Take It Outside

Give him good praise in his house, would you?

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Again, I want to thank

you so much for being in the house of the Lord

today. I have to pray extra hard during the summer.

I have to pray Lord's protection over you while

you travel. And vacate and all that good stuff.

So I have to pray the Lord keep you and bring

you back. As you can tell, there's several out

there today. And I'm always tempted on Memorial

Day weekend to vacate myself. Brother Green grinning

over there. He knows what I'm talking about.

That Memorial Day weekend. Thank you for being

in the house of the Lord, and I mean that. Thank

you for being here today. This is a very special

weekend for our nation as we honor those who

have paid the ultimate, given the ultimate, so

that we could gather here, continue to gather

here freely. uninhibited, without worry, without

fear. The only fear or worry we have is if some

nut goes off the deep end. But we're prepared

for that. Brother Mark's in the room monitoring

the cameras. We're ready. And I'm not going to

ask for a show of hands, but if they came in,

One of these days we're going to have to go over

safety protocol for you. There's going to be

a key word that just simply means duck. Just

get low. Don't get up and try to run. There'll

be so much friendly fire in this place. So you,

and let me just tell you, it's not just the men

packing in here. He's 38 and 40 calibers. Nines

in purses all across this room. So woe be unto

them. But what we do have freedom from is our

government coming in here. Because of lies. And

I know we have our opinions about putting our

noses in places they don't belong around the

world and globally. But can I tell you, somebody

has to stand up where others cannot stand up

for themselves. I don't like it. I don't like

it. But I'm telling you, the tyranny that would

be in this world, the tyranny in people had we

not helped. I don't know what kind of shape they

would be in today. So it's a catch -22, if you

will. So let's just pray, continue to pray. But

if you have lost a family member at some point,

In service to this nation. Thank you. Amen. And

we honor that today. It is the ultimate sacrifice.

And I for one am grateful. Amen. But the freedom

that we proclaim in this house today. Is the

freedom that we have in Jesus Christ. Who gave

the ultimate. Amen. Also. what kept me in your

presence today, it's Pentecost Sunday. And if

there is a church of God, Holy Ghost field preacher,

pastor, that took off on Pentecost Sunday, shame

be upon them. I'm talking shame. There's at least

three Sundays a year that any Holy Ghost field

Preacher that's worth his salt can preach. Christmas,

Easter, and today, Pentecost Sunday. So I've

been stirring and fuming. I've preached a couple

sermons to Sister Kathy this week in the car.

I told somebody the other day I about got her

saved on Thursday. And if she'd have yielded

on Thursday, I know what I preached to her Friday

would have got her sanctified. hoping that what

I'm going to deliver today will get somebody

hungry for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Amen,

amen, amen. So with that, today is Pentecost

Sunday. Look with me to course Acts 2 for just

a moment. Go ahead and throw that slide up there,

Samuel. This has been stirring me all week. Take

it outside. And here we had to come inside because

of the rain. But the Lord stirred this in my

heart about Tuesday, and it's just been building

ever since. And so as, knowing all that today

holds, so as that I would not just keep us here

at about one. Look here, I got one little bitty

hand written. You see this? You see this? And

there's gaps. There's spaces. It's not full.

And then just this little bit on back. Now, I

think Brother Robbie's out on the grill. Pray

for him. He's starting to get things going. So

we'll have a baptism following the service while

others are back there getting everything spread

out. Amen. We're going to baptize, and then we've

got the rest of the day to fellowship. Is that

all right? Here we go. Acts 2. And when the day

of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with

one accord in one place, and suddenly there came

a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,

and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like

as a fire, and it sat upon each of them, and

they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and

began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit

gave them utterance. And there was dwelling at

Jerusalem devout men of every nation under heaven.

Do you understand that? That's pretty clear.

Devout men from every nation under heaven. Now

when this was noised abroad, the multitude came

together and were confounded because that every

man heard them speak in his own language. Take

it out. I'll pray for you if you pray for me,

and hopefully we'll get to this pretty quickly.

Father, we love you today. Such a wonderful time

of worship this morning on this great day. Lord,

as we celebrate sacrifice, we also celebrate

promise. Lord, today is that day. Today is as

we celebrate the sending forth of your power

upon all humanity. So touch, Lord, on all those

that will and all those that would. Lord, we

thank you for the sending of the promise, the

promise of your spirit. To you be praise forever

in Christ's name. The church said amen and amen.

Take it outside. Pentecost Sunday, after the

death and burial, the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

on the 40th day after the resurrection, Jesus

leads the disciples. He's present with them.

He had been present. From that day, you remember,

he's walking to Bethany. He sees the women at

the graveside. And so he'd been present with

them. And he'd been teaching at one time a crowd

as large as 500 in his presence as he's teaching.

The Lord is with them. The Lord is near them.

And as the Jewish feast and the custom were,

50 days after Passover was the feast of the harvest.

And the celebration of the harvest. So it's been

40 days the Lord has walked with them. It's been

40 days that the Lord has taught them. And Luke

begins to record this event as he's writing it

out in that 24th chapter. And he's leaving it

as a heritage for you and I. He leaves it behind

and he lifts up his hands and the Lord blesses

them. And he instructs them to go tarry in Jerusalem

until they be in tune. and endued with power

from on high. And as the Lord promised, ten days

later, as they followed the instructions, when

the day of Pentecost was fully come, when it

was right on time, amen, you understand that

the Old Testament is the types and the shadows.

It's the foremarking. It's the arrows pointing

the direction to. Don't think that bothers me

none other than it aggravates the life out of

me. It doesn't hinder anything that I'm about

to do. I've seen it all in 30 -something years

of ministry. Interruptions just happen. Amen.

Ten days come to pass. The disciples... or in

that upper room, taking care of the finishing

business, putting things together, putting the

bow, if you will, on the package. Their number

is down to 11 in the apostles, and they had to

elect another. Matthias the Lot fell upon him.

He comes in as number 12, and now time is fulfilling.

They're praying. They're going about the day.

They're just waiting. If you and I had to wait

10 days for something, we'd go stir crazy. We

just don't have it in us these days to tarry.

I think that's a missing attribute of the church

anymore, to tarry and to wait and to see what

the Lord has to bring to pass. But when the day

of Pentecost was fully come, there was a sound,

there was a wind, and there was a fire. Amen?

The sound came from heaven, the wind filled the

room, and the fire filled the people. You do

understand that it wasn't little flaming things

that set on them, Luke just didn't have any other

way to describe what was happening to the 120

in the room. He could not describe. How many

of you have ever been baptized? How many of you

baptized in the Holy Ghost and spake with other

tongues as the Spirit gave you? I can't describe

it either. If you'd asked me the day of, I couldn't

tell you what happened. All I know is something

hot hit me on the head, and it went through my

toes and back up and came out my mouth. And that's

the way Luke is trying to describe. It was like

flaming tongues. Tongues of fire. Why? Because

when the Holy Ghost takes control of that unruly

member, when you surrender it to him and it begins

to operate under the power of the Spirit, it

just looks like it's going everywhere. And it's

just moving. It's like tongues clove and they're

split. It's just moving and fire is set upon

them. But this is the promise that was given

to the disciples. Amen. The miracle of Pentecost,

if you will, was not the glossolalia. That's

just the fancy word. for speaking in tongues,

meaning the ability to speak another language.

The miracle wasn't glossolalia or speaking in

tongues. It was the fact that they left the room.

Now, when we begin to think about this, you think

about this 50 -day time frame from Christ, death,

burial, and resurrection. They were still probably

wanted men. They were probably still being hunted,

and they probably couldn't go out in public too

much without someone drawing attention. of them,

maybe even pointing fingers and sneering and

laughing, having not yet seen the risen Christ,

not yet knowing that they were following in the

footsteps of the one who called them from Galilee,

amen? And when they were there in this day, and

the Spirit... It was promised, was given. You

have to remember and go all the way back to Matthew.

When you hear what John the Baptist said, look

and behold, as John and David recorded, the Lamb

of God which takes away the sin of the world.

Matthew recorded the very fact that this is he.

I'm not worthy even to tithe. and latch his shoes.

I'm not even worthy to do that. But this one

that I'm pointing you to right now, I may baptize

you in water, but he indeed will baptize you

in the power of the Holy Ghost. That's what he's

going to do for you. He will baptize you in the

Holy Ghost, and as we used to say in my own church,

the fire. You're going to get a little fire in

your life. Some of you need a rekindling of a

little bit of fire. You may need a refreshing

of a spirit, baptism in your life, but you won't

get it unless you start to get hungry and maybe

even tarry and pray and seek God for it. Let

me get back on here. The miracle was the fact

that they spilled out of the room. You do understand

that the church, the Greek word there is ekklesia,

which means to call out ones. It doesn't mean

the structure. When they talk about the structure,

you'll see where Peter and James and John and

Paul and the others, they would gather in the

church. synagogue. That's the house. It's not

the church. You need to understand something.

If you are blood -bought, born again, your sins

are washed and purged, you are the ecclesia.

You are the called out. You are the church of

the living God. Amen. And you are the witness

of the Christ, of the resurrection, of the death,

of the burial. That's who you are. You are the

church. And so the miracle is that they spilled

out of the room into the streets with the power

that was sent from on high. The plan was what

that starts inside you, he intends to send outside

through you. It's very important to understand

that the sending of the Holy Ghost was not to

give you goosebumps. The miracle of Pentecost

was not to make you shout, and it might. I tell

you what, he's got his job cut out for him today,

though, in our time. Not to make you run. There's

something that's gone by the wayside in most

places. The runner, people are too embarrassed.

to stand under the unction when the spirit hits

them and just take off with a wild whoop and

give a lap for the glory of God. My Lord, we're

dignified now. We've moved beyond the principles

of some things that are particular avenue of

faith. The miracle is the fact that God sent

the power to you to go in you that you would

go out there and present him. Him who? Christ.

If you remember, Jesus said this. When the Spirit

is come, when he is here, he's going to draw

all men unto all truth. And you must remember

the declaration. I am the way, the truth, and

the life. He's going to draw people to me. He's

going to bring people to me. And you do remember,

as Luke is recording in 24, around that verse

49, as I've already told you, go tarry in Jerusalem

till you be due with power. And then he picks

up in the book of the Acts of the... apostles

in that first chapter our mission emphasis verse

in 1 and 8 and you shall be witnesses in me after

that the Holy Ghost is come upon you in where

Jerusalem Judea Samaria and to the uttermost

parts of the world here we now declare and find

out the exact purpose of the sending of the power

of God and that power has come that when we get

on the inside when we receive him on the inside

It enables us and he empowers us to go and declare

it on the outside. It's time the church again

get back out of the room and spill into the streets

and begin to glorify the name of Jesus Christ.

That's pretty good, wasn't it, baby? Man, you

just don't know how that helps me right there.

Empowered to spill into the street. Enabled with

boldness to proclaim. The name of Jesus Christ.

Nobody likes to shout near as much as I do. I

love it when the power of God moves and stirs

on my heart, and I shout to the glory of God.

I'll cut me a jig when the Spirit moves on me.

I'll do me a whirlwind when the Spirit moves

on me. I used to run, but not as much as I've

gotten older. I used to be one of them that take

a laugh. I miss Brother Kenny. Right now, Brother

Kenny Cooper would give me a jog or a shuffle

always. around this room, enabled, empowered

by the Spirit to proclaim the resurrected Lord.

So number one, what happens when we take it outside?

As 120 spilled into the streets of Jerusalem,

the scripture says it was noise abroad. That

tells me that they were down there for a little

while. It wasn't just a little whooping over.

Huh? You got to remember, they had been waiting

10 days for this. They got prayed up. They fasted.

They were ready. They're awaiting the promise

because you remember Jesus told them, it is expedient

that I go away for after I go away, I'll send

back the comforter. Well, my God, who doesn't

need a good comforter? Who doesn't need the paraclete

to walk, the parakeet to swan, who would stand

beside and walk beside and be partner with you

and never leave you, my God, and lead you into

all truth. He will come. And he said, after he

gets here, you think I've done something? The

water's parallel, paraphrase. You think I've

done some stuff? When he gets here, y 'all gonna

put on the dogs. King James translator said,

and greater works than these shall you do also.

In other words, you've seen me lay hands or just

speak to the dead and they rise up. You've seen

me spit mud balls in blinded eyes and they walk

away seeing. You've seen me putting my fingers

in the dumb's ears and the tongue begin to quake

and I pull forth and they hear and begin to proclaim.

You've seen it all. You've seen me walk up to

demoniacs and proclaim the power of my name and

cast them. You've seen it. But let me tell you,

when the Holy Ghost gets in you and you take

it outside, you ain't seen anything yet. The

crowd is a... 120 spilled into the street, the

purpose of Pentecost is demonstrated. As Peter,

who 50 days, 51 days earlier, cursed, denied,

and in that same 51 day period of time, repented,

cried, came home, and he's in the room. And the

Holy Ghost fills him. Peter's in the street with

the other 119 speaking in tongues. The multitude

gathered and said, hey, ain't these flatheads

all Galileans? That's that bunch of fishermen

there. I even see a tax collector. What's that

doctor doing? Speaking like that. Hey, wait a

minute. They're speaking my language. Every nation

under heaven represented. Make your way all the

way back to Genesis and see where everybody has

to gather up with folks that can understand them

and go live somewhere else because at the Tower

of Babel, God confused and confounded language

and they couldn't understand one another until

they got some folks that they could understand

and they went on their merry way. Now all of

those folks are from Babel back to the uniting

of the Babel of heaven. And they are, oh, come

on now. I'd love to be preaching this at about

a 90 % African -American congregation. And with

a good organ person going, I'd have a heart attack.

So it's a good thing I'm just preaching to you

mediocre folk. A little clap and a hoorah. By

the time they'd stop for a praise bake, I'd pass

out. Take it outside. Peter is outside with what

is moved inside of him. Here come the scoffers.

They're always around you folks. Don't, don't.

been out of shape about the scoffers and the

ridiculers and the mockers. Amen. My home church

when I was growing up as kids on Wednesday night,

we'd take our pocket knives and dig 22 bullets

out of the board and batten walls. Amen. On the

outside. That was fun to us. Why? Because idiots

would rise up and down a road and shoot at our

church building. That's just the way it was.

Why? Because we were them. We were those folks

who wasn't afraid to take it outside. We've shouted

in the parking lot so it could be heard. I've

run laps around my home church parking lot speaking

in tongues as the Holy Ghost would move. Why?

Because driven by the power for the purpose.

The purpose and the fact of getting it outside

Peter, when they come saying these men are drunk,

he had all he was going to take, and he come

out of the spirit and got into their language,

and he began to speak to them. Listen to me today.

These men are not drunken as you suppose, but

this is that, my God, which was spoken by the

prophet Joel. That's what this is. And like any

good Pentecostal preacher, he started at Genesis

and took them all the way. I preach from Genesis

to Revelation most every week. I used to envy

those boys that could take one verse and get

you for 45 minutes. And now I'm thinking, boy,

that'd be awful boring. Some of them there. Give

me that Genesis Revelation guy. He'll hit me

somewhere. In 66 books, he'll get my hide, I

guarantee you. Huh? I'm not knocking that style.

That's the way the Lord moves on some people.

Amen. This right here wouldn't even get Brother

Terry, Pastor Terry started. He's a manuscript

man. I've got one or two of them. He got it all

down there, about 12, 14 pages. Do you know what

kind of shape you would be in if I got up here

with 14 pages? We'd go back. We'd preach it from

Genesis to Revelation and then Revelation back

if I had 14 pages. The purpose of Pentecost is

demonstrated in the streets of Jerusalem. Remember,

Jesus said, and after that the Holy Ghost has

come upon you, you shall be witnesses of me.

My God, somebody needs to hear this. This thing

ain't about you. It's not about your shame. It's

not about them mocking you. It's not about what

they say to you, around you, or behind your back

about your witness. It's all about him. It's

about, would somebody square a shoulder back

and come out with a boldness? See, the purpose

of Pentecost was to give boldness to some weak

-backed, spineless people. Like who? Like Peter

at the first sign, at the first trouble. He ran.

No, no, I'm not one of them. No, mm -mm. Not

me. Well, I saw you with him. And then he'd be

just throwing a little cuss word or two to verify

that he's not one of them. And he runs off to

hide away enough to watch what happens to the

Lord. And when he hears that third crowing of

the rooster, he began to quiver and quake. And

he began to just melt before the convicting power

of the spirit that was to come and set upon him

to empower him. And he goes out and he says,

this is that. And he preached to them Jesus.

And when he got done, 3 ,000 souls were added

unto him. That's a pretty good report for one

sermon right there. That's what will happen when

you take it outside. What's it look like when

it goes outside? Well, not far different from...

What had happened there in 1801 in Cain Ridge,

Kentucky, near Paris, Kentucky, up near pretty

close to Lexington, Kentucky. 1801. Presbyterian

folk, of all people, were having a meeting. And

this meeting exploded. From August the 8th, can

you imagine? Humidity. That little house that

they were in, little schoolhouse, couldn't hold

them all. Why? Because by the time the noise

reached the hollers and the borders beyond, it's

estimated between 10 and 30. 30 ,000 people attended

this revival, and things began to happen that

Presbyterian folk hadn't seen in millennia. Oh,

Lord, and centuries, and as it began to happen,

they began to describe it like this. They would

just faint. They'd just fall down. Something

would come on them, and they'd just melt, and

there they would lay. Some would quiver. Some

would quake. Some of them looked. like and sounded

like this, barking like dogs. They were speaking

things that we could not understand. Why? Because

you'd have a group of about 100 and a preacher

over here on the stump, and you'd have a group

of about 50 back on the backside, and they'd

gather over there, and the preacher was preaching.

Well, they didn't have a microphone. They didn't

have all this stuff, but what they had was men

hungry to preach Jesus. And when the power of

the Holy Ghost began to move and fall upon them,

some 30 ,000 heard. The good news and revival

breaks out. You move forward about 85 years.

What is it? 1886. Take away the one. 85 years.

Up in the mountains right over here. What's the

name of that place? Coker Creek. Right up over

here close to us. Right up above Teleco. Old

Baptist preacher by the name of R .G. Sperling

had a hunger begin to gnaw at his gut. And it

wasn't for cornbread and soup beans. He began

to get hungry for more of God. And listen, when

you start to get hungry for more of God, you

start digging around in the Word of God to find

something to eat on. And he landed on the promise,

and he landed upon the exaltation of it all,

and he landed upon the reality of its sending.

And he began to ask God for it. 1886, R .G. Sperling

was baptized. in the Holy Ghost. And through

a couple different name changes, you make your

way to 1905 and 1906. You make your way all the

way out to the west coast of Azusa Street. And

an old black preacher by the name of William

Seymour had his face in a crate seeking God.

And the power of the Holy Ghost was poured out

on Azusa Street about 87, 90, 105 years after

this 1801 Cane Ridge revival. What are you saying?

it outside. I want you to take the power of the

gospel of Jesus Christ emboldened by the Holy

Ghost and you take it outside. Time, it's time,

it's time. Take it outside. I wish somebody would

get a hunger for enough of God to take it outside.

When you take it outside, the power of Pentecost

is witnessed. Acts 3. I had about a dozen of

these outside encounters, but I thought, that

can't happen. No, that can't happen. Not today.

But the power was demonstrated. Purpose on day

one. Just a few days later, the power is about

to be demonstrated. Peter and John on their way

to church to go and pray. And they run across

something that we still have today. They ran

across a lame man outside a gate. The gate was

called Beautiful. Popular place. Good place to

beg and alms for the poor. Good place to have

your cup. And so he thought he saw two good candidates

coming. He didn't know they were Pentecostal

preachers. He's about to find out. Peter and

John's walking by. The scripture says, and he

looked on them expecting to receive. Let me tell

you something. Sometimes folk look expecting,

but you don't get exactly what you were expecting.

He was not expecting what he got. Alms for the

poor. He turned them pockets inside out. Look,

we're Pentecostal preachers. Silver and gold

we ain't got. But he didn't leave the man empty.

But such as I have, give I unto thee. And he

reached his hand. And he took him by the right

hand and he lifted him up. And as he lifts him

up, the power that is on and in him begins to

move outside of him. And the point of contact,

which was a man expecting, he began to feel strength

come into his ankle bones. And the next thing

you know, he made a spectacle in synagogue worship

that day. Look, when God does the miraculous

for you, you cannot contain it. You can't hold

it and you don't. care if it hair lips the devil

and any other hypocrite around you. You're going

to proclaim it. So he runs through the synagogue

shouting, giving glory to God. They say, what

is it? Boy, he just got healed. And let me tell

you how. In the name of Jesus Christ, Nazareth,

rise up. The power demonstrated because the quickening

boldness. Of the Holy Ghost. Huh? Look here,

we're turning it. We're good. We're doing good.

You know when I turn it, we're about done. You

got the promise. You got the purpose. You got

the power. And that promise is what we're still

holding to. Turn over to Acts 6 and 7 real quick.

When you take him outside, things happen. The

power is released and the purpose is fulfilled.

Apostle by the name of Stephen. Gets drug out

to be stoned. And he gets threatened to be stoned

because of the boldness of the spirit that was

just newly infilling him. And he just preached

to them like he knew them. And how many know

when you preach like you know them, it can get

personal? I have to be careful sometimes. Well,

Stephen got personal with them. He read their

mail. He read their daddy mail. Hello? He told

them what sorry scoundrels they were. You know

that he was sent from God, and yet you've done

it anyway. And they got so tore up, they are

screaming and hollering and begin to cast stones

to kill Stephen. The promise is realized outside.

Stoned for his witness in the throes of death

itself. Verses 54 through 56. He being full of

the Holy Ghost. Look up steadfastly unto the

heavens. And here's what he said. I want to make

sure I get it right. Behold, verse 55. But he

being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly

into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus

standing on the right hand of God. When you start

reading the Bible, it kindly takes care of some

false doctrine that's out there. I'm sorry. You

got a man looking up, sees God the Father on

the throne and Jesus the Son at his right hand,

not seated. Now, I don't know what that does

for you, but every time I read it, Brother Don,

it really does something for me. Why? Because

it lets me know no matter what the enemy's coming

against me with, no matter what life's atrocities

are coming after me with, if I continue to look

up steadfastly, Jesus isn't taking it all casually.

He isn't just idly sitting up there waiting on

us to get done with life and then take over.

He come to attention when he saw the apostle

Stephen. He's standing. My God, he's standing

there. I want to get it right. Then they cried

out in verse 57. Verse 56, and he said, Behold,

I see the heavens opened. I see the heavens opened

and the Son of Man standing on the right hand

of God. Then they cried out, My Lord, it pierced

their ears. They put their fingers in their ears.

They ran on him and won a court and cast him

out and stoned him. And the witnesses laid their

clothes down at a young man's feet. Name was

Saul. Here's what happens. When the promise is

realized on the outside, you'll come headlong

into your confrontation one way or the other.

My God, Saul thought he was there seeing and

doing the goodwill of the law to see another

Christian die at his feet while he holds the

coat of those. But little did he know that he

had been exposed. He had been exposed because

they took it outside. Had they left him in there

and killed him inside, everything might have

been clear for Saul. But no, can I tell you,

he had a divine appointment awaiting him, and

it was to be standing there watching the one

declare that God is still on his throne and that

his son is at his right hand. Why? Because he

could not deny the glory that was on Stephen's

face. And when they began to stone him, oh, look

what he said. Take it outside. This is what happened.

Hold this not to their charge. Don't hold them

guilty. Don't let my blood be on their hands.

Oh, God, forgive them. Cleanse them. My Lord,

you can only do that when you've been empowered

with the Holy Ghost. A half -hypocritical heart

can't do it. You can't do it in your own. You

can't do it in your strength. Why? Because we

despise those who hurt us and do harm to us.

But if you've got the power of the Holy Ghost

on the inside and they drag you out, You say,

you know what's going to happen to them. You

know their end if they don't meet Jesus. And

you begin to declare, oh God, don't hold it to

their charge. And I love it. And he just bowed

his head and he went to sleep. Let me tell you

right now, you worry too much about the naysayers.

Take it outside. What? The purpose, the promise,

and the power. By a straw pole. How many of you

know you're going to heaven? Don't raise your

hand. Just say it to yourself. I don't want to

know if you know, and I don't want you to lie.

Just because I might be looking or somebody else

might be looking. I don't want another charge

against you. Something else you got to repent

for. Another lie to cover with the blood. So

I'm not going to. Because I dare say there'd

be anybody that wouldn't raise their hand. Oh,

I'm going. Are you? I hope. It's my prayer. It's

my efforts. To see you go. But if you got sin

in your life. You ain't going. I'm old school.

You can go down the road somewhere and find you

one of these new schools and tell you can get

in with about anything you want to do. Help yourself.

If you're coming in here, I'm going to preach

to you Jesus Christ crucified. I'm going to preach

to you the declaration of without holiness no

man shall see the Lord. I'm going to preach to

you the first message. Be born again. That's

what I'm going to preach to you. But I'm not

going to leave you there. I'm going to declare

to you, you must be sanctified with the washing

and the regeneration of his word. Sanctified.

What does that mean, pastor? Separated from the

ills and the vials of this world. And I'm going

to tell you, you need the emboldened presence

of the Holy Ghost in your life. Why? So you don't

duck your head and run when you're outside. So

that when somebody asks you in a public setting,

you can say, yes, I know Jesus. Yes, I'm saved.

I've seen these polls going around. People asking,

you know, does your pastor's church you go still

preach against sin? I'd love to hear some of

y 'all's answers. Well, yeah, mine told me I'm

going to hell last week. Well, where do you go?

I ain't going there. Well, you might want to

come. He might keep you out of hell. I know it's

not for the faint of heart. Snowflakes exist

in this type of preaching. Why? Snowflakes melt

when there's fire. It's hamburger and hot dog

time. You better stand. It's baptism time. Y

'all go ahead and start getting ready for baptism.

Here's what I want to know today, real quickly.

Every head's bowed in this house. I know I cut

up and carry on, but sometimes it's easier to

swallow a bitter medicine with a sweet drink.

And the bitter medicine is if you don't know

Christ as your Lord and Savior, I don't care

how old you are. Oh, Pastor, I thought there

was an age of innocence. There is. But most everybody

in this room is past it. Sister Danelle is holding

one that's not. What is the age of innocence?

When is it gone? When an individual understands.

right from wrong, and that wrong is sin. Well,

I'm 60 and still ain't got that figured out,

Pastor. Well, yes, you do. You just don't want

to accept the fact. So as you can keep doing

what you want to do, knowing it's wrong. Listen

to this preacher this morning. Jesus loves you.

He loves you. God loves you. Somebody's thinking,

well, if there's a trinity, where was the Holy

Ghost? If the Father was on the throne and Jesus

had his right hand, he's on the earth. He's here

with us. Why? He'd already been sent. Stephen

had already been empowered. The Holy Ghost is

here. Why? To convict sinners, first of all,

and to bring them to Calvary. First order of

business is repent. It's not repeat a little

prayer after me. It's not something like that.

I've been convicted over that. I'll just be honest

with you, I have. That's a tradition that we've

created. Look here, you need to repent where

you stand. Coming to the altar, the old mourner's

bench. Back in the day, they'd go to the mourner's

bench, and when you got done mourning, you'd

have to stand up and tell everybody, confess

your sins in front of the whole bunch, all of

them. No, you confess to him. You repent to Jesus.

Repent. And then following those footsteps, be

baptized. Why? Because it's an outside declaration.

That's why. It's not just on the inside. I'm

showing it on the outside now. Jesus, I repent

if I have sin between me and you. I invite anybody

and everybody in here that would. Pray it with

me. I repent of my sin. Whatever it may be, Lord,

if I have sinned against you, the psalmist said,

if I have sinned against you, Lord, take not

the joy of thy salvation from me, but restore

unto me. Cleanse me. Purge me with this, the

blood of Jesus Christ. Cleanse me of my sins.

As I turn and walk away from my behavior and

actions this day as I repent. And follow you.

If you repented of your sin, you need to tell

somebody today. Tell me. Run into the first person

you lay eyes on. I repented of my sin today and

ask Christ into my heart and be Lord of my life.

That's my testimony. And go and walk differently.

For a church, let's pray and grow hungry again

for the power, the purpose, and the promise of

Pentecost. That promise includes a very conclusive

promise. And that is at the end. And that promise

is this. The same power that raised Christ from

the dead will also quicken your mortal bodies.

That's the promise. The promise of the power

of the Spirit. Say, Pastor, I don't have the

baptism of the Holy Ghost. If you want him, we'll

come seek him right now. But let me set you on

the course right now. Start to desire more of

God. Because that's what it's about. It's not

about the glossolalia. It's not about the tongue

speaks, the shout, the goosebumps. That's just

evidence on the outside of what he done to you

on the inside. Are you getting this thing, this

outside concept? That's what it is. Why does

it have to be that? I told you what James said

about the tongue. It's the most unruly member

of the body. Most of the time, we can't even

control our own tongue. And so if we yield and

surrender, what a witness on the outside. Begin

to seek God. More of God's power, more of God's

grace, more of his anointing in your life. Start

praying now and seeking God. Well, I don't understand

it. I didn't either. And then I couldn't explain

it. and still can't explain it. Well, you're

the pastor. Well, there's just some things I

don't have a grasp on. And that's one of them.

Father, go with us today. Bless your people.

Thank you for your touch. We thank you for the

outpouring of the Holy Ghost. Amen, amen. Give

the Lord a hand clap of praise.