[Music] this is my confidence [Music] good Ness [Music] amen those promises still stand great is his faithfulness [Music] his word his name his blood has not lost its power promises still stand and anything is possible if he's done it before he can do it again he's the same yesterday today and forever amen thank you so much for coming to the house of the Lord ready to worship and expecting God to invade this place with the power of His presence and thank you to our worship team to help us reach this point in our service leading us and directing us as we get to this moment where we are able to lift him up and Magnify Him and feel his presence in such a very real and Rich way anything is possible when the spirit of the Lord is here amen amen thank you so much worship team you can make your way back to your seats this morning [Music] you can be seated when you arrive there do want to say welcome to a couple that has joined us this morning the Oliveira's thank you so much for being with us they're sitting right over here to my right they are district superintendents in one of the states in Brazil and it's an honor to have you all with us thank you very much for being with us we give you honor for the work you're doing in Brazil God's Church it's all over the world you can't lock it down to any four walls God's church is everywhere and it's powerful everywhere and it's growing everywhere and it's binding up the enemy everywhere and people are getting healed saved delivered everywhere God's Church amen amen I know Bishop has already mentioned it but please let me reiterate I will not be long this morning or I'll do my best not to be very long this morning because I want to give you the most amount of time that I possibly can to scour through the foyer and find what small group is yours because everybody in here needs to belong to a small group and I hate to I hate to to do this this morning but I just feel like doing it if you've ever been part of a small group we've been doing it now for almost two years if you've ever been a part of a small group can you lift your hand this morning it's a lot of hands but that's not every hand those that hadn't lift your hand yet you are missing out on a great part of the POA small groups it brings connection life you get to meet new people it will edify you help you and I encourage everybody that has or has not been a part of a small group to take some time today go through the four you'll find a group that you would like to be a part of and join please do so amen I want to talk to us this morning about his church proud to be a part of his Church when we look at Matthew chapter 16 and it's a story that we all know very well it's written and we can read it there 13-18 and I will do a little bit of X or Jesus there so you don't have to stand and read the word but verse 13 says that when Jesus came to the coast of caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples whom do men say that I am the son of man am who do they say that I am that's a very simple question that Jesus asked he's asking what is my reputation we all know the uh the term that has been coined or the phrase that has been been coined about when somebody says your reputation precedes you Jesus is wanting to know what's my reputation what's being said about me what's the word on the street who do people think that I am what are people saying about me there's a lot of folks out there who don't know Jesus they think they know him they think they have a relationship with him they think they have a good understanding of who a of who he is there's a lot of philosophers and doctors and lawyers professors and yes even theologians highly intellectual people who think they have a good understanding of who Jesus is but truth be told there's a lot of folk who simply don't have a clue who Jesus really is if you ask a Mormon who Jesus is they will say he's a Son of God but that he is distinctly a different person from God if you ask a Muslim who Jesus is they will say that he is a great prophet if you ask an orthodox Jew they will tell you that he was a religious instigator a Rebel Rouser you see a lot of people think Jesus is John the Baptist a lot of people think Jesus is Elijah or Jeremiah or some other great prophet they think they know who Jesus is there's a lot of definitions that Society has for Jesus today there's a lot of people that have molded Jesus into their loving little teddy bear or their Santa Claus who is only good for bearing good gifts but then Jesus changes the question who do you say that I am it's an all-important question Narrows down the focus he makes it personal it's no longer what does society think about me it's no longer what does the world say about me or what does the mainstream media say about me or even what the religious leaders may say about me he narrows it down to me and to you who do you say that I am what's your belief about me what's your relationship with me I'm not worried about everybody else right now I want to know what you have to say we better make sure we can answer that question it's the most important question one will ever be asked what do you say about Jesus what is our knowledge of him what is our relationship with him what's the amount of time spent with him do you know Jesus one of my favorite parts of Messiah this stranger and then Madonna starts to ask do you know the man do you know it do you know him just wondering if you know him what about you out there do you know this man Jesus do you know who Jesus is you have a relationship with him do you know this stranger From Galilee the one who is Healing The Sick and making the dumb to talk the lame to walk the one who is cleansing the lepers and raising the Dead the one who lived died Rose and ascended for all of mankind do you know this man [Music] I hope we know Jesus this morning there's nobody like him and forgive me if I take just a few moments to lift him up I want to know him more I want to know him better there's nobody like Jesus who do you say that I am wherefore God also hath highly exalted him giving him a name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven of things in Earth of things below the Earth bowels to the name of Jesus he's the king of the Jews as SM Lockridge would say he's the king of Israel he's the king of righteousness he's the king of the ages he's the king of Heaven he's the king of glory he's the king of kings and he's the Lord of lords he's enduringly strong he's entirely sincere he's eternally steadfast he's immortally graceful he's imperily powerful he's impartially thank God merciful he's God's son he's The Sinner savior he's the centerpiece of civilization he stands alone all by himself yeah he's all Gust he's unique he's unparalleled he's unprecedented he is supreme there's nobody like Jesus do you know him do you know him who do you say that I am I don't care what society says I don't care what the world says who do you say that I am he's the rose of Sharon he's the lily of the valley he's the pride and Morning Star he's the lamb slain I'm thankful he's the lamb slain I'm thankful for his mercy and his grace but don't forget he's the lion of the tribe of Judah he's the alpha he's the Omega the beginning the end the first the last the one who was is to come the Almighty [Applause] he still owns the cattle on a thousand hills Heaven is still his throne and Earth is just still a place where he kicks his feet up nobody like Jesus The Song of Solomon tries to describe him to us in a foreshadowing of who Jesus is when Solomon's lover is talking about him in Solomon 5 10 and 16 my beloved is white and Rudy the chiefest amongst ten thousand his head is as the most fine gold his locks are bushy and black as a rave and his eyes are the eyes of doves by the rivers of water wash with milk and fitly said his cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers his lips like lilies dropping sweet smelling myrrh his hands are his gold rings set with pearl his belly is as a bright ivory overlaid with sapphires his legs are as pillars of marble set upon the sockets of fine gold his countenances as Lebanon excellent as The Cedars his mouth is most sweet yay he is all together lovely there's nobody like Jesus and we also want to get to know him today like we've never known him who do you say that I am 11 mouths frozen shut terrified of what the correct answer might be or could be or should be nobody knows then out of the silence there is one who begins to declare yes there is one one who struggles with anger one who struggles with frustration the one that's always sticking his foot in his mouth the one that can get a little too big for his britches from time to time he's the one who has trouble keeping his promises I won't leave you I'll be there for you I won't forsake you I won't betray you he's the one that's always looking for a fight he's the one who's even defined as Satan one of those times that he sticks his foot in his mouth yes that one that imperfect man that messed up man who's full of mistakes and mess-ups yes it is that man who stands up and says I Know Who You Are through my faults and through my failures through my imperfections I can still see clearly who you are I think that's why Jesus so loved and believed in Simon Peter because he knew that he was chock full of mess-ups and mistakes but he knew who Jesus was [Applause] he declares Thou Art the Christ the son of the Living God this is Peter declaring that you are the Messiah you are the one who has come to redeem all mankind you are Christ the anointed one Simon Peter is calling him literally Jesus Christ here Jesus which means Jehovah saves Christ meaning anointed one Jesus Christ the anointed Jehovah who saves that's who you are he understood that he was the anointed Messiah but he also understood and was declaring that Jesus was not only the Messiah but was God himself for there's no Jew that would give someone the title son of the Living God that is claiming that Jesus is a deity he was going Beyond you're just the Messiah that was Peter saying you are God robed in flesh Jesus answered him said unto him blessed are thou Simon barjona Flesh and Blood didn't reveal this unto you but my father the spirit which is in heaven and I say unto thee that thou art Peter and Upon This Rock I will build my church the gates of hell shall not prevail against it on this rock I will build my church these words this rock have been the source of much controversy and debate there is a whole religion that bases their belief on the Rock being Simon Peter and the succession plan after him and while Simon Peter's name does translate to the Rock I personally don't believe Jesus was referring to Simon Peter as The Rock I believe in that moment Jesus was pointing to himself in that moment Jesus was pointing to the Revelation that had just been given by Peter it's Upon This Rock that I am the Christ the son of the Living God that my church is going to be built Peter by his own testimony did not see himself as The Rock on which the church was founded he wrote that we are living stones but that Jesus is the Cornerstone he's who the church is built upon Jesus says Upon This Rock upon this revelation of who I am and what I've come to do the church will be built on that rock the Christ the son of the Living God the word who rode himself in flesh came to dwell among men so that he might be resurrected and Ascend with all power in heaven and in Earth and with the keys of death and hell and taking away the sting of the Grave it's upon that rock that Jesus Built his church it was built on the anointed Jehovah who saves Jesus Christ and his precious blood John 4 24 clearly states that God is Spirit we must worship Him in spirit and in truth and then Acts 20 28 says the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood a spirit can't bleed for Spirit wants to bleed it has to provide itself a body so he robed himself in flesh and the man Jesus Christ it was God's very own shed blood that bought the church I'm part of a blood-bought church Jesus didn't suffer in vain he didn't allow his body to be beaten and his head to have crowns of thorns pressed through it he didn't allow his hands and his feet to be impaled to a cross just to prove some weird point no sir you better believe with every single drop of blood he was making a down payment on the most powerful institution in the world the church his church [Music] I love the church I'm glad to be a part of his church or text this morning 16 13-18 is an assurance that it's God's intention that the church should walk in the same life power and divine Liberty that Jesus walked that's the rock the life of Jesus is the rock that the church was built upon he says as the father has sent me even so send I you this even so is suggesting that we are sent under the same circumstances with the same Authority with the same power and with the same resources as the father the spirit sent the son the flesh with everything that Jesus had belongs to the church because it's built on Jesus Christ God does not set any limits to the church's Divine resource he has made all available to us everything everything that was wrapped up in Jesus Christ is in the church of his fullness we have all received that's John 1 16. Ephesians 3 19 and to know the love of Christ with passive knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God God has given us the keys to the kingdom of heaven he does not compel us to use them we have the power to bind we have the power to lose but he doesn't Force us he's waiting on his church it's up to us to mobilize it's up to us to use those keys it's up to us to bind and to lose to lose it's his church and we make up his church and his triumph over Satan he has given us the church his church all the weapons that are needed how we use them or how well we use them then falls on us it's not his responsibility to make us use those gifts for those weapons or everything that was wrapped up in him it's up to us to make the choice to use those weapons it's our responsibility we as the bride of Christ the body of Believers have all power in heaven and the Earth flowing through our spiritual veins no power of man no lapse of time will ever bring destruction to the church the church has been marched against by the world conquering might of all the Caesars it's met the persecution of the apostate ages yet the church still survives the lines of the Coliseum couldn't stop the church the atrocities of the Catacombs couldn't stop the church the pain of persecution the Flames at the stake couldn't stop the church nothing has been able to conquer the church the church is like the desert bush that was a flame with The Descendant deity it was that burning bush that wasn't consumed right there in front of Moses the church has proved to be imperishable the storms have come against the church there's floods that have come against the church there's winds and waves that have ravaged against it but it's all in vain Thrones and empires have risen and Fallen throughout all the ages but his church that was built on Jesus Christ still stands and Still Remains it's still functioning at a high level it remains because it's built on the Rock Jesus Christ [Applause] the church light shines and it shines well her voice still vibrates her Conquest still multiply her life is hid within Christ she is impenetrable from the onslaught of her enemies the church is stable immovable and shakeable by his own Divine Creed decree I will build my church Upon This Rock the rock of My Life The Rock on the fact that I am the Christ the son of the Living God [Applause] no persecution can stop the church no Schism can stop the church no sneers of the villainous scoffers can stop the church no opacity no apostasy no scientific movement no Skeptics pin no infidels mouth no enlightened world or post-modern world can stop the church nothing shall Prevail against the Church of the Living God [Applause] I can hear that voice I hear the voice today that is snoring that is rising high above the snarling clamors of society saying the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail I hear a voice screaming it the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail I hear a voice Above The Clash of armies around the world the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail I hear a voice above the chaos and the confusion I hear a voice above our own government and our politics I hear a voice that's above Republicans I hear a voice that's above Democrats I hear a voice that is shouting nothing shall Prevail against the church I hear a voice Rising above all Thrones the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail I hear a voice above the sneers of those who sit in the seat of the scornful the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail I hear a voice above the unfounded claims of this liberal world the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail I hear a voice amid the tombs of Nations the gates of hell shall not prevail it's the voice of Jesus Christ that I hear this morning the voice of the one who this very church was built upon it's the voice of the one who said Peace to a stormy sea to the sinful woman he said go in peace to the dying Thief he said you'll be with me today in Paradise to the dead and Bethany's graveyard he said rat Lazarus rise up to the disciples he told them all power and Heaven and Earth belongs to me now now go and I'll do the rest I hear that voice this morning the voice of the one that this was built upon he's the one who made a Shepherd boy a king he made a little unknown Jewish orphan the queen of Persia he made an unlearned fisherman a preacher and gave him the Keys of the Kingdom and he preached the First Holy Ghost Jesus name one God message in Acts chapter 2 the day the church was begun that day was so powerful that it stirred up Jerusalem Judea Samaria and the uttermost parts of the Earth I hear that voice I hear the voice of the one who made a baby boy floating in the Nile River a prince of Egypt a deliverer an emancipator a conqueror a law give her a prophet he made a nation out of a mob he left his mark on the social structure of the thinking the ethics and religion of all Humanity I hear the voice of the one who made the baby boy Israel The Sovereign over the desert and placed him in his seed over half the planet's Earth's known oil supply that's the gospel I'm preaching about the rock that his church was built upon that rock delivered the demoniac and clothed in with sanity that rock changed the character of Zacchaeus the embezzler and filled him with a life of liberality the Christ the son of the Living God delivered Mary Magdalene from seven seven devils and conquered and covered her with respectability and virtue the foundation of the church Jesus Christ changed Saul of Tarsus that killer that blasphemer that executionary changed him into the Apostle Paul who shook cities and continents it's that very same voice this morning that is proclaiming once again the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church [Applause] I'm coming to a close if you want to come to the music everything that we read in scripture concerning Jesus Christ and his ministry what he did things that he accomplished his power his love his grace his Mercy his ability to deliver heal set free is all wrapped up in the church I'm so glad that I am a part of the church I'm so honored to be a part of this church to be a part of this particular body of Believers the POA [Applause] I believe it's the greatest Gathering Together of saints anywhere in the world there's no greater people in the world than POA you're the greatest people in the world so honored to Pastor here so honored to say that I get to do life with each and every one of you but I say this with all love and sincerity this is not trying to sound condemning or in judgment but we can't make it without the church you better be a part of a church you better be connected to a church and I think this is the greatest Church in the world in my opinion I don't think it gets any better than the POA I want you to be a part of this church I want you to be connected with the pla but if this church isn't for you then you better find you a church that is built on Jesus Christ the solid rock because we all need a church we all need a church [Applause] it was in his church where a body of Believers joined together and put on a children's program thank you brother Allen School back in my day it was in a church with body of Believers just like this putting on youth revivals then in October of 1991 in a church where I made my way to an altar and you made your way to an altar for those of you all that don't know this is an add-on to the stage the steps actually come over here like this I was sitting right here in a church when God Almighty filled me with the Holy Ghost October of 91. it was in the church I'm not talking about the four walls it was in the church I had a body of Believers around me who were putting on a youth program a kids program who were creating an atmosphere where there was love and grace and mercy that created a place where the presence of God could show up and manifest itself in a young five-year-old boy could experience the power of the Holy Ghost it's the church [Applause] the church it was in the church in an atmosphere of love and mercy and Grace and not judgment or when there were times in my life where I wasn't the Christian I should have been where I wasn't the man I should have been I could make my way to an altar and fall on my knees and say Jesus forgive me and all around me was people that were full of love and grace and would pray with us it was in a church we need a church he was here in the church went at my lowest point when I didn't know what to do or where to go or where to turn depressed and oppressed it was in a church that I could come and have my spirits lifted I'm not talking about these four walls I love this beautiful edifice that we call the POA but that's not his church I'm talking about the atmosphere that was created the edification that was created by my brothers and sisters the Church of the Living God is built upon the rock Jesus Christ and it's made up of my brothers and sisters who are full of him and it's where I could come in my lowest deepest darkest hour and I could be lifted by his church it was here that I could run when I needed prayer over my mind when I needed prayer for my broken down body I could come to his church where his beloved who have the keys and have all power in heaven and earth that is running through our spiritual bodies everything that was in him is wrapped up in this church and I could run to this church be prayed for and I know a miracle could take place it's his church it's his church the immovable and unshakable it's all powerful and Unstoppable because it is built on Christ the solid rock all other ground is sinking sand we should all want to be a part of his church not just coming inside these four walls on Sunday morning so glad to see you not just coming on Wednesday night so glad to see you then but it's more than that it's connecting with one another it's sharing with one another it's serving one another it's edifying one another that's his church Ephesians 4 16 from who the whole body fitly joined together compacted by that which every joint supplyeth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part make an increase of the body under the edifying of itself in love it's what it's all about that's his church edifying one another in love connecting with one another with love towards one another that's his church that's what makes up his church not the four walls but the body of believers who have put their trust in the solid rock and his death burial and Resurrection whenever you have a group of people who are full of Jesus Christ and who know him in spirit and in truth who have been baptized in his name and filled with his Spirit whenever you have that group of people that's the church that's the church and that's where anything is possible is in the church where there is a group of people full of the Holy Ghost full of him him all power in heaven and in Earth his church let's all Stand Together I want to be a part of his church I want to be connected to his church I want to be joined with all of you my brothers and sisters connected and edifying one another in love that's his church and I know this room is full of people who are full of the Holy Ghost been baptized in his name so Christ the solid rock is inside you and that's what makes up his church and all power in Heaven and Earth is here this morning because Jesus is here Jesus is in the church not this platform and not the four walls which I love but he's he's in the church he's in the church he's in the church all power is in the church love is in the church grace and mercy your ability to lift somebody up and edify somebody it's in the church so with as much power as that is here this morning because his church is here I don't know what your need may be I don't know what your situation may be this morning I don't know what you might be facing or going through if it's a physical situation an emotional situation a financial situation a family situation I don't know what you may be facing but what I know is you've come to church you're in the church the church is all around you and it's here to build you up and to pray for you to touch you to strengthen you the church is here this morning so if you have a need this morning any need at all I'd suggest getting up to the front of this church as quick as you can because you're going to be surrounded by the church church is here the solid rock is here you want healing in your body you want Deliverance for your soul you want salvation you want to know what it means to be to have Christ the solid rock on the inside of you and we encourage you to come on down repent of your sins you want to be baptized in Jesus name we'd love to see you baptized in Jesus name you want to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost have Christ the solid rock living on the inside of you come experience the gift of the Holy Ghost but look at all the needs that are here today look at all the knees that have made their way forward to the front and to the rail those of you that are at the front and those of you that are at the rail can I get y'all to do me a favor real quick can y'all turn around everybody that's come up to the front for a need or for prayer turn around look at the people that are behind you those on the rail look turn around look at the people that are still behind you in the balcony that's the church that's the church you've come down here in need you've come down here needing something from from God [Applause] those people behind you are going to point their hand towards the front and we're going to believe a miracle is going to take place in your life we're going to believe healing salvation and deliverance those of you that are still in your seats you're the church you're Christ the solid rock all power in Heaven and Earth belongs to you Point your hand towards the front those of you that are still gathered at the front needing something from Jesus join with your neighbor connect with somebody you're in the church you're the church [Music] you've got everything Jesus had because it was built on him pray over that individual pray over that circumstance pray over that knee [Music] come on anything's possible right now anything is possible is here because his church is here [Music] nothing is impossible with him oh things are possible with God let healing virtues sweep through this place let a miracle take place let Deliverance take place come on Church come on Church push through for somebody believe for somebody somebody may be weak in faith this morning somebody may be doubting pick up their slack foreign [Music] that you are part of his church and Upon This Rock he will establish his identity so in any situation in the trauma in the stress in the fear in the anxiety he is already given you a promise I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not Prevail against it Upon This Rock he's established that truth in your life and you need to claim it you need to receive it you need to implement that promise into your life we thank you so much for watching with us today we look forward to worshiping again with you Wednesday night until then go in the confidence and the acknowledgment that his church is Alive and Well in Jesus name be blessed let the favor of God rest on you have a great day [Music] foreign foreign foreign foreign [Music]