The Truth Church

Bishop Riggen opens from 1 Corinthians 12:1, where Paul declares he does not want believers to be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts. He stresses that a lack of knowledge on this topic is destroying the church, causing Pentecostals to mimic charismatics rather than learn from Scripture. He distinguishes ignorance from stupidity, noting that ignorance is simply a lack of knowledge that can be remedied, and insists this is a subject believers must pursue. He points to 1 Corinthians 12:31 where Paul commands the church to 'covet earnestly the best gifts,' emphasizing that this is an apostolic mandate for all saints, not just ministers. The historical backdrop of Corinth is examined: a city of over half a million, known for its intellectual pride, material wealth, and extreme moral corruption, including temple prostitution. Despite this, Paul built a church there—not through human wisdom or eloquence, but through a demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Bishop Riggen argues that the same is needed today: the church cannot impact its world by talent, education, or programs alone; it requires a supernatural move of God. He references Zechariah 4:6: 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit.' Drawing on the Old Testament pattern of Israel following the cloud, he warns that the church must not miss its season of visitation. He urges a desperate hunger for the Holy Spirit's operation, declaring that the current moment is a threshold that cannot be squandered. The sermon's spiritual purpose is to ignite a passionate pursuit of spiritual gifts as essential for revival and apostolic impact.

Reverend Mays opens his message by recounting a story of a man and a little boy looking at a painting of the crucifixion; the boy tearfully explains that Jesus died but adds, "He didn't stay dead." The sermon draws from Matthew 27:50-54 and three passages from John 19, which detail the Roman soldiers' role in scourging Jesus, mocking Him with a crown of thorns and purple robe, casting lots for His seamless coat, breaking the legs of the thieves, and piercing His side, from which blood and water flowed. Reverend Mays notes that the centurion—identified by tradition as Longinus—is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke as declaring, "Truly this was the Son of God" and "Certainly this was a righteous man." The message imagines Longinus's perspective: a hardened career soldier who oversaw many crucifixions but was profoundly affected by Jesus. He recalls the arrest in Gethsemane, the betrayal by Judas, the healing of Malchus's ear, and the brutal flogging. Watching Jesus endure mocking, the crown of thorns, and the cross, Longinus becomes convinced that Jesus suffered for him personally. At the moment of death, when the earth quakes and darkness falls, he proclaims Jesus is the Son of God. After the resurrection, Longinus witnesses the empty tomb, refuses bribes to lie, resigns his commission, and is baptized on the day of Pentecost, becoming a new creature in Christ. The sermon urges hearers to come to the altar to receive the Holy Ghost and experience new life in the risen Savior.

The minister uses Mark 4:3-4 and Jesus' interpretation in verse 15 to focus on the first soil in the Parable of the Sower. He notes that the problem is not the sower, the seed, or even the soil, but the birds that devour the seed before it can take root. These birds represent Satan, who comes immediately to steal the word sown in the heart. The minister connects this to Jesus' statement in John 10:10 that the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, emphasizing that stealing is Satan's primary operation. He illustrates this through the Garden of Eden, where the serpent's first attack was to question God's word, and through Abraham, who in Genesis 15 had to drive away birds from his sacrificial offering—symbolizing the need to actively protect God's promises from doubt. The minister argues that God's nature is truth; He calls things that are not as though they were, and it is impossible for Him to lie. Therefore, believers must hide God's word deep in their hearts, as David did, so the enemy cannot steal it. He uses David's confrontation with Goliath as an example of someone who stood on a specific promise from God. The spiritual purpose is to exhort hearers to actively guard and believe the promises God has spoken to them, refusing to let the devil steal the seed of God's word before it can produce fruit.

Bishop Riggen continues a series on the laying on of hands, focusing on it as a symbolic act of transference that God honors as though it were the real thing. He reviews that the first biblical instance is Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, transferring promises, and that in the Old Testament, the laying on of hands was always about transferring something—sin to a sacrifice, or authority and spirit from Moses to Joshua. In the New Testament, Jesus and the apostles used it to transfer healing, blessing, the Holy Ghost, and spiritual gifts. The key passage is Acts 3:6-8, where Peter tells the lame man, 'Such as I have give I thee,' showing that one can only impart what has been imparted to them. Bishop Riggen argues that all true authority flows downward from God, who is the source, and that a person who lays hands must be under proper delegated authority; otherwise, they may be using usurped authority. He emphasizes that laying hands on someone's head, a symbol of authority, should be reserved for those with God-given authority. He warns that this practice can be a two-edged sword: a wrong spirit can be transferred to the recipient, or an ungodly spirit can be received by the one praying if they are not spiritually prepared. He illustrates this with the example of the seven sons of Sceva. The sermon calls believers to approach the laying on of hands with expectation, faith, and a clean heart, trusting that God will honor His instituted symbol and transfer what He intends.

Pastor Hilton preaches from Genesis 28:17, where Jacob exclaims, 'How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.' He argues that the primary purpose of God's house is to restore what Adam and Eve lost in the Fall—intimate communion with God. The foundational requirement for entering into God's presence is constructing an altar. Without a personal altar—a dedicated place of communication and surrender—one has never truly been in the house of God, regardless of attendance. Pastor Hilton traces this through Abraham, who built an altar whenever God spoke to him; Isaac, who built his own altar distinct from his father’s before pitching his tent; and Jacob, who had a powerful vision at Bethel but only built a memorial pillar, not an altar of ongoing fellowship. Years later, God commanded Jacob to return to Bethel and build an altar. The message is a call to 'go back to Bethel'—to revisit the place where God spoke a promise. Many have let their altars become broken or neglected by life’s distractions. Tonight is the time to rebuild that altar, not merely commemorate past encounters. It is not enough to attend church; one must stake a claim on what God said, mixing works with faith. The house of God is wherever the altar is built.