By TIMOTHY L. MELTON, PASTOR
(Transcribed by Myra D. Colgate)
Cherokee Pentecostal Holiness Church
Read I Corinthians 1:10-17.
The Truth is, it’s the enemy’s focus on us in the Church that can highlight any problems we have seen lately. The Lord has put a Word in me today for this House, and I want to share it just like the Lord gave it. He put it in me as a Word for today for this House, and I’m going to go ahead and share it like the Lord gave it. Let Him sort it out in the end.
I have to tell you that Cherokee has been one of the greatest experiences, for Cassie and I, that we have ever had in a church in the last twenty something years. We are so proud to be here, to be part of what God is doing here. I believe, in these last days, so much more will be happening here and in the middle of it all. I’m so very thankful for that. I’m thankful that of all the churches I’ve pastored, I can say, ‘This House loves God.’ I thank God for that.
You need to know just what I think of my assignment here—I rejoice in it!
In talking with one of our conference officials this past week, he said to me, “I understand you bought a house in Tennessee and that you’re leaving Asheville?” “Yes, I am.” So then, he asked me, “Do you plan to stay at this church?”
“Yes,” I answered, “unless you tell me I can’t. I’ll be here, and we’re all excited about that! I had wondered if our moving out of district would cause a problem, but it shouldn’t now . We’re here and most of you are happy about that. Some may not be, but those of you that aren’t, I don’t know, we are going to be here.”
“I have been given some things to say this morning, that may not be the easiest to hear, only a bold, restorative, reexamination of the issue/s can be valued enough to bring in the best result. You need to know that. I’m only preaching out of the Word of God. We certainly are not coming today to personally upset or offend anyone.”
In sharing this fact right here, I am going to build on it. Christianity is not just to get a person to Heaven. Christianity is an actual lifestyle that needs to be lived out fully on this earth. It’s where we have responsibilities in order to live out our lives well. Amen. The lifestyle and the responsibilities we have are not just to live good lives, by not cussing, etc., and then go on to Heaven. Are we alright? Yes, our job is not just to come to church and pay tithes every now and then, declaring we are okay with God. That is not really what Christianity is. (I know sinner people who do that.) Christianity is so much more than just having a nameplate over your door that says, ‘As for me and my house…’ Right? Amen.
Christianity is so much more. Today the Lord has sent me in here to talk to you and you must understand. He has to tell me before He can correct you. If you were to say ‘I’m offended today,’ look at your neighbor and say, ‘He offended himself.’ That’s because I have to deal with it, too, Amen. Let’s just read this in Scripture this morning.
Carefully study and read this parable in Matthew, Chapter 20, Verses 1-7, stopping at Verse 7 for now. They said unto Him, ‘because He has hired us, He said unto them, go you also into the vineyard and whatever is right, that shall you receive.’ There was more here, but that’s not what my assignment was.
My assignment is in Matthew, Chapter 20, verses 6-7 and that is simply this. It is now the twelfth hour and we’re coming down to the last of the last. Will the Lord find us standing idle?
Father, today, we come to You, Lord with bated-breath, excited to see what it is the Lord would say to us. (Some probably just said, ‘don’t step on my toes.’ Others may have said, ‘Please, go ahead and do it.’)
But, Father, I declare today, whether my toes are involved or not, I pray You’d get all our feet involved and we would be willing to go, to do, to be willing to be what You want and desire for us to be. Father, I pray this day, You would activate something in our hearts, something in our spirits that would cause us to rise up and begin to declare, “I cannot stand by idly any longer.” Father, we give You the Praise, the Glory and all the Honor. In Jesus’ Name, and everybody says, Amen.
(To be continued next week.)
