By Bro. A.D. Spears

II Peter 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but we are eyewitnesses of his majesty. Philippians 3:7-14 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea
doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of
all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have
apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, I press toward the mark for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall receive power…”

Call this sermon whatever you want to, but if you want to give it any kind of title call it, “I want to seek after his glory until I become an eyewitness of his majesty, whereby I may become a witness to the world that he lives.”

When coming to this conference this week, I had a very unusual thing happen to me. I had ministered this message some time ago and yet
I felt impressed of the Lord that I would preach it again. God began to give me the introduction to the message which was totally contrary to what my notes said. It just didn’t fit until this afternoon when the spirit of prayer swept over this place.

In June 1957, something happened to me that changed the course of my life. I was in a small gathering in a small building on the campgrounds of Texas. A missionary lady had come to speak to the youth group that night. There were only about 50 to 75 of us there. Sis. Freeman, the missionary, came and laid hands on me that night and I felt the call of God, a direction in my life. Since 1957 I have waited to tell her what happened. Every time I would approach her, however, the Lord would say not now. I have never spoken to her, I have never really talked to her. She has never ministered in our church since I’ve been pastor there. Finally, today the Lord said, “Now.” I went to her and told her the story and asked her to pray for me again. She said, “Sir, I have a word from the Lord. For God spoke to me this afternoon and told me to give you a word. I would have searched all across this building for you, because you need to hear this before you preach.The Lord said I have had to take away from you many things so that I could in return add to you what I need to add to you. Tonight there will come a new fresh anointing for I will take from the alter a coal of fire and reignite you with an anointing.”

That may not mean much to any of you, but ten years ago, in the city of Longview, I pastored a very thriving exciting church. We were on
the move between four and five full-time staff members. The choir stood on the platform on Sunday nights, chairs down the aisle. New church plans were being drawn up. Money was coming in. Everything was good. In 1980, on a Sunday morning, a man called me from Miami, Florida and asked if I knew what was on the front page of the paper. They had listed the ten exciting growth cities of the future and our city was listed number nine out of all America. We were going to be some phenomenal city. Exon planned to build a plant, the world’s largest, a five billion dollar plant, 35 miles from our city. General Motors had decided to build a car manufacturing plant, that later went to Tennessee, in our city. Industrial Magazine said that we would rival the industrial belt of Germany in some years. Our church was running over. It looked like all I had to do was build a church on the move-ins. Everything was going great.

While in the midst of a building program in April of 1984, two months from completion, our rank folded. Practically every bank in our
city has gone under. It was when we moved in that new building that we began to lose our sense of direction. People began to backslide
like it was the popular thing to do. I had almost as many deciding to quit as those deciding to stay, not only that, but 60% of our
congregation’s income was cut 30 to 50% in the next few months. Since then every family in our church has suffered some kind of defeat. It was during these years, however, that something began to happen in my heart. Something began to say, “I must know him better than I have ever known him in all my life.” That if I attain and gain everything that seems to be great, if I build a church and fill it up and those people do not know Christ, I have accomplished nothing. I want to know him. I want to behold his majesty. I want to become an eyewitness of is glory. I want to move in the realm of the supernatural. I want something to happen.

In 1914, there came a tremendous revelation of the mighty God in Christ sweeping across this nation. There is a revelation, however, that is yet to dawn on the Pentecostals and that is the revelation of Christ in you the hope of glory. Something has got to set in us. We must know who we are and who he is.

During this time a young man prayed through in our church and he came and told us he really didn’t know much about his background. He said that his mother had told him that he was some kind of royally. He had never seen his father for he had left them when he was only two years old. He had received a phone call, however, asking him to board a plane for Bangkok, Thailand, his father was near death.

When he got back he told us the story of who he was. He was the fourth generation grandson of the former King of Siam and he had all
the papers to prove it. Here was a man who had royalty in his blood and did not even know who he was or the authority and the power that rested inside him. Sometimes God has no other choice then to take everything away from us so we may find out who we are and the authority and the glory of what we have to do in our generation.

In the fourth chapter of Luke, Jesus went into the wilderness and Satan followed to tempt him. The devil knew that he could not destroy
the Son of God. He tried in Bethlehem when he was less than two years old and he failed. He tried, however, to put a question mark in the mind of God. He just said, “If thou be the Son of God.” He knew that he was wrestling with flesh and somehow he thought to inject the flesh with the question, “I’m not sure of who I am?” The devil can only defeat the church when we get it in our minds we are not sure who we are and who our father is.

The Bible says Jesus went in the wilderness full of the Holy Ghost and returned in the power and in the spirit. Somewhere the question was settled. Somewhere flesh took on the understanding that this is the mighty work of almighty God. There is no doubt about it. The church can not be defeated by hell. It can only be defeated when a question nark gets in our minds that we’re not sure who we are and if
we really have the authority and power. In this last day, there has got to be a revelation of God inside us, reconciling the flesh and the spirit together to do the will of Almighty God.

The world still needs a visible representative of God. This world doesn’t need another judge, jury, or prosecuting attorney. They need an eyewitness that can say I know who my father is and I’m convinced of his authority. The world demands and deserves more than a forerunner or a prophet. They deserve a visible representative of God in the flesh and that is us. We are not just objects. We are representatives of God.

Too many times we take the position that Jesus refused to take. He refused to be a judge. He said I am here now as a savior and if I
become a judge now then the world will have two judges; one now and one at judgement. They’ll never have a savior. If the church loses its desire and loses its vision we’re going to become judges and prosecuting attorneys. The world will pass this way and meet two judges and never meet a savior. If something can happen to the church, in our revelation and knowledge of who we are, the world will meet a
resurrected Messiah in the fire of individuals.

I have come to tell you if you are going through loss, if when you get back home you still have some devils, if it just doesn’t ring the way this does, if it’s not as exciting, you better draw you a line and say I may not know it tomorrow, but I’m going to try to apprehend
something today. I’m going to seek after one thing. I’m going to reach out and know him.

Paul said I haven’t apprehended it but I’m still chasing it. I’m still reaching for it. I can’t stand here tonight and say I’ve gotten there, but I can say I’m running after it with everything I’ve got. I’m reaching for it and I’m going to touch it” If I pursue him, if I seek after him, he will make himself known unto me. I will see him and know him and his majesty and glory through signs and wonders and miracles in
our day.

God has always used three major tools: his spirit, his word, and his man. He still operates that way. Once God commits something he
doesn’t back out. The gifts and callings are without repentance. When God committed to Adam and Adam sinned he said I will not withdraw the authority that was given to man. Somewhere, someone else will come along that will do it right. Genesis 1:2 says and the spirit of God moved on the face of the earth. Genesis 1:3 says and God said. The spirit prepared it’ the word produced it, but not until verse 26 and there a man to preserve what the spirit willed and the word had produced could the will of the Father be fulfilled.

Isaiah 59:16 says that God sought and there was no intercessor, but therefore his arm would bring salvation and righteousness. No man to lead men back to; God so God planned the ultimate anointed one. John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God, and the word was God, and the word became flesh.” The spirit willed it, the word produced it, and the body of Jesus Christ became the anointed one to bring salvation to this world.

Isaiah 59:21 say it will not only start with him, but with his seed’s seed. The authority will never pass out from there. You are begotten of the spirit. Your father is almighty God. Therefore if Jesus spoke with authority what’s wrong with the church? One of these days someone is going to catch a glimpse of his majesty. Someone is going to behold his glory. Somebody, somewhere, somehow.

He still respects that authority. In II Corinthians he said if I can get an ambassador, I can transact business on this earth. God has so resolved himself from the first chapter of Genesis that he will not do business here on this earth as long as there is a representative here to do it for him.

Did you notice that the Bible never says to pray for the devils to be cast out of someone? It just says cast them out. You have the
authority in you, but you’ve got to know it and use it. There can’t be a question anywhere. I’m more convinced of this oneness message now than I have ever been before. Why? Because I’ve been chasing his majesty. I’ve been trying to know him and the closer I get to him the more I understand who he is. His name is authority, it’s power, and he has transferred that power to us.

In Deuteronomy, chapter five, Israel came to Moses and said, we don’t want to hear his voice anymore. You talk to him for us and yow
tell us because we’re scared of him. A few years removed and we’re saying would you show us your glory, Lord.

There’s a healing that happens in Exodus that supersedes anything that happened in the New Testament church. When God had a man by the name of Moses, he stepped down and said we’re getting ready to leave, put a little blood here and here, eat the lamb, get ready to leave. Four hundred years in slavery, beaten like dogs, treated like criminals. The Bible says that night at midnight, when they left Egypt,
there was not a feeble one among them. When God has a man, he can do the inexplicable. They reached the Red Sea. Seas never roll back, but one man walked out there with an anointing. He knew what he was. He had found a burning bush on the backside of a desert. There was no question as to who he was.

We have official titles all through the Bible: patriarchs, deliverers, servants, priests, judges, prophets, kings, disciples, apostles, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and shepherds. God said, however, before he left here, I’m going to make you a witness. A witness is someone who can stand and say I saw it and I know it. I know who he is. I have no doubt.

The Bible says Jesus went into the wilderness full of the Holy Ghost and he came out of the wilderness still full of the Holy Ghost but in the power and the spirit. Acts 1:8 says you shall receive power after that thc Holy Ghost has come upon you. I don’t believe you get all the power just when you talk in tongues. There has to be a divine intervention for the power to come. The Holy Ghost is the spirit that produced the visible representative of God to this world. The angel said that which overshadows you is the Holy Ghost.

He was promised. He was born and at twelve years old he did one of the most outstanding things you’ve ever seen. They took him into the
temple. They said ask your question. They would cone with that long philosophy and here was a little boy standing on an apple crate
astounding everyone with his wisdom. They were amazed when he displayed the wisdom, the infinite knowledge of Almighty God. I find no record, however, where one person was converted. When he came out of the wilderness though, he came out in the power and the spirit. He began to do wonders and there began to be amazement again. He walked in the synagogue and said today is the day of salvation. From this point on the poor have the gospel preached, the blind are going to see, the lame are going to walk because I’ve come with the anointing.

It’s not enough for us Pentecostals to just talk in tongues and run the aisles and shout. We better find somewhere to have a revelation
of almighty God and power that worketh in us or we’re going to offer to this world nothing except a judge.

If he couldn’t slay them at twelve with his knowledge, we’ll never do it with our deep intellect. If no one was converted when a twelve-year-old boy preached and shut the mouth of every doubter in the crowd, we’re not going to do it with a shout, loud music, or screaming preachers. Somebody better become an eyewitness of his majesty. Someone better say I’ve got the Holy Ghost, but I’m not satisfied where I am. I’ve got to apprehend him, that I may know him.

Caesarea Philippi was a very religious city in Matthew, the sixteenth chapter. There were 14 temples to Baal in that one city. The Greek called it the home of their god of nature. The Jewish people loved it because the source of the Jordan river was there. The Romans had a temple built to Ceaser, whom they considered divine and holy. It was in that city among temples and idols, an unknown penniless,  homeless boy from Nazarene, turned around and said, “Who am I?” He went to the seat of relying on and nobody could bring the answer. Some of his own followers said Elias, Jeremiah, or just one of the prophets. Finally, he looked at Peter and said alright Simon, “Who am I?” He said, “Thou art Christ the Son of the living God.” He said my Father which is in heaven hath revealed this to you. Many looked at him, but few have seen him. The saw his people, they heard his story, they heard his name, but very few have looked through the fog of confusion and were able to say I know him.

When Jesus asked Simon that question and he answered, Jesus did an odd thing. He said, “Thou art Simon and upon this rock I will build
my church.” What rock? That you know me and I know you. We’re not in this thing by ourselves, he knows who we are. We need some men who are eyewitnesses of his majesty not just those who have received the Holy Ghost.

We have ministers and saints and counselors and administrators and organizers and sermon leaders and teachers and powerful speakers,
but we need a personal confrontation with the Almighty. A light must be seen, a voice must be heard, something must happen to change us from just tongue talkers into a person of divine revelation and understanding.

If Jesus Christ had to come out of the wilderness endowed with power to shake his generation, we’ll never move our generation until
some of us come out of the wilderness with power. Someone else’s story say, God, I’m tired of telling stories that used to happen when I
preached revivals for others. I want to have a personal encounter with you.

I don’t believe you could have picked Judas out of the crowd. He blended in so well, no one ever knew. The disciples didn’t even know. Something happens when a man does not have a relationship with the Master. He had seen Jesus, but he did not know him. He had a religion, but he had no relationship. When the devil needed a man, he needed someone; someone who could recognize Jesus, yet really didn’t know who he was. It will cost you if you don’t know Jesus. Ask Judas, it cost him everything.

The Bible says if they would have known who the Lord of glory was they would have not have crucified him. He was in the midst; and they
knew him not. He healed their sick, raised their dead, and none called his majesty. Could it be that he walks through our congregations time after time, but we don’t have enough personal relationship with him that when he passes by we don’t even recognize him?

When there is no revelation there can be no repentance. Two men; Judas never knew him and died lost; Simon made of the biggest blunders ever made, but because he knew who he was, repentance was his. There are several Pentecostal people, if they could have a revelation of God and his will and his work in their heart and life, guilt clouds would lift. One of the biggest battles in our services is the saints leaving under condemnation. The devil keeps saying, “If thou be.” At a youth camp one night Bro. Barnes stood up and said, “God is not as worried as much about the sin as he is that people are scared to ask him to forgive them.” There is no revelation that he can not handle when you know who he is.

Moses had a burning bush. Samuel heard a divine voice. Elijah met on a mountain with God. Fire burned in Jeremiah. Isaiah saw the Lord. John was in the spirit. Paul was caught into the third heaven and Peter said it’s joy unspeakable and full of glory. Thomas said show us. Mary ran from the garden saying I saw him. The disciples on the road said our hearts burned within us and John said we saw him and we beheld his majesty.

In Longview, in the last three years, I’ve seen more visible miracles happen in our church then I have in my entire ministry. It didn’t make sense until Sis. Freeman talked with me this afternoon. You can’t force people to live for God. About five years ago, God began to say preach to them “Me.” For five years I have preached Jesus over and over again. I took the judgmental law and laid it aside for a while. I said alright God it just you and I now. I don’t have a staff or a choir that can do much. The Lord seemed to say, “I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.”

He had to take everything away from me until I became infatuated with one thing. I will not build a church simply because others move in
or the economy is good. I must build a church where men come face to face in a relationship with Almighty God.

Most of our miracles in Longview have happened with no one laying hands on anybody. The Lord seemed to say too many times you get in
praise, but never in worship. There is a difference. Praise can be offered from a long distance off, but worship has to be directed to one
particular thing. Trees can praise him. Rocks can praise him. Everything can praise him, but only humans can worship him. When we
worship him we are ushered into the avalanche of the miraculous.

I can’t depend on saints moving in. I’m going to have to get losers. Some people that everyone else has given up on: A drug dealer in Texas correctional institute, a man in a hospital with his brain fried so the doctors wouldn’t even go in the room. They said he’ll never be sane. I called someone in the middle of the night and said, “You’re setting there with a gun to your head.” I’ve picked up some losers. Someone get a revelation or we’re going to pass through the poor and needy. All we’re going to want is growth off of one another. It’s time we stopped growing off one another and had a revelation that brings the glory.

We’ve picked up some losers, but God has made some winners out of them. Those three men are here tonight because they feel a call of God on their lives. When they prayed through people said they won’t last long. I had no other choice. GM decided not to come. The oil industry bottomed out. We’ve had Aids patients get the Holy Ghost in our church. I didn’t have any other choice, just losers.

Every time the church would worship another miracle would take place. I never walked out in the audience and laid hands on anyone. I
saw the cripple walk. I saw blind eyes opened and deaf ears unstopped. The incurable disease was healed and surgery was canceled. The stories spread and one day a little family came to our church from old Mexico. They said we heard that some miracles were taking place here. She is our granddaughter. We have driven from Mexico, could you pray for her. In a day or two, I picked up the phone and a lady said, “Sir, are you the man that can heal by laying on hands?” I thought it was a joke. I heard her voice, it trembled. She said, “Sir, I don’t know you or your church or beliefs, but I’m dying with cancer and someone told me that I could be healed. I prayed, but I lost her because I thought it was a joke.

Two years ago when I was scheduled to preach here, I was called away. A girl in my church had been rushed to Dallas, possibly she and
her baby both could die. The doctor said it was serious. We walked into the hospital room and the mother said, “Alright, Pastor tell me
what. If you say it’s going to be alright, it’s going to be alright.” I said, “It’s going to be alright.” She looked at her husband and told
him to tell the doctors to proceed. The baby was born premature and its legs had turned out. In a few months when it struggled to set up, its ankles touched the floor first. A few nights ago, at the close of a Sunday night service, when the Holy Ghost was moving, someone made the mistake of putting that baby on the floor around the altar. Its feet snapped in place and the baby started walking across the floor.

I had to lose a lot. The economy is still bad. I’ve got men who make $3 an hour and have families to support. We’re still not on top
financially. I’d rather have what we’re having now, however, than have the bank full of money. The blind are seeing. The losers are finding
God and hope is coming for the lost. Someone has sot to bc an eyewitness of his majesty.