(Breath of Life Theme Music)
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Sermon #B717 - "All In"
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I'm ready to get in the word of
God now. So if you have your
Bibles, we're going to go to the
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book of Acts and we are now
continuing our preaching series
on church growth. Do you
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remember we started this four
weeks ago? Now, last week, we
were supposed to part 3 but
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sometimes, you have to switch
things up and we had to switch
things up a bit given what was
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transpiring in our nation. We
had to preach last Sabbath that
justice has been served.
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Hallelujah. I wish I had a
witness in this place. Justice
has been served. We had to
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preach that last week, but we
come back this week to close out
our three-week preaching series
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and we're now at part 3. So I
invite you to take your Bibles
and turn with me to the book of
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Acts. Acts chapter 2 and we're
going to verse number 42. Acts
chapter 2 verse number 42. Acts
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2:42. I'm reading your hearing
from the word of God. I'm going
to read in your hearing from the
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word of God today. The word of
God says in Acts 2:42, "And they
continue steadfastly in the
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apostles doctrine and fellowship
and in breaking of bread and in
prayers." Verse 43, "And fear
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came upon every soul and many
wonders and signs were done by
the apostles and all that
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believed were together and had
all things in common. And so
their possessions goods and part
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of them to all men is every man
had need and they continue doing
daily with one accord in the
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temple and breaking bread from
house to house, did eat their
meat with gladness and
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singleness of heart." Verse 47,
"Praising God, and having favor
with all the people and the Lord
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added to the church daily such
as should be saved." Today, I
just want to take not too long
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but I want to take just a little
time on the subject. All in. All
in. Let's pray God to bless us
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now. Spirit of living God, fall
afresh on me, make me, mold me,
use me, feel me. Spirit of the
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Living God, fall afresh on me
today. I have died on way to
God, you are the potter. We are
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the clay. Mold us and make us
after thy will while we are
waiting yielded and still. Come
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by here, good Lord. Come by
here. Somebody needs you. So,
come by here. Go through the
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airwaves, go through the
electronic digital waves,
computers, laptops, telephones,
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smartphones. Lord, do whatever
you have to do. Let your will be
done today. Forgive me of my
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sins hide and behind your cross.
And when we would have finished
today, I pray that we're better
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people, better Christians for
thee. We give you praise, honor,
and glory in the name of Jesus.
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Amen. Amen. There's a popular
phrase in our world today and
it's, "All-in." You see it on
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billboards, you see it on social
media, you see it when people
text one another, you see those
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two words. All-in. To go all-in
means to fully commit, to risk
everything including your life
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for a cause, for a person, or
for something that you believe
in. That's what it means to be
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all-in. And as I cut to the
chase today, I don't know about
you, but I'm all-in for Jesus.
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I'm all in for this gospel
message. I'm all-in for my wife,
Danielle,, and our children-
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Kristen, Kaylee, and Carissa.
I'm all-in for social justice
for everybody. I'm all-in for
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God's church. I'm all-in. I'll
risk my life for Jesus. I'll
risk my life for this message.
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I'll risk my life for my wife,
for my children, for the fair
treatment of people. I will risk
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my life for God's church because
I'm all in. But not only am I
all-in but God's church as I
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read the book of Acts was all
in. If you want to see a model
of an all-in for Jesus church,
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look at the New Testament Church
in Acts chapter 2. They were all
in. They prayed. They preached.
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They fasted. And the holy ghost
poured out his spirit in copious
fashion so much so that the
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Bible says three thousand souls
were saved in one day. Ellen
White says, best in the Acts of
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the Apostles page 38. She said
it was as if for ages, this
outpouring, this influence had
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been held in restraint. And now
heaven rejoiced in being able to
pour out upon the church the
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riches of the Holy Spirit. In
Acts chapter 2, the infant New
Testament Church was on fire.
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They were all in for the cause
of Christ. They all wanted to
serve Jesus. They all wanted to
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live Jesus. They all wanted to
grow for Jesus. They understood
that their existence was solely
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rooted in spreading the gospel
of Jesus. They recognize that
church growth was not only who
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they were, but what they did.
And they continue to grow. As
they did grow, the Bible says,
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they did certain specific
things. Now, before we go into
what these specific things they
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did were, let me remind you that
the church, the members of The
Acts chapter 2, New Testament
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Church, were normal people like
you and me. They were real
people with real struggles, like
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you and me. I share this because
I don't want anyone to think
today that they were born with
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some inherits idyllic
supernatural traits that others
didn't have. The only
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distinctive trait they had is
that they were filled with the
Holy Ghost. When you're filled
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with the Holy Ghost, when you
have the Holy Ghost in you, you
have the power to do stuff that
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you never thought you could do.
You see, when you have the Holy
Ghost, you can preach like
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you've never preached before.
When you have the Holy Ghost,
you can sing like you've never
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sung before. When you have the
Holy Ghost, you have the power
to cast out demons. You have the
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power to tread on serpents. In
Acts chapter 2, the Holy Ghost
fell and three thousand people
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were baptized in one day. The
church was now organized. But
then after the church was
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organized, the Bible says that
they did certain things to keep
the church growing. Certain
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things to retain the growth and
continue to grow. The Bible says
in verse 42 again of Acts
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chapter 2, and they continued
steadfastly in the apostle's
doctrine and fellowship, and in
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the breaking of bread and in
prayers. What is the first thing
they did? Number one, the New
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Testament Church, they study
together. They study together.
The Bible says, they continually
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devoted themselves to the
apostle's teaching. In other
words, the New Testament Acts
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chapter 2 Church, they kept
studying. I don't care how long
you've been in the church. I
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don't care how long you've known
the Lord. You have to still
study his word. Study to show
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thyself approved unto God. A
workman that needeth not to be
ashamed rightly dividing the
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word of truth. Sanctify them
through thy truth. Thy word is
truth. Search the scriptures for
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in them, ye think he have
eternal life, but they are they
which testify of me. Praise God
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for the Holy Ghost. Praise God
for baptisms. But we have to
continue in the apostles'
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doctrine. We have to continually
be taught the word of God. I
don't want a dead church but I
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don't want to dumb church
either. People ought to be
taught the word of God. Yes,
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preach it but teach it too. One
of the greatest methods of
retention in growing a church is
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to continue to preach and teach
the word of God. That's why
evangelism is so important.
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Repetition deepens the
impression. You've got to
continue to teach the word of
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God. That's why Christian
education is so important. Give
me a child for twelve years for
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eight hours a day and I'll make
them a Christian for life. Are
you hearing what I'm saying? The
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early New Testament Church kept
growing because it kept studying
but not only did they continue
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in studying, not only do they
continue teaching but you got to
continue in fellowship. Number
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two, they fellowships together
that Acts 2 church fellowship
together. Now, you need to
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understand fellowship is not
just a meal because you know how
we love to eat but I'm going to
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get back to that a minute, we
love to eat. But fellowship is
also the sharing, the love, the
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care, the conversation, the
camaraderie as we gather
together. One of the biggest
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challenges of the church during
this COVID-19 period is we can't
come together and fellowship
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like we used to. Yes, we're
watching and hearing preaching.
Yes, we're watching and hearing
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singing. Yes, we're watching and
hearing Oaktown. Yes, we're
watching and seeing baptisms
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take place. Yes, we're
worshiping the Lord through our
giving but I don't know about
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you but I miss the fellowship. I
miss the coming together. I miss
the community together. God made
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us relational beings. We were
created to fellowship. The Bible
said it best merry heart, doeth
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good like a medicine. You have
to have fellowship. Fellowship
is community. Fellowship is
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koinonia. True koinonia in
fellowship is when I'm up
fellowship and when I'm down
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fellowship. You see, I don't
just need friends when I've got
money in my pockets, but I need
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some friends when the bottom is
falling outs. I need some
friends when I'm down to my last
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dime. That's when I need you to
call and check on me not just
when you need a dollar, but when
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I need a dollar too. You see,
I've learned in my life, in
prosperity, your friends know
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who you are but in adversity,
you know who your friends are.
Paul says in Philippians 3 that
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we have to fellowship with Jesus
in his sufferings. So then, if I
have the fellowship with Jesus
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in his sufferings, I must then
love the Lord with all my heart,
with all my mind, with all my
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soul, and my all my body, and
love my neighbor as myself, and
then I must fellowship with my
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neighbor in my neighbor's
sufferings too. Let me tell you
something. You will never know
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what true fellowship is. You
will never know what true
koinonia is. You will never know
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what true friendship is until
you've had a Judas betray you,
until you've had a Peter deny
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you, like Jesus, you've had
people turn on you until you've
had folk crucify you. But the
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good news is that after every
crucifixion, there is a
resurrection which means you can
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crucify me. "Devil! You can try
to knock me down. Devil, you can
try to knock me out, but you
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need to know, I'm coming back. I
may bleed a while, but I'm
coming back." So listen, go on
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in fellowship. Go on with the
community. Go ahead and smile.
Go ahead and speak. Go ahead and
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give an air hugs. Stop
mean-mugging folk fellowship.
But number three, Bible teaches
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not only did they study together
in fellowship together, the
Bible says number three, they
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ate together. I told you, I was
coming back. They ate together.
In other words, they had food
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together. They broke bread
together. That's one of the
things I miss my church. Not
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just come to church but you all
know here at Oakwood, every
sabbath we ate together. Come
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on. Say, amen. I told you
earlier, we love to eat and I
need to be clear. I praise God
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for all of our health medical
professionals and health
enthusiasts but it's not a sin
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to eat. I wish I had a witness
in this place. You just got to
eat the right thing in the right
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portions. Are you hearing what
I'm saying? Get off that seafood
diet where you eat everything
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you see but you need to know
it's okay to eat together
because when you eat together,
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you fellowship together. Number
4, they prayed together. The old
adage is true. The church that
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prays together stays together.
The New Testament Church, the
Acts chapter 2 church, prayed
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together. When we pray together,
we become aware of other
people's challenges. We become
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aware of the person who's sick,
the person who's fighting
cancer, the person who's
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fighting depression, the person
who's fighting the coronavirus,
the person who's fighting bad
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habits, the person who's
fighting demonic strongholds
when we pray together. Our
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hearts are stirred for one
another when we hear the prayers
of others in times of sickness,
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in times of suffering, in time
of financial challenge, in time
of job trouble, in time of
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addiction issues, in time of
marital problems, in time of
grief, in time of loss, in time
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when our kids are in rebellion,
friends who have wandered from
the Lord, people who are lost
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without Christ. The church
prayed together with much
prayer, there's much power. The
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Bible says in verse 42, they
study together. The Bible says,
they fellowship together, they
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ate together, and then they
prayed together. They were all
in, but that was verse 42. Let's
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get verse 43. The word of God
says, "And fear came upon every
soul and many wonders and signs
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were done by the apostles." All
right, so not only did they
studied together, not only did
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they fellowship together, not
only did they eat together and
pray together, but the Bible
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says number five, they were in
awe together. Well, what were
they in awe of? They were in awe
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when they saw the miracles of
the apostles. They were in
amazement when they saw the
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mighty power of the holy ghost
work miracles in the lives of
God's people. And even though
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that was then and this is now, I
just need somebody to know that
God still works miracles. We
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still serve a miracle-working
God. God still works miracles in
the lives of his people. I need
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somebody to know God hasn't
stopped working that God is not
dead. God is still alive. God is
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still healing people of cancer.
God is still raising people up
off their sick beds of
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affliction. God is still saving
marriages. God is still saving
children. God is still in the
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miracle-working business. Let me
tell you something. Let me go
side note here. I've been in the
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church all my life. This is all
I know. But if there is one
hindrance that we have in the
00:17:09.69\00:17:16.53
body of Christ, if there is one
hindrance that we have in the
church, it's not tapping into
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the full power that we have in
the Holy Ghost. I get concerned
when I come to church and we
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have intercessory prayer time
and people come down to the
front, they come down to the
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altar, and they're praying for
this and they're praying for
that. But sometimes, I just
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don't believe what we're praying
for. I just don't believe we
serve a God who is able to do
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exceeding abundantly and above
all we can ever think. God still
works miracles. Let me remind
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you that when Jesus got up at
Calvary, and he ascended back to
heaven, he ascended back up when
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he got up, he got up with power.
Because he got up with power
when he ascended back to heaven.
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There was a transfer of that
power from Christ to us. So in
case you don't know, you've got
00:18:17.63\00:18:24.53
power today. In case you don't
know, you've got Holy ghost
power. I dare you to walk around
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all pitiful. Child, don't you
know who you are. You are a
child of the most high God and
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the Holy Ghost is living inside
of you. You've got the power if
we just learn how to expect
00:18:35.38\00:18:40.68
great things from God and
attempt great things for God,
things would happen, but because
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we don't expect anything, we
don't get anything. You don't
know the power that's in you.
00:18:47.39\00:18:57.67
You don't know the strength
that's in you. You don't know
the authority that's in you. The
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devil is not afraid of you. The
devil is afraid of who's inside
you. You are sitting on a ton of
00:19:08.24\00:19:18.55
dynamite. No Christian has ever
been demon-possessed because if
the Holy Ghost is living in you,
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you can't be possessed by the
devil. You can be influenced but
not possessed because you're
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already possessed by the Holy
Ghost and a Holy Ghost and a
demon can't live inside of you
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at the same time. And I read
somewhere where the word of God
says, greater is he that is in
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me than he that is in the world.
So you're already possessed by
the Holy Ghost so what you're
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dealing with is demonic
influence, but all you've got to
do is yield to the power of the
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Holy Ghost. I'm tired of all
these Christians walking around
here acting like batteries are
00:19:58.89\00:20:06.87
not included. You got the
battery of the Holy Ghost, it's
included. The New Testament
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Church saw God's power, and they
were in awe. Verse 44, "And they
all that believed were together
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and they all have things in
common and they sold their
possessions and their goods and
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parted them to all men, as every
man had need." I'm almost done.
Number six, the New Testament,
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the Acts chapter 2 Church, they
shared together. They shared
together. In other words, they
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cared for one another. They took
responsibility for one another.
They bore one another burdens.
00:20:40.34\00:20:45.04
If somebody needed something,
they got it for them and they
got it for them and they didn't
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expect you to pay them back. You
all do hear what I'm saying? I
gave you a dozen eggs, you owe
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me a dollar fifty. I gave you a
gallon of water, you owe me a
dollar ninety-nine. No, they
00:20:56.99\00:21:06.39
weren't like that. What's mine
is yours and what's yours is
mine was their philosophy. They
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shared together. They were
brothers and sisters. They were
all in together. And so in verse
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46, "They continuing daily with
one accord in the temple and
breaking bread from house to
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house. Did eat their meat. Eat
their food with gladness and
singleness of heart." Let me
00:21:26.95\00:21:33.02
read that again. And they
continuing daily with one accord
in the temple and breaking bread
00:21:33.05\00:21:38.79
from house to house. Did eat
their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart. Number 7,
00:21:38.83\00:21:44.23
characteristics of the Acts 2,
New Testament Church. They kept
going because they worshiped
00:21:44.27\00:21:52.77
together in the temple. They
worship together in the temple.
Now, be clear. Be clear. Don't
00:21:52.81\00:22:00.28
get so caught up on the point
they worship together that you
don't forget the second point.
00:22:00.32\00:22:04.25
The Bible says, not only did
they worship together, but
gladness was there. That's why I
00:22:04.29\00:22:09.32
can't come to the church being
sad. I can't come to church with
my lips poked outs. I can't come
00:22:09.36\00:22:20.07
to church with rocks in my jaws.
I don't come to church to see
mean people. I come to church to
00:22:20.10\00:22:30.65
see happy people. This is the
day the Lord has made. I will
rejoice and be glad. You can't
00:22:30.68\00:22:40.06
worship God mad. You can't
worship God sad. Understand they
worship together and gladness
00:22:40.09\00:22:47.73
was there. If we go come to
church, gladness has got to be
here if not, we might as well
00:22:47.76\00:22:53.03
stay home and watch online. Do I
have a witness in his place? You
can't worship God unless you're
00:22:53.07\00:23:02.21
glad. A glad heart makes your
soul prosper. A glad heart makes
you smile. A glad heart makes
00:23:02.24\00:23:11.85
you feel better because
something glad is going on in
the inside. They gladly, the
00:23:11.89\00:23:21.06
Bible said worship together.
They weren't talking about who's
singing, who's preaching, what
00:23:21.10\00:23:28.17
the style of the song was, what
the style of the song wasn't,
what he should have done, what
00:23:28.20\00:23:32.24
she should have done, they
worship together and they were
glad. And they did so in unity
00:23:32.27\00:23:39.05
because the Bible says, they
were in singleness of hearts in
this last and evil day. We can't
00:23:39.08\00:23:43.42
major in minors. We can't sweat
the small stuff worrying about
things that have nothing to do
00:23:43.45\00:23:48.49
with our souls salvation. The
Bible says they gladly worship
together. And they did so with
00:23:48.52\00:23:54.60
singleness of heart. Finally,
number 8, verse 47 says,
"Praising God, and having favor
00:23:54.63\00:24:00.97
with all the people. And the
Lord added to the church daily
such as should be saved." Let me
00:24:01.00\00:24:06.57
read that again. Praising God
and having favor with all the
people. And the Lord added to
00:24:06.61\00:24:13.18
the church daily such as should
be saved. All right, help me
close. Number eight, they
00:24:13.21\00:24:20.92
praised the Lord together.
Hallelujah. Somebody. Oh,
somebody get ready to help me
00:24:20.96\00:24:30.10
close. They praised the Lord
together. They worship the Lord,
and they praise the Lord
00:24:30.13\00:24:38.07
together and the Lord added to
the church. Not weekly, not
monthly, not annually, but the
00:24:38.11\00:24:45.95
Lord added to the church daily
such as should be saved. And so
the Psalm gives us our
00:24:45.98\00:24:53.22
motivation for praise. In Psalm
150:6. The psalmist says, let
everything that has breath,
00:24:53.25\00:25:01.26
praise the Lord. Praise ye the
Lord. Friends of mine, what is
this mean? I'm so glad you ask.
00:25:01.30\00:25:08.90
Any person with breath has an
obligation t praise the Lord.
God has not called us to be
00:25:08.94\00:25:17.81
members of praise anonymous
where nobody knows you're
praising him, but you. I wish I
00:25:17.85\00:25:24.12
had a church in his place. And
that doesn't mean that everybody
has to jump up and down. That
00:25:24.15\00:25:31.13
doesn't mean that everybody has
to do flips. That doesn't mean
that everybody has to do
00:25:31.16\00:25:42.47
cartwheels. Some people praise
God in meditation. Some people
praise God with tears flowing
00:25:42.50\00:25:49.38
down their cheeks. Some people
praise God in reflection. Some
people praise God in testimony
00:25:49.41\00:25:56.75
to others. Some people praise
God by saying, amen. Some people
praise God by saying,
00:25:56.79\00:26:04.16
hallelujah. Some people praise
God by clapping their hands. But
let everything that has breath,
00:26:04.19\00:26:12.27
praise ye the Lord. I'm trying
to close but my soul is getting
happy. Let me tell you
00:26:12.30\00:26:21.34
something. Reflect and look back
on where you been in your life.
For some people alcohol gets
00:26:21.38\00:26:28.42
them high, for some people
marijuana makes them mellow, for
some people drugs, and all kinds
00:26:28.45\00:26:38.56
of mind-altering, mood-altering
substances gets them excited,
but when I think of the goodness
00:26:38.59\00:26:43.90
of Jesus, and I think about all
he has done for me, when I think
about how God blesses me, how
00:26:43.93\00:26:51.07
God shows mercy on me, how God
shows favor on me that even when
I'm wrong, he still makes it
00:26:51.11\00:26:56.61
right. That even when I don't do
right, he still blesses me. That
even when I walk contrary to his
00:26:56.64\00:27:05.45
will, he still opens up doors
for me. I don't need a praise
team, I don't have to wait till
00:27:05.49\00:27:08.09
sabbath morning. Somebody asked
me, "Pastor Byrd, why are you
always trying to sing?" I tell
00:27:08.12\00:27:11.49
him, "I sing because I'm happy.
I sing because I'm free. His eye
is on the sparrow, and I know he
00:27:11.53\00:27:19.43
watches after me." I need
somebody who will praise him in
the kitchen. I need somebody who
00:27:19.47\00:27:24.94
will praise him in the living
room. I need somebody who will
praise him in the family room. I
00:27:24.97\00:27:28.88
need