If you want to hear it, you'll come show up for
it. That's just the way I am. Amen. We'll try
to accommodate. I just kind of have to watch
what I say. Amen. Good to see you in the house
of the Lord today. Had a good week. Happy you
know it. Give the Lord a good praise. Say amen.
Hallelujah. If you have your Bibles, turn with
me to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy. Don't forget, there's
a lot going on. We want to start taking up and
collecting some toys for our local children.
We're partnering with one of the car clubs that
will be here Saturday. Last year, Ken, how many
toys did y 'all give out? Over 100 children?
Something like that? Something like that. Yeah,
truckloads. And again, our mission emphasis is
not to recreate the wheel. It's just to be a
spoke in a wheel that's already turning. So if
you would, November, like the second week, the
first? November 1st. Is that when they're giving
them out? No, the car show. The cruise end's
the first. So you start bringing some toys or
give an extra $10, and we're going to get it
in the hands of these folks and see if they can't
bless 150 kids this year. I think, if I remember
hearing correctly, they presented each child
with at least five gifts that would not have
Christmas any other way. Isn't that something
worth being a part of? Amen. You know, the angel
tree and all that stuff's been around for a while,
but I know these folks, and they will hand them
personally to children who are in need. And what
better way? Amen? So bring a gift, $10 gift for
whatever age the Lord lays on your heart, and
they're going to take it. You don't even have
to just bring it. If you come by the cruise in
Saturday to get some barbecue, bring that gift,
that toy with you, whatever it is. Bring it with
you. Drop it off. Amen. And we're going to be
a part of that. Don't forget the mission service
next week. Something we've been trying to get
really going. Want to get it good and up and
moving forward. We'll have a report for you on
what we've done thus far in 2025 for missions.
I think you'll be pleased. We're not done yet.
We're not finished. Amen. Got more to do for
the kingdom. And the Lord is good. Alright, we're
doing an experiment this week. Hallelujah. Thanks
to an anonymous donor. Got tired of seeing me
hike them up, I guess. We'll see how it works.
There you go, bro. We'll see how it works. It's
a habit, so I'll probably be pulling on them
anyway. The grace of the Lord is wonderful, isn't
it? How many of you have found 2 Timothy? All
right, look at chapter 1 with me. Let's begin
reading in verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, by the will of God, according to the
promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, to
Timothy, my dearly beloved son, grace, mercy,
and peace from God the Father. In Christ Jesus
our Lord. I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers
with pure conscience. That without ceasing I
have remembrance of thee in my prayers night
and day. Greatly desiring to see thee. Being
mindful of your tears. That I may be filled with
joy. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned
faith. that is in thee, which dwelt first in
your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice,
and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore,
I put you in remembrance that you stir up the
gift of God, which is in you by the putting on
of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit
of fear, but of power and of love. and of a sound
mind. Be thou not therefore ashamed of the testimony
of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but be thou
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according
to the power of God, who has saved us and called
us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the
world began. but is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, whom hath
abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. Whereunto I am appointed
a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the
Gentiles, for the which cause I also suffer these
things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed. For I
know whom I have believed and am persuaded that
he is able to keep that which I have committed
unto him against that day. Hold fast the form
of sound words which thou hast heard of me in
faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That
good thing which was committed unto thee keep
by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This
thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia
be turned away from me, of whom are Phygelius
and Hermogenes. The Lord give mercy unto the
house of Onesiphorus, for he oft refreshed me,
and was not ashamed of my chain. But when he
was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently
and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he
may find mercy. Of the Lord in that day and in
how many things he ministered unto me. At Ephesus
thou knowest very well. For a little bit this
morning I want to speak on this thought. A boost
up. We're back in. We're still in. We've not
left for quite a while. This journey that we're
taking. A visit to the archives. And I want to
just look at this simple thought. A boost up.
How many of you ever need just a boost? You just
need a boost up. That's what Paul is giving to
young Timothy. Father, we love you. We thank
you for your goodness and your mercy. Lord, such
a sweet, sweet anointing in the house today.
I feel your divine presence ever so near. And
I ask God this morning for that greater touch.
Let that anointing, let the spirit abide that
makes it easy to preach. And Lord, we'll leave
this house edified in your grace, enriched by
the power of your word through that anointed
touch of your spirit. Till you be praised forever.
Christ's lovely name and the church said, amen.
Tell your neighbor it's our boost up. When you
look at this letter to Timothy, this second letter,
it is Paul's last will and testament. It's the
last epistle that he would pen. He's in a Roman
prison. Many of the epistles of Paul came from
a jail cell. Philippians is one of my favorites.
He speaks of more joy there, and he's chained
up and bound up, and the whole letter is just
oozing with joy and how that we are to be joy
-filled people of God. And in this epistle, this
last will and testament, as Paul is instructing
young Timothy, he's giving him a boost. He's
wanting his faith to be charged. He's wanted
him to be lifted up. And when we think about
where we were at last week and the enemies being
unleashed on the face of the earth, he's just
no holds barred now. Any and everything goes.
The devil's out to steal, kill, and to destroy.
And, you know, we talk about shutting him up.
And I hope you've shut him up this past week.
So that today you'll be able to hear and receive
this boost in your spirit and an encouragement
in your faith today because God is ever mindful
of us. And knowing that the devil is working
overtime, knowing that he's out to destroy the
souls and the sanctity of mankind, what is it
that we as believers, what can the Christian
do to solidify our position in Christ and in
our faith? If this letter of Paul's to Timothy
gives instructions to him about the last days,
you go over in 3 and 4, you'll see those wonderful
mindful passages that we read. Perilous times
are coming, right? Men departing from the faith
and heaping to themselves, itching ears, teachers
who will just tickle them and let them know,
oh, everything's okay. He said those things are
coming. That is the warning. Paul's telling Timothy
to be a good soldier, and any good soldier does
it. doesn't entangle himself, doesn't get all
wound up and wrapped up within the things of
this world, amen, but he keeps himself separated.
He gives him his last testimony. He said, I fought
a good fight, and I've kept the faith, and I've
finished the course, hallelujah, and there's
a crown that is laid up for me, not for me only,
but for everyone, because he makes his declaration,
I am now ready to be offered up. I've come, I'm
down to the end of the road. I am in Rome, and
I will stand, and Caesar will hear, amen. And
so now he's talking to young Timothy, letting
him know that you're going to be left behind,
son. And it's a son in the faith, a man that
he had sought. I have several of them, amen.
I've got many sons in the faith. I've got another
one here that I'm watching the Lord put his hand
on. And I can feel, as Paul is writing to Timothy,
wanting him to encourage him. I was in contact
with about seven or eight of them this morning,
telling them I'm praying for them to step into
the pulpit anointed of God. grace and let the
Holy Ghost touch them and let God use them, be
an encouragement to the people. And in this last
letter, Paul would tell Timothy, reprove, rebuke
with all longsuffering. Preach the gospel. He
would tell him to preach the word. And that's
what I remind him every Sunday morning. Preach
the word, gentlemen. Go in boldly. Now, I told
him this morning, one of them wasn't responding,
and I sent out a little jab at him. I said, well,
he must be on his face or he'd be on here jabbing
back at the rest of us. About 15 minutes later,
he'd come on. You're exactly right. I've been
begging God. He said, isn't it funny how you
get your mind set and you think you've got the
mind of the Spirit all week long, and then Sunday
morning he decides to change your mind. I sent
him back this little quib. I said, well, for
Pontiac, the Pontiac brand, the car, their motto
is wider is better. I said, I have come to learn
over time that less is more. Amen. If God is
sure, shifting and God is changing. And when
he wants to do whatever he will, it is the most
difficult thing for a preacher to do, to step
into a pulpit unprepared because you want to
stand before God. You want to stand before God's
people prepared with your heart ready. And one
of the most difficult things there is for you
to do is for God to change all that and not give
you anything until you get up there because we
want to know what we're about to say. I want
to know what I'm about to deliver, but it took
about three decades to get to say, okay, God,
whatever you will this morning, if you'll give
me an opening context statement, I'll just yield
myself, and we will go from there, and let the
Spirit do the work. Amen? It's not wrong to want
to be prepared. It's not out of order to be prepared,
because especially if you've had your mind on
the Lord all week long, and that's the way we
do. When Sunday's over, come Monday morning,
you know what my thought turns out. What am I
going to preach next week? What does the Lord
want to say to his people next Sunday? What are
we going to declare next Sunday morning? What
is it, oh God? And you start conversing with
the Spirit. You're in prayer. Maybe not just
always in your closet with the door closed, but
when you're walking around, you're in prayer.
And I can see the Apostle Paul making this contact
with this young preacher, knowing his life's
about over and Timothy's is just about to take
off. And knowing that the devil is unleashed
and doing everything he can to still kill. and
destroy, he begins to encourage and give the
young preacher a boost. Amen. He begins to talk
to him with his testimony. He begins to remind
him of his spiritual heritage. Oh, I am in remembrance,
and it does me great joy. I know you're in tears
knowing that my life's about over, but I am in
joy -filled mode right now, Timothy, because
I know that you're about to carry forth the good
news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And in doing
so, let's... Let me just give you some reminders.
The first thing I want to remind you of is your
unwavering faith and the mission that is before
you. And you've got to remain true to it. And
in order to remain true to the mission of the
furtherance of the gospel, I'm going to remind
you of the faith that you have. Somebody needs
a reminder this morning that your unwavering
faith is the stabilizing agent of your life and
the remainder of your days. It's an unwavering
faith. an unmovable faith, knowing, as Paul would
say, I know in whom I have believed, and I am
persuaded that he is able to keep that which
I have committed unto him against that day. Part
of our problem is we fail to commit. We want
to hold on to it. We want to labor of our own
and labor in our own strength, but it's time.
Somebody in this house this morning says, Lord,
I'm going to commit it all to you. I'm not going
to carry any of it. I don't want a hold of none.
of it. I want to commit it unto you. Paul said,
I am fully convinced that he is able. And when
you stir the remembrance of your mind to the
ability of God and God's sovereign power and
God's sovereign grace and the encouragement of
the Holy Ghost, then you begin to let your faith
be built. Your faith gets, he said, I call you
to stir up. We think about our faith. Unwavering
faith. If you're going to maintain a victorious
life, you have to maintain a victorious faith.
Amen? We just sung that song. Because the battle
is the Lord's. We're going to receive the victory.
Why? Because he is victorious. He is the victor.
And greater is he, do we have to do this all
over? Greater is he that's in you than he that
is in this world. If God be for you, then who
can be against you? Let's let God arise and his
enemies be scattered. Amen? When we begin to
think about the opportunistic life of the faith
of the child of God, the opportunity is yours
to exercise an unwavering faith in a God who
is more than able. Isn't that what he wrote to
the church at Ephesus? God, who is able to do
exceeding, abundantly, above all that you may
ask or think. And it's according to the power
of God. power that works in you. It's time you
recognize what is in you and who resides on the
inside of you and your unwavering faith. What
is this faith? You know it. First Corinthians
16, Paul encourages the church at Corinth. He
said, stand fast in the faith. You stand firm
in the faith. What is the faith? It's Christ
and Christ alone. It's Jesus, the son of the
living God. Born of a virgin, crucified at Calvary.
placed in a borrowed tomb, but on the third day
he arose again. And now he sits at the right
hand of the Father, and sitting at the right
hand of the Father, he's there ever, making intercession
on your behalf. That is the good news of the
gospel, that God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. And knowing this, that God is not willing
that any should perish, but that all should come
unto repentance, and that all may know. him.
That is the good news of the God. Timothy, stir
up the gift that's in you. That unwavering faith
I saw in your granny. That unwavering faith I
saw in your mama. And that I know when I laid
hands on you. And the Holy Ghost touched you,
son. I saw the impartation of a great faith.
Stir up the gift that somebody's got to do a
little stirring. His second letter to the Corinthians
in verse chapter 1, 24, he said, by faith you
stand. The first letter he told them, stand fast,
firm, sure in the faith. Second letter he said,
that's the only way you're going to keep your
faith is you stand. That's how you stand. It's
by your faith. To the church at Ephesus, chapter
2, verse 8, he said, by grace are you saved.
Through faith, that not of yourselves. Somebody
needs to get a good grip on this. It really has
nothing to do with you. Your salvation is not
empowered by you in any other way than your faith
and the acceptation and you accepting that Christ
is the sacrifice for your sin. That is all that
it's got to do with you. No, it's not by works
that we do of our own, but it is by grace through
faith. Abraham, it was accounted unto him for
faith. Why? He believed God. And when God said,
get up, get out, he didn't bellyache, he didn't
grunt, he didn't fuss, he didn't barter. He packed
up and headed out. Why? He was looking for a
city whose builder and maker was God. And he
had a promise from that builder, amen, that he
would receive and accept. So it's by faith. In
that sixth chapter, he tells them how to do war
by their faith. Your unwavering faith helps you
stand in the face of opposition. Amen? He said,
taking the shield of faith. Whereby and wherewith
you shall be able to quench all of the fiery
darts of the enemy. It's by your faith. Your
faith can absorb everything the enemy fires at
you if you're standing fast and firm. If you
know and realize that your salvation is not dependent
upon you other than you believing God for the
assurance of it. That's the only role you play
in this. Is believing God. and the assurance
of the promise of his word and the sacrifice
of his son and that precious blood that was a
pearl without price was poured out for you and
for me. And all I have to do, you say you make
it sound so simple. Well, quit making it so difficult.
I think it resides somewhere in the middle of
the two. Amen? We overcomplicate living the life
of faith. Here's how simple it is to stand firm
and fast in the faith. If God said it, believe
it. If the devil twist it, dismiss it. Do you
know how victorious your life would be if you'd
quit playing mind games with the devil? Do you
know what grace you could walk in? Do you know
the power of faith that would lift you up and
cause you to get a boost above all boosts? Why?
Because faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes
by the word of the living God. How can they hear?
without a preacher. Well, I'm here to tell you.
We've turned it up so it's good and clear. And
you got no excuses this morning. I want to hear
what the Spirit of the Lord. You've got to keep
on believing God and stand in your faith in obedience
to the Word of God. Do what the Word says. Don't
do what it says not to do. See how simple that
is? The argument comes in when you let your flesh
begin to dictate how you want to live. Well,
this is supposed to be a boost. If I go down
that road, I'm about to tear some houses down.
I'm about to take a D9 and run right through
your little house of cards. So let me just stay
on the good side of this, and it'll remain to
be a boost instead of a tear down. But sometimes
we need our little world disrupted. Paul's last
testament, this last letter, he told Timothy,
reprove and rebuke. What does that mean? Line
them up with the word in accordance to the word.
With all longsuffering. What's it saying? Be
patient because they're not going to get it the
first time through. So let's go it again. Jude
20 says this. Here's where it's going to get
right to it. Building up yourselves on your most
holy faith. Praying in the Holy Ghost. We've
got some people that need the Holy Ghost. You
need the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Well, I'm
scared. Don't be scared. I saw a little meme
the other day. He said, you'll run yourself right
through a haunted house, but you get scared when
you come to the Pentecostal church. Don't get
scared. Well, you run in there and see your little
Freddy clones and little Jason mask and all that
junk, and then you want to come in here and tell
me my eyes are wild and you get scared. Well,
there's something else behind that. There is
a conviction that will drive you now. You don't
have no business. It would have been in another
place anyway. But here you are in the house of
God, and you need to build up yourself. Now,
see, you've done done it. Here we go. It's on
you. It's not on me. My role is to stand here
and declare, Thus saith the Lord. Try my best
to read it out of the book where you can hear
the instructions of the faith. And I'm giving
you the instructions. Build up. yourself. It's
not my responsibility to keep you saved. It's
your responsibility to flee from sin and all
unrighteousness. It's on you, baby. And if you
don't have enough grace and you don't have victory,
honey, it's on you. Building up yourselves, praying
in the Holy Ghost. The only spook you need to
see is the Holy Ghost. That's the only ghost
I'm concerned with. I'm about to, I'm treading
on light ground because I'm about to be like
the Apostle Paul when he would say, it is I that
speak and not the Lord. You know what I'm saying?
He'd let them know when he was interjecting his
personal conviction. So I'm going to stay with
the book. Because I almost said some things.
I almost did, but I didn't. Keep yourselves.
Who's responsible? If you know who's responsible
for your victory, raise your hand. If you're
still confused, I'm going to read it one more
time. But you, beloved. I love the way Jude starts
it out. But you, beloved, building up yourselves.
It's no one else's responsibility to keep you
joy -filled. It's you. It's me. If I'm tripping
and stepping on my lip all week, it's not the
pastor. It's not the praise team. It's not the
musicians. It's not the radio. It's not the TV.
It's me. It's a choice that I'm making to leave
my lip run out and chirp over it. It's time you
roll your lip up and lift your eyes, as a psalmist
would say. Let's get back in the book. Get your
lip rolled back up and lift up your eyes into
the hills from which your help comes from and
encourage yourself in the Lord, dictating Scripture
and allowing the Scripture to be repetitive in
your life. And let the power of the Word that
builds hope and help and offers joy pick you
up. Problem is, too many people enjoy. How many
of you like, you go maybe to a little smoothie
place, you get a smoothie. How many run through
the coffee place and get your favorite iced coffee,
which is nasty? God did not create the coffee
bean to go in ice. He created it on the day that
he created all the herbs of the earth. to be
mixed with boiling water and drank it. That is
an oxymoron. I want an iced coffee. No, you don't.
You want sweet cream. Cold. That's what you want.
Now you're afraid to own up to it. Sister Kathy
and I, from time to time, We'll drive plum to
Dayton, Tennessee at a little coffee shop called
The Drip. And I think they might have learned
my voice now when we do get to go. We need two
caramel macchiatos. Do you want that iced? Absolutely
not. No. No, I don't want that iced. I want it
hot. Oh, you want it hot? Yes, ma 'am. Please
drive around. I think they charge me more. But
if you get there before 430, they're half price.
Come on. Get two for the price of one. We'll
drive from over there to get it. We have to build
ourselves up. We take, we add. Building up yourselves,
praying in the Holy Ghost, keep your Whose responsibility?
Whose responsibility? Keep yourselves in the
love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ unto eternal life. The onus for
your victory is you. It is you. You. The responsibility
is on you. If you want to let the devil wreak
havoc in your mind, all you got to do is open
it up and let him go. And he will take his liberty.
If you want to shut it down. That is up to you
also. You rise in the power that's in you. You
stir up a gift of God, the gift of salvation,
the gift of the work of sanctification in your
life. We could spend a little time there. I think
that's part of the reason we lack the power and
lack the power of the Holy Ghost is we need a
little more sanctification, separation, consecration
unto the holy things of God. Separate. Don't
go to those places. Don't watch that stuff. Don't
listen to these other things. Consecrate and
get our minds set on him. And then we will understand
that it's not as hard or as difficult as it used
to be to keep ourself in the love of God. Secondly,
a little boosting. There must be a hunger for
the things of God. This will give you a boost
up. There's got to be a hunger for the fire of
God. You must cultivate a hunger. for the word
of God in your life. To maintain a spiritual
prowess, you have to maintain a prayer life.
Well, I just tore down a lot of little houses.
I went to D9 right through. If we were to do
an honest survey on how much we prayed, I guarantee
you this week, we would all, myself included,
come up short of the goal. There might be three
or four of you that's holding this thing together,
praying at home. So please don't stop. Please
don't let up. Keep going. Amen? Hang in there.
That's how we maintain is with a spiritual hunger.
Look at verse 6. He says, Wherefore I put thee
in remembrance that you stir up that gift of
God which is in thee by the putting on of my
hands. Look at verse 13. He goes on to say, Hold
fast the form of sound words which thou hast
heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ
Jesus. You have to get your grip on the right
things to maintain. Those who hunger and thirst
after righteousness according to the word of
God, they are those who will be filled. If you
don't have a hunger, if you don't have a thirst,
and it's more than just hunger. Well, you know,
I'm a little late for breakfast. I'm not talking
about that. I'm talking about a man that's been
about half starved to death. And anything that
comes along looks good to eat. Can you imagine
how hungry the first man was that boiled and
ate a shrimp? You seen them things with the heads
on them? Doesn't that look very enticing? No.
But you pull his head off and his tail off and
put him in a little bile and water and about.
Two minutes. Mmm. It works that same way with
your, you have to be hungry to boil that critter.
Say, man, that's all we can find. That's all
we can get a hold of. Then you think, wow. Whew.
Where's that dipping sauce? Where that at? Let's
try that. Butter with a little garlic in it.
Let's dip him. Bring me another dozen or two.
See, I can eat all them I want. They're on my
diet plan. The butter too. Say what you want
to, it's working. You've got to cultivate a hunger.
Stir it up, Timothy. Stir up your hunger for
the righteousness of God. That gift that's in
you, that power that's in you, stir it up, young
Timothy. Remember that the effectual fervent
prayer of the righteous man, James wrote it and
spoke it very clear. Under the inspiration of
the Spirit, the effectual fervent prayer of the
righteous man availeth much. What does that mean?
The more righteous you are, the more hungry you
are, the more fervent you are in prayer, the
more answers you get coming your way. When God
sees the consecration of your heart and the faithful,
of your walk when you call on the name of the
Lord because now you are not asking from your
will and the center of your purpose, but that
hunger drives you to seek him for his will and
his divine purpose. And he said, when you ask
anything according to my will in my name, where
you at, Bible reader, then? But your prayers
will be no more spiritual or fervent than your
walk is. If I didn't have more to say, we'd do.
We'd just let her drop. Matthew 21 and 2, all
things whatsoever you shall ask in prayer, believing,
you shall receive. We're approaching the hour.
Let's move on to the third one. There's only
three little points in this. As you live from
your unwavering faith, you know, I just thought
of something. I didn't hack my britches one time.
Thank you. You say, how could that be going through
your mind? Don't ask me. There's more going through
my mind while the Lord's coming out my mouth
than it just. Preachers in the house, there you
go. Your unwavering faith to be stirred. A hunger
and a righteousness for the fire of God. That
means you won't be satisfied with nothing less.
It's a daily walk you are responsible for. I
told you almost seven years ago, going on nearly
eight years ago, I would do what the Lord called
me to do. I'll give you 110 % of what I'm supposed
to do so long as you make me the same commitment.
You do what you're supposed to do. Amen? Build
up yourselves. You're the one that got yourself
in that mess. Holy Ghost didn't lead you there.
Hello? I sure enough didn't tell you to go there
and do whatever. Amen? I've been trying to do
everything in my power to keep you from doing
these things. You did it. You can blame the devil
if you want to. All he did was suggest to you
the opportunity. He forced you in no direction.
No act. Hello? You. Boy, what a boost. You have
to cultivate the same righteousness. I've had
people stand in front of me and say, pray for
deliverance over certain fleshly addictions.
After about the fourth time, I said, no, I ain't
praying for you. And their eyes get big. Well,
I'm down here now. I said, well, get down and
pray. Pray for yourself. I said, I've done laid
hands on you several times and felt the Lord
touch you, but you go home. You go home. I went
to visit them one day. There they laid, right
in the middle of the table, big pack of Winston's.
I said, brother, I thought we prayed for deliverance.
Oh, we did. I ain't had one since that Sunday.
I said, well, what's that doing there? To show
the devil. I said, well, you just messed up.
You showed him all right. When you get done with
supper. And you got to eat a cup of coffee. When
you used to suck about three of those down into
your lungs, the devil's going to say, boy, that
sure would be good. You got something laying
in there on the table. Two weeks later, guess
where he was? Right back down there. I said,
no, sir. I walked right on by. You did it. You
undo it. Well, I thought God would give him grace.
Well, he did, but you tempted the grace. You
undo it. We expect God to bail us out of more
stuff than we do ourselves. And wonderfully,
he grants mercy and many times miraculously delivers
us, doesn't he? Oh, I've seen that too. I've
seen it stick. You know, we used to pray this,
God, I hope the Holy Ghost makes them gag the
next time they take a drink. Puke their living
guts out. from the inside out, Holy Ghost. That's
when we used to really get down to business.
Where we didn't worry so much about their uncomfort
as much as we did the regeneration of their lost
soul. That may be the reason I'm as hard as I
am as a pastor. I'm not worried about your comfort.
Not concerned with whether you like everything
I say or not. I'm concerned. about the eternal
condition of your soul. And if I can convince
you that those things are against you, but God
is for you, then I've done my job. When we stand
before God, I don't know how it's going to work.
I picture in my mind before that great white
throne, brethren, the congregations, those sheep,
those flock might be gathered. I don't know how
it's going to go. And then shepherd by shepherd,
we're going to be called up and given a count.
For how we led. I don't know how that judgment
is going to work, but I do know this. For those
of us who are called and anointed to proclaim
the gospel, there is a more strict judgment.
So why do you think I give it the way I give
it? Because I want out as easy as I can. I do
enough myself. I made a pledge to God when he
called me. I'll never have their blood on my
hands. What does that mean? I'll stand boldly,
proclaim to you the truth of God's word. I'd
love to be able to, I'd love to be able to repose
onto you the same standards that I hold for myself.
Somebody said, don't do that to me, preacher.
Because I know I'm responsible. And here's why.
That third point. We must cultivate a revere
and fear of the Lord. Oh, I don't think God wants
to be scared of him. That's not what I'm talking
about. That's not the implication of the word.
There's at least three different Greek definitions,
different words for fear that you read in the
New Testament, and about nearly as many. In Hebrew
and Aramaic for the Old Testament. There are
those times that we should be in shuddering fear
of the Lord. It's a fearful thing to fall into
the hands of a just God. That's the book. That's
the book. And so what has happened in our culture
and society today, the fear of God is being removed
from our culture. And now all of a sudden he's
just this peaceful God and everybody's going
to heaven. No, no, no, no, no. There is a standard
whereby one has to live and measure up. And that
standard is Jesus Christ. And the directions
to live to that standard are in this book. And
if they are applied to one's life, you will stand
before God and you will hear him say, well done,
my good and faithful servant. I made you a ruler
over a few things. Now come on in. I got a lot
of stuff in store for you. But the fear of God
is gone. And it must be cultivated. In the church,
the revere and the awe of God, the respect of
God, must again be reclaimed. And it won't be
reclaimed in our pews until it's reclaimed in
our pulpits. Exodus 20 and 20 reads, Fear not,
for God is come to prove you, and that his fear
may be before your faces. that you sin not. To
the Israelites, God is coming before you to prove,
to test, to challenge your faith that you remain
sinless. Why? Because in their day, the earth
would open up and swallow people. Hello? Now
that would cause one to shudder. But for those
who are watching on, it causes a revere and awe.
Oh, God. So that is how we are to live and go
about our day. Proverbs 7 says, The fear of Jehovah
is the beginning of knowledge. Job 28 and 28
says, And unto man he said, Behold, the fear
of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from
evil is understanding. Now, who fulfills that?
We do. You do. I do. As I am boosted by my unwavering
faith, and I'm encouraged by the fire that has
been placed in my life, I am motivated by the
awe and the revere of a holy God. That's what
Paul is telling Timothy. Remember whose gospel
it is you're preaching. Remember whose testimony
it is that you're actually proclaiming. You're
declaring Christ in you, which is the hope of
glory, which declares, I have not seen, ear has
not heard, and neither has it entered into the
hearts of man what God has in store for those
that love him. But then the fear and trembling
comes into play when we know that in that last
day and at that second resurrection, when all
the dead are raised, and we all stand before
God and give an account for ourselves. It never
ceases to amaze me, most church hurt comes from
misunderstandings. And stuff that doesn't make
a hill of beans, no way. Fostered from worrying
too much about what others think to begin with.
I quit getting church hurt by folks a long time
ago. Because I quit worrying about what they
thought of me. And the sooner you get to there,
why do you come? For them or for him? I am here
to fellowship together. And it's just like family.
Y 'all got family coming in for Thanksgiving
that you want them going to the same room with
them. You won't sit near them at the table, but
everybody comes together. Same thing with this
big family. Sit on the right and let the goat
sit on the left. And hopefully the shepherd can
get it all back together. Amen. I've been in
some strange places. Stand with me. I'm going
to shut up. I've been in some strange church
situations. I have seen where there have been
such bitter divorces. I mean, knocked down stuff,
hateful, me. But a year or so later, they got
their significant others, which is another. And
they're all sitting on the same pew. Praising
God. Saved, sanctified, filled with the Holy
Ghost. I've seen God do some stuff in people's
lives that will surrender their lives and allow
Him to do so. Families, fellas, they'd go to
eat together when they couldn't eat together
when they was together. Now, just somehow, don't
ask me to explain it. I don't know. Somehow,
the love of God. Amen? I have seen no fences
mended with people when you can finally get them
to talk to each other, which, by the way, by
the time you come to me, you should be three
steps down the road. Because if you come to me
with a problem with one another, you know what
I'm going to send you to? Right back to step
number one. Well, have you talked to them? Well,
no, I don't want to talk to them. Well, you got
to before you talk to me. Get on over there.
Then we actually sat down. Most of the time I'm
telling you it's a misunderstanding. Well, I
didn't say that. No, here's what I said. Oh,
well, I misunderstood you. Well, let's pray about
it and move on. Put it under the blood and let's
serve God. So many people. Need a boost up. You
know people who've been church hurt and aren't
going anywhere. Sitting at home soaking and souring
away. With an offense in their life that becomes
an anchor. A chain that weighs them down. Because
let me tell you what happens with offense. Offense
turns to hatred. Hatred turns to spiritual murder.
And you can't go to heaven with that in your
heart. Really, really. You remember when Jesus
said man brought his gift to the altar and was
praying and he had an alt in his life against
a brother. What did he tell him to do? Leave
your gift there and go make it right and then
come back because your gift is no good. It's
unacceptable. So if somebody just popped in your
mind, go make it right. The chain of offense
is only drowning you. I found that one out the
hard way. I got offended by a preacher of all
things. Carried that offense way longer than
I should have. And it was dragging me down spiritually.
Come to find out when I fell on his neck. and
ask for forgiveness. He said, I don't know what
you're talking about. But if you need it, I grant
it. I forgive you, brother. I said, well, I need
it back. That's the way it works. It was torturing
me. He was eating soup, beans, and gravy. Living
life. But I was tortured and tormented by the
sin of offense. Father, I love you today. Thank
you for your goodness and your mercy. I thank
you for your help this morning, Lord. For I have
truly, truly experienced your touch. And I pray,
Lord, that we become boosted in our faith, that
we remember that faith and stir that faith and
stand firmly in our faith. Because it is the
substance of things hoped for. It is the evidence
of things not seen. And without it, God, I can't
please you. But with it, you reward those who
diligently seek. Lord, I'm seeking for righteousness.
I'm cultivating a hunger. I'm going to take responsibility
for my own faith level. Because I'm supposed
to stir up myself. I'm supposed to keep myself
in your love and in your grace. Stirring my hunger.
And Lord, I am reminded today of who you are
and the awe of who you are. You are a great God.
You are a holy God. You are, according to the
word, you go forth as a consuming fire. And you
devour all of our enemies. I tell you what, I'm
going to close this way. I want you to just come
forward. I want to pray over us before we dismiss.
I just want to pray over us all. I want to just
ask the Lord to do some work in our life.