The Truth Church

The minister begins by establishing that God created humanity for fellowship, citing Luke 2:52 on Jesus increasing in favor with God and man, and Acts 2:42 on the early church continuing in fellowship. He argues that God's original purpose in creating man—breathing a living soul into Adam and placing him in Eden—was to have communion with him. Even after the fall, God sought Adam, desiring to restore relationship. The minister emphasizes that this desire persists today; no sin is beyond God's willingness to reconcile, as shown in Isaiah 1:18. He draws from 1 John 1 to explain that true fellowship with God involves walking in light, confessing sin, and being cleansed by Christ's blood. This fellowship also unites believers as one body, the body of Christ. The minister uses the analogy of Adam and Eve—bone of bone and flesh of flesh—to illustrate that the church is formed from Christ's side, referencing the spear piercing Jesus' side. He stresses that the body of Christ must be unified, not divided, and that this unity comes through the Holy Spirit. Jesus' prayer in John 17 for believers to be one as the Father and Son are one is cited. The minister concludes by contrasting fellowship with God versus the world, noting that believers cannot partake of both the Lord's table and the table of devils. He clarifies that association with sinners should lead them toward God, not away. The ultimate goal is knowing Christ in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, a mystery and joy unparalleled in any other relationship.

Bishop Riggen preaches from Psalm 69:1-9, noting that while verse 9, 'the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up,' is often associated with Jesus cleansing the temple, its original context in David's life reveals a different meaning. David wrote this psalm during a time of deep despair, feeling overwhelmed by enemies and crying out to God. However, in his distress, a shift occurs: the yearning for God's house rises within him like a fire. This 'zeal' represents a passionate love for the church that pulls him from despondency. The sermon then explores six benefits of the church, emphasizing that it is a place of propagation (souls are saved), proclamation (direction from God's Word is given), propinquity (families and friendships are forged), protection (deliverance and refuge are found), prayer (God promises to hear prayers made in His house), and praise (worship invites God's glory). Drawing on Acts 2, 2 Chronicles 7, and other scriptures, Bishop Riggen stresses that the church is not merely a building but a sanctuary where God's presence abides and where believers can find strength, encouragement, and victory regardless of their circumstances. The spiritual purpose is to ignite a deep appreciation for the church as the place where God meets His people and transforms lives.

Bishop Riggen continues his exposition of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16, emphasizing that church music must be psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs — categories opposed to the carnal. He reviews the three components of music: melody appeals to the spirit, harmony to the soul, and rhythm to the flesh. Rhythm is not sinful but must have limits; in ungodly music, the beat dominates, making it flesh-based. He demonstrates how unresolved musical tension (e.g., a suspended chord) creates physiological and spiritual unrest that people seek to resolve in sinful ways — linking this to violence and promiscuity. He cites studies: rock music alters brain structure, impairs cognition, and induces erotic responses; rap prompted mating in animals. Volume above safe decibels damages hearing and the brain, defiling the temple of God. He rejects the justification that Christian lyrics sanctify a worldly style, noting that music is for worship, not evangelistic outreach; God saves through preaching, not music. He warns against consumerist 'Christian entertainment' that exploits gullible believers, citing a performer who returned to secular music after topping Christian charts. He calls believers to apply Philippians 4:8 — asking if a song is true, pure, lovely — and Romans 13:14, making no provision for the flesh. The ultimate test: can you pray or worship to this music? Does it move your spirit or just your body? Music must please God, not ourselves.

Bishop Riggen continues his series on Hebrews 6:1-2, focusing on the doctrine of baptisms. He explains that the plural 'baptisms' refers to two distinct spiritual experiences: water baptism and Spirit baptism, as seen in Acts 1:5 and John 3:5, where Jesus says one must be born of water and of the Spirit to enter God's kingdom. Using Ephesians 4:5, he clarifies that while there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, the context in Hebrews addresses both water and Spirit. Bishop Riggen emphasizes that both elements are essential for the new birth; a person who has received the Holy Ghost but not been baptized in Jesus' name is only 'half-born.' He argues that biblical baptism requires immersion in the name of Jesus Christ, not with the formula 'Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,' citing scriptural examples from Acts and the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. He addresses common objections, including the thief on the cross, explaining that the thief lived under the Old Covenant before Christ's death and resurrection established the gospel. Bishop Riggen stresses that believers must be ready to give a defense of their faith (1 Peter 3:15) and earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 3). He concludes by urging obedience to God's command to be baptized in Jesus' name, asserting that God always makes a way for those who truly desire to obey, as seen in his grandmother's deathbed conversion and his own ministry experiences in Africa.

Pastor Hilton opens with 2 Corinthians 3:6–8, distinguishing the old covenant's ministration of the law—which brought death—from the new covenant's ministration of the Spirit, which gives life. He emphasizes that while the law revealed through Moses was glorious, the Spirit's ministry is even more glorious. The preacher expresses a personal hunger for God's presence and a desire for the church to move beyond mere routine and doctrinal correctness into the active, powerful moving of the Holy Spirit. He affirms that the church already excels in the spirit of truth and the spirit of love, but his concern is the manifest power and ministry of the Spirit—the ministration that brings life rather than death. Using the example of Paul's letters to the Corinthians, he shows that after the church obeyed the cutting correction of truth (1 Corinthians 5), they were then called to apply the Spirit's ministry of comfort and forgiveness (2 Corinthians 2:6–8) so that the repentant brother would not be overwhelmed by sorrow. The preacher urges believers to yield to the Spirit's leading, to set aside doubt and contentment, and to become conduits for God's outpouring as promised in Joel 2:28–29. He calls the church to respond to the Spirit's bidding, to be led by the Spirit as Jesus was, and to cooperate with God so that revival and glory can spread beyond the sanctuary into the surrounding cities.