The Things That Are - Evangelist Scott Pauley

oh my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever I like that don't you your pastor and I went over and visited the is it Bethesda Academy today and the software mr. Whitfield set so much in motion long long long ago and we had a great tour and went through the museum and there was a chapel just down from the museum and it was called the Whitfield chapel and so he and I were both interested in that we went down a lady let us in she didn't hang around too much I think she got nervous her two Baptist preachers in a chapel you know I didn't notice she stepped out pretty quickly and your preacher sat down to the piano it started playing and singing I forgot that he played and sang and he just took off singing something I remember what it was and I was being so blessed and we had a little church in the chapel just the two of us he was singing I was saying Amen and it was wonderful people won't buy they thought that's the smallest church I've ever seen but Jesus said where two or three are gathered together in my name I'll be in the midst and we've had a good day together today and I'm so happy to see you back tonight and appreciate you too working hard I know what Monday's are like and I want to commend you for it how many of you were here yesterday would you raise your hand that's good and some of you may have joined us tonight and if so we're happy that you're here and I am glad that the preacher's daughter made it in safely the favorite Cooper child is in the building boys let's just be honest all right I just hope y'all get to eat the rest of the week because between now and Saturday it's her you know and if y'all need anything come over today with me at the hotel tonight if you want to do that all right and Julia and my daughter Morgan have been roommates this year god bless Julia that's all I have to say and they've been working together at chick-fil-a and they made a very special video together as a matter of fact that's become fairly well circulated I think we got to show the whole church tomorrow night and good how many of you'd like to see it good that's good it's nothing spiritual at all not a spiritual bone in either one of them but it's it's very entertaining and I'm excited about it I'll tell Morgan to watch livestream tomorrow night and that would be good well how many did homework since last night would you raise your hand be honest how many of you forgot even there was homework there's always those students yes that's what I thought and several people as I came in the building tonight told me something they learned already from reading revelation and one sister told me she got carried away and read all the way to Revelation 14 that's pretty good isn't it it's rich and wonderful let's open the Word of God would you please to the revelation of Jesus Christ and I prayed as I prepared to come to your church where the Lord wanted us to be and God led me to this last book of the Bible and specifically to the opening chapters of it we learned early on the Lord's Day what John learned one Sunday and the ladled foundation for all of this and our attention now comes to Revelation chapter 1 let's begin reading tonight verse 17 the Bible says and when I saw him John of course with a glimpse of Christ when I saw him I fell at his feet as dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me fear not let's just pause a moment and say aren't you happy that God says you don't have to be afraid in his presence the only people that have to be afraid in the presence of God are the ones that have something between them and God so if you can come to the place where in the words of Charles II Tenley's him there's nothing between your soul and the Savior then you can be in his presence without fear I love that here not I am the first and the last I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am Alive for evermore and all God's people said amen and have the keys of hell and of death write the things which thou has seen the things which are and the things which shall be Hereafter last night we looked at the first phrase of verse number 19 the things which thou has seen we've prayed Lord give us a fresh glimpse of Jesus and give us a fresh glimpse of ourself and give us a fresh glimpse of eternity give us a fresh glimpse of what you have for us to do Oh Lord open our eyes and I believe by the way that God is answering that prayer now we come to the second part of the verse to the center to the heart frankly to where we're living would you mark this phrase in your Bible in verse 19 and the things which are occasionally I hear people say well you know that's just the way things are they mean by that we're we're content to be where we are let me tell you something about God God comes to where you are but praise God he doesn't leave you there aren't you glad for that look he comes to where sinners are he he comes to where people are needy but instead of leaving them there he just meets them there and he leads them to where they need to be that's what we're praying for a meeting like this Lord come to us and meet us right where we are but don't leave us here Lord take us on to the next level take us to the next step in our faith and walk with Christ lift this church to the next level that you have for him why does the Lord use this phrase the things which are you know everything in the Bible is a revelation of God I think one of the great temptations and tendencies we haven't we come to the Bible is we're looking to find something for ourselves and listen to me there's there's plenty in there for your God will feed your soul but let me tell you something God's impressed on my heart the revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ watch this and as you get a clearer view of who God is all of your needs are met in that in other words it can't revolve around us it's got to revolve around Jesus and so what do we learn from this phrase the things which are won't you write this down somewhere would you please I want you to write down that our God the God of the Bible is a present tense God I mean by that you can't confine God to the history books because the same God that worked in a generation ago is still at work today aren't you happy for that my granddaddy was an old Mountain preacher in the hills of West Virginia he was just raw bone leather lung peel the paint off the walls kind of preacher and didn't have a lot of education started preaching when he was 13 died when he was 57 but he had the Lord on his life in old gospel tent he would take around and he would set it up in a vacant lot and he'd preached man what he preached and they'd have a bunch of people saved and then out of that they'd start a church and he'd pack his tin up and he'd move on and do it again in another location and he was instrumental in starting several churches that way he was rough around the edges he really was rough as a cob he got him to church one night got carried away and said bless God that's what preachers say when they're about to say something they probably shouldn't say he said bless God there's two things no church needs that's I clocked on the wall and a busybody woman and this church has got both of them that wasn't a good thing to say at all and he didn't stay in that church very long either let me tell you granddaddy knew the Lord I thought about him because your preacher mentioned a few moments ago about the days when they used to have revival and they didn't schedule it they just said we're gonna go til the Lord's through and for the record it wouldn't be bad if we all had that mentality going into every time we meet with the Lord I'm gonna pray to the Lord's through watch please I'm gonna read and meditate to the Lord's through and we'll seek the Lord to the Lord's through with me at this juncture I think it's a great attitude and yet let me ask you a question do you still believe that the god of yesteryear is the god today yes or no I do too if I didn't believe that Frank I wouldn't be here than I'd be home with my family right now I'm not here for my health because I needed something to do this way I'm here because I believe there's a present that's God who didn't just work in the past he wants to work in the present and then on the other hand some people want to say well our God is the God of the future and he is the God of the future look he sees in from the beginning he's already in the future never dawned on you that God is not in time time is in God God created time I'm all the time I'm on the clock right now I know what I'm I started preaching guess you're worried and I know what time I'm gonna be done unless the Lord says go a little further right but the reality is we're stuck in time you lived on a schedule today but God's not on a schedule god holds time in the palm of his hand our God is the eternal God he had no beginning and he has no end so at God there really is no past present future he's just always the same this is what I want you to see the god of history and the god of the hereafter the god of the past and the God that gives us prospect for the future is the God of right where you're living today as a matter of fact one of the Lord's favorite names for himself really his name would you like to know his name Moses ask it and God said you just tell them I am have sent you I am what yes yes he is the self-existent all-sufficient one he's the only one that can say I am and put a period after it everybody else has say I am and then you fill in the blank Jesus friends is everything that's why Paul said when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory look he's everything and notice this please back up to verse number 17 I'm gonna read when I stop saying the next two words look at verse 17 and when I saw him I fell at his feet is dead and he laid his right hand upon me saying unto me fear not what Oh Mark said in your Bible I am the first and the last let's not know what's the first two words of verse 18 church I am he that liveth and was dead and behold he says it a third time just in case you missed it the first two times once they say I am would you mark that in your Bible I am I am I am and then draw a line down to verse number 19 the things which are listen to me our God is a present tense God is at work in the circumstances of your life he's at work in your family right now and he's got something for us right where we are I'm even glad about that God has something for us in the here and now and so I wonder what does the Lord have for us we've studied Revelation chapter 1 tonight I bring you to Revelation chapters 2 and 3 and don't get too nervous some of you say you're gonna preach both chapters yes but I'm not gonna walk you through every verse let me just ask I'm curious how many of you have read chapters 2 & 3 since last night would you raise your hand well that's good that'll help you kind of see the overview you know that the bird's-eye view of it as you as you hover over it you see how it all connects together and they haven't done that already guess what your homework is for tonight that's right I want you to read revelation chapter 2 in chapter 3 because watch this please in Revelation chapter 1 we see Christ but watch in Revelation chapter 2 in chapter 3 we see the church and I love this that as you near the end of time as you get near the return of Jesus Christ the closer you get to eternity can I tell you what really matters Christ and His Church let me just say something to you I believe Jesus Christ is coming very soon matter of fact he might come before I finish preaching tonight and I want you to know for the record I'd be really excited about that I'd love not to have to fly back to West Virginia just meet my family in the clouds and so shall we ever be with the Lord that days coming friends but the nearer we get to the return of Christ and to eternity two things automatic to you and they are let's review number one is Christ and number two is what his church and I meet a lot of people in my travels who say they love Christ they don't love the church like they oughta love the church as a matter of fact I meet a lot of people every week in my life and I talk to him about the Lord and talk to him about spiritual things and they tell me oh I know Jesus oh yes I got saved 30 years ago wonderful and yet when you start talking to them about their relationship to the local church oh the real nervous and skittish about that and sometimes they're even so bold and brazen and say well you know I don't really need all of that I know who I'm preaching tonight I know I'm preaching to the Monday night crowd and God bless you for being here on Monday night but I'm not asking are you in the building I'm asking is your heart in it and if you know you'd be present not be present I preached her a lot of present absent people oh they're in the building but they're not really in the body like they ought to be in the body see Christ is the head and the church is his body don't tell me you love the head and don't love the rest of the body don't tell me that the head is in his rightful place in your life and you're not in your rightful place in his body that's not the way it works see the god of divine order moves from the christ of chapter 1 to the Church of chapter 2 chapter 3 and in case you're wondering when I say Church I'm talking about the local New Testament church the reason I say that is because when you come to chapter 2 and chapter 3 guess who he addresses 7 local churches 7 is the number of completion or perfection by the way that does not mean they were perfect churches my grandpa used to say there is no perfect Church if you find one don't go there you'll mess up he was exactly right about that so there's no perfect Church and yet the idea here is the Lord allows these seven churches to represent every Church some people believe these seven churches represent seven stages in in church history and I see that parallel and I I think there's something to that you come to the end you see the Laodicean age and sometimes a man we're living in that we are living in that and yet I would say to you that there is truth in every one of these churches that every New Testament church needs which means there's a message in revelation 2 and 3 in these seven churches for Bethel Baptist Church and I wonder tonight how many of you'd like to know what Jesus would like to say to your church if I said to you at 8 o'clock tonight Jesus is gonna be in this church and you'd like to speak to this church would you come yes or no you wouldn't just come you'd fight for the front row you call anybody not here you say you don't gonna believe this Jesus is gonna be at our church tonight beat that one come come hearing and yet I want to submit to you that Christ is always attempting to speak his church what we've got to do is we got to get in tune with God enough so that God can say to us when he wants to I know the Lord has led me to this emphasis for your church tonight you see you have an amazing church now you may think you know that but I'm just saying to you you have to get out of something like this for a little while and travel and be in and out of lots of churches to understand fully what I mean by that this church is not amazing because of anything but one thing and that is the presence of God is in this place it's wonderful your crowds are wonderful the the friendliness is wonderful but the music is excellent you got a great pastor I mean look you got so many things but the one thing you've got that you better never take for granted is the presence of God in his church friends when the Lord shows up that's all you really need when the Lord shows up that attracts others it drawls it's it's wonderful by the way that's a very delicate thing because at any moment the Lord could be grieved I had not thought of this frankly until tonight when we were reading this text Jesus said I have the keys to death hell and the grave and if you're glad he's got those keys and yet did it ever dawn on you that in one of these churches he said then I'm on the outside looking in the old I stand at the door and knock even hear my voice and open the door and wasn't the lost people it was to save people donal me as I read this tonight here is Christ were the keys to death and he'll in his hand and yet there's some church that's kept the key from that church from Christ it's pretty shocking isn't it then to the Christ who saved our souls and kept us out of hell would not be given his rightful place in his church so tonight I'm coming out to a wonderful church I'm not I'm not trying to straighten anything out that's not my business anyhow you've got a shepherd you got a pastor but I've come to an amazing church tonight with one desire and it is this to help you pray by God's grace that the Lord could take this church to where God wants it to be and I wonder do you truly want this church to be everything that Christ founded it for if you do then we must lay some truth in our hearts night from these seven churches I want you to do something I want you to take out something to write on in something to write with please right now and go and get your necessary because I'm gonna give you a list of some things the boys could write it down in for the record when I finished tonight we're gonna do something with it and I'm gonna give an invitation that's a little different than the norm and it's intentional because I'm emphasizing something tonight here's the truth that the Lord's impressed on my heart for your church from these churches number one I want you to write this down let's begin with the most simple thing number one you are his church remember we're doing other things that are I want to say to you but you are his church remember in Matthew chapter 16 verse 18 jesus said upon this rock I will build whose church my church in other words not your church his church it are his by possession you know Jesus Christ died for the church and I think if it's important enough for Jesus to die for maybe we ought to give more of our life to it we're his by possession and frankly the only power that the church has is the power of the indwelling Christ it's not the power of personality it's not the power of influence it is not the power of money it is not the power of political persuasion it is the power of Christ in and through his local assembly we are his church and as such the only purpose we have is whatever Christ's purpose is in this world and I just will tell you if we ever miss Christ's purpose we all closed the doors and shut her down as we alone can do what Christ has given us to do in this community that's why notice what the Bible says here in verse number 1 of chapter two he says under the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write these things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks do you remember that Jesus walking in in the midst esterday walking in the midst of his churches well now watch this please at the beginning of every message to one of these churches he does not begin with them he begins with him the market in your Bible after the church at Ephesus chapter 2 verse 1 he begins with a presence of Christ that's the first thing we need we need the presence of Christ in his church Oh Lord be welcome here tonight Oh Lord Jesus we want you to be happy for the record we got too many churches worried about making everybody outside the church welcome and not concerned enough about making Jesus as welcome now I'm gonna tell you something you get Jesus happy and the Lord will take care of the rest of it somebody said to your pastor now today I tell you being in the minister must be tough just keeping everybody happy and your pastor answered immediately the right thing that's not our job to keep everybody happy we're just trying to please the Lord and I want you to know that this idea of find out what everybody wants and given them that has fallen way short of what God has for his churches we need his presence look down to chapter 2 and verse number 8 here's the second church the Church of Smyrna these things say the first in the last which was dead and is alive so now we got his power hey friend when you get his presence let me tell what you get you get the power of God friends there's power in the gospel there's power in the world there's power in the work of the Holy Spirit there's power in Christ come to the church at Pergamos verse 12 to the Angel the Church of Pergamos write these things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges that sounds familiar to anybody hebrews chapter 4 verse number 12 says that the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any what two-edged sword and so what do we have here we have the Word of God we move from his presence to his power to his very word Oh Lord speak to us and then come down to verse number 18 into the angel of the church in five Tyra write these things saith the Son of God who had his eyes like into a flame of fire and his feet are like fine brass here we see is justice by the way we ought to fear the just God God who is righteous and holy and will judge all things someday come to chapter 3 verse 1 under the angel of the church in Sardis write these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God and the Seven Stars and so I says are there seven holy spirits Oh whoever 7 the number of completion it's a reference now to the work of Christ the Holy Spirit is we're working and he's working in every way and he mentions the seven stars remember that's the pastor so he's working by a spirit and through his servants this is the work of Christ being dead Oh think about what we get to be a part of friends you could join any ball clubs civic group or social organization in this town and you would not be a part of something as grand and glorious has the Church of Jesus Christ never get over what it means to be a member of Christ's Church and come down to verse number seven of the angel of the church in Philadelphia write these things saith he that is holy he that is true he that hath the key of David he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth here's the character of Christ he's holy in every way he's capable he is always true and come over to verse number fourteen here's the church at Laodicea he says these things saith the Amen the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God here is the truth of Christ in other words here's the point I'm making to you if we want the church to be what the church ought to be then first of all we got to remember that is not our church this is his church and the resources we need are not ours they are his pardon me God doesn't need us but we sure do need him and sometimes we get to thinking worth something let me tell you what God will do when you start thinking you're something you'll pop your balloon you let all the air out and I'll tell what to do he'll bring you down to nothing and I'm gonna tell you why because God when you get to nothing gives you everything the end of me is the beginning of him and I'm gonna tell you something I need Jesus him of you need Jesus and this church needs Jesus was preaching in revival meeting the other night you ask most people don't ask that question but it rang true with me you ask is there anybody here has never been to a revival meeting before that was preaching a revival meeting and I walked in the back door and the pastor said to me he said preacher he said he see that elderly woman up front seated next to another couple and I said yes he said she's she's not a believer she's a Roman Catholic and he said she has never been in a revival meeting in her entire life and she's 82 years old and he said to me before church he said she is so excited about being in a revival meeting just because she's never been in one and she just can't wait to see what's gonna happen I don't know she'd been watching a bit hidden crusade or what she thought was getting ready to come I got up to preach and I watched her as I was preaching I didn't know she was gonna be there that night I watched her as I was preaching and she was smiling she was nodding her head she was right with me she was more with me than some of the Christian people that were in the place I'm serious and it's a some of the little humors and she had laugh and say something serious and she'd get serious and she was with it then about two-thirds the way through the message I looked down Gators were in her eyes I was preaching on Christ I got to the end of the message and I gave the invitation and that sweet lady her name was Donna god bless her I wish she was here tonight we had her picture made together she was so happy oh she was so happy she raised her hand she needed Jesus she lifts her head and looked at me and I said ma'am I don't know you but do you need the Lord she shook her head like this I said would you get up little lady sure from the Bible I said she jumped right up pastor's wife took her out she came back at the end of the service I stood in the lobby and she hugged me and she said I want to thank you sir for telling me about Jesus tonight and then this is exactly what she said she said I have been in a church all of my life and raised all of my kids in church she said but in all those years of going to church I never met Jesus and then she said these words and I thought this one was beautiful things that ever her see we want to concentrate on fussing about about those other church supports she said about that church she said but I came to this church and I met Jesus here I'm gonna tell you what we need we need always have the kind of church that when people walk through the door they meet Jesus here oh wait a minute more than that when we walk out the door they meet Jesus out there because this is his church here's the second truth could you write this one down please on your list and number one you are his church number two your to here from heaven the things which are you'd be hearing from heaven you know we had such low expectations even when we come to church sometimes we just go through the motions a church dear God get us out of that look when you walk in to meet with God you ought to say we believe God's gonna show up tonight but the Lord has something to say to us away were these religious speeches and musical productions we need to hear from heaven notice that in every one of these you can read it for yourself but in every one of these he begins under the angel of the church right under the angel the church right under the angel the church right under the angel of the church right say what does that mean preacher it means that to every Church Christ intended to speak and in every church he did it by His Word and through his preacher you see right here this is your angel well that one's got potential doesn't it he just probably saying he's no angel oh but he is because you know what the word angel there means I love this it means messenger it's not the kind of angel flies to the sky it's the kind of angel that stands and opens his mouth and what comes out is not his ideas but thus saith the Lord let me just pause right here say to you you ought to praise God that's the kind of messenger you have in this church because I hear from churches every week people call them saying you've got a preacher you know about what come just preach the Bible to us it's for anybody you know I'm telling you there's a dearth of Bible preaching in our land and every time I get around a preacher like this I just say dear God thank you for him your pastor I've been friends a long time but I'm gonna tell you something the thing I admire most is not just his friendship to me it is the Shepherd's heart that I heard in him talking about this flock today praise the Lord for that and you ought to hold him up in prayer and pray for him pray for his family and pray that God will keep him and use him in this place look pray that he always stays in the hand of Christ and that God will use him in a mighty way when you come to church you ought to come expect it people come in lockdown in church and just you know it's rough sometimes now thank God there's there's a life to this church I'm glad but you and I both know you can give the appearance of life on the outside and there's no life on the inside you ought to pray for he ever walk through the door Lord speak to me now this dear brother you prayed for a while ago that's out sick tonight and brother raised that right yeah the preacher was talking to him on the phone as we were pulling in he said the brother right he said pray for us tonight and brother ray said oh I've been doing that all day today I've already done that today and then he said to the preachers about do it again I like that and I tell you what we need some church members who say we need to hear from God so much we're gonna enter into this thing with prayer and expectancy we're just going to believe the Lord's gonna show up you know I hear people say all the time we need better preaching friend I don't think we need better preaching we need better hearing that's what we need we told Matt Whitfield today well the greatest things I have read years ago was something called the great hearers of George Whitfield they talked about Whitfield's voice going out and thousands of people here but the amazing thing was watch this that the people actually were hungry to hear from God I think if we had a revival of that kind of spirit in the hearts of the hearers there's no telling what God might say to his church number one we must remember we are his church mister ember that we are to hear from heaven number three was write this down would remember that we are known by God please don't miss this this is one of the consistencies between the churches look every Church is different every church is different some are more different than others let me tell you I've had some strange things happen in church let me tell you I was preaching a church a few months ago and while I was preaching Tammy was with me that night and she was seated about three rows back on this side by herself and when I was preaching I I saw this man over on this side a couple rows back he got up while I was preaching and mood seats I thought that was weird he just moved he got up moved right to the front row I thought maybe he's getting under conviction getting closer to the altar or something you know I preached another point and I got about halfway through that and he got up and he moved to the front row on this side and I thought no that's odd and I watched people were watching him trying to figure out what was going on and then I preached a little further and he got up and new back sat down right next to my wife now I'm not thinking like a preacher anymore I'm thinking like a husband it's wrong with you man and then he scooted over to her real clothes and I saw the people sitting behind them and they were getting pretty concerned about it all and he leaned over to my wife and God bless Tammy she's a proper and she's trying not to make a scene and he leaned right over in said symphony I didn't know till the end of service but I found out he leaned over and looked her right in the face and said you're pretty lord help us some churches are different as a boy growing up we went through a church one night dad was preaching I was just kid Stacy was only about I don't know four maybe at the time if that and we got to the church we got there late and over the mountains of West Virginia and we walked him and the Stacy said I gotta go to the bathroom she had to go bathroom everywhere we win we toured America by bathroom and it was time for church and my mother said to me help her find the restroom and then y'all come in and find us and she and dad went on in the auditorium well I looked everywhere through that building I couldn't find a bathroom I looked everywhere finally I walked up to a fella and I said y'all got a bathroom in this place he said oh yeah he said go out that outside door right there he said there's a little pass just walk down that path and he said you'll see it down there had an outhouse that's what they had oh I didn't think too much about it I'd seen one before we walked down and I told state I said you go in there and I'll stand out here and wait on you she came back out house fries with this big she said it's a hole in the ground I said yeah it's a hole in the ground well I didn't think to warn her I didn't think to like stop her we walked up to the auditorium they'd started and they'd had their opening hymn and everybody was seated it was getting ready to pray it was perfect silence in the building and Stacey started at the back row and came running up the aisle to mom screaming at the top of our lungs mama mama their bathroom is a hole in the ground I'm gonna tell you it's hard to recover from that kind of thing in a church service we had some very strange things happen in churches two years write a book on them listen to me just said there's some things that the Lord says though every church locale is different and circumstance is different and even time is different friends truth endures to all generations there's some things that all be the same everywhere because it's Christchurch so one of the things that's consistent in all of the churches market in your Bible is this statement oh I love this look at verse number number two here's the first one he says the emphasis I know thy works look at verse 9 and he says to Smyrna I know by works verse 12 he says the Burgermeister I know thy works verse 18 2014 he says I know thy works a chapter 3 verse 1 he starts speaking of Sardis and he says I know thy works verse 7 he starts speaking to Philadelphia he says in verse 8 I know thy works they come to the layout of sins in verse 14 and 15 he says I know thy works I want every member of this church lift you in looking at me just a minute I won't pay only Thor to the Word of God Jesus says he knows you he knows this church when I screw up in places to preach I don't know that place I don't know those people Jesus does and I want to say to you God knows you better than you know you all the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it the answer is only Jesus does and I want you to know that Jesus knows every need in this church and by the way right now the Holy Ghost of God is tugging on the hearts of some people in this room I don't know what about but listen to me I don't have to tell you tonight because the real preacher speaking at this moment Jesus knows the spiritual needs in this room in the presence of Christ he's beginning to work and to meet them and by the way that fault that he knows us is both a comfort and a conviction at the same time they're hurting hearts in this room they're people this room whose hearts are broken and who carrying heavy load and burden let me give you a good word tonight that's your heart listen to me Jesus knows oh it's better that he not only knows he cares aren't you glad for that but if you got sin in your heart something's not right it's not a comfort to you it's a conviction see this is the sharp two-edged sword it heals and wounds at the same time he knows us here's the fourth one would you write it down not only are you his church and you're to hear from heaven and you're known by God but number four you're to hold the ground you've already gained Oh may the Spirit of God and press this on our hearts now this is the really emphasis I want to make tonight as I was reading and meditating through these seven churches something dawned on me that in almost all of them all but one actually he begins by not telling them where they're wrong he begins by telling them where they're right as a matter of fact there are two churches only two churches that he really says nothing negative about Smyrna and Philadelphia he says really nothing evil about only two of them by the way my favorite churches of the Church of Philadelphia I must confess to you I almost preached on it tonight just as I like the Church of Philadelphia for the record it's nothing like Philadelphia in the United States there actually was love there because they had an amazing church they're amused of God it's my favorite Church now the evil said of them on the other hand you got Laodicea it's the only Church nothing good is said about not one thing I come into a church and I'll say to the pastor it's a wonderful crowd this is a great man that crowd great all right I may say to someone as a blessing the music was a blessing or I might say whatever let me ask you a question if Jesus walked in here tonight I wonder what he would say because the end he didn't really matter what I think or what you think it matters what Jesus says since his church remember it's his house is his father's house and as he walks through what he begins to do he begins to point out the things that he likes now why would he begin there oh listen to me please listen to me please because one of the great dangers in churches is sometimes while we're trying to advance in certain areas we retreat in other areas let me illustrate a church says we got to reach more people maybe I get people in the building we got to pay the bills we got to whatever so they start trying to advance on one hand you know what they do they let up in other areas why they're trying to strengthen you know what they actually do they're getting weaker and they don't even know it because they're letting go those areas that made them distinct and made them the Church of the Living God the very things that had the power of God in it you prayed around this altar while ago you it prayer meetings before the service night god bless you I mean that's how a church moves forward it moves forward on its knees hey this church is gonna be one Lord of he it's not gonna be one load of because the preacher preaches good sermons it's gonna be what it ought to be because the people of God know how to pray and if we ever forget that friends than we've lost what truly matters so he begins by commending them I want to show you something hold your place here a second and go to Philippians chapter 3 with me for a moment I will show you a principle I want to apply it to this church your church look at Philippians chapter 3 verse 14 Paul said I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus we all ought to be pressing look at verse 15 Philippians 3 verse 15 don't miss this let us therefore as many as be perfect that means mature be thus minded and if in anything you be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you stop and look at just a minute what does that mean it means God's gonna keep showing you areas that need to improve I'm not gonna put you on the spot don't tell me how many of you could put your finger on an area in your life or family that needs to get better I can take a warning my own life right now for the record if you can't think of anything you're probably not letting God search your heart real good so God's gonna keep showing you things here's the verse I want you to see look at verse 16 nevertheless we're two we have already attained let us walk by the same rule let us mind the same thing what does that mean what says it means while you're trying to take more ground for God don't you lose the ground you've already taken it means while you're trying to move forward for the Lord don't you give up things that God's already done in your life I must tell you sometimes I'm own Christianity my own Christian walk I find myself going back and fighting the same old battles I should have already had the victory over and if you struggling the same old things over and over again so what do we got to do in our church we've got to shore up the areas where we know God's already led us and say by the grace of God we're drawing a line in the sand we're not we're not changing that we're gonna hold the ground with game and here's the next principle don't miss it because this is what moves us forward now number five would you write this down you are to repent of anything that God reveals to you as sin all right so he commends them first then he points out to each of them the areas where they aren't what they ought to be and notice what is consistent call is to his people it is a call to repent matter of fact I want you to mark it in your Bible look at your Bible just a moment look at verse number five remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and here it is repent look at the end of verse number five he said I'll remove the candlestick out of his place except you repent let me just stop here and say that's that is pretty serious stuff you know many churches don't even exist today and you know why they don't exist because somewhere God spoke to a remnant in that church and they refuse to repent do you think this church will last forever just cuz it's here already friend I'm gonna tell you something that the day could come this church didn't exist in this place somebody says well pressure that's pretty depressing you're supposed to encourage us no I'm warning us that if we don't stay very near God we're not gonna be what God put us here for and the day could come that the Lord says I don't need you anymore repent look at it again come over to verse number 16 he says to the church at Pergamos repent look at verse 21 he says the Church of Thyatira I gave her space to repent look at the end of verse 22 except they repent of their deeds come to chapter 3 in verse 3 remember therefore how those receiving hurted holdfast and what repent come to the end of the last church the church at Laodicea and he says in verse 19 as many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent if you were keeping track guess how many times he says repent 7 see the pattern complete repentance total brokenness a wholehearted consecration to Jesus Christ and oh by the way like bookends on the church age he says to the first church you need to repent and he says to the last Church you need to repent friend I don't care how good a church he is or how long it's been in existence there's never been a church that didn't need to repent and draw nearer to God my home church just celebrated its 85th anniversary it's wonderful isn't it 85 years of existence praise God I'm gonna tell you what happens to churches in the early days of a church there is this this passion for God and this compassion for the lost and this this faith to launch out and if we're not careful excuse me we become spit-shine and polished and professional Christians who know how to do church without the power of God and at that moment we cease to be what Jesus started his church to become God forbid I heard him and the other day heard of a man the other day in a church planning seminar by the way I'd hate to meet God with these words I shuddered even save him then a church planning seminar in a place not a place you would know he said to have young church planners he said now boys I'm just gonna tell you something gonna be controversial he said some people won't like these words but I'm just gonna shoot straight with you he said you can have a church without the Holy Spirit and then he spoke these words but you can't have a church without money obviously that man didn't know anything the first thing about the first century church because they were supported in have anything but you know what they had they had the power of the Holy Spirit they turned the world upside down for Jesus Christ when my granddaddy died he died with two pennies in his pocket but the power of God still on his life and I won't tell you if money and material things ever becomes our goal God will remove his hand a blessing we need God and we need the power that only God can give what does that mean it means we got to repent let me just say this and I'll move on I've done more repenting since I got saved than I did when I got saved some answered a you believe in repentance for salvation I said what's the Bible say repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ inseparable certainly I do but you hear me please from your heart if you think repentance is just for loss sinners then you miss the emphasis of the Bible it's God's people that all do most repenting when I got saved I didn't know most of what it was even sin but now that I've been saved for a while the Holy Ghost just told me a whole lot that sin and I got more to repenteth and I wonder is there anything in your life you need to repent of tonight how many you want this church to move forward it only happens if every member of the church moves forward if you want this church to be will all be by the grace of God make up your minds you're gonna be the kind of church member God wants you to be things which are right this one down number six I want you to write down that you're to listen to the Holy Spirit in every church one other consistent statement that he uses is this statement look at it in verse seven he says to the church at Ephesus he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit says in verse 11 he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches chapter two verse 17 he that have an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches verse 29 of chapter two he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches chapter three verse six he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches chapter three verse 13 he than--than ear let him hear save the churches and then one more time to the church at Laodicea in chapter 3 verse 22 he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches what on earth could he be talking about it is this there is a difference between people who are simply in the church and people who are in tune with the Holy Spirit your ear of being a meeting where you know the devil's fighting I have by the way sometimes when the most good is being done the devil's doing the most fighting because everything God ordained Satan opposes well they toss what means the other night I just knew the devil was fighting he fighting me he was fighting the meeting let me tell what spiritual people do can't tell what spiritual people let me tell you first what carnal people do carnal people cross their arms and say you know this is not his best sermon tonight Carl people say you know I don't know this this service kind of boring to me well that song wasn't very good was it let me tell what spiritual people do oh lord help him now Oh God breakthrough tonight oh sweet Holy Spirit we need you to help her she sings lift up Jesus Lord say that I'm gonna tell you what we need we don't need more church members we need more spiritual church members mask a probing question are you filled with the Holy Spirit at this moment I didn't ask His Holy Spirit live in you your Savior does I ask are you filled with the Holy Spirit how many think this evangelist ought to be filled with the Holy Spirit how many think your pastor ought to be filled the Holy Spirit I wouldn't be a member of a church I thought the pastor didn't know anything about the photos of the Holy Spirit okay let's get a little secret the fullness the Holy Spirit is for every one of God's children and this song told me today preach I was looking at it I never noticed this before he said he that hath an ear he is singular let him hear what the spirit saith unto the one churches plural I love hiss what please God says I'm speaking to everybody but somewhere in that crowd there's somebody's got their antenna up I'm speaking of the churches Oh but where's the one is he over here is your back here is a young person over here who is it see God knows in this room right now who's in tune with heaven who has who has their eyes on Jesus who has the undivided attention towards God and says to all Holy Spirit whatever you say that's what I'm gonna do and I want you to know that's the church member it's gonna make the greatest blessing for the cause of Jesus Christ I'll give you one more and I'm done but you write this down the things which are number seven would you write down please that you are called to overcome by obeying God the preacher and I were talking today about these chapters and he was telling me something that God had showed him which was wonderful wonderful and I'm not gonna tell you what it is because he might preach us sometime soon we were talking back and forth just about our meditation in Scripture and he said to me said you know there's some things repeated I said yes I'm coming to some of those tonight one of them is repent I want them as I know if I works or one of them is he that hath an ear let him hear this afternoon as I was meditating through this again I saw another one all these years I want you to mark it in your Bible because it really is beautiful would you look at verse number seven to him that one chapter verse seven sorry a lot of flipping tonight right to him that what overcometh come to verse 11 second church he that was overcome verse 17 to him that overcometh verse 26 and he that overcometh chapter 3 verse 5 he that overcometh verse 12 him that overcometh verse 21 to him that overcometh here's the great truth here's the bottom line you ready Christ Church is a victorious Church and the Lord wants his people to live in victory I know I know I know there's a there's a victory out yonder we're gonna get to Revelation chapter 21 and he's gonna give that overcoming power in the end but I got a good message for you tonight and it is this from the head of this church that's right I talked to him today the head of this church whose name is Jesus he said this he said that his victory is not future it is present which means as surely as we know we will overcome someday friend greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world we are more than conquerors through him that loved us and I want to ask you are you living in that victory tonight sometimes people complain about their church and they said I'll tell you our church is defeated our church is having problems wait a minute wait a minute wait a minute let's back the train up just a second are you walking in victory because individuals walking in faith and walking in victory and walking in power those make a difference in the church where they are and I want to say to you tonight the Lord wants to use you did you hear what I just said he wants to use you right where you are to make a difference in this church for the cause of Jesus Christ oh how I pray with you and for you tonight Lord just do whatever you want to do in this place do something mighty that when people see it they'll have to say this is the Lord's doing it is marvelous in our eyes God's looking for he's looking for a church that will get him the glory her name was Adelaide she went to a revival meeting like this one night the end of the end of the service of Master gave the invitation they managed to give an invitation she came forward to pray and she she nailed off to the side of the altar in the good Providence of God she knelt next to us dear sister in an aged saint of God one of those holy women that really did ready by the way we could use some more of those we did another generation of him coming on that's what we need and Adelaide would later testify she said I knelt to pray she said but as I prayed I couldn't pray for hearing the woman next to me pray she said I heard her sobs and I heard her cry God and she just repeatedly kept saying certain things to the Lord and beseeching heaven she said finally open the eyes I didn't know who she was but I wanted to see her I want to see this woman who was talking to God like he was right in front of her said when I when I open my suddenly that old woman raised both hands in the air just like open hands to God like she was giving up she threw both hands in the air and she said Lord why don't you just have your own way with us Adelaide Pollard went home that night hit her head on her pillow and she couldn't go to sleep for thinking about that dear sister praying and she got out of bed and took a pen on a piece of paper and wrote these words have that own way Lord have that own way thou art the Potter I'm the clay mold me and make me after thy will while I am waiting ye still have I known way Lord have that own way search me and try me master today whiter than snow Lord washed me just now as in thy presence humbly I bow have that own way Lord have that own way wounded and weary help me I pray power all power surely as dine me and heal me save your divine I like this one have that own way Lord have that own way hold or my be absolute sway fill with thy spirit till all shall see Christ only always the thing in me I'm gonna tell you what we need we need a narration of people who get on their faces before holy God and release everything to him and said Lord I got an agenda but it doesn't matter I got preferences but that's not the thing Lord why don't you just have your own way with us and whatever you want I'm wide open of it and I tell you you find a church filled with people that God have his own way with them that is a church that Jesus Christ will bless and use I said I was gonna give it a strange invitation and I didn't I am I'm gonna call for a church vote you've never heard against the president's call for a church vote before don't get too nervous it has nothing do with money or business that's not my my place it has to do with the future of this church some of you dear Saints have been around here a long time you've seen some great victories and blessings are you glad about it some of you some of you brand-new matter of fact I met some families yesterday and I said to the pastor and others hello those people been here a year six months year and a half by the way that's a really but I'm speaking out everybody I don't care if you've been here the whole time the church was in existence or if you just came last week and join this congregation or maybe you need to join tonight there might be somebody that's an attender not a member I'm just gonna say if I lived in this town this would be my church you ought to join we got too many pew sitters and none of servants we need people who get off the beam and that's a church member but if you're a member of this church and I'm gonna ask you tonight if you'll cast your vote for God's greatest blessing on this church right where it is so that God can accomplish in this generation everything he wants to through his church I'd like you to bow your head and eyes with me I must begin here tonight because there may be someone that's not

Channel: Bethel Baptist Church, Richmond Hill, GA

Views: 964

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Bethel, Bethel Baptist, Bethel Baptist Church, Richmond Hill, Brian Cooper, Pastor Cooper, gospel preaching, richmond hill, Georgia, sermon, preaching, Revival

Id: iVWm_LW5Ss8

Length: 55min 15sec (3315 seconds)

Published: Mon May 06 2019