Come quickly. If you have your Bibles, turn with
me to the book of Hebrews, that wonderful 11th
chapter. A place that, as any Bible reader, you
should be familiar with. We're going to see what
the Spirit of the Lord has to say from there
today. So good to see you. Thank you for being
in the house of the Lord this morning. We may
have had a few more with the hamburgers and hot
dogs, but, you know. You're letting me know you're
here for the right reason, not just the hot dog
and the burger. So thank you on this memorial
weekend that you've gotten yourself up and ready
and come to the house of the Lord. Amen. Because
the Lord is going to return. He is coming. Amen.
And wouldn't you hate to be piled up on a Sunday
morning at Bed Springs Church of God. And the
trumpet sound. Huh? That would, I'd hate to be
there. Oh. You know, if he counts church attendance
as faithfulness, my Lord, we're piled up on a
Sunday morning. And then the trumpet sound. Wouldn't
you feel guilty going? Some of you wouldn't.
Deadbeat, no. I wouldn't either if that's where
I was at and the horn sounded and I was ready.
You don't have to be guilty about going. If you
go, if you go, it's intentional. It's not accidental.
Amen? If you feel that sudden quick change and
you're transformed, it won't be accidental. You
won't just barely make it. You've determined
to make it. Amen? And all that just to say thank
you for being here on Memorial Day weekend Sunday
morning. Let's read in chapter 11. Let's start
about verse 32. Again, thank you for being in
the house of the Lord today. If you're visiting
with us, we trust and pray you've already encountered
the Lord through your worship and lifting your
voice and your heart to the Lord. Continue to
remember Brother Matthew Geislinger in your prayers.
but a long road to recovery ahead. I also remember
Brother Dwayne Strickland who is preaching back
in South Carolina today. Let's ask the Lord to
just wind him up, ring him out. Amen. Use him
for his glory. Verse 32 reads in the book of
Hebrews, And what shall I say more for the time
would fail me to tell of Gideon of Barak? of
Samson and Jephthah, of David also and Samuel
and of the prophets, who through faith subdued
kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises,
stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence
of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of
weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight,
turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women
received their dead, raised to life again, and
others were tortured, not accepting deliverance
that they might obtain a better resurrection.
And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourging.
Yes, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They
were stoned. They were sewn asunder. They were
tempted, were slain with the sword they wandered
about in sheepskins and goatskins. being destitute,
afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not
worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains
and dens and in caves of the earth. And these
all, having obtained a good report through faith,
received not the promise, God having provided
some better thing for us, that they without us
should not be made perfect. The memorial of a
great faith. With the help of the Lord today,
we're going to talk about that. The memorial
of a great faith. Father, we love you. We thank
you for your goodness and your mercy and the
abundance of your love. I ask God now that you
just help us in a mighty way. We'll give you
praise for all things as you just minister to
our hearts through the power of your word. Lord,
let that anointing that causes it. to be easy
to preach. Lord, just let it flow like a river.
Flow through me today. I surrender myself, my
mind, my body, my lips, my speech to be yours.
Lord, help me say what's expedient. Lord, to
the body of Christ, in which would edify them,
but also be pleasing to you. Lord, we'll be quick
to praise you for all things to whom glory belongs.
In Jesus' mighty name. And the church said, amen
and amen. You can be seated. for just a little
while. If the Lord helps us, you'll be out of
here by 12. If he helps me, it'll be 1230. So
I'll let you determine how you're going to pray
for that blessing this morning. Max Licato shared
a little story, a little funny, and I've shared
it with you before, but it's worth repeating.
about a little parakeet by the name of Chippy.
How many of you remember little Chippy? Anybody
remember little Chippy? Who had a very, very
bad day. Chippy's owner had begun to clean his
cage, and she was cleaning his cage with a vacuum
cleaner, and nearing the end of the task, the
phone rings, and she turns away to see... where
the phone is at, and when she does, she moves
the wand of the vacuum cleaner, and it sucks
little Chippy right up. When she turned around
to see and to finish her task, she realized Chippy
was gone, and in a panic, cuts off the vacuum
cleaner, opens it up, gets the bag out, the old
bag kind, you remember though, rips it open,
and sure enough, there's little Chippy in dust.
and all the stuff that's gathered up in the house,
choking, trying to catch his breath. She panics,
still in a panic mode, grabs little Chippy, heads
to the bathroom, turns the water on, sticks little
Chippy under there to wash all the dirt and the
dust and the grime off little Chippy. She didn't
stay long enough to let the water get warm, so
it's cold water, and when she gets him out, she's
got a little towel, the little bird's just doing
his best, so she realizes she needs to dry him
off quick. So she grabs the hair dryer out from
under the sink, plugs it in, puts it on high,
and begins to dry the feathers of little Chippy.
Little Chippy fluffs up. She tells the story
to a neighbor, and a few days later, the neighbor
asks her, says, well, how's Chippy? She said,
well, Chippy don't sing like he used to. Sometimes
when life sucks you up in the vortex and spits
you out, After you've been through the spin cycle,
you don't sing like you used to. Hello? But let
me declare to you this morning, the song that
you sang for offering, Sister Kathy and I was
singing as we was getting ready for church this
morning. There's a light in the window. And a
table spread with splendor. Someone standing
by. An open door. Right. I can see a crystal
river. Lord, I must be here forever. Amen. And
I've never been this homesick before. Right.
I'm homesick. I'm ready to see the Lord because
I've been sucked up, spit out, blow dried, and
nearly grounded. But I am determined that I'm
going to keep my song. Hallelujah. Can I suggest
to you today, don't let the world and the things
of the world and the enemy come against you and
rob you of your song because I've told you before
and I'll repeat it again. This is the worst it's
going to be for you and I. Amen. And we must
leave behind ourselves a great memorial. of faith.
Hey, hallelujah. We read this chapter 11. You
know chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews. It's
a monument. It's left as a monument of faith.
It's a memorial of faith for every one of us
who follow in the footsteps of righteousness.
Amen? As we endeavor to serve God and to love
God and to follow after God. This chapter is
known as the Hall of Faith, and it does stand
as a memorial for you and I because as you begin
to read through there, you say, well, I've been
there, and I've had that, I've experienced that,
and I too have survived as they survived. Their
names are recorded. The deeds of their lives
are recorded so that you and I may know that
we can leave a memorial of faith behind us. Amen?
It's all about serving, loving, and maintaining
and keeping you. Your faith in the face of every
opposition that comes your way. Knowing that
God is faithful. It's in this chapter of 11 that
it's regarded so dearly to the hearts. And it
reminds us of all those who have left their faith
to be a memorial for you and I. And we can understand
if you'll just read the last verse of chapter
10. But we are not of them who draw back unto
perdition or to punishment, but of them that
believe to the saving of the soul. That's who
we are. The author of Hebrews is writing to those
who would be reading after him and after those
who are living life and living faith before them.
He said, we're not of those who turn back to
destruction, but we are those who persevere and
press forward. Amen. Paul would say, I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus. But he didn't press forward
until he said, but this one thing I do, forgetting
those things which are behind me. Hallelujah.
I forget all of that stuff, but I can't get it
out of my mind because I leave a memorial at
every place that God has brought me and everywhere
that God sustains me and everywhere that God
keeps me. I leave a memorial of my faith as I
walk away. I had a good friend of mine who used
to say, I'm going to light a fire to it and walk
off by the light of it. Hallelujah. That's the
way I am by every obstacle and every opposition
that begins to present itself against my faith.
God is greater and greater is he that's in me
and greater is he that's in you than he that
is in this world. I pray that your faith becomes
a great memorial to those who will come after
you and that you can light a match to it and
walk off by the light of it. Hallelujah. The
devil doesn't have authority. He doesn't have
power. All he has is access. My God. All he's
got is access to you. He don't have power over
you. He doesn't have authority over you. And
he sure can't match the faith that you have in
God. Because he cannot match God. Because again
I declare it. Greater is he that is in you than
he that is in this world. May your faith be a
memorial. Well, I'm about to get wound up. understand
what is at stake with our faith when we understand
that shrinking back pulling back drawing back
puts us in harm's way it puts you in the in the
crosshairs of destruction So we cannot draw back.
We have no other option but to continue to press
forward, and we press forward on in faith, which
brings the preservation of the soul into limelight.
When we begin to understand that if I go back,
there's nothing but destruction, but I know what
lays before me. Paul would pin it this way. I
have not seen and ear has not heard, and neither
has it entered into the heart of man what God
has. has in store for those who love him. Can
I tell you, there's nothing behind you. There's
nothing but sin's dark draw. There's nothing
but sin's destruction and the price that sin
demands of you. For the wages of sin is death,
and after death a man will face the judgment
and he'll hear from God. Depart from me, thou
worker of iniquity, for I have never known you.
But those who persevere in faith and by faith
has the perseverance that... They will have the
preservation of their soul. We don't draw back,
but we only march forward. I may have to drag
my way, but I'm going forward. I may be on all
fours crawling, but every inch of the mile of
the journey is worth it. Because again, I declare
to you, this is the devil's only shot at you.
So maintain your faith. Put up a memorial at
every point of victory in your life. Happy Memorial
Day weekend. So when we look at it, the evidence
of authentic saving faith is what is preserving
us and causing us to continue to press on. Faith
that saves from destruction is a faith that lives
day by day, day by day. You can't believe today
and not tomorrow. Faith must be alive and well
every single moment of your life. You can't say
I'm going to believe at 9 and then I'm going
to take a break and pick it back up at 12. No,
it's a continuance of your faith and your trust
in God Almighty because it is his abundant grace
that causes you to be able to continue to press
on. And it's his grace that causes my faith to
be renewed every day. I think about that grace
to grace. faith to faith and glory to glory.
And I think of it like the manna. For some reason,
I've been thinking about that verse that we talked
a little bit about last week when he said, my
grace is sufficient for you. I've not been able
to get that off of my mind, that in your weakness,
my strength comes and prevails in your life.
And it's new every day. I think about the manna
of the Exodus. Hallelujah. As the children of
Israel are wandering their way, they weren't
wandering, they were being led. Somebody needs
to be led. to understand that this morning. You're
not on a wayward journey. You're not on a happenstance.
The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord,
and you're being taken on a life's journey. And
so if you're being taken on a life's journey,
then there's a live preparation that's being
made for you. There's provision that comes your
way. And I begin to think about that manna that
showed up every single morning. Every day there
was enough for the day's travel. There was enough
for the day's journey. gather for tomorrow unless
it was on Friday and you had to prepare for the
seventh day so that you could rest and keep it
holy hallelujah and then you could gather a double
portion and have enough but there was never left
over if you had too much it would turn to canker
and the worms would be there it would sour and
I'm here to tell you today it works the same
way with grace I get the full measure of God's
abundant grace in my life every single day I
I don't leave none for tomorrow because I have
finally, finally in my journey with God, in the
faith that I have in my salvation, I have finally,
Sister Kathy, begin to understand that I can
go to sleep and know that I've not exhausted
his grace. I've not exhausted his power. And
the memorial of my faith is determined by the
power of his grace as exposed to my life. So
I get up in the morning and I gather grace. Oh,
the live long day. Happy Memorial Weekend. Just
think what everybody's missing. It's not here
today. Hallelujah. I have learned that I will
not exhaust his grace. So I use it. Because I
sure don't want to lose it. And when I lay my
head to finally sleep in the wee hours of the
morning, when I lay my head upon my pillow, I
know that should the Lord cause me to wake and
give me strength to put my feet on the floor,
I simply have to bow and pick up my dose of grace.
Because in the weakness of my flesh and my creativeness.
I know that his divine power and the infinite
wisdom that he has toward us, that he will extend
to me every ounce of strength that I need. I
don't want to hear from nobody telling me, oh,
I can't make it, oh, I can't go on. It's because
you refuse to bend over and bow and pick up your
grace. Honey, if you're too sorry to bend over
and pick it up, I can't help you. But I'm here
to tell you, you can make it if you'll bow a
knee and begin to gather your grace. If you'll
bow your knee and begin to gather your daily
grace early in the morning, you can make it because
there's no devil in hell that can deter you or
defeat you or turn you around. Because if you
can't make it, you make God a liar. I haven't
even got to my points yet. We're still working
on this intro. Yeah, you make God a liar. Because
the way I read the book, he said nothing is coming
against you such as is common to man. In other
words, it may be new to you, but it's not new
to humanity. Hello? In other words, somebody
else has already dealt with it. Some child of
God somewhere in the four corners of this world
has already dealt with whatever it is you're
dealing with. And they've left a memorial of
faith. They've left, they've erected. a memorial
of faith to let you and I know when we come by
that way on our journey and we're experiencing
something in our life that we've never experienced
before. He said, I will not allow or permit more
to come on you than you are able to bear. And
if it gets that way and I see that you may not
be able to bear up, Hear what I'm going to do
for you. I will make a way of escape for you.
Hey! Somebody needs to start looking for your
way out. You go to these dinner theaters, these
escape dinner things, and you go in there and
you try to figure out the clues so that they'll
open the door and let you out. Honey, I'm here
to tell you, whether I can figure it out or not,
I'm going to get out. Hello? You're not going
to keep me in there. If I think I'm locked up
and it starts closing in, I'm coming out anyway.
I just don't like it, you know. I'll make a way
out. That's the way I've determined in my life
and my walk of faith and the journey. I'm going
to get out. And I'm not just going to barely
escape either. I'm not just getting out by the
skin of my teeth. There will be a door open unto
me and there will be a way of escape provided
because the promise of the word of God is that
he would not allow it to squish the life out
of me. I may come out crawling, but it'll be
a wide door that I crawl through. Man, I wish
I had me a fired up organ player this morning.
It would be better than any seventh, any stretch
that you've ever been to in your life. If I had
me a good Hammond organ this morning, you would
think my skin complexity would garken about nine
shades because I could get, I mean, I'm telling
you, I could get soulish this morning if I had
me a good hot organ. I mean, we could preach
it. We could know it that God's going to make
a way of escape for you. Don't tell me you can't.
Don't tell me you're going to give up and turn
around. You can make it. Where is it? Find one
and go read it. Hebrews 11 and 1 defines faith,
doesn't it? Gives you a definition of the faith.
It holds out to the preservation of the soul.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.
The evidence of things not seen. The evidence
of things not seen. I was out just right after
the break of day this morning. It hadn't been
breaking too long. Dogs had to go out. I was
kind of agitated that they didn't just give me
at least 30 more minutes. You know, you know
how we are. But if I had that 30 more minutes,
I wouldn't have got to witness Noah's testimony.
Because right out there at the breaking of the
day this morning. I got out past the trees in
the yard and was standing there watching them
dogs who were just about to bust piddle around.
I mean, she'd been barking for 20 minutes walking
out, and she smells every blade of grass to find
the right one to desecrate. You dog owners, you
with me? Well, I got one of them. It don't matter
if it's 2 o 'clock in the morning or 6 o 'clock.
It's got to be the right blade of grass. I'm
thinking. But I look up. Again, I notice how
cloudy it was. And then I thought to myself,
well, y 'all did well. You did well by rescheduling
your picnic. Look at those clouds. Dark. Rough.
Looked like it could rain any minute. And it
already had been raining, I thought. So it kindly
pleased me, you know. A lot of times you make
those decisions and you go out and it's a bluebird
sky. And you feel about this big. But I felt
good about it this morning. Good decision. We're
going to pick a prettier day and we're going
to still eat a hamburger and a hot dog one of
these days. And then I began to notice something
in those dark clouds. I thought, well, surely
that ain't what I think it is. And the more I
looked, I let my eyes scan the skies and the
clouds. And lo and behold, I saw both ends. of
the prettiest rainbow this morning in the storm
cloud. You ain't going to make me preach all
that, are you? I'm looking at dark, stormy clouds.
And I thought, well, they ain't enough sun to
make a rainbow. So I turned around and looked
back toward the east. And sure enough, the sky
was getting red. And my mind just, I don't know
how you function, but my mind always searches
for Scripture for the first thought. And I look,
and I said, well, red sky in the morning, sailors
take warning. You know, Jesus said you can even
tell the weather, but you can't even, you got
enough sense to get in and out of the rain. But
anyway, that's the water's parallel. Don't look
for book and chapter. And I thought, well, I
guess that's enough. And I turned back to look.
And for about three to four minutes, it kept
getting brighter. And brighter, that beautiful
yellow and the purple. You know what I'm talking
about. It was a beautiful rainbow just arched
across the sky. And I said, Lord, if that's not
a testimony and a memorial, I don't know what
is. Thank you for letting me know that I'm on
the right track this morning because I see the
witness that you're not going to let destruction
come upon us again. Hallelujah. You said you'd
put a bow in the clouds. Most of the time we
don't see a rainbow until the rain is over and
the clouds are moved out. Amen. And there's still
some of the mist or the moisture in the air and
then it just illuminates. But I'm here to tell
you there's a promise. There's a testimony. There's
a memorial in the darkness. the cloud hallelujah
and there is a witness when you begin to look
around at the unforetold and the unseen memorials
that God leaves behind you go outside now you
may search for a month and not see another one
but when you need it the most you may stand and
begin to look at the darkness of the gloominess
of life you may be feeling like chippy your song
is gone and you've done been sucked up and spit
out and puffed up, wind blown, and you're just
doing good to be alive. But hallelujah, when
you lift up your eyes and see the bow that is
placed in the heavens, your mind can't help but
wrap around the memorial that God said there'd
be stormy days, but he said the stormy days wouldn't
take me out. He said, I'll put a bow in the cloud
and it'll always be there. And when you need
it the most, look for the memorial. There's a
memorial of three. wooden pieces with three nails.
It's called the Cross of Calvary, which describes
a memorial that he died for you. And my God,
he's going to keep life flowing in you. Woo!
Substance and evidence. What it declares to us
is that faith doesn't just look back on what
God did. It looks forward to what God plans to
do. Amen. I look at that rainbow and it tells
me it's never going to flood. But I know what
he plans to do. Hello. I look at that bow and
it stands as a memorial. God said it will never
flood the earth again. Oh, we see high waters,
don't we? We've had historic floods. Since they've
been keeping records back up in the mountains
of Tennessee and North Carolina through that
hurricane. Who thinks that a hurricane is going
to do that much damage in the mountains in the
Appalachians? Who thinks that hundreds are going
to lose their lives and homes washed down rivers
and creeks? Amen. Who thinks that's going to
happen? You think you're safe from a hurricane
in the mountains? High water. There's flooding
every spring. Every winter there's flooding.
But it don't surpass the top of Mount Ararat.
He didn't say the water never would get deep
again. He just said it'll never flood the earth
and destroy it. And there's my memorial. So every
time I see in the news floodwaters rising, I
know that they're going to recede. So every time
I hear someone turning in a prayer request of
how heavy life is and how troublesome life is
and what the problems of life are and they don't
see a way out, I can look back and know that
God has made a promise that, hey, it ain't going
to take you out if you don't let it. If you'll
bow and pick up the grace for the day, you're
going to make it. You're going to make it. You're
going to make it. Child of God, you're going
to make it. It may not turn out the way you want
it, the way you desire it, the way you've told
God to do it, but if you'll keep your faith marching
forward and pick up your manifestation of grace
every day, you will make it. We're going to survive
it. A memorial is as simple as this. It's what's
left behind as a witness to those who follow
after. That's... That's about as simple. That's
my definition. That's why it's so simple. It's
what's left behind as a witness to those which
follow after. And if you'll get in this book,
you get in your book. You'll discover memorial
after memorial after memorial after memorial.
It's a witness. There's a witness. That's all
memorials are. I know we live in a woke culture
that's bent so out of shape that ain't got enough
sense to get in out of the rain. That they'll
walk by a memorial and get offended by it but
don't have enough sense to know why it's there.
It serves as a witness. We have our landscape
dotted with memorials that witness ignorance
that had taken place. As warning signs not to
allow ignorance again to overwhelm us. But ignorance
is on a rampage in the United States of America.
Let's cover them up. Let's build walls around
them. Get the crane. Let's take it up and put
it on the back lot somewhere. Let's remove it.
Why? Well, it's offensive. My God, it's supposed
to be offensive so that we do not repeat the
steps of ignorance toward one another. That's
why they're there. You should be offended. I'll
really get stuck. The memorials that we've read
about this morning, I love the reason I chose
this text was because David and some of the other
great characters of the Bible are just honorable
mentions. Do you know what I'm saying? They're
all in one little verse. Some of the others got
three or four verses. Abraham gets a little bit
of... Credit there. Gets a little bit of descriptive
going on. But David just got an honorable mention.
Gideon. You know Gideon. The dude with the light
and the picture and the trumpet in his hand.
Him. Gideon. Just moved right on. Barely gets
a comma. Just gets you to hesitate. Oh, that
was Gideon. As an honorable mention. But you
know what? The memorials of Gideon remain in
my mind. When Gideon told the angel, the Lord
said, look, I am the least of the least of the
least. I'm a nobody. But then the introduction
is, Gideon, you mighty man of valor, what you
doing here threshing wheat at the wine press?
Huh? You're in the wrong place, son, doing the
wrong job. Why are you here? He knew why he was
there. He knew why he was there, and he knows
why you are where you are, right? But see, we
have to stop these self -identifiers. Everybody
wants to identify themselves. You need to get
over that and be identified and receive the identification
that God has given you. Amen? You know, that
new creature who you are, not that old thing
that he found in the ditch and in the gutter
somewhere and pulled out and renewed and restored
and refreshed and saved by his marvelous grace.
That's who you are. We need to take and recall
again the identifiers of who we are. are able
to stand and face the opposition. If you're going
to live for Christ, you're going to face opposition.
1 Peter 4 and 12, Apostle Peter writes it this
way, Beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you as though
something happened to you. But rejoice as you
are partakers of Christ's suffering. That's 13a.
Don't think it's strange because you're finding
a little hardship in your life. Don't start letting
the devil convince you that God's forsaken you
because life's a little hard right now. Got nothing
to do with that. Peter says, but rejoice. Count
it as rejoicing. Be happy that you can suffer
for Christ's sake. No, that ain't where we live,
is it? Uh -uh, no, no, no. It's woe and agony
on me. Right? Despair. If it wasn't for bad luck,
I'd have no luck at all. Amen. How many know
what I just quoted? How many have no clue? Anybody
that doesn't have a clue? Daniel, son, it's your
daddy's fault. It's your daddy's fault. Help
him, Dad. Show him how to Google it. Tell him
what to look for. Put it in the box, and Siri
will tell you. You might be amazed. You won't
be impressed, but you might be amazed. Telling
on us now. A high school graduate that doesn't
know that quote. Our school system is failing.
And I mean, the boy had more rope and tassels
and sashes and medals. Randy said he clinked
like Colonel Clink trying to walk down the aisle.
I bet he don't even know who Colonel Clink is
either. So I wasted three minutes of preaching
time. Educate the boy. Young man, he's not a
boy anymore. Educate the young man. Well, I can't
preach past that. Stand to your feet. I've just
preached myself from under the anointment. I'm
teasing because I've preached over saying a lot
more stuff than that. But I think you've gotten
the gist this morning. What are you going to
leave behind? Don't think it's strange concerning
the trials that are to try your faith. Our faith
has to be tested. It has to be tested. For whose
sake? For yours and for mine. It's for our sake.
I hope and pray that one of these days when they
shovel dirt, if the Lord don't come, when they
shovel dirt in on the box that they put me in,
I hope I'd be worthy to live out a life enough
that they could chisel in the stone memorial
that's before me. And say he practiced what he
preached. It's what I love to be said over me.
Pastor Cliff lived by the code. Of the word that
he declared. He lived by it. That to me would
be a great memorial. That one of these days.
Some of these young people. When they're. Looking
at their grandkids. They can remember a morning
like this. When they had a pastor. That yielded
himself. Enough to. Look like a fool. But yet
preach with passion. Conviction. And they're
reminded of what I said. Not just how I went
about saying it. I pray that there's a memorial
of Pentecost that is left behind. Today is Ascension
Sunday also. What a great memorial. When you
walk around the landscape. Of Israel. They have
a little place up there. But it's not nearly
as celebrated as other places around. Kindly
unkept when I was there in 2000. I thought, huh,
this is where it really happened. But there's
a memorial there if you want to go find it. This
is where he ascended. Wow. What a memorial. The
Mount of Transfiguration. It's about the same.
The same place where they wanted to build three
temples. I wonder do we have the faith to be
his polycarp in the face of opposition. He stood
as they tried to get him to renounce his faith
in a pile of wood that they're about to set on
fire. And I love this quote. He said, 80 and
6 years I have served Christ, and he has done
me nothing but good. How then could I curse him,
my Lord and Savior? And with that, they lit the
match. And he surrendered his life. Do we have
that? Do we have the wherewithal as those who
stood in the... Roman coliseums as the beasts
were turned upon them. They were left to the
slaughter of the gladiators. Oh, I know it's
Hollywood, but it's real. It was real. Could
we stand in the center of those arenas and not
curse God? I remember in 2000 when I was in Israel,
we went to the amphitheater, the half coliseum
at Caesarea by the Sea. And standing in the middle
of that arena with the various doors around the
bottom, I think they say somewhere around 4 ,000
people could sit there. But in Rome, that coliseum
could seat thousands. And our guide was having
us to close our eyes as we stood in a circle
back to back. He said, now I want you to try
to imagine the roars of lions. And you're standing
here not knowing from which one of these porticos
they're going to come at you. Now I want you
to know it kind of was surreal for me. It really
was. I cried for 11 straight days from the time
my feet touched down in Tel Aviv till we got
out of there. I saw, I can't remember a whole
lot of what I did saw or see because I saw it
through puddles of water. That Coliseum stands
for a lot of things, but it stands for memorial
as well for all of us who follow. Their faith.
Or they did not deny Christ. They stood. Polycarp
stood in the face of flames. You and I most likely,
we're not going to have to do that. You're not
going to have to do that. But when you put it
in comparison of how weak we offer ourselves
as to what we do face. Somebody hurt your little
feelings? I preach too loud? Really? Oh, they
got that music too loud there. I ain't going
back. Well, go find you a church of Christ. They
don't even play it. Hello? They don't? Well,
I like a little. No, you just want what you want.
I'm sorry, I'm very wound tight lately. Whining
so -called Christians don't go very far on my
list. Never have, but they don't even go far
now. Be careful, because I'll just tell you to
go find yourself somewhere else, because I'm
definitely not going to be your cup of tea. You're
here on Memorial Day weekend, so you're probably
the core, and I really, really have to get right
to cause you to leave. There's memorials, the
seven steps of the Via Della Rosa. From the whipping
post. Walk those steps. I've put my feet on these
stones that Christ put his feet on. Surreal.
Knowing that he walked down this way. And I'm
walking. I'm following. We're back to bring this
thing together. A memorial stands as a witness
to all those who follow after. The Via Dolorosa.
Galgotha's Hill. An empty tomb. An upper room.
Hello? And so... Suck it up, buttercup. It may
get right before we get to leave. But there's
grace every morning. And for those of you fortunate
enough to be full of the Holy Ghost, well, there's
even more. You're going to make it. May you leave
behind a memorial of great faith. Don't let them
say of you, well, they were up and down. I mean,
you know, he's on fire one week and just barely
drug in the next week. No, don't let them say
that of you. Leave a great memorial of a great
faith. They trusted God through the thick and
through the thin, through the good and the bad.
They're still able to sing. There's a light in
the window. Father, I love you today. Just stretch
your hands this way. If you need an extra added
touch of grace, just lift your hand. I'm going
to pray over you. If you're lost and going to
a devil's hell, you need to come down here and
let me pray with you. If that's you, I'm giving
you an opportunity to repent and to know Christ
and free pardon of sin today. There's a memorial,
an empty cross and an empty tomb for you. Hallelujah.
You don't have to leave this world in misery
and in sin. You can leave it born again through
the power and the testimony and the witness of
Jesus Christ. Father, over this household of
faith, there are many in this very room right
now sick in body. And if that's you, put a hand
on the shoulder. Put a hand on the shoulder.
There's many here sick in body who need a touch
of your amazing, amazing grace, who need access
to those stripes whereby we are healed. And Lord,
I know that you're able to grant such healing.
Your will be done. We're not going to give up.
We're not going to give out. We're not going
to turn around. I'm not going back. But my faith
is a faith that causes me to press forward. I'm
going forward. I'm looking for my doorway. I'm
looking for my escape because you said you wouldn't
let more on me than I can bear come down on me
without making that way. Your people are looking
for the way out, Lord. Life's tough. The pressure
is on. The enemy's raging. But I know this. You're
on our side. And if God be for us, then who can
be against us? Over the household of faith this
morning, Father God, in the name of the Father.
That lovely name of Jesus. Touch your people.
Strengthen their faith. Lord, if they've been
whining, let them shut it up and let's go on
with you for glory. For glory's sake, Lord, I'm
not going to whine about it. I'm not going to
be down. I'm not going to think it's strange.
I'm not going to think something has gone wrong.
I'm just going to count it and rejoice over it
because you have chosen me worthy and the suffering
that I go through compares to nothing that you've
gone through for me. But because you've gone
through it, I can. also because you will supply
all of my need. We're going to make it. You're
going to make it. Tell your neighbor, you're
going to make it. You're going to make it. You're
going to make it. We're going to get out of this
thing, church. Hallelujah. We're going to make
it. Amen. So leave a great memorial of faith.
Father, I love you. I thank you. Watch over your
people this weekend as we rejoice and we truly
do celebrate the freedom, the freedom that we
enjoy because of the full price that was paid
for it. Men and women of our armed forces have
bled and died, bled and died so that we can still
assemble together in spirit and in truth. They
bled and died for the democracy of this great
nation. And Father, I pray for their blood's
sake, don't let the ignorance of Washington erase
it. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.