Valley Gospel
A Pentecostal church experience.
Valley Gospel
A Wilderness People
Are you hungry for unfiltered spiritual truth in a world of religious compromise? In this powerful sermon from Valley Gospel Church, we explore the biblical pattern of God raising up "wilderness prophets" who speak His word without fear or favor.
The message centers on a provocative parallel between John the Baptist, Elijah, and today's remnant believers - those whom God has positioned outside mainstream religious systems to proclaim uncomfortable truths. Just as the Holy Spirit bypassed the entire religious establishment to speak through John "in the wilderness," God continues to anoint ordinary believers who have been schooled by His Spirit rather than human institutions.
What makes these "watchmen on the walls" distinctive is their single-minded devotion to Christ and their refusal to compromise biblical truth for popularity or acceptance. They aren't distracted by politics, social causes, or building religious monuments - they're looking for "a city not made with hands." Most significantly, they recognize that genuine division in the church stems not from truth-telling but from compromise with worldly values.
The sermon challenges listeners with a stirring question: Are you part of this "Elijah Company" being raised up in these last days? Have you caught a glimpse of God's holiness that makes you refuse to wink at sin? The call is clear - to be among those who stand boldly against religious hypocrisy by standing consistently in God's presence until "a fire burns in your bones that you can't shake."
This message will confront, challenge and ultimately call you into deeper authenticity in your walk with Christ. Join us as we discover what it truly means to be God's wilderness people in a compromised religious landscape.
Because of you, because he yeah, woo, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:Hello, welcome to Valley Gospel Church. We are a non-denominational Pentecostal church located in Springdale, pennsylvania. Our sole mission is to present the living truth of a risen Lord Jesus Christ to a remnant church and a lost world. So let's go into the service recorded live at Valley Gospel Church.
Speaker 3:It's found in the book of Malachi and it says that that behold, I will send you Elijah, the prophet, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and turn the hearts of the children to the fathers. Now there are Bible teachers and Bible scholars that believe this prophecy was, at least in part, fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist, and they cite Luke 1, 16, where an angel appears to John's dad, zacharias, and tells him that his son, john, would turn many to the Lord and that he would go forth in the spirit of Elijah. And okay, to make ready. The verse goes on to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. But when Jesus talks to his disciples about John the Baptist and you can find it in Matthew 11, and he says if you will receive it, this John the Baptist is Elijah, and he adds he that hath ears. Let him hear. Now, what the Holy Spirit's revealed to me in that thought process is that what's being explained is two-pronged in Malachi, luke, matthew, elijah is, as prophesied by Malachi, would come along with Enoch, right. The two that would be wouldn. Two that would be wouldn't see death in the great tribulation, the great and terrible day of the Lord. And the second part of that is and here's what, here's the revelation in this If Israel had accepted as prophesied John the Baptist, had they accepted who John the Baptist was speaking of, then the kingdom age that we're awaiting would have been ushered in right then Done and Elijah would have been manifested.
Speaker 3:But both were rejected. Not only both John the Baptist and Jesus were rejected by the Jews. How many of you know that the baptism in the Holy Ghost, along with that, was meant for the Jewish people? They said no, they rejected it. Both were rejected. So, in the words of Luke and Jesus, on those going out in the spirit of Elijah and I, I realized this is I'm getting out in the woods a little bit. Stay with me, I'll clear it up, chrissy, let's go to work.
Speaker 3:John the Baptist did go out in the spirit and the power of Elijah thundered against the sinful, greedy, pleasure-loving Jews. He was sent to turn the hearts of those who were lost to what was coming, the hearts of the people, prepare the people for their coming, lord, they were wilderness prophets. Wilderness prophets, both Elijah and John the Baptist, I believe. Malachi, isaiah, other prophets speak of true men and women of God being anointed just prior, just prior to the second coming and going out. In Elijah power teaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Amen, both then and now. We have two core texts this morning that Chrissy will read, both found in the book of Isaiah Isaiah 58 and Isaiah 62. That Chrissy will read, both found in the book of Isaiah Isaiah 58 and Isaiah 62. And I'll ask you, whenever you get to the book of Isaiah, please stand for the reading of God's word. This morning, we'll begin with Isaiah 58, 1 and 2, and then 62, 6 through 10. 58 and 1.
Speaker 2:Cry aloud, spare, not. Lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of me the ordinance of justice. They take delight in approaching to God.
Speaker 3:All right 62 and 6.
Speaker 2:I have set watchmen upon your walls, o Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace, nor day nor night. You will make the mention of the Lord. Keep not silent. Hmm, no more. Give your corn to be meat for your enemies, and the sons of the stranger shall not drink your wine for the which you have labored, but they who have gathered it shall eat it and praise the Lord, and they who have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness. Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way of the people. Cast up, cast up the highway. Gather out the stones. Lift up a standard for the people.
Speaker 3:Hallelujah I used for a subject this morning a wilderness people. A wilderness people. Let's pray, heavenly Father. Lord, I thank you for this amazing, complex message, lord, that you've entrusted to me. Help me to not do any injustice to your word, lord, help me to not waste time on the insignificant or the trivial. Lord, I ask you to anoint your people to hear and to receive your word. Let it be a lamp unto our feet, a light to our path. It's in the name of your beloved, precious august, soon-coming son, we pray. Amen and amen. Please be seated. You ever heard of, uh, gonna get my socks blessed off? Well, I'm afraid I'm gonna get my socks blessed off. Well, I'm afraid I'm going to get my socks blessed off. This morning, this message blessed my socks off. Hallelujah. I always tell, I always say that preparing for a message is so much fun. It's exciting and a blessing and amazing. And then to deliver it, this becomes work, because I want to be careful. I want to be careful to do it exactly as he had said to do it. I want to be careful to do it exactly as he had said to do it.
Speaker 3:That dreadful day of the Lord that Malachi spoke of is certainly the return the second coming of Christ. It's dreadful in regard to the fact that Jesus will not only show the wrath of God, but he will subdue the earth, god's wrath on disobedient and the wicked. And there's truly coming a day when the ungodly will cry for the rocks to fall on them and the mountains to crush them. To hide from the face of he who sits on the throne, to hide from the face of he who sits on the throne. From whom will he pour his wrath and judgment on all unbelief? It's called the terrible wrath of the Lamb. But before that dreadful day comes, the Holy Spirit raises up an Elijah company, an Elijah troop, a company of anointed men and women, consecrated, discerning men and women who fearlessly, without compromise or favor, warn of sin, warn of false doctrine, warn of false Christs, of false Gospels, of righteousness and impending judgment.
Speaker 3:Isaiah called them the watchmen on the walls. Hallelujah, let me say it differently Watch people, watch people. These watch people are not looking for an earthly kingdom or building a monument or an edifice to a denomination or to a personality. Just like Abraham, they're looking for a city not made with hands, hallelujah, whose builder and maker is God. They're detached in large part from the world. The results of an election doesn't bother them too much or excite them too much, not too much in an uproar over the state of health care or the economy or politics, not too excited about global cooling or warming or saving the trees, the whales, the polar bears or the New Zealand field mouse. It is Christ alone who reigns in these watch people. He is absolute, sovereign and king. They are wholly committed to him as Savior and Lord. They are not afraid to sound the alarm when any teaching strays too far from Jesus Christ and him crucified. When they worship, it is in spirit and in truth. These watchmen, these watch people, are being raised from nowhere and from everywhere, outside of the mainstream, not beholden to any group, any denomination, any institution. In other words, david, they're free agents. They're free agents.
Speaker 3:I want to read something that's going to make you shout, because it made me shout Luke 3 and 2. And I'm going to read it just so I can shout. Luke 3 and 2. Annas and Caiaphas being the high priest, the word of God came unto John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. You're saying why in the world is that making you shout? Why does that make you shout? Because the Holy Spirit bypassed an entire religious system, hallelujah. He bypassed the rabbinical schools. He bypassed the seminaries. He bypassed the educated, pharisees, the scribes, even the high priest. You know, I always get this vision that the high priest at first. I'll be with you, jesus, nah, nah, not going to work. He sent his true word. Better yet, his revelation, sent his revelation to a watch person way out in the wilderness. Way out in the wilderness.
Speaker 3:John was outside of every religious body. He was away from every norm, hallelujah. Away from the religious big shots and pious church officials. He was out there, all by himself. He was ordained, anointed and educated by the Holy Spirit alone.
Speaker 3:Glory, he was non-materialistic, couldn't have bought him. If you tried, you had nothing that interested John, nothing. You could trade Glory. He was totally, totally possessed by a single vision. That vision somebody's coming, somebody's coming. It was the same with Elijah Amen Ahab, king of Israel. You all know the story. Took Jezebel as his wife. Jezebel was wicked and mean. Even to this day you don't hear anybody naming their kid Jezebel. Right, my wife comes close, but it's not Jezebel. No, I meant to name Belle as his wife, even though she was wicked, and God told him don't marry her. But he said no, I got to have her, I got, I got. The Bible says and this is interesting too. The Bible says that Ahab provoked the Lord like no other king.
Speaker 3:I don't know if I want to be on that list, but out of the middle ground of Gilead comes Elijah the Tishbite, again out of the norm, away from the rabbinical schools. He confronts a backslidden Israel with a word from God and he stands boldly against a backslidden king and his demonic wife. Elijah said as the Lord among men, but he stood with God. He stood with God regardless of what would transpire, regardless of punishment that he would face. He stood with God. And this talks, I believe, about watchmen.
Speaker 3:Watch people today, shut away with God, who have attended the school of the Holy Spirit. Don't misunderstand I'm not saying we shouldn't seek out education, especially for the ministry. We absolutely should. But they've attended the school of the Holy Ghost, a body of awakened saints who refuse to be swayed by false teaching or by tainted tradition that's unscriptural. Knowing they want. They can't receive a true word from the world, can't receive a true word Knowing that the Spirit of God has been expelled. Today, the Spirit of God has been expelled. Today, the Spirit of God has been expelled from the ecumenical church, he has been expelled from the orthodoxy, he's been put out of the mainline denominations, thrown out of the Methodists, thrown out of the Baptists, thrown out of the Lutherans. The Holy Spirit has been excommunicated, and this is sad for me to say, from traditional Pentecostal churches.
Speaker 3:Ichabod has been emblazoned on the door of the church, a church that has adopted the way of the world, its policies and its limited belief, and we've glommed on to a mantra of the politically correct, the politically correct euphemism of affirmations that love is love, science is real, water is life, no life is illegal, women's rights are human rights and all that matters is our relationship with one another. Maybe you're thinking why does he have to be so harsh? Why don't you give us, pastor, why don't you give us your sermon from last year, a love letter? This is a love letter. This sermon is a love letter because time is growing short, the clock is ticking, the watchmen are few and, from what I read and what I listen to, whether it be on the radio or television or internet or electronic device, very little inspires, enlightens or strengthens, and even less is scriptural, and very little, if anything, are the words of salvation, and that's what we need to be about. That's why this group, this Elijah company group, this Elijah company last days believers the remnant church. That's why we've been called and set apart to something different.
Speaker 3:This group goes directly to the source. I don't need to go. When I was growing up Kurt will understand this too we were told not to read the Bible in the church we attended because we weren't smart enough that the priest would discern it and he'd figure it out and give it to you. This group will go directly to the source, because they weep after the truth and seek only this pearl Of great price Glory. Not indulging, not indulging In secret sin or a double lifestyle. They're learning something Of the character of God, who he is, what he demands, what he requires, his mercy toward our repentance, what we're learning right now on Wednesday nights, his favor to the obedient, his indignation toward the hypocrisy in our churches today. You are his watch people. You are his watch people and because you have stood before the Lord, because you have stood in his presence, you can declare judgment and power of a righteous God Glory against idolaters, against false teachers, against doctrines of devils, discerning what is of God and what is not and what is of the flesh, proclaiming it to those who seek the Lord. And let me just clarify this, because I've been called this over the years. This group isn't proud. They're not arrogant, they're just as bold as lions Glory.
Speaker 3:These watchmen, then and now, have been called and are called troublemakers. The religious world tries to marginalize them, saying they're envious of how much we have, the big buildings that we have built, the thousands in the congregation that we've built, and they tell us that it's sour grapes, it's criticism, or if you really get them moving, then they'll come back with touch, not God's anointed, the church is in authority, they'll tell you John 7 and 7. Hmm, the world cannot hate you, but me it hateth because I testify of it and the works thereof are evil. They're called troublers. They're called troublers who just infuriate backslidden religious leaders. That's what I always tell you. All the pastor friends that I had I can now get down to, because at some point I've infuriated them with my preaching, because at some point I've infuriated them with my preaching. And these last days' troublers will infuriate backslidden religious leaders, corrupt Christians, those who use religion as a livelihood.
Speaker 3:When Ahab went out to meet Elijah, he went out to take him down. Elijah was pretty tough on what was going on, talking about his wife. Ahab went out to meet Elijah. He accused Elijah of being the one who was causing the division within the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel was happy linking arms with the world. It was profitable for them being an idolater. Ahab was so immersed in his own sin that he couldn't hear the prophetic word of God. He couldn't hear what was being preached or what was being told to him. Elijah wouldn't bow, he wouldn't cower before the king, who was steeped in rebellion and complacency, and he was just plain stubborn. Elijah looks Ahab in the eyes and tells the king of Israel it's not me that caused the division, it's you. You have forsaken the Lord to follow Balaam. That's what he told the king.
Speaker 3:So who are the real troublemakers? And maybe that's the crux of today's message. Who are the real troublemakers? Who divides the church today? It's not the watchman, as so many claim. Watchmen cry over the abominations in the church today. It's not those who expose false doctrine. It's not those of the Elijah Company testifying against backslidden religious leaders. It's not the Last Days Church or the Remnant Church. They're not the dividers. Listen carefully All division within the body of Christ. Today, all division is caused by compromise, all division.
Speaker 3:In case the recorder had a hiccup, I'm going to say it again All division in the church is caused by compromise. Preaching a social gospel, watering down the message, teaching what the Bible calls damnable heresies, or there's sin in the camp. There's sin in the camp, romans 16,. Paul warns the church to mark those who cause division among you. Mark them and stay away. Glory, avoid them, I guess, is the exact words. But who were they? Who are they that caused division? Paul says it's those that serve their own interests Money, power, religious authority. I watched a documentary, briefly yesterday, about this weight loss church in Tennessee and grew huge. They were all killed in the plane crash but huge following and I heard one of the pastors say it really wasn't money that influenced the leader, it was power. It was power, it was authority.
Speaker 3:You see, whenever that interest is threatened, that's when the cry goes up divider, divider, troublemaker, disunity. We should all get along. So many today and if you watch different parts of Gather, you hear that cry for unity among denominations both locally and nationally Rick Warren, joel Osteen, the God guys crying unity at any cost. We can all worship, I don't care if you're Muslim, we can all worship together. Jews can worship together, hindus can worship with Christians. We serve one God. No, that's very wrong. That's very wrong. That's very wrong.
Speaker 3:The unity that the Bible talks about isn't necessarily with denominations, religions. It's about unity of truth. It's about being in unity with the truth. Thus saith the Lord. Here's what it says. I'm not going to try to dress it up when it talks about same-sex marriage. I'm not going to bypass 2 Corinthians where it says it's an abomination. I can't fix it. Here's the word. That's the unity that God speaks of.
Speaker 3:You know, we see such an expansion of government today in the world over the last few years, obviously in our lives, taking more control, trying to assuring that they have more power, assuring that they have more power, telling us what's acceptable, what we can and can't do in our lives, what we're allowed to say, to post, to write, to preach. You know, thankfully there's been a little reprieve of that now, but we see a diminishing of the Lord, we see a diminishing and certainly of the church. It's a religious con game. Listen closely, brothers and sisters. It's a con game. All of that ecumenical unity is a Ponzi scheme. It's played out on undiscerning Christians, those that are Christian in name only. They wear a cross, they have a medal, they got a Jesus fish on their bumper, but they don't know anything about Jesus, and it's a very profitable scheme. Got a Jesus fish on their bumper, but they don't know anything about Jesus, and it's a very profitable scheme for a select few, for a select few, those who are adept at manipulation. And it's not new. It's exactly what was played out on Paul and Silas. You remember, with the sorceress in Philippi, demonic deception that was wrapped in religion. She said listen to these men, they're men of God. She was a demonic sorceress. So you had deception wrapped in religion. And what happened to Paul and Silas? They both ended up in prison. Those who accused Paul and Silas had ulterior motives and refused to call to repent.
Speaker 3:My prayer this morning Lord, give us watchmen. Give us watchmen. Give us more troublers who are not afraid to stand up against religious hypocrisy by standing and being in the presence of God, hallelujah, by sitting under His Word, until a fire burns in our bones that we can't shake. Glory and woe be unto me. If I keep silent, I'm going to stand before those piercing red eyes. Yeah, I didn't say anything about that.
Speaker 3:I truly believe that the Holy Spirit right now is raising up a company of watchmen, that the Holy Spirit right now is raising up a company of watchmen, true shepherds, true worship leaders, true pastors, true singers, true men and women of God who have that unending, unquenchable fire in their bellies. You know, I've been hearing from those couple of pastors that still speak to me lately that they're being rejected because they're preaching too much about the Holy Spirit or they're being told by their board not to preach on sin and repentance, told by their board not to preach on sin and repentance. Not that they're not preaching enough on the green environment and taking care of Mother Earth, they're not preaching unity. But these handful, this tiny handful of men and women that I know they still walk as repentant, spirit-filled children of God who have caught a glimpse of holiness and they refuse to wink at sin. They fear no man, no evil when it comes to standing up for the word of God. You know, with multitudes of Christians and I'll encourage you to see if what I'm telling you See I like what John and Denise said that they have their notebooks now and they're checking out everything I say to make sure it's true and that's a good thing. I encourage all of you to do that thing. I encourage all of you to do that With multitudes of Christians today that are chasing signs and wonders and prosperity and soothing pillow sermons the prophet called it.
Speaker 3:Those are sermons that say I'm okay, you're okay, it's all good. The Holy Spirit has called out a wilderness people, A wilderness people consumed with a hunger for more of Jesus, true worship, more of the Holy Spirit, actual repentance, not saying I'm see, repentance, we've doctored that up and we say that. That's saying I'm sorry. No, it had nothing to do with saying I'm sorry. Repentance is turning away, turning away from what you held dear, what you held important.
Speaker 3:Hallelujah, a tried and true, attested, remnant company of watchmen who have been given wisdom and discernment and they're setting themselves to hear and understand what the Lord's will is for us in this time, to see in the spirit, in the supernatural realm, that the end of everything that we know is at hand. It's at hand and the true word of the Lord has come. The true word has come and it's come to these watchmen on the walls to be delivered unto this wilderness people. That's who God's calling you to be delivered unto this wilderness people. That's who God's calling you to be today. Even though you might not have a camel hair coat or eat grasshoppers, or you bellow against the king and his wicked wife, you are. You are the chosen, the anointed wilderness people to declare a righteous path of the Lord. Amen, amen. Thank you so much for listening. God bless you. Amen, hallelujah.
Speaker 2:Thank you for listening to this week's podcast. We pray it was an encouragement and a blessing to you. You can contact us at Valley Gospel Church, 1069 Butler, logan Road, springdale, pennsylvania, 15144. No-transcript.
Speaker 1:There's a place inside of my heart when the song of thanksgiving starts. Because of all of your goodness and the joy that you give, I will let my song fill the air. Yes, I'll sing it everywhere. Lord, my praise will crescendo every day that I live. I love to sing your praise, lord. I love the sound of your name. Yes, it fills me with peace, washes over me Like a sweet, gentle rain. I love to sing your praise, lord. It brings the victory, no matter what I face through all of my days. I love to sing your praise. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
Speaker 1:Because he picked me up, he turned me around, he placed my feet on the solid ground. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because he healed my heart, he changed my name. I'm forever free. I am not the same. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, I thank God, wandering into the night, wanting a place to hide this weary soul, this bag of bones. And I tried with all my might, but I just can't win the fight. I'm slowly dripping A bag of bones, hey, hey, hey. And just when I ran out of room, I met a man I didn't know. He told me that I was not alone Because he picked me up, he turned me around. He placed my feet on the solid ground. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because he healed my heart. He changed my name. I'm forever free. I'm not the same. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, I thank God. I cannot deny what I see. I've got no choice but to believe. My doubts are burning Like ashes in the wind. So long to my old friends, burden and bitterness. You can just keep it moving. Hey, hey, no, you ain't welcome here. From now till I walk the streets of gold, I'll sing of how you saved my soul. This wayward son has found his way back home Because he picked me up, he turned me around. He placed my feet on the solid ground. I thank the Master. I thank the master, I thank the Savior, I thank God. Hell lost another one. I am free. Oh, I am free. Oh, I am free. Oh, I am free. Oh, I am free. Hell lost another one. I am free. Oh, I am free. Oh, I am free. Hell lost another one. I am free. Oh, I am free. Yes, I am free. Yes, I am free. He lost another one. I am free. Oh, I am free. Oh, I am free, because he picked me up, he turned me around, he placed my feet on solid ground. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because he healed my heart. He changed my name. I'm forever free. I am not the same. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, I thank the Savior, I thank God, I thank God. Thank you Jesus.
Speaker 1:Yes, lord, hallelujah, jesus, give Him all the praise this morning. Yeah, thank you Jesus. Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy God Almighty Emmanuel. Sing it again Holy, holy, holy God, almighty Emmanuel. Sing it again Holy, holy, holy, holy, holy God, almighty, holy, holy God, almighty Emmanuel. Sing it again Holy, holy God, almighty Emmanuel.
Speaker 1:I love to sing your praise, lord. Hey, hey, I just love your name. Hey, hey, yes, it fills me with peace, washes over me like a sweet, gentle rain. I love to sing your praise, lord. It brings the victory no matter what I face, through all of my days. I love to sing your praise Because he picked me up, he turned me around, he placed my feet On the solid ground. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior Because he healed my heart. He changed my name. I'm forever free. I'm not the same. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior, I thank God. Oh, I thank the Savior. I thank God oh, let's sing it again Because he picked me up, he turned me around, he placed my feet on solid ground. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior because he healed my heart. He changed my name. I'm forever free. I am not the same. I thank the Master, I thank the Savior. I thank God.