The Truth Church

Reverend Mays draws from Joshua chapter 10, recounting how Gibeon allied with Israel, causing five Amorite kings to attack. He emphasizes that when believers choose God's side, all hell may rise, but all heaven comes to aid. The sermon focuses on God's command through Joshua for the captains to put their feet on the necks of these defeated kings. Reverend Mays explains this as an idiom of asserting firm authority, declaring it is time for believers to put their foot down on the devil's neck. He addresses those feeling oppressed, depressed, or under spiritual attack, urging them to change positions from being under circumstance to being on top. The five kings represent any problem—financial, marital, addiction, sickness, or depression. While Christ has already defeated Satan spiritually, believers must personally manifest that victory by taking action, using the weapons of God's word, name, blood, and Spirit. Reverend Mays stresses the need to bring hidden sins out of the cave, identify them honestly, and hate them with a holy hatred before they can be destroyed. He notes Joshua did not put his own foot on the kings but let the captains do it, signifying that victory belongs to every believer. After putting their feet on the necks, Joshua killed the kings and hanged them publicly, sending a message to both God's people and the enemy that the foe has no more power. The spiritual purpose is to call believers to stop tolerating spiritual bondage, actively use their God-given authority, and remind the devil of Christ's finished work, resulting in supernatural deliverance and testimony.

Bishop Riggen continues his series on prevailing in prayer from 1 Timothy 2:1, emphasizing that prayer is the 'first of all' priority for believers. He stresses that effective prayer requires learning how to pray, not just being told to pray, and that unanswered prayer is a major obstacle to consistency. Using Daniel 9:19 as a model, he breaks down four essential components: 'O Lord, hear' (getting God's attention through praise and focus), 'O Lord, forgive' (obtaining God's favor through repentance and reconciliation with others), and 'O Lord, hearken' (presenting specific petitions). He warns against generic prayers like 'Lord, move' and urges specificity—asking for precise needs at specific times—because this requires and exhibits genuine faith. He illustrates with Joshua's prayer for the sun to stand still and Hezekiah's prayer for his life to be extended, showing how bold, specific prayers moved God to suspend natural laws. The bishop also cautions that when praying for others' salvation, we cannot force their will; we can only ask God to bring them to a place of surrender. Ultimately, he calls believers to seek God's face before His hands, promising that where God's favor shines, His provision follows.

Pastor Hilton preaches from Hebrews 11:23-27 on Moses' decision to refuse being called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. The message centers on the reality that believers, like Moses, are born into an 'Egyptian' world—a dominating, pagan culture that seeks to enslave and destroy. The enemy, like Amalek, attacks from behind when God's people are weary and feeble, striving to isolate them from the flock. Pastor Hilton emphasizes the crucial three months Moses' parents, Jochebed and Amram, had to instill faith in him before sending him down the river. Though the situation seemed hopeless, they did all they could, crafting an ark of bulrushes and trusting God with the rest. This illustrates that what little we have to offer—our prayers, our presence in church, our teaching—becomes the means of salvation. The core of the sermon is the identity declared in the Shema: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.' Despite Moses spending forty years in Pharaoh's palace, learning all Egyptian wisdom, the seed planted in those early months by his mother could not be erased. When he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, something deep inside reminded him that he was a Hebrew, not an Egyptian. Pastor Hilton urges the congregation to remember that, regardless of how long they have lived in or been influenced by the world, they are no longer Egyptians. They are children of God, and they must choose, like Moses, to refuse the world's identity and embrace their true heritage.

Bishop Riggen teaches from Romans 11:29, 'the gifts and calling of God are without repentance,' as part of a series on apostolic authority. He distinguishes between gifts and callings, noting that every believer has a calling to be a saint, which involves salvation, separation, stewardship, and service. The secondary calling to ministry is not universal. Ministry serves a threefold purpose: to project vision, perfect believers through equipping (which can be painful), and protect them, emphasizing the necessity of trustworthy local spiritual leadership over internet sources. Focusing on Ephesians 4:11, he examines the manifold ministry offices: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. An apostle, from Greek words meaning 'sent from,' is one sent by a higher authority with a specific task and message, often confirmed by signs and wonders. While the original twelve apostles were unique, Barnabas and Paul are also called apostles. Apostleship in the church today applies to pioneer church planters who blaze new trails in unreached areas, not those continuing another's work. This office is necessary because the church is not yet perfected and needs all these offices for balanced maturity. Bishop Riggen humbly notes his own work in Africa but does not claim the title, emphasizing that no apostolic office should usurp the local pastor's authority. He aims to explain each office's significance for practical understanding.

Bishop Riggen teaches from 1 Timothy 2:1 on the priority of prayer, emphasizing that effective prayer requires God's attention. He uses Daniel 9:19 to show that Daniel prayed 'O Lord, hear' not because God cannot hear, but to secure God's focused attention. The bishop explains that gaining God's attention begins with giving Him our full attention and entering His presence with thanksgiving and praise. He then addresses the need for forgiveness and God's favor, insisting that unrepented sin blocks favor. He distinguishes between true repentance and unbelief, noting that repeatedly repenting for the same sin after sincere confession reveals a failure to accept God's forgiveness. He warns against condemnation from the devil, which leads to self-pity rather than genuine humility. Using illustrations from Samson, Job, and Daniel, Bishop Riggen urges believers to stop wallowing in self-pity and instead recognize their identity as children of the King. He shows from the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 and the story of Esther that God is eager to answer prayer. Esther, though terrified, found the king extending his scepter and asking, 'What is thy petition?' The bishop applies this to believers: God is extending His scepter today, wanting to grant requests up to half His kingdom. The sermon's spiritual purpose is to build faith, remove self-pity, and encourage bold, effectual prayer.