WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.759 Exodus 40, verse 34 says, Then a cloud covered 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:07.639 the tent of the congregation, and the glory of 00:00:07.639 --> 00:00:10.539 the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not 00:00:10.539 --> 00:00:12.820 able to enter into the tent of the congregation 00:00:12.820 --> 00:00:16.379 because the cloud abode there and thereon, and 00:00:16.379 --> 00:00:18.539 the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 00:00:18.620 --> 00:00:20.739 And when the cloud was taken up from over the 00:00:20.739 --> 00:00:22.660 tabernacle, the children of Israel went forward, 00:00:22.820 --> 00:00:26.059 onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud 00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:30.050 were not taken, Not taken up. Then they journeyed 00:00:30.050 --> 00:00:34.329 not until the day that it was taken up. For the 00:00:34.329 --> 00:00:37.030 cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by 00:00:37.030 --> 00:00:39.789 day and fire was on it by night. And in the sight 00:00:39.789 --> 00:00:42.810 of all the house of Israel throughout all their 00:00:42.810 --> 00:00:45.270 journeys. I'm going to pick up where we left 00:00:45.270 --> 00:00:48.850 off hopefully last week on the secret to our 00:00:48.850 --> 00:00:54.270 success. How that we succeed as a child of God. 00:00:54.549 --> 00:00:58.009 And understanding that. Those are two different 00:00:58.009 --> 00:01:03.030 things, two different versions. That which is 00:01:03.030 --> 00:01:05.469 successful to a child of God may just be a total 00:01:05.469 --> 00:01:08.170 failure to someone that's in the world. Amen? 00:01:08.329 --> 00:01:12.010 Because it looks totally different. It's just 00:01:12.010 --> 00:01:14.310 totally different. To be a successful believer 00:01:14.310 --> 00:01:18.909 is different than being a successful person in 00:01:18.909 --> 00:01:24.200 the world. But it's not alone. Because when we 00:01:24.200 --> 00:01:27.359 succeed in Christ, we succeed in the world as 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:30.019 well. Amen. Father, I love you. I thank you. 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:31.640 I pray your blessings on the household of faith. 00:01:32.579 --> 00:01:36.980 Lord, just help me now. Help me to preach what's 00:01:36.980 --> 00:01:40.500 pleasing to you, edifying to the body. And Lord, 00:01:40.540 --> 00:01:45.040 let me be expedient in what we do today. That 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:48.400 when we leave, we leave enriched by your word 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:53.930 and grace. And may we leave here empowered. By 00:01:53.930 --> 00:01:56.370 your spirit, till you be praised forever. In 00:01:56.370 --> 00:01:58.909 Christ's name the church says, amen. Ask your 00:01:58.909 --> 00:02:04.689 neighbor, are you a success? To speed through 00:02:04.689 --> 00:02:08.370 this introduction and get us going, remember 00:02:08.370 --> 00:02:10.870 the cloud that we've just read about in our text 00:02:10.870 --> 00:02:14.949 stood as the symbol and the representation of 00:02:14.949 --> 00:02:18.490 God's presence with the children of Israel early 00:02:18.490 --> 00:02:22.229 in their leaving Egypt. As God was leading them 00:02:22.229 --> 00:02:24.530 out, he went before them. He wanted them to see 00:02:24.530 --> 00:02:27.789 his presence. A little bit later, his presence 00:02:27.789 --> 00:02:31.949 would be in the Ark of the Covenant. As the Ark 00:02:31.949 --> 00:02:34.110 would be constructed, it would be built. The 00:02:34.110 --> 00:02:36.569 Ark of the Lord would go before the children 00:02:36.569 --> 00:02:39.509 of Israel. Amen. As the Ark moves forward, it 00:02:39.509 --> 00:02:43.310 comes to stand and to be the representation of 00:02:43.310 --> 00:02:47.389 the presence of God among his people. Today, 00:02:47.409 --> 00:02:50.770 what we have... Amen. We don't have an ark. We 00:02:50.770 --> 00:02:53.449 don't have a cloud. We have the Spirit of God 00:02:53.449 --> 00:02:56.669 residing within us, within you. Amen. If you 00:02:56.669 --> 00:02:59.629 are a born -again believer, the Holy Spirit resides 00:02:59.629 --> 00:03:02.729 in you. You are the ark that's taking his presence 00:03:02.729 --> 00:03:06.069 around the world. Wherever you go, he goes. Amen. 00:03:06.129 --> 00:03:08.289 Matter of fact, wherever you go, he's there waiting 00:03:08.289 --> 00:03:11.289 for you to show up. Amen. The Lord understanding 00:03:11.289 --> 00:03:15.050 was over them to shield them, behind them for 00:03:15.050 --> 00:03:18.349 defense, before them to lead them. the same way 00:03:18.349 --> 00:03:21.150 the Lord is still today. He leads us. He guides 00:03:21.150 --> 00:03:23.090 us. According to the psalmist, the steps of a 00:03:23.090 --> 00:03:26.969 good man are ordered or directed by the Lord. 00:03:27.050 --> 00:03:29.729 The Lord is guiding your footsteps. Now, if you're 00:03:29.729 --> 00:03:32.770 like me, I don't always like where he takes me. 00:03:34.669 --> 00:03:38.250 Hello? Sometimes he leads me into a wilderness. 00:03:39.169 --> 00:03:42.270 Amen? There have been times he's led me into 00:03:42.270 --> 00:03:45.659 a furnace like some other boys I know. You go 00:03:45.659 --> 00:03:47.800 through the fire. Sometimes he's led me through 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:50.039 a flood just like he did his children. Amen. 00:03:50.599 --> 00:03:53.780 Israelites, the water's open. Wherever he leads 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:57.099 me, though, he provides the way for me. And somebody 00:03:57.099 --> 00:03:59.379 needs to hear that this morning. You may be in 00:03:59.379 --> 00:04:02.099 the middle of a wilderness, but if you quit looking 00:04:02.099 --> 00:04:04.319 at God and seeking his presence, then you're 00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:06.400 just going to wander around there. But if you're 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:09.199 watching after him, he's going to lead you all 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:12.479 the way through the wilderness. I love that text 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:14.780 where he told the children. told Moses, he said, 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:17.860 look, you've been here long enough. You've walked 00:04:17.860 --> 00:04:20.939 around this place long enough. It's been 40 years. 00:04:20.980 --> 00:04:23.220 You've been here long enough. Now I want you 00:04:23.220 --> 00:04:26.500 to turn and go the other direction. I love it 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:28.319 when the Lord says, okay, we've walked around 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:31.160 here long enough. Let's go the other way. Amen. 00:04:31.339 --> 00:04:33.560 But the thing about it is it's not long enough 00:04:33.560 --> 00:04:35.759 until the Lord says it's long enough. Wherever 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:39.439 you're walking, if you are a child of God, you 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:42.259 are where he is leading you unless you're in 00:04:42.259 --> 00:04:45.129 disobedience. you got there on your own. And 00:04:45.129 --> 00:04:48.129 if that is the case, you can call upon the name 00:04:48.129 --> 00:04:51.029 of the Lord and say, okay, Lord, how do we get 00:04:51.029 --> 00:04:53.709 out of here? How do I get from here? And he'll 00:04:53.709 --> 00:04:56.610 start from that point and lead you right on out. 00:04:56.689 --> 00:05:05.389 He is better than Siri. We had to rent a car 00:05:05.389 --> 00:05:11.329 here a couple years ago. It was a Ford, and we 00:05:11.329 --> 00:05:14.879 had to rent that thing. The lady that spoke through 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:22.519 that car was possessed. Men hurting get along 00:05:22.519 --> 00:05:27.420 from get -go. Not like Lucinda that leads me 00:05:27.420 --> 00:05:31.100 where I go. Lucinda sends me wherever she wants 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:36.259 me. I say, hey, get me here. Boom, she gets me 00:05:36.259 --> 00:05:40.259 there. Had led me astray once. That's Lucinda. 00:05:40.259 --> 00:05:43.790 That other woman. Tried to get me off on wrong. 00:05:44.009 --> 00:05:46.269 It's a Ford. She knew that I was a Chevrolet 00:05:46.269 --> 00:05:51.009 man. Now, that's no offense to you Ford people. 00:05:51.110 --> 00:05:54.670 A good Chevrolet will do you the same way. They 00:05:54.670 --> 00:05:57.670 get offended. But what I'm trying to tell you 00:05:57.670 --> 00:06:00.410 is, no matter where you are, the Lord will lead 00:06:00.410 --> 00:06:03.519 you out. If he led you there, he will take you 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.019 on further. If you got in the mess you're in 00:06:06.019 --> 00:06:09.620 on your own, you just stop right there. The worst 00:06:09.620 --> 00:06:12.120 thing in the world for a man to do is have to 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:16.540 ask for directions. All roads lead somewhere. 00:06:18.100 --> 00:06:20.139 And eventually I'll get to somewhere. Oh, I know 00:06:20.139 --> 00:06:23.480 where I'm at now. 50 miles later in an hour and 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:25.439 a half, right? Oh, yeah, I know where I'm at. 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:28.699 But we hate to ask for directions. As a child 00:06:28.699 --> 00:06:32.379 of God, you cannot have that attitude when you 00:06:32.379 --> 00:06:35.040 get yourself lost. You stop when you realize 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:37.279 that, hey, I don't belong here. Have you ever 00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:39.300 got into places where you think, I should not 00:06:39.300 --> 00:06:42.120 be here? We pulled off in Memphis one evening 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:45.959 about dark trying to get a hunting license before 00:06:45.959 --> 00:06:49.600 we got into Arkansas and realized very quick 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:55.199 that we made a major mistake. We made a major 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:57.939 mistake getting off. First of all, we picked 00:06:57.939 --> 00:07:00.519 the wrong exit because we were right downtown. 00:07:00.779 --> 00:07:03.240 We had no business looking for a hunting license 00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:07.100 on that side of Memphis, none whatsoever. So 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:11.160 we got out. And it's the same way in our lives 00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:13.680 sometimes. We find ourselves in places where 00:07:13.680 --> 00:07:16.620 we know better than to be. And we took the wrong 00:07:16.620 --> 00:07:18.939 turn, but we can get out because wherever the 00:07:18.939 --> 00:07:20.939 Lord leads you, he's going to take you out. And 00:07:20.939 --> 00:07:23.040 if you get there, he'll get you out because you 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:25.500 got yourself in there. The Lord will never leave 00:07:25.500 --> 00:07:27.339 us or forsake us. As a matter of fact, if you 00:07:27.339 --> 00:07:33.170 get somewhere, you took him with you. So we understand 00:07:33.170 --> 00:07:36.430 that the Lord's presence is what we need in our 00:07:36.430 --> 00:07:38.850 life. It's the presence of the Lord that represents 00:07:38.850 --> 00:07:43.339 who we are. Praise his name, who he is for us, 00:07:43.339 --> 00:07:46.259 in us, and through us as we go about this life. 00:07:46.439 --> 00:07:49.579 And we succeed as the Lord goes with us. Because 00:07:49.579 --> 00:07:51.379 we've sung it over and over this morning. He 00:07:51.379 --> 00:07:54.879 has never failed, and he never will. He cannot 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.139 fail. Amen? Oh, when we begin to think about 00:07:58.139 --> 00:07:59.939 that, and if our trust and obedience is in the 00:07:59.939 --> 00:08:03.000 Lord, what you may see as a failure in your life 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:06.100 is a victory because God is doing something wonderful 00:08:06.100 --> 00:08:09.600 in you, to you, and through you. Everything is 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.759 not... As it appears, there are spiritual optical 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:15.459 illusions in your life because what we see is 00:08:15.459 --> 00:08:17.220 negative. God's saying, okay, I got you where 00:08:17.220 --> 00:08:19.459 I want you now. I've got you broken. I've got 00:08:19.459 --> 00:08:22.680 you down there. You are where now I can do something 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:25.300 in your life. And sometimes it takes the wilderness 00:08:25.300 --> 00:08:27.819 to get us ready to hear, okay, you're ready. 00:08:27.899 --> 00:08:30.319 Go the other way. Sometimes it takes standing 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:33.539 before a raging river and an ocean or a sea and 00:08:33.539 --> 00:08:35.899 hear the Lord say, stand still right now. What 00:08:35.899 --> 00:08:38.159 do you have in your hand? And what we should 00:08:38.159 --> 00:08:41.259 have is our praise. and our surrender unto the 00:08:41.259 --> 00:08:43.779 Lord. And we lift that up before him. He said, 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:45.860 okay, now I'm going to make a way out for you. 00:08:45.980 --> 00:08:48.559 That's the way the Lord works in the life of 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:50.120 a believer. That's the way he's going to work 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:52.039 for you. No matter where you're at right now, 00:08:52.059 --> 00:08:54.559 I can't get past this. No matter where you are 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:57.419 right now in your relationship with God or not, 00:08:57.600 --> 00:08:59.799 you may not even have one, but all you have to 00:08:59.799 --> 00:09:02.080 do is stop where you are this morning and call 00:09:02.080 --> 00:09:05.399 upon the name of the Lord your God. Repent through 00:09:05.399 --> 00:09:09.149 his son, Jesus Christ, and accept the Lord. lordship 00:09:09.149 --> 00:09:12.389 of Christ into your life and ask him to cleanse 00:09:12.389 --> 00:09:15.029 you of your sin and he'll do that and move you 00:09:15.029 --> 00:09:17.950 forward. Why? Because the Lord becomes our salvation. 00:09:18.070 --> 00:09:21.610 We succeed when the Lord is the source of our 00:09:21.610 --> 00:09:24.289 rescue. Are we understanding that he is the source 00:09:24.289 --> 00:09:26.690 of your rescue? You've tried and you've messed 00:09:26.690 --> 00:09:29.210 with your life long enough. It's time you get 00:09:29.210 --> 00:09:32.350 your hands off yourself and let God do something 00:09:32.350 --> 00:09:35.009 in you and for you. You don't have enough sense 00:09:35.009 --> 00:09:37.570 to get your own self out of trouble. Well, pastor, 00:09:37.710 --> 00:09:39.309 you're You're offending me. I can't believe you 00:09:39.309 --> 00:09:41.389 said that. Well, I'm just relaying to you an 00:09:41.389 --> 00:09:43.889 experience I had in my own life. I didn't have 00:09:43.889 --> 00:09:46.549 enough sense to get out of my own way. And I 00:09:46.549 --> 00:09:49.169 tell you, you don't either. We can't do it for 00:09:49.169 --> 00:09:51.970 ourselves. We can't rescue ourselves. That's 00:09:51.970 --> 00:09:53.909 the reason we're in the mess we're in because 00:09:53.909 --> 00:09:56.169 we've had too much control of ourselves. It's 00:09:56.169 --> 00:09:58.629 time we stop and lift our hands toward the heaven 00:09:58.629 --> 00:10:01.269 and surrender our heart and life and say, okay, 00:10:01.330 --> 00:10:04.230 God, I've made a mess out of it this far. Can 00:10:04.230 --> 00:10:06.330 you do something with the rest? And he said, 00:10:06.389 --> 00:10:09.500 thank you. for your invitation. Thank you. Yes, 00:10:09.500 --> 00:10:11.360 by the way, if you'll just hang a little right 00:10:11.360 --> 00:10:13.600 right here, you'll come out on the street called 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:16.200 straight. Hallelujah. And when you get out on 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:19.340 the street called straight, my Lord, he'll lead 00:10:19.340 --> 00:10:22.039 you in that divine direction. The street called 00:10:22.039 --> 00:10:26.799 straight is where we need to be. So he becomes 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:29.720 our salvation. We understand that the Lord our 00:10:29.720 --> 00:10:31.720 God is a sun and a shield and the Lord will give 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:34.120 grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:36.799 from them that walk uprightly. If you're not 00:10:36.799 --> 00:10:38.799 walking uprightly and you think life's treating 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:43.070 you unfair, well, you're on your own. But when 00:10:43.070 --> 00:10:45.070 you begin to walk upright, what does that mean? 00:10:45.149 --> 00:10:47.889 Right in the sight of God. And you only do that 00:10:47.889 --> 00:10:50.330 through his son, Jesus Christ. And when you begin 00:10:50.330 --> 00:10:53.529 to walk uprightly, no good thing will he withhold 00:10:53.529 --> 00:10:55.889 from you. Now, let me just share something. That 00:10:55.889 --> 00:10:57.929 don't mean that you're just going to have more 00:10:57.929 --> 00:11:00.110 money and you know what to do with because that 00:11:00.110 --> 00:11:07.789 might not be good for you. You know why we're 00:11:07.789 --> 00:11:09.710 not all rich, don't you? Lord knows we can't 00:11:09.710 --> 00:11:19.200 handle it. Moving right along. So the secret 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:21.220 church, it says, becomes the Lord's presence 00:11:21.220 --> 00:11:24.139 in our life. We need the Lord's guidance. We 00:11:24.139 --> 00:11:26.179 need his leading. We need his direction every 00:11:26.179 --> 00:11:30.000 single day because he becomes our salvation. 00:11:30.620 --> 00:11:32.940 He is your Savior. There is no saving outside 00:11:32.940 --> 00:11:36.360 of him. Amen. There is no rescue outside of him. 00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:38.799 I know the world has all kind of offers, and 00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:40.820 I know there's all kind of things every day. 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:43.240 But I'm here to tell you right now, until you 00:11:43.240 --> 00:11:46.700 surrender to him and accept him as your Savior, 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:49.720 there is no salvation for your life. You keep 00:11:49.720 --> 00:11:51.440 digging a hole. You talk to some of the most 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:53.620 wealthy people in the world that do not have 00:11:53.620 --> 00:11:55.559 an upright relationship with God, and they are 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:58.139 some of the most miserable people in the world. 00:11:58.179 --> 00:12:00.120 Why? Because there's no peace without God. God, 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:02.360 there's no peace without God. There's no hope 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:04.220 without Christ. And they pile up and they pile 00:12:04.220 --> 00:12:06.740 up and they pile up and it just becomes a misery. 00:12:06.940 --> 00:12:09.539 But when you've got Christ in your life, amen, 00:12:09.580 --> 00:12:12.779 then things change. And all things become different. 00:12:12.840 --> 00:12:14.940 Why? Because we become new creatures in Christ. 00:12:15.059 --> 00:12:17.259 Because old things pass away and all things become 00:12:17.259 --> 00:12:19.759 new. And they do so through Christ. We understand 00:12:19.759 --> 00:12:23.200 he is our salvation. Exodus 14, 13, and 14. I'm 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:25.000 trying to get to where we're going. Moses said 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:27.559 unto the people, Fear not. Stand still. See the 00:12:27.559 --> 00:12:29.230 salvation of the Lord which he showed. shall 00:12:29.230 --> 00:12:32.490 show you today. For the Egyptians that you see, 00:12:32.649 --> 00:12:35.889 you will see them no more forever. That army 00:12:35.889 --> 00:12:38.470 that's behind you, take a good look at them because 00:12:38.470 --> 00:12:41.269 you'll never see them again and no one else either 00:12:41.269 --> 00:12:44.149 because I'm going to take care of the enemy that's 00:12:44.149 --> 00:12:45.950 coming after you. Somebody needs to know that 00:12:45.950 --> 00:12:48.850 today. God is going to take care of the enemies 00:12:48.850 --> 00:12:51.830 that are coming after you. You simply stand still 00:12:51.830 --> 00:12:55.370 and wait upon his direction. Wait upon his manifestation 00:12:55.370 --> 00:12:58.529 and his power to be released in your life. Moses 00:12:58.529 --> 00:13:00.509 and them stood still. He stretched forth the 00:13:00.509 --> 00:13:03.110 rod and the wind of heaven began to blow and 00:13:03.110 --> 00:13:06.289 the Red Sea began to open and on dry ground they 00:13:06.289 --> 00:13:08.710 went across. And as they get on the other side, 00:13:08.809 --> 00:13:12.669 Pharaoh's army who had been slowed down by God's 00:13:12.669 --> 00:13:17.889 pit crew. You remember that cloud that was behind 00:13:17.889 --> 00:13:21.529 them? The Lord dispatched an angel out of that 00:13:21.529 --> 00:13:24.950 cloud and took every wheel off every chariot. 00:13:26.669 --> 00:13:28.470 Oh, you need to go read the Bible. It's really 00:13:28.470 --> 00:13:32.190 good reading. It is. There's some good stuff 00:13:32.190 --> 00:13:33.669 in there. I don't believe that. I don't care 00:13:33.669 --> 00:13:37.289 what you believe. It happened. An angel of the 00:13:37.289 --> 00:13:39.129 Lord came out of that cloud, took the wheels 00:13:39.129 --> 00:13:42.389 off Pharaoh's chariots, and he was so silly, 00:13:42.450 --> 00:13:45.330 he kept on going. They drug him. They made the 00:13:45.330 --> 00:13:47.710 horses, dragged them in, and God got them right 00:13:47.710 --> 00:13:49.990 where he wanted them. And when they all got in 00:13:49.990 --> 00:13:53.029 the midst of the Red Sea, the walls came tumbling 00:13:53.029 --> 00:13:56.009 down, and the Israelites went on toward their 00:13:56.009 --> 00:13:58.830 promise. I'm here to tell you, no enemy that's 00:13:58.830 --> 00:14:00.850 coming after you, pursuing you, will overtake 00:14:00.850 --> 00:14:03.570 you because the Lord has a plan for your life. 00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:06.570 If you walk upright before him, And allow his 00:14:06.570 --> 00:14:09.169 presence to be authority in your life. He will 00:14:09.169 --> 00:14:11.970 direct you to what looks like maybe the greatest 00:14:11.970 --> 00:14:14.950 obstacle that you've ever faced. But God will 00:14:14.950 --> 00:14:19.190 make a way. We sung it. He is the way maker. 00:14:19.509 --> 00:14:22.370 He is the miracle worker. He'll cause a red sea 00:14:22.370 --> 00:14:25.070 to open. He'll call a Jordan to roll back. He'll 00:14:25.070 --> 00:14:27.190 cause water to come out of a rock. If you're 00:14:27.190 --> 00:14:30.049 thirsty, he'll call bread to fall down from the 00:14:30.049 --> 00:14:32.769 sky. I'm here to tell you this morning, the Lord 00:14:32.769 --> 00:14:40.269 will take care of you. Well, hallelujah. So is 00:14:40.269 --> 00:14:47.509 your salvation. Psalm 25 and 5, lead me in thy 00:14:47.509 --> 00:14:53.230 truth and teach me for thou art the God of my 00:14:53.230 --> 00:14:59.350 salvation and on thee do I wait all the day. 00:14:59.429 --> 00:15:03.029 Don't get in a hurry. God's got it. I can't get 00:15:03.029 --> 00:15:04.649 hung up much more. I got to get where we're going. 00:15:05.470 --> 00:15:07.889 Okay, so he's our salvation. We talked about 00:15:07.889 --> 00:15:11.269 help, right? The Lord being our helper. We succeed 00:15:11.269 --> 00:15:14.230 because the Lord is our help. You don't fail 00:15:14.230 --> 00:15:16.289 because you're not doing this in your own strength. 00:15:16.909 --> 00:15:21.789 You succeed because he is your help. Amen. What 00:15:21.789 --> 00:15:24.309 did the psalmist say in 121? He said, I will 00:15:24.309 --> 00:15:27.649 lift up mine eyes unto the hills, comma, from 00:15:27.649 --> 00:15:31.840 whence does my help come, comma. My help comes 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:35.559 from the Lord. Hallelujah. Who made the heaven 00:15:35.559 --> 00:15:38.120 and the earth. Call on me in the day of trouble 00:15:38.120 --> 00:15:42.879 and I will help you. He is an ever -present help 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:46.059 in the time of trouble. And in his presence is 00:15:46.059 --> 00:15:48.960 where we long to reside. He becomes your helper. 00:15:49.039 --> 00:15:51.960 He becomes the one who assists you through everything. 00:15:52.340 --> 00:15:54.799 Understand that God is your refuge according 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:58.580 to the Psalmist in 46 and 1. And he is your strength 00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:02.669 and he is a very. Ever -present help in trouble. 00:16:02.990 --> 00:16:04.669 How many of you got a little trouble going on 00:16:04.669 --> 00:16:06.789 in your life? If you got a little trouble going 00:16:06.789 --> 00:16:09.429 on and things going on around you, God will be 00:16:09.429 --> 00:16:13.129 your ever -present help. Why? Because he loves 00:16:13.129 --> 00:16:16.009 you. And if he loves you and you love him and 00:16:16.009 --> 00:16:18.710 you're walking up right before him, if he doesn't 00:16:18.710 --> 00:16:21.649 perform the word that he's proclaimed over our 00:16:21.649 --> 00:16:25.190 life, then he is not God, but he is God. And 00:16:25.190 --> 00:16:27.649 therefore, if he's declared it, if there's a 00:16:27.649 --> 00:16:30.700 thus saith, for I will rise, I shall. You can 00:16:30.700 --> 00:16:33.539 rest assured he shall and he will and he'll perform 00:16:33.539 --> 00:16:36.139 it for you. But you and I must learn to wait 00:16:36.139 --> 00:16:39.419 upon the salvation of the Lord as the Lord arrives 00:16:39.419 --> 00:16:43.600 to help and to assist our every need. He's your 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:50.019 help. Hebrews 4, 16, Let us therefore come boldly 00:16:50.019 --> 00:16:52.259 into the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy 00:16:52.259 --> 00:16:56.590 and find grace to help. In the time of need. 00:16:56.649 --> 00:16:59.190 That's the New Testament. That's not the Psalms. 00:17:00.289 --> 00:17:02.470 Amen. That's a little New Testament for you. 00:17:03.309 --> 00:17:07.029 The promise carries over. Why? Because he's the 00:17:07.029 --> 00:17:13.029 same God. That's why. I am the Lord and I. Change 00:17:13.029 --> 00:17:17.390 of not. Amen. He's the same God of the Old Testament. 00:17:17.430 --> 00:17:20.170 He's the same God in the New Testament. Amen. 00:17:20.230 --> 00:17:23.089 He'll raise the dead if necessary. He'll open 00:17:23.089 --> 00:17:26.170 blinded eyes. He'll heal the deaf ears. Amen. 00:17:26.230 --> 00:17:29.210 He'll cause the lame to leap. Hallelujah. And 00:17:29.210 --> 00:17:31.369 they that wait upon the Lord, he will cause to 00:17:31.369 --> 00:17:33.690 have their strength renewed. They'll walk and 00:17:33.690 --> 00:17:36.109 not faint. They'll run and not grow weary. Why? 00:17:36.190 --> 00:17:38.410 Because he is the ever -present help to the believer, 00:17:38.529 --> 00:17:41.150 to the one who needs help that calls upon his 00:17:41.150 --> 00:17:47.009 name. I just caught a glimpse out of the corner 00:17:47.009 --> 00:17:48.490 of my eye, and I meant to mention this earlier. 00:17:50.390 --> 00:17:52.609 Inspired this morning by cell phones laying on 00:17:52.609 --> 00:17:59.329 the altar. Thank you, guys. That's good right 00:17:59.329 --> 00:18:02.950 there. That means I have their undivided attention 00:18:02.950 --> 00:18:06.180 this morning. And that's the reason I feel what 00:18:06.180 --> 00:18:08.000 I'm feeling because the Lord's talking to somebody. 00:18:08.200 --> 00:18:10.119 It doesn't matter how young you are. It doesn't 00:18:10.119 --> 00:18:12.140 matter how old you are or where you're at in 00:18:12.140 --> 00:18:14.960 between in this process. We all have trouble 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:17.720 of our own nature. You can have trouble. You 00:18:17.720 --> 00:18:19.779 can have problems. You can have things that drive 00:18:19.779 --> 00:18:25.779 you crazy at 5, 6, 7, 8, 98, 85, 65, 55, and 00:18:25.779 --> 00:18:28.779 anywhere else in between. We all can have dilemmas. 00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:31.299 There's dilemmas at school. These kids face things 00:18:31.299 --> 00:18:34.599 that you and I didn't dream of. could just slap 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:38.619 them in the mouth and go on. You might get a 00:18:38.619 --> 00:18:49.299 paddling, but some things are worth it. Is that 00:18:49.299 --> 00:18:54.920 right, honey? She got in more trouble for fighting 00:18:54.920 --> 00:19:00.480 than I did in school. Oh, yeah. Don't let that 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:04.740 little sweet little grin. Don't let that fool 00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:10.880 you. You've heard the old saying, would fight 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:20.000 a circle saw backwards? Right there. Mean. She 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:28.359 was a heathen. Y 'all think I'm, I'm just not. 00:19:28.900 --> 00:19:32.539 I'll tell you the truth. She'd jerk them by the 00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:34.200 hair of the head and drag them out in the hall 00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:43.839 and just, I've seen it more than once. I'm thinking, 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:53.619 I think I can tame that cat. Look what the Holy 00:19:53.619 --> 00:19:59.160 Ghost in me has made right there. Way more him 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:02.420 than me, I guarantee you. I couldn't do nothing 00:20:02.420 --> 00:20:05.619 without him. And it's because of him. Hallelujah. 00:20:07.180 --> 00:20:08.859 It doesn't matter what kind of trouble you can 00:20:08.859 --> 00:20:11.200 find yourself in. It doesn't matter at what age 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:14.509 you're in this morning. There's dilemmas at work. 00:20:14.869 --> 00:20:16.930 It's just everywhere. It's all around. The devil 00:20:16.930 --> 00:20:19.609 is everywhere. He's roaring. He's seeking out 00:20:19.609 --> 00:20:22.130 whom he may devour. He's trying to kill, steal, 00:20:22.430 --> 00:20:26.190 and destroy from every one of us. He's trying 00:20:26.190 --> 00:20:28.950 to take us out. But every one of us who know 00:20:28.950 --> 00:20:33.670 the name of the Lord Jesus, who are stamped by 00:20:33.670 --> 00:20:36.130 the seal of the bloodstained banner of Calvary, 00:20:36.210 --> 00:20:39.309 who have had our sins removed, we understand 00:20:39.309 --> 00:20:42.210 that he is the source of our sin. I know I couldn't 00:20:42.210 --> 00:20:43.759 be saved. saved without him. There's no other 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:46.619 thing that could do it. It had to be him. I had 00:20:46.619 --> 00:20:48.559 to be delivered by him. There was no other power 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:50.839 that was able to set me free, but he touched 00:20:50.839 --> 00:20:53.059 me. That's the reason the songwriter with so 00:20:53.059 --> 00:20:55.680 much passion declared that song, Reach Out and 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:58.480 Touch the Lord as he goes on. Why? Because he 00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:01.079 is the only thing that can alter the situation 00:21:01.079 --> 00:21:04.240 in your life. But here's the deal. He can alter 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:07.720 every situation that is going on in our lives. 00:21:10.039 --> 00:21:15.140 So the Lord becomes our help. Now, for the new 00:21:15.140 --> 00:21:21.220 part. We succeed because the Lord is our joy. 00:21:24.740 --> 00:21:26.640 If you're not happy and you're claiming to be 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:28.680 a child of God, I want to lay hands on you and 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:31.400 pray for you here in a little while. Matter of 00:21:31.400 --> 00:21:32.859 fact, I really don't care if you're happy or 00:21:32.859 --> 00:21:37.900 not. It's not about being happy. It's about being 00:21:37.900 --> 00:21:42.819 full of joy. Circumstances dictate happiness 00:21:42.819 --> 00:21:47.720 but circumstances cannot defer joy unless you 00:21:47.720 --> 00:21:52.420 allow it. You and I have to permit it. It'll 00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:55.400 not be deferred unless you defer it. You have 00:21:55.400 --> 00:21:58.200 to choose to be sad as a child of God. You have 00:21:58.200 --> 00:22:01.200 to decide that I'm going to worry on the things 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:03.940 that the enemy's putting in my mind. You make 00:22:03.940 --> 00:22:06.279 a choice to mull on it. You make a choice to 00:22:06.279 --> 00:22:09.220 chew on it like a cow on a cud and just sit there 00:22:09.220 --> 00:22:12.660 and over and over and over and over and let the 00:22:12.660 --> 00:22:15.519 devil torment your mind. You do not have to live 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:18.559 that way. You hear me this morning. The joy of 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:21.519 the Lord. according to Nehemiah 8 and 10, becomes 00:22:21.519 --> 00:22:24.000 your strength. We're talking about a people who 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:25.839 are in bondage. We're talking about a people 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:28.019 who are oppressed by the enemy, and they've got 00:22:28.019 --> 00:22:30.519 let loose, and they're finally at home, and they're 00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:33.079 depressed because they're at home because the 00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:35.880 task looks so great. There's walls that's got 00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:38.019 to be built. There's gates that's got to be hung. 00:22:38.259 --> 00:22:41.579 But here, Nehemiah, Ezra has read the Word of 00:22:41.579 --> 00:22:43.759 God, and the people are crying because they've 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:46.019 come to a realization that they are not where 00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:49.180 they should be in God's good grace. And they're 00:22:49.180 --> 00:22:51.900 crying and they're mourning. And Nehemiah stands 00:22:51.900 --> 00:22:55.140 up and says, hey, go home and eat the good. Go 00:22:55.140 --> 00:22:58.099 home and eat the sweet. Go home and drink because 00:22:58.099 --> 00:23:01.980 the joy of the Lord is your strength. Knowing 00:23:01.980 --> 00:23:04.880 that now you have turned again to him. And when 00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:07.579 you turn to him, he becomes the strength of your 00:23:07.579 --> 00:23:10.640 life. And joy in knowing that we are in right, 00:23:10.680 --> 00:23:14.460 when you're in right relationship, you do not 00:23:14.460 --> 00:23:23.720 have to weep. And if you're listening to the 00:23:23.720 --> 00:23:27.819 devil, would you please stop? Do me a favor and 00:23:27.819 --> 00:23:33.339 stop. These old depressive thoughts, that's not 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:41.819 from God. Huh? Despair and agony on me. If it 00:23:41.819 --> 00:23:43.980 wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. 00:23:44.859 --> 00:23:47.519 It's not about luck. It's about being in position 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:51.130 to be blessed. Did I not read to you, no good 00:23:51.130 --> 00:23:53.529 thing will he withhold from those who walk up 00:23:53.529 --> 00:23:57.650 right before him? If it's not good, check your 00:23:57.650 --> 00:24:13.690 vertical position. Check it. You're sad because 00:24:13.690 --> 00:24:23.859 you think on sad stuff. You know where the Lord 00:24:23.859 --> 00:24:28.119 told them, said, consider the lilies they toll 00:24:28.119 --> 00:24:31.380 not nor they spin, right? And he talked about 00:24:31.380 --> 00:24:37.440 the sparrows. And then he talked about their 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:39.920 stature. He said, which one of you, taking thought, 00:24:40.079 --> 00:24:42.940 could add one cubit to your stature just by thinking 00:24:42.940 --> 00:24:48.599 about it? None of us. So let me just pose this 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:55.880 question to you. Why think about it? I mean, 00:24:55.880 --> 00:25:00.279 what's the deal with that? Our son, Gerald, got 00:25:00.279 --> 00:25:07.140 most of Sister Kathy's family genes. And it took 00:25:07.140 --> 00:25:09.039 him a long time before he ever grew up to be 00:25:09.039 --> 00:25:14.180 as tall as his mama. And she's five foot. So 00:25:14.180 --> 00:25:19.440 he would hang from the closet rock. Milk. Couldn't 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:24.779 keep that boy in milk. Makes you grow. He's doing 00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:28.920 everything he can do to add to his stature. But 00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:31.319 let me tell you, you get what the good Lord gives 00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:34.559 you. I always wanted to be six foot, and that 00:25:34.559 --> 00:25:38.859 ain't never going to happen. Never. I couldn't 00:25:38.859 --> 00:25:40.420 reach it up, so I was trying to get it around. 00:25:40.599 --> 00:25:52.220 I was close. Whoo! I closed. So, this junk the 00:25:52.220 --> 00:25:53.859 devil's got you fretting over, why are you fretting 00:25:53.859 --> 00:25:58.839 over it? I mean, he's got you thinking about 00:25:58.839 --> 00:26:01.180 world problems and all you need to do is eat 00:26:01.180 --> 00:26:09.000 breakfast. Pop your tart. Get on about your day. 00:26:10.859 --> 00:26:12.960 He's got you thinking about stupid people and 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:18.660 I said that. I did. There's stupid people in 00:26:18.660 --> 00:26:22.039 this world. Right? And let me just tell you something. 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:28.619 You can't fix stupid. You have to educate stupid. 00:26:30.599 --> 00:26:34.420 And then, some of them go from stupid to just 00:26:34.420 --> 00:26:39.880 ignorant. You say, Pastor, it's awful strong 00:26:39.880 --> 00:26:41.720 words. Well, we need some strong words in the 00:26:41.720 --> 00:26:46.140 day in which we're living. If you're woke, go 00:26:46.140 --> 00:26:50.220 back to sleep. I assure you this is not the place 00:26:50.220 --> 00:27:02.259 for you. You know the difference between stupidity 00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:04.319 and ignorance, right? Stupidity is not knowing. 00:27:06.099 --> 00:27:08.359 That's like our little children when we try to 00:27:08.359 --> 00:27:13.519 teach them that a stove is hot. You tell them 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:15.680 three or four times and then you'll pat the back 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:18.750 of that hand. No. before they get it, right? 00:27:20.009 --> 00:27:21.890 It's hot. They don't understand the concept. 00:27:21.990 --> 00:27:23.670 You know when they figure out the concept of 00:27:23.670 --> 00:27:26.390 hot? When they got that little blister on the 00:27:26.390 --> 00:27:30.769 end of that little finger. And they look at you 00:27:30.769 --> 00:27:34.349 like, okay, the next time they just reach out 00:27:34.349 --> 00:27:38.250 and touch it, that's just because they wanted 00:27:38.250 --> 00:27:42.789 a blister, I reckon. We live in a world that 00:27:42.789 --> 00:27:45.609 is consumed by ignorance. Surely people know 00:27:45.609 --> 00:27:52.109 better. And they do it anyway. It's a refusal. 00:27:53.029 --> 00:27:55.450 We refuse to accept the reality that's going 00:27:55.450 --> 00:27:57.170 on around us. Don't be that as a child of God. 00:27:57.269 --> 00:28:00.490 Look, how many of us, just by a show of hands, 00:28:00.630 --> 00:28:03.410 you actually, you can tell when the Lord's trying 00:28:03.410 --> 00:28:07.029 to speak to you and lead you and guide you? Okay. 00:28:08.349 --> 00:28:10.609 How many of you know when you're just talking 00:28:10.609 --> 00:28:12.470 to yourself and there's some things you want 00:28:12.470 --> 00:28:15.309 to do and you know the voice of yourself? How 00:28:15.309 --> 00:28:18.470 many? Okay. You know what the other voice is 00:28:18.470 --> 00:28:25.539 then? That's old Diablo. Slewfoot. Who's that? 00:28:25.960 --> 00:28:30.759 That be the devil. Satan, Lucifer, the serpent, 00:28:30.980 --> 00:28:33.640 the old dragon, the accuser of the brethren. 00:28:33.819 --> 00:28:35.720 That other voice that you hear that's always 00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:39.220 pulling you down and pointing an accusation towards 00:28:39.220 --> 00:28:42.700 you, that's the enemy's voice. The Lord is your 00:28:42.700 --> 00:28:45.819 help. The Lord is your salvation. Do not entertain 00:28:45.819 --> 00:28:49.670 that other garbage. Thus, the reason we have, 00:28:49.789 --> 00:28:56.970 resist the devil. Resist the devil, and he will 00:28:56.970 --> 00:29:03.589 draw nigh unto God, and he will. Let's get this 00:29:03.589 --> 00:29:06.359 thing right. You do not have to live in the condition 00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:09.460 of your mind state. You don't have to live in 00:29:09.460 --> 00:29:12.680 depression. Why? Because the joy of the Lord 00:29:12.680 --> 00:29:16.099 is your strength. What does that mean? It means 00:29:16.099 --> 00:29:19.279 no matter how bad it looks, it's going to work 00:29:19.279 --> 00:29:21.920 out to your favor. It doesn't matter what you 00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:24.359 may have to go through. It's going to work out 00:29:24.359 --> 00:29:27.720 to your favor. Joy. Amen. It's when you can walk 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:30.900 into a federal bankruptcy court and still leave 00:29:30.900 --> 00:29:33.400 with a shout. It's the most embarrassing thing 00:29:33.400 --> 00:29:35.720 that I've ever walked through in my life, but 00:29:35.720 --> 00:29:39.259 I saw the hand of God as I had to walk. The mess 00:29:39.259 --> 00:29:43.000 that I made, it wasn't his mess, but I'm telling 00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:46.099 you, he's the God of heaven who got me out of 00:29:46.099 --> 00:29:49.859 the mess that we had made. Amen, amen, amen. 00:29:50.119 --> 00:29:52.539 You don't have to be depressed about it. You 00:29:52.539 --> 00:29:54.740 don't have to hide under a pillow about it. You 00:29:54.740 --> 00:29:57.099 don't have to. put your head in the sand. because 00:29:57.099 --> 00:30:00.059 he is a God who will show up at your most embarrassing 00:30:00.059 --> 00:30:03.440 moment and let the light of his glory illuminate 00:30:03.440 --> 00:30:05.779 your darkness, and you can lift up your head, 00:30:05.839 --> 00:30:08.519 oh, you child of God. Ye whose hands are hanging 00:30:08.519 --> 00:30:11.059 and swinging low, he will pick them up. Lift 00:30:11.059 --> 00:30:13.859 up your eyes. That's the reason the psalmist 00:30:13.859 --> 00:30:17.480 said it in the declaration, I will lift up my 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:19.839 head. You have to make a personal declaration. 00:30:20.039 --> 00:30:23.319 I'm going to look to God because in him is hope, 00:30:23.420 --> 00:30:26.309 in him is help, in him is salvation. He is the 00:30:26.309 --> 00:30:29.309 source of my redemption. He is the ability of 00:30:29.309 --> 00:30:33.329 my health, and he is the joy of my ongoing life. 00:30:36.450 --> 00:30:39.230 So what Nehemiah was telling them was, hey, folks, 00:30:39.410 --> 00:30:47.349 be happy. We're home. Go home. Enjoy. You're 00:30:47.349 --> 00:30:52.450 here. But I'm glad for the reality of conviction. 00:30:54.099 --> 00:30:58.180 Upon hearing the reading of the law of God, their 00:30:58.180 --> 00:31:01.920 hearts were pricked because they understood their 00:31:01.920 --> 00:31:05.599 spiritual relationship with God. And why God 00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:08.720 had them where he had them, that was to get them 00:31:08.720 --> 00:31:15.000 back to where they were at. Oh, my Lord. Remember 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:18.279 what the psalmist said that they demanded of 00:31:18.279 --> 00:31:20.619 us the songs of Zion. You remember that? I preached 00:31:20.619 --> 00:31:24.359 on that a few months ago. As we sat by the river 00:31:24.359 --> 00:31:29.839 Chabar, our captors came and demanded of us to 00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:34.119 sing the songs of Zion. Sing, I'll fly away. 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:37.059 We want to hear it. We heard you people love 00:31:37.059 --> 00:31:40.680 to sing and worship. Sing us one of those songs. 00:31:41.720 --> 00:31:46.200 And they said, we can't sing you a song. We've 00:31:46.200 --> 00:31:49.960 hung our harps in the willow bushes. We didn't 00:31:49.960 --> 00:31:56.460 even bring our music with us. We didn't bring 00:31:56.460 --> 00:32:03.039 our song along. We can't sing for you. Then the 00:32:03.039 --> 00:32:06.259 psalmist said, oh, Lord, never take the cunning 00:32:06.259 --> 00:32:08.559 of my right hand away, the skill that I have 00:32:08.559 --> 00:32:11.519 to play. Oh, don't take that away from me. Oh, 00:32:11.519 --> 00:32:15.079 Lord, hallelujah. If it was David, David understood 00:32:15.079 --> 00:32:17.420 the anointing. It wasn't David. It was way past 00:32:17.420 --> 00:32:21.519 his time. But any of the psalmists would know 00:32:21.519 --> 00:32:27.140 the joy of worship. I saw something the other 00:32:27.140 --> 00:32:30.519 day that stirred me pretty much. It was a little 00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:34.960 clip about what is the most important thing because 00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:38.440 I've had to examine it in my own mind, in my 00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:42.039 own heart. What is the most important thing we 00:32:42.039 --> 00:32:45.799 do when we come to church? Is the preaching the 00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:51.740 most important part or is worship the most important 00:32:51.740 --> 00:32:56.309 thing that we're supposed to do? We do understand, 00:32:56.430 --> 00:32:59.750 right, that what I'm doing now is because of 00:32:59.750 --> 00:33:05.710 sin. I'm preaching to us hoping that one of our 00:33:05.710 --> 00:33:09.190 hearts are going to change today. I'm preaching 00:33:09.190 --> 00:33:12.529 to us today because of the effects of sin. Trying 00:33:12.529 --> 00:33:14.869 to preach to us and encourage us and lift us 00:33:14.869 --> 00:33:17.829 up to know that God is our salvation. He is our 00:33:17.829 --> 00:33:20.769 source. He is our refuge. Amen. He is our rescue. 00:33:21.049 --> 00:33:23.670 I'm preaching to you today because you are overwhelmed 00:33:23.670 --> 00:33:26.250 with trouble and problems in life. And to let 00:33:26.250 --> 00:33:29.349 you know that the Lord is your help. I'm preaching 00:33:29.349 --> 00:33:31.829 to you today because of the effects of sin and 00:33:31.829 --> 00:33:33.930 an enemy that's out to steal, kill, and to destroy. 00:33:34.089 --> 00:33:38.170 To let you know that God's joy, joy in your soul. 00:33:38.029 --> 00:33:40.650 salvation, joy in the fact of knowing that if 00:33:40.650 --> 00:33:43.029 you come boldly to the throne of grace that you'll 00:33:43.029 --> 00:33:45.670 find help in your time of trouble. I'm preaching 00:33:45.670 --> 00:33:48.309 to you today because of the overwhelming effects 00:33:48.309 --> 00:33:51.470 of sin. But can I tell you our worship to God 00:33:51.470 --> 00:33:55.250 has nothing to do with sin nor sin's effect. 00:33:55.390 --> 00:33:58.970 It has to do with the gratitude of the heart 00:33:58.970 --> 00:34:02.630 of the worshiper. So I had to kindly back up. 00:34:02.670 --> 00:34:04.690 I thought, huh, I got to watch this because I 00:34:04.690 --> 00:34:07.359 am a preacher. You know what I'm saying? They 00:34:07.359 --> 00:34:09.199 know they're more important than the declaration 00:34:09.199 --> 00:34:12.139 of the word. And then I got checked. Amen. There 00:34:12.139 --> 00:34:14.400 was worship before there was a preacher. Oh, 00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:17.880 my, my, my, my, my. We were created from the 00:34:17.880 --> 00:34:22.059 beginning to be a worshiper of him. Amen. You 00:34:22.059 --> 00:34:23.719 can go back and you can look and see where Adam 00:34:23.719 --> 00:34:25.699 and them are worshiping. They're bringing their 00:34:25.699 --> 00:34:28.320 sacrifices. Amen. They're bringing their, they 00:34:28.320 --> 00:34:32.840 were worshiping in the garden. We have to understand 00:34:32.840 --> 00:34:39.130 that worship is. The most important part. And 00:34:39.130 --> 00:34:41.550 then what a preacher is supposed to do, and I 00:34:41.550 --> 00:34:44.829 hope I try to accomplish this task, is to let 00:34:44.829 --> 00:34:49.070 you know that sin does not have to have preeminence 00:34:49.070 --> 00:34:53.170 and priority over your life. That darkness does 00:34:53.170 --> 00:34:57.369 not have to prevail over you. Are you hearing 00:34:57.369 --> 00:35:00.250 me? When the devil starts whispering things like, 00:35:00.329 --> 00:35:03.610 you have no reason to live. You have no hope 00:35:03.610 --> 00:35:06.250 to live. The devil, somebody needs to hear this 00:35:06.250 --> 00:35:10.809 preacher this morning. The devil is a lie. Anything, 00:35:11.130 --> 00:35:12.909 that's the reason I had you distinguish between 00:35:12.909 --> 00:35:15.289 the voices that are coming into your mind. You 00:35:15.289 --> 00:35:17.449 know God isn't going to tell you junk like that. 00:35:17.570 --> 00:35:19.969 He's going to say, I've created you. You're fearfully 00:35:19.969 --> 00:35:22.789 and wonderfully made. I know every sinew that's 00:35:22.789 --> 00:35:25.409 on your bone. I know every tendon. I know every 00:35:25.409 --> 00:35:29.250 muscle. I knew you before you were born, before 00:35:29.250 --> 00:35:32.130 you were formed in your mama's womb. I knew you. 00:35:32.190 --> 00:35:34.250 As a matter of fact, in that time I've called 00:35:34.250 --> 00:35:36.929 you according to a purpose. You've got a purpose. 00:35:37.150 --> 00:35:40.329 It's the devil over here saying, oh, woe is me. 00:35:40.489 --> 00:35:44.530 It's dark. No hope. No life. My God, dismiss 00:35:44.530 --> 00:35:47.650 the voice of darkness and let the voice of light 00:35:47.650 --> 00:35:50.949 prevail. God loves you. The devil's the one that's 00:35:50.949 --> 00:35:53.789 trying to kill you because he wants you to go 00:35:53.789 --> 00:36:05.610 where he is destined. to be. Hell! The reason 00:36:05.610 --> 00:36:09.389 preaching becomes so effective is because the 00:36:09.389 --> 00:36:18.670 presence of God is drawn in by the worship. How 00:36:18.670 --> 00:36:24.110 so? Because he dwells within the praises of his 00:36:24.110 --> 00:36:27.769 people. What do you mean? Well, he is the one 00:36:27.769 --> 00:36:30.389 of honor who's being honored, so he shows up. 00:36:34.730 --> 00:36:36.389 Come on with it. That's what he's saying. Go 00:36:36.389 --> 00:36:41.070 ahead. And the more we do, he goes, let me give 00:36:41.070 --> 00:36:43.389 you a little more of that. Come on, give me some 00:36:43.389 --> 00:36:47.909 more. Glorify my name. I am God. He is. Why do 00:36:47.909 --> 00:36:49.710 you think you have the big ten and one of those 00:36:49.710 --> 00:36:52.610 y 'all shall have no other God before me? None. 00:36:53.530 --> 00:36:57.630 I am a jealous God, and a jealous God enjoys 00:36:57.630 --> 00:37:01.590 the worship of those in whom he created for the 00:37:01.590 --> 00:37:04.769 very fact of worshiping him. So the next time 00:37:04.769 --> 00:37:06.550 you come in next Sunday morning and you want 00:37:06.550 --> 00:37:09.380 to sit down, swell up. puff up, blow up, saying 00:37:09.380 --> 00:37:11.780 they're not singing my song. Get over yourself. 00:37:12.099 --> 00:37:15.280 It's not about you. Is it a song that'll glorify 00:37:15.280 --> 00:37:18.880 him? Hallelujah. Whether it's I'll fly away or 00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:21.800 whether it's whatever, it doesn't matter. He's 00:37:21.800 --> 00:37:25.039 a miracle worker. He is. And he's never stopping. 00:37:25.219 --> 00:37:27.360 He's always working. And it's good for you to 00:37:27.360 --> 00:37:29.880 let him know that you understand when I can't 00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:32.659 see you, you're working. Even when I can't feel 00:37:32.659 --> 00:37:35.260 you, I know you're working. It's a declaration 00:37:35.260 --> 00:37:38.719 of my faith in my worship. I can't see it. I 00:37:38.719 --> 00:37:40.960 don't know if it's coming out, but I'm lifting 00:37:40.960 --> 00:37:43.760 you up anyway. I don't know what the situation's 00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:50.980 going to turn out like. I need your sword this 00:37:50.980 --> 00:37:55.460 morning. Piper won her competition the other 00:37:55.460 --> 00:38:01.019 day. Got a samurai sword. Go ahead and get ready. 00:38:02.360 --> 00:38:07.409 I meant to celebrate that earlier. Give honor 00:38:07.409 --> 00:38:10.550 to whom honors do. Brother Mike don't have a 00:38:10.550 --> 00:38:19.510 sword. He wants one bad now. We'll see if he 00:38:19.510 --> 00:38:22.769 gets one next month. Next month? November. He 00:38:22.769 --> 00:38:27.590 got a couple months to get ready. God's on your 00:38:27.590 --> 00:38:34.489 side. He's our joy. Instead of going back up 00:38:34.489 --> 00:38:36.250 there and add another 30 minutes of this, I'm 00:38:36.250 --> 00:38:39.269 going to jump right on through it. We succeed 00:38:39.269 --> 00:38:44.750 because he's our salvation. He's our help. He's 00:38:44.750 --> 00:38:50.090 our joy. And he is our refreshing. Acts 3 .19, 00:38:50.349 --> 00:38:52.250 times of refreshing shall come from the Lord 00:38:52.250 --> 00:38:56.050 when after we have repented. So if you need to 00:38:56.050 --> 00:39:01.440 repent, honey, get on with yourself. Hello? repent 00:39:01.440 --> 00:39:04.880 and go on, quit doing that stupid stuff. I've 00:39:04.880 --> 00:39:06.860 never had a pastor talk like this. You probably 00:39:06.860 --> 00:39:13.059 never will. Again. You need to get over yourself. 00:39:14.639 --> 00:39:19.079 You need God. Plain and simple. You need God. 00:39:20.460 --> 00:39:23.460 How many, just a show of hands, I like this hand 00:39:23.460 --> 00:39:26.840 thing, if you're honest. If you're not honest, 00:39:26.900 --> 00:39:29.840 it really doesn't work. How many want to go to 00:39:29.840 --> 00:39:33.730 heaven? Really, you really want to go to heaven. 00:39:36.909 --> 00:39:43.730 Now, how many are living like you're going? A 00:39:43.730 --> 00:39:46.809 show of hands. Come on, let's get them up. I'm 00:39:46.809 --> 00:39:48.550 about to give an altar call for the rest of us. 00:39:50.329 --> 00:39:51.849 Because if you're not living like you're going, 00:39:51.969 --> 00:39:59.679 you know what that means? You're not going. Are 00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:01.099 you telling me I'm going to hell? I'm telling 00:40:01.099 --> 00:40:02.219 you you're going to hell if you ain't living 00:40:02.219 --> 00:40:07.179 right. Yes, you are. Buster wide open, baby. 00:40:08.780 --> 00:40:15.420 You're going in head first. Sounds comical, doesn't 00:40:15.420 --> 00:40:18.380 it, until you understand the reality of your 00:40:18.380 --> 00:40:26.210 sentence. You see, hell is a lake of fire. More 00:40:26.210 --> 00:40:27.570 than that little young 'un getting a little bubble 00:40:27.570 --> 00:40:29.269 blister on the bottom of her finger. I got one 00:40:29.269 --> 00:40:31.789 right here on this one the other day. Brother 00:40:31.789 --> 00:40:35.150 Robbie set that brush pile on fire. I got through 00:40:35.150 --> 00:40:36.949 spraying the ditch and he was pressure washing 00:40:36.949 --> 00:40:40.250 the pavilion. I said, I'll go up there and restack 00:40:40.250 --> 00:40:43.610 some more of it will burn. Well, I retched and 00:40:43.610 --> 00:40:45.570 got one that still had some fire on the bottom 00:40:45.570 --> 00:40:48.469 of it. And before I could turn it loose, I felt 00:40:48.469 --> 00:40:51.369 the bubble rising. And that little old blister 00:40:51.369 --> 00:40:53.949 hurt for days. And it's still a little tender. 00:40:56.619 --> 00:41:05.900 My mind instantly goes to a lake of fire. I think 00:41:05.900 --> 00:41:10.539 that little blister is no comparison to literally 00:41:10.539 --> 00:41:19.679 swimming in, for our purposes, molten lava. And 00:41:19.679 --> 00:41:27.289 you never die. The pain never stops. Because 00:41:27.289 --> 00:41:30.670 you choose to do whatever it is that's not upright. 00:41:31.309 --> 00:41:36.769 To watch whatever you're watching. Listen to 00:41:36.769 --> 00:41:41.449 the junk you listen to. You realize that it distracts 00:41:41.449 --> 00:41:43.489 and takes your soul from the presence of God, 00:41:43.570 --> 00:41:46.690 right? The devil knows what he's doing with lyrics 00:41:46.690 --> 00:41:50.130 and music. And don't get me on this jelly roll 00:41:50.130 --> 00:41:55.429 garbage. And this other guy. Well, I still like 00:41:55.429 --> 00:41:57.809 to smoke a little smoke and drink a little drink 00:41:57.809 --> 00:42:11.050 and just sing Amazing Grace at the concert. That 00:42:11.050 --> 00:42:19.309 ain't going to get it done. Sorry. You got to 00:42:19.309 --> 00:42:24.289 walk upright. Got to have your sins purged by 00:42:24.289 --> 00:42:30.809 the blood that flows from Emmanuel's veins. Old 00:42:30.809 --> 00:42:35.750 songwriter said, I've been to Calvary. Well, 00:42:35.829 --> 00:42:41.670 I live at Calvary half the time. I catch a fresh 00:42:41.670 --> 00:42:54.170 flow regularly. He is our refreshing. That's 00:42:54.170 --> 00:42:59.929 why you succeed. We have to remain cleansed. 00:43:01.070 --> 00:43:04.190 That's the reason Jesus instituted and he gave 00:43:04.190 --> 00:43:06.949 us that wonderful illustration in the night before 00:43:06.949 --> 00:43:10.050 he's going to be crucified about this water baptism 00:43:10.050 --> 00:43:15.269 and then he talks to us about washing. Washing 00:43:15.269 --> 00:43:18.969 the feet. Remember that? Peter says, Lord, you're 00:43:18.969 --> 00:43:21.829 not going to wash my feet unless you wash all 00:43:21.829 --> 00:43:25.510 of me. He said, Peter, all of you is not dirty. 00:43:25.510 --> 00:43:28.469 It's your feet, son. When you walk through this 00:43:28.469 --> 00:43:30.170 world, you get a little on you and you got to 00:43:30.170 --> 00:43:36.429 keep it washed off. How many has got a little 00:43:36.429 --> 00:43:41.050 on you? From time to time, you've compromised 00:43:41.050 --> 00:43:44.949 in areas. You got a little on you. Watching, 00:43:44.989 --> 00:43:47.349 listening, going some places that you've got 00:43:47.349 --> 00:43:56.219 no business taking the presence of God to. So 00:43:56.219 --> 00:43:59.539 I better get right on past refreshing and get 00:43:59.539 --> 00:44:01.519 to supply. You stand with me and I'll be sure 00:44:01.519 --> 00:44:06.940 and shut her down here in about 20 minutes. We 00:44:06.940 --> 00:44:10.360 succeed because he's our salvation. He's our 00:44:10.360 --> 00:44:14.239 help. He is your joy. If you are a child of God, 00:44:14.360 --> 00:44:17.320 cheer up. What did that old songwriter say? Cheer 00:44:17.320 --> 00:44:24.739 up, my brother. Live in the. We'll understand 00:44:24.739 --> 00:44:28.300 it when. That's when you worry about it, not 00:44:28.300 --> 00:44:37.340 now. He's your help. He's your joy. He's your 00:44:37.340 --> 00:44:41.019 refreshing. That Greek word there means back 00:44:41.019 --> 00:44:44.960 and breathe. It means you get a fresh breath. 00:44:46.460 --> 00:44:50.460 How many of you ever needed a fresh breath? Spiritually. 00:44:54.480 --> 00:44:56.500 When times of refreshing come from the presence 00:44:56.500 --> 00:45:01.440 of the Lord, they come from repentance. You want 00:45:01.440 --> 00:45:05.039 to be refreshed? Repent. Let him wash it off 00:45:05.039 --> 00:45:10.219 of you. My granny used to say, wash. Get that 00:45:10.219 --> 00:45:13.420 wash rag and wash that off your face, boy. That's 00:45:13.420 --> 00:45:18.800 what granny would say. I always thought washing 00:45:18.800 --> 00:45:22.599 was a little more aggressive than washing. Especially 00:45:22.599 --> 00:45:26.480 if granny... Took hold of the cloth. I mean, 00:45:26.480 --> 00:45:31.719 it was high dirt and all. And that stuff she 00:45:31.719 --> 00:45:35.639 washed hers in was not fabric softener. It was 00:45:35.639 --> 00:45:41.599 like 80 grit with a washcloth. Wash it out. You 00:45:41.599 --> 00:45:47.219 need to be washed. Refreshed. Then you know that 00:45:47.219 --> 00:45:54.619 he's your supply. He's your supplier. My God 00:45:54.619 --> 00:45:59.380 shall supply all of my need according to. I can 00:45:59.380 --> 00:46:02.920 do all things through Christ who? Because he's 00:46:02.920 --> 00:46:07.099 your supplier. See, I didn't have time to really 00:46:07.099 --> 00:46:09.320 dig into that refreshing part. We could have 00:46:09.320 --> 00:46:14.880 went to where Samson picked up a jawbone. And 00:46:14.880 --> 00:46:18.960 what a battle. At the place they named the jawbone. 00:46:19.099 --> 00:46:22.460 And while he was there, after God gave him the 00:46:22.460 --> 00:46:25.440 victory, he threw that jawbone down. He was thirsty. 00:46:27.480 --> 00:46:29.420 God, you're going to let me die of thirst here 00:46:29.420 --> 00:46:32.539 after all this? And the Lord claimed a place 00:46:32.539 --> 00:46:40.000 in the jawbone. A spring. And he refreshed the 00:46:40.000 --> 00:46:42.820 man of God, the warrior of God. If you've been 00:46:42.820 --> 00:46:44.780 fighting and you're saying, God, I'm thirsty. 00:46:45.639 --> 00:46:47.880 Wherever you're at, he's going to hollow out 00:46:47.880 --> 00:46:54.260 a place. My Lord. He's your supply. He supplies 00:46:54.260 --> 00:47:02.179 us rest. So on this Labor Day weekend, Matthew 00:47:02.179 --> 00:47:06.760 records the words of the Lord when he said, Come 00:47:06.760 --> 00:47:09.019 unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, 00:47:09.099 --> 00:47:16.199 and I will give you rest. He said, He said, come. 00:47:17.619 --> 00:47:22.800 Then he says, take. Take my yoke on you. It's 00:47:22.800 --> 00:47:26.940 easy. My burden light. He said, I'll swap with 00:47:26.940 --> 00:47:32.579 you. How many of you need to swap some things 00:47:32.579 --> 00:47:38.019 with the Lord? You need to swap yokes. Anybody 00:47:38.019 --> 00:47:41.800 need to come and rest in him? I mean, you just 00:47:41.800 --> 00:47:46.119 need a reprieve. Times of refreshing come from 00:47:46.119 --> 00:47:49.920 the Lord. You need to just catch your breath. 00:47:51.179 --> 00:47:53.800 Devil's been a fighting the wars on. You need 00:47:53.800 --> 00:47:56.019 a little spring. You need a little cool drink. 00:47:57.480 --> 00:48:01.380 You'll succeed because of the Lord's presence 00:48:01.380 --> 00:48:07.739 in your life. Greater is he that's in you than 00:48:07.739 --> 00:48:12.889 he that is in this world. The hope that is in 00:48:12.889 --> 00:48:15.010 you is Christ Jesus. Lord, I love you and I thank 00:48:15.010 --> 00:48:17.449 you today. If you need prayer this morning,