first chapter of the book of Colossians. I, for one, glad to be in church this morning. We were here on Wednesday night, but for some reason I feel like it's been a while since we've been in church. The book of Colossians, the first chapter of the book of Colossians. If you found that, will you say amen? Amen. Verse 15, the Bible says, who is the image of the invisible God? The firstborn of every creature, for by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities, or powers. All things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence. That word preeminence, it means superiority. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, and having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, you may be seated. Good God in heaven, we come to you this morning, and Father, we thank you for your love and mercy. And God, we pray this morning that you'd hide your creature behind the shadow of the cross. Tuck me in the cleft of the rock and cover me there with thy hand while your glory passes by. Father, I pray this morning for men and women and boys and girls. And Father, we pray this morning that you would guide, God, that you would lead, and God, that you would direct. I pray, God, that you'd save this sinner. Reclaim the backslide and encourage a child of God. I pray today you go Lord, you would help me to say what you had me to say and help me not to say that which you would have me not to say. Cleanse our mind and empty us of self and fill us with your spirit. God, we love you and thank you. In the lovely name of Jesus, together all of God's people say this. Amen. This morning, if we can, we'd still like to look at the church. Amen. We told you at the beginning of the service we started a series just a few Sundays ago about reasons for you to go to church. Then the following Sunday was the way of the church and last Sunday morning was the church. So this morning we'd like to preach around this topic, the ability. of the church. In verse number 18, the Bible says, and he is the head of the body, the church. Let me say this morning that you and the choices that you make determine what you're going to do with the church. Let me explain what I mean by that. We may be able this morning to be sluggards, and I'm not trying to be cruel, but the Bible says that the sluggard will not plow by reason of cold, therefore at harvest he will have nothing. What's that mean, preacher? That means if we're lazy, amen. That's what a sluggard is. If we're lazy, We're not going to have what we need to have. Well, preacher, why are you saying that this morning? Because nothing that you and I do will affect Jesus is still the head of the church. Jesus is still on the throne in heaven, and he gave himself for the church. Amen? Preacher, what are you saying this morning? want to look this morning at the ability of the church. What do you mean exactly about the ability of the church? How many of you know this morning that the church has the ability to do the will of God? How do we have that creature? Because if you are in the church, I'm not talking about the structure. I'm not even talking about if you're a member of an organization that is called a church. I'm talking about if you are in the church, which is the body of Christ. I'm talking this morning, if you're in the body of Christ, you have the ability to do the will of God. Preacher, what is the will of God? Jesus said in Matthew 28, in verse 18, He said, Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." And preacher, why are you telling us that this morning? It is not God's will that we stay in the church and do not work. outside the church. Understand this morning, it is God's will, honey, that we knock on doors. It is God's will that we pass out gospel tracts. It is God's will that we preach the word of God, that we teach the word of God, that we sing the word of God, that we fellowship in the word of God. It is God's will this morning that you would have so much of Jesus in you that the sinner would want what you've got in your life today. It is God's will today that, according to the Word of God, it is not God's will that any should perish. but that all should come to repentance. Well, preacher, how does a man or a woman repent? I want you to understand this morning, they've got to have conviction. You understand this morning, honey, that if a man or a woman is not sorry for being in sin, then they will never be saved. Amen. I want you to know before change comes, conviction's got to come. God save us such that we have a contrite heart, Amen. You understand this morning that when we come to the altar of our heart and we kneel down, you realize this morning we can't come to a bubblegum and tell a joke. We've got to be having a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We've got to be sorry for the life that we've led. You say, creature, I'm not saved, but I'm a good moral person. I give to the poor. I donate my time. I go down to the soldier in her shelter. And I feed the homeless. I take them blankets every winter. I give my money. I'm the saint Jude. Are you saying that I'm going to go to hell? Neighbor, I'm saying that if you are not saved, you're going to go to hell. The Bible says it is not by works of righteousness. which we have done, but according to his mercy hath he washed us and saved us. You understand this morning, honey, that I cannot do enough good deeds to get me to heaven. I cannot put enough money in the offering plates of the church in order to get me to heaven. I cannot extend the right hand of Delisle and get my name put in the Lamb's Book of Life. Hey man, we've got to be blood thots, we've got to be worshiping the blood. And that is the way that you get into the church. Jesus told Nicodemus, verily, verily, I say unto thee, that ye must be born again. Nehemiah, I think, he had that Nicodemus rather, he might have even chuckled a little bit in his spine. He, when he asked the Lord, he said, how shall man enter into his mother's womb again when he's old? And thank God this morning the Bible teaches that Jesus told him that which is born of the Spirit is spirit and that is born of the flesh is flesh. neighbor, I want you to know, at McMillan Hospital, July the 15th, 1973, I had a birth of the flesh that I do not remember. But in July the 20th, 1996, I had a birth of the spirit. I became marvelously Born again, and I had a birth. I can't remember in 73, but I had a birth. In 96, I can remember. You say, Preacher, what night was it on? It was on a Saturday night. It doesn't matter what day it was. All I know today is I know that I know that I know that I know. Jesus But we see the ability of the church Let me just say this this morning and I'm not trying to upset anybody's apple card if you're maybe watching this morning, but the The problem in America is not in the White House The problem in America is in our churches. Amen. Hello. Rich, what are you saying today? I'm saying we've gotten so far away from the word of God. I'm saying this morning we've come together in the name of social gatherings and in the name of a church organization. And we've come together to have coffee and donuts. And we've come together to see what Brother so-and-so's doing or to see how Sister so-and-so's doing. Why can't we come together and operate in the function and the operation and the power And the Spirit of God, honey, the Bible teaches, honey, that the Word of God said not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord, and the host. You understand this morning, honey, the church is not an organization, but the church is a living organism, and we need to get back to the place. where we are living, and where we are breathing, and where we are doing the will of God in our lives. And can I tell you today, church has always been essential, church is essential, and church will always be essential. for men and women to get to heaven today. Richard, what do you say today? This morning we said the ability of the church. What do you mean? What I simply mean this morning is one of the abilities of the church that has been demonstrated in our century or in our generation. is we pushed church to the back burner we said that our kids are having little limbo games because we're playing at three o'clock and we've got to sleep in because we're going to be out in the hot sun he said preach i don't like the way you're preaching The ability of the church, we ought to be fearful. What do you mean, preacher? Well, I want you to look with me this morning. I'm going to give you some verses if you want to write down, if you want to follow around, it's fine. But I want you to know this morning that we ought to be fearful of a mighty God. We've gotten to the place in society where people do not fear God. That's what's wrong with the church today. We find this morning the word of God. In Mark 4 and 40, according to the word of God, Jesus asked his disciples. He said to them, why are you so fearful? And how is it that you have no faith? Can I tell you this morning, church, honey, that when God saves you, He did not save you for you to live a life of fear. He did not save you for you to live a life of going around being afraid all the time. Amen? Oh, preacher, why are you telling us this? I want you to know this morning, honey, that Jesus said in Matthew 10, 28, and fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him. H-I-M, which is able both to destroy soul and body in hell. You realize this morning, honey, that men and women, I told you a while ago about Lazarus, you're in the little bit of altar call that we've already had. I believe that when Jesus spoke, and he said Lazarus' name, and he came forth, Jesus said, Lazarus, come forth. And the Bible teaches that Lazarus was wrapped in grave clothes. Now let me just simply put it to you in a little bit of a rabbiology for a moment of time this morning. I believe according to the Word of God teaches When Lazarus came forth, he was not able to walk freely. He was bound. Amen. Do you remember this morning? Whenever Jesus was born, he was born. And the Bible teaches that they wrapped him in swaddling garments. Amen. Well, preacher, what do you mean? I bought whatever the Jews. of old day would travel, honey, they would travel. And they would always have their grave clothes with them, honey, because it was important, honey, that in their belief that an individual were to die, that they be buried immediately, as soon as possible. Can I tell you this morning, honey, that when Jesus was born, honey, they wrapped him in swaddling garments. They wrapped him so he wouldn't be able to move around. They confined him so he wouldn't be able to move around and hurt himself. Honey, when Lazarus died, they wrapped him in grave clothes and it was the same garment. Now watch this church, honey, when Jesus spoke and the Bible teaches that Jesus wept over Lazarus and Jesus had come forth. and Lazarus come forth, but he was still bound. I want you to know today, there's a lot of people in our churches today that have come forth, but you're still bound. You still got the brave clothes on. Can I tell you today that Jesus had to say this? Jesus said, loose him and let him go. Now listen, Jesus could have very easily said, garments, be thou removed, but Jesus did not do that. Jesus spoke unto the people that were with Lazarus, that were buried that day, and Jesus spoke to them and told them to loose Lazarus. Do you realize this morning that when you come to the house of God and you sit and you're bound up because of the things you used to do, You're bound up. You'd love to say amen. But you're worried about what somebody's going to think. You'd love to raise your hand. But you're worried about what somebody's going to say. You'd love to go to the altar and worship and get up crying like everybody else does. But you're worried about what somebody's going to say when we come to church. We help one another get free and get our grave clothes loose. And God's people ought to be the most free people on the face of the earth today. You realize this morning that when Jesus saved me, he forgave me, he worshipped me in his own blood, he put my name in the last book of life? Amen to that, for I'm giving you the Bible. But you realize there was still some things in my life I had to work out. I mean, there's still some things after 20 plus years. I saved a long time ago, back slid, got out of the will of God. There's still some things that I still had to deal with. You say, preacher, not me. Well, God bless your heart. You're just better than I am, that's all I can tell you. I'm living down here in the real world. I got problems. I got the evil thoughts. I got the things that the tinker would bring back to my mind. You say, nah, hey, nah, not me, preacher. Well, aren't you just holier than thou? But I'll be honest with you. When I get in a meeting like this and the Holy Ghost is moving, He comes over and he sits down in my lap. And the Holy Ghost blows across my body. And you know what he's doing each time that he comes by. One of them brave clothes. It just loosens up. And it's up to me to shake them off. It's up to me to drop them where they're at. And each time I come into church, I get a little more free. I get a little more loose. I get a little bit easier for me to raise up my hand and say, well, glory. It gets a little bit easier for me to get down and praise him and give him thanks. Each time that we come to the church, it's easier to do the will of God. Amen. Amen. Lucy, and let it go. Listen, church. If you've got a testimony and you didn't give it because you've got man fear, man fear is real. But each time you keep practicing, come to church. Now, Sister Summer is here today, and she's a doctor. And she can tell us why, I have no idea. There might even be a lawyer amongst us, I have no idea. But if you'll watch, in my job, they do not call what I do practicing engineering. Pastor Jonathan, you in the surveying world, do they call that practicing surveying? No. A doctor, they call that a practice. Hey, am I right? You go to a law firm and what's that lawyer do? He's practicing law. You know, a lot of people that are in the church, I'm afraid you already think you've arrived. We have such proper etiquette. You know what we ought to do? We ought to practice. Praise be to the Lord. We ought to practice just raising our hand and saying, Lord, I want to thank you because you sure have been good to me. Lord, I thank you. Glory. Lord, I just want to thank you. And I don't care what anybody thinks about me. I just want to take my shoes off. And I want to take and declare him standing on holy ground. Lord, it's holy because you're here. And I want to give you praise today. I want to give you glory today. Church, you realize none of us have arrived. Amen. Preacher, are you serious? Yes, I'm serious. I'm sorry to bust your bubble. But none of us are as good as we think we are. The Bible says, let a man take heed where he stand, lest he fall. The Bible says that there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but at the end thereof are the ways of death. You realize this morning that we need more spirit in our churches and less flesh. Amen. Amen. That's good preaching. I mean, we've got young people who have been coming to the house of God that do not know what it means to see a man or a woman have a burden for the lost. We're adults. We're supposed to be teaching them. Amen. No wonder our young people go through such temptations that they do. No wonder they're in church one minute, out of church another minute. Amen? But the ability of the church is greater than we've allowed the church to be. Now you think about that statement just a minute. The ability of the church You know, I think sometimes we just pray for the Lord. Lord, let us have a good service. Why don't we pray for the Lord to allow us to have a good revival of service? Lord, give the preacher a touch this morning when he mounts the pulpit. Why not pray for the Lord to give the preacher a touch every time that he does anything with the church? Lord, would you touch the singer's voice this morning? Why not pray the Lord? Would you put such power on them that when they sing, I can feel the power of God in the song that they sing? See, we limit the ability of the church by our own unbelief. A lot of us, we're saved. We're on our way to heaven. We're like Lazarus when he come out of the tomb. We're alive, but we're still down. I want you to look with me this morning for second Timothy one seven if you want to look there you can you can write it down for God had not given us the spirit of fear. Did you catch that? for God has not given us the spirit of fear. Do you know that that means if God is a testimony on your heart and you sit there and you don't stand up because, well, they've got Facebook on and I don't know who's gonna hear me and I don't want them to call me later today and embarrass me about my testimony. Well, let me just say, if you're testifying to the Lord. Amen. Nothing else matters. But if you're testifying to be heard, you need to sit down. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a power of love and of a sound mind. Well, preacher, what are you saying today? Not only do we see the fear of the church, but we also see the fire of the church. In Matthew chapter 3 verse 11, John was baptizing and he said, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. You know, when we assemble together, it ought not be, let me just say this this morning. And I don't know that you understand what I'm saying, but I need to understand because I need to say because I understand what I'm saying. I've been in churches before that have booked an evangelist because the people of the church said, why don't you get brother so-and-so to come and preach? All that is is booking a meeting. But if the preacher doesn't pray. God, would you sing me the evangelist? I mean, we could gather together for a week of services and that evangelist show up and that evangelist can preach and he can be a wonderful puppeteer. He can be a wonderful orator. He can speak with such elegance, but if he has no spirit among them, then it's all in vain. That's the fire. that God is speaking about here. The fire of the church in Matthew or in the book of Acts chapter 2 and verse 2, 3 and 4. The Bible says, and suddenly there came a sound. Now this is in verse 1. The Bible said that when Pentecost was fully come in verse 2, and suddenly there was came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind. and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them, quote in tongues, light as of fire. And it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Can I tell you this morning, the Holy Ghost When you are saved, Brother Rodney has testified about it. And maybe some of you have never heard the statement that Brother Rodney has made, or maybe you have heard it. And you may say, well, I don't really understand what Brother Rodney is saying. Brother Rodney testifies when he gives his testimony. And he said that he lay there and he looked at the bed, or he was in the bed and he looked at the big red digital letters. Is that right, Brother Rodney? And he said that he said that he heard the heart, the word of God, speak to him, call his name, and set him on up, ran out of the bed, and ran into the living room, am I telling it right? Brother Rodney, and buried himself, and said that he was baptized with the Holy Ghost, he was baptized with fire, what's that mean? When you get saved, how many of you know this morning the Holy Ghost comes inside of us? He indwells us. And the Holy Ghost inside of the Christian is what makes the difference between the sinner and the saint. It's not having your name on the church roll. It's not having your name associated with a great church. But it is being forgiven of your sins and having the Holy Spirit of God in your life today. Amen. Jesus said, it's expedient that I go away that I might send a comforter in return. Why do you say that, preacher? Because He, the Holy Ghost, He's not an it. Amen. He's not a she. He, the Holy Ghost. Now listen to me. We'll teach you all things. I don't know how to pastor. Even after almost 20 years pastoring, I don't know how to pastor. Every decision that I come to, I have to enter into it with prayer. Why would you do that, Preacher? Because I'm seeking His guidance. And it would do all of us good not to make a decision, but to pray about it. That's the fire of the church. The Word of God says in Hebrews 12 and 29, A consuming fire. Preacher, do you really believe that? Oh yes, I believe that. Let me just, I'll run through this real quick. We find, according to the word of God, not only do we see the fear of the church, we see the fire of the church, but we see the friend of the church. Jesus said, greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. That's according to the word of God in John 15 and 13. But look in verse 14, Jesus said, Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. In verse 15 he said henceforth, I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Are you a friend of God? Are you a friend of the church? Preacher, what are you saying this morning? I'm saying this morning we can go around living in fear. We can go around living saved and bound. Worried about what everybody's going to say and everybody's going to think. Well, Preacher, the Lord gave me a song to sing, but I don't want to get up in front of everybody. That's that man fear. And I'm not belittling it. I'm not making light of it. It's real. And until we can get to the point where we operate in the freeness of the power of God, we're going to continue to live banal. One more thing, and then I'm going to finish. We find in Psalms 119 and 45, we see the freedom of the church. So we see the fear of the church, the fire of the church, and the freedom of the church, but we see the freedom of the church. Psalms 119 verse 45, and I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts. How many of you realize this morning that the Word of God teaches us that he who the Son has set free is free indeed. Romans 6.18 said, being then made free from sin. Verse 22 says, being now made free from sin. Chapter 8 and verse 2 of the book of Romans says, for the law of the spirit of life is Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin. And 2nd Colossians, or Corinthians 3 and 17 says, now the spirit, now the Lord is that spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. First Peter 2 and 16 says, as free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as servants of God. If I can this morning, I'd like for us to realize we as a nation are free. Men and women have died to give you and I the freedom that we celebrate today. Veterans Day is this week. Am I right? There will be many people that will celebrate. There will be many that will go through their day and not even understand why they should be thankful. In all of the wars that the United States of America has taken part in, beginning at the Great Revolutionary War, all the way through the latest war, There have been 2.8 million military deaths. 2.8 million have died to give you and I the freedom to sit underneath this tent today. 2.8 million have died, given you and I the ability to go to polls and cast a ballot. 2.8 million have died. giving you the ability to have an automobile and to go anywhere you want to go. 2.8 million. But the greatest of those conflicts, providing the largest loss of life, was the great United States Civil War. Brother against brother, family against family, neighbor against neighbor, 1.12 million died for a cause. What was the cause? It was a cause that was important to them. The country at that time was divided like it has never been before. And I hasten today to say that if we're not careful in 2020, we are on the verge of a great division. that will divide our nation. 1.12 million souls died upon the soil of the United States of America because of division. Church, let me be clear in what I am preaching this morning. The ability of the church should be to bring men and women together. The ability of the church should be able to love the unlovable. The ability of the church should be to forgive the unforgivable. The ability of the church should be able to carry the gospel of Christ unto a dark and a dying world that is on their way to a devil's haven. The ability of the church is not constricted by the power of God, but is only constricted by the power of man. The ability of the church is unlimited if we would operate in the power of the demonstration of the Holy Ghost of God. Many years ago, March 23rd, 1775, a gentleman by the name of Patrick Henry, gave a speech, an in-depth speech. I've pulled out a paragraph and he stated, it is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, peace, peace, but there is no peace. The war is actually begun. The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of unsounding arms. Our brethren are already in the field. Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains of slavery? Forbid it, almighty God. I know not what course Others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death. We live in a nation this morning that is divided. One side wants to blame the other and the other side want to blame the other. Church, I preach this message this morning because the church should be separated from the actions of the world. The church has a great ability to change men and women's lives, but we will never make changes in men and women's lives if we're acting like the world. If you are saved, you have been called into the army of God. If you are saved, you have been ushered into a place of separation. If you are saved, You have been given the bond of love. The church has an ability to pull together. But sadly today, in today's day and age, many are using the abilities of the church to divide. Church, if there is ever a day in the day in the calendar of history It is this day that we've needed the Lord more than we've ever needed before. It is this day that we need to shake the grave floors and be loosed. Your testimony in your neighborhood could be the only testimony that God can use to bring your neighbors to an altar of repentance. Your testimony is limitless when you get free and operate in the power of God.