9 things your wife hates about church

Whether we admit it out loud or keep it to our (oh-so-holy) selves, there are aspects of church life that drive wives crazy. Each week we’re confronted with new challenges—from getting our chaotic clan out the door on time, to making sure that each family member is learning, growing, and having fun while they’re at it.Encountering God through corporate worship is a unique experience for everyone involved. Sermon styles, music selections, and the welcomes each of us receive at the door affect our ability to feel welcome. The experience determines our sense of acceptance and either helps or hinders our readiness to receive the Word.In lieu of guessing at the secret thoughts of wives, we polled them instead. Here are nine things that wives hate about church.Photo credit: ©Thinkstock/Rawpixel Ltd

Gaye Clark points out some false assumptions many make about widows and explains how the church can best minister to them.

Dear Pastor’s Wife: If You Want To Be a Servant

Dear Pastor’s Wife, I got your email the other day- the one where you poured out your heart and shared {like so many others do} what is going on in your ministry. You’re having a hard t…

"Last night was too much. I couldn't bear another night of crying myself to sleep, of screaming into my pillow and praying for the pain to stop. I was tired. Tired of being sad. Tired of not being able to get out of bed. Tired of nobody caring."

His Church Pastor Damon Magee 7/17/2024 | His Church Pastor Damon Magee 7/17/2024 | By King's Temple UPC | Okemon somebody lift your voice and lift your hands dominion and one god who saves full of strength and authority Go ahead and start that. But Jesus now I knew shouldn't cry the faith down in glory yes it's be glad for treat me now got the victory now I knew thousand glory yes of my down in glory and he's tells me who I am I am who I am because the I am tells me who I am because tells me who I am I am because the item tells me who I am you because is a new day written down in yes it's mine let the author and he's yes he's yes it's yes he's mine and we smile and he's mine Amen. If that's the way you feel, why don't you just lift your hands to him right now? Amen. Thank you, lord. Anybody thankful you've got a new name written down in glory? Amen. It's more than a song. Amen. It's our testimony. Anybody got that testimony tonight? Hallelujah. We thank you, Jesus. We worship you tonight. We praise you. Amen. Thank you for being here on a Wednesday night. Why don't you turn to someone next to you or close to you? Shake their hands, smile, say I'm so glad that you're in midweek tonight. Amen. Reach across aisle, smile, be friendly greet someone in Jesus name Praise the Lord. We're excited that you're part of the church body tonight and as our ushers get ready to come to receive our midweek tithes and offering, just want to say thank you so much for your giving here in the next week. You'll be getting a quarterly report which will detail your giving throughout the year. So, we want you to review that and if you're on pace, we want to celebrate with you. If you're behind the race, we want to encourage you to run the race say amen but we do want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your faithfulness in giving. Amen. Because your giving supports all that goes on here. And just a couple of quick announcements. And then we'll go to the Lord in prayer. But we want to remember that our summer life groups are already in full swing. Those are already meeting. If you have not joined the group, there are some groups that are still open. So you can go to the church center app and find a group that fits your needs because we do believe in everybody in the being connected. Amen? And so all of our men say amen. Amen. This Saturday at 9 AM in the Michael Hudspeth Center which is our Family Life Center directly to my left to your rights behind the building. We're having our men's prayer and pancake breakfast. So, there is no cost but we donations are accepted. So, if you wanted to bring some funds just offset cost, I know they would appreciate that but at 9 AM, this Saturday, it's going to be a great time. Fellowship and food and prayer and then following that is our yard day at 11 AM. This is not a bait and switch. Um however, we do want to encourage you. Uh I don't know if they're going to be teaching on serving at 9 AM and they give you an opportunity to serve at 11 AM but if you're available at our new campus at 11 AM, there's going to be some yard work available. So, if you can help with that, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, our King's Closet is coming up Saturday, July 27th. That's from 11 AM to 1 PM and for those of you that are not familiar with our King's Closet, this is our clothing ministry where we have items that are donated and they are free to whosoever will. So, we have many in the community that come and it's just a blessing to them. So, thanks to all of you that have donated but our next King's Closet is going to be on Saturday, July 27th. Amen. I'm so thankful that we can come to the house of god in the middle of the week and worship god and bring needs to him. How many of you have a need tonight? Amen. There's there's a host of needs all around us. Some have already filled out prayer cards. If you're new here, it is our custom that if you want to write something down by faith, we've got prayer cards in the back. You can just write down your need. We have already seen countless miracles that have taken place and healings that have taken place just from these prayer cards. It's it's fascinating. As a matter of fact, sister Shelby and I, sister Shelby is my secretary for those that don't know, we were reviewing some of the cards that have been turned in over the last probably nine to 10 months because our prayer teams gather these cards and they pray over them. We don't just discard em. We keep them and some we keep just so we can bear witness when god answers these prayers and we were reviewing some of these and it was fascinating to review all the answered prayers. There were literally couples that wrote down that they wanted to have another child and after they wrote it on the prayer card, god answered that prayer and they're having children. People have put needs down for healing as god has healed them. So, I want to encourage you. It's more than just an exercise of writing something down on a piece of paper. You're expressing faith in god. So, we want to encourage you. If you have a need, write it down. If not, just lift your hand toward heaven and let's go to this great god in prayer. Lord, we thank you for the privilege and the opportunity, lord, to exercise our faith tonight and calling on the name that's above every name. Lord see every need. Those that are sick, those that need healing in their body. We have so many lord that have been ravaged by cancer. We take authority over every cancer cell in the name of Jesus. God, you are greater than cancer. We speak life. We speak healing. God, we speak hope over this body of believers. Lord, I pray lord that healing virtue would flow tonight even in this room now to those that are watching online. We pray the peace, the healing, the virtue of god in Jesus name and we give you the praise. We give you the glory in Jesus name and everybody said amen. Amen. Ushers, you can receive the offering. Thank you so much for giving. Let's continue to worship the lord tonight. You deserve and worship your name we lift our hands and worship and we magnify your name there is you are and worship and worship magnified you do thank you like you Lord we lift our hands and worship as we magnify your name you deserve the you do for you like you you do there is noone else like you else like you you are you you Amen. Can we clap our hands to the lord? Praise the lord. How many have found that to be true? There's noone like the lord. Amen. If you have your Bible turn with me to Matthew chapter sixteen. Very familiar passage of scripture. If you've been in church any length of time and we're just going to read one passage of scripture and just dive in to the word of the lord. Amen. Matthew chapter sixteen verse eighteen. Many of you could quote it from memory. This is Jesus speaking to his disciples. And he just simply said unto them and I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church. Everybody say, I will build my church. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Amen. Jesus said, I will build my church and I want to talk us for the next few months. For some of you, this is just going to be a refresher or reminder. We're going to revisit some principles in the word of god but I just feel it's necessary. Uh it grieves me as a pastor at times to speak with people who have fallen away from the body of Christ and don't see the necessity of continuing in being the body of Christ. So, tonight, I want to just preach or teach whatever the lord have with just this simple thought. His church Everybody say his church. Amen. You can be seated in Jesus name. Uh this passage in Matthew chapter sixteen, Jesus is asking his disciples, whom do men say that I, the son of man, am and they replied, well, some say that you're John the Baptist, some say you're Elijah, others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets, but Jesus then flip the script and says, but who do you say that I am? And it was Peter who says, thou art the Christ, the son of the living god and Jesus says, blessed art thou, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven and he says, because of that revelation because you have an understanding of who I am, he says, upon this rock that you're no longer going to be called Simon Barjano but you are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my church. I will build my church upon that revelation of who I am. It is my church. and for us tonight, we need to understand it's his church. This is the lord Jesus Christ Church. Amen and he said, if it's my church, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. That word church that Jesus spoke in the Greek is simply translated Ecclesia, it's define the definition of that word is a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into a public place or an assembly or one terminology. It's an assembly of Christians that are gathered together for worship in a religious meeting. The very root of that word, you can't even say church without out tying it to a calling out. If you are going to be part of the church, the very definition of a church is a separation from the secular world into the sacred. If you are going, if you say I am part of the body of Christ. If I am a follower of Christ, if I'm going to be part of his church, then you automatically are telling the world, I am coming out from among them and I am going to be separate because you not be part of the church without coming out from the world. That's why Paul said it in second Corinthians six and seventeen. Come out from among them and be you separate. He's speaking to the church. He's specifically talking about fellowship and in that same passage, he poses the question, what fellowship or what agreement does righteousness have with unright and what communion hath light with darkness and it's that group of called out believers that Jesus introduces in Matthew chapter sixteen and in that setting, Jesus is establishing a precedence of who is going to be the founder of this group. He said, upon this rock, I will build my church. Jesus said, I will build my church. He establishes authorship and he establishes ownership in the same sentence. He is the author and he's the finisher and I'm going to tell you right now, I'm thankful it's his church. I'm thankful it's not my church or just your church. It's his church because if it's his church, that means he backs it. That means he supports it. That means he fights for it. He said, I will be this church and it will belong to me and he establishes from the very beginning before the church was even established that it will not be without opposition. He said, I'm letting you know right upfront. I'm going to build my church but there's going to be opposition and he identifies who will buffet this body of believers. He said, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it He is saying from that one text that Jesus will build it, that Jesus will own it, and that Satan will attempt to attack it. But he will not prevail. I want you to have a clear understanding. I don't care what you see in the world. I don't care what you feel in your emotions. I don't care what you see with your natural eye. Satan cannot prevail against the church of the living God. As the world gets darker as the world gets crazier, as this world gets less safe, the safest place that you can be is the church that is owned by Jesus Christ. That's why we preach Jesus name. That's why we baptize in the name of Jesus. That's why we pray in the name of Jesus. Why? It's because it's his church and if it's his church, it must bear his name. It must bear, it must bear his witness. And so you and I are safe in the church and Jesus is speaking in Matthew chapter sixteen towards the future is because he's speaking future tense that the church will be built this church that he is speaking of has yet to be built and evidence points in scripture that the church that Jesus foretold of came to fruition in Acts chapter two on the day of Pentecost and Jesus tells his disciples in Acts chapter one, you will be endured with power from on high. He said, I want you to prepare to become the church. He says, you're going to receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you to be witnesses, witnesses of what? His glory, his power, and his majesty. Why did they need witnesses to establish the church, the church was born under the purpose of saving and reaching the lost. Jesus said, after you receive the Holy Ghost, you're going to have power to be witnesses to build and help construct my church. The church began in Acts chapter two with the first outpouring of his spirit but we can look to the Old Testament. The Old Testament was given for our example in the entirety of the Old Testament points towards Jesus Christ. It points toward his coming. That's that's a longer study then we have time to get into tonight but it it everything in the Old Testament is pointing towards Jesus and Stephen in his sermon concerning Jesus in Acts chapter seven before he was stoned and killed for preaching the truth of god's word he references that church in the wilderness see the lord told Moses to build him a tabernacle in the wilderness where he his presence could dwell with his people where they could offer sacrifices, where they could offer praise. See that tabernacle in the wilderness and that temple that was built, it represented the place where sacrifices were offered unto god. And where festivals were celebrated. If you go look throughout the Old Testament in the wilderness wondering and even when they were established as a people, the Tabernacle or the Temple was a place of sacrifice and it was a place of celebration. And that is what the church should be. The church should be a place where we sacrifice and it should be a place where we celebrate. Can I tell you the church has never been designed to be a place of deadness and to be a place of just quiet? No. The church is a place of celebration and a place of sacrifice. I don't know about you but I'm thankful for the church. I can't help but praise god. Every time I think his goodness. Every time I think of his mercy and every time I think of his grace and it was from that place, from that tabernacle, even in the wilderness that Israel offered up loud and joyful praise and worship to god. David alluded to this often in scripture. In Psalms twenty-seven and four. This is what the Psalm has David said. One thing. Have I desired of the Lord? That I will seek after. That I may dwell in the house of the lord. Amen. All the days of my life. What are you going to do there, David? I'm going to behold the beauty of the lord and inquire in his temple. He said in Psalms twenty-nine and nine, he said, the voice of the lord maketh the hinds to calve and discovereth the forest and in his temple, death everyone speak of his glory. David said, it's in the house of lord where I behold his beauty, where I inquire in his temple, and where everyone speaks of his glory. David said in Psalm 138 and two, I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth. David said in Psalms eighteen, in my distress, I called upon the lord and cried unto my god and he heard my voice out of his temple and my cry came before him. He said in Psalm 107 and 32, let them also exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the elders. David said in Psalm 149 and one, praise you the lord. Sing unto the lord a new song and his praise in the congregation the saints. What are you saying pastor? What I'm saying is the house of the lord is a place of celebration and it is a place of sacrifice. It's where we come to inquire of the lord. It's where we come to speak of his glory. It's where we behold his beauty. It's also where we worship and where we praise his name. It's where we cry out in our time of distress. It's where we exalt him and praise him and we sing a new song unto him in the congregation of saints. Listen, the house of god is where we should always come with the sacrifice of praise and a celebration of goodness whether it's a Sunday or whether it's a Wednesday. This is his church and because it's his church, I'm going to praise his name. I'm going to sing of his goodness. I'm going to praise him for his excellent greatness and according to his riches. Amen. You ought to just clap your hands unto the lord. Amen. That's why the Bible says, clap your hands unto the lord all you people and shout unto god with the voice of triumph. Amen. Here's the other amazing thing about that tabernacle. That tabernacle which was constructed by Moses. God told him, build it in the middle of my people. When you set that tabernacle up, you don't put it on the outskirts of the people. You build everything else around my temple and so the lord, when would travel in the wilderness. They would construct. The first thing they would construct is that tabernacle. As they move from place to place and they would carry the ark of the covenant with them. They would construct that tabernacle and then Israel would form around the tabernacle. There would be four tribes on the east, four tribes on the west, four tribes on the north, four tribes on the south. And all of the workers of the temples, the coathites, the the all of those that were responsible for moving the Levites, all of those that were responsible in moving the tabernacle from place to place. They would be the ones closest to the tabernacle and everyone else would fall in behind. So, every man when he got up in the morning and he got out of his tent, guess where he was facing? He was facing the house of god. When he went in for the evening for the night, guess what? The last thing he saw before he closed the flap of his tent, it was the house of god. Why? Because the house of god is supposed to be in the middle of everything that we do. The house of god is not an afterthought. It's not a hobby. It's not something we just fit into our schedule. No, that's why David said, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the lord and when god chose a place for his name to dwell, for his temple to be built. Guess where he asked them to build it Jerusalem. Why? It's because Jerusalem was in the middle of the land of Israel. God expects to be the center of our life. He expects his kingdom, his things, the place where we worship, the place where we sacrifice, and the place where we celebrate. Listen, why do you think the world demands a sacrifice and demands your celebration? is because the enemy is trying everything he can to distract us from our true purpose. Listen, if you're going to serve the world, it's going to demand a sacrifice. You going to to work long hours so that you can keep up with the Joneses. You're going to you're going to have to work a career. You're going to have to go and get a job. You're going to have to pay a price to and and guess what? It's going to demand your celebration. Why do you think so many people and and and Imma say some things that that some of you may not like but it's alright. I'm I'm preaching to myself too but you better be careful that you don't celebrate LSU and celebrate bass fishing and celebrate the mall more than you celebrate god. Amen. Is because the lord is a us god. Amen. He wants our celebration. He wants our praise. When I come into the house of god, I don't want to be worn out from celebrating everything out there. I don't want to be so burned out from sacrificing out there that I can't come and bring a sacrifice to the house of god. The lord should get my best worship. He should get my best praise. He should get my best focus. He should get all my attention. When I come to the house of god, it's not a burden. It's not weariness. I am thankful that I can come to the house of god and lift up my voice. And I know many of you have worked many long hours today and and we're not diminishing that. I know many of you are weary in body and I appreciate that. Many years, I worked a secular job in additional to work for the church. I understand it but don't ever let anything rob you of your praise. Amen. Don't you let your job rob you of your praise. Don't you let the stress of this world rob you of your praise. Why? It's because he's worthy of your praise. Don't you ever let anything beat you down so bad that you can't give a sacrifice of praise that we come in this house. Here's what I will put you to the challenge. I'll challenge you. You start praising him and then you tell me if it makes you more tired or if you get a little bit of energy and you get a little bit of the spirit of god moving on you. Some of you would be amazed how much energy you would receive, how much joy and peace you would experience. If you would just fight through that weariness, fight through that tiredness, and say I'm going to give god praise. I'm going to come to the house of god and I'm going to lift my voice and I'm going to worship god. Because the lord expects every aspect of our life to revolve around his presence. Is it because god is such a egomaniac and he just needs us bowing and worshiping and lifting up our voice to him every second of the day. It's not rooted in ego. It's because god is love. God is peace. God is joy. God is contentment and so he understands that when we praise him, when we Worship him. We draw near unto him and he knows that when we draw near unto him, we become more like him and he knows that if we will just draw near unto him, that we as his creation will be blessed but on the contrary, he knows the further we move away from him. The more we move to depression, the more we move into anxiety, the more we move into fear, the more we move in trouble and so the lord says, I know what's best for you. It's kind of like when you're a parent raising your child, your child, matter of fact, my children, I've heard this oftentime. Matter of fact, one of em said it today. I'm not even going to call em out. Boston. He wanted to do something and I wouldn't let him do it and what he wanted to do wouldn't wouldn't be beneficial for him in that moment and you know what that rascal had the nerve to tell me? He was like, you're a mean daddy. So, boy, you ain't even seen me. I could turn meaning a rattlesnake in 30 seconds. Try me, son. But I got tickled because I thought his perception of me in that moment was that I was mean. I was against him. Somehow, I suddenly did not love him. Forget the fact that I've provided for him. Forget the fact that I've paid, you know, to feed him and clothe him and put a roof over his head and his mother and I have done everything we can to give him a good life and in that moment because his didn't get what it wanted. He perceived that I was mean and wanted and so it is with our heavenly father. He knows what's best for us and in our flesh, we think, oh, I don't want to do that and the lord of glory says, you, if you would just listen to me, if you'll just obey me, you don't know how much closer, you're getting the blessing. I know you don't want to do it. I know your flesh didn't want to but if you'll just obey me, if you'll just move closer to me, I've got more peace. I've got more I've got more blessing than you can even comprehend but if you disobey me, you're moving into a land of discontentment. Right. Right. And if we're not careful, we'll blame god for being overbearing, for being unkind, and for being hateful and all the while god is simply giving us a command. If you'll worship me and if you'll put my house at the center of your house, your house will be blessed. Has it, do I have witness in this house tonight that could say because I put his house at the center of my house, my house has been blessed. My house has prospered. My house has joy. I'm not saying it's perfect but the closer that my house aligns with his house, boy, there's peace, there's joy, there's blessing, and there's contentment. So, the greatest thing that you could do, if you want to bless your house, if you want your children to prosper, if you want your home to prosper, then, put house close to god's house. Make god's house the center of your house. Just give it a give it a chance. Just give it 6 months. Give it a year and say, you know what? We're going to put the house of god in priority. We're going to do like those Israelites did in the Old Testament. We're going to obey the lord and we're going to put that tabernacle right in the middle. It's none to Here, you know what's so amazing? When those Israelites woke up every morning, they could not escape the house of god. Hallelujah. It was staring em in the face and so what would happen if you just put the things of god in your face every day because the problem is a lot of us have the world in our face every day. Yeah. What we go to every morning is the world. What we listen to every morning is the world. I'm just telling you, if you'll put his church at the center of your home, you will be blessed. So, so what is all the fuss about the church? Well, let's look at scripture. Uh I don't I don't want to just give you information tonight and you think that pastor was just making a bunch of stuff up and trying to pressure you and get church attendance up. No. Uh let's look at what the word of god says. Colossians one and eighteen. And he is the head of the body. He being Christ. He's the head of the body. What is the body the church the body of Christ according to scripture is the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. So, if Christ, how many of you would would profess to be a Christian? You know, I think that's pretty much 1 hundred percent. So, if if you're a Christian, that means you're a follower of Christ. You can't be a follower of Christ and be disconnected from Christ. Right. So, what is directly connected to Christ? The body. What is the body? The church and there are so many people trying to follow Christ and not connected to the body. Yeah. If you're not connected through the body and you're connected to Christ some other way. You're you're just a tumor. You you have to be connected to the body. In Ephesians 523 says this, for the husband is the head of the wife. Whoo. Don't tell culture that. Boy, you'll get the feminist riled up. It's okay. Y'all y'all y'all worry me how quiet you're on that one. We still believe the husband is the head of the wife. Amen. Yes. Even as Christ. Now, if you don't believe that, then you don't believe that Christ is head of the church. Right. Because god links the two. Yeah. And so, if you view your husband as just an afterthought and he's just a weak, poor-minded man. Then, you don't really view Christ in his place of authority. It's because For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church and he is the what? Savior. Savior of the body. How are you going to be saved? If you're not in the body. Right. So what's the big deal about the church? It's how you get saved. He's the savior of the body. And if you're not in the body of Christ, the church. That's good. I know how you're going to be saved So, let's continue. Acts twenty and 28, take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. He he's he's telling those, he's speaking to pastors, leaders. He says, feed the church of god. I have a responsibility to feed the church of god. I have responsibility to teach the word of god that god has made me an overseer but he us who owns it. My job is to feed. My job is not to lord over because this is what the lord says, which he has purchased with his own If you don't think the church has value, then you don't value the blood of Christ. Because he purchased this entity called the church. What is the church? It's a group of believers who have been called out from their respective places and have gathered together. You cannot listen to me. You cannot call yourself the church if you don't gather. The very definition of church involves gathering. To be called out Ephesians five twenty-five. Husbands love your wives. Now, I picked on the wives earlier about Christ being or the husband being ahead of the wife but husbands, here's our command. We have to love our wives even as Christ loved the church and here's what I have found. If I love my wife like Christ loves me, she won't have problem allowing me to be the head. Thank you for the five that said amen. Amen. If I go in there and I say, woman, I'm the head, obey me. That usually that usually don't work out real well Love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. Christ gave himself for the if you don't thank god. If you don't think Jesus Christ loves and is committed to the church. Then you don't believe the word of god. And if you don't believe it's necessary to be connected to the church. You have miss the word of god by a mile. People, when I all go to church because there's hypocrites. Well, there's a lot of hypocrites at Walmart but you still shop there pretty faithful. I don't go to, I don't go to church because last time I went there, they they rude. Well, you got rude people at your job but because they pay you, you show up. Don't give me your weak excuse. Yes, are there hypocrites in the church? Are there people in the church? Is there rudeness in the church? Are there people in the church? Anywhere there are people there are going to be flaws but I'll tell you what's in the church. Jesus Christ. This is his church. And I'm not going to let some evil person keep me from a good God. I'm not going to let some person that's a fraud keep me from that which is original. And that is Jesus Christ himself. The chief cornerstone. Amen. And here's what I know. When that great day of judgement comes, he's going to separate the wheat from the chaff. Right. Right. The sheep and the goats are going to be separated and I understand. Listen, just be, now, you've gotta be in the church to be saved but just because you're in the church doesn't mean you're going to be saved. Does anybody understand that? You gotta be in the church to be saved. He's coming back for his church. He's coming back for his bride. That's that's the church. You gotta be in the church to be saved but just because you attend the church doesn't guarantee you're saved. Right. No more than I know it's been said before but no more than going to Taco Bell makes you a taco. Coming to church doesn't make you a Christian because you can you can come sit on a pew and still be the biggest heathen in Shreveport you can come to church and sing the songs and sing the lyrics and still be living a double life. We we've seen that even with with pastors of large churches that have fallen into sin and so many were shot. Why? Because just go even doing the work of the church will not save you. But if I'm going to be saved, I must be in the church. What are you saying, pastor? I'm saying, don't let anybody separate you from the church. Amen. From not just a church, his church. That he paid for, that he purchased with his own blood. Why? Because Jesus said, the gates of hell shall not prevail against my church. To prove this, god took the church's greatest persecutor in Acts chapter eight and turned him into its greatest preacher. He took a persecutor named Saul and converted him to a preacher named Paul. Why? God was showing that he has promised to protect his body. As a matter of fact, when that bright light shown and knocked Saul off of his beast as he was headed to Damascus to capture and torture and possibly even kill more Christians in the name of god. The knocked him off of his beast and notice what the lord said to Saul. He said, Saul, why persecuted thou me? Ever thought about that? He's killing Christians. He's taking them to prison. He's trying to destroy the church but when Jesus reveals himself to Saul, he said, you're persecuting me. It's because any attack against the church is attacked against god himself. God himself with the church. I found new meaning understanding this. I have a new meaning and appreciation for what really happened in Matthew chapter eight. Matthew chapter eight and twenty-three, the disciples were in a storm and Jesus is on the boat and there was a great tempest. The Bible said, in so much that the ship was covered with the waves. In verse twenty-four of Matthew eight, but Jesus was asleep. Many of marveled at this. Jesus was asleep and there's waves going over the boat and it's disciples came to him and woke him up saying, lord, save us. We perish and listen to what Jesus said. Why are you fearful? Oh you of little faith. Then he arose. He rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm. Now, you and I both understand the reason why that boat didn't sink is because Jesus was on the boat. No boats going to sink with Jesus on the boat but could I present to you even more of a reason for the boat not to sink? Is because the church on the boat. Not only was Jesus on that boat but his disciples who would become the church and for equal importance, I want you to understand that on board with Jesus was the church. Those men that were on that windswept vessel and wave tossed boat were the church. They were the handpicked, called out disciples that Jesus selected to reach a lost world. They were the and he was not going to let his church sink. That's why Jesus could sleep in the storm. Even the earth and even the heavens knew that the church was not up for destruction. That's why he could speak to the waves and wind and peace be still. He was god but also he was on a mission. It was this. He was telling the waves, be still. My church is on board. History records that the old reformed churches in Europe and some of their successors in that country chose for their motto, a scriptural phrase referring to the burning bush found in Exodus chapter three. It just simply says of that burning bush that Moses came up to. It says, it was on fire but nevertheless, it was not consumed. Nevertheless, it was not consumed. That was their motto for their churches in Europe and that's the sentence that must conclude every chapter in the history of the church. After every over the thousands of years there's been onslaught of false doctrine, there's been persecution, there's been scandal, there has been corruption, there's been heresy, there's been apostasy, but yet at the end, it could be said, nevertheless, it was not consumed because where the church is, god is, and where god is, there is peace and safety. You are to thank god that you're a part of his church If you're thankful for the church, you ought to clap your hands and lift your voice. Hallelujah. Hebrews chapter ten. I'm about to come to a close tells us this. Hebrews 10 and 23. Let us hold fast. If there's anything you're going to hold onto, hold on to the profession of your faith without wavering. For he is faithful. That promised. Don't let go of your faith. Because the Bible says in the last days, everything that can be shaken will be shaken Yes. And the word of god says, hold on to the profession of your faith without wavering It goes on to say, let us consider one another. To provoke unto love and to good works. Be considerate of one another. Here's what I've always understood is encouragement doesn't cost me anything. Right. But it could be priceless to someone else. Kind word doesn't cost me anything but it can mean the difference in somebody else's life and the and the word of god is saying, let us, listen, in all your chaos, in all the things going on in your world, just pause to consider one another. Provoke unto love and to good works. How do we do that? So, let's backtrack. How do we hold fast our faith without wavering? How do we consent one another, to provoke unto love? Well, the answer is found in verse twenty-five. Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. When we come together, this is where we strengthen that hold on our faith. Right. This is where we consider one another. Listen, the more you are away from the house of god and the presence of god, the weaker, the grip on your faith becomes. Why? It's because you haven't come to be provoked unto love and the good works. Uh I've talked to many that I've tried to encourage to come to the house of the lord and here recently, I've even had someone tell, well, you know, pastor, I'm I'm doing good. You know, the lord, he he seems to hear my prayers and you know, me and the lord's got a good thing going and you know, basically justifying not coming to church and stand by themselves. I'm like, okay. Well, where where are you going to encourage others to love and to good works as quote in the scriptures like where, so, where do you, where do you provoke your brothers and sisters in Christ to good works Where are you doing that? In your bedroom? How how are you doing that? Where how are you not forsaking assembling together? These are scriptural principles. I didn't make this up. If you're part of the church, I just post a question, who's the lord coming back for? He's coming back for the church. Okay, well, how you, how you going to come back for the church if you're not connected to the church? I'm not saying, I'm not making a doctor and says, you gotta be at King's Temple to go to heaven. That's not what I'm saying but you better get connected to his church. His church has been than King's Temple. I'm I'm not I'm not trying to be so narrow minded and I'm saying you gotta be at this specific location at this property. That's not what I'm saying but you better be in a Bible-believing, truth, preaching church where his name has preeminence. And you be reconnected. You better be provoking one another. You better not be forsaking the assembling. Whatever church you're in, you better not forsake attending. Right. Or assembling because you're in violation of scripture. I don't care what your mama told don't know what you, I don't care what your grandpa told you. It's amazing to me how many people will take spiritual advice from non-spiritual people. Don't ever receive spiritual advice from someone who's not spirit filled. Amen. That one was free. You can stand. And listen, this is going to be the habit of some because that's exactly what the writer said. Don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is. He said, there's going to be some that do. But don't you do it. Amen. He said, but exhort. That word exhorting is the same one that we use for preaching or declaring. So, listen to this. When we come together, we should be exhorting one another Not fighting one another. You have you have a duty. As a matter of fact, the word of god tells us that we are to submit ourselves one to another. So, when I, when I come to church, what I'm doing is I'm submitting unto the lord but I'm also submitting to you as my brothers and sisters. I am holding myself accountable to you and I'm saying I'm here. I'm here to serve you. I'm here to worship with you. I'm here to be counted among the faithful because the kingdom of god is depending on there being a source of light and hope in this city and I, when every time, listen, I need you to understand because some of you don't understand how big of a deal it is even for you to be here tonight. You know what you've done? You've just lit a flare in this city and you've signaled to the kingdom of darkness that says, the house of god is important. Some of you are tired right now. Some of you are struggling but follow me the whole service. Don't you let the enemy discourage you. What you've done is you've just lit a flare that says, this is a priority in my life. I am counted among the faithful. I'm here to hear the word of god. I'm here to encourage my brother and sister and just you showing up tonight has been an encouragement to somebody. Amen. If nobody else, you've encouraged me because do you know how discouraging is when you don't show up? I've been here. I've I I came for two solid months and preached to a camera back in 2020 and I'm going to tell you right now, I had to fight discouragement every Sunday and then when we finally open the church back up, this was a Sunday morning crowd right here and I I was happy for it. Amen. But when you show up, you are testifying to your brother and say, you know what? You're really, you're testifying without saying a word to your brother and sister. I support you. I'm with you. We're in this together I'm tired just like you are. I've worked just like you have. Some of you still got your work clothes on. That fires me up when I see people come to church with the work clothes still on. You know what that tells me? You value the house of god. Hallelujah. I didn't even have time to go home and change but I didn't care. Come into the house of god was a priority. I come here because I want hell to know that I believe in the house of god. I believe in the church of god. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ and I believe that no matter what goes on out there is not more important than what happens right here and I know that the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against me and my family because I'm a part of his church. Amen. In Hebrews two and twelve says this, I'm coming to close. I will declare thy name unto my brethren. In the midst of the church, how can you declare his name to your brother? If you're not in the church. He said and in the church, I will sing praise unto thee. The church is where we sing praises. The church is where we exhort one another. The church is where we come together and we assemble together. It's also where we receive prayer to be healed. Sister Arrington, I'm thankful for the church. Alright. Yeah. You want to know why? It's because James tells me, is there any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing them with oil in the name of the lord and the prayer of faith shall save the sick. Have you ever paused to consider what the woman with the issue of blood was proclaiming when she pressed into the crowd? In Matthew chapter nine, it said, she pressed to the crowd and she touched the hem of his garment and she was made whole. She said, if I can just touch something that's connected to him. Right. I will be made whole. We are the body of Christ. We are connected and when people can come to something that is connected to him, they can be made whole. Amen. Amen. Let's lift our hands. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus for your church. Oh god, let us more than ever before value your house. Value the body of Christ. God, it's not just in a building. It's not just in a property but it's it's a calling out. It's assembling together, lord. Let us value that assembling, that gathering lord. Let that be priority in our lives. Why? Because there's power here. There's praise. There's sacrifice. There's celebration god. Let that be at the core of who we are. In Jesus name. And finally, last verse, the church is what he's coming back for. If for no other reason, you'd be connected to the church. Ephesians five says this, husbands love your wife even as Christ love the church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with a washing of water by the word. All of us, if you could just see in the spirit tonight what's taking place is we've been washed by the word of god. For no other reason, you, listen, when I when there's a good rainstorm or dust clouds or whatever, you know, the first thing I do, I go through the car wash. I like my car to be clean, brother Jonathan. I want it to be clean. It's my car. So, I take it and I let it wash. So, when traffic through this world and we've collected dirt and dust doesn't mean we're we're unclean or we're filthy. It just means we need to be washed. We need to be cleansed. We need to be renewed. Yeah. We get renewed when we come to the house again and I come to the house of god and that word goes forth and it's priest, it just washes. We're washed by the word. Why? Verse twenty-seven, that he might present it. To himself. What is it? The church. That he might in it to himself a glorious church. So, what is Christ going to present to himself The church. That's what it's all about. He's going to present the church to himself not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish. When god wanted to speak to the church to to his people through John the revelator, he didn't say talk to my people. No, no. He said, tell my church He sent seven letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation. When he wanted to reveal his coming in the book, the Book of Revelation is the revelation of god. You want to know what he told John to do? He didn't say, go find every man you can on the street and tell him, no, no, no. He said, send this to my churches. Amen. He says, let him, he said, let the spirit Let him that hath an ear hear what the spirit say it unto the churches. Don't miss it. But there is a reason the enemy fights you over the house of god is because when you come here, you hear what the spirit is speaking. Amen? Amen. Amen. If you're thankful for the church, clap your hands unto the lord. Hallelujah. Praise the lord. We give you praise. We give you glory. We give you honor. So, let's be biblical tonight. You've been biblical by coming. You you've obeyed biblical commands. So, I honor you tonight for doing that but we're going to be biblical in our dismissal. Here's your homework assignment tonight. We're going to be biblical as we're dismissed and I want you to find about four or five people and I want you to exhort them. I want you to encourage them. I want you to provoke them unto love and to good works. Amen? Amen. You're dismissed in the name of Jesus.

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