WEBVTT 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:06.780 You ready to see Jesus? Hallelujah, hallelujah. 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:11.359 If you have your Bibles, turn with me to the 00:00:11.359 --> 00:00:17.260 book of Proverbs, chapter 29. Most of you may 00:00:17.260 --> 00:00:27.960 know this by heart. Man, what a wonderful presence 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:36.100 of the Lord in here today. Amen. There y 'all 00:00:36.100 --> 00:00:43.539 are. Good morning. I get so central focused, 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:47.640 I forget to lift up my head. I need to lift up 00:00:47.640 --> 00:00:49.799 mine eyes into the balcony where the offering 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:56.380 comes from. These folks up there, hallelujah. 00:00:57.679 --> 00:00:59.299 Y 'all don't forget them. Turn around and wave 00:00:59.299 --> 00:01:02.579 at them. They're up there. Tell them good morning. 00:01:05.060 --> 00:01:14.400 Amen. Proverbs 29, 18 reads thusly. Where there 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:19.459 is no vision, the people perish. But he that 00:01:19.459 --> 00:01:25.799 keepeth the law happy is he. Going back in time. 00:01:27.460 --> 00:01:32.099 1999. The word of the Lord was the appointed 00:01:32.099 --> 00:01:36.000 time for vision. The appointed time for vision. 00:01:36.340 --> 00:01:39.760 It's very apropos for today, I think, as well. 00:01:39.879 --> 00:01:44.459 We need clarity. We need focus. We need renewed 00:01:44.459 --> 00:01:48.840 vision, refreshed vision. This thought just came 00:01:48.840 --> 00:01:53.939 to me. Our eyesight spiritually sometimes becomes 00:01:53.939 --> 00:01:57.439 clouded over with spiritual cataracts. How many 00:01:57.439 --> 00:02:00.200 in here has experienced cataract surgery removal? 00:02:00.379 --> 00:02:03.359 Raise your hand. Yeah, you see better when that 00:02:03.359 --> 00:02:06.200 cloud was gone? We're going to pray that that 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:09.360 film moves today for all of us spiritually so 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:13.060 that we can see clearly what the Lord is desiring 00:02:13.060 --> 00:02:18.120 of his people. Amen? For this last day and time 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:19.960 in which we're living. Whether it's the last 00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:24.800 day and time for all of humanity, we're still 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:27.569 living in our last day and time. Our days will 00:02:27.569 --> 00:02:31.330 run out. Amen? So truly we are living in the 00:02:31.330 --> 00:02:34.469 last days and the last times. I want to preach 00:02:34.469 --> 00:02:37.069 to you on that thought, the appointed time for 00:02:37.069 --> 00:02:38.930 vision. If you'll pray with me, I'll pray for 00:02:38.930 --> 00:02:40.969 you, and we'll pray together, and we'll ask God 00:02:40.969 --> 00:02:45.069 to have his way. I'm weakened this morning by 00:02:45.069 --> 00:02:49.469 what I feel behind this podium. I feel the presence 00:02:49.469 --> 00:02:53.129 of the Lord, and I can't hardly catch my breath, 00:02:53.210 --> 00:02:54.889 and I'm in better shape than I've been, so I 00:02:54.889 --> 00:02:57.740 know it's not that. So I know it's the Lord. 00:02:57.860 --> 00:03:00.879 I feel the quickening power of the Spirit of 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:02.580 God this morning. Father, we love you. We thank 00:03:02.580 --> 00:03:04.340 you so much for your goodness and your mercy. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:07.300 Beautiful congregation that's assembled together 00:03:07.300 --> 00:03:10.740 today. Thank you so much, Lord, for drawing the 00:03:10.740 --> 00:03:13.259 hearts of your people and continuing to draw 00:03:13.259 --> 00:03:16.020 the hearts of the lost and the hurting and the 00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:18.960 lonely and those who are in need. Continue, Lord, 00:03:19.060 --> 00:03:22.379 to draw them to this sanctuary. At Hope Well, 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:25.479 from where the well of joy, the joy of our salvation, 00:03:25.620 --> 00:03:29.819 we draw the hope that we have for now and our 00:03:29.819 --> 00:03:32.879 future. Bless the household of faith in Christ's 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:35.939 name. The church said, Amen. You can be seated. 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:43.400 Hallelujah. I think it would be very apparent 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:48.939 that we're living in a time and an age where 00:03:48.939 --> 00:03:54.990 the church is... Losing its identity. The true 00:03:54.990 --> 00:03:58.990 focal, the true, you almost want to say with 00:03:58.990 --> 00:04:03.050 the real church, please stand up. There's so 00:04:03.050 --> 00:04:08.870 many things going on from the realm of religiosity 00:04:08.870 --> 00:04:12.490 today. Forget that other stuff that's out there. 00:04:12.530 --> 00:04:17.550 Let's just talk about the church. There's some 00:04:17.550 --> 00:04:22.079 crazy stuff going on. in the church world today. 00:04:23.180 --> 00:04:25.819 I saw a little thing the other day for one pastor 00:04:25.819 --> 00:04:31.259 came in on a zip line. I thought, huh, that's 00:04:31.259 --> 00:04:38.000 interesting. Just right down, he just zipped 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.779 right down to the floor. I thought, huh, maybe 00:04:41.779 --> 00:04:45.079 that's what you got to do to get him. He had 00:04:45.079 --> 00:04:46.800 a whole bunch of folk. I don't know if he had 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.600 a church, but he had a whole bunch of folk. I 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:53.980 said that, didn't I? I'm working on a church. 00:04:57.699 --> 00:05:01.360 I'm entertaining enough just being myself without 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:09.139 a goofy zip line. Amen. That's probably why a 00:05:09.139 --> 00:05:11.319 good third of you is here today to see what he's 00:05:11.319 --> 00:05:15.540 going to say today. But there is an identity 00:05:15.540 --> 00:05:23.639 crisis. Let's just call it in our nation. The 00:05:23.639 --> 00:05:27.259 church is in crisis. There is a need for the 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:31.379 authentic church of the living God to again emerge 00:05:31.379 --> 00:05:36.519 and stand up. To be accountable for what the 00:05:36.519 --> 00:05:40.379 Lord has called us to be and do. If we're not 00:05:40.379 --> 00:05:43.480 very careful, there is a danger of permitting 00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:47.600 the attitude of the world to creep on in and 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:50.620 just totally... Well, it's not going to totally 00:05:50.620 --> 00:05:53.620 overtake because Jesus done said, on this rock 00:05:53.620 --> 00:05:55.500 I'll build my church and the gates of hell shall 00:05:55.500 --> 00:05:58.379 not prevail against it. So there you go. There 00:05:58.379 --> 00:06:01.319 is the danger out there that we are slipping 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:04.560 into the world's identity for what they would 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.160 love for the church to be. And the reason being 00:06:07.160 --> 00:06:09.560 is that we'd be comfortable, they'd be comfortable 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:12.920 sitting in the presence of all of the rest of 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:16.019 us. And you've got preachers who don't want to 00:06:16.019 --> 00:06:19.639 make people uncomfortable. Amen. They endeavor 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:22.819 not to offend. They don't want to offend anyone. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:27.579 Well, Jesus came to offend. He came with a sword 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:30.399 in one hand. He came with a fan to build up the 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.959 fire in the other. Amen. And to set at odds. 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:37.420 Amen. To set at odds father against mother and 00:06:37.420 --> 00:06:40.759 the whole ordeal. When he declares you've got 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:42.800 to love God more than your mom and daddy. You've 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:44.720 got to love God more than your children. You've 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:46.560 got to love God more than your grandchildren. 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.680 You've got to love him more than your great -grandchildren. 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:52.399 So there is an odd that has already been set 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:55.540 in place. And it is there because there can be 00:06:55.540 --> 00:06:58.040 no other. No other love that is more supreme 00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:01.019 than the love you have for God. Amen. He's number 00:07:01.019 --> 00:07:05.939 one or he's nothing. And in this society in which 00:07:05.939 --> 00:07:08.699 we're living in, if we're not very careful, that 00:07:08.699 --> 00:07:12.379 let live and get along and to go along and to 00:07:12.379 --> 00:07:15.060 get along will creep into the church and compromise 00:07:15.060 --> 00:07:17.879 sets in and we're just all in one happy basket 00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:21.870 waiting to go to hell in it. But I believe there 00:07:21.870 --> 00:07:24.189 is a separation, and it's an appointed time, 00:07:24.290 --> 00:07:27.430 and we are in that time for a renewed and a refreshed 00:07:27.430 --> 00:07:30.449 vision of what the church ought to be, amen, 00:07:30.569 --> 00:07:34.149 who we are declared to be and what we are proclaimed 00:07:34.149 --> 00:07:38.129 to be to a lost and dying world. It has been 00:07:38.129 --> 00:07:40.709 said in the past that a vision without a task 00:07:40.709 --> 00:07:45.889 is but a dream, and a vision with a task is the 00:07:45.889 --> 00:07:48.709 hope of the world. We understand that if we don't 00:07:48.709 --> 00:07:52.290 have a task to this vision, then it is only dream 00:07:52.290 --> 00:07:56.089 world. A task without a vision is drudgery. But 00:07:56.089 --> 00:07:58.569 when you've got a task with a vision attached 00:07:58.569 --> 00:08:02.250 to it, with a revelation, with a declaration 00:08:02.250 --> 00:08:05.430 from God on it, and you've got a hold of that, 00:08:05.509 --> 00:08:08.509 then that is going to be a pleasurable time as 00:08:08.509 --> 00:08:11.829 we are endeavoring to do what God has called 00:08:11.829 --> 00:08:14.449 us to do. And when we move into that, we've got 00:08:14.449 --> 00:08:16.529 to think about this nation. We've got to think 00:08:16.529 --> 00:08:19.449 about our surroundings. And back in the early 00:08:19.449 --> 00:08:24.620 90s, the number had dropped from 49 % to 37 % 00:08:24.620 --> 00:08:27.279 of adults attending services weekly. Do you know 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:31.279 what the new numbers are? It's 20 % to 25 % of 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:34.179 adults that attend church weekly. In a decade 00:08:34.179 --> 00:08:37.500 and a half, the decline is shown throughout. 00:08:37.820 --> 00:08:40.639 Amen. And I'm talking about in -service, in -house 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:42.940 worship. I know there's a lot of folks sitting 00:08:42.940 --> 00:08:45.539 at home this morning, thumbing their way through, 00:08:45.620 --> 00:08:47.960 scrolling their way through a comment here and 00:08:47.960 --> 00:08:50.820 there, watching. half a song here listening to 00:08:50.820 --> 00:08:52.580 a quarter of a sermon there they're watching 00:08:52.580 --> 00:08:55.700 those things but that that is not that my book 00:08:55.700 --> 00:08:58.980 look that in my book that don't count why because 00:08:58.980 --> 00:09:01.399 I've tried to do that and it didn't count for 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:04.919 me amen and I'm like Paul I think I'm as spiritual 00:09:04.919 --> 00:09:07.480 and more spiritual than some or a few of you 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:09.840 anyway and it wasn't working for me it wasn't 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:15.970 for you I hope I am. I'm your pastor. I'm trying 00:09:15.970 --> 00:09:17.549 to be. You know what I'm saying? I'm trying to 00:09:17.549 --> 00:09:21.330 be. One of the laws, 21 irrefutable laws of, 00:09:21.330 --> 00:09:25.809 oh, what's his name? Maxwell. One of those was 00:09:25.809 --> 00:09:28.029 the law of the lid, right? Thank you, Brother 00:09:28.029 --> 00:09:30.669 Milt. I couldn't spit him out. But the law is 00:09:30.669 --> 00:09:32.610 sticking out there. It's the law of the lid. 00:09:33.029 --> 00:09:35.370 You know, people cannot come to where you are. 00:09:35.470 --> 00:09:37.830 At best, they can get to one level below you, 00:09:37.929 --> 00:09:41.049 right? You can't get them up beside you. There's 00:09:41.049 --> 00:09:44.759 not enough room on the ladder. The rumble break 00:09:44.759 --> 00:09:48.309 and we all go down. So you can only get people 00:09:48.309 --> 00:09:51.169 so far. So I've got to keep striving to come 00:09:51.169 --> 00:09:53.690 on up and get to a new plane and a new place 00:09:53.690 --> 00:09:55.870 in God. Why? So that I can bring you up a little 00:09:55.870 --> 00:09:58.830 bit higher. Amen? And so when we begin to endeavor 00:09:58.830 --> 00:10:02.110 to think about the decline of the church in America, 00:10:02.350 --> 00:10:03.850 I'm not talking about the world, but just here 00:10:03.850 --> 00:10:08.330 in America, we are now the leading nation receiving 00:10:08.330 --> 00:10:11.590 missionaries. In this same decade and a half, 00:10:11.690 --> 00:10:14.769 we were second. Now we are the most received 00:10:14.769 --> 00:10:18.289 missionary nation. in the world. They're sending 00:10:18.289 --> 00:10:21.190 missionaries to the good old U .S. of A. We're 00:10:21.190 --> 00:10:23.250 sending them out left and right, but people are 00:10:23.250 --> 00:10:25.389 coming. I think it was estimated somewhere around 00:10:25.389 --> 00:10:29.950 32 ,000 missionaries a year come to the United 00:10:29.950 --> 00:10:32.929 States, and the second largest country received 00:10:32.929 --> 00:10:38.049 20 ,000. So not only are we seeing and beginning 00:10:38.049 --> 00:10:41.009 to look and know that there is a desperate need 00:10:41.009 --> 00:10:43.909 for revival in America, but God is stirring the 00:10:43.909 --> 00:10:46.659 hearts of people around the world. who received 00:10:46.659 --> 00:10:49.860 a missionary from the good old U .S. of A. and 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:52.279 received the gospel message that was proclaimed. 00:10:52.500 --> 00:10:54.519 But now God is stirring their hearts and saying, 00:10:54.620 --> 00:10:58.220 get over there and proclaim. Get over there and 00:10:58.220 --> 00:11:00.720 declare the glorious good news of the Christ. 00:11:00.980 --> 00:11:03.919 Amen. So when we begin to think about all those 00:11:03.919 --> 00:11:07.139 things, we begin to ask ourselves some questions. 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:10.480 Who are we really? If we are in an appointed 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:14.259 time for some clarity, for revelation from God, 00:11:14.860 --> 00:11:17.299 We need it now. We need some clarity now. We 00:11:17.299 --> 00:11:19.700 need some more refreshing. We need a reminder 00:11:19.700 --> 00:11:23.179 of who we are. We need to be reminded that we 00:11:23.179 --> 00:11:25.799 are the church of the living God. We are the 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:28.519 ecclesia, those who were in darkness and now 00:11:28.519 --> 00:11:31.179 have been called out into his marvelous light. 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:34.240 We need to be reminded, as Paul told the Corinthians, 00:11:34.460 --> 00:11:37.000 some of you were adulterers, some fornicators, 00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:39.659 some this, some that, some idolaters. And he 00:11:39.659 --> 00:11:41.799 said, such were some of you, but you've been 00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:44.460 called out of that darkness into his glory. Glorious 00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:47.480 light. Let me remind you the reason you have 00:11:47.480 --> 00:11:49.580 to be separate from the world is because you've 00:11:49.580 --> 00:11:52.139 been called out of that darkness and the glorious 00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:55.480 illuminating light of Christ's love now resides 00:11:55.480 --> 00:11:59.340 in you. Hallelujah. And so we cannot be the world. 00:11:59.419 --> 00:12:02.779 We may be in it, but we cannot be of it. Hallelujah. 00:12:02.940 --> 00:12:05.799 We must be that separate people called out. Who 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:09.039 are we? We are those in whom he has placed the 00:12:09.039 --> 00:12:12.940 hope of humanity. If Christ lives in you and 00:12:12.940 --> 00:12:15.840 the hope of glory resides in you, then you have 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:19.019 the good news message for a lost and dying world, 00:12:19.120 --> 00:12:22.299 for a hopeless people filled with pain and hurting 00:12:22.299 --> 00:12:25.659 and separation, anxiety, separation from God, 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:29.100 not just people, but the separation anxiety that 00:12:29.100 --> 00:12:31.519 people go through being separated from God. But 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:34.919 you and I who have been aligned, you and I who 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:36.929 have been brought, into his marvelous grace. 00:12:37.049 --> 00:12:41.110 Have the good news and the answer for God's separation 00:12:41.110 --> 00:12:50.029 anxiety. It's Christ. Who are we? It's time that 00:12:50.029 --> 00:12:54.590 the church again walk in the proposed and intended 00:12:54.590 --> 00:13:00.710 purpose for who we are. When you think about 00:13:00.710 --> 00:13:04.330 the church, Church is about principles, standards, 00:13:04.490 --> 00:13:09.490 and values. And what are principles and standards 00:13:09.490 --> 00:13:13.529 and values? Qualities considered inherently worthwhile 00:13:13.529 --> 00:13:18.710 or desirable. I think the principles of the faith 00:13:18.710 --> 00:13:23.809 are worthwhile. I think a life emulating Christ 00:13:23.809 --> 00:13:29.429 in this dark world is valuable. Amen. Because 00:13:29.429 --> 00:13:32.190 there's so many people living without hope and 00:13:32.190 --> 00:13:34.850 longing for some type of help. The root word 00:13:34.850 --> 00:13:38.269 for value is valor, which means strength. Values 00:13:38.269 --> 00:13:41.669 are sources of strength because they give people 00:13:41.669 --> 00:13:45.190 the power to take action. Values are deep. They 00:13:45.190 --> 00:13:48.250 are emotional. And often they are difficult to 00:13:48.250 --> 00:13:52.029 change. It is very important for the world around 00:13:52.029 --> 00:13:54.850 us to know who we are. And the way they know 00:13:54.850 --> 00:13:59.330 who we are is by how we live. live among them. 00:13:59.710 --> 00:14:02.350 My Lord, I've heard people say, well, you know, 00:14:02.370 --> 00:14:04.870 that's just the way I am. I've always been that 00:14:04.870 --> 00:14:06.590 way. I was born like that and I'm scratching 00:14:06.590 --> 00:14:08.870 my head thinking, well, then you've not had the 00:14:08.870 --> 00:14:11.929 same experience I had at an altar because old 00:14:11.929 --> 00:14:14.909 things pass away. Behold, all things become new. 00:14:15.049 --> 00:14:17.769 If your attitude stinks as bad as it did before, 00:14:17.950 --> 00:14:20.250 you claim to have found Christ, you hadn't got 00:14:20.250 --> 00:14:23.110 a good hold on him and he definitely hadn't took 00:14:23.110 --> 00:14:25.590 you to the fountain that flows from his veins 00:14:25.590 --> 00:14:28.649 because once you are submerged and purged by 00:14:28.649 --> 00:14:31.710 his precious blood. You come up a brand new somebody. 00:14:32.029 --> 00:14:34.269 You've got a different attitude. You've got a 00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:37.789 smile. It's not rotten. It doesn't stink. And 00:14:37.789 --> 00:14:41.049 it's not mean. If it is all of those three, I 00:14:41.049 --> 00:14:43.269 want to pray with you this morning that the grace 00:14:43.269 --> 00:14:52.289 of God is able to renew and refresh you. It's 00:14:52.289 --> 00:14:55.909 important for the world to know who we are. It's 00:14:55.909 --> 00:14:57.970 important for the world to know that the task 00:14:57.970 --> 00:15:05.289 that we have been given is important. We have 00:15:05.289 --> 00:15:11.330 been mandated to go into the world. Amen? We 00:15:11.330 --> 00:15:14.350 have been. We cannot all, as I just talked about, 00:15:14.389 --> 00:15:17.950 the missionaries receiving and going. We can't 00:15:17.950 --> 00:15:19.809 all go around the world, and God doesn't call 00:15:19.809 --> 00:15:22.750 us all to go around the world. But what he does 00:15:22.750 --> 00:15:25.950 call us to is to evangelize in the world in which 00:15:25.950 --> 00:15:29.440 we exist. Go ye into all the world. Actually 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:31.799 means as you are going throughout the world. 00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:33.740 What are we doing? We're preaching the gospel. 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:36.220 What are we doing? Next week we're baptizing 00:15:36.220 --> 00:15:39.559 13, 14, 15, whoever knows how many wants to be 00:15:39.559 --> 00:15:43.159 baptized as an example and following in the footsteps 00:15:43.159 --> 00:15:47.019 of Jesus Christ. Amen. That we are no longer 00:15:47.019 --> 00:15:49.480 the same. That we are different. And the world, 00:15:49.539 --> 00:15:52.139 it is a testimony. I'm preaching my little baptism 00:15:52.139 --> 00:15:54.580 sermonette right now before next week. It is 00:15:54.580 --> 00:15:57.159 a testimony to a lost and dying world. world 00:15:57.159 --> 00:15:59.720 that we are changed and that we are different. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:05.240 But we can't tell them who we are unless we know 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:08.779 ourselves. Unless you know that you are a born 00:16:08.779 --> 00:16:11.720 -again, blood -bought child of God. It is important. 00:16:11.860 --> 00:16:14.580 I told you a couple weeks ago my least favorite 00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:16.759 seasons of the year. Now let me tell you my favorite 00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:19.980 season of the year. We're in it. We are in it 00:16:19.980 --> 00:16:23.440 all the way through October. From now through 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:25.700 October to about the second week of November, 00:16:25.820 --> 00:16:28.360 it is my favorite six, eight weeks of the year. 00:16:28.460 --> 00:16:31.159 I just love this time of year. And I think it 00:16:31.159 --> 00:16:33.179 has a lot to do with the atmospheric change. 00:16:33.320 --> 00:16:36.259 Can you feel the crisp in the air? Amen. I just 00:16:36.259 --> 00:16:39.080 love that change. And I've always been a change 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:41.559 agent. That's just who I am. I love to see things 00:16:41.559 --> 00:16:45.049 change. Don't like the furniture stay in the 00:16:45.049 --> 00:16:47.370 same spot. Some of you carpets got a hole in 00:16:47.370 --> 00:16:51.429 it because it hadn't been moved. You got worn 00:16:51.429 --> 00:16:53.889 places on your hardwood because sit down and 00:16:53.889 --> 00:16:55.750 scoot it and you scoot it back. Same spot. I 00:16:55.750 --> 00:16:57.990 like to change things up. I'm trying to figure 00:16:57.990 --> 00:17:00.049 out what I'm going to do around here to keep 00:17:00.049 --> 00:17:07.329 you off your rocker. How'd you like that? Get 00:17:07.329 --> 00:17:09.529 ready. Changes are coming. I love change. Why? 00:17:09.650 --> 00:17:12.829 Because it keeps us ready for anything. It keeps 00:17:12.829 --> 00:17:15.970 you ready for anything. You better be ready for 00:17:15.970 --> 00:17:17.650 anything because there's a day coming when a 00:17:17.650 --> 00:17:19.670 trumpet's going to sound and there's a radical 00:17:19.670 --> 00:17:21.970 change coming into your life. And if you can't 00:17:21.970 --> 00:17:23.990 handle a little wall color, carpet, and furniture 00:17:23.990 --> 00:17:26.549 moving around in God's house, you sure are going 00:17:26.549 --> 00:17:28.609 to have a problem when he tries to transform 00:17:28.609 --> 00:17:31.690 you wholly and take you to be with himself. I'm 00:17:31.690 --> 00:17:34.250 just trying to get you heaven ready. Amen. And 00:17:34.250 --> 00:17:36.630 the world needs to understand and know that we, 00:17:36.650 --> 00:17:40.099 We are changed. Change agents, amen, because 00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:42.640 of the mandate that we've been given. Not only 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:44.799 the mandate, but who we are. We have the message 00:17:44.799 --> 00:17:47.039 that's incorporated with it. What do we tell? 00:17:47.180 --> 00:17:48.940 What is the greatest commandment? You've got 00:17:48.940 --> 00:17:50.960 to love the Lord your God with all your heart, 00:17:51.000 --> 00:17:53.380 your soul, your mind, and all your being, and 00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:56.220 then you love everybody else as much as you love 00:17:56.220 --> 00:17:59.400 yourself. Come on, somebody. I know you love 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:02.240 yourself. Let's start loving others as much as 00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:05.019 we love ourselves, amen. That's who we are. We 00:18:05.019 --> 00:18:07.099 are the change agents and the agent in which 00:18:07.099 --> 00:18:09.799 we change. with is the love of Jesus Christ you 00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:12.180 don't have to implement the change you just have 00:18:12.180 --> 00:18:16.579 to relay the message of love that come on somebody 00:18:16.579 --> 00:18:19.720 we need a revival of the love of God and the 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:23.859 love of Jesus Christ when we think about revival 00:18:23.859 --> 00:18:26.680 in the Pentecostal ranks we think about power 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:32.059 don't we when we think about revival we think 00:18:32.059 --> 00:18:38.740 about how many devils we can cast out We think 00:18:38.740 --> 00:18:40.839 about revival. We think about how much oil we 00:18:40.839 --> 00:18:44.299 can slather on and see somebody healed. But let 00:18:44.299 --> 00:18:47.240 me tell you, all that is secondary to the revival 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:51.539 of the lost, unregenerated soul of humanity. 00:18:52.059 --> 00:18:55.160 That's what revival we need, a revival of love. 00:18:55.259 --> 00:18:57.299 And let me tell you, when you get a revival of 00:18:57.299 --> 00:19:00.480 love flowing, the power of God will show up. 00:19:00.619 --> 00:19:04.880 All devils will run. Demons will tremble. Sickness 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:22.250 will be healed. You still good? Some of you may 00:19:22.250 --> 00:19:24.029 be struggling to love yourself, let alone somebody 00:19:24.029 --> 00:19:34.890 else. I better move right on. Right on. Who are 00:19:34.890 --> 00:19:38.869 we? Matthew 5. Good thing there's only three 00:19:38.869 --> 00:19:42.170 little points to this. This was, like I said, 00:19:42.230 --> 00:19:48.630 a decade and a half ago. Matthew 5, 13 says you 00:19:48.630 --> 00:19:54.910 are the salt of the earth. Verse 14 says you 00:19:54.910 --> 00:20:03.890 are the light of the world. But there's a danger 00:20:03.890 --> 00:20:15.410 of the salt losing its savor. Bland salt is about 00:20:15.410 --> 00:20:18.710 as good as a cold cup of coffee. Now, I know 00:20:18.710 --> 00:20:21.910 there's some of you in here drinking your iced 00:20:21.910 --> 00:20:29.730 coffee. That's not coffee. That's flavored milk 00:20:29.730 --> 00:20:39.069 in ice. Coffee's hot. Coffee's hot. God don't 00:20:39.069 --> 00:20:42.130 even like cold coffee or cold people. He don't 00:20:42.130 --> 00:20:44.309 like it lukewarm either. He said, I'll spew that 00:20:44.309 --> 00:20:47.809 right out. I mean, take it from the word. Drink 00:20:47.809 --> 00:20:54.029 hot coffee. He said, I'd rather you be hot or 00:20:54.029 --> 00:20:59.470 cold. I just want you hot. He just said, you 00:20:59.470 --> 00:21:01.769 fence straddlers are worse than the whole bunch. 00:21:03.009 --> 00:21:04.769 He said, I can deal with you if you're cold. 00:21:06.250 --> 00:21:09.250 Right? I love you when you're hot, but if you're 00:21:09.250 --> 00:21:10.809 right in the middle, I can't do a whole lot with 00:21:10.809 --> 00:21:13.430 you. Because, see, when you're in the middle, 00:21:13.450 --> 00:21:20.890 you think you're good. We think we're good. And 00:21:20.890 --> 00:21:23.670 if we lose our savor, all we are is a crystal 00:21:23.670 --> 00:21:26.410 floating around. That's how savorless salt is. 00:21:27.690 --> 00:21:29.670 You can put it in there, but it has no flavor. 00:21:30.829 --> 00:21:37.289 It's like this salt substitute. How many of you 00:21:37.289 --> 00:21:39.349 have had to get on with some of that? You blood 00:21:39.349 --> 00:21:44.200 pressure people. Your salt substitute. It's not 00:21:44.200 --> 00:21:49.680 salt. So don't call it a salt substitute. Because 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:53.859 it ain't salt. I can tell you right now, stevia 00:21:53.859 --> 00:22:03.279 is not sugar. Ask me how I know. Three tablespoons 00:22:03.279 --> 00:22:08.180 of that don't do a whole lot. And for us fat 00:22:08.180 --> 00:22:09.960 people, that's all they let you put in your stuff. 00:22:11.400 --> 00:22:18.740 Three tablespoons. It's not sugar. Sugar is sugar. 00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:25.759 Right? It's like, how many of you, like myself, 00:22:25.940 --> 00:22:27.579 kind of grew up a little on the poorer side? 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:35.039 When we had pancakes, you didn't get Aunt Jemima. 00:22:36.839 --> 00:22:40.119 Syrup with the butter in it. That's not what 00:22:40.119 --> 00:22:44.980 we got. How many of you know what K -Rose syrup 00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:53.099 is? Yeah. And see, we didn't have a microwave. 00:22:53.720 --> 00:22:56.440 You had to try to spoon it out of that bottle 00:22:56.440 --> 00:22:58.599 in a pan to get it thin enough to pour on your 00:22:58.599 --> 00:23:05.059 pancake. That's not Aunt Jemima. It's K -Rose. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:11.660 It's more like molasses than syrup. You're the 00:23:11.660 --> 00:23:17.420 salt of the earth. Don't lose your flavor. Because 00:23:17.420 --> 00:23:22.420 you and I are what spice this thing up. We make 00:23:22.420 --> 00:23:27.059 it good. You're the light of the world. Do not 00:23:27.059 --> 00:23:30.599 hide your light under a bushel. It's the city 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:33.200 that's set on the hill that illuminates the lost 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:36.019 and the dying and the darkness. That's you and 00:23:36.019 --> 00:23:40.859 I. Don't retreat. Do not compromise who you are 00:23:40.859 --> 00:23:43.279 for a lost and dying world. Yeah, folks are not 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:44.740 going to be happy with you. And the further this 00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:47.160 thing goes, the less happy they're going to be. 00:23:47.240 --> 00:23:49.619 The more, well, I don't want people to hate me. 00:23:49.640 --> 00:23:51.460 They're not hating you. They're hating the Christ 00:23:51.460 --> 00:23:53.839 that's in you. Because you can't help but let 00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:58.619 him out. And it is contrary to who and what they 00:23:58.619 --> 00:24:01.619 are. But we got to know who we are. Salt, we 00:24:01.619 --> 00:24:04.019 are light. Romans 8, 17 says you are heirs of 00:24:04.019 --> 00:24:08.480 God. Join heirs with Christ. And 1 Thessalonians 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:11.700 5, 5 says that we are children of light. And 00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:14.720 1 Peter 2 and 5, you are lively stones which 00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:17.500 build up a spiritual house. In verse 9, he says 00:24:17.500 --> 00:24:20.839 that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, 00:24:20.839 --> 00:24:25.839 a holy nation, and a peculiar. It seems as though 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:28.380 that peculiar is all we want to take a hold of. 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:31.039 But I want us to get a little more holy with 00:24:31.039 --> 00:24:34.480 our peculiar. Amen. I want us to stand up and 00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:38.039 walk a little more dignified in this royal priesthood 00:24:38.039 --> 00:24:41.339 in which we've been adopted into. Why? Because 00:24:41.339 --> 00:24:45.220 the royal blood from Emmanuel's veins flows through 00:24:45.220 --> 00:24:49.420 you and I. Because we have been regenerated. 00:24:49.960 --> 00:25:00.279 That's who you are. we understand who we are, 00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:02.759 then we will fully understand what time it is. 00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:09.920 I know the doomsday clock is around a minute, 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:11.900 just a little over a minute toward midnight, 00:25:12.039 --> 00:25:14.000 meaning that the world's going to destroy itself. 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:22.339 Got Rocket Man over there increasing his nuclear 00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:28.460 arsenal, or so they say. We've got minions of 00:25:28.460 --> 00:25:33.079 the enemy around the world poised. I don't know 00:25:33.079 --> 00:25:35.960 how you don't have enough sense to see that it 00:25:35.960 --> 00:25:40.539 destroys everybody. I don't know how. I can't 00:25:40.539 --> 00:25:44.019 figure that out. I can't understand why peace 00:25:44.019 --> 00:25:46.859 wouldn't reign supreme when we have millennia 00:25:46.859 --> 00:25:50.819 of history behind us. And to see all that does 00:25:50.819 --> 00:26:01.240 is destroys mankind. I know why. S -I -N. That's 00:26:01.240 --> 00:26:04.359 why. People say, I can't believe God allowed 00:26:04.359 --> 00:26:06.599 all this stuff to go on. God doesn't allow it. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:12.099 He's permitted you and I free choice. Free will. 00:26:12.859 --> 00:26:16.640 And he has dated a time in history when he will 00:26:16.640 --> 00:26:22.299 put a stop to it. And it's coming. And it's close 00:26:22.299 --> 00:26:25.849 to that hour. It's time that each local church, 00:26:25.990 --> 00:26:29.950 each individual begin to unveil the revelation 00:26:29.950 --> 00:26:33.490 of Christ in them. Release the anointing that's 00:26:33.490 --> 00:26:37.309 placed in them by the wonderful engifting of 00:26:37.309 --> 00:26:40.309 the Holy Ghost. We need to know that the church 00:26:40.309 --> 00:26:44.490 in America has to discover again afresh and new 00:26:44.490 --> 00:26:48.410 the urgency of the hour in which we are living. 00:26:48.569 --> 00:26:51.890 It is growing closer to midnight. We are growing 00:26:51.890 --> 00:26:55.420 closer to the sound. of the alarm of the trump 00:26:55.420 --> 00:26:58.859 of God and the shout of the archangel. And the 00:26:58.859 --> 00:27:01.740 people who are lost without him do not understand 00:27:01.740 --> 00:27:05.480 how urgent that it is that they accept the Christ 00:27:05.480 --> 00:27:08.339 and bow their knee and surrender their heart 00:27:08.339 --> 00:27:10.420 and life. Because I'm telling you right now, 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:14.000 they don't want, you don't want, and I don't 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:17.440 want what is to come after the fact. When God 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:20.240 unleashes right now, they say, why does God allow 00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:22.759 there's one day coming that he will not? And 00:27:22.759 --> 00:27:25.740 the time is approaching when the wrath of God 00:27:25.740 --> 00:27:28.380 is going to be released upon the face of the 00:27:28.380 --> 00:27:32.369 earth. God! God! Are you hearing me? If you want 00:27:32.369 --> 00:27:35.069 God to intervene, he's going to. But it's going 00:27:35.069 --> 00:27:37.450 to be different than you want. It's going to 00:27:37.450 --> 00:27:39.769 be different than you desire. Because when he 00:27:39.769 --> 00:27:43.410 unleashes his wrath upon humanity who have rejected 00:27:43.410 --> 00:27:46.549 him, rejected his son and crucified him, and 00:27:46.549 --> 00:27:50.089 now rejecting his marvelous grace. Oh, Lord, 00:27:50.230 --> 00:27:53.470 wrath is coming. Woe unto them who give suck 00:27:53.470 --> 00:27:56.289 in that day. What does that mean? Those who are 00:27:56.289 --> 00:27:59.730 living and they have young babies. Oh, woe unto 00:27:59.730 --> 00:28:01.380 them. Then there's trouble coming. There's hardship. 00:28:01.480 --> 00:28:03.539 When they run to the mountain and their hearts 00:28:03.539 --> 00:28:06.940 fail because of fear. Because why? The heavens 00:28:06.940 --> 00:28:09.299 are trembling. Things are falling out of the 00:28:09.299 --> 00:28:12.099 sky. The earth is quaking and shaking. And the 00:28:12.099 --> 00:28:16.180 wrath of God is released. It's getting close 00:28:16.180 --> 00:28:25.759 to that hour. You know, we preachers used to 00:28:25.759 --> 00:28:30.730 preach about the wrath of God. I used to hear 00:28:30.730 --> 00:28:33.470 that as a child, and I think that's part of the 00:28:33.470 --> 00:28:39.329 reason I still have fear and tremble at who God 00:28:39.329 --> 00:28:48.609 is. It's a terrible thing to fall into the hands 00:28:48.609 --> 00:28:54.369 of a just God. Oh, if he's so just, then what? 00:28:55.490 --> 00:29:01.759 Sin. He can't tolerate it. He can't coexist with 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:08.119 it. He refuses to coincide with it. He's holy. 00:29:09.160 --> 00:29:12.240 And he will allow nothing to contaminate his 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:18.500 holiness. The effort for animal sacrifice, blood 00:29:18.500 --> 00:29:22.819 without the shedding of blood, there is no remission, 00:29:22.920 --> 00:29:28.430 no forgiveness, no cleansing. Well, let me try 00:29:28.430 --> 00:29:33.930 ten simple rules, many of which are directed 00:29:33.930 --> 00:29:39.970 straight toward me. It's about me, God. I created 00:29:39.970 --> 00:29:47.430 you. Ten little rules and blood to cover your 00:29:47.430 --> 00:29:51.869 sin. That ten quickly turned to what, 600 and 00:29:51.869 --> 00:30:08.910 something? Then he sends his son, one. That last 00:30:08.910 --> 00:30:13.690 man, Adam. For the redemption of the first man, 00:30:13.789 --> 00:30:20.109 Adam. And the time is approaching for him to 00:30:20.109 --> 00:30:27.150 send him again. What time is it? It's time that 00:30:27.150 --> 00:30:29.750 we release what's been given us. 2 Corinthians 00:30:29.750 --> 00:30:33.309 6 and 2 says, I have heard thee in a time accepted. 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:36.660 And in the day of salvation have I secured thee. 00:30:37.140 --> 00:30:41.099 Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now 00:30:41.099 --> 00:30:44.740 is the day of salvation. Paul to the Romans in 00:30:44.740 --> 00:30:47.940 13, 12. The night is far spent. The day is at 00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:51.319 hand. Let us therefore cast off. I want you to 00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:54.059 hear this. Let us therefore. He's writing to 00:30:54.059 --> 00:30:57.460 the Roman believers. Let us therefore cast off 00:30:57.460 --> 00:31:00.539 the works of darkness. And let us put on the 00:31:00.539 --> 00:31:04.920 armor of light. Hallelujah. Can I tell you there's 00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:08.640 a radiant force fielded around you which is Christ's 00:31:08.640 --> 00:31:12.339 glory that illuminates within you. Let us cast 00:31:12.339 --> 00:31:15.480 off every work and deed and action of darkness 00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:18.859 and let us put on that wonderful glorious armor 00:31:18.859 --> 00:31:29.819 of light. Let Jesus shine through. The urgency 00:31:29.819 --> 00:31:34.089 of the hour and humanity is lost. We've grown 00:31:34.089 --> 00:31:40.509 at ease in Zion. And the only way we can grow 00:31:40.509 --> 00:31:46.609 at ease is that we grow comfortable. We grow 00:31:46.609 --> 00:31:51.009 comfortable. And the only way to get comfortable 00:31:51.009 --> 00:32:07.240 is compromise. That's the only way. When we understand 00:32:07.240 --> 00:32:09.819 the urgency of the hour and the time in which 00:32:09.819 --> 00:32:13.440 we're living, we know that the hour's growing 00:32:13.440 --> 00:32:19.119 short. What time is it? The second part of that 00:32:19.119 --> 00:32:22.779 1 Peter 2, 5 says, Offer up spiritual sacrifices 00:32:22.779 --> 00:32:26.740 accepted to God by Christ Jesus. The second part 00:32:26.740 --> 00:32:28.859 of verse 9, after that royal priesthood, royal 00:32:28.859 --> 00:32:31.819 nation, and peculiar people, declares you should 00:32:31.819 --> 00:32:34.539 show forth the praises of him who hath called 00:32:34.539 --> 00:32:38.079 you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 00:32:38.220 --> 00:32:41.619 It is time for the sleeping giant, which is the 00:32:41.619 --> 00:32:44.559 church, which is the bride of Christ, to arise 00:32:44.559 --> 00:32:48.599 from our compromising slumber. It's a time, again, 00:32:48.700 --> 00:32:51.160 that we understand the urgency of the hour. Do 00:32:51.160 --> 00:32:53.480 you not understand that if we are not careful, 00:32:53.559 --> 00:32:57.619 the very elect, will be deceived. Do you not 00:32:57.619 --> 00:33:00.059 understand? You can't just live in a compromised 00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:03.119 state, but you have to stay prayed up. You have 00:33:03.119 --> 00:33:05.980 to stay read up. You have to stay churched up. 00:33:06.079 --> 00:33:08.900 You've got to keep your mind made up. Amen? You 00:33:08.900 --> 00:33:11.799 cannot compromise because there's a time and 00:33:11.799 --> 00:33:14.079 a deception that will be unleashed across the 00:33:14.079 --> 00:33:16.339 earth that the people whom you thought had it 00:33:16.339 --> 00:33:19.059 together didn't really have it together, and 00:33:19.059 --> 00:33:22.640 they accept the deception and the lie of the 00:33:22.640 --> 00:33:27.250 enemy. Pastor, you're scaring me. Good. I hope 00:33:27.250 --> 00:33:33.690 I am. Because it's time we get scared. It's time 00:33:33.690 --> 00:33:38.990 we become reverent. Amen? Not just fear and trembling, 00:33:39.170 --> 00:33:42.410 but the fear of God, the revere of who God is, 00:33:42.509 --> 00:33:45.009 and the revere of God's word. We need to reclaim 00:33:45.009 --> 00:33:49.230 that again in the church. When you can zip line 00:33:49.230 --> 00:33:58.589 in. Super Bowl Sundays, act like an idiot and 00:33:58.589 --> 00:34:03.589 let somebody kick a Bible like a ball through 00:34:03.589 --> 00:34:09.789 a goal post. Where's the urgency when a goofy 00:34:09.789 --> 00:34:14.269 preacher can swing in on a wrecking ball and 00:34:14.269 --> 00:34:28.059 thousands cheer? Not this preacher. I had to 00:34:28.059 --> 00:34:31.860 give up a long time ago looking toward there 00:34:31.860 --> 00:34:34.179 are preachers who preach truth that do have great 00:34:34.179 --> 00:34:39.139 crowds. Amen? They still preach the uncompromised 00:34:39.139 --> 00:34:41.780 truth, and they have large crowds, but they're 00:34:41.780 --> 00:34:50.880 by far fewer. Gave up a long time ago. I know 00:34:50.880 --> 00:34:54.480 the method of my delivery and the intensity of 00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:58.030 it. I thought, Lord. I don't know that 1 ,500 00:34:58.030 --> 00:35:00.170 or 2 ,000 are going to rush in on every Sunday 00:35:00.170 --> 00:35:03.730 to get a good dose of live right or go to hell. 00:35:05.969 --> 00:35:07.949 So I'll take the couple hundred of you that's 00:35:07.949 --> 00:35:12.289 interested in going to heaven. Amen? I'm going. 00:35:12.429 --> 00:35:15.960 I done made up my mind. I stay prayed up. I stay 00:35:15.960 --> 00:35:18.860 blood washed up every single day. Are you hearing 00:35:18.860 --> 00:35:21.119 me? Oh, you've got to do that every day. I don't 00:35:21.119 --> 00:35:23.800 know about you, but I do. Yes, I want to start 00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:25.860 the day under the blood. I want to end the day 00:35:25.860 --> 00:35:28.079 under the blood. And sometimes at lunch, I've 00:35:28.079 --> 00:35:34.079 got to take a good blood shower. Why, pastor? 00:35:34.260 --> 00:35:37.179 Because you don't know how near the time is. 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:40.019 No man knoweth the day nor the hour when the 00:35:40.019 --> 00:35:43.119 Son of Man cometh. But he's coming and he shall 00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:45.659 appear in the clouds of glory. When the trump 00:35:45.659 --> 00:35:48.659 sounds and the angels shout. When God gives the 00:35:48.659 --> 00:35:58.380 directive, I want to be ready. It's time we wake 00:35:58.380 --> 00:36:09.539 up. Lastly, somebody say amen. We've got to understand 00:36:09.539 --> 00:36:14.920 whose church this is. Amen. Who we are, what 00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:20.380 time it is, and then whose church this is. It's 00:36:20.380 --> 00:36:26.079 not yours. It is not mine. There are no nail 00:36:26.079 --> 00:36:28.079 prints in my palms. I've got a little poison 00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:31.280 note on the back of my hand. There's no nail 00:36:31.280 --> 00:36:37.300 prints. There's no spear scar showing on my side. 00:36:38.880 --> 00:36:42.619 I've got a few scars from my teenage adolescent 00:36:42.619 --> 00:36:48.079 years preempting before things were right to 00:36:48.079 --> 00:36:53.940 pop a pimple. Got a few of them. Where you at? 00:36:54.019 --> 00:36:57.400 You know what I'm talking about. If it ain't 00:36:57.400 --> 00:37:02.429 ready, you can squeeze all you want to. Pastor, 00:37:02.469 --> 00:37:04.070 how did we get here? I don't know, but here we 00:37:04.070 --> 00:37:10.550 are. I'm going to try to preach my way out of 00:37:10.550 --> 00:37:24.409 it. I think. Needless to say, I carry a few scars, 00:37:24.530 --> 00:37:32.179 but it's not from Calvary. I've encountered a 00:37:32.179 --> 00:37:40.980 few sheep with fangs along the way. Hello? I've 00:37:40.980 --> 00:37:48.619 got a few scars, but I give a few too. It's his 00:37:48.619 --> 00:37:55.119 church. This is his church. And we simply do 00:37:55.119 --> 00:38:00.119 our best to steward the church. To be good stewards. 00:38:01.289 --> 00:38:05.929 of the ministry that we've been mandated to do. 00:38:08.570 --> 00:38:11.050 Oh, well, we built this thing. Well, you may 00:38:11.050 --> 00:38:13.010 have put your hands on it, but he provided for 00:38:13.010 --> 00:38:17.389 it. As a matter of fact, this building is not 00:38:17.389 --> 00:38:27.570 the church. You, me, us, we're the church. When 00:38:27.570 --> 00:38:32.199 the horn sounds, This carpet ain't going and 00:38:32.199 --> 00:38:33.619 it's a good thing because I wouldn't let the 00:38:33.619 --> 00:38:42.880 Lord have it. One failure in seven years and 00:38:42.880 --> 00:38:51.440 you're standing on it. The carpet. I hate it. 00:38:54.400 --> 00:38:59.050 But he's not coming after the carpet. The seats, 00:38:59.230 --> 00:39:04.869 the podium, the lights, the screens. He's not 00:39:04.869 --> 00:39:10.909 coming after that. He's got a great big temple 00:39:10.909 --> 00:39:16.610 up there, about 1 ,500 by 15. We're going in 00:39:16.610 --> 00:39:24.010 that church. We won't have to go in the breaker 00:39:24.010 --> 00:39:26.699 room and flip on the stage light. Because the 00:39:26.699 --> 00:39:34.639 light's going to be sitting on the throne. Boy, 00:39:35.500 --> 00:39:38.000 that just went all up my spine right there. Old 00:39:38.000 --> 00:39:40.820 songwriter said, we'll need no light in that 00:39:40.820 --> 00:39:47.139 city. For Jesus will be there. Amen? He's coming 00:39:47.139 --> 00:39:51.440 after you and I. He's coming after you. See, 00:39:51.559 --> 00:39:57.000 there's so many. There's so many churches dominated 00:39:57.000 --> 00:40:03.500 by personalities of ownership. And there's a 00:40:03.500 --> 00:40:05.900 rude awakening coming for people one of these 00:40:05.900 --> 00:40:11.139 days. Power players in church, I don't flow that 00:40:11.139 --> 00:40:21.739 way. Never have, never will. Never have, never 00:40:21.739 --> 00:40:27.900 will. He's the head of the church. We're the 00:40:27.900 --> 00:40:31.780 bride. And a true shepherd happens to be the 00:40:31.780 --> 00:40:33.880 neck that kind of helps navigate the body to 00:40:33.880 --> 00:40:40.340 keep up with the head. Trying to stay in line, 00:40:40.519 --> 00:40:44.539 trying to stay in the pathway, right? This is 00:40:44.539 --> 00:40:49.239 his church. And when we understand that, we become 00:40:49.239 --> 00:40:53.760 more enriched by his grace. Stand with me, I'm 00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:57.300 going to close. Too many are driven by that grandma 00:40:57.300 --> 00:41:01.659 syndrome. Too many controlled by a few. They 00:41:01.659 --> 00:41:04.599 actually have no idea or concept of what the 00:41:04.599 --> 00:41:09.460 church is in the world. Because they solely see 00:41:09.460 --> 00:41:13.079 themselves. D .L. Moody said, if God be your 00:41:13.079 --> 00:41:17.719 father, make your plans large. It's time that 00:41:17.719 --> 00:41:20.019 we begin to believe that every local church needs 00:41:20.019 --> 00:41:23.940 to pull down vision barriers. We've not arrived. 00:41:26.639 --> 00:41:28.980 We're just now getting healthy so that we can 00:41:28.980 --> 00:41:35.340 engage again in the battle. Hallelujah. Amen. 00:41:36.199 --> 00:41:38.679 And we have to pull down. You and I, the church, 00:41:38.800 --> 00:41:41.519 there's barriers that we have to pull down. The 00:41:41.519 --> 00:41:45.880 first one is this barrier of a negative connotation. 00:41:47.300 --> 00:41:53.159 We cannot be pessimists. Right? The world is 00:41:53.159 --> 00:41:59.679 negative. Secondly, we must pull down the barrier 00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:03.480 of a maintenance mindset. That's the challenge 00:42:03.480 --> 00:42:07.420 that I'm facing right now for us here at Hopewell. 00:42:09.199 --> 00:42:11.239 I guess because we're breathing, getting over 00:42:11.239 --> 00:42:13.280 such a large hump, Brother George, Brother John. 00:42:14.039 --> 00:42:19.800 Just kind of catching our breath. But while we're... 00:42:19.929 --> 00:42:22.570 catching our breath in reprieve. We've managed 00:42:22.570 --> 00:42:25.190 to get, what, four church buildings up around 00:42:25.190 --> 00:42:30.570 the world? Four and one in process. In the meantime. 00:42:37.809 --> 00:42:42.929 We've got to pull down a maintenance mindset. 00:42:45.809 --> 00:42:48.329 We just can't maintain. That's what happened 00:42:48.329 --> 00:42:52.469 to the monks in the years and days of monasteries. 00:42:52.489 --> 00:42:54.570 They just went in and kept among themselves, 00:42:55.050 --> 00:42:58.289 prayed, studied, wouldn't talk to each other 00:42:58.289 --> 00:43:00.789 for years at a time. That's not me. I'd never 00:43:00.789 --> 00:43:06.889 make a good monk. Why the world around them needed 00:43:06.889 --> 00:43:11.750 to know the hope that was within them. That's 00:43:11.750 --> 00:43:13.809 what time it is. That's the urgency of the hour. 00:43:14.539 --> 00:43:18.940 And that's who this is. It's His church. Pulling 00:43:18.940 --> 00:43:21.940 down maintenance barriers. Thirdly, we have to 00:43:21.940 --> 00:43:25.420 pull down the barrier of conflict. There's too 00:43:25.420 --> 00:43:31.400 much. The church is engaging itself with conflict 00:43:31.400 --> 00:43:33.719 more than the spiritual battle that's going on 00:43:33.719 --> 00:43:42.300 around us. You'll never hear me. I've never made 00:43:42.300 --> 00:43:47.329 it a practice. to preach against other denominations. 00:43:49.889 --> 00:43:56.670 Never made it a practice to do that. The reason 00:43:56.670 --> 00:43:58.429 being is I don't know who the Lord's going to 00:43:58.429 --> 00:44:07.570 save. I don't. It's His church. If they preach 00:44:07.570 --> 00:44:14.539 Jesus, born of a virgin, Crucified on Calvary. 00:44:16.039 --> 00:44:20.139 Raised again on the third day. The way, the truth, 00:44:20.300 --> 00:44:27.460 and the life to the Father. Who are we? To get 00:44:27.460 --> 00:44:29.900 caught up in the other. There are some damnable 00:44:29.900 --> 00:44:31.639 doctrines out there. Don't get me wrong. There 00:44:31.639 --> 00:44:39.400 are. But it's His church. My responsibility is 00:44:39.400 --> 00:44:42.469 to preach to you the truth the best I can. And 00:44:42.469 --> 00:44:44.090 the understanding and the revelation that the 00:44:44.090 --> 00:44:47.369 Lord gives me. He'll take care of the rest. So 00:44:47.369 --> 00:44:52.510 I don't. I'll tell you to be careful. I'll tell 00:44:52.510 --> 00:44:54.230 you to get in the word. And if it aligns with 00:44:54.230 --> 00:44:56.110 the word, you're going to be fine. If it don't, 00:44:56.110 --> 00:45:01.650 get yourself somewhere else. Fair enough? But 00:45:01.650 --> 00:45:07.429 he's the judge. We have to understand that we 00:45:07.429 --> 00:45:09.389 have to take down the barriers of conflict. And 00:45:09.389 --> 00:45:16.260 finally. The barrier of unbelief. If God is God, 00:45:16.559 --> 00:45:22.639 then all things are possible to those who believe. 00:45:23.500 --> 00:45:29.000 Why, Pastor? How? Because nothing is impossible 00:45:29.000 --> 00:45:39.139 for the Lord. Nothing. This is His church. Thus 00:45:39.139 --> 00:45:41.940 the reason when the Lord asks for an answer from 00:45:41.940 --> 00:45:44.480 his disciples, who do men say I am? You know 00:45:44.480 --> 00:45:47.400 the story. Elijah, Elias, Jeremiah is one of 00:45:47.400 --> 00:45:49.840 the other prophets. Who do you say that I am? 00:45:51.079 --> 00:45:53.719 Thou art the Christ, Peter says, the Son of the 00:45:53.719 --> 00:45:58.960 living God. To that confession, blessed art thou, 00:45:59.139 --> 00:46:01.559 Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed 00:46:01.559 --> 00:46:04.679 this unto you, but my Father which is in heaven. 00:46:05.280 --> 00:46:10.650 And upon this... Not Petros, Peter, which is 00:46:10.650 --> 00:46:17.130 a fragment of the rock. Christ, the chief and 00:46:17.130 --> 00:46:23.630 the head cornerstone. That rock, upon it, the 00:46:23.630 --> 00:46:26.230 church will be established. The church will be 00:46:26.230 --> 00:46:30.349 built. We're bought with the precious price, 00:46:30.670 --> 00:46:34.909 his blood. Far exceeding that of rubies or pearl. 00:46:38.239 --> 00:46:46.699 You are the church. In raising our children and 00:46:46.699 --> 00:46:53.659 instructing them in their behavior, we each instruct. 00:46:53.800 --> 00:46:57.260 Now, children, maybe you'll get a hold of this. 00:46:57.380 --> 00:46:59.420 I hope you do. It took me a long time. It took 00:46:59.420 --> 00:47:01.519 me to get to be an older man before I figured 00:47:01.519 --> 00:47:04.550 it out. But I finally figured it out. I want 00:47:04.550 --> 00:47:06.929 you to hear this before you get to as old as 00:47:06.929 --> 00:47:12.349 I was to figure it out. The reason that your 00:47:12.349 --> 00:47:17.170 behavior matters to your parents so that they 00:47:17.170 --> 00:47:27.289 get upset when you act ignorant is because you 00:47:27.289 --> 00:47:33.940 are a direct reflection of them. People in the 00:47:33.940 --> 00:47:38.420 community don't know you yet, but they know them. 00:47:40.800 --> 00:47:46.099 I had to figure that one out the hard way. Your 00:47:46.099 --> 00:47:50.739 behavior is not a direct reflection only of yourself. 00:47:54.079 --> 00:47:57.480 But if mine were an embarrassment to me, I was 00:47:57.480 --> 00:48:06.239 sure to embarrass them later. That's the way 00:48:06.239 --> 00:48:11.940 it is with the Lord. Child of God, church, we 00:48:11.940 --> 00:48:18.400 are a direct reflection of Christ. Why do you 00:48:18.400 --> 00:48:24.559 think he takes it so personal? When you act ignorant, 00:48:24.719 --> 00:48:28.900 meaning unlearned, and you know that he is the 00:48:28.900 --> 00:48:33.170 way, the truth, the life. And those principles 00:48:33.170 --> 00:48:35.389 and values that he's laid out for us to live 00:48:35.389 --> 00:48:40.369 by. You know and I know, we know when we don't 00:48:40.369 --> 00:48:43.369 live up to them, don't we? You know how we know? 00:48:43.429 --> 00:48:45.230 There's this little thing in here that goes ding, 00:48:45.289 --> 00:48:48.750 ding, ding. It's called the Holy Spirit conviction. 00:48:49.369 --> 00:48:53.730 Right here. Not up here, but in here. And we 00:48:53.730 --> 00:48:57.869 know it. And we have just been an embarrassment 00:48:57.869 --> 00:49:02.570 to him. I'd love to tell you I don't embarrass 00:49:02.570 --> 00:49:06.690 him very much, but I do. Probably this morning 00:49:06.690 --> 00:49:15.389 once or twice. He'll let me know later. Young 00:49:15.389 --> 00:49:17.449 'uns, that's why it's so important how you behave. 00:49:22.230 --> 00:49:26.869 They don't know your name, but they'll say, isn't 00:49:26.869 --> 00:49:30.329 that Brian's boy? Isn't he the youth pastor over 00:49:30.329 --> 00:49:36.210 there? He acting like that? Surely he knows better. 00:49:37.829 --> 00:49:43.650 I bet his daddy don't know he's doing that. But 00:49:43.650 --> 00:49:46.190 let me tell you what I found that I could not 00:49:46.190 --> 00:49:57.849 escape. Is my mama always knew when I acted ignorant. 00:50:02.280 --> 00:50:06.559 That stuff that you think you hide, uh -uh. When 00:50:06.559 --> 00:50:11.199 you got a mama that's got a closet that she prays 00:50:11.199 --> 00:50:16.420 in, and a son that would soon be called to do, 00:50:16.559 --> 00:50:19.699 no, he tells on you, the Holy Ghost is a snitch. 00:50:23.039 --> 00:50:34.420 He told mama everything I did in secret. And 00:50:34.420 --> 00:50:43.400 he let me know. And he drew me. But that's so 00:50:43.400 --> 00:50:45.719 we can get it as we're going out into the world. 00:50:46.920 --> 00:50:51.000 It's not just about you anymore. It's about he 00:50:51.000 --> 00:50:56.639 who lives in you. And it's his reputation at 00:50:56.639 --> 00:51:03.420 stake. It's him. It's him that they say, well, 00:51:03.500 --> 00:51:05.619 I thought. How many times have you had somebody 00:51:05.619 --> 00:51:07.760 tell you, well, I thought so -and -so was a, 00:51:07.840 --> 00:51:10.559 I thought they went to church. Going to church 00:51:10.559 --> 00:51:13.659 isn't just it. But I thought they were this. 00:51:13.659 --> 00:51:16.139 I thought they were that. We're all subject to 00:51:16.139 --> 00:51:20.639 failure. We're all subject to mistakes. Right? 00:51:22.099 --> 00:51:24.880 But we have to guard our heart that those mistakes 00:51:24.880 --> 00:51:29.840 don't become habitual lifestyle. That they see 00:51:29.840 --> 00:51:35.610 us repent and reverse. Because we're direct reflections. 00:51:35.889 --> 00:51:38.250 What time is it? It's an appointed time for a 00:51:38.250 --> 00:51:42.250 clear reality. A refreshing in our vision. Where 00:51:42.250 --> 00:51:44.010 there is no vision, the people perish. Where 00:51:44.010 --> 00:51:46.190 there is no revelation, no clarity from God. 00:51:46.469 --> 00:51:50.690 No instruction from the Lord. No word now in 00:51:50.690 --> 00:51:54.889 the moment. People perish. They cast off restraint. 00:51:55.329 --> 00:51:57.670 What does that mean? They just run headlong into 00:51:57.670 --> 00:52:02.510 all foolishness without... Without revere, without 00:52:02.510 --> 00:52:08.730 regard, without moral compass. That's what that 00:52:08.730 --> 00:52:18.110 means. We need reality. It's Christ in us. The 00:52:18.110 --> 00:52:24.929 hope of glory. We are his. That's who we are. 00:52:24.969 --> 00:52:29.030 That's who you are. So when you're out there. 00:52:29.500 --> 00:52:36.820 Be the best image of Him that you can be. I know 00:52:36.820 --> 00:52:43.159 we're going to make mistakes. Right? He's not 00:52:43.159 --> 00:52:45.659 looking for us to be without mistake. He's looking 00:52:45.659 --> 00:52:52.320 for us to be repentant. That's why the way is 00:52:52.320 --> 00:52:58.019 made clear. If a man sin, he has an advocate 00:52:58.019 --> 00:53:01.119 with the Father. Christ Jesus, the righteous. 00:53:02.440 --> 00:53:04.940 And if we confess our sins, he's faithful and 00:53:04.940 --> 00:53:08.000 just to cleanse us and to purify us. You get 00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:13.639 it. And let's march forward. Let's keep going. 00:53:14.559 --> 00:53:18.920 Because the time is drawing short. Jesus will 00:53:18.920 --> 00:53:23.460 return. But more so than that, be aware that 00:53:23.460 --> 00:53:27.559 you may usher to meet him before he returns. 00:53:29.179 --> 00:53:32.360 What's that mean? We don't know the day or hour 00:53:32.360 --> 00:53:34.519 when we're going to leave this earth. We don't 00:53:34.519 --> 00:53:36.099 know when life's going to be over, so we have 00:53:36.099 --> 00:53:44.980 to be prepared. Father, I love you today. Lord, 00:53:45.119 --> 00:53:53.519 for any foolishness, I repent. But Lord, I don't 00:53:53.519 --> 00:54:00.019 know any other way to try to clarify To our understanding 00:54:00.019 --> 00:54:03.579 the simplicity but yet the urgency of our lifestyle 00:54:03.579 --> 00:54:06.840 and the way we live in a lost and dying world. 00:54:09.440 --> 00:54:16.199 So somehow I try to appeal to our humor so that 00:54:16.199 --> 00:54:21.300 we understand the interjection of the seriousness 00:54:21.300 --> 00:54:25.920 and the urgency of the hour. You're coming and 00:54:25.920 --> 00:54:38.960 coming soon. May we be found ready. If you don't 00:54:38.960 --> 00:54:40.920 know Christ as Lord and Savior, let me give you 00:54:40.920 --> 00:54:46.340 this opportunity to come repent of your sin and 00:54:46.340 --> 00:55:01.590 to accept Him as your Lord. We must repent. As 00:55:01.590 --> 00:55:05.550 we close out this morning, if you need special 00:55:05.550 --> 00:55:07.449 prayer, would you just raise your hand this morning 00:55:07.449 --> 00:55:07.989 where you're at?