If you have a Bible today, I want to encourage you to turn to the book of Acts chapter number three. How many came with some expectancy today? Came with some expectancy today. Teaching brings understanding, understanding brings truth, and truth will do what?
It'll set you free. So can I ask you a question? Can I teach you something today? Are you ready to receive the Word of God today?
Are you ready to believe the Word of God today? Are you ready to trust the Word of God today? The book of Acts chapter three, we're gonna begin in verse number one. We're gonna back up from where we were last week.
We saw what Peter and John did with the lame man that they had met, back up we started at the beginning of the story and pick back up where the Lord is directing us today. So Acts chapter three beginning verse one. Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried.
Whom they laid daily, say daily, who they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called beautiful. And they brought him there, the verse says, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. He was there to seek help. He was there expecting those who were coming into the temple to have mercy on him, to see him in his condition, to see that the state that he was in, and maybe they would be moved with compassion.
How many of you've ever been moved with compassion? And so he was going there hoping that there would be those that would help him because he was unable to provide for himself. And so daily he would go there and he would ask of those who were entering into the temple, who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. And Peter fastening his eyes upon him.
Peter looked directly at him. We live in a time where people don't always look at one another. People tend to walk with their heads down. They tend to look over or around, or even through people at times, but very seldom do people today look at people.
I pray all the time and I ask God to give me eyes to see. Give me ears to hear. Do not clap this morning, whatever you do, do not. All right, all right, we're all good?
All right, those tuning in on the internet have no idea what I'm talking about right now. That's all right, that's all right. Go. I saw some of you were like, you had drives fixed.
Didn't you? And so I pray all the time and ask God, help me to see people. Help me to see people. Help me to be sensitive when I see somebody of the need that may be there so that maybe God you may help me to speak into their life today.
Maybe I see somebody that's weary or someone that's lonely or someone that's hurting. Maybe I can speak a word of peace or maybe I can speak a word of joy. Maybe God you'll lay something in my heart that maybe I'm able to do for them that day. But God help us see people, amen?
Peter fastening his eyes upon him with John, said to the man, look on us. We live in a time as well. We're many in the church want to get away with saying, oh, don't look at me. Don't look at me.
And for the reason we don't want people to look at us, because we know we're not where we should be. But if we're where we should be in Christ, we should be able to say to people, follow me. As I follow Christ, amen? So Peter looked at him and said, look at us.
I want you to look here right now. And the man's expecting something, remember that Sunday? He was expecting something. He was expecting alms.
He didn't know would it be one alms, two arms, three? He didn't know what it was going to be, but he was expecting them. And when they acknowledged him, when they looked directly at him, he was probably thinking score. They're going to give me something today.
But he had no idea what was about to happen. He had been lame from birth and been carried daily to the temple gate, begging for help and asking for people to have compassion on him. When he got up that morning, I'm sure he had no thought in his mind that by the end of that day, he would be walking and leaping and praising God. Come on, church.
When you got up this morning, did you think today, I'm going to go walking and leaping and praising God. Hey, before we go any further this morning, we need to pray for Cody. Cody sits right over here, real tall young man with Sidney that sits right beside over here, the third row back. And we're going to pray for Cody.
He was taken into the hospital the other day. And they're not 100% sure, Chris, of what's going on, right? It's something they think with his heart. And so they transferred him to poor, a four regional hospital.
And he's there right now in the running test. So let's just pray for Cody right now. Father, in the name of Jesus, God, we send your word to Cody right now. Father, we don't know what's going on.
We don't know what's caused this. But Lord, what we do know is you are the creator. God, you created Cody. You called him into existence.
And so Father, we pray right now as we send your word to heal Cody, deliver Cody, and set Cody free today with a healing virtue of Jesus Christ that he might rise up and be well. Father, I pray when every test comes back, Lord, they will find nothing wrong, that everything will be well and Cody will be healed, delivered, and set free by the power and the authority of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. So we call it done today. I pray the peace of God will rest upon him today in Jesus' name.
Everyone that believes it said, amen, amen. Praise the Lord. And so he gave heed unto them, the scripture says, expecting, expecting, expecting to receive something from them. But what he didn't understand was what he was about to receive was far greater than what they were able to give him.
And Peter said to him, silver and gold have I none. But such as I have, I give unto you. Now, I imagine when Peter said, listen, I ain't got no money. I imagine he probably thought, oh gee whiz.
What's he gonna give me a can of spam? I don't want no spam. What I mean, I know money, what's again? You know, he looked at me, told me to look at him and then he tells me to not have anything.
That's kind of disappointing, isn't it? But Peter said to him, silver and gold have I none. But, say but. But even though I don't have this, I've got something else.
I know what you're expecting, but I got something greater. See, sometimes we're wanting far less than what God's really wanting to do. He said, but such as I have, I give unto thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Some of you need to understand that phrase.
Some of you need to learn that. You need to begin quoting in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, say that with me. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. That's a powerful statement.
Because when you invoke that name, everything in all creation, in heaven and earth, snaps to attention. Because there is no other name that's been given in heaven and earth, more powerful than the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And they said to him, we ain't got no coins. We ain't got no change.
But what we've got is a name. And that name is above every name. Come on now. In the name of Jesus, get up.
Get up. Get up. Get up. I believe the world is hungering today for men and women of God that will declare, get up.
Get up. It is time for the church to rise up. We've played games too long. We've blacked out our windows too long.
We've dimmed our lights too long. We've been fancy too long. It is time to get back in the game. And it is time to say in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Come on, get up and walk. Get up and walk. In the power and the authority of a name that is above all names. And the Bible says, and he took him.
He didn't just speak it. He went into action. He spoke the word, and then he reached down, and he grabbed the man. The Bible says faith without works is what?
That Peter said, get up, and he reached down, and grabbed him by the hand. He was putting faith in action. Church, we need to put our faith in action, amen? So Peter speaks the word.
He reaches down. He takes him by his right hand. And he lives him up. I want you to notice something.
Throughout this whole conversation so far, this man is still laying lame. When Peter said silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give to you, he was still lame. But it was when Peter reached down his hand, and he put his faith in action. And he began to pull him up out on where he was.
Church, there are some folks that need you to pull him up out of where they are. You've got to speak the word and grab hold of them and help pull them up out of where they are. The Bible says it when Peter did that. Immediately, say immediately.
Immediately, instantaneously. When he did that, when he did that, the man's feet in his ankle bones did what? What's your Bible say? They did what?
They received strength. As soon as he spoke the word, reached down and grabbed him. Strength immediately began to flow into his feet in his ankles, and he received strength. And the Bible says, and he leaping up.
Leaping up. I imagine when he grabbed a hold of him and pulled him, it wasn't just an old struggle to get up. According to scripture, he went leaping. When Peter reached down and grabbed him.
He kind of, do you ever see like in a football game when a guy's knocked down on one of his teammates come over, pick him sometimes they'll just spring up. What was the last time some of you ever just sprung up? We're like, huh? This man had been crippled and lame from birth.
And when Peter spoke the word to him and reached down and grabbed him in faith. That was in faith, man. He reached down and grabbed him in faith. And he pulled him up out of where he was.
And immediately as soon as the point of contact happened, when he mixed his faith with action, the miracle became physical. The supernatural manifested in the physical. Amen? Praise the Lord.
And he leaping up. He stood. In fact, and he entered with them into the temple the first time in his life. The first time in his life.
And he entered into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. Do you see what's happening? The disciples are now doing those very same things that Jesus did. In church it's time that we do the very things that Jesus did.
Amen? Why? Because Hebrews 13 8 says, oh, this is good. Hebrews 13 8 says, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ. The same yesterday. And today and forever. Churches is one of the clearest statements you will find in the Bible about the unchanging nature of Jesus Christ.
He is the same. He does not change. He does not grow weary. He does not become tired.
He doesn't get frustrated. He is alpha and omega. Beginning in the end. He is Jehovah, Jara.
And there is no one like our God. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. So let's take a look at this.
Right before verse eight, he says in verse seven, remember your spiritual leaders who taught you the word of God. And imitate. I know paraphrases. Remember your spiritual leaders who taught you the word of God.
And imitate their faith. Imitate their faith. We are to read and absorb what the word of God says. And then we are to act on it.
We're to follow after those who have taught us in the faith. Then comes verse number eight. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today. And forever.
Now we'll give verse nine. Do not be carried away by strangers or different teachings. But verse eight serves as a foundation. Verse eight is a refuge and a strain.
Verse eight is a rock. Verse eight brings stability. Because what he is saying to us here is those in your life, leaders, pastors, teachers, they may come and they may go. Circumstances may change.
False teachers may arise. But Jesus Christ will never change. Jesus Christ will never change. Ministries change.
Pulpets change. Men and women come and go. But Jesus Christ is the same. Amen.
Buildings change. Programs change. Philosophies change. Culture changes.
But Jesus Christ, the solid rock, the foundation, he never changes. He's the same yesterday. And why this is broken up like this is to admonish us. And it refers to the unchanging character and work of Jesus Christ.
He's the same yesterday. When he did in the past, we're reminded the things that he did in the past. He doesn't change. Which means if he could do him in the past, can he not do them now in the present?
Wow. If he saved in the past, he still saves today. If he healed in the past, he still heals today. If he's spoken in the past, he still speaks today.
His sacrifice on the cross was is and will always be sufficient. It will always be sufficient. His promises to this very day remain trustworthy. Why?
Because all of his promises are yes and amen. So he's the same yesterday and he's the same today. Jesus is present today. He's active in our world.
In church, I'm telling you, he is 100% reliable. He is not just a historical figure that we read about in a book. He still intercedes for believers today at the right hand of the Father, amen? Hebrews chapter seven.
Hebrews chapter seven verse 24 and verse 25 says this, but this man, because he continue with ever, have an unchangeable priesthood referring to Jesus. He, he continue with ever. He has an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.
Amen? Praise the Lord. Seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. What a powerful verse of scripture that we have today.
Unchangeable priesthood. He remains the same even today. Church, do you know he's still the high priest? His love, his power, his grace, his mercy, his salvation is still available today as it was back then.
I know there are churches that don't believe that. I know there are pastors that don't believe that. I know there are peoples that don't believe that. They believe that whatever happened back here was only for back here.
It was only for the early church or the birthing of the church. But those things never move forward. But I've got news for you. If he was it and is the same yesterday, today and forever, then does he change?
He would have to change. If he's not doing now what he did in the book of Acts, then he would have to change. And the question is, does he change? No, he is the same.
Amen? Now I think there are multiple reasons why we don't see some of the things in our modern church and in the world today that we've seen through scripture back then. I think there are multiple reasons for that. And I'm not going to get into all of them today.
But my admonishment for you today is to know and understand and rely on the simple fact that he is God alone and that he is unchangeable. He is unmovable and that there is no one like him in his grace and his power and his mercy is still available today. Not for us to live how we want to live, but for us to live as under Christ. Amen?
Trust a follow after the lifestyle that we have seen laid before us in scripture that we too would glorify God and through us glorifying God. Others would see Christ through us. And they too would glorify him. Amen?
Praise the Lord. The same compassion and authority and that same saving power seen in the gospels is available today. It's trustworthy church. It's trustworthy.
I can tell you I'm 62 years of age. I know that's really hard for you to believe. But I am 62 years of age and I have tasted it and I have seen that the Lord is good. I know that his word is everlasting to everlasting.
The sheer fact that I am standing in front of you today proves that God is alive and well. Because I am the least likely that should be doing what I'm doing today. As I said the other week, God could use a donkey if he wanted to. I am nothing more than a mere man that has surrendered my heart and my life to him and said, God use me as a conduit for your spirit to flow through today.
Hide me before the cross. I say those words every Sunday morning before I ever leave my seat, the step on this platform. God guard my lips. God hide me behind the cross.
May you be seen today. May you be seen today. Use me only as conduit today for your spirit to flow through. Let there be no hindrances or blockages that would hinder the flowing or the moving of your Holy Spirit today.
Because these people that are here today, do not need me, but they need you. And I can't give them what they need and I can't do for them what they have need of a father. If they can touch your heart, you will move and you will touch and you will heal and you will deliver and you will set free. And we will then be able to sing.
Look what the Lord has done, amen? Because he's a good God. So he's the same yesterday. Today, even in the crazy, messed up world is it is.
He is still the same God. You say the world's crazier instead of being. The world's more messed up than it's ever been. The world's been messed up since Adam and Eve fell in the garden.
Adam and Eve came and able. Four people on planet Earth. One of them was a murderer. A third of the population, one of them was a murderer in the beginning.
You could go to a prison today and not a third of the prisoners are murderers. The world has been wicked and evil from the beginning, from the fall. But that doesn't hinder us from being the light of the world. That doesn't hinder us from being the mouthpiece of God.
That doesn't hinder us from sharing the goodness and the grace and the mercy and the love of Jesus Christ and the work of Calvory and what He did for us that we would have life and have it more abundantly. Forever, yesterday, today, and forever. This gives me incredible confidence. It's bedrock church.
We can stand on this. It's more solid than this platform. It is a rock of ages. There's no turning with Him.
And for that you and I should be very grateful and be very thankful. Forever reminds us of His eternal nature unlike human leaders who pass away. And there have been those who have probably been in this pulpit that are no longer on this Earth. There will come a day that if the Lord Terry's, I will no longer be the one stepping up onto this platform at some point.
And I'm not saying that to be morbid or sad or, but there will be days that there are some of you that I'm looking out at through this congregation right now that there may be days of the Lord Terry's and I live longer than you that I look out and I won't see you sitting there any longer, right? There's a time to be born and the Bible says there's a time to die, right? James says life's a bit of vapor. It's here for a moment then what?
Advantage of the way. But unlike us, we will cease one day, but the Lord will not. Isn't that good? He will not.
I know that's even hard to fathom for most in their minds to think or believe or see anything that never passes away. But God's eternal nature. He's unlike humans. He doesn't pass away.
He lives forever to his kingdom. There is no end. His character never changes. Oh man, that's so good.
I'm gonna download it and listen to it later. Malachi chapter three and verse six. Malachi three six. For I, the Lord, do not change.
For I, the Lord, I do not change. So what we take away from Hebrews is this, that Jesus Christ is completely unchangeable in his nature, in his character, in his power and in his promise. And because of that, here's the glory. The gospel does not change.
How are you thankful for that? The gospel does not change. How many wish the wind here would change? Bless those ushera-sarts, huh?
Stand not there and open an door for you in the middle of a typhoon. Unbelievable, huh? That wind. But the gospel, your mind may change, your opinion may change, your dwelling may change, your job may change, your personality traits may change, but the gospel does not change.
It does not change. I'm not gonna stop to every one of you clap. That does not change. That does not change.
Amen? Amen? Amen? Yes, Lord.
It means yes, we agree. The gospel does not change. The truth does not change. Salvation through Christ does not change.
The same Jesus who forgave sinners in the gospel still forgives sin today. And the same Jesus who strengthened the early church, he strengthens us today. And he will be faithful forever, amen? And when everybody and everything else changes, he remains the same.
Circumstances, situation. Oh, culture. Can you imagine the changes that we have seen in our life? I was pondering that the other day, just in my lifetime.
The number of things that I have seen change, I was talking to a man a few months ago who's in his early 90s and he was telling me how he went from seeing horse and buggy coming down through the town that he lived in to seeing planes flying in the air. We have seen a lot of change in this world. We've seen a lot of change in society. We've seen a lot of change in people.
We've seen a lot of change around us. But God is unmovable. Isn't that good? He remains the same.
He's the same news for you and I. His character is powerful. His power, his truth, his promises, they're the same. Past, present, future, past, present, future.
Say that with me. Past, present, future. He doesn't change. He doesn't change.
And Peter said in Acts 3, verse 6, silver and gold have I none. But that was just the warm up for the message. I'm just getting into the message now. But such as I have, I give unto thee in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk and instantly the miracle happen.
That man came expecting expectation, positioned him to receive something greater than what he could have imagined. Allow expectation to position you. There are some people that are out of position. There are some people that do not put themselves into it.
There are people that got a job because they put themselves in the right position. There are people that met one another because they were in the right position. We were reflecting back the other day. All of the things that brought me to this very place.
All of the things that brought me to this very place. Bunny, your granddaughter, did she really say to you on Wednesday night, is that a cornfield out there? She was here from South Carolina and got spoke a word to her. But she positioned herself in a place that she would receive from God.
She came to see her grandma or grandma to bother her brother to church and got out of a word for her in the middle of a cornfield. In the middle of a cornfield. She looked out that window and said, that really a cornfield? Well, yes it is.
Do we come expecting? Do we position? I know people that go to a place and they're doing something that they did not want to do. But because they went to that place, it positioned them to encounter someone else, that they encountered, then reposition them to hear.
And then they met someone else that repositioned them to hear. But had they never gone here, they would have never been in the position to end up over here because God divinely orders those steps. Amen? How do you believe that today?
Do not despise small beginnings. And there are far too many times we do not see miracles because we do not expect them. I've even known individuals in my life that would have been healed and they had been in their condition for so long that it took hours and sometimes even days for them to relax. Wait a minute.
Wait a minute, something happened. How can that be? Because there was no expectation. But yeah, the grace of God still touched them because maybe they were surrounded by other people with great faith.
Maybe God just did it to get their attention. I don't know. I wish I had all the answers. I wish I had all the answers.
I don't have all the answers. But I know this. I know sometimes we do not position ourselves many years ago. I stood on this platform.
We had a guest speaker and he had been very gifted and an anointed and a spirit flowed through him for healing. And he had made a call for somebody to come to the front of this or for people to come to the front of this church to be healed. And there was a woman here that night and she sat in that back row where the ushers are sitting today. And out of hardness of heart, she did not obey the instruction.
Listen, I hope you understand, and I can't speak for all pastors, but I can tell you this. If this pastor ever asks you to come to the front of this altar for whatever the thing may be, it's because I truly believe in all of my heart with all of my mind that that is the spirit of God directing me to do that. I would not ask you to come to this altar for anything so that I could get on my phone later and say, oh boy, the altar was full this morning. Wow, almost every person in the church came forward this morning.
Listen, my pride don't need that. My ego don't need that. What my job is is to get you to him. And I just have to be sensitive to his spirit and his voice to be able to direct you in what I believe he's telling me to do.
But I believe there are some people that are just motivated by numbers and figures and stats. I don't care about those things. I've already driven an hour and preached to one person. Very young man, I've drive every week for an hour and preached to one person.
And I used to kid and tease whether or not she was a sacrificial lamb that they sent from the community. She came long enough and they saw that she lived and nothing bad happened to her. Maybe they'd come too. And bless her heart, bless her heart.
Her name was Roberta. And Roberta, Roberta, Roberta, I have a little recorder and I'd tape every message. Because my pastor asked me to do that because he wanted me to give it to him. Then he'd critique every teaching that I did.
And she would come and say, oh, you're recording. Can you make me a copy? And bless her heart, she would buy a tape of every teaching I did. And for many nights, she was the only one that would show up.
And I'd get up and preach like I was Billy Graham. Had one person because Jesus Christ loved that one person. Enough to die for that one person. So who am I to have an ego big enough that I couldn't minister to one person?
Come on, church. Come on. We need to see people. We need to see people.
Expectation positions us to receive something greater than we imagined. I entered into a basketball tournament coaching a junior high basketball team. Our season had already been over. But somebody asked us to come.
And we were so good. We were so good. We were undefeated in our season. One our tournament.
I knew if we went to that tournament, I knew we'd win. And so I went to that tournament thinking, we were just going to win another one. I'd really be good for the boys. It'd be a big build up for next season.
And so we went to that tournament. But little did I know I was going to meet a young woman, keeping books at a score table that say to me, what do you do for a living? And I said, well, I coached the team here, but I'm a pastor. And she said, you're a pastor.
I said, yeah. And she said, wasn't that something? And I said, yeah, and that's something. And she said, our church is looking for a pastor.
I said, really? And she said, yeah. And she calls this other guy over. She says, hey, he's a pastor.
And he goes, yeah, you're a pastor. He said, yeah. He says, our church is looking for a pastor. And I'm thinking, so I've heard.
That's how I ended up here. I went to coach a basketball game. I went to coach a basketball game. I thought I was going there to win a basketball tournament.
And I got you. Wow. What a trophy, huh? No.
God bless you. No, I'm just kidding. And I was so thankful. 25 years ago, though, when I rode down that road, and I saw the building in the middle of the cornville, I cried my god.
Oh my god, why have you forsaken me? Who in the world is going to go to that church? You know? Amen.
Amen. And I thank God for you. And I thank God for you. And I have for 25 years, because I'm not just your pastor.
I am your friend. I'm your brother. And I'm so privileged and honored to be a part of this ministry. And to be a part of what God's doing in dairy Pennsylvania and around the world.
But I've learned. I've learned wherever I go. It just could be a godly moment. Have you ever thought about that?
Wherever you go could be a godly moment. I ask God, wherever I go, whether it's a restaurant, whether it's a store, wherever it is, could this be a godly moment. God, could you use me today for a godly moment? Could you use me today to do something, to be a blessing to somebody, to speak like somebody, to encourage somebody.
Too many times, too many times though. We just go just going through life without expectation. One of the ones last time you ever went to Walmart with expectation of a god moment. Because if you don't go there looking for a god moment, you will never find a god moment.
Wherever it is you go, if you're not looking for a god moment, you will not find a god moment. But when faith arises and expectancy fills the room, then the power of God begins to manifest. When really was the last time that you had such an expectation that God was going to do something great in your life. God begins and he finishes.
Amen? Philippians 1 verse 6 says this. Philippians 1, 6 says this. Being confident.
How many have ever been confident of anything? Being confident of this very thing, that he, which hath begun, a good work in you will perform it. Oh no, it was only to the Philippians. God doesn't do good works in people today.
But see, the funny thing is about how we want to chop and choose scripture. We want to eliminate the ones that we're not sure we agree with. We want to eliminate the ones that we don't fully understand. We want to eliminate the ones that challenge us.
But the ones that we're OK to receive will hold on to that. Our job is not to tailor the Bible. Our job is not to nip and talk the Bible. Our is to trust it, believe it.
Amen? Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work and you will perform it. How many believe God's still working in your life today? Do you know there are people that do not believe that God still speaks?
They just believe that they get up and they speak a word that was from the Bible. And it's only meant to just encourage us because it happened here. But it will not happen here. And if it won't happen here, then we might as well call ourselves the moose, the elves or the legion or some other social club.
But we are the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's the same yesterday, today and forever. And if he said it in here, he can do it in here. Amen?
Amen. Excuse me. He will perform it. Listen, listen, until the day of Jesus Christ.
You know what that means? Until Jesus returns. He's always working. He's, can you be confident of that?
Can you take comfort in that? That he's still working? He's still working. So when people call you a piece of work, you just say, yes.
I am a piece of work. God is still working on me. Amen? That used to be offensive.
You're a piece of work. Well, you're a piece of work. Now when somebody says, you're a piece of work. Hey, thank you.
Yeah, you're right. I am a piece of work. And have you seen my friend, Bach? He's a real piece of work.
It's so are you. It's so are you. We're all a piece of work, right? We all are.
We all are because he's still working on us. And when God started, he will finish. If he started bringing salvation to your family, he will continue to bring salvation to your family. If God healed back then, he'll still heal today.
He'll still finish it. Amen? If he started working at church, he will finish it. If he started transforming you, he will complete it.
But will you and I live with expectation, expectancy, knowing that God is faithful. You know, unbelief will shut doors to miracles. Jesus is self-encounter this in his own hometown, Mark chapter 5 and 6 says this. And he could do there no mighty works.
When Jesus went to his hometown, the Bible says he could do there no mighty works. And he marveled. He marveled. He marveled.
Do you know why he marveled at their unbelief? He marveled at their unbelief in that shocking that the very Son of God stood among them. The same Jesus who healed the sick, raised the dead, and cast out demons. He stood among them.
And the Bible says he could do no mighty work there. Why? Because they did not expect anything from him. And unbelief stopped the miracles.
But expectancy invites the power of God. Why? Because it is the breeding ground for miracles. Faith expects God to move.
Faith is more than just belief. Faith expects God to act. Peter doesn't say it. He went in the action.
Don't ever forget that. Faith without works is what? He was chapter 11, verse 1 says, now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things yet not seen. Peter said, look at me.
I don't have no money. But what I have, I'm about to give to you. Now take me by the hand. And he snatched him up off the ground.
Greater is he, church. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. Faith believes that God is already working even before the miracle happens. Peter already believed at the moment he spoke the word.
He believed before he ever bent down. He believed before he ever took his hand. He believed before he ever spoke a word. He believed.
And when he grabbed, grabbed all of that man's arm and snatched him up, the miracle happened. Faith expects God to answer even before it comes. Faith expects healing before the symptoms change. Faith expects revival even before a crowd gathers.
Faith expects God to move because he said he would. Come on, church. Expect God to do what he said he would do. Can you believe God will do what he says he will do?
Expect salvation in your families. Expect healing. Expect revival. Expect deliverance.
Expect God to pour out his spirit because he does not change. Churches change. People's change. Popists change.
Pastors change. Opinions change. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Prayer changes.
Worship changes. Faith rises. And suddenly miracles begin to happen. Prayer changes everything.
Prayer will change things. Your worship will change things. And when you worship God, your faith will arise. And miracles will begin to happen.
Manifestations of God's presence will begin to happen. Why? Because expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles. I know I said it over and over again.
But I'm stirring you in your spirit to trust it and believe it. Do you know God is ever watching out for his word worship team? Can you come back to the platform? I say chapter 55 verse 11 says this and we're going to close.
You know when the hardest moment in my life is when I realize I've got to close. That's one of the hardest moments in my life. Because I believe so much in the power of God to heal, deliver and set free and change lives. I believe so strongly in the Word of God.
I believe there is life in the Word of God. And I believe that God is the same. I believe that God is the same. I believe that God is the same.
And that we are going to be a Messiah and support our lives in everyday life. So we look forward to the same. I believe that God goes forward to the same. It's the same.
I believe that God is the same. I believe that God is the same. It's the same. I believe that God moves and people's lives are changed and healed and delivered forever.
Amen? And that we can be a mighty force for God in our community and surrounding communities. I say the same. So shall my word be that go forth out of my mouth.
It shall not return unto me void. God says whatever I send my word out to will accomplish. it never returns what? God's word never returns void.
Do you know how many people have left to church at one point or another and say, boy, I didn't get anything out of that? I believe that the Word of God is preached on the anointing of the Holy Spirit. No one person should ever leave a building saying I didn't get anything out of that. If someone didn't get anything out of an anointing message that's preached from the Word of God, the problem wasn't with the message, it was with the receiver.
Come on. Sometimes we don't even enter into buildings like this ready to receive, prepared to receive, wanting to receive, desiring to receive. Oh no, another message on Peter and John went to pray. How many times can they leave me to lay man on the way?
All right already, the guy begged for alms. Couldn't you preach on something else more exciting? That's exciting because he's unchangeable. And if he did it for him, he can do it for you.
God is good. So shall my word be the go forth out of my mouth that shall not return unto me, void, but it shall accomplish. Say it, accomplish. That which I please and it shall prosper.
The word shall prosper in the thing where to I send it. I mean, oh God's word will not fail. If he said it, he will do it. What he promised, he will perform.
So you and I, you and I just need to move with expectancy, amen, and to trust God and to believe God that if he said it, he will do it. Why? Because he doesn't change. He's faithful.
He's solid. And I feel sad and I, and in my heart breaks for those that don't know him like that. And I pray that you know him like that. I pray that you've come to know him like that.
I pray that you've had an encounter with him, that you trust him like that. That when he speaks something to your heart or you feel that nudging or that thought just keeps entering into your mind and you're not sure why. It's like you're somewhere and the Lord speaks to your heart and you say, I don't know how God speaks to me. But have you ever been there?
Have you ever been somewhere and you just keep sensing something? And the Lord's saying to you, have you ever been? And I just say you've been somewhere and you just keep sensing that you're supposed to do something to help somebody. You're supposed to give them something.
Maybe you're supposed to give them some money or something to help them. That's just not out of your good nature. A man came to Jesus one day and he said, good teacher and Jesus said, hold on a second. Who did you call good?
He said, there's only one good. Jesus said that. He said, it's the Father. So, so when we get these thoughts that we're to move or to work after, we're to do or we're to give or we're to serve or whatever it is, those are God moments and then ours is to be obedient to those moments and to step into those moments.
God is doing great things, church. And there are many that miss it because they spend too much time listening to and reading worldly things. Get in the word. Listen to sermons.
Listen, you say, I don't know where to get my harvest church.org. You can go on there. I think we've got over 500. How many we got on there and ate over 500?
We've got over 600 sermons. You can go back years and years. How many of you have ever listened to our sermons online? We're trying to rock.
Don't be ashamed to embarrass. Wow. Pretty much mostly. Yeah.
We're going to be starting something very soon after every Sunday morning. They don't know yet. So I'm going to tell them that you're going to hear too. After every Sunday morning, we're going to email the sermon out to everybody.
Everybody on our mailing list, you're not even going to have to go to my harvest church.org. You're just going to click your email and open it up. And there's me. I'm going to be there.
I'm happy. Great. We should probably get a little emoji of me going. That'd be great.