Acts Chapter 5 vs 11 thru 42 (2009)

I should be able to sing the songs of Susan.

Oh, you you're your week?

You're uh eight weeks ago.

Oh, it's Thursday.

No, you were Thursday, I'm sorry.

Okay.

That's not good, is it?

Jesus said the blind lead the blind, they both are to death.

But it is good to be able to actually sing, as Paul said with the with the spirit.

But it's also good he said to sing with the understanding also.

And those are terms that uh those are metaphors.

Uh that God put me in his kingdom so that I might be in the bride.

And of course, if you're a male and you sing that song, you say, Well, that really doesn't make any sense.

I'm a male, I can't be a bride, but that's not the truth.

Uh the bride has to do with an elected group of people who has been called with a holy calling.

I think Paul one time he makes a declaration and he said, Uh, I'm jealous over you with a godly jealousy.

If I have espoused, and he was talking to the church in Corinth, that's both male and female.

Uh he said, if I have espoused you as a chaste virgin, he's talking to the church.

Uh, that's a male and a female, that's young and that's old.

Um, that I may present you as a chaste virgin, as a chaste virgin, uh, that is unto Christ.

And so the bride has to do with an elect people, a virtuous people, uh, a uh undefiled people, a pure people that has actually been mated with or joined to Christ, not just with the baptism of the Holy Ghost, but has actually cleansed themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, and has actually perfected holiness, as Paul put it, and the fear of God.

And so a bride is an elected group of people.

And of course, we can see, and I know time is gonna be real valuable tonight.

I like to not go too far out, but it's always good to just have an appreciation for the things of God.

And uh I won't get into it too deep, but you can see the Bible tells us that invisible things of God is clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.

Even his eternal power in the Godhead, so that we, that is the people of God, is without it, uh that is an excuse.

In the Old Testament, uh, we know that God the Father, uh, he actually is pictured by a man named Abraham, who actually offered up his only son, which was Isaac.

And of course, prior to him offering up, I'm sorry, after he had offered him up, and Abraham actually's wife is had actually died.

He looked at his lad, his son, looked at that lad and said, you know, it's not good for that lad to be alone.

He realized his son needed a bride, he needed a wife.

And so what Abraham did is he actually had his elder servant, his elder servant.

And the Bible actually gave you his name, it's called Eliezer.

And he told Eliezer, he said, You go back to the land of my nativity.

I want you to get a bride, a wife for my son Isaac.

You be careful that you don't get a bride, uh, that is for my son Isaac, over these Canaanites, these Hittites and these Perserites, these Jegisites.

But you go back to the land of my nativity, and you get, uh, that is a bride for my son Isaac.

And of course, that's a great charge.

And so Elias looked at him and said, Well, what if the damsel's not willing to come?

Should I take your son Isaac and bring him to the land of your nativity?

Abram rose his voice and said, Absolutely not.

You be sure that you do not bring Isaac, uh, that is, out of this land of Canaan, but you go and you get a bride, and if the woman would not be willing to come, then you're free of this charge.

He actually made him uh swear a vow by putting his hands on his thigh.

As Eliezer began to go back to the land of Haran, uh, that is back to the land of Abraham's nativity and his upbringing.

You know, when he got there, the Bible said that it was the time that the women began to draw water.

It was the evening time.

And women in the Bible represents churches.

Water represents the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

There's many people uh that is in this 21st century that's preaching the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

They're all drawing water.

And so you would know who would really be the bridewoman, who would be the one uh that is that Abraham uh would find pleasure in his son Isaac Marion.

And remember, Abraham pitches God, Eliezer pitches the Holy Ghost.

But you know this man, he made a vow.

He made a statement, he said, A God of my master Abraham, he said, Let it be that the damsel to whom I say, give me some of your water to drink, that she would fetch me water for not only me, but also get water for these camels.

And you know the first lady he came to, she was a fair woman, she was a beautiful woman, with all those women drawing water.

He looked over at her and he said, Rebecca, he didn't know her name.

He said, Would you give me of your water?

She said, Yes, master, I'll fetch you water.

And as he began to draw water out of that well and gave it to Eliezer, she looked at her, she said, I'll water your camels also.

And of course, she fetched water and gave to those camels.

Once she did that, and Eliezer knew that this was the woman that is, that uh God had ordained for his master son Isaac to marry.

He began to take jewels off of those camels.

He began to put bracelets and earrings and a great costly array upon her.

Where did he get it from?

He got it from Abraham.

And see, that's a wonderful picture for where you and I are concerned.

Uh we can't we have to be a people not only willing to water those that are here, but thank God anyone, uh, even if they come from a dry and destituted place, we want to draw water for them.

Let them also receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Give them the wonderful blessings of God.

If we can do that, thank God Eliezer gave us those wonderful gifts, warning.

He began to put braces on us.

He began to give us uh uh the gift of the Spirit.

The Bible names all nine of them.

I won't get into that, but that's a wonderful picture.

And one thing about this wonderful woman, Rebecca, you know what the qualification was?

She was willing to go.

And the Bible talks about the bride.

He says, these are those that follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth.

Sometimes it'll be high hills and sometimes it'll be low valleys.

But wherever the Lord goes, we want to follow, don't we?

And so those are wonderful pictures.

And that first century church, as we endeavored to continue the book of Acts, uh, that was some people who had understanding.

They actually had oil in their vessel.

They understood pictures and types, they understood the allegories.

They knew that they were here not only to be saved from sins that are past, they wasn't trying to be saved from just some uh uh eternal state of damnation, but they was literally trying to be saved from their sins that are past, but being saved from no wretched man that they were.

And of course, that requires something.

As the Bible tells you and I, we have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Afraid of missing out with God, afraid of drawing back to perdition, uh, afraid of letting uh that is a great vell of flush grow over our hearts that we're callous to the things of God.

We can't feel his spirit, we can't hear uh that is his voice.

And so uh to actually be a bride member, this is a select group of people.

It's a select group.

The church is not the bride of Christ, but the bride comes out of the church.

Uh the church is not.

The church is not those that have been eternally uh espoused to the Lord.

He is not.

When he calls us with a holy calling, we have to make ourselves ready.

She said in Revelation, the bride made herself ready.

Made herself ready.

And so we're in the dressing chamber.

We're trying to take off and put on.

We're trying to take off all the attributes of Adam and put on the wonderful frankenship and myrrh and all the sweet answers that is of a bride as she adorned herself for her husband.

That's the right spirit, the right attitude, the right conduct, the right mindset that we can please him that actually call us.

And so you begin, as we began to look into this wonderful book of Acts, here's the church.

That church was not the bride, but a church produced, uh, that is bride members.

Uh there were people who actually came out of that church from under that New Testament ministry, that apostolic teaching.

Uh those people actually came out and their souls was ripe.

R-I-P-E.

R-I-P-E.

Did I spell it right?

Yeah, thank you.

Their souls that came into maturity.

Uh you wouldn't find a green spot on them.

There was no envy, there was no jealous, there was no malice, no gossiping, there was no backbiting.

Why?

Because they had got close enough to the sun.

Thank God that it burnt out all the impurities, and that was a fruit there that the Lord could actually hand pick.

And that's what a reaping is hand picking the fruits.

And the Bible never teaches a rapture.

That's something that man has concocted.

A big boon theory is gonna be a big bane, and all the Christians are gonna go to heaven.

Well, brother, that sure would be a lot of confusion, wouldn't it?

You don't see that anywhere in the Bible, but the Bible teaches about a reaping, uh, R-R-E-A-P-I-N-G, a reaping that's hand picking fruits that are ripe.

And Revelation chapter 14.

Revelation 14 · chapter mention

Uh brother, he said, listen, he said, put in a sickle for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

R-I-P-E, it's ripe, it's ripe for the picking.

And so the bride members are hand-picked people, hand picked.

Uh it doesn't make a difference.

Uh uh, that is, brother, how long you were saved.

Uh that won't ripen your soul.

It doesn't make a difference, it makes no difference, let me put it that way, it makes no difference how hard I pray and how long I've read, but it's the implementation of the word of God.

And uh everyone that actually obtained to the first resurrection or the bride of Jesus Christ, uh, here is a people, here is a people that's come into maturity, and this is what we're here for.

Uh I can be saved from sins that are past and most religious settings.

I can receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and most religious settings.

But brother, can I receive enough of the word of God?

Can I receive enough oil in my vessel that I'm actually able to trim my lamp when the Christ made the bridegroom that Jesus Christ he cometh, go ye out and do what?

And to meet him.

There were ten virgins, five of them was wise, and five was foolish.

But the difference was the wise, the wise virgins, brother, they didn't only have oil in their vessel, oil is understanding, their vessels is their heart.

But thank God, brother, brother, they brought some oil with them, brother Michael.

But those foolish virgins, those foolish virgins, they had oil, but uh, they had vessels, but they didn't bring any oil with them.

And they didn't have enough understanding to be able to endure hardness as a good soldier.

They didn't understand the difference between New Testament order and a religious organization.

They couldn't see the difference.

And uh even you and I, if the Lord doesn't touch our ears and let us hear the things of God, you know, we'll say, Well, I've heard this.

It's the same thing I've always been told.

Well, that's just because I'm dull of hearing.

And so to come this way, uh, that is the way of the Lord, the first thing we all have to do every time I approach the word of God, I try to empty out.

The Bible says the full soul, the full soul, he'll send him away empty.

If I'm full of, I'll open this Bible and say, I've read this chapter uh a hundred and fifty times, I've read this book so many times.

Well, I'm already full.

But if I can approach it, brother, with a hunger and a thirst, if I can approach it, brother, without any preconceived ideas in my mind, and really began to appreciate what's on those on those pages, that the Holy Ghost can quicken him and bring him to life.

He said the hunger soul, he'll fill with what?

Good things.

Good things.

And so we're people that must always hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Uh, there is not a people on this globe.

Uh, brother, it doesn't matter where you go, uh, it doesn't matter who you sit under or who you sit with, there's not a people on this globe at this hour that has actually been able to duplicate that first century church.

Here is our benchmark, here's our guideline, here's the people that actually please the Lord for a one generation, which is a 40-year span of time, uh uh dispensation.

Starting uh that is with 30 AD, uh, with the putting the death of Jesus Christ, the receiving of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the launching of the New Testament church on the day of Pentecost to 70 AD, when Titus came in to Jerusalem with legions of uh Roman soldiers and destroyed that city, burnt it to the ground, didn't leave one stone left upon another, as Jesus Christ prophesied what happened in the 24th chapter of Matthews.

Brother, that was a one dispensation span of time, a 40-year span that was given to that New Testament church.

And thank God, brother, you know, not one soul, not one soul that was right, was lost behind the walls of Jerusalem.

The Lord actually reaped all those souls.

He took every soul that had come into maturity and he actually took them out.

They didn't see the destruction of Jerusalem.

No more than a bride member would actually see the destruction that's going to come upon this Gentile world.

The Lord has never destroyed the righteous with the wicked.

He has never.

He's always separated, as Isaiah put it, the precious from the vow.

Always.

Before he destroyed Solomon and Gomorrah, he took Lot out, didn't he?

Absolutely.

Before he destroyed that world before the flood, he put Ham, Sham, Japheth, Noel, and their wives in that wonderful ark.

And so this is you and I on this end.

But thank God I can take comfort.

I can take comfort in whom we believe.

And we're persuaded that he's able to commit, keep that, which we have committed to his charge against that day.

And so here's this New Testament church that actually started as we've gone over uh in the second chapter of the book of Acts.

That was the birth of that church.

And these things are left as a pattern for you and I, that we can compare ourselves, not to the church up the highway and down the highway or in another city, but we can compare ourselves to this wonderful church that we can see in this wonderful book of Acts.

Here's the benchmark.

I think in uh the 11th chapter, might want to put that up for me.

11th chapter of the book of Revelation, John was on the Isle of Patamus, and the Lord gave him visions after vision, revelation after revelation.

When they get to that 11th chapter, he said, that was a reed uh given to me like a rod.

What's the rod in the Bible?

That's the word of God.

He said, Listen, John, rise.

He said, measure that temple.

Here it is.

That was given unto me a reed like unto a rod.

A rod in the Bible is the word of God.

It's the word of God.

The Bible said a rod is for a fool's back.

If I won't subject myself to the uh to the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, the word of God is profitable for doctrine, for rebuke, for reproof.

Uh, that is for instruction and righteousness.

And then again, uh we can see how Moses took that rod that he had.

He put that rod down, brother Jeff, and it turned into a serpent.

The word of God should never be laid down, it should never be put down, but thank God he had enough wisdom.

He picked it up from the right end.

He didn't misinterpret it, and it became a rod back in his hand.

When uh he went before before that is Pharaoh, and uh he put his rod down, it became a serpent.

And then, of course, Pharaoh was unimpressed.

He had sooth sails and sorcerers, he clapped his hands.

The name was Jamis and Jammares.

Paul gave us their name.

It's not in Genesis, but it's in Timothy.

He said, Jamis and Jamarus, they jammered, they withstood Moses.

They put their rods down.

But thank God do you know, brother, if you got the hand on the word of God, when when those magicians put their hand their rods down, Moses' serpent is squalid that serpent up.

And so we're a people, brother, we like to discuss the word of God with anybody.

If we got the right end of it, it'll stand on it.

And when it's all said and done, it'll be the only one standing.

If it's right and if it's wrong, then we want to prove that too.

He said, It was given unto me a reed like a rod, and an angel stood saying, Rise, rise, measure the temple of God.

Well, what's the temple of God?

The temple of God is not mortar and clay no longer.

He said, Know ye not that your body is the what?

Temple of the Holy Ghost.

Here's the temple of God.

It's God's people.

This is where the Lord sits.

He sits on the hearts of his people.

He said, You measure those people.

What people?

That was that first century church.

What type of spirit did they have?

What was their attitude?

What was their conduct like?

He measured that, measure that temple.

Look at them, examine those people.

And then he goes on to say, and the altar.

What's the altar?

That's where you come and you bring your sacrifice.

That's where you actually bring your sacrifice.

That's when they gather together.

You measure that altar.

How do they have services?

Um, did they entertain people?

Did they razzle them?

Did they dance them?

Did they have auxiliaries?

Did they make up titles and names and positions?

Measure it.

How do they have service in the first century church?

What was their position?

What was their office?

What was their authority?

Measure that altar.

He said, and them that do what?

Worship therein.

But verse two, thank God, I'm glad he put this in here also.

He said, but the court which is without.

See, that's we're only interested in the holy place.

We're only interested in the holy place.

That's a wonderful picture in that middle uh uh teaching illustration on the wall.

You can see that tabernacle.

This is the picture he's actually using here.

He said, You measure that temple, you measure that temple, you measure that altar.

He said, but the court that is without, that's that outer court out there.

He said, Don't you measure that?

Don't compare us to what you see in the outer court out there.

What do you mean the outer court?

That's the place where you didn't see the holy vessels.

That's the place where you didn't see the altar of incense, where you didn't see the sevenfold candlestick, where you didn't see the table of showbread.

All those things was overlaid with pure gold.

They had a covering, it was a ram skin dyed red, it was a badger skin, it was goat hair that represents the ministry, it represents Jesus Christ.

He's the ramskin dyed red and badger hair that was over it.

That is, brother, you look at it on the outside, there was no beauty, but the beauty of this life is living on the inside.

Thank God when you pass by and look at us and say, Who are those people?

We don't have any stained glass, we don't have good cathedrals, we don't want those things.

But my God, if you can come in and live this life, then the beauty of this life is living in business.

You can't see this from the outside, absolutely not.

Brother, you say they live a boring life.

Something wrong with those people.

They come together three times a week.

They sit there for hours and they just read and they just read.

Something wrong with those people.

But my God, I tell you, brother, taste this wonderful wine.

Uh brother's beginning to actually live this life, and you would want to live another one.

You and this is the wonderful part about being saved.

Brother, I've had an experience out there in Egypt.

I know what that's like.

Thank God, but now I'm living in Canaan, and I tell you, it's not to be compared.

And so, nevertheless, brother, he said, listen, he said, Don't you measure it, measure not.

For it is given to the Gentiles.

That's the what's the Gentile?

A gentile is everyone that's not a Jew.

He's speaking spiritual.

Uh there are spiritual Jews and there are spiritual Gentiles.

A spiritual Jew, Paul said, He's not a Jew, which is one outwardly, and circumcision is not in the letter, and he said, but it's in the heart.

And so what do you mean circumcision?

When you have had uh, that is the filthiness of the flesh cut away from your heart.

So you become a spiritual Jew.

A natural Jew, he was circumcised naturally by the putting away of his natural foreskin.

A spiritual Jew, when you receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, you've been adopted into the family of God with circumcision made without hands.

Okay, but then there's another people.

There's another people without.

They don't believe in these things.

They can't see those things.

He called them Gentiles, spiritual Gentiles.

A Gentile was people who didn't have an understanding of the things of God.

The Jews had the laws of Moses, they had the uh the priest, they had the e-pod, uh, they had the uh the commandments, they had all these things.

The gentile never saw them.

A gentile, someone, they can't see these things.

They can't see being led by the Holy Ghost in your meetings.

They can't see, brother, actually having those two olive trees, that is the old and new testament, Moses and Christ, drawing those wonderful uh uh uh bears of oil that's been crushed, feeding into that wonderful sevenfold candlestick, which is the church.

They can't see that.

He said, uh, Regina's given to the Gentiles and the Holy City.

What is the holy city?

That's not talking about natural Jerusalem, that's talking about spiritual Jerusalem.

He said, Jerusalem from above, she's the what?

She's the mother of us all.

This is the spirit of Jerusalem.

Here's the place where God sets his throne.

It's in the hearts of his people.

And so that New Testament church was actually uh uh from the day of Pentecost.

I'm sorry, from the day of 7 AD, brother Elton, that church was throaten down.

That people began to disperse.

They broke up into sectarian groups and denominations and sectarian groups.

Uh, where do you get all these different names from?

Uh Presbyterian, uh Episcopalian, and I'm not bashing them, but where do they come from?

You don't see that in this Bible, you don't see that in this Holy Writ.

Those are things that happened when that New Testament church and those apostles was all reeked.

Brother, and that church began its dominant spiral.

The Bible prophesied how it would fall away.

Brother, how men would begin to creep in.

Uh, that is bringing in damnable doctrine, come in with witty inventions and cause that church to fall away.

But thank God, brother, I'm not glorifying the falling away, but thank God he also prophesied about a restoration.

Who is this come up out of the wilderness?

Thank God that's the New Testament church, lean upon the arm of her beloved, and said, brother, she's finished, she's fair as the sun, clear as the moon, and she's terrible as an army with banners.

Aren't you glad about that?

And so you can begin to see, he said, okay, that holy city she uh shall be trodden underfoot for what?

40 and two months.

What is 40 in two months?

Jews didn't use a solar calendar, they used a lunar calendar.

That is, they went by the sun.

It's 30 days in each one of their months.

That's why every three years they had a 13th month.

And so it was 30 days in a month.

Multiplied 30 times 42, and what do you come up with?

1,260.

1,260, 1,260 days a day for a year.

He used that metaphors many times in the Bible.

That's 1,260 years.

And 538 A.D., that's when that great beast rose up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns.

And brother, that came to power in 538 A.D., it existed supreme throughout the whole earth.

That's not a city, a pr uh a town, a village, a hamlet that, brother, she didn't have supreme.

She was absolutely everywhere.

She was supreme.

And if you worship any other way, she would put you to death.

Brother, she sent out bulls, they call them crusades.

They had the Spanish Inquisition, they had the Portuguese Inquisition, they had the German Inquisition.

60 million Christians in the span of 1,260 years was put to death, all in the name of Christianity.

But brother, that was Constantine's church.

That wasn't the church of Jesus Christ.

And so the Lord gave them that span of time, 1200.

So you're shaking your head, you know about this sister.

Christine?

Read it, read it.

This is history.

It's not Brother Brown talking.

Get on your internet.

Sister Christine Googles it.

I'm glad you thank God for Google.

If you don't want to go to the library and bear these things out, then Google it.

That's right.

And uh that's not the church the Lord established, that's the church that was established in Rome by Constantine in the third century.

That's right, and it took it 200 years to perfect that great beast.

The Bible calls her a beast.

That's what the Bible calls her.

Had seven heads.

You know what those seven heads are?

Can you name them?

Who?

Egypt.

Who else?

Assyria.

Babylon.

The Mese and Persian Empire.

Greece.

Pagan Rome.

And when pagan Rome went down, who came up?

Papal Rome.

Seven heads and ten horns.

My God, that's those ten barbaric nations.

Ten is the number of judgment.

You know all that is in this wonderful Bible?

Thank God.

I'm glad.

I'm glad I can have comfort in the scriptures.

That's nothing that's happened that God hadn't already seen.

And he written it, though in metaphors, types, and pictures, that his people may have, the Bible said, a strong consolation and hope and uh and hope in times to come.

And this is where we're living.

And so here they are.

These people was not deceived.

They knew what was going to happen.

This church, those apostles could see afar off.

They knew the things that was going to actually transpire after their demise.

And so they had a 40-year dispensation of peace.

When I say peace, they had persecution from without, but they didn't have it from within.

There wasn't any division.

Brother, you couldn't go to Peter and get one teaching and then James teaches something else.

Those 12 men had one doctrine.

They had one master, they had one teacher.

Well, now you can go to the Baptist seminary, the Methodist seminary, you come up with all kinds of teachings.

If I went to the Baptist seminary, guess what I'm going to do?

I'm going to come out teaching a Baptist doctrine.

If I went to, and I'm not putting out any one, if I went to the Methodist, I'll come out teaching a Methodist gospel.

But brother, there's only one real gospel.

So where do you get it, Brother Brown?

You get it out of this.

You get it out of here.

And so let's get back into this wonderful book.

I'm letting time get away again.

Do I do I like to pull your minds together?

I like to provoke you because I like to know why I'm reading this?

Why is it so important that I understand?

Not just read the ink, but what is it saying?

I like to make sure I'm making my calling an election sure.

Let's pick it up.

Where do we stop?

Acts 5.

Well, let's go to Acts 6.

We stop where?

Verse 14.

Well, let's go with verse 14.

Let's read verse 12 again and let's pick it up.

And uh see, I know time is uh real vibe, but tonight I want to be mindful of it.

Verse 12, that you and I can go back and grasp it.

A little short summary.

And uh Acts chapter 1.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

You remember that's where Jesus Christ actually, after his resurrection, had tabernacle on the earth for 40 days.

He actually told those disciples not to go out and preach, but to actually tarry.

That word tarry, by the way, means wait.

Uh he said, you tarry until you receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

And let me make this clear: we don't tarry for the Holy Ghost.

No one tarrys for the Holy Ghost.

That word tarry, as I said, means wait.

The Holy Ghost was not in the earth as a gift.

They had to wait until that day would actually come.

And so there was taron for the day of Pentecost.

There was taron to the day that a man could receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

And since that day, we don't tarot for the Holy Ghost.

You can seek the Holy Ghost.

You can ask for the Holy Ghost, but you don't have to tarot for it.

It doesn't have a specified day and hour.

It's when my heart and your heart actually meet that condition.

And so then you can see in Acts chapter 2, uh, you can begin to see here, well, Acts chapter 1, there was only 11 apostles.

Acts 2 · chapter mention Acts 1 · chapter mention

Judas and Iscariot had hung himself.

Remember that?

And so the Lord will not work in 11 numbers.

He will not.

God is a God of order.

And so uh there's 12 months in a year.

Uh 12 is that was 12 tribes of Israel.

12 is God's governmental number.

And and Peter understood that perfectly.

And that's why he said, listen, he said, Judas Iscariot, who's by transgression has failed.

He said, but listen, let somebody else take up his bishopric.

And so they had to know, uh, brother, it had to be 12.

And so that was actually seven disciples.

Um the Bible gives us that many times.

Those 12 disciples, 12 apostles, was chosen out of the seven disciples.

And so there was still, uh, what is that, 50?

What's my math, man?

There was still uh 59 left?

There was still 59 left.

And he said, okay, of these men who have been with us from the beginning, starting with the baptism of John until the day that Jesus Christ was taken up, who can bear witness of all these things, must one be taken?

And so the Bible said, all the lots they fell on who?

On Matthias.

And he was numbered with the 11.

Acts chapter 2, you can receive that's when the day of Pentecost actually came and the New Testament church was birthed.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 3, you could actually begin to see how Peter and John went to the gate called Beautiful, and the Lord manifested not only, not only was there as an apostolic ministry, but he worked with them, confirming his word with signs and wondering.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

They raised the man up uh at the gate called Beautiful, who was lain from his mother's weak uh feet.

And of course they were threatened, they was beaten, but those men was not, uh they was not moved by that, they remained faithful.

Acts chapter 4, uh thank God for that wonderful chapter.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Peter let us say, listen, he said, we ought to obey God rather than man.

He said, If you if you wonder by uh what power, what authority we've done this deed, that he has healed this man, be it known unto you and unto all uh that is of the nation of Israel, that by the name of Jesus, whom you have crucified, he say, uh have this man stand here whole before you, for there is none of the name under heaven given among men whereby we what?

Must be saved.

And now here they are again.

Uh thank God for this wonderful book here.

This fifth chapter is giving us what happens in the church now.

This is actually happening in their meetings.

Up to this point, it doesn't give you the details of the church meeting, but now in chapter 5, chapter 6, chapter 7, is giving us an insight of what actually happens in their meeting.

Here they are, they was having a meeting.

They was having a meeting, and this man uh named Ananias and his wife Sapphira.

Uh, brother, they desired to be like these people, but it wasn't in their heart.

They hadn't matured to that level yet, so they tried to fake it.

Uh they they actually sold a piece of land and they pretend to give like everyone else was given.

Why was they giving all of their money, by the way?

Does anybody know?

Why was they selling houses?

And listen, they didn't sell their only house.

The Bible said those who were possessed of houses and lands.

They sold that which they wasn't living in and they laid at the apostles' feet.

They just gave them authority over that money, all of it.

Why was they doing such a thing?

Why was people selling all of their houses and the lands and giving them to those apostles?

Well, they have all things in common.

Uh guess, yeah.

Brother Ron?

Okay.

Brother Ron is actually absolutely correct.

The church was in on a time of great affliction from the day it was birth.

Uh the Pharisees and the days that Jesus Christ was living had already decreed that if any man would acknowledge Jesus Christ, then they were to be put out of the synagogue.

To be put out of the synagogue means you was just fellowshipped.

You was ostracized among the uh the Hebrews.

If you was ostracized in this fellowship, you couldn't sell your wares.

Uh if you were a plumber, then you had no business because the Jews wouldn't use you.

If you were a carpenter, you had no business because they wouldn't buy your furniture.

Uh whatever you did to make a living, once you was this fellowship and ostracized and put out of the synagogue, uh then you had no way to make a living.

Jews made living supporting the Jews.

Uh, they didn't count on the Gentiles.

And so uh here these Christians are now.

They're not only are they confessing Christ, but they're actually being called by his name.

Uh they're called by his name.

And so they was actually to proclaim Christ was to be disfellowshipped.

And so now here you are.

All these people had no way of making a living because they confessed Christ.

And they was teaching Christ.

And so they began to support themselves.

Those that had a house and land, they sold, that is, they housed and land, not the one they were living in, they laid at the apostles' feet.

And then, of course, if distribution was made as every man had, as every man had need.

And that was the need for that at that hour.

And listen, don't you be dismayed.

The hour will come again before it's over with.

Brother, you will find ourselves selling houses and land and support the people of God.

They're gonna take away a lot of our privileges.

They're gonna call you a cult and fanatics because you will not kiss that image feet.

You won't bow to it.

And to do so, well, you absolutely must be a fanatic.

And so you'll lose a lot of your privileges.

And that's okay.

We'll suffer all things.

We're not there yet.

The Lord has given us peace because the church is not restored.

If the Lord turned the dog loose on us now, you know what most of us will do?

We'll run.

We'll run.

It's okay.

Peter was like that.

But thank God, brother, when his when his mind was touched and his heart was convicted, brother, you didn't find no rabbit in his blood.

And as we go on and mature in Christ, we'll stretch forth our hands and another lead us where we would not go.

And so uh here we are now in this fifth chapter.

Now, if you get uncomfortable, let me know.

I don't want to be uh either cold nor hot.

And we'll make adjustments as necessary.

Now, verse 12.

Of course, here's in verse 10, Sapphire drops dead.

Verse 11 said, Great fear came upon all the what?

Now, notice it didn't say church is.

It says church.

And there was many, many assemblies in that one city of Jerusalem.

The assemblies was actually in the homes.

It was in the homes, but it was only one church.

They only had one ministry, and that was those twelve apostles.

That was the head of that woman.

Uh she was clothed with the sun.

And of course, uh the churches, the assemblies that was in the home, brother, that was because they didn't have a place that could um uh could accommodate them.

And so they were in homes.

But they did come together as often as they could, but there was only one church.

Now listen to this.

And upon as many as heard these things, verse 12, by the hands of the apostles.

And you will see here, this is very essential, that in the opening uh chapters of the book of Acts, you see the word apostles.

You won't see prophets until you get to the what, 13th chapter?

You don't see evangelists, you won't see prophets until later.

And that's a reason for that.

And we'll get into that.

And notice you won't see the word ministries.

There that's another wordy ideal of men.

There is only one ministry.

That's a five-office ministry.

Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

That's the ministry.

Now the ministry has helps, but there's only one ministry.

That's the one that God the Father through Christ Jesus ordained.

There is no ministry, uh, nurse at home ministry, prison ministry.

Uh, there is no uh youth ministry.

That's not biblical.

Uh there's apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

That is the ministry.

That is the hand of God.

And uh that which supports that hand, we'll get into that.

You have deacons, uh, the Bible calls them that.

You have age women, uh, you have age men, but you don't you don't see the Bible calls them ministry.

That's something that religion uses to give a man a title, a position, and make him feel good, but that's just not Bible.

That's not Bible.

And to say these things sometimes it crosses people.

But let God be true in what?

That's accepted.

That's accepted.

When I came this way and I found out, brother, that uh what I thought I had, I didn't have, well, it was okay to give it up because what the Lord gives you, it'll manifest itself.

The Bible said a man's gift will do what?

It'll make room for you.

You don't need someone to pump you up and psych you up and blow you up.

If God has given you something, it'll manifest itself.

If not, let me hold the hands up of the wonderful minister that God has given us.

And so you see the word apostles.

And let's keep let's let's keep this in view.

Now let's keep reading.

By the hands of the what?

Apostle was many signs and one wrath.

That word means worked among the people, and they was they were with all, they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

That's where they met in the temple.

Now, and of the rest, that's the ones who wasn't persuaded.

Durst no man joined himself to them, but the people magnified them.

That's talking about the people of God.

Now in verse 14, I love this verse.

And the believers, that's the one who did believe, that's not the rest.

The believers was the more what?

Added.

And I want you to underline that word, added.

You know, God knows how to do arithmetic.

When he starts off and chapter and the church was birthed on the day of Pentecost, brother, 3,000 was added.

A later time, 5,000 was added.

Here you can see more was added.

He's doing addition, but that's only for a season.

Brother, when you get to the sixth chapter, he stopped adding.

He just started multiplying.

And that's a big difference.

Why was he adding?

Because he added as much as should be saved.

That church was able to take 3,000, but that's a lot of souls to convert.

That's a lot of people to bring up.

And once they mature that, then he added 5,000.

And that's a lot.

And once that mature, he added more.

But once you start getting to the hundreds and thousands and thousands, they was able to start multiplying.

And let's just keep going.

We'll see some of these things as we go on.

He said, now, he said, in so much that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by overshadowed some of them.

And there's a great system out there.

Uh the Bible calls of that beast.

They say, well, Peter was the first pope.

You ever heard that?

That's that's really paradoxical since they say the Pope is not to marry.

And Peter had a wife.

That's pretty interesting.

And what's more fascinating is that Peter didn't go to Rome except in chains to be crucified, upside down.

He presided over no church in Rome.

When Peter went to Rome, he was in shackles and chains.

They dragged him there to crucify him.

He preached not one sermon in Rome.

My Lord.

And but anyway, he said might overshadow some of them.

And uh also came a what?

Multitude out of the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing six folks, and them which was vexed with unclean spirit, and they was healed.

Who?

Every one of them.

And here we go.

Here you go.

When the Lord is blessing, look for it, the devil started messing.

Verse chapter, verse 17.

Then the high priest rose up.

Do you know why he rose up?

When you see that word, underline that word, we're going to get into some of these terms.

When you see that word in the Bible, rose up, drew away.

Those are key words in the Bible.

When you see the word rose up, that's talking about a rebellion.

And I can show you that redundantly.

That's what Korah, Dathan, and the Byron done.

They rose up.

And even Paul says in the 20th chapter, 28 verse of Acts, he said, even among yourselves shall men rise up.

That's an insurrection.

And so here's this priest, rather than submit to what the Lord is doing.

He thought he was rising up against Peter, but he was rising up against the Lord.

He said, He rose up.

And all they that were with him, which is of the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with what?

Why was they full of indignation?

Because they were losing their honor.

They was losing a crowd of people.

It was affecting their offering.

And they got angry.

They couldn't see the Lord working.

All they could see was those apostles.

And brother, something began to work in them.

Rather than yield, they couldn't deny these people's gift.

They couldn't deny they had their goods.

But Brother Elton, all they could do was see, well, we losing people.

That spirit began to rise up.

Then what happened?

They laid their hands on the apostles, and I promise you they didn't have any oil.

No, brother, that's not what it's talking about.

That means, brother, they grabbed them, put them in the common prison.

But the angel, brother, aren't you glad that, brother, listen, you can't confound, you can't confound the will of God.

It's absolutely irresistible.

You can't change it.

You can put someone down, but God will raise them up.

You can raise somebody up, but God doesn't want them, but He'll bring them down.

You can't stop what God is in.

It's absolutely impossible.

He said, but the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison door and brought them forth and said, You would think he'd say, run, but absolutely not.

These men didn't have rabbit.

Go.

Stand and speak in the temple to the people, all the words of what?

This life.

And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, just got put in prison and went right back.

Brother, that's my kind of people.

When a man has a conscience, brother, what you gonna do against that?

How can you stop that?

You can't do it.

They went early in the morning and taught.

But the high priest came and then it was with him and called the council together and all the Senate, that's not the U.S.

Senate, that's their gathering, the Senate of the people of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them.

Talking about the apostles brought.

But when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and told.

What did they do?

Saying, the prison truly found we shut with all safety.

The doors was locked, everything was secured.

And the keepers, that's the guards, standing without, right outside the doors.

But when we had opened, we found what?

Now they should have told them something.

But you know, they didn't stop and consider that.

They were filled with indignation.

You know the thing, you know why?

You ever see someone upset and they say he's mad?

You know, mad is like when you have rabies.

Mad means to be insane.

And when you're full of indignation and anger, guess what you are?

You are you're insane.

You are mad.

And these men was definitely mad.

They was beside themselves.

They should have considered how the door gets shut and these people still out.

Verse 26.

And and when the captain with the officers, I'm sorry, verse 25.

Nope, verse 24.

He said, Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priest heard these things, they doubted of them where unto this would grow.

Then came one.

That's one of the high priest's uh captains, uh, our soldiers, and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom you put in prison, they're not even running.

What are they doing?

They said in the temple and teaching the people.

Then went the captain with officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people lest they should have been stoned.

And when they brought them, they set them before the council, and the high priest asked them, saying, Did we not straightly command you that you should not teach in this name?

And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your what?

And intend to bring this man blood upon us.

Didn't you already do that?

When you said, Let his blood be upon us and upon our church?

But they forgot about that.

Then Peter and the other apostles, here's the key.

Listen to these terms, the apostles.

And let me say this also.

Peter was not the chiefest apostle.

He was just, I'm gonna use the term uh, he was one among equals.

There was all apostles.

Peter was just the spokesperson.

He was the spokesperson.

Paul said, I was not a wit behind the very what?

Chiefest apostle.

Well, that's a metaphor.

He said, in other words, brother, he wasn't second to any.

And I don't think you had lesser apostles and greater apostles.

There's apostles.

Each man did what God gave him the ability to do.

You can't go beyond that.

And so anyway, as you began to see Peter and the other apostles answered and said, There's a revelation.

We ought to what?

Obey God rather than men.

And then he begins to uh to exalt, uh, that is uh the thing that the Lord has done.

But I want to, for the sake of time, let me move on a little further.

Verse 33.

When they heard that, that is Peter's word.

Let me read it, verse 30.

The God of our fathers raised up who?

Now listen to these terms.

All of us.

The God of our father did, he's talking about the father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The God of our father did what?

The God of our father did what?

That's two people, isn't it?

That's God raising up.

That's how I read it.

If I send it to be corrected, he says, uh if I need to be, whom you slew and hung on a tree.

Him, who's the him?

Jesus.

Him have who?

Him have who?

That's two people.

Him have God exalted with his what?

To be a and to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin.

And we are witnesses of these things.

And so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him means to actually believe in the Lord with your heart and ask for the Holy Ghost.

Then he goes on.

When they heard this, this is those Sadducees, they was cut to the heart and took counsel to do what?

Let's kill these men.

But look at verse 34.

This is the Lord touching a Pharisee's mind.

This man was noble, but he wasn't a Christian.

He was studious, but He wasn't converted.

He still was in that Pharisee's denomination.

But brother, the Holy Ghost touched that man's mind.

Look what he did.

Then stood up one in the council, a Pharisee, named who?

And brother, this man was well learned.

He actually taught Paul the Old Testament.

Read for me, brother.

Jeff, help me out, please.

Verse 34.

Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaleel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space.

In other words, he said, listen, let's let's let these men be taken aside.

Let's talk about this.

That was the Holy Ghost, Sister Betty.

That was the Holy Ghost.

Because they was ready to kill those apostles, and it wasn't yet time.

Now they was gonna all be put to death, but not before they planted this seed throughout the whole known world.

Watch what happened.

Do you know God to use the unrighteous?

He's done that many, many times.

Many times.

Do you know that it was uh uh Capas, the high priest, that said that it's fit that one should uh die for the people, that the nation perish not?

He was an unrighteous man.

But the Holy Bible said, This spake he being the priest, the Holy Ghost touched his mouth to say that.

The Lord o'd do that.

You ever been to court?

I've been to court numerous times.

And uh my God, to see how God can touch people to give you favor is astonishing.

If you actually hold your peace and let the Lord fight your battle, what'll happen?

Victory will be yours.

And so look what happened.

These men never spoke for themselves, brother Jeff, but keep reading.

And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves, what ye intend to do is touching these men.

My God.

For before these days rose up Theodos, boasting himself to be somebody to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves, who was slain, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered and brought to naught.

In other words, here is somebody, brother, who rose up.

See those terms rose up?

Did you see it again, verse 36?

For before these days, what happened?

Rose up.

Okay, but this came to naught.

Look at verse 37.

After this man rose up Judas of Galilee.

There's another one got puffed up.

He lifted up.

This is not Judas Iscariot, that's a common name in Israel.

This man rose up, Judas of Galilee, in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him.

He also perished, and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

Now, the Holy Ghost brought these two examples to the mind.

How do you pronounce his name?

It's Gamelliel.

But anyway, it's a proper pronunciation.

I stand corrected.

But uh the Holy Ghost touched this man's mind to bring these two cases before the Sanhedrin Council.

You know why he did it?

Just to convince the Sanhedrin Council, to give them examples.

That was the Holy Ghost on that.

Now watch what happened.

And now I say unto you, refrain from these men.

That means leave these men alone.

Don't kill these men.

And let them alone.

For if this council or this work be of men, it will come to naught.

In other words, if this gospel they're preaching about this risen Savior and the baptism of the Holy Ghost, if this is just of men, it's gonna it's gonna dissipate by itself.

Leave it alone.

But watch this next verse.

Let's read this together.

But if it what?

You cannot.

Let's say it again.

But if it be of God, what?

You cannot go over the road.

Lest happily you be found even to fight against what?

You can't stop this.

And brother, I believe the Holy Ghost pricked every heart when he said it.

Now, verse 40.

And to him, they agreed when they had called the apostle.

Look what they did, even though they agreed, look what they did.

And did what?

We're gonna let you go, but take this with you.

Boy, Adam is something, isn't it?

We're gonna turn you loose, but brother, we're gonna let you know we're more than talking.

They beat them.

You think that would stop them and commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and do what?

But look at verse 41.

And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing.

You would think they would have been weeping, but they was rejoicing.

They had a revelation, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to what you gonna do with a people like that.

And in Delhi went right back, and Delhi in the temple and in every house, they ceased not to do what?

Now, Brother Steve, that caused that ministry, that caused that ministry to be solidified.

Here's the people who wouldn't just preach, but they was willing to suffer, suffer shame, ridicule, rebuke, pain, discomfort for the gospel they was preaching.

And now look what happened.

Addition is over now.

Chapter 6, verse 1.

And in those days when the what?

Was what?

Multiplied.

That word, listen, he didn't he's not talking about saints being added here in Sister Janita.

He says, disciples.

That word means disciplined followers.

If you had thousands of people, you probably had hundreds of disciples.

You can have tens of thousands of people, but you won't have tens of thousands of disciples.

There was thousands of people who followed Jesus.

I know that because he multiplied two fishes and five loaves and fed five thousand men.

The Bible says without women and children, but he only had seven disciples.

Another time he took seven loaves and he fed four thousand men, but he only had seventy disciples.

That's disciplined followers.

There's a people, brother, who's not in for the fishes and the loaves.

They're not just following a multitude, but brother, they are controlled by the teaching.

They're how can I put this?

They're governed, they're disciplined, they're uh uh they are sincere.

And he said, listen, this is not Christians only.

This is not just people being added, but in those days when the number of disciples was multiplied, look what happened.

There arose a murmuring in the New Testament church, Brother Brown.

Well, yes.

On the apostolic ministry, brother Brown, well, yes.

It's not that the church didn't have issues, it's how they dealt with it.

This is what makes it so glorious.

Are we going to have challenges?

Well, absolutely.

But brother, I'm not excited about the challenges, but I'm excited about the God in which we serve.

He can lead by the Holy Ghost and we can handle things the way the Bible says.

Look what happened when they began to have a mummering.

There rose, there arose a mummering.

Got some flesh in the saddle, don't we?

You see that word arose again?

There arose a mummering of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows was neglected in the daily administration.

The word Grecian don't mean they were Greek.

It means they had come out of regions outside of Israel.

And they called those Grecian Hebrews.

And then the other Hebrews were the ones who was native.

They was in the land of Israel.

And so here they are, Sister Amanda.

Here's some widows who maybe was in some of those other cities that you read in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

They moved to Jerusalem.

And here's some other widows, a brother who was native to that land.

They knew everybody.

They was better connected.

And so the Bible don't deny that it happened, Sister Missy.

Maybe Sister Christine hadn't been around as long as Sister Betty.

And so Sister Betty, she didn't know how to butt up real good to Brother Jeff.

And Brother Jeff, he smuggled a few more crackers out to her.

You know, he gave her, say, go take this.

It's just chicken.

Ain't nobody take a chicken home with you.

Well, those things happen.

But watch this now.

Verse 12.

Then the 12, that's talking about the apostles, isn't it?

Oh yeah, verse 2, I'm sorry.

Then the 12 called the what?

Now listen to this.

Listen to this.

And said, it is not reason.

It's not wise.

This is not the wisdom of God.

That we should leave the word of God and do what?

What makes this so significant, you're going to begin to see this New Testament ministry in operation now.

It's not healing the sick, it's not raising the dead.

You're watching it deal with issues inside the church.

You're watching how this church resolve issues.

Do you know what they did, Sister Amanda?

They mind went back to the old covenant of how that was uh that was Moses, and then that was the high priest.

And the high priest had to do all this officiating.

They couldn't do it.

And so the whole, the whole tribe of Levi was given to the uh to the uh to the priest, and they had to help officiate.

Now you're gonna see this ministry began to ordain helps.

Uh by the way, the word deacons, you won't see it here, but Paul uses it.

The word deacon is a that's what the word minister means to serve.

A deacon is a minister who's not ordained, uh ordained to handle the word of life.

He's a minister that's not yet ordained.

He doesn't lay hands on the sick, he can help lay hands on the sick, he doesn't baptize in water, he can help baptize in water.

That is, he can do it under somebody's authority, but he can do everything an elder does, but he he does it under an elder's observation or supervision.

Am I making sense to you?

And this is what you began to see.

When it was just the twelve and just the hundred and twenty, that they could handle it.

They could even handle the three thousand, but now it's gotten out of hand.

It's too many people and not enough servants.

There was not enough ordained servants.

So look what Peter says.

It's not fit that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

Wherefore, here's the key word.

Who?

Brethren.

Who was he talking to?

The disciples.

Now remember, there were 70 of them.

Only 12 of the seven was apostles, so you still have 59 of those left.

And then they had actually multiplied, there was more like them added.

Now, those were all the brethren he was talking to.

And then this is not a vote.

This is not something that got up before the church and said, let's just vote and see who we want to be uh helps.

That's not what it's saying.

He's talking to the disciples, to the brethren, to those disciplined followers, including the fifth and nine that had followed Jesus, the fifth and nine that had cast out devils, that made up that seventy.

Are you following me?

Am I making sense to you?

This has to be real.

Now watch this.

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you what?

Seven men.

Listen to the qualifications.

Seven men of what?

Men whom you know to be honest, men who you know have integrity, men whom you know have a reverence for God.

Men that is of honest report, and not baptized with the Holy Ghost, but what?

Full of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is with those men.

He leads them, he guides them, he restrains their speech.

He restrains their spirit.

They're not going to hurt.

Jesus Christ, the Bible said, a smoke and flax, he wouldn't quench it.

A bruised reef, he wouldn't break it.

That was the Holy Ghost.

And those men had the same spirit.

It was the undeniable.

And Peter, James, and John and Andrew, they didn't choose those men.

They didn't have to.

They had brethren who was mature enough to look around and say, you know, we can't deny Stephen.

You can't deny Philip.

These men are serious about the things of God.

Even in this assembly, as young as small as we are, there's men when they stand on their feet, you can't deny God is with them.

You can't deny these men have a burden for the church.

They cut the grass, they run the vacuum, they wash the dishes, uh, they encourage the people, they testify.

You can't deny it.

Well, what is God doing?

He's raising those men up right in our midst.

That's the way the Lord works.

You don't go to a seminary and uh you study to be a minister, and so now one day they give you a test and give your preacher's license and say, okay, now you can preach.

That's not Bible order.

You learn to minister by serving God's people.

The word minister means serve.

And you don't serve the people somewhere else.

You serve the people whom you're among.

They have to know your burden, know your burden for the church, your love for the church, your commitment for the church.

You choose them out.

Is what he told them.

He could do that, brother, because they was, those men were disciples.

They was honest men.

But brother, although they were all honest, a man's gift make room for him.

You can't deny God is with this man.

I believe he's with me, but when I look over and see you, brother, I think, brother, you are the one.

And those men was honest enough to do that.

Listen.

Wherefore, brother, look you out among you, seven men full of good report, men of good report, full of the Holy Ghost and what?

Wisdom, whom we may appoint.

Whose do we?

Who?

The apostles.

You listen, you bring those men to us and we would appoint them.

We'll do it.

But you yourself, you choose those men out.

You know why they did that?

This is wisdom, brother.

Because he couldn't say, well, you know, Peter and James, uh, they're partial to Philip.

No, brother, you can't deny that Philip is of God.

You can't deny that Stephen is of God.

You couldn't deny that.

And listen, this is the this is a stop the mouths of the gangsayers.

But verse 4 said, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the what?

No, what say it again?

The what?

Ministry of the what?

Of the word.

Now, and the saying, please the whole multitude.

Are you still are you with me?

Help me out, brother Jeff, please.

Verse 5.

And the saying, please the whole multitude.

Listen that word, the what?

Whole multitude.

Even those that was mumbering, they couldn't.

That was wisdom.

And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost.

Underline that name, Stephen, please.

Underline that.

That is the first overcomer.

Stephen is the first fruit to be right.

Stephen just didn't just come into church on the day of Pentecost.

Brother, he was there.

He was there, brother, when Jesus chose those twelve apostles.

He never got jealous and said, Why wasn't I chosen?

He was there.

He was there, brother, when he actually seen Jesus, brother, in the eighth chapter, take the woman in the act of adultery.

He was there.

He was there, brother, when he actually seen Jesus Christ multiply the fishes and the loaves and gave to the 12, and the 12 gave to the people, but it wasn't given to him.

He was there when those men was actually casting out devils, but he kept his spirit right.

Keep reading, I'm sorry.

And Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas, Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles.

Here they go, showing you who the we were, whom they set before the what?

The apostles.

And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

Here's the key.

Those men was ordained by those apostles.

The authority those men had was delegated authority.

Who delegated it to them?

Who delegated to them?

The apostles did.

Was there any difference between those men being delegated the authority by the apostles or God calling them from third heaven?

No.

The authority they had was just as real, just as authentic as if the voice from heaven saying, Give me Stephen, give me Philip, and give me Timur, give me these people is the same authority.

When those men laid their hands on them, their hand laying on them didn't give them a gift.

All the land hands did was confirm that God was working in these men's life.

And giving those men the authority that was given to the apostles to officiate on their behalf.

Am I making sense to you?

Any man who believes that he can bring up people, him and his buddy, or him and one or two people, is deceiving himself.

Everybody needs help.

This is for the benefit of the people.

The people was suffering because they didn't have enough help.

Wasn't that those apostles weren't sincere, Brother Elton, but they couldn't do everything.

And I'm glad that listen, I don't, oh God, I have to stop.

I have to stop.

We're going to get into the sixth chapter.

You know what I'd like for you to do?

Go to the book of Numbers.

Read Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Read those four chapters.

And you'll see very, very vividly clear how that those men of the tribe of Levi was given to the priests.

And of course, they had Korhath, they had Morir and Gosham.

And each one of them was given their charges.

Numbers chapter 1 through 4.

Numbers 1 · chapter mention

Read those chapters for next week.

And brother, I promise you it's a wonderful revelation.

You can see it.

You'll see exactly what these apostles was doing and how they understood the implementation of this New Testament order out of the old.

Before I turn on, do we have any questions?

Go ahead.

Well, that's a very good question, Sister Christian.

I mean that you're reading, first of all, which is I'm sure you always have, which is always delightful.

But the next thing is that you're not just reading words, but you're trying to get understanding.

John the Baptist did not have the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

But the Holy Ghost moved on John just like he did of many, many men of old.

And the word filled means to be saturated with, or being controlled, or unctioned by.

You can be filled with the Holy Ghost and not be baptized.

And I'll give you examples of that, many of them.

There was a man by the name of the 14th chapter of Judges, and everybody have heard of him named Samson.

The Holy Ghost would come upon Samson and he'll do exploits.

He ran and caught 300 foxes and tied their tails together.

He snatched the city gate off the walls, and I walked down the street with him.

He picked up the jawbone of an ass and killed a thousand Philistines.

The Bible says each time the Holy Ghost came upon him.

But he didn't have it as a gift.

And then in 2 Peter chapter 1, the last verses of it, he said, No prophecy of the scriptures of any private interpretation.

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

But holy men of old, Old Testament prophets, spake as they was moved by the Holy Ghost.

This is on the board.

You can see it up there.

And so you can see those men, and then of course you can see even Elizabeth.

She was filled with the Holy Ghost.

John the Baptist, he was filled.

That just simply means under the inspiration of.

But they didn't have it as a gift.

You know what happened to Samson?

When the Holy Ghost lifted up off him, he was like any other man.

When the Holy Ghost came upon Isaiah, he said I wrote the Bible.

But when it left, he was like any other man.

When the Holy Ghost moved upon Ezekiel, he could prophesy.

But it wasn't a gift.

It just moved upon him.

Are you following me?

But for the Holy Ghost to become a gift, see, I can loan you something.

I can say, listen, Sister Christine, take my Bible and read it for me and read it out loud.

And you can do that.

But then when I say get my Bible back, I loan it to you.

It wasn't yours.

But when I give it to you, now that's yours forever.

The Holy Ghost was just moving on those men.

They didn't have it as a gift.

But don't believe it because I said it.

Always require scriptures.

Chapter 7 of John the 30, 39, 30, 30, 30, 37 first.

37.

Put it up on the board.

John 7 37.

The last day, the great day of the feast.

Jesus Christ stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink.

If you believe on me, as the scripture have said, out of your belly shall flow what?

Rivers of living waters.

Now watch this next verse.

This spake he of the what?

Which was not yet.

Come on.

Was not yet what?

Say it again.

For the Holy Ghost was not yet what?

Say it again.

For the Holy Ghost was not yet, it was not yet given.

It moved upon men, but until Jesus Christ was crucified, went to the heart of the earth three days and three nights, resurrected, tabernacle on the earth forty days, and went back to heaven.

And ten days later he sent it as a gift.

It was not yet given.

Though uh it moved upon people, but it wasn't a gift.

So John the Baptist did great things, and Jesus put it this way, born of woman, not born from heaven, but born of woman, there's none greater than John the Baptist.

And John did no miracles.

What made John the Baptist greater than the rest of the prophets?

It's his message.

He was a forerunner of Christ.

And there was no greater message to be preached.

So born a woman, there was none greater than John.

And there's some prophets done great miracles.

John did no miracles.

He said, How be it?

He that is least in the kingdom.

Because to get in the kingdom, you have to receive the Holy Ghost is greater than John.

Are you following me?

And so it was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.

But that's a very good question.

Very good question.

Well, Sister Christine, you're reading it and you have a hunger.

And if uh if this is a God-called ministry, we should be able to help you understand the word of God.

And see, that's what uh Paul uses.

I'm sorry, Peter, you're ready tonight to use that term.

The ministry of the word.

I can't uh say I have a ministry of uh cleaning the church.

The ministry is the word of reconciliation.

If I'm not ordained to handle the word of God, then I'm not a minister.

I can serve you many things, but Peter said it's not it's not fit that we should leave the word of God and serve what?

Tables.

A minister is to serve you the word of God.

That's the hand that God feeds you with.

And he said the hand is not feet, if the hand is not uh, if offend you by not feeding you, what did you do?

You cut it off.

You cut it off.

I'm offending you.

I'm to I'm to my job is to break, our job is to break the bread of God and feed you with it.

If you can't understand it, if we can't make this word of God palpable, that everybody can understand it, then we're an offense to you.

We're not teaching you, we're not feeding you.

And you have a right to ask any question you want.

And if we don't know, we don't know everything, it's to our shame.

We need to stop and go find out.

And we're not beyond doing that.

Amen.

Any other question before we let you go?

Yes, sir.

Oh, you're saying you put your hand up.

All right.

Uh let's be mindful of the young people's time is getting away.

Uh, prayer request.

Let's pray for Brother Michael.

He made it in late last night, about 11 o'clock.

And uh one second.

And then uh it had they started the meeting tonight in Jerseyville, Illinois.

And uh it's a minister's meeting.

I think it's open tonight.

Minister's meeting will start tomorrow.

And so let's keep that meeting in prayer and pray for me that God will give me grace to get there before it ends.

I'm trying to leave out as soon as I take care of some necessary loose ends.

And so uh let's keep that meeting up in prayer.

How many have uh special prayer requests?

I'll start with Fallon over there.

He's real anxious to express himself.

We want to keep praying for your mom and daddy.

You know, I sure hope my son's praying for me the way you pray for your parents.

Anyone else to my left?

Yes, Brother Richard, good to see you.

My Lord.

Let's please keep that in prayer.

What's his name?

Let's pray for him.

Let's let's be people of compassion.

Let's pray for him.

Yes, sister uh Amanda, I'm sorry.

My Lord.

Let's keep let's keep that situation in prayer.

Let's keep that in prayer, my Lord.

Any other still, Brother Arnell?

Auntie, Mary Jane, does she uh do what she was coming with?

Yeah, we were praying for her Sunday, Brother Arnell.

We want to continue to pray for her.

That's Sister Betty's sister.

She's out of the hospital?

We're gonna keep her in prayer, nevertheless.

And uh, absolutely, Sister Betty.

What affects you affects us.

We definitely want to keep her in prayer.

Yes, Brother TJ.

My God, let's pray for that family.

Let's pray for that family.

My God, that is sincere, serious.

Any else to my left?

To my right?

Uh, Sister Tanjela.

My Lord.

Let's pray for that family.

Sister Janita.

Is that right?

I sure miss her tonight, but I see a family here.

Where's the tower?

Well, how'd the kids get here?

Oh, God bless your brother Jeff.

Yes, sister Ellen.

Let's do that.

You know, there's a lot of illness and afflictions around us.

Every day that you have health and strength and a sound mind, use it for the Lord.

Always do something for the Lord.

If not, you'll live that day in vain.

How many have special unspoken requests?

Let's take all, let's not just pray uh religiously, but let's remember these needs and these afflictions and all the people who's going to be affected.

Uh, when someone is ill, it doesn't just affect them, but it affects their loved one.

If someone has uh an affliction or a terminal condition, it affects the loved ones.

Let's pray for these people.

Serious condition.

Yes, Sister Tangela.

I'm sorry, my grandma's not a certain question.

She's 75.

Yeah, 75 would be serious when it happens.

Let's take all these petitions, all these petitions before the Lord.

Oh, I'm sorry, Sister Desiree.

I'm sorry.

Um, my boss, Richard Turnley, he had a stroke and he's an ICU.

He had a stroke?

Yes.

My Lord.

Let's pray for that situation.

He's shown great favor to Sister Desiree.

Made Sister Desiree a manager over his store, uh loan, uh saving a loan institution there in uh and in uh in Thibodeau.

And Sister Desiree extended the favor to the people of God.

You know we're part of that uh savings and loan?

You're entitled to special low rate interest.

Did you ever tell you that?

Let's keep you out of debt, which ain't supposed to tell you.

Yeah, we're gonna tell you about it.

We'll talk about it later, but there's benefits, and it's because that Pharaoh knew Joseph.

So let's keep that Pharaoh, that he's a man, that that's um uh that's over Sister Desiree.

Let's keep him in prayer.

Let's keep him in prayer for Joseph's sake and the rest of Israel here.

Uh let's take all these petitions before the Lord.

Let's pray for all the assembly that's working to build the kingdom of God.

Uh, let's remember Sister Madness, Sister Pam, Sister Michelle.

How are your situations, Sister Pam?

How are you doing?

I mean, Sister Michelle, how are you doing?

You don't give us a report.

But I know you're living, we're looking at you.

How are you doing?

You good?

Let's keep her in prayer.

She has a tumor.

She still has a tumor, Sister Michelle.

She has a tumor on her brain.

You'll never know that.

The Lord has been real merciful.

Let's keep praying until that thing dissolves.

Let's remember Sister Betty, she still has to have surgery on her on her jaw.

This has been months.

She's like me.

I guess she's gonna wait till she has to.

And Brother Teeny, with that grave illness he has, and Brother Elton with his heart condition, he had a heart attack.

Oh, I'm just gonna take the I need the leaders tomorrow.

Oh, yeah, let's pray for these young people with this with these tests.

Young people want prayers.

You want prayers?

I would want prayers.

If you threaten to make me stay in school another year, well, I would be praying.

Let's pray for these young people.

The Lord would actually touch their minds and bring all things back to their remembrance.

The Lord can do that.

He can do that.

And uh you have to learn how to trust God.

When you pray and uh you ask the Lord in faith, believing the Lord can hear your petitions.

Let's go before the Lord, take all these requests before the Lord.

Oh, gracious God, Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord.