the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand up that we may be able to fight that we may be able to press versus I press toward the mark was calling I am calling in you Lord Kaname to me I'm not looking behind I'm looking forward Josh and I Emma it is your will this morning I'm God we're going to press because you want to find faith when you come back on this word I'm so God increase our faith this morning Lord we thank you again we give you glory we give you honor Mercutio we did clear that the gates of Hell will not sure not here not prevail against your will and so Lord God Almighty Oh God sit upon us this morning do not leave us do not forsake us stay with us Jesus we need you this morning we need you yours is the kingdom this morning the power and the glory in Jesus great is your mercy towards me your loving kindness towards me and a mercy I sleep after day [Applause] forever faithful towards me always providing for me great is your mercy towards me day after day towards me always providing for me it is your mercy Lord me after day forever wait will towards me always from mining for great is your mercy towards [Music] me great is your mercy towards day after day [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] me [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] providing for me [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Laughter] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Hey [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] the water wants to put you back together again like your vocalist morning God wants to put you back together yeah [Music] [Music] you turned inside you don't have to stay back the Potter wants to put you back together oh the martyr want to put you back together of me it paints your situation [Music] is now on the ground you don't have to stay in the that you're in the Potter wants to put you back the Potter wants to put you back together [Music] you need maddening [Music] [Music] my friend the Potter want to put you back to [Music] I want to put you back together Tate's your situation has turned upside down all the to accomplish is now on the ground you don't have to stay that you're the Potter wants to put you back together again whoa the Potter want to put you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] my brain the harder one to put you back together whatever your situation is this morning whatever your situation is this morning he wants to put you back together again the pot of our butter wants to put you back together again the Potter wants to put you back together [Music] if the part is out there is toy in the father's house there is joy there is [Music] Merritt's me [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] oh yes he'd know to put you back together whoa the Ottawa to put two back together [Music] wata wants to put you back together again [Music] [Applause] [Music] he was there [Music] [Music] [Applause] sadly the Lord was there [Music] he's waiting for you he was there [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] if there was anything that he was Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] if your wife [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the time [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] hallelujah he was there all the time God loves us with an everlasting love we thank him for his mirth things if you are here today and your heart is broken whatever you need from God deliverance salvation if you need to feel loved if you need peace the Potter is here and he wants to put you back together again hallelujah we thank God this morning we thank him for his presence in this house and I can feel his presence I can feel his presence and I just want to thank him for his love towards us His mercies towards us hallelujah we want to acknowledge at this time or pastor and his wife pastor Michael Lewis and missionary Monique Lewis we thank God for them to all our officers on both sides welcome we thank God for you to the Saints and visitors children choir members just about all who are here this morning we thank God for you welcome welcome welcome so this morning we have some visitors and I'm gonna call your names and as I call your names I'm gonna ask you to stand so that we can acknowledge you Andrea Burton Andrea Burton are you here at the back okay welcome to Bethel Andrea janeshia Reed and baby Kay Shana okay god bless you Jenny say welcome kiss the baby for us and they were invited by system Maxine Allen that's your that's your granddaughter the babies your granddaughter okay god bless you Christopher Johnson Christopher what Christopher the pleasure having you David so these persons are from the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jamaica David black shidae in black and Sacheen black could it be Stan Oh welcome welcome welcome welcome to Bethel but bless it's wonderful having you worshiping with us today debian cross Dale and Ryan McPherson okay welcome to Bethel Debian and Ryan god bless you are there any other visitors whose names I did not receive what you're visiting for the first time please stand please stand stand oh god bless you welcome to Bethel welcome to Bethel I see you down there it's good to have you worshiping with us today I'm seeing sister Lorna my not from the Church in Brooklyn from Bishop Barnes's Church such a sweet soul god bless you sister - it's good to have you are there any other any repeat visitors it's not your first time but you keep visiting could you please stand god bless you cancer coming keep coming keep coming and you down there and you know there god bless you keep coming I know you we're gonna ask all our first-time visitors just to stand again but before I do let me just acknowledge those who are viewing online so if you're viewing by way of internet on YouTube at Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic or Twitter at Bethel underscore STR or Facebook facebook.com slash Bethel SCR we thank you another time for tuning in toward services thank you for being so faithful and for always tuning in whether live or afterwards you would go and watch we just want to thank you and we pray that God will continue to bless you so all our visitors first our visitors the name so I called the names who did not receive but you are here as visitors please stand one last time we want you to keep standing because we're gonna sing or welcome some for you did you receive a visitors package please stand visitors did you receive a blue visitors package if you did not receive one please stick your hand up let me see alright so all of you did so okay so if there's a in the package there's a section there that we asked you to fill out your personal details and it's perforated so we're gonna ask you to fill it out and just air that bit off and drop it in the offering plate so that we can keep in touch with you so I hear that sister even car is here she's returning from her vacation welcome back sister Yvonne okay that's information that I received was wrong so she was killed we thank God for you we're so happy that you're back in the house god bless you so visitors welcome to Bethel we're glad that you chose Bethel to be your place of worship today and as I always say because really we have choices and you could have chosen any other Church to worship but you chose Bethel today so we just want to thank you and if you have not yet committed your life to Christ we do not know what tomorrow holds today is all you have this moment is all you have so if you hear the voice of Jesus calling you or knocking on your hearts door answer don't refuse him answer him because this is the best decision that anyone could ever make which is to follow Christ so god bless you keep standing we're gonna sing our Welcome song for you and we're gonna come around and shake your hands and welcome you to Bethel [Music] it's good [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] one more time god bless you everyone god bless you bless the Lord hallelujah and I hope to welcome the warm welcome praise God hallelujah coming from the hearts of our people praise God we continue our worship with the giving of our tithes and offerings since an offering time it's time together praise God hallelujah we want to thank the Lord has given us something that we can give back to the kingdom hallelujah praise God hallelujah thank you Jesus we're gonna be reading with we're gonna be asking Minister Mitchell to pray for us but we'll be standing and reading first Chronicles of 16 verse 28 through 234 I will give a scream and of course the car will be ministering afterwards give on to the heavens be glad and let the earth rejoice I let men say among the nation's the Lord let the sea roar and the fullness thereof let the fields which eyes and all that is therein then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord because he cometh to judge the earth all give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth forever hallelujah father we bless your name we thank you God for your provisions God we have ourselves could have provided nothing so we thank you Lord God and even as we come now God to give back that which is beyond to you I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that it be blessed I pray oh god at the give us be blessed I pray God I shall go to the furtherance of your kingdom bless the offering even now bless the give us God and let your will be done in Jesus name I pray amen please remain standing and they follow the instructions of the ushers the core will minister to us at this time [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Hey I've been washed up oh no no no the power of the world [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] worship session praise God and this time I invite all of us the standard praise God as we welcome o on the shepherd our pastor no other than pastor Michael Lewis [Applause] [Music] he purchase my Ratan star arise NASA see [Music] the name teeth were you alone for he is talking about Jesus Christ exalts the name of Jesus were you alone Jesus Christ you Jesus [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] when they solve the name of Jesus boy in an exalted see Maurice wordy God's worthy Almighty Creator is the Alpha and the Omega the beginning and the ending hallelujah you may be seated in the presence of the Lord there's no God like a nod to our God and there is no God that can be compared to our God for he alone is worthy to be worshiped and the Lamb of God victorious the risen Lord he purchase our aren't you glad that Jesus paid it all all to him sin had left a crimson stain but he washed it white as snow and so we thank God this afternoon to be in the house of the Lord another Sunday morning amen this is the day that the Lord has made and we shall rejoice we can testify that surely the presence of the Lord is in this place so we greet everyone in the name of Lord Jesus Christ lady Monique to our elder in charge this week and the Trevor Ferguson to our moderator evangelist Jacqueline Billy to all the offices to all of God's wonderful people to our friends and our visitors those were coming for the very first time and those who are returning visitors and those Amen who were friends of Bethel amen you are from another Church but you're visiting we certainly welcome you on this the Lord's Day amen into the house of the Lord and trust that you have felt his presence already amen and that you have been in contact with God remember the reason why we're here is to commune with God amen make sure that there is communication between you and God I bring you greetings from the Witek amen he spoke with him this week and he sends greetings for the church amen also spoke with Minister Andrew Thompson amen and he sends greetings also just want to thank everyone a man who came out to support the funeral service on yesterday for the son of dearly Amen thanks to those who came out and supported that funeral service here yesterday and also thanks to the fine group of brothers amen who really turned up and showed up amen the Centennial men's conference entitled arise amen the Emanuel Apostolic Church in Portman Bethel was julie represented amen and I want to put your hands together for the brothers of Bethel amen we were Bethel strong amen and we know that we have been blessed so many things that we have garnered so many things we have heard it's just for us to apply amen all that good information that we have learned from that seminar but once again to all the brothers who really supported that venture to me starting tomorrow night I'm not sure if they start tonight but I know our sister Church at Lloyds have four nights of open air services and we want to support them brother pastor Seymour was with us a man on first Sunday and he was back for two nights with us in our week of meeting in our review and so they're having their week of meetings starting this week and we want to go tomorrow night that's tomorrow night so there'll be a bus leaving here at 6 o'clock for those who want to go and to support Amen pastor Seymour Brown and the scenes in lights in fact sister Janice Brown is back but she's worshiping this morning with pastor Seymour in lights and so for those who want to amen be a part of that the bus leaves at 6 o'clock there is no cost amen the bus leaves here at 6 phalloidin and so we are asking a strong delegation amen please could you indicate by giving your names to Minister Mortimer Mitchell if you intend to be a part of that trip at the end of the service amen also I did say last week that our annual of a 50th anniversary of banquet comes up on December 14th the ticket cost $7,000 it will be held at a jamaica pegasus hotel and so we're asking persons to pick up your tickets Amen sister Joan car is here sister Jeanne is not here today but sister Joan car is here and we are encouraging persons we know that $7,000 is not easy to find all at once amen so that's why we are making it available to you several months before you can pay down or give what you have or pay monthly until you reach that several thousand dollars please make those kinds of arrangements and ensure that you have your banquet ticket for our 50th anniversary banquet and award ceremony amen also as was said last week we will be having an anniversary of magazine and for those of you who work in companies and you'd want to your company we are asking you to ask your company to sponsor an ad in a magazine for those persons who responded to the call last week and you made arrangement with what the Joseph's is asking you please after service to collect the contracts amen to take to your company after service if this is the first time you're hearing and you would want your company also to take oh to add in our anniversary magazine we're asking you to speak also with Minister Joseph Lewis at the end of the service and he will give you all the necessary information amen for our anniversary magazine I I just know that if the Lord tarries and we see December is going to be a glorious time amen special time really a blessing and we continue amen to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness the federal service for sister all the read will be on Saturday that's this Saturday at 11:00 so as many of us that can come out and be a part of that funeral service at 11:00 let's come out and support the family September the month of September marks the beginning of senior citizens month so on for Sunday which is next week Sunday we will have the launch of our senior citizens Month and you will be informed on that day at the launch the activities for senior citizens month but it is really a special month where we put emphasis on I lightened the work and worth of our seniors and we have some services specially geared and catered towards our seniors and we know that seniors are important in our church and valuable to us and so we want to make this month the month of September very very special month for our seniors amen also in the month of September that's on September 29th will be an hour intrapreneurs day and so we're asking everyone if you are an entrepreneur or you have a business on that particular Sunday we will be a man showcasing all the entropy north of Bethel and the services and so we ask you also to register email for the entrepreneurs day you can do so with sister Stella time I correct - Seville you are okay so at the end of the service please speak with justice tenet and she will amen take you through what is necessary and we have had this over the last two years and every time I see it it's just a blessing amen and so we continue to support the members of our church amen amen we are not those who encourage you to sit down and do nothing amen if God has blessed you with an idea with a business idea we want to encourage you to move it from an idea into a reality amen amen amen and so we want to see much more of our members engaging a man in entrepreneurship and pushing amen strong business ideas from just mental ideas to a manifestation of a real business amen so please speak with the sustain it at the end of this service also in the month of September I have a very very very special announcement that I will make I'm a me make it on first Sunday or some other Sunday in September but it's very special and it's very important that every member they'll be here for that announcement amen so it simply means you cannot afford to miss any service in the month of September since I don't know which one the Lord will allow me to speak it I know you will allow me to say it in September but I can't tell you which service and you don't want to hear it from somebody else you don't want to hear it secondhand but they tell me here at second and it will be still you want to hear it firsthand but it is going to be very special tell anyway it's special all right let's even make it let's make it even a little clearer tell them it's going to be special for you and especially you so we have a very very special announcement very special announcement you don't want to miss amen you don't want to miss that special announcement can the church Oh hallelujah aren't you glad that Jesus Saves aren't you glad that Jesus Saves he still saves he still keeps he still satisfies last week we explored the topic three reasons why you need to be saved today anybody remember that sermon well at least the several persons who got see if should remember because your salvation experience is still fresh in your memory but we said that one of the reasons why we need to be saved is that Jesus really really really really loves us it's not true and that he has a great plan for our lives and that also the honest truth is that tomorrow is not we cannot guarantee any of us tomorrow so even though we are planning for September we are planning for December we all we can say if the Lord Terri's and if the Lord wills we shall have our anniversary banquet we shall have all of these great things these special things that is planned for us but the truth is that tomorrow is promised to no man so we thank God for those who were baptized in water and those who were filled with the Holy Ghost this Sunday's entitled restoration 101 restoration 101 and the focus is really on restoring backsliders to the kingdom of God but I want us to mindful of the text that was read in Saint Luke chapter 15 we the story of the prodigal son we well most of us would be familiar with it that a father had two sons and one went out one stayed in there's a problem with both sons both the one who left and the one who stayed both are in trouble but the one who left the text told us that he arose and went home and his father saw him and welcomed him back home and so we know that that wandering son found his way the text was not as clear about the condition or the final state of the son who stayed home one thing we knew from the text was that even though he stayed home his heart was bad so it tells me you can still be in church and have a bad heart praise the Lord so I want to back up that with two passages of Scripture so go with me to the Book of Jeremiah Jeremiah chapter 3 a man is where the Lord would have us to hear his words Amen as we share a word today just two verses of Jeremiah chapter 3 verse number 14 and verse number 22 so we're gonna read verse 14 of Jeremiah chapter 3 first and then we read verse 22 if you have found it say Amen make sure you're looking in a Bible please make sure you must know the Word of God let's read together turn o backsliding children see it the Lord for I'm married unto you and I will take you one of a city and two of a family and I will bring you to Zion verse number 22 of Jeremiah chapter 3 hear the word of the Lord return he backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God the word of the Lord and we see thanks beyond to God I want to share with us briefly on the topic hope everybody see hope for backsliders hope for backsliders turn to neighbor and say neighbor there is hope for backsliders oftentimes when a topic like this is brought forth the tendency the human tendency is to liken the text to someone else the human tendency is to identify someone who we know has not attended church for a long time and automatically label them as a backslider and co-pastor is not talking about me per se is talking about them but I pray to God this afternoon that all of us will find ourselves in the sticks the word backslide literally means to turn back or to turn away in this case it means to turn back from following after God or to turn away from God it means to turn away from our first love this is what the rights and the book of Revelation spoke to the church at Ephesus that you have left your first love or from following the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel backsliding is not only a turning back or a turning away from but it's also a turning to back Satan is a turning to Satan to evil or to the world the scripture metaphorically describes the blacks leading state in several ways Jesus describes a back sitting state as a divided mind serving or attempting to serve two masters and remember what Jesus said you cannot serve two masters you are either going to love one or you're going to hate the other but we cannot carry Jesus and the world in the same vessel oh praise the Lord metaphorically it also speaks of forsaking the law and our going our own way as a writer in the book of Revelation says live in our first love the Bible also describes a Backson estate as forgetting God fallen away turning aside growing cold departing from the faith those are some of the terms that we see in Scripture to describe the backsliding state one put in one's and to the plow and looking back salt in Saint Matthew chapter five verse 13 that has lost its savor is a metaphor for the backsliding States a dog returning to his vomit and a dead branch that bears no fruit are all metaphors of a backsliding state I want to share four simple points with us and then we close number one I want to remind all of us in Bethel 20 so camp wrote today number one that all of us have the tential to fall so before we look down on anybody else let us just remind ourselves that all of us have the potential to fall I wish I could tell you that in my journey as a Christian that they have not been days when we have forgotten God that they have not been days when we have gone in our own way days when we had left our first love but unfortunately I can't say that because when I look back over my life there have been some days when I have turned away from God and if it had not been for the Lord do I have any weakness here these are some of us don't like to talk the truth because we feel it makes us look worse than we are but God already knows your past present and future and all of us have the potential to fail and to fall and if we do not submit to God we are in trouble because he's the only one who is able to keep us from falling and to present us for less before look at Peter you remember Peter one of the disciples of Jesus in Saint Luke 22:31 234 the word of the Lord says and the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan has desired to have you that he may see you as but jesus said I have pray there's somebody Jesus prayed for you you know that the enemy wants to kill you don't you you know he's trying to mash up your mind and mash up your finances and mash up your marriage and mash you up on the job but tell somebody jesus prayed for me hallelujah Jesus said but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when they were converted strengthen and he said unto Him Lord isn't the Piton o Lord I am ready to go with thee o so Peter says Lord you're not going to find anybody more ready than I am I am ready to go you know we're only ready to do but pizza didn't stop the arena isn't what he says I am ready to go with thee bought into prison and on to what death and he said I tell thee Peter the shall not crow this day before thou shalt thrice deny so jesus said you Boston but I am the omniscient one so I know all things and this is what I'm going to tell you Peter that before three times alone bredrin it is easy for us to fall when we are infected firstly with pride so call this one e pride it's easy for us to fall when we are infected with bright it is mark whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo kind of gives us the day the pridefulness of peter's heart in mark 14 verse 29 listen to what Peter says are you still with me just stay with me I promise you we'll be out of here quickly but Peter said unto Him what although all shall be offended not me Jesus not not backslide Oh me never or never oh never not I and Jesus repeated the same thing - not before the car and listen to what he says in the 31st verse no in the 31st verse and he speak the more vehemently Peter got fixed on him when Jesus a acquaintance I am you know who you talking about you know me and he speak more vehemently if I should die with thee I will not deny thee in anyways oh by the way unless you don't read Bible very well it was not only Peter likewise also said there so Peter wasn't only only disciple we know about Peter because he followed after Jesus the others went and hid themselves mm-hmm oh praise the Lord brothers and sisters if we are kept we are kept by the hand of God if we are sweetly saved we are sweetly saved not of our own efforts but it has been the hand of God that has kept us or the segment says His mercies kept me that I wouldn't let go and I don't know if there is anybody in here who will testify that if it had not been for the keeping care and mercies of the Lord we would not be here this morning oh lord have mercy some of us can testify that let Peter we thought we would never do anything wrong until the day when we realized that we need Jesus now more than ever therefore the Bible says that we are not to boast in ourselves if we boast about anything let's both of the God who is able to keep us from falling because left up to ourselves don't say one thing lord help us am I am I am i helping anybody because brothers and sisters we are quick sometimes 2.0 that the backslide is so-and-so without realizing that we can be in a back seat estate for ourselves and still coming to church so we have to be careful of this pride because if we pretend that we can fall we will fall but if we know in whom we have believed and we are persuaded that he is able to keep that which evil and the righteous for God will raise him up seven times but not only was Smith affected by pride but but later on we realized that there was a lack of spiritual devotion secondly a lack of spiritual devotion we see that in the text look look at what the Bible says in mark 14 37 to 38 and he commits and failed at them doing what oh come on uShip was to be read in your Bibles and he cometh and findeth there more and said unto Peter Simon you were sleeper remember that Jesus had a god of the prayer and asked them to watch with him for an hour in other words join me in prayer but Jesus commit and find them what sleep s though so here Jesus now could you not at least watch with me one hour what she and pray lets you enter into the Spirit is truly is ready for the flesh so a lack of spiritual devotion will lead us down the path of backsliding why Jesus explained to us that the flesh the flesh this flesh and brothers and sisters remember that we are both flesh and spirit and there was a problem between flesh and spirit because flesh and spirit don't take tea oh lord have mercy there is a constant war between our flesh because this old man this old flesh wants to pull us back to an old behavior and all kind of lifestyle and the Spirit of God that is within us is pushing us to be like God Lord and so there is this thousand war and who will win that war depends on who we give our devotion to or you don't hear me and so oftentimes we are in a fasted state not because of somebody else but because we lack the necessary spiritual devotion let us let us be real and examine ourselves is our prayer life where it ought to be I know my prayer life needs to be more intensified I don't know about you but if we're going to end or the unsought of the flesh because it's a bedroom can I can I be very real to us the force of the flesh is strong but God has given us a stronger power to subdue and to mortify the deeds of the flesh and has given us his spirit that we should walk in his spirit that we should not fulfill the lust of the flesh therefore if we are going to end your life's challenges we have to dig in into spiritual devotion can we live here today telling God that we want to have a greater spiritual devotion with him my god can I submit to us that the enemy is setting up traps everywhere left right and center for us to yield to the flesh you don't have to you don't have to go look for it it comes and finds you but the way in which we overcome the flesh is with the spirit and how we build a spirit is true spiritual devotion building up our prayer life building up our closer walk with God so Peter was in trouble because why he should be praying and watching he was sleeping but but look at verse 52 st. mark 14 there's another problem with Peter 4 the Bible said and Peter followed him afar off even unto the palace of the high priest and he sat with the servants and warmed himself Peters third problem was a lack of intimacy everybody see a lack of intimacy the Bible said he followed her how many of us are following God ha ha we just want enough of God to feel happy but not enough to change our behavior not enough to change our attitudes not enough to become a new person it is amazing that for some of us we're not growing in we're in church 20-30 years and our attitude is still the same we are still spiritual babes here one of your hypotheses when you are to have been eating meat I give it to you because you're immature and you're still shopping milk my god still still still struggling like a little child when God is calling us to maturity calling us to growth and development be the full of the fire that is just a Sunday morning experience that's as far as they will go god I'll visit church on Sunday morning but that's it you'll see them on Monday you don't even know they're a part of the church their behavior disposition and everything else is out of whack a fire brethren when we follow Christ afar off we set ourselves up to backslide what the someone says just a closer walk with thee granted Jesus daily walking close to thee let it be then I'm not a song man Pookie the princess drama naira yeah nearer blessed Lord to that cross where though draw me nearer but then let's look back at that same verse mark 1452 cuz there was something else in the worse Peter followed him afar off even to the palace of the and sat with the servants and warmed himself you know what was wrong with this one no Peter was with the wrong people fourthly wrong associations Peter warm themselves at the wrong fire sat with the servants of the high priests and remember there were those who were condemning Jesus and those who were crucifying Jesus so Peter phoned himself at the wrong fire and brethren when we find ourselves with wrong associations you know when we were growing up they said show me your friends and I tell you who you are some of us would have been so much further along in our spiritual development if we had not made wrong associations there are two kinds of associations you can make one that will be your closer to God and one that will bring you you have to decide whether some associations are helping you to grow and our sub associations are jeopardizing our souls praise the Lord praise the Lord because brothers and sisters whether I believe it or not some folks I like poison if they inject that poison in your spirit it takes deliverance to get it out of your spirits my god it sure it's a praise the Lord may I submit that we associate ourselves with people who are headed in our direction in the same direction because run associations will lead us into trouble Peter warm himself on fire and when him when he was by the fire at damsel so I am they soon get in trouble run fire run please you know sometimes or the enemy tricks our sinner he gets us in the wrong place he wants to corner us so Peter is not trapped at the wrong place he's surrounded now by the servants of the high priests so the damsel now is set up to question him no strategic by the enemy no to put Peter on the spot aren't you one of his disciples because the see the enemy knows that is either he's going to deny Jesus he's going to write and deny or if he confesses Jesus that they are going to capture him and crucify him also they said you look like you look like when a Jesus is men Peter said I who me know please go back and remind yourself that it's Peter who said I am ready and I will go even until prison or even until but when he's caught in the wrong place with the wrong crowd that's my method it's important for us to have right associations and be careful I've been in the wrong place you know some people think that this church is old-fashioned because we tell you is not everywhere you go but sometimes it's all good because you can be in the wrong class praise the Lord praise the Lord praise the Lord he's in the wrong place wrong Association and he denied Christ but you know can I can I be honest with you when you in the one when you're when you're Christian and in the wrong place even the sinners know that you're out of listening you know what the terms that were saying you don't look like one of us what you're doing here even the world knows that something is wrong that's a whole Christian we're out of place come on come on come on come on you know that sometimes even the world will be X Christians because they expect better I was let's go to point 2 let's go to point 2 backsliding so supporting two one was that all of us have the potential to fall so we have to be careful of pride lack of spiritual devotion lack of intimacy and run association demon point number two backsliding starts in the heart men fall in private long before they fall in public Peters problem didn't start out when the damsel asks the question Jesus read his heart from his mouth was talking that he will not deny Jesus read his heart and brethren the most important thing for us the God is our heart the seat of our desires and our emotions and our appetite listen to what proverbs chapter 4 verse 23 says keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life and if you if you don't understand what that means let me read it from the new living translation for you it says God your heart above all else for it Romans the course of your because what we are low in our hearts will affect how we behave behavior on the outside is a reflection of what is happening only so the paper says guard your hearts with all diligence above all things for it determines the course of our life what's in your heart do me a favor just asking me what's in your heart I hope we're not sitting in here with a bad heart oh I hope our heart is not blocked up you know they enjoy sub-block arteries Oh Lord oh Lord I hope that I was half of anybody in our hearts and that's blocking our heart there's somebody backsliding starts in the heart long before people bodies leave church your heart God the body only follows what was in the heart a long time it's just a manifestation of what was always in the heart point number three I've been finished before I'll be finished after twelve point number three backsliding I'm a helping anybody by the way I'm helping myself too but sliding starts with little compromises you know that nobody does get the final backslide one go but we start to make little compromises and little and little and the more we compromises the more the further away we go from God every little make the story Stoller for foolish old farmer and the story goes that one day the farmer used to feed his mule oats and one day he's been feeding his mule with oats for years and one day he decided well it was costing me too much to feed the meal with oats so he hatched a plan said I'm going to mix the odds with a little sawdust mix it to make the feed gave it to the mule and the mule it so the next days that I'm going to mix in a little more and the next day even more each time reducing the amount of oats and increasing the amount I've sawdust in the feed the mule didn't seem to notice the gradual change so the farmer thought things were fine and he just kept decreasing the proportion of oats and increasing the proportion of sawdust weeks later one day he finally fed the poor mule nothing but sawdust when he was finished with the meal the moon will fell over seems like a silly story perhaps but it serves as a parable for us because as Christians we can slip further and further away from God unrepented because we feel that because we can digest it little by little it's okay so we don't just backslide at one go so we start by stop reading our Bibles we start by stop pretty we start by Chi and you know address so we know women our Apostolic brothers we start change our devotion time so we no longer listen to gospel anymore hey what we started we start to mix in a little R&B little by little and they will move from R&B to a little bullets oh it looked like saying look like we in trouble you know but we start to just I know yes ma'am we're not even realizing it's old son sorrows and that's all the enemy is you know you know the enemy when he begs us sister open he makes seen it in small portions that we don't even realize that we are sleeping and how we know we are in trouble in that because the first thing that comes out of our spirit is not a gospel sir is a worldly answer and our first reactions is not towards the scriptures because you see backsliding starts with little compromises but here what Paul says to the church at Corinth because there is a verse that reminds us that a little leaven first Corinthians chapter 5 6 to 7 your glorying is not good no he not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump purge out therefore the old leaven that he may be a new lump as he are unleavened for Christ our Passover is sacrificed for you so we don't lose our way overnight the enemy just makes us slip little by little and you see when we are sleeping little by little we feel like it's all right until one day we don't even realize you are eating sword or Sun until the day we Lord see squeeze the knee behind and see we're going to make it my final point we might have one that far away from God but but you know that someone says prone to wander lord I feel it prone to leave my lord take and seal it seal it for thy courts my final point that I close Jesus Christ can heal oh Jesus Christ point number four can heal how many know she's a jockey ever pray for healing for backsliding that's powerful enough Jesus says and the healer you think Jesus just wanted to heal your body he wants to heal your soul - Jeremiah chapter three and verse 14 it says turn this is what we need to do just touch a name on Saturn if you find yourself drifting away from God what do you do - if you find yourself drifting off course what you do turn I'll change course you know what the problem is many of us is when do I talk to us with stiffness we pretend as if God it's irrelevant but I know because you see that God is speaking to all of us in here that we need to turn and brother there's a problem when we do not heed God's voice it is best for us to accept these instructions than to meet his judgment so here what he says turn everybody's a turn oh you're near behind I said come by the system make return my creature and make with your victory I could cut out the foolishness and go back to God we're not talking about the arena remember us let us turn company but I sister let us go let us put away our games and my foolishness and let's turn and go back to that power box let us find our way so he says I will never turn and go back to my father's I don't care who is dear one to criticize me I don't care who wants the sale because when he got home is what I said him spending money on prostitutes enough but he says I'm going back and I'm going to say daddy I have sinned not talking about anybody else no I have sinned but God have mercy turn the Prophet says in in the fourteenth verse of Jeremiah three turn all excited children see the Lord writes a listen you don't know that I'm married to you and I will take you one for a city and to of a family and that I won't bring you tell somebody we are marching to Zion beautiful but God says listen if you have one disaster and I will take you back to Zion you know no you know what God is saying you can't flame we imagine but when you turn towards God when you draw nigh to God the purposes he will draw nigh when we turn our face the goddess's I've wondered far away from home now like that I won't come for you look at the last verse and then we give this awesome on to call Jeremiah chapter 3 verse 22 hear what he says return can we say that word together say two more times one more time now say it like you preach it [Applause] now say it to your neighbor don't say to yourself say to yourself again returnee backsliding children and listen what God says did he say I will condemn you did he say I'm going to cut you off he says I will here the healer is in Bethel today but Jehovah Rapha the healer the Great Physician know is here the super Jesus he says which I just make a turn come back and I will heal and you see when God heals your backsliding O Lord of Mercy listen to what he says he says though your sins be as scarlet they shall be because there's a go wash them in the sea forget and when God forgets something I dare anybody to bring it back up he says return unto me and I will heal you behold we come unto thee for thou art bring about that scripture for me please retired everybody say return he backsliding children sister Jackie know what I just saw a while ago I saw surgery I saw like an operating room and God is same come anybody who wants healing come hi Jesus is performing spiritual surgery the surgeon the surgeon is Jesus Christ he he wants to put out some things and put in some things and fix some things but he says we turn you have to calm you bring about that scripture for me please and don't remove it until I'm done retired he backsliding children lotta words to put you back together whatever has been broken my toe champu return why can we bring up madness scripture please until I'm finished just leave it all the way up I want that under the authority of the Holy Spirit to remain retired he backsliding children I am NOT here God says to kill you I'm here to heal you and I will heal your backslidings BR we come unto thee come so here the blessed Savior do your prayers come from it come from upstairs come from those Jesus come from confirm and come from the left come from the choir call from the minister's it doesn't matter class but this is for all of us tell somebody this is for all of us I will heal your backsliding before we go I have one third far away now I'm call me oh what's wrong with you aren't you returning the pie I've seen too long after stop bleep you need to come home Oh [Applause] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] coming home coming home Nevermore Oh Oh [Music] I'm coming I'm coming but you in a work right now are sealing some hearts right now that is fixing some conditions right now something is happening something is happening on the spiritual level [Music] never more never more to go never more to roll never more to roll oh yeah yeah yeah yeah healing Jesus healing Jesus dealing Jesus who shed a motion healing healing Jesus healing I feel it I feel it I feel the healing I feel the heat here the Jesus healing Jesus healing Jesus tamo Shanter healing Jesus [Music] [Applause] [Music] he'll if Jesus healing Jesus healing Jesus I feel healing in here [Music] Oh Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] I'm coming yes greater healing yes Kleber healing coming home healing Jesus healing Jesus I will heal jesus said I will he I will I will heal [Music] yes Oh [Music] [Applause] [Music]

Channel: Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic

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Id: 5DsE9lWjVJA

Length: 166min 19sec (9979 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 25 2019