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The MOST Overlooked Ministry in the Church - Pastor Mark Copeland - Pine Grove Church — Transcript

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0:00I beseech you brethren, you know the
0:02house of Stephanas, that it is the first
0:04fruits
0:06of Achaia
0:08and that they have addicted themselves
0:11to the ministry
0:13of the saints.
0:16They have addicted themselves to the
0:18ministry of the saints. Let's read a
0:19couple of more verses there.
0:22Paul is going to explain this that you
0:24submit
0:26He said this
0:29ministry of the saints I'm asking that
0:31you submit yourself also.
0:35And to everyone that helpeth with us and
0:37laboreth.
0:40I want you all to get addicted
0:43to the ministry of the saints.
0:46Verse 17
0:48I'm glad for the coming of Stephanas and
0:50Fortunatus and Achaicus for that which
0:52was lacking on your part they have
0:54supplied. God bless you, you can be
0:56seated.
0:57Right where you're seated, would you
0:58lift your hands and ask the Holy Ghost?
1:02Ask the Holy Ghost to speak in this
1:04house today
1:06in Jesus' name.
1:08Jesus, dear Lord, I'm asking you to
1:09speak to our hearts
1:11our minds, our spirits.
1:14Talk to us in this house today.
1:17In the precious name of Jesus we need
1:19your word
1:21in this place in Jesus' name.
1:25In Jesus' name. Now, what I'm going to
1:27attempt to preach to you today
1:30I preached as an evangelist for
1:34almost a decade.
1:37Um that I preached this message
1:40everywhere I went.
1:42I felt like it was one of the most
1:44important messages that I preached to
1:46churches.
1:49I am a little shocked that I've been
1:52moved on so strongly by the Holy Ghost
1:54to preach this in a first service.
1:57We have a lot of guests here. To every
1:59guest, we're so thankful you've honored
2:00us by being here. Thank you for being
2:02here.
2:03Every guest that's here.
2:08We're grateful
2:09that you're in the house of the Lord
2:10today.
2:15This may be one of the most important
2:16messages that I have have preached to
2:18this church to date.
2:22In almost 30 years of being here, this
2:24might be
2:26most im- the most important message.
2:29Now, I've not preached this message in
2:31years because it's not
2:33been needed.
2:36But with our growth, many
2:39of you have not heard some of the
2:41fundamental messages and preaching and
2:44teaching that I've done that
2:46has caused this church to be what it is.
2:50That has developed the nature and the
2:51chemistry
2:53that makes up Pine Grove Pentecostal
2:55Church, the culture
2:57of this church.
3:00And so I'm
3:02going to attempt to
3:04talk to you today. I'm asking you to I'm
3:06asking you to pay attention today. I'm
3:08asking you to
3:10to
3:11um
3:15Well, I'll just tell you I
3:17When I was younger I'd have said
3:18something about it. As I've got older,
3:20I've gotten more tolerant.
3:22I'm a
3:24I'm in grandpa mode now as a pastor.
3:29I'm just telling you while I've been
3:30preaching of late
3:33there's a whole lot of
3:36people on their phones.
3:39And no, you're not taking notes, you're
3:40on Facebook.
3:45Um
3:47a whole lot of talking
3:49Some of y'all just hold just turn
3:50sideways in your pew and
3:53hold full conversations the whole time I
3:55preach.
3:59You know, all that is um
4:02all that shooting yourself in the foot.
4:06Man, why come to church if you're not
4:08going to come to church?
4:12If you're going to do something else
4:13while you get here
4:16why come?
4:18And so let's let's pay attention
4:21uh
4:23to the preaching of the word.
4:24Also
4:26I outlined some of the things that I
4:28would preach today in the in the prayer
4:29room.
4:31Man, I don't want to
4:33I don't want to hurt y'all's feelings. I
4:35made
4:36some bold statements
4:38in the prayer room.
4:40Uh not to hurt anybody's feelings or to
4:43to to get anybody upset
4:46but to tell you how important church is.
4:50And church has got to be about church
4:52has got to be about others and not about
4:54me.
4:56You you get more out of it when you're
4:58others conscious. You get way more out
5:00of church
5:02when you and there there should become a
5:04shift.
5:07Uh
5:08there there should come a shift in
5:10living for God.
5:12What does that mean? It means that the
5:14first
5:15few years that you have the Holy Ghost
5:17you're a babe in Christ and you respond
5:19like a babe in Christ. You're the one
5:21receiving the bottle. You're the one
5:23receiving the nourishment. You're the
5:24one being carried.
5:27But somewhere after you've lived for God
5:29a few years, you should shift into
5:31another role.
5:35And that role
5:37is you become very conscious of others.
5:41Now
5:42hear me out.
5:44You become others
5:46conscious.
5:49Everything that you do concerning the
5:52church
5:53has the focus of others on it.
5:56You start coming to church for other
5:58people.
6:00And you receive your greatest miracles,
6:02you receive your greatest help when you
6:05see people that you're helping
6:08receive their miracle.
6:12You get more bang for your buck.
6:17You get You get more out of the
6:20situation. You get to see great miracles
6:22take place.
6:25And the reason that you do is because
6:27when they
6:28receive your miracle
6:30you realize you received yours.
6:38And so you become
6:40you come to church for other people.
6:42Now, I don't want to bog this down so
6:44I'm going to move quickly.
6:46But hear me out. This is this is vital.
6:49It is vital that you
6:51understand that
6:54all this is not a spiritual component.
6:57There's many many natural components
7:01to coming to church.
7:03And when you try to totally spiritualize
7:05it, you lose out.
7:07Two things I want to say before I move
7:09on.
7:10The first one is
7:12is the people that still continue to
7:13come to church for themselves
7:16is going to live out their years
7:19of living for God miserable.
7:24You see
7:27when you when you focus on others
7:31all of a sudden
7:33other stuff stops mattering.
7:36What does that mean?
7:40Well, let's type it to a hospital.
7:43If your
7:46if your child
7:49is in a cancer hospital and being
7:51helped.
7:53Let's say that you've got a
7:55five-year-old.
7:58They're dying of cancer. They have no
7:59hope. They've been given no hope for to
8:02live.
8:04You've put them in a cancer institute.
8:08You're there in the waiting room.
8:10And you find out that great help is
8:12being done to that child.
8:15All of a sudden there's hope for life.
8:19All of a sudden the blood counts are
8:21turning around.
8:23They're coming out and they're telling
8:24you this cancer is reversing. Not only
8:27have we stopped it, but it's receding.
8:31It looks like within a few months
8:34that your child is going to have a total
8:36another diagnosis. We it looks like it
8:39that this child we're going to make this
8:40child cancer free. We're saving this
8:42child's life.
8:45Let me just ask you this.
8:49Are you interested at that point? How
8:52important is it
8:54whether the waiting room is 69° or 79°?
9:04Does that even matter to you?
9:08You know somebody that can't come to
9:09church because it's a little too warm or
9:11it's a little too cool?
9:15You've got what's called spiritual
9:17narcissism.
9:22You're not interested in anybody but
9:23you.
9:30Same scenario. If your child's getting
9:32help, they're reversing your child's
9:33cancer. They're saving your child's
9:35life.
9:39You're not going to go
9:42to the nurses' station and say, "You
9:43know, the music's playing just a little
9:46too loud in the waiting room. Could you
9:47turn it down, please?"
9:52You know what you're going to say? I I
9:53don't care if they blare Led Zeppelin.
9:57My child
9:59is getting a miracle in there.
10:12You know, this coffee sure is weak in
10:14this waiting room.
10:16Man, they just making it like colored
10:18water.
10:21I just I just don't know if I'm going to
10:22come sit down here anymore.
10:27Well, you must not have a child in the
10:29waiting room.
10:31I mean in the in the in the intensive
10:33care ward.
10:35Because when you have a child in the
10:36intensive care ward,
10:39it does all of a sudden it doesn't
10:40matter what the coffee's like.
10:43It don't matter how loud the music's
10:45being played.
10:47It doesn't matter the temperature in the
10:49waiting room. All All of that becomes
10:51way down on your list of priorities when
10:55you got a child receiving a miracle
10:58in the intensive care unit.
11:05You see,
11:09when that's what you're hung up on,
11:13the preacher preaches too hard.
11:19The sermons are too blunt.
11:23I don't like the lights.
11:28What what they doing with these
11:28contraptions on there? There's
11:30There's just a mess going on up here.
11:38Music's too loud. They need to turn the
11:39music down.
11:47Y'all notice how hot it is? Everybody's
11:48fanning.
11:50What's the deal? Won't you turn
11:53Won't you turn air up?
11:59Or down, whatever is applicable.
12:03When When people are hung up on those
12:05kind of complaints,
12:07they don't reveal that there's problems
12:09at the church.
12:12They reveal they hadn't got a dog in the
12:14hunt.
12:17They've got no investment.
12:25Because when you when you've got a child
12:28that was on drugs and now they're set
12:30free.
12:32When you got a Bible study you've been
12:34teaching and now they're up on the front
12:35row and they're about to get the Holy
12:37Ghost.
12:44Man, when miracles are happening for
12:46people that you care about in the altar,
12:48all of a sudden
12:50lights and music and all that stuff None
12:53of that's an importance anymore.
13:00You know, I'm going to move on in my
13:02message, but
13:04you you find this in the
13:06in the word of God.
13:10They were complaining about Jesus.
13:14They were complaining about Jesus being
13:16an impostor and his disciples and all
13:18that was going on and they had a lot of
13:20complaints about Jesus and how how he
13:22was running his ministry.
13:26You know, I just wouldn't want to be in
13:28that camp, would you?
13:32Always complaining about the church.
13:33That's just not the camp I want to be
13:34found in.
13:40But they asked the wrong person.
13:45They accosted the wrong individual. They
13:47actually got a hold of someone that had
13:49received a miracle.
13:53And he just shut them down. He said, "I
13:55don't know all this stuff, all these
13:56complaints you got. All I know is once I
13:59was blind and now I see.
14:03So what does all that other stuff
14:05matter?"
14:13I'm not coming to church because I need
14:15to be a cool 72°.
14:21I'm not coming to church because the the
14:23music's too loud or too soft.
14:27I'll just find me another place to sit
14:29or wear some earplugs.
14:35I'm I'm not coming to church because of
14:36all the contraptions on the platform.
14:42You know, what I what I want to know
14:44is not whether my
14:4760 or 70-year-old self likes it or not.
14:51What I want to know is what my daughter
14:53or granddaughter's getting out of it.
14:57Because they're not ministering to my
14:59generation anymore.
15:07They're not ministering to my generation
15:08anymore.
15:15Man, if it's if it's thrilling my kids,
15:19let's roll with it.
15:22As long as the truth's being preached,
15:24the gospel's being preached, and it's
15:26setting my kids on fire.
15:31Let's roll.
15:36Am I making sense to anybody?
15:41So you've got the
15:44scripture text. It's 12:50. I better
15:45hurry.
15:50Paul says,
15:53"I'm thankful
15:56for the coming
15:58of Stephanas and Fortunatus and
15:59Achaicus.
16:01They have addicted themselves to the
16:04ministry of the saints."
16:06You see, we've got a culture in America
16:10where people go to church 1 hour for
16:11themselves.
16:15They go for what they can hear,
16:18for what they can get out of it.
16:25They're there 1 hour and they go home.
16:28And church is about them.
16:33And
16:34they're on the board.
16:36And if they like what's going on,
16:38everything's cool. If they don't like
16:39what's going on,
16:41there's going to be board meetings.
16:45And they're going to change it to affect
16:46what they like.
16:49They're in control. They control
16:52the church.
16:55And this culture has spread. See, the
16:57the the worst thing you can do is try to
16:59bring your Baptist or your Methodist or
17:02your Church of Christ or your Catholic
17:03or whatever your background is, whatever
17:05religion you came out of, to drag that
17:08concept into the Pentecostal church.
17:13This isn't a denominational church.
17:16We don't have operate like First
17:18Baptist.
17:20We don't operate like the Methodist, the
17:21Presbyterians, or anybody else.
17:26This is a This is a different kind of
17:28church.
17:32And so what you don't want to do
17:35is is is drag what you came out of.
17:39Man, if it was right,
17:41why'd you leave?
17:45If that was the way to do it, why are
17:46you here?
17:52Leave that behind.
17:55There's a different motive, a different
17:57reason, a different way to come to
17:59church
18:00in the apostolic movement.
18:05So he said He said there's something
18:07that was missing
18:09that these guys have brought.
18:13They had a have addicted themselves,
18:16listen,
18:18to ministry.
18:21Now, we need to talk about this because
18:23the the Catholic church set this up and
18:25it and it infiltrated all other
18:28religions that came out of Catholicism.
18:31And that is that the ministry
18:35the fivefold ministry is way up here
18:37somewhere.
18:40We honor them, we obey them, we do what
18:42the ministry says.
18:45And then the saints
18:47are down here somewhere.
18:50And they don't have any other rule role
18:54except just to come to church.
18:58All they do is just come to church.
19:02Y'all all paying attention?
19:06Stay with me now.
19:10So you've got the ministry
19:12and then you got the saints.
19:14And you've got this big gap between the
19:16two.
19:18Now, y'all with me? That gap is why
19:20churches don't grow.
19:27The only one authorized to do anything
19:29is the preacher.
19:33Preacher, I got somebody sick at my
19:35work.
19:36Could you please pray for them? Well,
19:37why don't you pray for them?
19:43Pastor, so-and-so's in the hospital. Do
19:45you you think you could find time to go
19:47over to Jackson and pray? Why don't you
19:49go pray for them?
19:57We're going to come up here and be
19:58anointed with oil.
20:01Well, I don't want them praying for me.
20:03Get Get Get pastor over here to pray for
20:04me.
20:08We're going to baptize somebody. We need
20:09the pastor to baptize them.
20:12There There is a Listen to me. There is
20:14a point that if a church is going to
20:16continue to grow
20:19that everything can't be bottlenecked
20:21and ran through one man.
20:28If the pastor's the only one that can
20:30preach
20:31and the pastor's the only one that can
20:33teach and the pastor's got to make every
20:35hospital visit and the pastor's got to
20:37pastor everybody that gets baptized
20:40and the pastor's got to teach every
20:41Bible study.
20:43Oh, but it's because he's the pastor.
20:47Then your church will cap out at 100
20:50people.
20:54If he's a super pastor, it may grow to
20:56200.
21:00And then that's the end of it.
21:03Because you don't have Jesus religion.
21:07You have preacher religion.
21:14And insecure preachers like that.
21:18They like being set up like that.
21:22They like being the only one that can
21:24pray for everybody.
21:27Oh, somebody needs to be baptized. I'll
21:28be right there.
21:33Insecure preachers like it.
21:37Saints like it, but it caps the church
21:39off. The church can't grow beyond his
21:41insecurity.
21:44But Paul said, "I'm thankful for the
21:46coming of Stephanas and Achaicus and
21:48Fortunatus and I hope you learn from
21:50them that there is a ministry of
21:52sainthood."
21:54There is a ministry that the saints
21:56should get involved in. There is a
21:58ministry that every Holy Ghost filled
22:00person needs to realize I have a
22:03ministry in my church.
22:10There is a ministry of sainthood.
22:15Now, I don't have time to get into all
22:17this, but God has a five-fingered hand
22:19in the church.
22:21That's he got how he operates the
22:22church.
22:24And I do not want to take away from
22:25honor of the ministry.
22:29I'm trying to separate the difference
22:30between the ministry and a ministry.
22:35There is the fivefold ministry that must
22:38be in the church.
22:40Let's look at that right quick quick.
22:41Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 and 12.
22:45Let's look at Ephesians 4 verses 11 and
22:4712 right quick. And he gave some
22:48apostles and some prophets and some
22:51evangelists and some pastors and
22:53teachers.
22:54Now, what is their job?
22:58For the perfecting of the saints.
23:02For
23:03the work of the ministry for the
23:06edifying of the Bible of body of Christ.
23:08Now, listen to me. I'm not saying that
23:10preachers shouldn't do it, especially at
23:11different levels. When you're starting a
23:13daughter work or you're starting out a
23:14new church or or something like that.
23:16You ain't got a lot of people in the
23:17church. Sometimes pastors just have to
23:19do what's got to be done until the
23:21church grows. But I don't I don't see
23:25witnessing in that list.
23:29I don't see teaching Bible studies in
23:31that list.
23:34The ministry has one job.
23:36Take the people that are already filled
23:38with the Holy Ghost. Take the people
23:39that are already on the pew and take
23:42them to the next level.
23:49There is a lot of things that There's a
23:51lot of pressure that Christendom put on
23:53the pulpit
23:56that shouldn't be the obligation of the
23:58pulpit.
24:01It should be where the saints are
24:03getting their joy.
24:05Show me a person that's griping about
24:08the church
24:09and I'll show you a person that's not
24:10winning souls.
24:14Show me a person that's winning souls
24:16and I'll show you a person that ain't
24:17got a problem with the church.
24:20Bottom line, it's always that way.
24:23You know what your problem is? You need
24:25to get busy.
24:30If you get busy, you wouldn't have all
24:32that time to think about all that stuff.
24:37You know, there's there's nothing
24:39crankier
24:40than an old retired couple that's
24:43sitting around looking out the window.
24:51Because they got plenty of time to sit
24:52around and think about everything they
24:53don't like.
24:57But if they get busy
25:00all of a sudden all that stuff they're
25:01worried about will start just
25:02dissipating and going away.
25:06It's not that the world would change,
25:07it's that they wouldn't have time to
25:09focus on it.
25:13And if all the saints got to do is come
25:15and sit on that pew, they got plenty of
25:17time to think about everything they
25:19don't like about the church. But if they
25:20would get busy teaching a Bible study,
25:23if they get busy winning somebody to
25:25Christ
25:28Listen, you don't gripe about the
25:30hospital that you're running
25:33a cancer patient to.
25:40You know, while you're headed there
25:43you're not tearing that hospital down
25:45because that's the hope.
25:50If you are, there's something's wrong
25:51with you. Don't take them to that
25:53hospital.
25:57Well, it's quiet.
26:02You see
26:03the work of the ministry is for the
26:06perfecting of the saints.
26:10The reason that some churches can't grow
26:13is because the pastor's doing what the
26:15saints are supposed to be doing.
26:17And nobody's doing what the pastor's
26:18supposed to be doing.
26:24If the saints will get busy winning the
26:26souls
26:28then the pastor can perfect those that
26:30are already there.
26:32And the church can just go from glory to
26:35glory to glory because that pastor can
26:37focus on taking that church to higher
26:39levels while they're reaching the lost,
26:41teaching Bible studies, filling the pews
26:44up.
26:48This is important because we have a view
26:53We have the view because we got it from
26:54the denominational world
26:56that the pulpit is supposed to preach
26:58such a message.
27:00He's supposed to craft such a message
27:04that it pulls those sinners out of that
27:06pew
27:07and drags them to an altar.
27:11And that is not biblical.
27:16That's tele-evangelism.
27:20That's what radio preaching has
27:22produced. That thought, that concept.
27:25That the preacher's supposed to get up
27:27there and he's supposed to He's supposed
27:28to preach such a tearjerker.
27:31He's supposed to have such a story.
27:36He's supposed to close that message with
27:39car wrecks and decapitations.
27:44Now, hear me.
27:47He's supposed to preach such a message
27:48that's supposed to preach such
27:49conviction in the pew
27:52that it draws those sinners to the altar
27:56while the saints sit out there and
27:58balance their checkbook and click their
28:00fingernails.
28:07Well, I brought brought so-and-so to
28:08church and the preacher didn't get them.
28:10I don't know what was wrong with him
28:11tonight. He just
28:14Man, I brought brought somebody to
28:15church. He preached on tithing.
28:21I I I want everybody to hear me.
28:24When a church gets the concept of the
28:26ministry of the saints, it won't matter
28:28anymore what the preacher preaches.
28:33It won't matter what his subject is. It
28:35won't matter how he gives the altar
28:37call.
28:38Because let me tell you, I'm going to
28:39establish before this message is over
28:41tonight that it's not the preaching that
28:44draws them out of the pew
28:46it's Holy Ghost filled saints that their
28:48response pushes them.
28:56It's not the job of the preacher to pull
28:59them.
28:59It's the job of Holy Ghost filled saints
29:02to push them.
29:08And see, we have a Christendom that says
29:11the only job you got to sit out there.
29:15But that's not apostolic and I'm going
29:17to go through the Bible and show it to
29:18you.
29:19That your job is to come to church
29:22and to think about everything you do
29:25when you walk through those doors with
29:27it in your mind, how is this going to
29:29affect the sinners that are there? How's
29:32this going to affect the guests that
29:34need to be touched? How's this going to
29:35affect the people down the pew from me?
29:41There's the ministry
29:43and there's a ministry of saints. Are
29:45y'all with me? It's 1:04. I got to
29:47hurry.
29:50There are many other ways to be in
29:52ministry than just the fivefold
29:54ministry.
29:56You see, the problem that we got is
29:57everybody that feels a draw toward the
29:59ministry immediately wants a pulpit.
30:06Well, I I feel a call to ministry.
30:09When you going to let me preach,
30:10preacher?
30:12When you going to win a soul, saint?
30:16When you going to teach a Bible study?
30:19When are you going to come to church for
30:21someone other than you?
30:23Ask not
30:25what the church can do for you,
30:28but ask what you can do for the lost
30:31that are sitting on the pews.
30:40You see, a love
30:42for the pulpit don't make up a
30:46make up for the loss of a love for
30:47souls.
30:49A love for the pulpit self-serving.
30:53No one really wants to hear a preacher
30:56that's never won a soul.
31:00Winning the lost and having a love for
31:02the lost is the qualification to be in
31:05the ministry.
31:07No one goes into the ministry without
31:10first going through
31:13the boot camp, the training, the proving
31:15ground of having a ministry in the
31:17church. No church can be successful
31:21without a ministry of sainthood.
31:26What does that mean?
31:29It means outreach. It means witness. It
31:32means intercessory prayer. It means
31:34being faithful to the prayer room.
31:38Mhm.
31:39Well, it's quiet.
31:41But that's okay.
31:45Now, let's look let let let's look at a
31:47few things here.
31:49Let me let me let me let me speed ahead
31:52in my notes cuz we're out of time.
31:54All right.
31:56Satan's desire
31:59whenever someone visits an apostolic
32:01church,
32:03don't you know Satan's involved in it?
32:06He don't mind them visiting.
32:09He just cares what church they visit.
32:14He don't mind them visiting. He just
32:16wants to strategically place them when
32:18they visit.
32:21Now, think about this with me. Are y'all
32:22following me?
32:25When a guest that needs the Holy Ghost
32:28or needs a miracle
32:29in their life comes to church,
32:33he's going to make sure they sit
32:36by the deadheads.
32:44Now, this message was developed, listen
32:46to me. Y'all stay with me, okay?
32:50I've got I've got my foundation built.
32:52Now, I'm going to preach.
32:54This message was developed
32:57from almost a decade of evangelizing
33:01and watching where people sit when they
33:03visit church.
33:05You know, once I've been there about a
33:06week or two weeks as an evangelist,
33:09I get so upset where the guest sit.
33:13Because they're going to come in and sit
33:17by the worst possible people they could
33:19sit around.
33:24Because listen to me, the truth of the
33:25matter is is every one of us
33:29are sending out energy.
33:33Every one of us
33:35have an electrical field around us.
33:41Every one of us.
33:43We affect the people that sit around us.
33:48This is what This is what kids or
33:50teachers know in a school classroom.
33:54That's why all of a sudden you'll go to
33:55class one day and the teacher says,
33:57"You're going to sit over here. You're
33:58not sitting over there anymore."
34:00You know why? Because you were a good
34:02kid and you were a good student until
34:03you sit by them.
34:08You don't think that's important in
34:09church?
34:11What happens to a guest
34:13when they come in to church
34:16and they sit down beside someone that
34:19never says amen,
34:21never raises a hand,
34:24clips their fingernails while the
34:26preacher's preaching, balances their
34:28checkbook while the choir is singing?
34:32You know what you've done to them? Your
34:33Your
34:35your aura,
34:38your atmosphere.
34:41This is why the Listen to me. This is
34:42why the Bible says, "Quench not the
34:44spirit."
34:46It is an order. Quench If you've got the
34:49Holy Ghost, you have no business
34:51quenching the spirit. I don't care
35:00I don't mean to be unkind, but people
35:02that are easily offended are selfish.
35:09You You can't get offended if you got a
35:11dog in the hunt. If you're interested in
35:13what goes on in that service, you set a
35:15fence outside the door or you bring it
35:17to the altar.
35:19But you don't let it affect the way you
35:21come to church because you understand
35:23when I walk through those doors, I have
35:24a ministry I've got to perform in. I've
35:27got to have a ministry I I've got to
35:28operate in.
35:31I got a job to do while I'm in that
35:34church house.
35:40It's not up to the preacher.
35:44It's not up to the preacher to reach all
35:47the way back there three rows from the
35:49back and put a hook in somebody's jaw
35:51and reel them in while the
35:58Man, you're the reason your church don't
36:00grow is you're expecting the preacher to
36:01do something with one fishing rod that
36:03we ought to be doing with a net.
36:09How would it change things? My Lord,
36:12have mercy. Let me let me let me tell
36:13you something.
36:14I was evangelizing with Tim Copeland.
36:17Be seated. I'm not trying to indicate
36:19that he didn't know what he was doing.
36:20That's not the deal. I But I want to use
36:22a story as an illustration.
36:24I was traveling with him. I was 13 years
36:27old.
36:291981.
36:31Now, you can add up know how old I know
36:33I don't look that old.
36:40When he'd give the altar call every
36:41service that I I I wasn't I wasn't
36:43planning it.
36:48I I don't know what it was. I mean, I'd
36:50heard those all those sermons at the
36:52last place we preached.
36:56I guess I just believed it, man. He'd
36:58get to preaching those
36:59He'd give out altar call. I was the
37:00first one. I'd jump up and run. I I
37:02couldn't wait for him to give out altar
37:04call, man. I was under conviction.
37:07I'd be the first one in the altar before
37:09he even could even get finished. I'd run
37:11to the altar. I'd just be heaving,
37:12boohooing.
37:15He was truly preaching me in the altar
37:17every service.
37:19And he finally one night when we got
37:21back to the evangelist quarters, he
37:22said, "Man, you have to quit that.
37:24The These people are going to think that
37:26that this is a setup."
37:29I mean, my nephew, the guy traveling
37:31with me, runs to the altar as soon as I
37:33give the altar call every service. I
37:34said, "I can't help it, Uncle Tim. I
37:36can't help it."
37:40But think about that.
37:43Think if the pastor literally had agents
37:45in the pews.
37:49Think if he literally had people all
37:51across that congregation that was on
37:53board.
37:55That had as much of a burden for that
37:57altar call as he did. That was just as
37:59intent on people going to the altar as
38:01the pastor that was preaching.
38:05Think if there were people all in the
38:07pews that understood the ministry of the
38:09saints.
38:12And they didn't come to church thinking
38:14the music was to entertain them.
38:18They didn't come to church thinking the
38:20music had to fit their genre.
38:24Man, how selfish can it be
38:27to look around a church that's got as
38:29many people in this building does and
38:31think that all the singing is supposed
38:33to thrill you?
38:37Man, what does it matter if it's
38:38working?
38:42I'm more interested in the people that
38:44are getting filled with the Holy Ghost
38:45than what I like. Man, if it's working,
38:48get after it.
38:53Man, can I Oh Lord, have mercy. Can I
38:56somehow get you out of your cranium? Get
38:58Get you out of your spiritual narcissism
39:01and get you to come to church
39:02understanding
39:09This is not an entertainment venue. This
39:12isn't a concert. Can I tell you what
39:14this really is? This is a war. This is a
39:16war room. This is a battlefield where we
39:19are fighting for people's souls. It's
39:22not about the temperature. It's not
39:24about the air conditioning. It's not
39:26about the music. It's not about the
39:28lights. It's about the fact that
39:30somebody that needs the Holy Ghost. And
39:33if it's working, let's roll with it.
39:43Come on.
39:44There is a ministry of the sainthood.
39:47Where when people walk in that back
39:48door,
39:50they understand
39:51I don't feel like worshipping tonight.
39:55But that ain't what it's about.
40:00I hate to be so bold.
40:03But I've been Man, I've been pastoring
40:04here for
40:07almost 30 years.
40:09Do you literally think that every
40:11Tuesday night that I walk in this place
40:13and every Sunday night that I walk in
40:14this place,
40:16that me and my wife have just gotten
40:18along famously that day?
40:23Can I be so bold as to tell you at least
40:25one Tuesday night we fought all the way
40:28to church?
40:35I'm just telling you.
40:37I don't mean to
40:42I mean, we've You can't count the times
40:44that we've had Well,
40:46I don't need to
40:47There's been a time or two
40:51that we just had to call a truce in that
40:53office up there.
40:56And say, all right, we're not going to
40:57say no no more about it.
40:59Let's go to prayer room. We'll pick this
41:01up when we come back in this office.
41:10You You know why? Because I'm not out
41:12here to entertain you.
41:20I'm out here because I cannot count the
41:22times You listen to me. I cannot count
41:24the times that I preached people the
41:26last sermon they ever heard.
41:29I can't count the times that I preached
41:30people the last message they ever heard.
41:32I can't count the times that people were
41:34weighing we being weighed in the
41:36balance.
41:37That that service was the service that
41:39mattered. And I didn't need to bring a
41:41fuss or an argument or a disagreement to
41:44the pulpit and say, well, well, you
41:45know, I'll just get through it tonight
41:47because you know, what
41:50If you're a Holy Ghost filled believer,
41:52when you walk through those back doors,
41:54there's one thing you understand, and
41:56that's that I'm walking into a
41:57battlefield and I have a job on that
42:00battlefield.
42:02I have a ministry. Somebody's soul is
42:05being fought over. And they may be the
42:07one sitting by me.
42:10Somebody's soul is being fought for.
42:12Satan is laying a trap for somebody
42:15that's at church, and they may be
42:16sitting behind me or in front of me.
42:19There's not one service that I could
42:21just sit with my arms folded. There's
42:23not one service that I can selfishly
42:25stop.
42:34Deuteronomy,
42:36chapter 27 and verse 14.
42:41Deuteronomy 27 and 14.
42:44Deuteronomy 27 and 14
42:47says, And the Levites shall speak
42:50and shall say unto all the men of Israel
42:52with a loud voice,
42:54Cursed be the man that maketh any graven
42:57image
42:58or molten image, an abomination unto the
43:01Lord, the work of the hands of the
43:03craftsman, and putteth in a secret
43:05place. And here's the key right here.
43:07And I'm not going to read you through
43:08it, but they do this over and over and
43:10over through the reading of the law.
43:12And all the people shall answer and say,
43:15Amen. Did you know that amen
43:19is not a luxury?
43:22It's a commandment.
43:27When the preacher's preaching, it is a
43:29commandment, and all the people shall
43:31say, Amen.
43:38It's not something you just do if you
43:40want to.
43:41It's not something you just do as you're
43:43thrilled if you're thrilled. You do it
43:46because there's someone around you that
43:49you're ministering to.
43:55And if you sit there silently and don't
43:58say a word, they're going to sit there
44:00silently and don't feel like they have
44:01to respond, either.
44:05But if you're responding while the
44:07preacher's preaching, they get caught up
44:09in the wave of it. You're ministering to
44:11them. Something's happening.
44:18Next thing you know, they're down there
44:20nodding their head.
44:21Next thing you know, they're down there
44:23saying amen under their breath. You're
44:25You're ministering. They're getting
44:26caught up on the wave of what's going
44:28on. There's energy and there's synergy
44:30going on in that service.
44:36You know how the devil's created
44:37phenomenal churches? The devil's created
44:39phenomenal churches to where the
44:41minister the minister has to minister
44:43people to people in spite of who's
44:45sitting around them.
44:48It shouldn't be that the preacher's
44:49trying to reach someone sitting around
44:51you in spite of you.
44:59The Bible says that a
45:01wise woman builds her house.
45:04And a foolish woman plucks it down with
45:06her own hands.
45:08And I do not believe for a minute
45:12that's that talking about the 1% of
45:14idiots in this world that literally work
45:16against what's going on.
45:20Nothing plucks down more houses
45:23than just unconcern.
45:26Nothing plucks down more houses than
45:28apathy.
45:31Houses don't wind up in divorce. Homes
45:33don't wind up in divorce. Kids don't
45:34wind up on on death row. Kids don't wind
45:37up on drugs because kid parents send
45:39them there.
45:41They wind up there because of apathetic
45:43parents
45:44that are wrapped up in their own life
45:46and not ministering to their own
45:47children. And churches don't collapse
45:50and churches don't have problems
45:52because of saints that literally want to
45:54destroy their churches. It's general
45:56apathy that overtakes a congregation
45:58where people forget the reason they're
46:00going to church, and they forget the job
46:02that they have when they go to church,
46:03and they forget the reason they should
46:05be faithful.
46:11One of the things that upsets me more
46:12than anything is someone that I'll work
46:14on somebody, work on somebody, work on
46:16somebody come to church, and the very
46:17service they visit, the person that's
46:19been inviting them ain't even there.
46:24You know, if they're in the funeral home
46:25or the hospital, that's one thing.
46:30Well, I just didn't feel good tonight. I
46:33I hope it works out. Man, I've been
46:34working on them a long time.
46:39Well, didn't you know
46:41that Satan would have you not feeling
46:42good the very night
46:44that your guest was going to show up?
46:48Don't you understand that's how it
46:49works, that you're not going to be there
46:51when you're needed most?
46:53You know what? Apathy's on you. You're
46:55not realizing that you have a job. You
46:57have a ministry as a saint of God.
46:59Saints have a ministry in the church
47:02house.
47:06They have a ministry.
47:08You know what? Worship Worship is not
47:11just contagious, it's necessary.
47:14Man, if you have a Holy If you're a Holy
47:16Ghost filled believer and you're a and
47:18you're a part of Pangrove Pentecostal
47:20Church, you you have no right just to
47:22sit on that pew.
47:25When the music starts, somebody say,
47:27well, I'm older, Brother Copeland. I
47:28have trouble with my knees. I have
47:30trouble with my back. Do you have so
47:32much trouble you can't do this right
47:33here?
47:34Do you have so much back trouble that
47:36you can't do that Hey, hey, half-mast to
47:38work.
47:39Just halfway up. Just anything to let
47:42the people sitting around you and the
47:44devil know, I'm for what's going on. I'm
47:47behind what's taking place. I'm a part
47:50of what's happening in this place.
47:59No one has a right
48:01No one has a right that If you're a Holy
48:03Ghost filled believer, you don't have a
48:05right when the altar call's given to
48:07stay in the pew.
48:15I'm going to say it again.
48:18If you're a Holy Ghost filled person
48:21that has a burden for people to be
48:23saved, you don't have a right just to
48:25sit back there when the altar call's
48:26given.
48:31Why is that? Well, what do you think's
48:33going to happen to the guests that are
48:35sitting around you?
48:36What do you think's going to happen to
48:37the person
48:39that needs the Holy Ghost that's sitting
48:41in your vicinity?
48:45You know what happens when somebody
48:46comes that needs the Holy Ghost? The
48:47devil's telling them, You don't have to
48:48go that altar. You can go some other
48:50time. Don't go right now. Don't go
48:52tonight. Don't go on this service. Don't
48:54go on this afternoon. You can go that
48:56Man, you can go next time you come. You
48:58don't have to go today.
49:01And they look around them, and people
49:03start getting up and going to the altar.
49:05And they think to themselves, Man, I'm
49:06going to have to go. It looks like I'm
49:07going to have to go. I'm going to be
49:08sitting back here by myself. It looks
49:10like everybody's going to get up and go
49:11to the altar. And they look over.
49:15And some old gray-headed saint
49:21Somebody that they recognize as a member
49:23of the church
49:25just folds their arm, leans back on the
49:26pew, and says they ain't going. And they
49:28say,
49:30Man, I thought there for a minute I was
49:31going to have to go to that altar.
49:38You working for Satan's team or the
49:40church?
49:44What side are you on?
49:46Are you for us?
49:48Or hell?
49:52You have a ministry
49:54as a saint of God in this church.
49:57And your ministry is to worship with all
50:00that your physical body will allow you
50:02to do.
50:05My God, have mercy.
50:07Your your your obligation as a Holy
50:10Ghost filled believer in your ministry
50:12is to say amen and jump up while the
50:14preacher's preaching with all that your
50:17physical body will allow you to do. Hey,
50:19if your physical body won't allow you,
50:22then you don't do it. But if you can you
50:24at least say amen? Can you at least wave
50:27a hand?
50:30It's your ministry. You're ministering
50:32to people around you.
50:39You can be seated. I've seen people do
50:40the craziest things
50:42in church.
50:44Bring someone to church.
50:48Bring someone to church.
50:50Claim they're worried about their soul
50:53and then let them play with their baby
50:55while the preacher's preaching.
50:59Man, if you bring somebody to church and
51:01you want to be saved, don't hand them
51:02your baby.
51:07If they reach for it, make an excuse.
51:14The pulpit can't reach them
51:17if they're play playing with your child.
51:22Watch your children in church.
51:25Man, if they're cutting up and
51:26disturbing other people,
51:28do like my daddy used to do.
51:37Man, it's a wonder my ears don't stick
51:39out like a
51:40Volkswagen with the doors open going
51:43down the road.
51:47I got that so many times in church.
51:55And I see I I I I I I I'm not trying to
51:57be unkind, but but this is serious
51:59business.
52:00When you understand we're fighting for
52:01people's souls.
52:05You know what God's You know what the
52:06devil's going to do? You know what the
52:08enemy's going to do? He's going to make
52:09sure the one person that that message is
52:12for is focused on some on some child
52:14that's got their own circus going on.
52:20And I've seen parents just over just oh
52:22just just getting lost in the Holy
52:24Ghost.
52:26Cuz they think church is for them.
52:29They don't know church is for that lost
52:31person
52:35that's watching their child
52:37turn the front row into a sideshow.
52:42Mhm.
52:43Please hear what I'm preaching. Please
52:45don't get offended at me.
52:47Please love the church and love the
52:49gospel and love souls enough to hear the
52:51burden of your pastor today.
52:54Please understand there's something more
52:56important than your feelings. There's
52:57something more important than your
52:59dance. There's something more important
53:03Souls are at stake.
53:07The future of the church is at stake.
53:10The future of the kingdom is at stake.
53:15Man, there's things you can do if you'll
53:17think about it.
53:19There's things you can do if it's on
53:20your mind.
53:22If you bring a guest to church,
53:25don't sit them inside.
53:27You move in, put them on the outside.
53:32Why is that? Because when the altar
53:33call's given,
53:35it's a lot easier to push them than it
53:37is to pull them.
53:42So, you've already got forward momentum
53:44going on.
53:45You just wrap your arm around and say,
53:46"Hey, let's go to the altar. Come to the
53:48altar with me."
53:49That's a lot easier than do you want to
53:51go to the altar with me?
53:53They're going to say no.
53:55But if you're behind them pushing them,
53:56you don't ask them. You say, "Hey, come
53:58on, let's go to the altar. You're
53:59already in front of me. Let's just go
54:00down there. Let's go together."
54:04They hadn't got a chance to say no.
54:08There's strategic things you can do if
54:10you'll stop viewing church as someplace
54:14where you go and hear music and hear a
54:16sermon.
54:17And you start understanding I am a
54:19warrior on a battlefield. And all around
54:22me.
54:25I'm I'm about to close, but if you if
54:27you knew
54:30if you knew what hell the targets that
54:32hell's had sitting on these first three
54:34rows.
54:36And I'm not trying to hurt people's
54:37feelings. I said something in the
54:40in the in the in the
54:41prayer room. And if I man, if I hurt
54:43anybody, it was accidental. I didn't do
54:45it on purpose.
54:47But I'm telling you the most targeted
54:50the most targeted people in any church
54:53is the young people but between 13 and
54:56married.
54:57That is the age group
55:00that the devil has all most of his
55:01arsenal fo- fo- focused at.
55:04We shouldn't have people in that age
55:06group sitting back in the back of the
55:07church.
55:10And I'm not suggesting you have to move
55:12right now, but I've instructed our our
55:15youth staff and our college and career
55:17staff. I've told them I said, "You you
55:19look around. If there if we got kids in
55:20the youth group college and career
55:21sitting toward the back, you move them
55:23back here to the front. And if you have
55:25to tap a a young couple on the on the
55:28shoulder and say, 'Hey, would you would
55:30you make room and move so our young
55:31people can have these first few rows?'
55:33Hey, we'll do it."
55:36We'll we'll move. We'll we'll we'll
55:37strategically make sure our young people
55:40are in the front of the church. That's
55:41where they ought to be sitting. Young
55:42people shouldn't sit in the back.
55:49Why? Because Lucifer's after them.
55:54Hell's after them.
55:56It's important where they sit.
56:00It's important where they sit. Now,
56:02and I want to say it one more time. If
56:03you a Holy Ghost filled believer,
56:05you can't come in here and sit on these
56:07pews
56:09a victim to your emotions.
56:13You got to make up in your mind I got a
56:14ministry to do while I'm at church. No
56:16Holy Ghost filled saint that that's a
56:18member of a ship of a church should miss
56:21the prayer room.
56:23That's where you put your armor on.
56:26Man, if you're a Holy Ghost filled
56:28believer and a member of the church,
56:31man, part of your obligation as a saint
56:33is to be in that prayer room.
56:38Why why would you teach your kids that
56:39the prayer room ain't important?
56:42Why would you teach them anything that's
56:44the opposite of what their pastor's
56:45teaching them?
56:50Man, if the prayer what room wasn't
56:51important, I could spend that la- next
56:5330 minutes or an hour working on my
56:55message.
56:56If it wasn't important, I wouldn't be
56:58there.
57:03Man, you think I got 30 minutes every
57:05service to to to to go to the prayer
57:07room? I I I could use that 30 minutes
57:09doing something else. But nothing is
57:11more important. Nothing nothing is more
57:14important than that prayer room.
57:18And you have a ministry as the saints.
57:22If you're a Holy Ghost filled believer,
57:23you ought to be there.
57:25Why is it? That's where you put your
57:27armor on.
57:29That's where you get your direction.
57:31You know what to do when you get out
57:33here.
57:34Man, I don't just pray in there. I I I
57:37stop I stop the prayer room and give
57:38direction to the saints.
57:42You know what to do when you get in
57:43these pews.
57:45If you could start bu- viewing yourself
57:47as a soldier
57:49with a ministry
57:51and this is a war field. Every time we
57:53walk into this building, we're going to
57:55war.
57:58I'm closing. Musicians come, please.
58:03I was preaching
58:05in this state, in fact.
58:08Preaching in this state
58:10and
58:13there was a person there I was reaching
58:14for.
58:16Actually, it was a couple
58:18that I was reaching for and
58:21man, I'd preached on everything I could
58:23to reach for them and
58:26listen to me.
58:29They had tears rolling down their
58:30cheeks. They were very moved.
58:34I said I said, "Man, when I give this
58:36altar call, they're coming."
58:39I had everybody stand. I was going to
58:41end my message.
58:44As I was ending,
58:47a saint's child about 3 years old
58:49sitting in front of them
58:52had brought a little play double-barrel
58:54shotgun to church.
59:01Right when I had everybody stand, I was
59:02giving the appeal to come to the altar.
59:06That boy turned around with that shotgun
59:07said, "Hands up. You're under arrest."
59:13And those people
59:15started laughing
59:18and immediately all conviction was gone.
59:22And they walked out those back doors and
59:23never came back to that
59:25service.
59:28Now, I'm I'm just going to tell you if
59:30if if what I'm preaching is not the most
59:32important
59:34message that I've ever preached in this
59:36church,
59:38then explain to me what the writer's
59:40talking about in Matthew 18 and 6.
59:44And I won't take time to go there, but
59:45three of the four Gospels
59:49quote this verse verbatim.
59:52Three of the four Gospels write this
59:55same passage.
59:57Matthew chapter 18
1:00:00and verse 6, if the media team will help
1:00:02me, please.
1:00:04I want you I want you to look at this.
1:00:06It
1:00:07What it says is
1:00:12that if you
1:00:13But whoso shall offend one of these
1:00:15little ones which believe in me,
1:00:18it were better for him that a millstone
1:00:20were hanged about his neck,
1:00:22and that he were drowned in the depths
1:00:24of sea.
1:00:28You'd be better off.
1:00:30You'd be better off if you cause someone
1:00:32to be lost
1:00:35to tie a new millstone around your neck
1:00:37and just throw yourself out of a boat.
1:00:41Your fate would be better.
1:00:46I
1:00:47I hope
1:00:49that I've never convinced someone to go
1:00:51the wrong direction
1:00:53in the middle of a church service.
1:00:59And and most of it is not not something
1:01:01that someone would do on purpose.
1:01:04It's they do without thinking. It
1:01:06More can danger can be done in
1:01:08carnality.
1:01:12Man, I've been reaching for people in
1:01:13this very I've had it happen in this
1:01:15very building.
1:01:19I've been reaching for someone. I'd have
1:01:20someone in my target and reaching for
1:01:22them. And man, I'd be working overtime
1:01:25to get them in an altar.
1:01:28And I say, "Let's all stand. I'm going
1:01:29to give the altar call."
1:01:32And some well-meaning saint in that
1:01:35moment go out of their pew
1:01:37and on their way out
1:01:40grab them and shake their hand
1:01:42tell tell them something funny.
1:01:45They laugh and out the back door they
1:01:46go.
1:01:49And it's over.
1:01:54Everything I've worked for up to that
1:01:55point
1:01:57is finished.
1:01:59And they go out there and go to
1:02:01bathroom, whatever they're going to do.
1:02:03Never understanding
1:02:06that they may have just taken away
1:02:10the last conviction that that person
1:02:12will ever feel.
1:02:14The last call of the altar call that
1:02:15person will ever get.
1:02:18And they laughed it off.
1:02:22Are you understanding the seriousness of
1:02:23what I'm talking to you about right now?
1:02:27And they never know.
1:02:30And I'm up here preaching trying to give
1:02:32the altar call and I think to myself,
1:02:33"They just ended it.
1:02:35They just ruined it."
1:02:38It's It's so strategic.
1:02:45You know what it's like? It's like being
1:02:46down on one knee.
1:02:49Tears and emotion.
1:02:53You're just about to ask that girl to
1:02:55marry you
1:02:56and her cell phone rings.
1:03:00And the moment's ruined.
1:03:03It's over with.
1:03:06That's the same thing that happens in a
1:03:07church service.
1:03:10You know, someone that understands the
1:03:12ministry of saints would never go out
1:03:14the back door during an altar call.
1:03:19Man, go out while I'm preaching.
1:03:22Go out after after everybody. If you
1:03:24just got to go out, go out after
1:03:25everybody's down around these altars.
1:03:29But going out the back door when the
1:03:30altar call is given is not the time to
1:03:32do that.
1:03:35Why is that? Because you've got someone
1:03:37standing there
1:03:39that's trying to make their decision. Am
1:03:41I going to go to altar? Am I not?
1:03:45Am I going to go pray?
1:03:47Or am I going to leave this place?
1:03:50What am I going to do? Am I going to
1:03:52repent tonight? Or am I going to run out
1:03:54that back door?
1:03:56And they look around
1:03:58and everybody's moving toward the altar.
1:04:02Y'all with me? Everybody's moving toward
1:04:05the altar. And that that that draw, that
1:04:07pull is pulling them.
1:04:11And then some saint that They don't want
1:04:13to send anybody to hell. They're not
1:04:15They're not working for the enemy, they
1:04:16don't think, but yet they are.
1:04:21You see, that was the most startling
1:04:23thing
1:04:24that happened to Peter when Jesus looked
1:04:26at him and said, "Get behind me, Satan."
1:04:30Peter did not understand in his
1:04:32carnality
1:04:34that he had signed up and was working
1:04:36for the wrong team.
1:04:40All it takes
1:04:42for you to become the devil
1:04:45is to be carnal.
1:04:49That's all it takes. Just disengage.
1:04:53Just forget who you are.
1:04:58And so the altar call is given and you
1:05:00got a person white-knuckling the pew.
1:05:04In the throes of decision, do I go to
1:05:06the altar or do I run? Do I go to the
1:05:08altar or do I go out that back door? And
1:05:10everybody's moving toward the altar and
1:05:12they think to themselves, "It looks like
1:05:13I'm going to have to go."
1:05:15And then some carnal saint
1:05:20turn and go toward that back door.
1:05:27You know what that You know what that
1:05:29person's going to do that's thinking
1:05:30about going to the altar?
1:05:32That's all they needed.
1:05:36All they needed was someone in agreement
1:05:38with them.
1:05:40And they turn and they follow you out
1:05:42that back door.
1:05:46And in that moment, you better remember
1:05:48Matthew
1:05:4918 and 6.
1:05:55Because you just became the thing that
1:05:57pulled them away from the altar.
1:06:00And that may be the last altar call
1:06:02they've ever given.
1:06:03Man, I hope it gets quiet. I hope it
1:06:05gets serious cuz I'm talking to you
1:06:07about serious stuff today.
1:06:11If you're filled with the Holy Ghost,
1:06:14you're not filled with the Holy Ghost
1:06:15for no reason.
1:06:17The Bible says that you're filled with
1:06:19the Holy Ghost to be a witness.
1:06:22What gospel are you sharing?
1:06:26The gospel of distraction, the gospel of
1:06:28going out the back door, the gospel of
1:06:30just sitting while the choir singing,
1:06:32the gospel of just sitting while the
1:06:34preacher's preaching.
1:06:37I'm done with this.
1:06:40But preaching is a volley.
1:06:45There's two anointings.
1:06:48One comes from heaven and the other
1:06:49comes from that to those pews.
1:06:52You can take the best preacher in the
1:06:54world. He can be the best preacher in
1:06:56the world, but if he has an audience
1:06:58that's not with him,
1:07:01he'll be tongue-tied and stumble over
1:07:03his words.
1:07:06The best most anointed preacher in the
1:07:08world cannot get liberty and cannot
1:07:10preach unless that crowd gives it to
1:07:12him.
1:07:16But the worst preacher in the world, the
1:07:17one that can't preach, if he's got a if
1:07:20he's got a congregation out there
1:07:22jumping up saying amen, clapping and
1:07:24getting behind him and running down the
1:07:26aisle and running the aisles and
1:07:27slapping the pulpit, he'll preach like
1:07:30Paul.
1:07:33Because the saints
1:07:35have a ministry.
1:07:37The saints have a ministry.
1:07:40I wonder
1:07:42who's in this audience today
1:07:46I wonder who's here today that you don't
1:07:47know it,
1:07:50but this is your service.
1:07:52I wonder who's here today
1:07:54sitting by you
1:07:57that this is their service.
1:08:01That all the angels in heaven
1:08:04Work with me just a minute, church.
1:08:07That all the angels in heaven are
1:08:09leaning over the altar rails
1:08:13or the banister rails of heaven
1:08:16looking at a person in this service.
1:08:19Can I tell you there's never a service
1:08:21to waste from heaven?
1:08:26I'm going to tell you in the Holy Ghost,
1:08:28there are several people in this service
1:08:30today
1:08:32that this service is about you.
1:08:37This entire service is designed
1:08:42for your miracle,
1:08:44for you to get what you need.
1:08:47And the angels of heaven are are leaned
1:08:49over the banister rail wondering, "What
1:08:52are they going to do?
1:08:55They going to get their miracle today?"
1:08:59I just want to ask you,
1:09:02if they're sitting by you, have you
1:09:03worshipped in such a way
1:09:06that would have sent them the right
1:09:07message?
1:09:09Have you responded while I preached in
1:09:11such a way that would give them the
1:09:12right message?
1:09:15I'm just wondering, have you carried
1:09:17your section
1:09:19like you should have?
1:09:21Have you been on board with everything
1:09:22you've got?
1:09:26You know, I'd hate to get I'd hate to
1:09:28get to judgment.
1:12:11You know I'd hate to get I'd hate to get
1:12:14to judgement.
1:12:17And the Lord said,
1:12:18"You're responsible for this person's
1:12:20soul."
1:12:22And I say to myself, "Why how am I
1:12:24responsible for them?" Because they sit
1:12:26by you in church.
1:12:30They'd have went to the altar if they
1:12:31wouldn't sit by you.
1:12:34They'd have probably prayed if they
1:12:35wouldn't sit by you.
1:12:38They'd have probably been carried away
1:12:39with the sermon if they wouldn't have
1:12:41sit by you.
1:12:43But you carried them away from the
1:12:45cross.
1:12:47Instead of toward the cross. "Oh, I
1:12:48didn't do anything." No, no, you really
1:12:50didn't. It was your lack of concern.
1:12:57Your lack of concern.
1:13:01I'm going to close with this, but
1:13:06You know if a fire alarm was go to go
1:13:08off in this building today.
1:13:13If all of a sudden a fire alarm was to
1:13:14start ringing. Just I mean just
1:13:19pealing the air with warning.
1:13:24People started jumping up.
1:13:26Running out of this building.
1:13:30Everybody in this building would start
1:13:32looking around to evaluate everybody
1:13:35else's responses.
1:13:43I'm telling you if the if the if the
1:13:45people that were considered leaders
1:13:48in this part of the building got up and
1:13:50left.
1:13:51It would clear this entire section over
1:13:54here.
1:14:00But there's people strategically
1:14:02sitting in this area over here.
1:14:06Then if you just folded your arms,
1:14:08brother Jeffrey Vial, I'm just telling
1:14:09you. You've been in this church 20
1:14:11years.
1:14:12You worked here.
1:14:15It's easy to tell you're a part you're
1:14:17you're a part you played the bass on the
1:14:18platform today.
1:14:20If you just kind of sit there with your
1:14:22arms folded
1:14:24and didn't get up and run out.
1:14:26There'd be an entire section of people
1:14:28around you
1:14:29that would just keep sitting because you
1:14:31did.
1:14:36They wouldn't leave and save themselves.
1:14:40Because they would feel like you knew
1:14:41more.
1:14:44And they did.
1:14:49You see if you could stand up on this
1:14:51platform.
1:14:54And I've stood here and looked toward
1:14:55this congregation across this
1:14:56congregation when the altar call was
1:14:58given.
1:15:01And there's some of you been in this
1:15:02church for years. You consider yourself
1:15:04members.
1:15:07And for whatever reason you just said,
1:15:09"I'm not going down around that altar."
1:15:14And you'd be shocked if you'd ever look
1:15:15around you.
1:15:17At the people that really need to be
1:15:19here
1:15:20that don't come because you don't.
1:15:25There's going to be a judgement going to
1:15:26cover that.
1:15:30All that's going to be taken into
1:15:32account because you never know
1:15:34when you become the deciding factor for
1:15:36someone's last opportunity
1:15:39to get free of drugs.
1:15:42Their last altar call that may hold
1:15:44their marriage and their home together.
1:15:47The last altar the opportunity they have
1:15:51to have a miracle.
1:15:54I want to tell you I want to realize I'm
1:15:55in the ministry of the saints.
1:15:58And it's not just that preacher in that
1:15:59pulpit that's got obligations in that
1:16:01church service. I'm carrying the weight
1:16:04of the people that sit around me. Let's
1:16:06stand together right now and lift our
1:16:07hands all across this building.

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