CCOG 5-25-25 Loving the Unlovable: A Church Transformed

A transformative message on forgiveness unfolds as Pastor John reflects on a 96-year-old saint's funeral, where people repeatedly remarked that "she preached her own funeral" through her Godly life. This powerful observation becomes the springboard for a deeply personal sermon where Pastor John vulnerably asks the congregation for forgiveness, setting an example of the humility required for genuine spiritual revival.

Drawing from Matthew 5:23-24 and the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18, Pastor John uncovers a fundamental truth often overlooked in religious circles: we cannot expect God's forgiveness while harboring unforgiveness toward others. "How can we expect Jesus to forgive us when we won't forgive our brother or our sister?" he challenges, cutting through religious pretense to expose the heart of authentic Christianity.

The sermon takes on heightened significance against the backdrop of an extraordinary two-week revival where 42 people have knelt at the altar seeking salvation and nearly 60 have been baptized. Many of these new converts come with visible markers of their past—tattoos, track marks, addiction histories—prompting a tearful observation from a church leader that the denomination wouldn't have welcomed such individuals in previous years based on outward appearance.

This revival represents more than just spiritual renewal; it signals a profound cultural shift toward embracing Jesus's example of loving the unlovable. "God is sending people that nobody wants to hug on and love," Pastor John declares, rejecting the isolationist doctrine that Christians should only fellowship with those who resemble themselves. Instead, he casts a vision of heaven filled with diverse souls from all walks of life, challenging the congregation to become "a funnel from the streets" for those seeking redemption.

The service concludes with practical instruction to fast and pray during a two-day break before resuming revival meetings, with the pointed admonition that "if you lose your fire in two days, you never had the fire." For those struggling with unforgiveness, the message is clear: reconcile quickly, for nothing—absolutely nothing—is worth losing your soul.

Chapters

• 0:00 Service Introduction
• 2:42 Preaching Your Own Funeral
• 4:42 Seeking Forgiveness
• 15:18 The Unforgiving Servant Parable
• 21:42 Loving the Unlovable
• 33:06 Breaking Church Traditions
• 36:50 Revival Continues

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

I felt the flames. I heard death knocking, my hands were tied, my feet were bound.

Speaker 2: 0:21

Buried alive, covered in ashes. My soul was six feet underground.

Speaker 1: 0:31

Then you rolled that stone. Hey, you're listening to the Cablewood Church of God Sunday Service on the 421 Show. Service is recorded live, edited to fit the platform. Hey, please go check out our website for more content and information at hor421showbuzzsproutcom. You can stream the show on Apple, spotify or whatever platform you're choosing, and if you'd like to support the show, you can support it through PayPal, slash hor421, or you go through our website at hor421showbuzzsproutcom. For contact information, you can email at hor421ministries at gmailcom. Phone number is 239-849-1502.

Speaker 2: 1:27

All is well in K-Wood. I even had one person stop and say you okay when the K-Wood is in front of your house, ask me if I was okay. I got back here to the back road and the German shepherd and two chows Amen, got back here behind the church and I don't know what kind of mud that was. All is well in K-Wood. I believe I could have ran to Wallens Creek WCC, right Amen. To wallace creek wcc, right amen. You're going to get my monitors even louder than this. I get, I get it. Today is graduation and we're kind of not really on a time crunch. But you know you want to be mindful as well and I'm just going to share my heart with you today because I've had a weeping.

Speaker 2: 2:42

Our Sunday school lesson was about life after death or the hereafter, afterlife, however it was worded, and yesterday I had the distinct privilege to speak the last words over a 96-year-old saint of God that joined this church on May, the 11th 1952. And if I heard it once, I heard it 10 times, that she preached her own funeral. How many of us? How many can be said about that? About us? How many of us? How many can be said about that? About us, how many of us could be confident in saying our lifestyle preached our own funeral. Because you're preaching your own funeral every day you live. Please don't live in a way where you have to have a preacher make you sound like something you wasn't.

Speaker 2: 3:47

Amen, and this is what came, I don't know why. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that thy brother hath an alt against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift. And as I was standing there yesterday, I can always remember the old saints of God how they would say. They would go to so andand-so and say if I've done anything to offend you or come against you, will you forgive me? And, folks, I don't want anything in my heart that would keep me from making it to heaven. So I say to all of you in this room right now, if I have said anything or I have acted in a way that wasn't becoming of a child of God, I ask you this morning, will you forgive me? Will you please forgive me Because I don't. I don't want anything standing in my way of making it to heaven.

Speaker 2: 6:23

And as I stood over that casket of a dear old saint of God, I thought to myself I wonder how many times in 96 years you know anymore we just sweep it under the rug and act like it's out of sight, out of mind. No, no, we got to make things right. Make things right and I ask you this morning to forgive me. There's things I don't understand. I rack my brain, I search my heart and this isn't a blanket statement. I don't know, I may come to some, I don't know, but I ask you would you please forgive me?

Speaker 2: 7:25

We live in a world where we don't want to get to know one another. We want to take somebody else's words for it. This ain't about pleasing people. This isn't about pleasing people. This isn't about being upset because certain people don't care much for it. Listen, listen, listen. Not everybody's happy that you're in revival and that's okay. This is about the soul of the matter and I do from my heart this morning, forgive me. My wife has told me many times Brother Steve, she's like John, it's not that you, it's just sometimes. You know it's called socially awkward. I'm that person that you says hello, I'm like good, how are you? You didn't ask me that Anybody ever done that.

Speaker 2: 8:38

Hello, I'm fine. And then you get by them and you're like stupid, I'm stupid, I'm stupid. So sometimes I just walk in a room and just nod or smile, just that's, it's nothing personal. And then I read and I know this is different, but and then I read over in Matthew 18, a parable, the words of Jesus, matthew 18, georgina. Words of Jesus, matthew 18. Georgina, just stay where you are. Verse 23 just stay, everybody, stay where you are. 18 and 23. We're just going to finish out that chapter. Just a few verses, therefore.

Speaker 2: 9:20

The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him 10,000 talents, but for as much as he had not to pay. In other words, he didn't have it to pay. His Lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and his children and all that he had for payment of what he owed. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him, saying Lord, have patience with me and I will pay thee all. Then the Lord of the servant was moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him of his debt, forgave him of 10,000 talents that he owed, forgave him, but the same servant that was just forgiven of 10,000 talents went out and found one that owed him 100 pence and he laid hands on him I'm sorry, go back one, my memory's not that good and laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying pay me what thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, just like he had done, and besought him, saying have patience with me and I'll pay thee all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry and came and told their Lord all that was done, told their Lord all that was done. Then his Lord, after he had called him, said unto him O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all of your debt because you desired me to. Shouldn't you also have compassion on your servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you If you, from your hearts, forgive not every one, his brother, their trespasses. My God, it's all about forgiveness. A lesson the church needs is forgiveness. The Lord took him and was getting ready to throw him into prison because he owed money and he asked him be patient with me and forgive me, and he released him. And then he went and found one of his servants and tried to collect the money he owed him and he had forgive me, have patience with me. And he said no and threw him into prison.

Speaker 2: 12:34

The same one that was just forgiven refused to forgive. We don't have time for unforgiveness in our hearts. How in this world can we expect Jesus to forgive us when we won't forgive our brother or our sister? I want to make it to heaven. I want to make it to heaven. I know I don't even know what's going on, but I want to make it to heaven more than anything in this world. So I ask you again forgive me if I've said or done anything and if you have an ought with somebody, go make it right with them, because there's nothing worth losing your soul, but above all that if you've not been born again and you're still living in your sin and your trespass, bring it to Jesus, ask Him.

Speaker 2: 14:03

You know a lot of people don't even know what to do. Ask him, jesus, forgive me of my sin. Come into my heart, live with me, write my name in the Lamb's book of life and forgive me of any sin that I have committed. And you know what the Bible says he's faithful and just to forgive you and forgive me of any sin that I have committed. And you know what the Bible says he's faithful and just to forgive you of your sin. And you know what you do after that. You go tell somebody. You go tell somebody Because you're made an overcomer by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. And you know what they used to tell me growing up. They'd say honey. When you do that nine times out of ten, a tear will flow out of your eye because you're truly sorry for the sins you committed. So I ask you this morning is anybody here not forgiven their sins have not been forgiven you. You have not invited Jesus to be the Lord of your life. I ask you today come to the altar. Come to the altar and invite him in, invite him in, ask him to forgive you and to come into your heart and live with you and abide with you. He'll do that and you'll treat people right. Did you hear me? You'll treat people right. You'll treat people right. Do you hear me? You'll treat people right. You'll treat people right. You won't be manipulative, you won't be trying to. You'll treat people right.

Speaker 2: 16:00

Sister Wendike, this week I have sat and I've pondered and I've thought you know what? Why do I have a problem with so-and-so? They've never done nothing to me. They've never done anything to me. Why do I have a problem? Why do I have a problem when people are winning souls for the kingdom? I should be rejoicing. Listen, you can't not like somebody because somebody you like doesn't like somebody, because if they get mad at you for liking somebody they don't like, they're not your friend to begin with. They're your friend with strings attached.

Speaker 1: 17:01

Young people- you gotta love everybody.

Speaker 2: 17:05

You gotta love everybody. You got to forgive everybody. What did the Lord speak to us Friday night? Through tongues and interpretation. Mark and Jennifer Hysel showed up out of nowhere. Surprise, the spirit of God began to move. The message of tongues went out and the Lord used Sister Jennifer to interpret to the church that this church has been called to love the unlovable. God spoke through her that night and said there are people coming where much has been forgiven. And for those of you that think you don't have much, there's not a person in this room that much hasn't been forgiven.

Speaker 2: 18:14

What did Sister Monica testify about last night? It's not just drugs and alcohol. It's jealousy, it's envy, it's animosity, it's greed, it's hatred. Bless their hearts. Doesn't give you the license to rip somebody. I love them, but doesn't give you a license to tear into somebody. God bless their hearts. Or I love them, but or, first of all, if you have to say, I'm not talking about, yeah you are, yeah, you are. I'm not trying to God, yeah, you are. Yeah, you are. I'm not trying to got, yeah, you are. And the enemy has tried his best to make people take a backseat because in revival the enemy wants you to feel more weighted down. But I think we need to hear today that we've got to forgive, because God is sending the unlovable to this place, people who much have been forgiven, and I do not want to miss out on heaven, and I don't want to miss out on heaven on earth, and it's been heaven on pure earth. The first couple nights I was tired I'm not even tired, I can't even explain it but God is doing something great and I just want to forgive and I want to be forgiven. Brother James, while I was walking I almost went all the way down to the post office and back, but I was afraid y'all thought I was either raptured or dead. So I cut it short right here and I may, when I leave, just go on down to the post office and around. I don't know. But you know what I did, jason, for years didn't even realize what I was doing In college and we're going to pray and we're going to go to the graduation or wherever here in a minute. For years, danny, through college I would get.

Speaker 2: 21:22

I love to walk. I'm not a treadmill-er, I'm not a treadmill lure, I'm not a treadmill kind of guy going nowhere fast. That's what a treadmill does. You exert a lot. I believe there's a lot of treadmill Christians in the world. They're exerting a lot of energy and doing a lot of stuff but they're not getting anywhere.

Speaker 2: 21:45

I like to get out and look at my surroundings and look at what's going on. And when I was in my younger years I would run, I would jog. Now you have permission to get your gun out if you see me running because somebody's chasing me. That's the only reason I'll be running the spirit or somebody's after me. But I still love to get out and walk.

Speaker 2: 22:08

And for about five, six years, brother Paul, I would start at my house on the hill and I would come down the back road and then I would come down this back road all the way down to Vanda's. Anybody remember Vanda? You don't even got to be from Kaywood to remember Vanda All the way down to Vanda's. And then I'd come in front of the church right here on the. This was the main road then there was no new road up there, this was the main drag. And then I would go to the post office and back behind. So for five, six, seven years I was circling this place right here and didn't even know why.

Speaker 2: 23:02

And God let me know not long ago. Hey, remember when you used to walk and run? He let me know. He said you were laying claims on what I had for you and you didn't even know it. And you didn't even know it. And the way God worked it out. He worked it out perfectly.

Speaker 2: 23:24

And I believe this community is going to come to know Jesus. I believe your sons and your daughters, your husbands, your wives, your moms and your dads, your aunts and your uncles, your buddies, your co-workers, your friends, your student body, your peers, I think they're going to come to know Jesus. I think they're going to come to know Jesus Because this is ordained straight out of heaven, this altar. We have reopened the altar for business this week and it's been phenomenal. I still see stains, I still see where things were left that God has consumed, and it's the remnants and the remains of what you poured your heart out on this altar for.

Speaker 2: 24:23

But listen to me, don't miss this. It starts with forgiveness. It starts with you being forgiven and you forgiving. We must forgive everybody and Jesus Christ is here this morning Offering his forgiveness. A free pardon of all your sins is being offered to you in the house of the Lord today. The enemy's trying to discourage some of you by speaking lies the enemy's trying to discourage some of you by speaking lies the enemy's trying to weigh some of you down because of things you're conjuring up in your own mind. That's the devil trying to blind you, trying to pull you away from what God has for you. But he is here and my message to you today is forgive and be forgiven. Forgive and be forgiven If everyone will stand. I just want my heart right.

Speaker 2: 25:55

29, almost 30 years I've been doing this, but that doesn't mean there's no seniority In serving God. It still takes forgiveness. It still takes walking upright before Him, and I don't want to fall, I don't want to falter. Young people, your prayer needs to be Lord, help me To be a stepping stone, not a stumbling block, because we're either going to help people go to where they need to be in Christ or we're going to cause them to fall, and it all can happen in how we live our lives. Guard your hearts, guard your words, guard your heart, guard your mind.

Speaker 2: 26:56

Did anybody hear Danny preach yesterday? He's preaching like a holiness man. He started. He started calling out your Tupac. He started calling out your Tupac. I thought I was about to just sit down. He started calling out Tupac and Taylor Swift. I don't know what Tupac and Taylor did to him. Yeah, I only heard about them from some of y'all. I thought preach on, brother.

Speaker 2: 27:43

And what he was saying is you can't take that in and expect good to come out. You can't go watch movies and listen to music. I'm saying that not because I'm going to hound you over your music and your movies. I'm telling you, first and foremost, get a relationship with Jesus, fall in love with Jesus and you won't need a preacher to tell you about movies and music and places you go and things you do and words you say. You fall in love with Jesus and you read his word and you won't need anybody to tell you those things. He'll convict you.

Speaker 2: 28:25

Preacher, why do I feel bad when I listen to such a? It's called the Spirit of God teaching your heart? He still does that. He still does that that 42 sinner people from two Sundays ago to today over two weeks 42, I think, was the last thing we counted 42 sinner people fell in the altar. Now I don't know where they stand as of right now, but I do know that 42 sets of knees fell in this altar. I saw their tears flow. I saw God moving upon their lives and I told you, just like in Acts 28, when Paul got bitten by the viper, the barbarous people, the local people from that island sat back and watched for him to die. There are people sitting back waiting for you to die. There are people sitting back waiting for you to die.

Speaker 2: 29:54

Nothing burns me up than people criticizing jailhouse religion. It may be that Jesus had to put you in jail to get your attention. I believe in jailhouse repentance. I believe in jailhouse repentance. I believe in deathbed repentance. I believe, wherever you are in, whatever state of mind, jesus can come to you. There are going to be seasoned, well established Christians that are going to doubt seasoned, well-established Christians that are going to doubt that you can make it. That's sad. We've seen almost 60 dry people come out wet when we pull the plug on that baptistry. Whenever that is, there's going to be a whole lot of sin go down the drain and I hope I hope it's done something for the church.

Speaker 2: 31:12

Brother Mark, come here, brother. Yeah, come here. Come here just a minute. Come here just a minute. Let's sit here. Come here, brother Brock. Come here, austin. Brother Mark, and listen. I'm not saying this to this is a testimony of what God does.

Speaker 2: 31:46

Brother Mark come to me after service Friday night with tears in his eyes and he said Brother John, he said it wasn't so long ago, it wasn't in so far in the distant past that Kaywood Church of God would never have accepted the outward appearance of these people. And I don't know if anybody saw Leah Kate's recap from last night when this gentleman had the microphone in his hand. If you don't mind, I'll tat it up. Brother Mark told me we need to do a fundraiser Five dollars for every tattoo. That'll blow a church of God mind. With tears in his eyes, he said it wasn't so long ago that our denomination would not have accepted or welcomed. And he said isn't it good to know that, while we still uphold the standards, that God looks on the heart? Isn't that good. That God looks on the heart Isn't that good?

Speaker 2: 33:12

I'm just going to go ahead and tell you there are some places still now that won't take you this way. I'm preaching a suit and tie and I've had to start over. I've ran out of things to wear. I've worn this one. I've had to start over in what. I ran out of things to wear. I've worn this one. I've had to start over in what I was wearing because y'all killing me.

Speaker 2: 33:41

Because, listen, god is sending people. I'd be all right. It'd be all right with me if we were just a funnel from the streets, a funnel from drug court, a funnel from Christ's hands, a funnel, a funnel. I'm done with this doctrine going around. Don't fellowship with people that aren't like you. That's what makes heaven wonderful. It's going to be full of people. That's nothing, Nothing, nothing.

Speaker 2: 34:21

Tammy Jean in the jungles of Peru are they much like us here? Hey, and she's a Pentecostal from Cranks Creek. It don't get any more Pentecostal than that. You can ask brother Mark can't say his last name from Uganda and they'll tell you it's not. In some of those crusades they come with no clothes on at all. My God, they'd get kicked out of churches. But God is sending the unlovable. God's sending the people that nobody wants to hug on and love.

Speaker 2: 35:05

God's, are you ready? K-wood Church of God. Are you ready? Kaywood Church of God Are you ready? Are you ready For God to send the young and the old, the tatted up and the religious? God is sending people. We're not afraid of their track marks. We're not afraid of their track marks. We're not afraid of their drinking problem. We're not afraid because when the Son sets you free, you are free. You are free.

Speaker 2: 35:48

They're not going to look like us. They might not even worship like us. I'll tell you, this week they worship me. Plumb under the pew. I've watched them come to the altar three and four times. It's okay. I believe we could learn a lesson.

Speaker 2: 36:07

Some of you ain't been to the altar for so long. It's okay. I believe we could learn a lesson. Some of you ain't been to the altar for so long. You almost act like you're a saint and already got it made. Some of you back there need to come back to the altar. Glory to God. God is doing a work and I'm here for it. Now listen, just because I feel like God's put in my heart and in my mind a little bit of wisdom.

Speaker 2: 36:53

We're going to take off Monday and Tuesday. We'll be back Wednesday and if y'all come in here with the same fire, now listen, if you lose your fire in two days, you never had the fire. If you lose your fire in two days, you never had the fire. If you lose your fire in two days, you never had the fire. If you can backslide in two days. You didn't have what you said you had to backslide from. We're going to come back Wednesday night and if this is still the case case I don't care a bit. We'll come Thursday and Friday and Saturday and Sunday and we'll keep rolling. We'll keep rolling.

Speaker 2: 37:41

So here's what you can do for the next two days fast and pray. Honest to God, you all get together and pick a day, apiece that you're going to fast and not eat. What does that do, preacher? That puts your body into subjection At the times you would be eating. You go to prayer. If you normally eat at 1130, at 1130, don't go eat. Go pray For one day, or maybe even God will honor a meal. Don't do breakfast if you sleep till one o'clock, that doesn't count. People's like I'll fast between three and four in the morning. I'm sure you will. There have been times this is no joke there's been times I've been fasting and you know what woke me up taking a bite of something in my dream. That's a God's honest truth. And when you start fasting, mcdonald's is going to put the biggest billboard up of the best looking hamburger you've ever seen in your life. That's how you know it's God.

Speaker 2: 38:53

So for Monday and Tuesday, fast and pray.

Speaker 2: 38:57

We'll come back Wednesday. I dare you to take a back seat. You just about made me come unhinged today. I started twitching and everything. But we're going to love the unlovable. There's still some lost people that need to be saved. There's still some sick people that need to be healed. There's still some people that need the baptism in the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Speaker 2: 39:27

I don't want these young people just praying and raising their hands and crying. I want them walking out of here speaking in tongues as the, as the spirit, as the spirit gives them the utterance. My God, my God. Them the utterance, my God, my God. Next Sunday night, jc's going to be doing a youth rally in Wise Virginia. We'll pile up in cars and go. We'll be the revival on the road. I don't know if that church would hold us all, but we'll rock it right off that hillside in Wise Virginia. Amen, I love you, forgive me, forgive me, and I hope that if you've got that in your heart, you'll go to the ones and ask them to forgive you. Because you've got that in your heart, you'll go to the ones and ask them to forgive you.

Speaker 2: 40:40

Because, we've got to. I'm buried alive, covered in ashes.

Speaker 1: 40:53

My soul was six feet underground. Then you rolled that stone away. You pulled me from the grave. Hey, you've been listening to the K Wood Church of God Sunday Service. If you're looking for a church, come and visit us. Service times Sunday school's at 10.30 am. Sunday service schools at 10.30 am. Sunday services at 11.30 am. Wednesdays at 6.30 evening. Go check out our website For more content and information at hor421showbuzzsproutcom. Recorded and edited at 421 Studio. For contact information for all your studio needs you can email at hor421ministries at gmailcom. Phone number is 239-849-1502.