The Power Of God Is Paramount - Pastor J. D. Howell 1-18-2026

All right, if you have your Bibles with you, will

you turn with me to the Book of Acts. May

I direct your attention to the fourth chapter in the

thirty third verse, Brother Nathaniel James, chapter number four and

verse number six, and Brother Jesse one Peter Chapter number five,

verse number five. Again, Beloved, our golden text will be Acts,

chapter number four, Verse number thirty three. And I want

to preach a message the Holy Ghost titled the Power

of God is Paramount. The power of God is paramount.

The word paramount means more important than anything else, supreme,

superior to all others, superior to all others. The power

of God is paramount, Brother Nathaniel James, Chapter number four,

verse number six.

Brother, but he giveth.

More grace, wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but

give grace unto the humble. I appreciate last Sunday morning,

Brother Nathaniel, speak into our youth class concerning the dangers

of an individual harboring a haughty spirit and encouraging them

to have a humble spirit. Humility is certainly preferred over

haughtiness amongst the people of God. Would you say, a man,

thank God for the goodness of God. And the grace

of God, bringing a spirit of humility upon this precious

people here this morning, Brother Jesse one Peter, chapter number

five and verse number five.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yeay, all

of you be subject one to another, and be clothed

with humility. For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace

to the humble.

Oh, thank God.

For his resistance against that haughtiness, and for him granting

grace upon the spirit of humility. Thank God for his

goodness and his grace. It's paramount in our lives. We

need the power of God in our lives. The Early

Church of the New Testament, they needed the goodness and

the grace of God. And because of a spirit of humility,

ignorant and unlearned fishermen received the glorious power of the

Holy ghosts and went beyond being mere disciples of Jesus

Christ to becoming the great, mighty apostles of the Early Church.

Because of his grace. The power of God is paramount.

Let's stand for the reading of our Golden Text Acts

chapter number four and verse number thirty three. Please, the

Bible said, and with great power gave the apostles witness

to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace.

Was upon them all.

If you underline words in your Bible, would you underline

great power and great grace. Let's pray, Heavenly Father, we

love and we praise you in the spirit of humility.

We've come today God, having worshiped you. I thank you

for the way the Holy Ghost moved in the service.

I thank you for the way hearts have been encouraged

and enraptured as the saints have sung the psalms of Zai.

And I pray God, that you would anoint this thy

servants out a guard at my mouth, help me to

say the things you would have me to say, nothing

more or less. Anoint the ears of this thy people,

that they might hear what the Spirit of God says

or to the church today. Let these sayings go below

the shoulders, that them saturate the spirit and the soul.

We pray God, let us not be hearers only, but

let us be doers. Let's receive this word gladly in

the name of Jesus. Church and the Church said, Amen.

And may you depart this place joyfully and not sorrowfully,

as you're being seated. Look at you, neighbor and say, hey, neighbor,

is the power of God working in your life. The

power of God is paramount for the perennial problem of worldliness. Again,

the power of God is paramount for the perennial problems

of worldliness. Our text is found in a New Testament

book of the Holy Bible. In the Book of Acts,

you find the actions of the Apostles and the Holy Ghosts.

And the only reason why you can find notable acts

of the apostles is because of great power and great

grace being upon them, due to the envelopment and the

enduement of power from on high. In other words, the great,

sweet Holy Ghost, as promised, had come into their lives

and had enabled them to do what God had commissioned

them to do. In the fourth chapter the Book of Acts,

we read of an account when the preaching and teaching

of two of these great apostles of God offended religious

leaders of their day. And while these two mighty apostles,

Peter and John, was interrupted by people who could identify

themselves as religious leaders of Judaism, something about the preaching

of Peter and John bothered them. Does it that sound

quite familiar. I've heard you tell me that people that

appear to be very religious, some of which are even

Pentecostal and holiness, are offended by your witness and their

testimony and by your words. Sometimes it sounds very familiar,

quite familiar. In fact, the Sadducees particularly didn't want to

hear anything said about the resurrection of the dead, especially

the resurrection of Jesus Christ. At some point, these religious leaders,

the priest the cat of the Temple and the Sadducees

seized Peter and John. According to what is written in

verse number three, they laid their hands on these great

men of God and held on to them, and then

put them in a holding cell, keeping them in prison

until some point the next day. In spite of this

temporary setback, verse number four says that many of those

people who heard the word of the apostles became believers.

They believed upon the word that they had heard, and

a total number of them was five thousand men, besides

women and children, who gave their hearts to the Lord.

Great power and great grace was manifested that day.

Praise the Lord to.

A child of God who was operating in great power

and great grace. It was well worth spending the night

in jail in order to see Grace continue her work

in the lives of so many others. There's no doubt

Grace made an appearance the day that Jesus Christ appeared

on the sandy shores of the Sea of Galilee and

asked these great men of.

God to follow him.

Grace appeared unto them, and Grace took possession of them

because they willingly followed the Lord. And according to Peter,

they were willing to forsake everything in order to experience

a greater measure of goodness.

And grace of our Lord.

And if you missed it, Peter and John spent the

night in a physical jailhouse, while the membership within the

Family of God increased to a number of five thousand

men besides women and children. In spite of the great

opposition these two men faced, because of great power and

great grace, they continued on as evangelists and refused to

abort their mission of spreading the news that.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

It has been said that a preacher doesn't need the

Holy Ghost to preach, but under these severe circumstances, the

apostles needed the Holy Ghost to enable, equip and empower

them for them to minister effectively.

I have set it till its threadbare.

I've wore it out, set it till I've got tired

of saying it. The great Apostles did stumble across good

men that were eloquent in the scriptures, learned in the

scripture's an eloquent of speech, that were spreading the good

news of John's baptism, and some were even talking about

how the Messiah was present, how he had died, been buried,

and resurrected. But when these apostles they engaged those sort

of men, they asked them this question, have you received

the Holy Ghost?

Since she believed? And whether they.

Had heard of it or not, they acknowledged that they

needed great grace and great power working in their life.

You will remember the Great Man of.

God apolis he was not offended by the Apostolic brethren

when they spoke to him and said, there is a

greater measure of grace for you, and there is a

greater measure of great power for you. If you look

at the text to our Golden Text this morning, you

will notice that word ga great is in front of

the two words power and grace, Brother Nathaniel, This lets

me know that it is possible for believers in Jesus

to have little.

Power and little grace.

I have no doubt in my mind this morning whatsoever,

that every person in number here today is operating within

his grace. So you look here in our golden text,

and I love the latter part of that verse. It says,

and great grace was upon them all. I would love

for it to be said that every member of the

Bethel Holiness Church was operating in a greater measure of

grace at the.

End of this morning's a service.

Every believer of this present generation needs greater power and

grace grace. In Acts, chapter number one, in verse number eight,

the notable doctor, he wrote these words of Jesus. But

ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has

come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me,

both in Jerusalem and in Judea, and in Samaria, and

unto the uttermost parts of the earth. I don't believe

it's wrong for the followers of Jesus to desire great

power and great grace to enable them to be more

effective as witnesses and ministers or servants of the Lord Jesus.

When Doctor Luke wrote that these men of God and

some others were possessors of a greater power, he was

indicating that these men who had been ignorant and unlearned. Yea,

they had some knowledge of the religion of Judaism, and

no doubt had an extench some knowledge and a good

understanding of the law of Moses. But after they have

been with Jesus, they grew in grace. I said, after

they have been with Jesus, they grew in grace. And

there is a scripture in the Bible that a lot

of people fail to understand, and I don't want to

delve into that this morning, But it was even said

of our Lord Jesus that there was a time.

In his life when he grew into grace.

Sometimes what that means is is because of the favor

of God, you become more acceptable by the people that

you are preaching too.

And that's what happened. On the day of Pentecost.

Armis of the Holy Father was present and it was

being fulfilled. And I that moment, because of the notable

grace and the notable goodness and the notable power of

God upon the apostles, especially Peter. When that grace and

that goodness and power flowed out of the upper room

into the city streets, people were overwhelmed, And I said,

people were overwhelmed by grace. God gave Peter the favor

of the years of the people, and they were willing

that day.

To hear Peter.

Why because of the manifestations of the spirit, because some

appeared to be physically drunken. Although they were not physically drunken,

they were filled with the spirit. Because some spoke in

languages they had never learned or spoken in. Great grace

is on the scene, It's prevalictor Ah, come on now.

Then everybody realizes, truly, this is the act of God.

And that's what I want you to do today is

humble yourself through that hearty spirit to the side and say, God,

I need a greater measure of goodness. I need a

greater measure of grace. I need a greater measure her

power in my life that I might be a more

effective goodness. People ask the question a lot of times,

and they say, why did the mission works of men

like Hudson Taylor and George Mueller with his Orphanage and

the other great missionaries of record.

Why I did the work of William and Catherine.

Booth, Why did it affect so many people in such

a positive way.

It's because of his grace and Brother Jesse.

I've been on my knees of late, and in my spirit,

I've been crying out and I must saying, God, give

us greater grace and give us greater power. I know

from pastoring the Bethel Hole in his church that every

person in this building has been a recipient of his

amazing grace, Brother Jesse. When John Newton pinned the words

of that song, he was trying to determine what to

put behind a certain word, and then his wife come

in and said, John, you know you were a wrech.

Just go ahead and admit it. You were a wretch.

Put that word down in that song and let everybody

sing that you were a wretch. There's no doubt the

grace that showed up that day when Salvation got a

hold of the slave trader.

And liberated him. It was amazing.

There's no other word for grace but amazing grace. Come on,

But you know, I feel like John Newton knew how

to climb in the higher ground and to get a

hold of greater grace and greater power. I believe he

went on to influence the life of William Wilbert Forsom

and so many others.

He influences our life.

When we seen page number fifty seven in the Red

Back hymn, No, how weres are to men and their

messages were so effective? How oeres are to women in

their ministries? We're so effective? How did sister gil Myers

do so much for the Lord? How their brother Neil

Bridges and by the God Rich do so much for

the Lord? I tell you was because of great grace.

His loving kindness is better than life. And I want

you to know his loving favor is even greater than that.

The favor that was upon Joseph was eben by the

way God rest the life of Joseph. The grace of

God that was upon the life of Abraham was evidence

by the way God rest Abraham. And I want you

to know God is not a respect to her persons.

He will increase your faith.

He will increase the measure of grace and power in

your life if you will allow him to. Jesus was

not exclusive in the invitation to the upper room he

invited twelve years, one went on to betray him, one

denied him, temporarily repented and came back. Oh thank God

for those that realized they've heard it, and they prayed

through and come back. But it wasn't exclusive to the twelfth.

There was about how many one hundred and twenty in

attendance in that upper room, and the Bible.

Said they were all filled with the spirit.

It wasn't just for twelve, It was for thee hundred

and twenty, and then it was for the thousands of

outside in the streets. I'm telling you, God will never

run out of grace, and God, we'll never run out

of power. One of the reasons we need greater grace

and greater power is because we needed to change our attitude.

We needed to change our motives, We needed to change

our will. And you shall receive power after that the

Holy ghost has come upon you. I don't believe it

is wrong whatsoever for somebody to decide to push the

plate back this week and seek the power. One of

my favorite songs in that old Church of God read

back him that it goes like this, Oh Lord, send the

power just now. But you'll notice the inclusivity that is desired.

It says, baptize everyone. These people that experienced this grace

and this power, it was not so that they themselves

could prosper. If you look at the verses before and

after our text, you will see that they all had

a common denominator, and that they were willing to give

to others, and they had humble spirits if they were

willing to bear and to share. The two points were

following mentally this morning, and is the power of God

is paramount. And the second point is it is for

the perennial problem of worldliness, the perennial problem of worldiness.

That's what a lot of Pentecostal and holiness pastors are

beating back today. The perennial it means long lasting, existing

for a long time, or continually reoccurring.

The Lord knew what was in man.

He knew the nature of man, woman, boy, and girl,

and he knew the only way to help them live

a sac the pie life that is pleasing under the Lord,

and the only way to make them effective witnesses or martyrs.

The only way to make them effective missionaries or evangelist

stuff is if I put my spirit in them and

every person in this building knows about three years ago

God change the face of the Better Holiness Church. It's true.

They had always been recipients of power. They had been

recipients of the saving power. They had been recipients of

the amazing unmurdered paper of God, the sister whooting.

They needed a greater measure.

And that's what I'm trying to tell somebody. It ain't

I need the Holy Ghost so I can preach like

her brother Nathaniel Howell. It ain't I need the Holy

Ghost so I can preach like her brother Jesse Howell.

It's I need the Holy Ghost so that I can

be an effect of witness of His resurrection. And that's

what the Bible said Peter and John were doing when

the religious leaders got so upset.

They were preaching on the resurrection of Jesus.

And there's nothing at all able to resurrect a dead family,

a dead life, for a dead church like the grace

of God. You look at somebody in the church that's

the recipient of a miracle, and you say, why is

this miraculous power being manifested in their life? Because of

great grace and it comes from humility. God I want

to just be able to help somebody escape eternal damnation

in hell.

Lord.

Personally, I want to be a lifeline personified. Lord, let

me be spent, let me be exhausted, let me be

used of God. That's what Apostle Paul said. Just let

me be exhausted, let me be spent. The same thing

was said of William and Catherine Booth. They were definitely

making a mark on this world. The Congress, I believe

over there was willing to hear William speak. I mean,

they were influential people, if you would, successful people. But

they realized following humanity was in need and they were

in need of a savior. Come on, now, they didn't

need to scale a corporate letder, they didn't need to climb.

The political scale. Matter, Nathaniel.

They realized they needed to fulfill the law of Christ

and to be their brother's keeper. I'm giving you the

key to your baptism right here this morning, when you

study the scriptures before and after our text, the Bible said,

some of the rich, some of the wealthy, looked at

their abundance, and they began to distribute amongst themselves. Oh,

come on, it's not the doctrine of communism has some

suppose it's not socialism being instituted in the church, it's

just these people's heart.

And an example of Barnabas.

Barnabas he laid it all down at the apostles speed

the Bible, said the Son of Consolation. What he was

saying is, sister Howl, if money and possessions are dishracting me,

that I've got to lay them down. And that's what

so many that have gone before us have done. What

the rich song ruler, what's not to do? So many

he's done set I don't know about you. They're like

Peter and John. I'd rather have an abundance of grace,

had an abudan's of power working in my life, both

of which who had fathers that were successful in the

commercial fishing business. Of one of these men that's imprisoned overnight,

it is said to him and his brother abandoned their fathership.

While they're mending that and follow Jesus. That's how urgent

and pressing it is that you get the Holy Ghost

because Jesus didn't even have time for him to do

anything else. And I guarantee you Jesus showed up at

a fair time for Zebedee, I doubt he'd let them

walk away from all of the work that was to

be done. I'm sure Jesus knew. It's literally the closing

of this chapter. Oh, it's been amazing grace. God has

definitely preserved these fishermen and their fathers.

They have been successful.

I'm sure Zebede probably with that voice of thunder, he said, boys,

you know, God's been good to us. And I could

see it now as Peter and Andrew and James and

John hanging out there near James and John's father. They say, oh, yes,

and here he is. Here, he is God incarnate, God

in the flesh. And I could see it now as

Peter begin to put his foot in those footprints of Jesus,

and they followed, Jesus, there's somebody in this building today.

You need to understand I'm not picking on you. I

don't know exactly who this message is. For a lot

of times I say three to five or ten to twelve,

but I know God got.

To dealing with me to tell you.

All you've gotta do is ask Him for greater grace

and a greater measure, a greater power, a greater measure.

Don't come on now.

Peter and John, no doubt, did not regret to spending the.

Night in jail when they knew the manifold blessings of God.

We're on the other side of the gate. I'll come

on now.

There ain't no trials, no persecutions, no troubles or sorrows

that have Pepper made me want to give up. Oh Jesus,

there ain't no sinful world abounding in such a state

that grace cannot manifest itself in a greater measure, where

sind a great grace that's not even much more. How bound,

I'm telling you the greater messure, I'm seeing the greater

messire her power, the greater messier of grace. Just ask

Legion of Good Era, how great his power is. The

greatness home is power.

Amen.

Religious people came against against them because of jealousy and envy,

and they coveted what they had. And then of which

doctor named Simon the Sorcerer. At one point, y'all remember

reading about that he saw the way these Apostolic brethren,

and that does not mean men of the one that's

persuasion a Postolic brethren. Because of the manifold blessings and

the goodness and the grace of their God. They earned

that title of apostle me in commission to do mighty

things by God.

Just let modern.

Apostles like dear moody, Oh, I feel like preaching for

a while. Amen. Amen, what's happening? Why is God moving

down there? Why God's blessing down there? Why is God's

goodness and grace overflowing over there? That's what the Lord

said right there in the Book of Chronicles, chapter number

seven and verse number fourteen. He said, if my people,

which are called by my name, would humble themselves and pray,

turn from their wicked ways, then I would hear from

heaven and heal their land. You know how to break

the curse on a church. You know how to cure

the cancer coursing through the veins of a church. You

know how to cure the cancer this devouring the flesh

of the church. Humble yourself and ask God for his

unmerited paper.

Follow your knees and face for.

Months, not to months of that's what it takes, and

ask God to give you a greater measure of grace.

You know what was going on as they poured out

of the upper room, and people heard the word of

God preach God's grace and his glory and his goodness

and his power was present. And that's what happened around

here three years ago. I forget how many received the

Holy Ghost, people that had experienced amazed and goodness of

God's grace and says to how something though amaze and

took place, something greater, something more amazing, something spectacular, something

significant to this church that would change the face of

this church forever. An outpouring, How the Holy Ghost? An outpouring?

How the Holy Ghost? How many of you need to

hold that ghost? Would you raise your hand? I won't

even look, but acknowledge it before the Lord. When doctor

Luke wrote that these two men of God and some

others were possessors of great power, they were not trying

to be promoted in the kingdom of men, nor were

they trying to be promoted in the temple or in

a synagogue somewhere. In fact, the men of power, position, prestige,

for eminence, and authority were the ones that were coming

against them. The Bible noted it was the captain of

the temple, the priests, and the sadducees that were after

these men. In other words, it was people of position

and people of authority. This is what lets me know

that Peter and John were not looking for a position,

and they were not looking for an authoritative role in

the church. They weren't seeking the baptism of the Holy

ghosts to howell while dictating to God. I'll be an evangelist,

I'll be a preacher, I'll be a missionary, I'll be

a pastor. Oh come on, now, are y'all getting that

there are some people seeking the Holy Ghost.

For the wrong reasons?

In fact, whatever Peter had done wrong, Jesus told him.

He said, when you are converted. Basically, he said, after

you've humbled yourself, and when your motives are pure and clean,

then strengthen the brethren. These believers doctor Luke wrote about

had power to do good for the Lord, to make

wise decisions. They had power from the Lord to endure

until the end. They had power from the Lord to

raise the dead. They had power from the Lord to

lay their hands on others, and others received the Holy Ghost.

Is there anyone amongst us today who is so conceited

that you would feel that you already possess enough hour

to go about your day doing the Lord's work. If so,

may you pray in the spirit of sincerity and humility

and ask God, as I did today, to equip you

and empower you for the undertaking before you. Before our

walked out of that office, I said, God, I cannot

do this unless you do it through me. I don't

know about every person in this building, but personally I

feel I can't do anything without him. I feel like

I cannot even walk without him holding my hand. In

Doctor Luke's Second Spiritual Biblical Writing and Acts, chapter number

one and verse number eight, we find the record of

Jesus speaking those words that I've already read. But ye

shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come

upon you. Notice the reason for the power, and ye

shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem and in

all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts

of the earth. Everybody like to have an autobiography like

George Mueller, but not everybody would be willing to humble

themselves to ministry of the orphans while forsaking their personal needs.

Are you getting it now? Is it sinking in? It's

true they were to wait for the promise. Nudge and

neighbors say, hey, neighbor, wait for the promise. If you

don't have him, we are to wait for the promise

of the Father. Or we can say it this way,

nudge and neighbor and say, hey, neighbor, wait.

For the power. Wait for the power.

That's what David was waiting on when he was hunkered

down and staring into the tops of the mulberry trees.

He's waiting, He's watching. He's waiting. He's watching that, he

tells to those that are with him. He said, we

can go now, for I hear the sound of a

goal in the tops of the mouldberry trees.

You know what the problem with Saul was.

He was unwilling to wait on the promise of Samuel

that I will make an appearance. I will show up,

I will them power, and I will pray. And if

them apostles after day ten had to walk out of

the upper room discourage her. They would have never been

filled with a power of the Holy Ghost. But after

ten days of watching, after ten days of waiting, they

received the power. I said, they received.

The power of God.

Jesus was telling them, you better wait on the power, y'all.

Remember when them men tried to pray for the demon

possessed men the sons of was that, the seventh sons

of Siva. They tried to pray for him and pray

over what happened them disciples that were powerless, impotent? Oh

come on now, they didn't have the potency of the power.

They were gonna be filled within the upper room. And

the Bible said them wild men stripped of them of

their garments and sent them away naked, And that you

can't help but be ashamed when you're running away naked.

You can't help but be ashamed when the.

Devil's whooped you.

Oh come on, now, how about this when you ain't

got no power and you're praying over somebody, And that

imp speaks back and says, I know Paul, I know Peter,

I know Jesus, But who are you? Oh come on now,

I'm telling you you need the goodness and the grace

and the power of God to preach, to testify, to witness,

to be a fact. I'm not telling you you can

do it. People knew it all the time, and you

know what, some do some good. I'm not saying you're

a sinner. I'm just saying you need more grace. I

wouldn't attemd to do it without the power. I wouldn't

put a target on my back without your knowing and a.

God, because there is a giant health there.

I said, there's a headhunter, heuth there looking for the impotet,

looking for the powerless, looking for the water that is pretending.

Wait receive and then operate. Wait receive and then operate

the Spirit of God center early this morning. And I'm

speaking that to somebody right now. Wait, receive and then operate.

The Holy Ghost empowered the words. He was guiding them

with their words to speak. Bethel and all believers after

receiving great power, we have had some powerful experiences of

our own right here at Bethel hole in his church,

Like Peter and John, there have been times when we

have witnessed immedia and clear results from the actions, the

unctions and the words of the Holy Ghost. It was

a few nights ago I stumbled across an audio that

Sister howl Or I had recorded the night that these

young men received the Holy Ghost. And then the next

recording was the next night in service. They came up

and they began to preach. We just asked them to testify,

and they began to preach, and Sister Wooting their experience,

and the testimony of their experience.

Was like a spark to a powder keg.

You could hear every holy ghost filled Christian in this

church getting excited and amen in praising the Lord because

you could tell they were not even having to think

or conjure up anything.

I mean, the.

Hole that ghost was speaking through them and people could

feel it.

You know what. That's called favor, and that's what you need.

That's why some people won't go to some churches because

the preacher ain't got no paper. That's why they won't

sit there under certain pastoral ministries. Cause the preacher ain't

got no payper. That's why they won't support certain mission

works because they ain't got no paper.

Are y'all with me?

That's why William and Katherine Booth could do such a

wonderful work because they had paper.

And that's why Peter and John could.

Spend the night in prison and give each other a

fist bump and throw holy hands up to God and say,

we may be right here right now, but there's five

thousand out there. Besides women, are children that are liberated,

that are shouting up the high praises up God, God.

How many was that? Peter tell me, well, I know

of two or three thousand. Then I know of another

five or eight thousand by one man who.

Was a fisherman.

Let's say, God, let your spirit overtake me. There are

several records in the Bible that the doctor accounting for

worth thousands receive salvation, sanctification, and Holy Goost baptism because

of a handful of men being willing vessels to humble themself.

What are you expecting, Pastor how I posted something on

photocircle for you ought to know what I'm expecting. I'm

expecting another generation of Martin Luther's. I'm expecting another generation

of D. L. Moody's.

And you got people that are looking at D. L.

Moody and talking about his beard, and they pastor a

church that runs five or seven and they have no

outreach ministry, They have no burden to pass up flowers

in their neighborhood, they have no desire to go on

a church past and pray for souls. I'm telling you,

I don't want that kind of grace. That's little grace.

I'm looking for great grace. I can't do it, but

he can do it through me. You can't do it,

but he can do it through you. That's what made

Jeremiah's preaching so different. It was his word that was

shut up into little Jeremiah's heart. Jeremiah, by nature, he's

a weeping prophet. But when it come to preach, he said,

his word is in my heart like I burn that pie,

shut up here in my poets. I'm telling you, God

will put you his word inside of you. God'll put

a spirit here inside of you, the Holy Ghost empowered

their words. Let me ask you this question, just how

potent is this power? How potent is this power? Can

I ask that again? Just how is this power? Elon

Musk would be thrilled to tap into it. Jeff Bezos

would be thrilled to fuel his rocket team. But Elon

Musk would be thrilled to tap it and power up

all of his electrical vehicles.

How are y'all with me hold him electric vehicles?

Just how potent is this power enough that some can

possess little power and others great power? Yes, Church Hurt,

I've heard that till I'm sick of it, Church Hurt,

I've heard that till I'm sick of it. Proverbs twenty four,

verse number ten said, if thou faint in the day

of adversity, thy strength is small. If thou faintest in

the day of adversity, thy strength is small. You mean

to tell me, Peter and John are gonna spend a

night unjail, as in prison by religious church people or

church family what used to be, and they're gonna just

come out worshiping and praising the Lord. And you're gonna

choose to miss one service or five months of service

because you've been.

Hurt church hurt. Oh, little one the street, he is little.

Peter and John experienced overnight imprisonment for preaching the resurrection

of Jesus Christ. And you're hurt, and you're missing a

service because someone didn't shake your little impotent hand. We

ain't waiting on the promise with that attitude, We ain't

empowered by that power with that attitude. We don't wait

on the promise to receive it and become a weakling.

Once we receive it, we become a giant in the spirit.

Doctor Luke recorded the acts of the Holy Ghost within

the believers in the early Church and miraculous things took

place because of the measure of power and grace they possessed.

And a lot of times the chief requirement is humility.

Before honor, is humility, before fall is pride, a prideful heart. Amen,

I love the latter part of our verse before us

this morning the Golden Text Acts four thirty three, and

grace was upon them all hadelujah. Every one of them

were generous after this. Every one of them were givers.

After this, every one of them wanted to pray for

their brothers and sister, not curse them, not afflict them.

I'm gonna tell you something.

I had an evangelist under me for a little while,

and his wife liked to tell me and a bunch

of other people that whenever somebody crossed her, especially church family,

when somebody crossed her, she would go to the book

of Psalms and pray some of them curses against her

church family and against her physical family, even some of

our immediate family.

And I came to the.

Poolpit and preach to her that that is totally, altogether,

completely undesirable by any Christian and also unscriptural.

We are to bless them that persecute us.

We're to pray for them that use us despitefully, those

that trouble us, those that are against us. That is

the spirit of Christ. Well, I'm so church hurt.

I don't know, I don't know. I just can't worship God.

I'm so church hurt.

They got me kind of backed into a corner because

every time I worship God, they say boo and they

look at me. Really, Peter and John spent all night

long in prison. Who cares what people think about you?

Ask God to increase your strength, Ask God to increase

your grace. Was her name, Sister Betty Roberts, Sister Wooton.

The people from more Tona used to tell me a

story about it, Betty, and they said she was simple.

You knew her, didn't your sister Neely, You knew her,

Sister Wooton. I haven't mentioned that woman in eighteen and

a half years. I think this is the first time

I've ever mentioned her. But as sure as I'm a

preaching this morning to the Bethelhoness Church, God just brought

her to my mind. And Brother Nathaniel, they said people

could laugh at her. They said people could mock her,

ridicule her, because of the way she loved to worship

her Lord and said it would not phase her. You

know why, because what I've heard from the reports I

was given, this woman was basking in an abundance of

His power, in his grace, and Brother Jesse, I've seen

the annoying that God get off on you while tickling

the ivories. And I'm sure Bill Gaither's quartet wouldn't understand

their pianos coming off of the piano mention shouting around

and worshiping the Lord. But I'm confident that the saints

of God appreciate that. And it doesn't matter whether you

like it or not. There's gonna be some people operating

in an abundance of His grace and in an abundance

of His power. And that's the way I like it.

Here at the Bethel Hole in his church. I heard

one old woman one time say I don't like it

that loud, and you know what I found out later

on she loved romance novels. I don't like romance novels,

but I sure do like loud services where people are

playing skillfully before the Lord, worshiping God with all of

their heart, all of their mind, with all of their spirit,

putting everything they got in the service because they know

everything they got it's because of him. Our musicians know

they got the talent because of him. Our preachers know

we can preach because of him. Our prayer will years. No,

they feel the unction of pray because of here. Our

tongue talkers know, they feel the unction up of the

Holy ghostuff because of here.

And I say, don't tone it down, turn it up.

I say, don't stay satisfied with a little measure of

grace and a little measure of power.

Say God, increase my measure.

Hear me, just a little while longer, one could see

the measure of grace they possessed by their attitudes and actions.

Pray for me, brother Nathaniel. See someone totally disinterested in

witnessing to the lost, attending church services faithfully. Their grace

level must be mighty low. But the outpouring of the

Holy Ghost is what changes the mindsets. It's what changes

the hearts and what changes the life believers. Let's stand.

I feel like the Holy goods just bid me to

shut her down. After reading this verse James, chapter number four,

Verse number six, obey God, brother Nathaniel, But he giveth

more grace whereof he saith God resisteth the proud, but

giveth grace unto the humble.

But he giveth more grace.

Sister VICKI I couldn't imagine him giving you any more.

Grace, but he can.

Sister Charity, I couldn't imagine you being any more graceful

as get to buy God, but you can. Brother Rick,

I couldn't imagine you receiving any more grace as good

of a man of God as you.

Ever, He's got more for you.

I couldn't imagine Brother Nathaniel receiving more power than that

that he already possesses. But if we could just humble ourself, y'all,

just imagine old Peter and John. I don't feel like

they were in prison boasting about what they had done.

I feel like they were in there just considering themselves unworthy,

unworthy to suffer for Jesus.

Humility.

How about it, Church, Let's ask him to give us grace,

marvelous grace. We need to be saturated in His grace.

This is not a general author call. This morning's service

is very different. There's gonna be ministry saturated with grace.

There's going to be family saturated with grace, and there's

going to be messengers and ministers marinating in His grace.

From this day forth, I want to give every musician,

every teacher, every preacher, every minister, every family, every individual

and opportunity to ease into the front here and ask

God to give him more grace. He giveth more grace

to the humble.

Jesus.

Use me, Oh Lord, don't refuse me. Surely, in these

perilous times we need more power of God. It's paramount

for the perennial problem of worldliness, the spirit of this

world