Hallelujah. He's good, isn't he? Like a bird
out of prison. What's the rest of that? No, that's
a different one. There you go. I just don't know
the words. Well, I'm so glad that I found out
that he would bring me out and show me the way,
right? Thank God I am free, free, free from this
world of sin. Washed in the blood of Jesus, I've
been born. I'm saved. saved by his wonderful
grace. I'm so glad. He would bring me out and
show me the way. That's enough of that. If you
got your Bible, turn to Psalms 11. That old song,
it's been in my head for a while. I thank God
every day I'm free. Amen. I'm glad I found out
about his marvelous grace. Let me tell you something.
I was raised in church. I cut my teeth on the
back of a wore out red back. They wouldn't let
us play with the good ones. You know what I'm
talking about? It's the one with the binders
about wore out, brother. The threads hanging
from them. You'd get that one under the seat.
But I had to find out for myself what they were
singing about. Had to have my own encounter.
Had to have my own experience with his marvelous
grace. Amen. I'd love to say I took it the first
time, but no. It took me a few times to get it
right. How many in here have been baptized in
water more than seven times? Anybody? See there?
It took a little bit to get it. Right. Seven
times. Well, six officially. I don't know that
you can really count Jordan because I just went
because he went. The River Jordan. I was there.
So I went in. But the other six was because I
messed up. And I take the word of God very literal.
When John was talking about falling for me first
love there in Revelation. And he said, do you
first works over again? My first work was following
in his footsteps is water baptism. And I figure
if I messed it up, I thought I might ought to
do it again and again and again and again and
again and again. Six times. I've been in creeks,
rivers, baptistries. I've been baptized about
anywhere you could be baptized. But it finally.
It finally took, or I took to it. It always took
to me. What is it? His grace, his love. It always
took to me. I just forsook it. So if you're here
this morning, and maybe you're on try number
three or four or five, you're good. Just hang
in there. Amen. Don't stop. You got a couple
more to go to catch up. Just get it. Amen. Get
a hold of it. Enough of that. Psalms 11. Again,
so good to see you. If you're visiting, yes,
we're like this most of the time. Most any given
Sunday. This is just the way we enjoy worshiping
the Lord. We've come for, we like to have a good
time doing it, but we're serious about it. Amen?
And if that's something you're looking for, come
on. Well, you can make your mind up here in about
an hour. After I'm finished, if you want to come
back and hear this again, maybe you will. Psalms
11. I'm just going to read verse 3 to you. I
was going to read the whole psalm, but I think
verse 3 will suffice. The psalmist David declares
here, if the foundation be destroyed, what can
the righteous do? I want to preach to you on
a simple thought this morning, a mid -summer's
reminder. A midsummer's reminder. This is where
we're at. It's in the middle. I know we think
we're getting toward fall, but hold off on your
decorations. It's still going to be hot. Midsummer
reminder. I'll pray for you if you pray for me,
and maybe this won't take until, ooh, we're getting
a late start, so it might. Father, we love you.
We thank you for your goodness and your mercy,
the power of your love, the abundance of your
grace in our heart and life. Now, Lord, help
me be expedient this morning. Lord, help me get
to the point. Help me proclaim what you would
have into the hearts and minds of your people.
We that have ears, may we hear what it is the
Spirit is saying to the church today. And Lord,
we'll be quick to praise you for it all. For
you are good and your mercy endures forever.
Speak into my life today. Is that your prayer?
Repeat that with me. Speak into my life, sweet
Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. That's it. Amen.
A mid -summer's reminder. You can be seated.
There are a few things that are constant in this
world. And I think one of those constants is
the matter of fact of change. Change is a constant.
It is ever occurring. Change happens every day.
How many of you remember, I think it even still
happens on local channels, if you're up late
at night and there'll be the snow come on the
screen and you hear that. This is a test of the
emergency broadcast system, right? Then they
go through their little spiel. That's what this
is this morning. This is just a simple test.
If you read in this 11th Psalm, that phrase is
used. The Lord is testing. He tests with his
eyes and he's testing his children. And then
there's this solemn warning about the foundations.
If the moralistic fibers, if the truth of all
that is true is shaken and is destroyed, what
then? Can the righteous do? And if we are living
in an age where one of the only true constants
is change, I would say it's probably one of the
truest statements of the last century. And as
we look around, we can see that nothing is as
it once was. It's not like it used to be. Amen?
I honestly thought when I were the age of some
of these children that by now there'd be some
George Jetson folks running around, and they
have some of those capabilities. They have some
big enough drones that we could go along. If
they just can't figure out how to regulate it,
if they can figure out how to regulate all of
that, then there'll be some low -level highway
traffic. Amen? It can happen. Nothing is as it
was. Homes, jobs, cars, automobile, school, even
the church has changed. Now, let me just set
out this morning early in this message to let
you know that the word evolution is not a sin.
The word in itself, evolution, is not a sin.
The theology of it. Evolution is. God is. I'm
going to get into that little rabbit trail this
morning, so I'm just going to lay that one out
there. The church has evolved over the millennia.
We are not as we were in the first century. Not
all things that evolve are negative and are wrong.
As long as... The foundation remains true. Remember,
what did Paul say about Christ being the foundation
of our faith? If any man builds on anything else,
it's no good. Christ is the foundation. So when
we begin to think about how things have evolved,
the church has evolved in some ways very good.
Some of you are fanning, but can you imagine
what it would be without even the air we got
blowing now? It'd be H -O -T, right? So some
things that have evolved are not necessarily
negatives. But when you come to the moral fibers
of the institution of the church, we cannot evolve
and grow away from or grow beyond the true foundation
of what the church is built upon. If you remember,
we go back to the question that Jesus asked his
disciples, who do men say that I, the son of
man, am? Oh, some say Jeremiah, some say Isaiah,
some one of the other prophets. But then the
pointed question returns, who do you say that
I am? And then by being inspired by the Spirit
of God, Peter would declare, thou art the Christ,
the Son of the living God. And then Jesus declares
the foundational structure of the church. And
he said, blessed art thou, Simon Bar -Jonah,
for upon this rock, that foundation, I will establish
and build my church and the gates are open. Look
and listen. If any time you see the church being
prevailed over by the enemy, you might ought
to take a good look because the foundation has
been removed. If the church remains solid upon
the foundation of Christ and none other but Christ,
then there is no way the enemy is going to overcome
and defeat the church. It's not possible. Why?
Because Jesus declared, So at the least place
it can afford to evolve, it is the church. Oh,
yes, methods can change, but the message must
always remain. There is only one name under heaven
whereby men can be saved, and that is the name
of Jesus Christ, and that at that name every
knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.
We must remain solid upon the foundation of our
Christology, and it is Christ and Christ alone.
Hallelujah. And we begin to stand firm and proclaim.
Let the air blow cool in the summer. Let the
heat blow warm in the winter. Get some more padded
seats and let's try not to get too comfortable
so that we become at ease in the house of Zion.
But yet our hearts are stirred by the foundational
truth. It's Christ who is the way, who is the
truth, and who is the life. And we remain true
in that. But the danger becomes that we begin
to allow a sway away so the church can least
afford change of any other structure in this
world. Any other system may change and evolve
away from, but the church cannot evolve away
from its firm foundation. If the foundation be
destroyed, here in David's day, he was already
worried about a crisis somehow socially in the
realm around him. He being king, something has
disturbed him to the point that the spirit moves
him to begin to write and to pen these words
that today, here, August 17, 2025, That we could
be reminded that the foundation must remain true.
I don't know what the enemy's been coming against
you with. And he may be even trying to get you
to move your mindset about church and about your
relationship with God on down the road. But honey,
if it takes you past Christ, you better abandon
that thought process. Because the idea of today
is a moralistic therapeutic deism that causes
one to think you can be good enough. Amen. You
can be more. But you can't without Christ. You
can't be good enough. You can't be happy enough.
Oh, the society today in our religious world
wants people to think that God wants you to be
happy all the time. Well, that's contrary to
the Word of God because there's too many warnings
that in this world you shall have tribulation.
And I can't be happy when I'm in turmoil and
chaos is turned upside down. But I can let down
the faith of my heart into the well of my heart.
my salvation and draw deep from the joy of the
Lord because in his presence is fullness of joy.
My God, I don't want that foundation of the joy
of the Lord removed. So therefore, among all
things. That have gone through and are existing
in the element of change. The church is the one
that can least afford it. Simply because. When
the church changes it becomes alienated from
the God. Who established it and never changes.
Oh God changes well let's see if he does. According
to Malachi 3 and 6. For I am the Lord. I. Change
not. So my heart has been stirred personally
for me this week. I need a midsummer's reminder
that the Lord remains constant. and the unvariableness
of his changing, what that declares to me is
this, that he is faithful, that the moral character
of God always remains true and unelementary.
Will it never be changed? You can keep to the
simplicity of the gospel and the character of
Jesus Christ and the true character of who God
is by his nature. He is faithful, and he will
always be faithful, and he will never change
from being faithful. faithful. The characteristics
of God is that he is wise. He is filled with
wisdom and he will always be wise and he will
never vary in the wisdom that he displays towards
you. I am the Lord and I change not. In other
words, there's no faction in this world that
can move him for the reality of who he is and
the proclamation of his word as he is described
to us. I don't care what the world says. I don't
care what they declare about God because God
God is the same and he is the true constant of
this world and he changeth not. He's merciful.
Just think if he changed and varied in his mercy,
what kind of condition would this world truly
be in? But he's merciful. What about his love?
What if he wasn't as loving as he is? What kind
of shape would this world be in? So the church
can least afford to change. And there's just
a couple of reminders for us this morning as
a church. As we live in a world and an age of
all manner of isms and religiosity, man has developed
a theology, if you will, to live by that appeases
every attribute of their flesh. Huh? Yeah, if
you look long enough, you can find what you want
to live by to align by your... personal conviction.
Can I declare to you this is not all about our
personal convictions. It's about his personal
declaration of the life that we are to live and
the image, the expressed image of his son Jesus
Christ. We are to emulate his character in this.
Well, our societies have, that's outdated. We've
grown way past that. You'd never grow past kindness.
I don't care how far we get or how old this world.
You never get past kindness. You never get past
the commandment of love. You never get past peace.
Amen. All these remain with every culture. There
is an innate desire in all of humanity to be
loved. I don't care how sour you want to be.
I don't care how cross and hateful you are. Deep
down, you want to be and desire to be liked and
loved. The moment someone tells me, I don't care
if we're bollocks or we're not, they're telling
me right out loud, I want I want everyone to
like me. I want everyone to love me. And I'm
doing all that I can in my flesh to keep that
from happening. And somebody is still nice to
me. Why? Because somebody you run across has
the love and the innate character and the truth
of the foundation of Jesus Christ down in them.
And they are portraying that every day. It's
a cry to be loved. I need to be reminded that
God's word is still true. And that we live by
his word. There's only three of these little
reminders. So here's number one. That we live
by his word. You live by his word. Pastor Brian's
already quoted this morning. In him we live and
move and we have. Our being. It's his word. It
doesn't matter how much culture tries to change
it. It doesn't matter how much the age of our
day tries to criticize it, tries to minimize
it, tries to rationalize the Word, tries to censure
the Word, tries to ignore the Word. It doesn't
matter how much social media makes fun of the
Word and every other forum you can get on that
denigrates the Word of God. It doesn't matter
for the child of God who understands the rudimentary
elements of the foundation of faith in God, understands
without the Word of God, God. We are nothing
but with the Word of God. We can do all things
through Him because He strengthens us. We can
because of the declaration of that Word that
declares His grace is provided to us and for
us and in us every day. And it becomes the all
-sufficiency of our life. His Word! I need to
be reminded of that. And so therefore, I felt
if I needed a reminder, you needed a midsummer's
reminder. Because I know there's another entity
that has not changed, and that is the devil.
Oh, Diablo. Oh, Diablo. Has it changed? He hasn't
even evolved in his methods of coming against
you. He's a three -trick pony. Hello? He's a
three -trick pony. Oh, Bobo. Three -trick pony.
He attacks the lust of your eye. He approaches
the lust of your flesh and the pride of your
life. That's it. Well, everything that he rolls
at you gets down to those common denominators
right there. That's it. That's all he's got.
I can tell you how you can overcome some of those
through the power of the word of God. How do
I get rid of that pride of life? Humble yourself
under the mighty hand of God. Well, how do I
do that? Take up your cross and follow him. Any
man that don't get the cross, take one up, can't
follow, can't go where he is. So if you want
to be in heaven, get over your high self. Hello.
No one thinks more highly of them than they think
of themselves. So why do you think the devil's
got you so bowed up on your pride? Huh? Because
that... Three -trick pony, that's one of them.
And if you apply the word of God, if you humble
yourself, what does that mean? If you lower yourself,
if you climb off your high horse, amen, put your
foot in a stirrup and come on down to earth,
you're not all that in a bag of chips. Hello?
We're not, you know. And nobody loves us better
than we love ourselves. Amen? Only one that loves
you more than you love you is God. And how so,
pastor? Because the word. Let this be a midsummer
reminder to you. For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten son that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting.
He loves you more than you love yourself. So
the way that you overcome is through the word,
right? You humble yourself instead of getting
to the point where God has to humble you. Well,
what does that look like? Well, there's a story
of a prodigal son. Loved himself. Pride. Daddy!
that belongs to me when you die. Boy, I'm not
dead yet. Well, I won't watch mine. Son, it ain't
yours until I'm gone. Come on, you know. I watched
a little meme yesterday I thought was quite hilarious.
It looked about like a 30 -year -old man, not
a boy, was in his daddy's living room and he's
saying, Daddy, you ain't nothing. You ain't got
nothing. And this daddy getting crossed up. Look
at this boy. He says, huh? What started, all
the boy had his pants down about right here,
hanging down there. He said, son, pull them breeches
up. Who do you think you are? In daddy's living
room, you know. I could play all that out, but
it'd take away from my preacher time. But anyway,
in about 90 seconds into that meme, you see daddy
frog, and you see Junior laying on his back doing
this, hocking them breeches up. That's the way
it can happen if you're not careful. God trying
to bless your life and you're so full of yourself.
He can't get in edgewise to bless you. And all
he's wanting to do is bless you. And you're blowing
up. I want all the blessings that belong to me.
Well, they don't really, none of them belong
to you unless I afford them to you. But the dad
gives the prodigal son, you know the story, gives
him his portion. And he goes off and spends it
all in riotous partying. Party on, dude. Till
he's broke. And the worst place that a young
Jewish boy full of pride in himself could wind
up is where he woke up one morning. Where is
that? You got to remember, Peter hadn't been
on the rooftop yet, and that sheet hadn't been
let down, and the command from heaven to rise,
kill, and eat hadn't been given yet. So he finds
himself in the pork aisle. He's in the pig pen
where no self -respecting, full of pride Jewish
boy. Would ever be found. But let me tell you
something. When God humbles you. That stuff you
say I'll never. Honey you're going to choke on
it all the way down. And beg for some vinegar
to wash it on down. Because you'll choke so much
on your own words. And your own pride. God will
say you'll swallow it. Keep going. You'll get
down there. Then finally he comes to himself.
And declares. The servants at Daddy's house got
it better than this. The one place at Daddy's
house I will not be is in a pig pen. Come on.
I won't be in the muck and the mire and the stench
of hog water at Daddy's house. I think I'm going
home. Because I know dad will accept me. Get
over yourself. Get over your pride. Get over
the sin you may have committed yesterday or last
night. Get over it. Repent of it. Come up out
of the mire and say, if I can just get to daddy's
house, I know he's going to take care of me.
And when you humble yourself, we're going to
get hung up on number one if I don't move on.
Because, see, when you start talking about the
Word, remind yourself of the Word of God. Faith
cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of
God. Now, faith is the substance of things, hope
for an evidence of nothing. How can they hear
without a preacher? They must hear the declaration
of the word. It's the word of God that elevates
us to the place where he wants us to be. I highlighted
this because I didn't want to skip it and I've
almost run past it. In spite of the open disregard
that's going on in this world, there is nothing
in the human experience which is more blessed
or beneficial for the human being than the word
of God. I can have my altar, and I have had my
altar experiences at one place or another. You've
heard me say I had to repent thoroughly at least
six times just to get to where I think I might
get to heaven. I'm past that, by the way. That
was a long, number six baptism was a long time
ago. I don't want y 'all to think it was two
weeks ago, you know, where I had Pastor Brian
dunk me the last baptism while nobody was looking.
No, I finally got it. And he's got a hold of
me. So we're past that point. But I finally had
to get there when we understand that it is through
the grace and the word and the power of God that
enables us and strengthens us. There is no other
experience in your human life that is more blessed
or beneficial to you than the living word of
God. I know you love your children and you were
swelled with pride when you eat. or cut the cord
or held them first time in your arms, and that's
beneficial, but it's nothing like the Word of
God. Because see, your children may end up disappointing
you, but I'm here to tell you right now, the
Word of God will never disappoint you. It'll
convict you, it'll make you angry, but it'll
never... ever, ever disappoint you. His word
is the truest beneficial blessing in the life
of the child of God. And why do you think it
is the devil comes against your reading and participation
in the word the way he does? Because he knows
if you ever develop a relationship with the word
of God, he is doomed. There's some more in this
section here. On the word of God, Matthew 4,
1 through 11, that's a powerful story. We have
Jesus in the wilderness being led by the Spirit
after his baptism. He's out there, and the enemy
comes against him with those three. He even come
against Jesus with the same three -trick pony.
The lust of the flesh. He'd been fasting 40 days
and nights. Well, if you are who you say you
are, why don't you turn them rocks into bread
and go ahead and satisfy your flesh. You know,
it's not about the flesh. Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
from the mouth of the Father. That's how we're
going to make it. Then he hits him up. Amen.
He tempts his pride. Well, just go ahead and
throw yourself down. Amen. The word. Oh, the
devil doesn't quote a little bit of the word.
He'll throw enough in to get you crossed up.
Oh, doesn't the Bible say that he's giving his
angels charge over you. You're going to be all
right. Look, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy
God. Pride went down the drain. We got the flesh
and we got pride. Jesus done got two of them
knocked out. And then here he come. Amen. There
he is again. And he said, let me take you up
in the lust of the eye. Right there it is. Look
at all. If you'll just bow down and worship me,
I'll let you have everything that you see. It
is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,
and him only shalt thou serve. If you'll apply
those three declarations of the word, that three
-trick pony, you'll watch him go down your driveway
and hit the road, and you can rebuke him every
time he tries to come back with the word. Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but thy word shall
not pass away. It shall stand forever. The Bible
is more than a book. Amen. You've got to understand
through history, armies have tried to destroy
it, burn it. Governments try to forbid it. Humanists
try to rationalize it and splint it away, right?
Judges want to outlaw it, but in spite of every
effect and effort, the word of God remains and
will remain because God has declared it. It exposes
the mightiness of God, Jeremiah 23, 29. It is
not my word like a fire, saith the Lord, and
like a hammer that breaketh the rock into pieces.
I'm trying to get down to a segue over. No substitutions
for the word. There's no substitution for the
word in your life. Listen to this. Oh, I like
this part. I almost got past it. I apologize.
Your favorite Charisma magazine article might
be good, but it don't replace God's word. I tell
you how long ago, and I tell you where the Lord
stirred me, how far back. This was, my Lord,
when was this? This is a long time ago. It's
handwritten, so I know that's a long time ago.
And when I got phrases like, your favorite CD.
I'm telling you, the Lord's took me back and
found this. He stirred my heart. I don't know
what you got now, your favorite iPod, whatever.
Doesn't replace the Word of God. Amen? Your favorite
podcast. I started to say TV Evangelist, but
I updated that one right here on the fly. I updated
it. Your favorite podcast. 413. Give a little
plug for the podcast to Pastor Brian, Brother
Martin, and Brother Scotty. Look that one up.
That doesn't replace your time in God's Word.
It's not as prevalent as it used to be. Again,
here's a little sign of how long ago your favorite
singing group, which would be reflective of southern
gospel, which that's about a thing of the past.
None of that stuff is a substitute for the word
of God in your life, right? John's poetic introduction,
in the beginning was the word, the word was with
God, the word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God, and all things were made by him, and
without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of
men. Make our way to our second reminder. We
live by faith. This is a faith walk. We don't
live by sight. You live by faith. Faith in God.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for
according to Hebrews 11 and 1. The things hoped
for and the evidence of things not seen. You
skip on down and you see these words. For it
is impossible to please God without faith. But
for those who have faith. He is a rewarder of
those who diligently seek after him. You need
to write that word diligently down. And you need
to go look it up and to see if that is where
you are. To see if in your faith walk with God
you are. diligently seeking after him and him
alone. And if you are, then you can expect the
reward to the faithful and from the faithful.
Amen? You can expect that and look for it in
your life. Faith flows when God speaks. For God
himself is the source of our faith. and his living
word is the channel through which that faith
is transmitted to men. Not only is God the source
of our faith, he must be the object of that faith,
for faith comes from him but yet must return
to him. When faith's object is God, it will always
and also envelop God's power and grace. You can't
just have faith in faith. You've got to have
faith in God. Too many people simply want to
have faith in faith itself. But faith must reside
in the object of God. God is where your faith
must exist. Without him, we become miserable.
But through him, your faith in him, your trust
in him, your confidence in him, your faith becomes
the conduit of the release of his power into
your life. And that faith may only, let me parenthesy
that. Your faith may only result in the adding
of the sufficiency of his grace every day. But
after all, isn't that enough? Woo! Because all
I need is enough to make it through today. Why
do you say that? What about tomorrow? What about
next week? We have to be reminded of the word
of God into our life as James would pin. You
may not have today. Say not ye. I'll do this
or this or that today or tomorrow because tomorrow
may not come because life is like a vapor. What
I need is grace to make it through today. And
by his mercy. If he causes me to awake in the
morning, you know what's going to find me? His
grace. Woo! That's just done more for me than
it did 82 % of y 'all. Meaning 18 % of you got
it. It's a reminder. It's worthy to be reminded.
Don't give up believing in God. Don't stop trusting
God. Don't stop having faith in God. If you put
your faith in any other, you will be let down.
And if, well, thank you, Lord. If you become
disappointed in how God is running your life,
think back to what good job he was doing with
you. I did. I just had a flashback. The job I
did cost me six Duncans. Since I've turned it
over to him, I haven't had to get wet since,
other than baptizing a few other folks. But as
far as myself, I haven't had to go back under.
But I'm here to tell you right now, if I need
to, I will. Hey, look here. I don't care what
anybody thinks. If I feel like I'm impressed
and drawn by the Spirit, you need to follow again.
Do you know where a pastor will be? At the front
of the line, let somebody get me wet, put me
under, and then I'll come out the other end and
get the rest of you. Pride's gone. I have that
no more. Acts 3 .16, his name through faith in
his name. We covered that one. Oh, that segues
us right into number three. Somebody say, praise
the Lord. It's five after, and I'm getting hungry.
Eat more breakfast next Sunday, and you can last
a little longer. Because, look, when we worship,
when you worship and you enter in, I don't get
up and call time out on you. I let you worship
until you get in and come back out. So don't
cringe upon my time. I'll come back out in a
little while. This is the best hour and whatever
of my week when I get to stand right here and
feel what comes from the heavens down onto my
flesh and pours out of my soul. So don't rush
me now. People used to say, well, you only preach
one time a week. That's all we pay you for. I
said, look, you don't pay me to preach. I'm telling
you right now. It's those other couple hundred
hours of things that I do that you never see.
This is a freebie. I do this because I'm called
and he's anointed me to do it. That's why I do
this. This is just one of the blessings you get.
I guess I need to get back on that pride wheel.
That sounded awful prideful, didn't it? Forgive
me, Lord, for that one. Fill up the tank. No.
Grab a pan, just wash my feet because I'm not
all dirty. I just stepped in it. Whoa! Hey, Lord,
help me. If I'd known I was going to have this
much fun this morning, I sure wouldn't have stressed
like I did yesterday. I guarantee you. Let me
tell you what my Saturdays look like. It has
been for a little over 30 years since I've been
preaching. Saturday's been the day raising three
kids. I cannot study at home. Tried that. That
just does not work. You know, you can't whoop
a kid and stay in the Word and stay anointed.
Or I can't. I've got to get mad to grab them.
Come on. So I get out of there. I go to the office.
And Saturday was the day. Somebody said, what
do you wait until Saturday for? That's the only
day I had. You know, I was Bible to the occasional.
So Saturday was my day. So that's the way it
is. So my Saturdays. I don't, it's not very restful.
I didn't hardly go to ball games. I can't do
that sort of stuff. Saturday's focus day, right?
So I'm up half the night worrying about what
I'm going to say when I get here on Sunday morning.
Then I go ahead and say this stuff. And then
Sunday night's a bust too. I can't sleep tonight.
I will not sleep tonight because my mind will
replay in slow motion the stupid things that
I do and say. Those things like that that you,
that's not rehearsed. That's who I am. It's just
the way it comes on and comes out. And it amazes
me that God uses it and you show up week after
week. It's the truth. I say, my Lord, you blew
it this week. So number three, somebody say hurry
up and let's go. I'll oblige. Okay, if we live
by the word, we live by faith. Now this is a
midsummer's remind you, okay? Then we overcome
by prayer. Oh, I thought it was the blood of
the lamb, the word of our testimony. Yeah, but
you don't get that until you pray. So, let me
just remind you, don't stop praying. You can't
stop praying. There's no not praying in church.
You've got to pray. You've got to talk to God.
Well, He knows, Almighty. Yeah, He knows, but
He wants to hear you. No. Prayer is about 90
% of you telling God that you know what's going
on in your life. Because He already does. You're
not telling Him anything He doesn't know. Well,
if he knows, why don't he do something about
it? Well, he is. Well, it sure don't look like
it. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean
he's not moving. See, that's part of our problem.
We think we got to see it. No. No, I just told
you a few moments ago. We don't walk by sight.
You walk this out, this journey, by faith. You
just got to trust God. Well, he ain't doing it
the way I want to. Well, he doesn't do it the
way I want it done either. But that doesn't mean
he's doing it wrong. Matter of fact, he's doing
it more right than you could possibly do yourself.
Do I need to remind you six times I've been baptized?
Never once have I let him in charge. By the power
of prayer, we live by prayer. As believers, we
cannot look at prayer as it is an option. It's
not like power windows and power door locks.
It's not optional. It's standard. Most of us
would blow our mind if we actually had to crank
a window handle. Some kids would say, what's
that? What do you do with that? Well, you turn
it around in a circle. Well, it won't go. Honey,
roll it the other way. Turn the handle the other
way. You show most of them a car with four pedals
and they're going to say, that's a clutch, honey.
Well, that's emergency brake. I thought you pulled
it up. No, darling, you step on it. How do you
get it off? You step on it again. If it don't
have a release. It's not optional. Prayer's not
optional. You've got to pray. Well, my life's
falling apart. Well, you're not praying. You've
quit trusting and believing, and you definitely
hadn't been in the Word. You've heard it said,
and I'll have to be careful because this one
is. If you find someone with a Bible that's fallen
apart, the meme declares that their life most
likely isn't. But you get that pristine back
on it that's not even been folded. Honey, you're
lucky to get to church from Sunday to Sunday.
How people make it without the word, without
believing, without praying. I have to pray to
get out of bed. So how you do it with talking
to him maybe at lunch. I don't get it. My life
is a constant prayer. I'm praying in and out,
off and on, all day long. Jesus said men ought
always to continue in prayer. I pray. Why? Because
I need divine intervention every moment of every
day. Why? So that I don't have to get baptized
again. That's why. You say, really? Look, folks,
if it wasn't for prayer, the word, and faith,
and the anointing of God that's on my life, most
of you wouldn't even like me. I have the potential
to be a smart aleck. Yeah, I do. I'm telling
you, it's there. I know it's hard to see these
things. I know you can't believe that about my
character, but I do. And when I was a sinner,
I was a bad one because I didn't care to take
a beating. Whoop me if you want to, but you have
it to do. Hello? I've been whooped more than
I've won. It doesn't matter. That's not the point.
Hello? That's not the point. The point is I smacked
you in the mouth at least one good time. That's
the point for me. Always has been. I don't care
if you win or lose. I'm going to get one good
and somewhere in this process. It may take me
a week to see it when my eyes open and talk about
it when my lip gets done swelling. But that's
all right too. But thank God I'm not that way
anymore. Only with the devil. I hate, and I mean
it, the devil. Prayer. I reveal way too much
to you people. Prayer is not optional in your
life. It is a necessity. It's a life or death
matter for the believer. Prayer is the open channel
to heaven. It's through that channel that our
faith in God is declared. When I pray, I'm letting
God know, I believe you can. And that's why I
try to get a lot of the word in my mind and in
my body and in my soul. I can't tell you where
every address is. What's that mean? I can't tell
you book, chapter, verse, or page number that
it's on. But the principles of it, I get right
in here. and I get enough of his word in me that
when I need it, I can recall a half a verse.
I can recall three or four words. Man, don't
live by bread alone. That's all I need to make
it through today. But by every word, if I can
get that one in, I don't need to know exactly
that it's in Matthew 4, 1 through 11, if it's
verse 3, 5 out of 11. I don't need to know that.
All I need to know is that it is in there. And
if it is in there, I can apply it to my life.
And if I pray it and reminding God, that I have
faith in what he said in my life. My reminder
is this. I will make it. I will overcome by prayer.
I will have grace through faith. I'm going to
live by his word. Man, what a midsummer reminder.
Because can I tell you, sometimes we get... We
get lulled into complacency. What's that mean?
Well, we just kind of get a little bit lax. We
get lethargic. The heat, the heat, summer heat
affects us like Thanksgiving turkey. Somehow
it turns to lethargy. We get lazy. Summertime
does that for us. There's two seasons. Man, I'm
just really just opening up the curtain today.
Two seasons of the year that I do not like as
a pastor and have never enjoyed. Are you ready?
Maybe you can help me with this. You can turn
my into joy. Only you can, really. And it'll
take the Lord to get you to do it. I don't like
summer. I don't like the summer season. My least
favorite Sunday of the year is Memorial Day weekend.
That's my least favorite Sunday. Well, why is
that, Pastor? It's Memorial Day. Yeah. It's also
the first weekend after school's let out. And
the sheep gate gets left open. Many of you disappear.
Periodically through the summer. You're trepsing
over Paris. I'm just kidding. But they were.
You're on cruise boats. You're in the mountains.
How many times can you go to Pigeon Forge and
go to Dollywood in one summer? That's the truth.
I'm thinking, I went about six, seven years ago,
and I'm still good. I'm meddling now, Milton,
but it feels so good to vent. So summer. Yeah,
oh, don't get me. No, summer. Because, see, we
get. We throw it in neutral. School's out. Vacation
time. But you know what? I can't shift her up
in neutral. You want me to come in here and just
shift it in neutral on Sunday and just give you
some little something to tickle you? Until school
starts back? I can't do that. Why? Because heaven
and hell's in the balance and there's a devil
who never lets up. Who never puts it in neutral.
And he's after you every week. Every day he's
trying to steal, kill, destroy, and take everything
of your life. I can't put it in neutral. So what
do you do? You scratch around. You come up with
something like this to stir folk for a midsummer
reminder. So from Memorial Day on, it's tough
for me. And then the other time you're going
to say, it's Christmas. Right after Thanksgiving,
y 'all shut down. It's the turkey. I know it
is. I think for our holiday family meal, why
do you think we do that on a Sunday? And we just
come in here and meet for a few minutes and go
eat. Because you're checked out. And why would
I leave alone? I can't believe this. You're not
recording this, are you? Where'd you at? Well,
we're going to edit most of this. Who wants that
on the interweb, right? In the cloud somewhere.
Yeah, y 'all shut down. We got shopping to do.
Why do you think we have something special just
about I only try to preach one Sunday in the
month of December? Why do you think that is?
You think I don't want to preach? Absolutely
not. That's what I live for. It's because y 'all
ain't in it. So what do we do? We have a kids
program. On a Sunday morning. I've had pastors
say, you don't do that on Sunday night. I said,
no. And if you're in it after as long as I have
been, you won't either. Why? I said, tell me
about your December. How's it go? How's the service?
Well, they're just not really in it. I said,
ding, ding, ding. Give them something they want.
Well, what do they want? They'll flood the house
for the kids. They'll show up to see the children's
program. And the word goes out. I make sure the
word goes out. Hello? Doesn't matter what's going
on up there. The word of God is going out. And
how many people, how many of you have been really
touched and blessed through a children's or some
type of Christmas program? Come on, honest. That's
why we do it. How many of you would really in
Christmas get really all that excited about me
dropping a lung like this in it right before
Christmas? Not many. So I try to give you one
good one in the month of December. I try to make
her a dandy. Because I know I got you. You see
the counter, you know. I'm just being real with
you. And see, I'm telling you, you're the only
ones that can help me out of that. So there's
your reminder. Here's your summer reminder. A
mid -summer's reminder. Stay in his word. Stay
in his word. No matter how much this culture
tries to get you out of it. Because I'm telling
you right now, this book, without me saying a
word to you, will transform your life. You just
read it. This book. Your Bible will transform
your life. How so? It is alive by the Spirit.
His Word, sharper than any two -edged sword,
dividing asunder even to the morrow. What's that
mean? The center. It'll cut to the center of
any and every situation in your life. Stand with
me. I know you're bored out of your mind waiting
on me to hush. How many of you, this is your
first Sunday here? I would apologize, but I'm
not sorry because if you come back next week,
you'll have to get it done like it is again.
The reality is we need God in our life. You need
God. You need Him. And it's your pride that says
you don't. One of that three -trick pony. If
you don't think you need Him, you're lying to
yourself. Like that person I told you, I don't
need anybody like me. Yeah, they're longing for
love. The very moment you declare, yes, you do.
The Word of God says that it pleases God through
the foolishness of preaching to save man. Somehow
through this discourse over the last 40 minutes,
the Word of God has been declared over your life.
I've read to you from it, book and chapter. I've
quoted it to you. From my heart as it is in the
book. The word of God. God loves you. Jesus died
for you. Amen. How many of us felt so unworthy?
You didn't feel worthy. I still don't. Let me
just go ahead and share that with you. You think
I feel worthy to stand before you? No. I do not.
We had 63 young preachers, and some not so young,
but newly called ministers into the gospel yesterday
at the CAMS class. 63 of them. And I interviewed,
met my partner, we interviewed half the class
and the other half. And time after time, I just
don't feel worthy. Some of the older candidates
that were in there said, I just never felt like
I was good enough. I said, join the crowd. I
still don't. I get so nervous. I said, I still
do. And when you don't, don't get behind the,
don't stand up there. If you're not nervous,
if your stomach's nodding knots, I don't care.
I've been doing this for 30 years. And it was
just as real this morning as it was on day one.
The seriousness of what I was about to do. He
said, well, you didn't sound too serious today.
Well, I am. Jesus loves you. Well, I can't get
it right. I've not got it right. Did I not just
tell you how many times it took me to get it
right? And I pray every day and I have to repent.
Well, what's the difference? I'm not living in
sin. Sin's not my lifestyle. I'm seeking after
God, holiness and His righteousness. But as long
as I'm dealing with this old clay, this old flesh
and body, and the tempters out there with these
three tricks, and I know what they are, but yet
sometimes this old flesh still, I miss it. But
the Word of God says, if a man sins, he has an
advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus the righteous.
And if that man is faithful and just to confess
his sins, he is faithful and just to forgive
him of his sins and cleanse him of all unrighteousness.
Now you see why I had to keep going back. And
it's okay. But once you get it, you don't have
to go back. Father, I love you today. I think
we preachers amble sometimes because we just
don't know how to stop. Thank you for the reminder
this morning, sweet Lord, of your word, of our
faith, and prayer is a principle. Lord, I know
there are those in here like myself who have
struggled to get it right. How do you know that?
Because we're all human in this room. I know
I'm not the only one. If you're here today and
you say, well, I didn't get it right this week.
Preacher, you're right. I missed it. I done some
stuff that I knows wrong. Well, then you're that
person. If a man or woman, you're that person.
If you sin, you have an advocate. Jesus is here
to tell you that today. You can call on him and
repent, and he will forgive you and cleanse you
of that sin. And then leave here and don't do
it again. And it's not my intention, pastor.
It's not my intention to do it, but it just overwhelms
me. And I do these things. That's what the work
of sanctification will do in your life. You keep
praying, you keep seeking, you keep repenting,
ask the Lord to sanctify you. What's that mean?
It means to separate you. Have him to convert
your will to sin to a will to live righteously.
Heads are bowed all over this house saying, Pastor,
I need it. That's me. Raise your hand. You don't
have to come down here today. I need it. You've
been preaching to me today. Yep. Yes. Yes. Anybody
else? Yes. Yes, yes, all over this house. That's
me. You're talking to me, preacher. You're talking
to me, pastor. You're talking to me today. I
see them. Better yet, the Lord sees everyone
that's went up. Do you know that? God sees you.
I know in our tradition. I know in our tradition.
It's that, well, is it right if you don't go
down to the front? If you don't go down to the
altar? If you don't make your way out? Is it
good? Yes, it's good. Yes, your repentance is
good right where you are. When we step out, it's
merely we're saying to others that it's a, we
refute our own pride and we display our dependence
upon God when we step out and we make our way
down to the front. It means we're not ashamed.
I'm going to pray here in just a minute, but
before I do. Some of you, I think, feel like
you want to come down. And if you do, I want
you to, if you raise your hand, you want to come
down or not, I want you to come on and stand
down here with me. I'm down here. You're not
going to be down here by yourself. Come on. Come
on. Come on. Come on. Stand down here. We're
going to pray for divine healing. We're going
to pray for deliverance. We're going to pray
prayer of repentance. We're going to ask God
to cleanse us and forgive us. Amen. Come on.
That's right. That's good. Come on. We're down
here. We're in this thing together. Amen. The
devil wants you to feel like you're on an island.
It's you. No, we're in this thing together. That's
the reason it's called the family of God. Amen.
Now, heads bowed, we're about to pray. Those
of you, you feel that drawing power of the Spirit
this morning and you raised your hand, come on
down here. That's right. Come on. I'm going to
pray that repentant prayer. And all you got to
do is pray it with me. And he'll do it. He'll
do what you ask him to do. So if you raise your
hand, pray this prayer with me. Let's start off
with this prayer of repentance. Jesus, forgive
me of my sins. Go ahead. You can mutter it out
loud a little bit. Jesus, forgive me of my sins.
Cleanse me of my unrighteousness. Come into my
heart and be Lord of my life. I confess that
you died. And rose from the dead. The Bible says
that with the mouth confession is made. And with
the heart man believeth unto repentance. So you've
done that. And he's done exactly what you asked
him to do. So now just thank him for it. Lord,
I thank you. Thank you for forgiving me of my
sins. Go ahead. He's done it. You say, is that
all there is to it? Yeah, that's all there is
to it. It's not that hard. Thank you, Lord, for
cleansing me of my unrighteousness. Now, Lord,
give me the grace when I leave this house today,
when I leave this place, to continue to walk
in the work that you've done in me. I love you.
I want to serve you. Help me daily. Help me stay
in your word. Help me pray. And help me keep
believing your word is truth over my life. Now,
Father, those, anybody need a touch in your body,
come on down. We're going to pray for healing
today. Deliverance. Come on, Sister Gail. We're
going to pray over Brooklyn. We're going to ask
the Lord to continue to do a mighty thing. Hallelujah.
Father, in the name of Jesus, touch today, Lord.
You know the surgical procedure that Winters
had this week, Lord. She needs a healing touch
for her tonsils and her adenoids today. Lord,
continue to touch in body, soul, mind, and spirit
today. Continue to add strength in the flesh
this morning, Father God. In the name of Jesus,
Lord, we ask today. Grant it this morning. Grant
it today, Lord. Strengthen the body, Lord. Wisdom
to follow after you, Lord. Continue to do a mighty
work. We are dependent upon you today. That's
it, man. That's it right there. Father, I thank
you for hearing our prayer today and answering
that prayer. Touch my brother today. Touch him,
Father, in the name of Jesus. Give him grace
and give him strength, Lord, to walk the way
that you're drawing his heart to walk and to
live out, Lord. I know that that grace is available
every single day. Move, Lord. Father, touch this.
Oh, hallelujah. Oh, Lord, I need you today. I
thank you for hearing my prayer. Lord, you've
heard me. You've heard me. You've heard my prayer.
Prayer this morning, Lord. You've heard every
need. You've heard every need. Touch this morning,
Father God. Lord, continue to do a divine work,
Lord. You are healer of the body, soul, and the
mind. Lord, you are able to heal. You're able
to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we
ask or think according to the power that works
in us. Father, do a healing work today. Lord,
touch Becca this morning. You know what's going
on in her body. And I ask, Lord, that you heal
and deliver today. Father, in the name of Jesus,
Lord, continue to do a body work. Father, we
claim this child. Lord, we've prayed over and
we take authority over the enemy, Lord, that
is trying to rise up against her. Lord, take
care of this situation. Lord, only you are able
to do this divine work in her heart and life.
Lord, in her family situation. Lord, take over,
take over, take over, take over, Father. Take
over, take over, take over. Hallelujah. Father,
touch Brother Paul this morning. He needs a healing
in his body, Lord. But, Lord, also as he stands
in for Sister Dean this morning, do a work in
her body and life. Father, we'll be quick to
praise you. You have authority over cancer and
every other disease and every other sickness,
Father. You are able, Lord. You are able. You
are able, Lord. Continue. Lord, we're going to
stand firm in the promise of your word. You've
spoken. You have spoken. You have spoken. Hallelujah.
Hallelujah. Come on. He is the one. He will never
fail. Father, we pray for Chris today. He's had
a stroke. Lord, he's not a believer. But, Lord,
we know that you're able to reveal yourself to
him and in his life. Lord, you're able to touch
his body. But, Lord, we're praying you save his
soul. You save his soul. Sweet Holy Ghost, make
your way. Begin to draw him. Woo him to the foot
of Calvary's heel. Hallelujah. Send somebody
by with a good word, Lord. And a good testimony.
Hallelujah. We pray now, Lord. We intercede on
his behalf, Father. In the name of Jesus, Lord,
over a family. Lord, we claim our grandchildren
today in the name of Jesus. Never, he will never
fail. He will never fail. You trust him? is the
one hallelujah hallelujah he will never fail
you I tell you right now and those six blunders
of my life none of them were God's fault it was
all mine it was all He will never fail you. You
can trust him. Amen. You can trust him. I'm grateful
he don't play that payback game we used to play
as kids. I'm glad he don't pay me back. He accepts
me. Hallelujah. Lord, we love you. Thank you
for this day. Thank you for everyone under the
sound of my voice. And I pray, God, that you
go with each one of them as they depart this
house. For those who have called upon you, repented
of their sins, I thank you, Lord, for the angels
are rejoicing in heaven today at the repentant
souls that have given their life back to you
this morning. Lord, may they know and understand
what they have done today is in accordance with
your word. They prayed, you answered. Because
your word says you will. Has nothing to do with
our worthiness, but all to do with yours. You
alone are worthy. Thank you for accepting us
today, Father, into your kingdom. In Jesus' mighty
name. Now I need you to do one thing. If you
prayed that repentant prayer, you need to tell
somebody. You need to tell somebody, I accepted
Jesus today. I'd love it if you'd catch me before
you leave here. Just real quick say, hey, I accepted
the Lord this morning. Amen. God bless you. Go
in grace. Go in peace. You're dismissed.