The Truth Church

The minister continues a series on apostolic authority, focusing on Ephesians 4:11-14, which lists five ministry offices: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. He emphasizes that these are distinct positions with specific duties, all necessary for the perfecting (equipping) of saints. Using the analogy of a rocket needing constant course correction to reach the moon, he argues that spiritual maturity requires ongoing correction and instruction from the manifold ministry, not just a single office. He defends the present-day relevance of all five offices, rejecting cessationist views, and illustrates authentic prophetic ministry with a story of a prophet who maintained separation from the minister during a revival to ensure his words came solely from God. He criticizes the misuse of titles like 'Major Prophet One' for pride, clarifying that biblical major/minor prophets refer to book length, not importance. Overall, the minister stresses that believers cannot mature in isolation but need the balanced, corrective input of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to grow into the full stature of Christ.

Bishop Riggen preaches on the primacy of prayer, emphasizing that it is the first responsibility of every believer. Drawing from 1 Timothy 2:1, he stresses that prayer is essential for salvation and maintaining a relationship with God; a backslidden life inevitably begins with a broken prayer life. Using Daniel as a model, he notes that effectual prayer requires consistent devotion, not just petitioning God in crisis. Daniel’s prayer life built a spiritual reservoir of power and authority, allowing God to act instantly when needed. The bishop outlines steps from Daniel 9:19: first, getting God’s attention by focusing the mind and casting down distractions; second, seeking God’s favor through repentance and forgiveness. He warns that sin blocks effective prayer and insists on reconciliation with others before seeking God’s forgiveness, citing Matthew 5:23-24 and Mark 11:25-26. He teaches that unforgiveness — whether holding a grudge or refusing to reconcile — hinders one’s own forgiveness from God. He distinguishes condemnation from conviction: condemnation is guilt without purpose, while conviction leads to correction. Believers must accept God’s forgiveness once confessed and stop dwelling on past sins. He also differentiates between evil thoughts and sin, explaining that temptation is not sin unless desire conceives it. The goal is to renew the mind through the blood of Christ, allowing believers to pray effectively and overcome all obstacles, including church hurt, through prayer.

Pastor Hilton opens with Matthew 7:7-8, focusing on "seek and ye shall find." He distinguishes seeking from mere looking—just as one can hear without listening, one can look without truly seeing. Seeking requires intentionality and purpose, not passive observation. Drawing from Jeremiah 29:13, he emphasizes that wholehearted seeking is essential. He references Jesus' question to the crowds about John the Baptist: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?" underscoring that entering the wilderness demands a purpose. Pastor Hilton applies Matthew 6:33, urging the congregation to seek first God's kingdom, not temporal needs. He illustrates true seeking with the parable of the lost sheep and the woman with the lost coin—both actively search until they find. He warns against becoming content with past spiritual experiences, citing examples of those who once were on fire but stopped seeking and drifted away. The merchant seeking goodly pearls shows the value of the kingdom: selling all to obtain it. Pastor Hilton then connects seeking to the Great Commission—Jesus told the disciples to go, not just gaze at his ascension. He challenges the church to be seekers of the lost, sharing stories of coworkers and a Bible study group as evidence of hungry hearts. He concludes that the Son of Man came to seek, and believers are called to join that mission with holy boldness, trusting the Holy Spirit to give words in the moment.

Bishop Riggen examines Romans 11:29, focusing on the distinction between gifts and callings. He emphasizes that while gifts are given to serve the calling, the calling itself is higher. Every believer is called to be a saint, a calling with four parts: salvation, separation, stewardship, and service. He reviews service gifts like helps and governments, which are distinct from the nine spiritual gifts. Ministry itself has a dual nature: it is a calling to the one asked to serve and a gift to those served. Using Jeremiah 1:5 and Romans 1:1, he shows that God separates and calls individuals to ministry, but they must obey. He warns against mistaking a gift for a calling, urging those who sense a call to confirm it with their pastor, as God works through a chain of command. The purpose of ministry is threefold: to project vision, to perfect the saints, and to protect the flock. From Proverbs 29:18 and Ephesians 4:11-15, he argues that without prophetic vision, the people perish, and that ministry equips believers for maturity, preventing them from being tossed by false doctrine. He notes that two-thirds of Paul's definition of preaching in 2 Timothy 4:2 involves reproof and rebuke, which are necessary for spiritual growth. The shepherd protects the sheep from wolves, as Jesus taught in John 10. God gives pastors according to His heart, and what He joins together should not be put asunder.