Connected by One Spirit

King James Version Chapter 12

12 For cas the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, cbeing many, are one body: dso also is Christ. 13 For eby one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, fwhether we be Jews or †Gentiles, fwhether we be bond or free; and ghave been all made to drink into hone Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

As you sit down, I ask that we would go down worshiping God in the Spirit. Cry out to God with everything you have! Let the Spirit of God inhabit your praise.

Look around you tonight..

Here you will find your Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Where tells us that we have all been baptized by one Spirit.

The Spirit of the Holy Ghost is what connects the members of Apostolic Gateway and more importantly the entire Church as a whole.

The Evangelical Dictionary of the Bible defines Church as such:

Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Definition of the Church

Church, the. Definition of the Church. The New Testament word for “church” is ekklēsia, which means “the called out ones.” In classical Greek, the term was used almost exclusively for political gatherings. In particular, in Athens the word signified the assembling of the citizens for the purpose of conducting the affairs of the polis. Moreover, ekklēsia referred only to the actual meeting, not to the citizens themselves. When the people were not assembled, they were not considered to be the ekklēsia.

Indeed, the church is to be seen as the called out ones who are seen special through there holiness in inward and outward living. Notice that when people were not assembled they where not called a Church.

One could say that it is safe to say, while when we are not together we must maintain the identity of the Church, when we are not together in Spirit we mise well refute the tittle of ekklesia.

What makes us unique:

Is it the holy apparel

Is it the conferences we attend

Is it the good deeds we do

Is it the services we provide

None of these things make the Church, but must be seen as fruits bared. None of these things make us unique from any other Bible believing church in this area.

- You may say, “Brother Berry, not everyone dresses like we do.” Well believe or not, there are plenty of churches that dress more moderately than Apostolic people that still fail to have the full truth.

This again, does not make us unique.

King James Version Chapter 2

9 But ye are ca chosen generation, da royal priesthood, ean holy nation, ||fa peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the ||gpraises of hhim who hath called you iout of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 kWhich in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2:9-10

Wait, what a chosen generation that should shew forth the what?

PRAISES!!!

PECULIAR IN THIS SCRIPTURE MEANS: “a people for God’s own possession”), a special possession or property. The church is the “property” of God, his “purchased possession”

AS PASTOR SAID THIS MORNING, YOU WHERE ALL BOUGHT WITH A PRICE AND IF YOU ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT TODAY, YOU ARE CONSIDERED A PECULIAR PEOPLE!

So if we are God’s property why are we prostituting ourselves for Satan’s purposes?

Why is it we quickly invite sin into our lives and then justify it by saying that it only pertains to me and I’ll handle it later. Did Isaiah not preach against Israel’s Hypocrisy? Did Joshua not loose 36 men due to sin brought into the camp by one.

Let me ask you this, have you become a spiritual Achan today?

I HAVE THREE WORDS FOR YOU: Put it under the blood and leave it there.

God won’t bring it back up.. the problem occurs when you pick it back up

Don’t blame God when you are suffering from things in your past when you won’t leave your past alone.

Don’t blame God when you can’t overcome something that you won’t admit to

Don’t blame God for not giving abundance when you won’t sacrifice

King James Version Chapter 11

26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Lk 11:26

Let me just say this: one deliverance doesn’t set you free! God has to continually be moving in your life.

Jesus basically put it like this, “You need me continually working in your life or the enemy will inhabit your mind”

TACTICS OF THE ENEMY

The enemy after your mind

Living for God isn’t easy! Living for Satan

The enemy after your soul

The enemy after the Church (The Pastor)

So let me ask this once again, “what are you inviting into the Body?”

Would you consider yourself a peculiar person.. No not a weird person, but property of God! Who are you connected with?

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Are you walking in the light with your Brother and Sister? Do you even know your Brother and Sister exist? Do you meet with them outside of church? Are you really as connected as you think?

Maybe we can’t win people to the Lord because we can’t even connect with one another..

THE Problem:

We fail to encourage one another

(ESV)

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Where is our Mind?

ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Lets go to 2 Cor 2:5

The New Revised Standard Version Forgiveness for the Offender

5 But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent—not to exaggerate it—to all of you. 6 This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; 7 so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. 11 And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Here Paul’s pain was felt not only by himself, but the Corinthian Church that was connected with him. There had been one who offended, not only Paul, but the Corinthian Church. This offender had been rebuked, but notice how Paul requests reconciliation.

One of the deepest fears of the sinner is what if my Brothers and Sisters refuse to forgive me for what I’ve done. LET ME SAY THIS, if they can’t forgive they don’t love God and they are not your brothers and sisters!!!

THE PROBLEM DOES NOT ARISE WHEN WE ADMIT WE HAVE FAILED AND NEED GOD’s GRACE, BUT WHEN WE FAIL AND ACT LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG.

WHAT HAPPENED TO ANN&SAPH, AKIN

One was a lier

The other, one who holds onto the things of the world