WEBVTT 00:00:04.089 --> 00:00:08.169 You don't have to. I don't want you to. Amen. 00:00:08.730 --> 00:00:12.750 Jesus loves you, died for you. It's just a matter 00:00:12.750 --> 00:00:18.149 of repenting. Repent. That doesn't mean you're 00:00:18.149 --> 00:00:21.050 sorry you got caught and cry a little bit. I've 00:00:21.050 --> 00:00:25.390 seen that for many years. But repent means to 00:00:25.390 --> 00:00:32.119 turn and walk away from. Not do it anymore. Amen? 00:00:33.679 --> 00:00:41.020 And we're the hardest of creation to convince 00:00:41.020 --> 00:00:44.659 that we need God. A whale will swallow a man, 00:00:44.780 --> 00:00:47.579 spit him out wherever God tells him. A donkey 00:00:47.579 --> 00:00:49.880 will open his mouth and speak whenever God tells 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:53.700 him and says what God tells him to say. You know? 00:00:54.700 --> 00:00:58.659 But you and I, us, people, those that he created 00:00:58.659 --> 00:01:01.079 and made in his own image, we are the hard -headedest. 00:01:01.359 --> 00:01:05.239 most stubborn, self -indulged of all of his creation. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:11.099 We actually think that we can do this without 00:01:11.099 --> 00:01:15.900 him. If that's you today, stop trying. You're 00:01:15.900 --> 00:01:21.579 just messing things up. You're just making a 00:01:21.579 --> 00:01:26.099 mess out of it. Stop. Turn your heart toward 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:28.840 Jesus. Surrender your life and your will and 00:01:28.840 --> 00:01:32.540 let him Take control of your life. You live in 00:01:32.540 --> 00:01:38.439 accordance to his word. And my, my, my, my. Well, 00:01:38.459 --> 00:01:40.340 does that make things easier? Not necessarily. 00:01:42.620 --> 00:01:45.000 It just means he's with you during the hard times. 00:01:46.859 --> 00:01:50.319 Right? If you have your Bibles, that little free 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:53.400 sermonette, that ain't even got nothing to do 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:56.159 with your offering today. But what I'm about 00:01:56.159 --> 00:02:01.129 to give you is what you pay for. I'm feeling 00:02:01.129 --> 00:02:05.250 pretty good this morning. Let's look at Isaiah 00:02:05.250 --> 00:02:13.509 chapter 37. Isaiah 37. You may want to put a 00:02:13.509 --> 00:02:18.530 finger later on in Psalm 30. We may take a stop 00:02:18.530 --> 00:02:21.150 in Psalm 30. But thank you for being in the house 00:02:21.150 --> 00:02:24.210 of the Lord today. Amen. Thank you for worshiping 00:02:24.210 --> 00:02:26.710 the Lord from your hearts, lifting up your voices. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:30.340 Putting your hands together and just worshiping 00:02:30.340 --> 00:02:32.400 him. Those of you that worshiped in your giving, 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:35.800 thank you so much. Any and everything that gets 00:02:35.800 --> 00:02:38.099 done, gets done because of you and your faithfulness. 00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:42.819 Amen. So thank you so much for that. A lot to 00:02:42.819 --> 00:02:44.939 be praying about today. A lot of people still 00:02:44.939 --> 00:02:50.020 sick. It's been a bad year for this pollen. We 00:02:50.020 --> 00:02:52.580 haven't had the rain that we normally get to 00:02:52.580 --> 00:02:56.580 kind of get everything out of the air. When you 00:02:56.580 --> 00:02:59.080 can drive down the road and see yellow clouds. 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:03.780 When the dust, the wind blows and it's just pollen. 00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:06.919 And for the people that suffer from that, it's 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:11.580 a real affliction. Amen. And so we need to pray 00:03:11.580 --> 00:03:13.680 to the Lord. Because it turns into other things. 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:17.280 It starts out one thing and it ends up totally 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.419 blown out of proportion. So let's remember that. 00:03:19.659 --> 00:03:22.379 Remember Sister Liz Burgess. She used to attend 00:03:22.379 --> 00:03:25.180 here. Her daughter passed away this morning. 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:29.939 And so Sister Lynn Brown takes for prayer and 00:03:29.939 --> 00:03:33.419 pray for Sister Lynn. She has COVID and dealing 00:03:33.419 --> 00:03:37.419 with that. So a lot of going on. And how many 00:03:37.419 --> 00:03:39.219 of you got a need? Real quick, just slip it up. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:42.520 We're going to pray over this and we can pray 00:03:42.520 --> 00:03:44.379 for that as well. And then we're going to have 00:03:44.379 --> 00:03:48.639 time for prayer in a little bit. Amen. Isaiah 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:55.879 37. Let's begin at about verse 14. Isaiah 37, 00:03:56.280 --> 00:03:59.719 14. And Hezekiah received the letter from the 00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:03.400 hand of the messengers, and he read it. And Hezekiah 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:06.259 went up unto the house of the Lord, and he spread 00:04:06.259 --> 00:04:09.219 it before the Lord. Hezekiah prayed unto the 00:04:09.219 --> 00:04:12.900 Lord, saying, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, 00:04:13.080 --> 00:04:16.079 thou dwellest between the cherubims. Thou art 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:19.899 the God, even thou alone. Of all the kingdoms 00:04:19.899 --> 00:04:23.279 of the earth, thou hast made heaven and earth. 00:04:24.350 --> 00:04:27.829 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear. Open thine 00:04:27.829 --> 00:04:31.470 eyes, O Lord, and see, and hear all the words 00:04:31.470 --> 00:04:35.350 of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the 00:04:35.350 --> 00:04:39.410 living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria 00:04:39.410 --> 00:04:43.810 have laid waste all the nations and their countries, 00:04:44.029 --> 00:04:47.089 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they 00:04:47.089 --> 00:04:50.430 were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood 00:04:50.430 --> 00:04:54.060 and stone. Therefore, they have destroyed them. 00:04:54.180 --> 00:04:59.000 Now, therefore, O Lord our God, save us from 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:02.160 his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:06.819 may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only. 00:05:07.860 --> 00:05:10.759 I want to preach to you this morning on a simple 00:05:10.759 --> 00:05:19.540 thought. Living a right side up life in an upside 00:05:19.540 --> 00:05:25.019 down world. Living right side up in an upside 00:05:25.019 --> 00:05:28.300 down world. Amen. Doesn't it happen sometimes? 00:05:28.620 --> 00:05:32.360 Doesn't it just feel like life's just discombobulated 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:35.800 and just all out of sorts? But there's a way 00:05:35.800 --> 00:05:40.120 that we can live through all of that. Amen. And 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:42.560 let's just pray one for another. Remember all 00:05:42.560 --> 00:05:44.339 these needs and hands that were lifted all across 00:05:44.339 --> 00:05:46.160 the house. And let's ask God to do great and 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:48.620 mighty things. Father, we love you today. Thank 00:05:48.620 --> 00:05:52.160 you so, so much, Lord. for your kindness toward 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:55.139 us and your grace upon us. Lord, we thank you 00:05:55.139 --> 00:05:57.220 for your word. And from this word today, Lord, 00:05:57.300 --> 00:05:59.459 we're going to see how that we can continue living 00:05:59.459 --> 00:06:02.579 when this world in which we're living in is upside 00:06:02.579 --> 00:06:07.399 down, inside out. I ask, O God, that you just 00:06:07.399 --> 00:06:09.420 continue to move upon the hearts and lives of 00:06:09.420 --> 00:06:12.040 your people. Lord, touch me today. Help me to 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:14.680 preach what's edifying to the people and pleasing 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:17.420 to you. Lord, that we leave here differently 00:06:17.420 --> 00:06:20.620 than we came in, but with hope and, Lord, with 00:06:20.620 --> 00:06:23.399 courage and with strength that we all receive 00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:27.620 from your word. So help me today, Lord, to relay 00:06:27.620 --> 00:06:30.160 your heart to your people. Be quick to praise 00:06:30.160 --> 00:06:31.740 you for it all. In Christ's lovely name, and 00:06:31.740 --> 00:06:34.819 the church said, amen and amen. You can be seated. 00:06:37.300 --> 00:06:40.459 Living right side up in an upside down world. 00:06:42.189 --> 00:06:44.649 I guess the question could be posed and probably 00:06:44.649 --> 00:06:46.610 has to be, what do you do when trouble comes? 00:06:48.709 --> 00:06:53.629 It's not if, but it's when, right? Surprised? 00:06:53.949 --> 00:06:56.350 Don't be. Don't be surprised. Trouble's headed 00:06:56.350 --> 00:07:01.189 your way. It's going to happen. Amen? And I know 00:07:01.189 --> 00:07:03.550 we get confused. We think, well, trouble's supposed 00:07:03.550 --> 00:07:08.350 to go away when we become a Christian. No. Faith 00:07:08.350 --> 00:07:12.459 gets built in troubles and trials. Our confidence 00:07:12.459 --> 00:07:15.399 in God is built. You know, we think just because 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:17.180 we give our heart to the Lord, everything goes 00:07:17.180 --> 00:07:19.639 away. No, no, no, no. You become a target then. 00:07:20.980 --> 00:07:23.779 You become a target. Well, what target? The devil's 00:07:23.779 --> 00:07:25.680 out to kill, steal, and destroy everything you 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:30.199 got now. Same thing as before, but he's intensified. 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:33.439 He was your friend before. He was the one escorting 00:07:33.439 --> 00:07:36.639 you down that sinful path. trying to get your 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:40.060 flesh to be appeased. But now when you receive 00:07:40.060 --> 00:07:42.300 the Lord, you repent and you turn and you're 00:07:42.300 --> 00:07:45.379 walking toward the Lord and away from all that 00:07:45.379 --> 00:07:48.160 he has and all he's trying to do for and against 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:51.019 your life, then he sets out to kill you because 00:07:51.019 --> 00:07:53.360 he knows that he's not going to be in hell alone. 00:07:55.100 --> 00:07:58.899 You've just left him standing in the road. Amen? 00:07:59.300 --> 00:08:01.279 And so the devil's out to kill you. That's why 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:04.209 things may seem as though... that they get more 00:08:04.209 --> 00:08:08.709 difficult after you accept the Lord. Because 00:08:08.709 --> 00:08:10.750 when you receive the Lord, grace is going to 00:08:10.750 --> 00:08:13.689 come. And grace is going to strengthen you day 00:08:13.689 --> 00:08:18.250 by day. And you have to have faith in God. As 00:08:18.250 --> 00:08:20.430 the fact is, trouble does come, and it comes 00:08:20.430 --> 00:08:23.629 on all people, just like rain. It rains on the 00:08:23.629 --> 00:08:26.730 just, and it gets on the unjust. And at one point, 00:08:26.810 --> 00:08:31.569 everybody gets a little wet. Amen? This is not 00:08:31.569 --> 00:08:36.129 those 30 % shower days. You know, we'll look 00:08:36.129 --> 00:08:38.330 at that forecast. It's 30 % chance of rain today. 00:08:38.450 --> 00:08:40.330 Well, there's 70 % chance you're not going to 00:08:40.330 --> 00:08:43.590 get any. And the only time that matters is when 00:08:43.590 --> 00:08:47.409 your garden really needs it. You're not really 00:08:47.409 --> 00:08:50.070 concerned unless you really need to be in that 00:08:50.070 --> 00:08:55.610 30 % range, right? Job put it this way. Man is 00:08:55.610 --> 00:08:58.269 born of woman is a few days and a full of trouble. 00:09:00.169 --> 00:09:01.830 And when we begin to think about it, trouble 00:09:01.830 --> 00:09:04.730 comes in many different forms. In fact, it can 00:09:04.730 --> 00:09:08.769 come from a single catastrophe. It may come in 00:09:08.769 --> 00:09:11.789 multiplied facets of ways. It could come like 00:09:11.789 --> 00:09:14.830 a plague of grasshoppers. It could be, what do 00:09:14.830 --> 00:09:17.090 they say, what's the old saying, death by a thousand 00:09:17.090 --> 00:09:20.850 cuts. None fatal enough, but altogether just 00:09:20.850 --> 00:09:26.070 drains you dry. And it may even be very surprising 00:09:26.070 --> 00:09:28.409 that it may come from a source of an ongoing 00:09:28.409 --> 00:09:32.129 problem. Something that just every day just seems 00:09:32.129 --> 00:09:36.389 to nag. Sometimes it comes from our own mistakes, 00:09:36.529 --> 00:09:39.490 our own actions, and our own sin. Trouble comes. 00:09:40.289 --> 00:09:43.789 Right? You know, beware the person that points 00:09:43.789 --> 00:09:45.830 to everybody else, but there's only one common 00:09:45.830 --> 00:09:49.490 denominator in every problem of their life. Them. 00:09:51.210 --> 00:09:55.129 Hello? Be cautious of somebody that's just standing 00:09:55.129 --> 00:09:56.889 there, their life's falling apart, but it's everybody 00:09:56.889 --> 00:09:59.919 else's fault but theirs. If that's you today, 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:07.019 hey, look in a mirror. You heard about the old 00:10:07.019 --> 00:10:08.559 fellow that passed the devil sitting on the side 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:10.940 of the road on a stump crying. He said, well, 00:10:10.940 --> 00:10:12.200 what are you crying about? He said, well, people 00:10:12.200 --> 00:10:25.120 blame me for everything. Could be from our own 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:28.799 making, but more often it's not directly. It's 00:10:28.799 --> 00:10:31.480 not directly traceable to us, but sometimes the 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:34.379 enemy wants you to believe it's all you. Sometimes 00:10:34.379 --> 00:10:37.200 it is, sometimes it isn't. I'm saying that trouble 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.519 comes from many different ways. And yes, we do 00:10:40.519 --> 00:10:43.580 sometimes cause our own trouble. Trouble can 00:10:43.580 --> 00:10:47.299 announce itself with a text, with a phone call, 00:10:47.539 --> 00:10:51.100 with a voicemail. There's just so many different 00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:53.159 avenues that trouble can be introduced into our 00:10:53.159 --> 00:10:57.350 life. Trouble can come and... form a very serious 00:10:57.350 --> 00:11:00.129 and life -threatening diagnosis or even worse, 00:11:00.169 --> 00:11:03.190 prognosis from whatever you may have heard. It 00:11:03.190 --> 00:11:06.669 can come just as simply as pulling out in the 00:11:06.669 --> 00:11:09.409 highway and someone not watching where they're 00:11:09.409 --> 00:11:11.809 going and boom, trouble hits and trouble finds 00:11:11.809 --> 00:11:15.669 you. You can open up your paycheck and there's 00:11:15.669 --> 00:11:18.750 a pink stub in it. You've been laid off. You've 00:11:18.750 --> 00:11:22.210 been let go. In our day and time, trouble can 00:11:22.210 --> 00:11:24.570 show up on TikTok. Somebody puts something out 00:11:24.570 --> 00:11:27.409 about you. Somebody can say something mean concerning 00:11:27.409 --> 00:11:32.490 you on a Facebook post or one of these other 00:11:32.490 --> 00:11:35.690 things, and we get all bent out of shape because 00:11:35.690 --> 00:11:37.850 you can't believe all that, but if you don't 00:11:37.850 --> 00:11:44.610 have it, you don't have to worry about it. One 00:11:44.610 --> 00:11:47.529 thing is for sure, we cannot control all of the 00:11:47.529 --> 00:11:50.679 trouble that may come our way. But the one thing 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:54.039 that we can control is the reaction that we have 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:58.600 in response to trouble. You can control how you 00:11:58.600 --> 00:12:02.120 react and respond to the trouble that enters 00:12:02.120 --> 00:12:05.059 into your life. You and I alone have the ability 00:12:05.059 --> 00:12:07.980 to determine if the trouble that's coming against 00:12:07.980 --> 00:12:12.139 us is going to make us better or bitter. One 00:12:12.139 --> 00:12:14.679 or the other, we have to make that decision on 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:17.809 our own. And the text that we've read today in 00:12:17.809 --> 00:12:21.470 our hearing from Isaiah gives us a good illustration 00:12:21.470 --> 00:12:24.789 of how you can make it through trouble, how you 00:12:24.789 --> 00:12:27.450 can go through this world that's upside down 00:12:27.450 --> 00:12:30.990 but yet still live right and be right in the 00:12:30.990 --> 00:12:33.990 midst of a world that is inside out and upside 00:12:33.990 --> 00:12:36.570 down. I don't know if you've noticed, but common 00:12:36.570 --> 00:12:41.100 sense has gone with the wind. It's not out there. 00:12:41.139 --> 00:12:44.700 So trouble is facing us on every side, but there 00:12:44.700 --> 00:12:47.039 is a way that you can live when trouble comes 00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:50.100 your way. When the inconvenience is, some things 00:12:50.100 --> 00:12:53.179 are just inconvenient, right? Not necessarily 00:12:53.179 --> 00:12:55.720 trouble, not necessarily a great problem or dilemma, 00:12:55.899 --> 00:12:58.500 but it's inconvenient. But if we're not careful, 00:12:58.659 --> 00:13:02.600 we can allow inconveniences to irritate us to 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:05.740 a point of aggravation, and, man, my life gets 00:13:05.740 --> 00:13:09.159 turned upside down sometimes simply by inconvenience. 00:13:09.159 --> 00:13:12.659 It's not trouble. It's not a big thing. But it's 00:13:12.659 --> 00:13:15.179 the mountain and molehill effect, you know. If 00:13:15.179 --> 00:13:17.399 I would see it for the molehill and just mash 00:13:17.399 --> 00:13:19.919 it and go on, but no, no, I've got to cause this 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:22.350 thing to grow. I make these situations. Situations 00:13:22.350 --> 00:13:25.210 grow in my life. I think we just need something 00:13:25.210 --> 00:13:30.860 to get mad about. To justify the way we want 00:13:30.860 --> 00:13:32.700 to feel sometimes. I don't know how it works, 00:13:32.740 --> 00:13:35.480 but I do know this. There is a way that I can 00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:37.460 get around it. There is a way that you and I 00:13:37.460 --> 00:13:39.779 can get beyond it. There's a way that we can 00:13:39.779 --> 00:13:42.340 move past it. And the first thing we can do is 00:13:42.340 --> 00:13:47.120 what Hezekiah did. Here we see the king of Judah. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:49.759 He gets this threatening letter from the king 00:13:49.759 --> 00:13:53.059 of the Assyrians. And look, let's go back a little 00:13:53.059 --> 00:13:56.899 bit. In chapter 36, verse 4, the king of Assyria, 00:13:57.019 --> 00:14:01.120 he says this. confidence is this wherein you 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:04.159 trust? He's telling them, where do you have such 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.759 confidence that you can resist us? Who are you 00:14:06.759 --> 00:14:08.799 trusting and what are you trusting in? And then 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:10.759 he goes through to rehearse. We've already taken 00:14:10.759 --> 00:14:13.720 every nation around you. We've even taken some 00:14:13.720 --> 00:14:17.179 of your own fortified cities and we're in control 00:14:17.179 --> 00:14:19.960 of them. So what makes you think that you're 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:23.240 going to escape our hand? And then we see Hezekiah 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:26.600 in 37 early in verse 3 says, this day is a day 00:14:26.600 --> 00:14:33.559 of trouble and of rebuke. He's saying here we 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:36.000 are now captured. We're finally getting our feet 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:38.220 on the ground. And now all of a sudden we've 00:14:38.220 --> 00:14:41.159 got this. But today is a day of trouble. It is 00:14:41.159 --> 00:14:44.100 a great problem. But understand this. The Lord 00:14:44.100 --> 00:14:47.440 is on your side. Amen. The Lord is with you. 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:50.399 He's not forsaken you. You are his people. But 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:53.220 yet trouble does come. Yes, the enemy is outside 00:14:53.220 --> 00:14:55.980 the gate. Yes, he's huffing. Yes, he's puffing. 00:14:56.039 --> 00:14:58.039 Yes, he's trying to blow. Blow your little house 00:14:58.039 --> 00:15:01.080 down. But stand firm and stand strong because 00:15:01.080 --> 00:15:04.179 the house on which you are living and the place 00:15:04.179 --> 00:15:06.799 on which you stand will not be removed. It cannot 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:08.860 be destroyed. How do you know that? Because the 00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:11.960 Bible declares that the gates of hell shall not 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:15.139 stand against the church. It cannot withstand. 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:17.779 And if you are part of the ecclesia, the called 00:15:17.779 --> 00:15:20.419 out, if you're part of the redeemed, yes, trouble 00:15:20.419 --> 00:15:23.059 will come. And trouble will stand outside your 00:15:23.059 --> 00:15:25.779 door and huff and puff. But it's not going to 00:15:25.779 --> 00:15:28.070 blow the... walls of the kingdom of God down 00:15:28.070 --> 00:15:31.009 because it is not powerful enough that means 00:15:31.009 --> 00:15:33.210 you're strong enough and you've got to encourage 00:15:33.210 --> 00:15:35.850 yourself in the Lord and knowing that God is 00:15:35.850 --> 00:15:41.730 on your side when trouble comes your way. Sennacherib, 00:15:41.789 --> 00:15:43.409 the king of Assyria, sent in these threatened 00:15:43.409 --> 00:15:46.649 letters by his messenger, and here he comes. 00:15:46.669 --> 00:15:48.889 He's pouring them out. We make our way through. 00:15:49.049 --> 00:15:51.230 All of a sudden, they call for the prophet. Here 00:15:51.230 --> 00:15:54.110 comes in Isaiah. Isaiah gives them a word from 00:15:54.110 --> 00:15:55.909 the Lord. He said, look, what God's going to 00:15:55.909 --> 00:15:58.049 do, he's going to confuse his mind. He's going 00:15:58.049 --> 00:16:01.250 to cause him to hear, and he's going to have 00:16:01.250 --> 00:16:03.909 to run back because he's going to hear that they're 00:16:03.909 --> 00:16:05.809 fighting on their home front. So they're going 00:16:05.809 --> 00:16:07.710 to leave, and you're going to have a little bit 00:16:07.710 --> 00:16:09.710 of reprieve. Well, they get a little reprieve, 00:16:09.750 --> 00:16:11.970 and sure enough, God does exactly what he said 00:16:11.970 --> 00:16:14.710 he's going to do. But yet, in his leaving, he 00:16:14.710 --> 00:16:17.049 sends another threat. I'm coming back. Yada, 00:16:17.049 --> 00:16:18.850 yada, yada. We're going to do this and we're 00:16:18.850 --> 00:16:21.090 going to do that. And when Hezekiah, the king 00:16:21.090 --> 00:16:23.629 of Judah, he gets the report and he begins to 00:16:23.629 --> 00:16:27.090 read the letter, his heart is shaken. But know 00:16:27.090 --> 00:16:30.450 this right now. He has a response to the trouble 00:16:30.450 --> 00:16:33.529 that comes his way. And if you and I can respond 00:16:33.529 --> 00:16:36.690 in like manner, we're going to live upright in 00:16:36.690 --> 00:16:39.629 an upside -down world when trouble comes. The 00:16:39.629 --> 00:16:43.429 first thing he did is he went to the house of 00:16:43.429 --> 00:16:47.250 the Lord. Now, I know, I know, I know right now 00:16:47.250 --> 00:16:52.509 that is not what you and I do. The first thing 00:16:52.509 --> 00:16:56.769 that we respond to is we fall to pieces. We just 00:16:56.769 --> 00:16:59.669 blow up. We don't know what to do. And so what 00:16:59.669 --> 00:17:02.669 we do is puff up and stay at the house on the 00:17:02.669 --> 00:17:06.910 first opportunity of Sunday. We got trouble reported 00:17:06.910 --> 00:17:10.269 on Thursday, and we're so devastated by the report 00:17:10.269 --> 00:17:13.410 that we don't even show up on Sunday. But not 00:17:13.410 --> 00:17:17.670 Hezekiah. The first thing he did is he went to 00:17:17.670 --> 00:17:20.210 the house of the Lord. God, when are we going 00:17:20.210 --> 00:17:23.710 to realize that this is just not metal and sheetrock, 00:17:23.809 --> 00:17:26.690 but this is the place where the glory of God 00:17:26.690 --> 00:17:29.369 is housed and where we enter in and meet the 00:17:29.369 --> 00:17:31.789 Holy Spirit. Don't just pile up, puff up, and 00:17:31.789 --> 00:17:34.569 stay at the house. Get yourself to the house 00:17:34.569 --> 00:17:40.390 of the Lord. Now, I'm about to preach to all 00:17:40.390 --> 00:17:44.509 those that are not here today, and you can tell 00:17:44.509 --> 00:17:54.769 them. Unless they're sick. Tell Ron he gets a 00:17:54.769 --> 00:17:58.130 pass. Brother Dwayne, I'm not talking about them. 00:17:58.190 --> 00:18:01.029 They're sick. Now, if they're just sorry and 00:18:01.029 --> 00:18:07.869 lazy, light them up. I'm telling you. Oh, Lord. 00:18:10.210 --> 00:18:12.390 I don't know if it's preaching what I'm about 00:18:12.390 --> 00:18:17.640 to do. Oh, Lord, I've been telling myself, don't 00:18:17.640 --> 00:18:20.539 do that. I tell Brian, I try to tell myself, 00:18:20.579 --> 00:18:25.339 don't go down those trails. It's dangerous. But 00:18:25.339 --> 00:18:28.220 my Lord, it seems like that's only the part that 00:18:28.220 --> 00:18:32.720 people get and understand. He went to the house 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:36.440 of the Lord. So many in our culture do exactly 00:18:36.440 --> 00:18:39.599 the opposite. The last place we want to be on 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:43.460 Sunday is church. Why? Because the wheels just 00:18:43.460 --> 00:18:45.619 fell off the wagon. Well, you need the ultimate 00:18:45.619 --> 00:18:48.579 mechanic to put your life back together. And 00:18:48.579 --> 00:18:58.579 honey, it ain't you. How many of y 'all know 00:18:58.579 --> 00:19:02.720 what a saw log is? I feel one coming right up 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:06.400 from the lower belt. It's stiffening my spine. 00:19:14.509 --> 00:19:17.210 You better be thankful God is more consistent 00:19:17.210 --> 00:19:20.529 in his faithfulness to you than we are in our 00:19:20.529 --> 00:19:26.690 faithfulness to him. A little hit and miss, don't 00:19:26.690 --> 00:19:29.750 get it done. And a hit and miss here, a Sunday 00:19:29.750 --> 00:19:41.230 or two there. You've got to get consistent in 00:19:41.230 --> 00:19:43.670 your faith. It's like we said the other Sunday, 00:19:43.769 --> 00:19:46.190 the Sunday after when I preached that burning 00:19:46.190 --> 00:19:48.809 heart. If your heart doesn't burn to be in the 00:19:48.809 --> 00:19:50.769 house and the presence of the Lord, check your 00:19:50.769 --> 00:19:56.269 heart. Hezekiah had the worst news. They're coming 00:19:56.269 --> 00:19:59.910 back. And he's coming back even with a larger 00:19:59.910 --> 00:20:03.609 army the next time. You cannot withstand the 00:20:03.609 --> 00:20:07.710 force that is coming your way. So when he reads 00:20:07.710 --> 00:20:10.390 it, yes, his heart sinks, but he doesn't panic. 00:20:10.509 --> 00:20:13.730 He picks up the letter, and he takes it, and 00:20:13.730 --> 00:20:21.130 he goes to the house of the Lord. No better place. 00:20:22.569 --> 00:20:24.990 And going and taking your burden to the Lord. 00:20:25.049 --> 00:20:26.970 I was singing that earlier this week. Take your 00:20:26.970 --> 00:20:30.470 burden to the Lord and leave it there. Right? 00:20:31.049 --> 00:20:34.509 Oh, leave it there, leave it there. Take your 00:20:34.509 --> 00:20:38.049 burden to the Lord and leave it there. You got 00:20:38.049 --> 00:20:41.950 to trust Him and obey, right? Take your burden 00:20:41.950 --> 00:20:45.150 to the Lord and leave it there. Don't sit at 00:20:45.150 --> 00:20:47.569 the house and wallow over it like a dog on a 00:20:47.569 --> 00:20:54.329 stew bone. But it seems like we get some type 00:20:54.329 --> 00:20:57.589 of self -gratification from wallowing in our 00:20:57.589 --> 00:21:02.970 misery. And we stay at the house and do it. Get 00:21:02.970 --> 00:21:06.410 yourself up and get to the house of the Lord. 00:21:07.930 --> 00:21:09.490 You say, well, I don't know if I'm coming back 00:21:09.490 --> 00:21:11.450 here or not. Well, find you one that's a little 00:21:11.450 --> 00:21:17.369 softer. But get to one. The landscape is dotted 00:21:17.369 --> 00:21:24.460 with them. He went to the house of the Lord. 00:21:24.859 --> 00:21:28.380 No better place, not a bar room, not a bottle, 00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:31.619 not a pill, not the psychiatrist's couch, even 00:21:31.619 --> 00:21:44.740 though you may need that later. You look around, 00:21:45.059 --> 00:21:48.759 he had plenty of reason to be in fear. He's part 00:21:48.759 --> 00:21:51.819 of his country already. Cities under his care 00:21:51.819 --> 00:21:55.460 were already under captivity. And now the enemy's 00:21:55.460 --> 00:21:58.039 outside his gate, threatening to come in and 00:21:58.039 --> 00:22:02.640 take over his city. He went to the house of the 00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:07.000 Lord. David said in Psalm 73 and 2, but as for 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:11.720 me, my feet had almost slipped. It almost went 00:22:11.720 --> 00:22:14.819 down. Why? Because he began to look on the things 00:22:14.819 --> 00:22:18.559 and the evil that was around him. Psalm 73 is 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:20.359 a great read. You need to write this down and 00:22:20.359 --> 00:22:24.779 go home and read it. Read Psalm 73. He talks 00:22:24.779 --> 00:22:26.880 about as he begins to look at the evil people 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.779 that are around him and how he got his mind off 00:22:29.779 --> 00:22:32.279 the Lord because he looked at how blessed the 00:22:32.279 --> 00:22:36.220 evil were. Gold chain. Some of them, some fatty 00:22:36.220 --> 00:22:42.200 eyes he bugged out. Blessed. And he said, I almost 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:45.359 tripped up. I almost messed up. But he didn't 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:47.759 stop there. Verse 16 and 17 reads like this. 00:22:47.859 --> 00:22:51.339 He found his answer. When I thought how to understand, 00:22:51.740 --> 00:22:56.660 it was too painful for me. Until I went into 00:22:56.660 --> 00:23:02.319 the sanctuary of God, then understood I their 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:05.519 end. I've told you multiple times, and I'm going 00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:08.559 to remind you one more time. This life is as 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:13.700 bad as it gets. Are you hearing me? This life 00:23:13.700 --> 00:23:17.980 is as bad as it gets. But after this life, it 00:23:17.980 --> 00:23:21.119 gets much, much, much worse. And what David is 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:23.319 saying, I look around me and I don't understand 00:23:23.319 --> 00:23:25.940 why I've got trouble. The psalmist, why I've 00:23:25.940 --> 00:23:28.200 got problem. Why everything seems to be going 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:31.700 wrong for me. I'm despaired, angry on me. If 00:23:31.700 --> 00:23:33.440 it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:37.819 at all. My God, when you begin to look at those 00:23:37.819 --> 00:23:40.160 who are around you that you think are so blessed, 00:23:40.299 --> 00:23:42.819 and when you come into the sanctuary of the Lord, 00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:45.299 when you make yourself come in, and the peace 00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:48.000 that passes all understanding wails over your 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:50.720 troubled, ridden soul, and you get encouraged 00:23:50.720 --> 00:23:54.019 in hope and faith, then you say, now I understand. 00:23:57.279 --> 00:24:04.180 Now I get it. It may look as though, look. Sin 00:24:04.180 --> 00:24:07.700 has a pretty appeal to it for a little, little 00:24:07.700 --> 00:24:15.279 while. Right? Oh, it looks good. It appeases 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:19.000 the eye. But they never show you a few years 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:23.240 down the road from all those sin -laden commercials. 00:24:24.700 --> 00:24:28.400 They'll show you those people after sin's had 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:32.200 an effect on them. They don't show you coughing 00:24:32.200 --> 00:24:36.119 up their lungs from cancer. They don't show you 00:24:36.119 --> 00:24:42.119 on IVs from cirrhosis of the liver. They don't 00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:44.480 show you wiping the drool because they fried 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:54.779 their brain. Huh? They don't show you how your 00:24:54.779 --> 00:24:58.240 body's riddled with disease because of infidelity. 00:25:01.220 --> 00:25:05.440 Fornication and adultery. They don't show you 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:08.339 that end effect of families destroyed and lives 00:25:08.339 --> 00:25:13.440 decimated. See, the devil, he don't want you 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:15.200 to see that. He just wants you to see you living 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:24.579 it up. About to turn 60 years old, and to this 00:25:24.579 --> 00:25:28.940 day, not one drop of alcohol has ever crossed 00:25:28.940 --> 00:25:33.819 these lips. Not one. Not one. Doesn't mean I 00:25:33.819 --> 00:25:35.460 wasn't going to hell. It just means I didn't 00:25:35.460 --> 00:25:42.019 do that. And the moment that it came the closest 00:25:42.019 --> 00:25:46.440 for me giving in to the peer pressure and everything 00:25:46.440 --> 00:25:51.500 going on. We sat in downtown Dunlap, Tennessee 00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:53.339 on the side of the road. We sat down there all 00:25:53.339 --> 00:25:56.579 Friday night, Saturday night. Played bluegrass 00:25:56.579 --> 00:26:00.660 music on tailgate. Ride hot rods up downtown, 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:07.380 drag race out of town, all that stuff. And my 00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:14.440 buddies would drink. So about the time I was 00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:18.680 probably about to give in, it would have been 00:26:18.680 --> 00:26:21.099 bad because what they were handing me was a bottle 00:26:21.099 --> 00:26:26.940 of hot Jim Beam. It would have been ugly. And 00:26:26.940 --> 00:26:29.220 about the time I was just about to say okay, 00:26:29.339 --> 00:26:35.099 we had an old boy named Tudor sitting over there 00:26:35.099 --> 00:26:36.960 on the tailgate of the truck. And all of a sudden 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:42.319 I heard, ka -thump. And I turned around to look, 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.180 and he'd passed smooth out and hit his head on 00:26:46.180 --> 00:26:48.299 the wheel tub in the back of the truck. I thought, 00:26:48.359 --> 00:26:53.500 you idiot. About five minutes later, here he 00:26:53.500 --> 00:26:56.240 come rolling out. on his hands and knees in the 00:26:56.240 --> 00:27:02.539 parking lot downtown, heaving his guts out. And 00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:06.599 right there, when I saw that, I decided right 00:27:06.599 --> 00:27:09.599 there, that ain't for me because there's nothing 00:27:09.599 --> 00:27:14.319 hurts this old boy more than to have to throw 00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:19.099 up. And that done it. It wasn't the alcohol, 00:27:19.339 --> 00:27:21.160 but me seeing him, I thought, if it makes me 00:27:21.160 --> 00:27:25.329 do that, I'm out. And so when my friend came 00:27:25.329 --> 00:27:28.509 back up with it, he's a lot bigger than me. He 00:27:28.509 --> 00:27:30.670 shoved that at me. I said, if you don't get that 00:27:30.670 --> 00:27:32.589 out of me, I'm about to slap the living taste 00:27:32.589 --> 00:27:37.529 out of your mouth right here. And they knew that 00:27:37.529 --> 00:27:40.849 that would happen. They left me alone. No one 00:27:40.849 --> 00:27:43.730 from the rest of that time ever offered me anything 00:27:43.730 --> 00:27:47.130 else to drink. See, the devil don't show you 00:27:47.130 --> 00:27:52.180 all that stuff. But somehow, even in my rebellion, 00:27:52.539 --> 00:27:58.680 God still got through to my hard head. Trouble 00:27:58.680 --> 00:28:00.880 makes its way. Don't make trouble for yourself. 00:28:02.460 --> 00:28:06.519 Understand the end. David's attitude toward God's 00:28:06.519 --> 00:28:08.920 house, Psalm 122 and 1. I was glad when they 00:28:08.920 --> 00:28:10.359 said to me, let's go in the house of the Lord. 00:28:10.539 --> 00:28:12.920 Are you glad? Now, I know I'm preaching to the 00:28:12.920 --> 00:28:15.299 choir here today because you're here. Aren't 00:28:15.299 --> 00:28:20.740 you glad it was Sunday morning? I'm glad it's 00:28:20.740 --> 00:28:23.680 Sunday morning. I'm glad when it's time to come 00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:26.140 to the house of the Lord. I come down here even 00:28:26.140 --> 00:28:29.700 when it's not time. I like to walk in here when 00:28:29.700 --> 00:28:33.000 no one else is here. If you'd like to know the 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:35.119 peace of God, the house of God sometime, just 00:28:35.119 --> 00:28:36.799 let me or Pastor Brian know. We'll get you in 00:28:36.799 --> 00:28:38.980 here and just come and sit in the dark on one 00:28:38.980 --> 00:28:43.759 of these rows. There is such a sweet, sweet presence 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:47.019 of the Lord. It's different than we're all in 00:28:47.019 --> 00:28:49.480 here together. When he's just here and you come 00:28:49.480 --> 00:28:53.339 in to his presence. Now you know why I'm so protective 00:28:53.339 --> 00:28:56.799 over the sanctuary, right? Why I don't want you 00:28:56.799 --> 00:28:58.400 drinking coffee. Why I don't want you bringing 00:28:58.400 --> 00:29:00.220 your Coke in here. That's the reason I leave 00:29:00.220 --> 00:29:02.920 my coffee out front when no one else is here. 00:29:03.019 --> 00:29:05.700 You've got to understand, I don't just do that 00:29:05.700 --> 00:29:08.410 when you're here and are watching. When we are 00:29:08.410 --> 00:29:11.250 here, I come and if we come through those doors, 00:29:11.410 --> 00:29:14.170 my coffee goes on that little table, my hat goes 00:29:14.170 --> 00:29:16.210 out there. No matter what my hair looks like, 00:29:16.289 --> 00:29:19.849 the hat comes off my head in the sanctuary of 00:29:19.849 --> 00:29:26.089 the Lord. Why? Because he stays here. His presence 00:29:26.089 --> 00:29:32.349 is in this house. I got to hurry. Psalm 92, 13. 00:29:32.549 --> 00:29:34.549 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord 00:29:34.549 --> 00:29:37.049 shall flourish in the courts of our God. Psalm 00:29:37.049 --> 00:29:39.650 84 and 10 says, For a day in thy courts is better 00:29:39.650 --> 00:29:42.009 than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper 00:29:42.009 --> 00:29:44.390 in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents 00:29:44.390 --> 00:29:47.890 of wickedness. Psalm 69 and 9, Because zeal for 00:29:47.890 --> 00:29:50.250 your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches 00:29:50.250 --> 00:29:52.410 of those who reproach you have fallen to me. 00:29:52.490 --> 00:29:57.650 I get offended because they offend you. Psalm 00:29:57.650 --> 00:30:00.589 26 and 8, Lord, I have loved the habitation of 00:30:00.589 --> 00:30:03.829 your house and the place where your glory dwells. 00:30:04.220 --> 00:30:06.900 Hebrews 10, 25 is a warning for you and I today. 00:30:07.099 --> 00:30:09.180 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together 00:30:09.180 --> 00:30:14.500 as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another. 00:30:14.599 --> 00:30:17.039 And so much the more as you see the day approaching. 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:20.279 What day is in reference? The day of the coming 00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:24.460 of the Lord. The closer we get to that, that 00:30:24.460 --> 00:30:27.480 means there should be a zeal that just really 00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:30.740 consumes us to be with God's people and to come 00:30:30.740 --> 00:30:36.609 and be in God's presence. To be there. Now, don't 00:30:36.609 --> 00:30:40.930 get me wrong. There are Sundays that you're going 00:30:40.930 --> 00:30:43.650 to miss. I get that. It's them other ones that 00:30:43.650 --> 00:30:48.769 I don't get. I get it when we're sick. You know 00:30:48.769 --> 00:30:53.170 I preach when I'm sick right here. Oh, you may 00:30:53.170 --> 00:30:57.150 not know that. Yeah. There's many Sundays that 00:30:57.150 --> 00:30:59.769 I stand right here where most of y 'all would 00:30:59.769 --> 00:31:01.789 be at the house feeling like the way I felt. 00:31:04.970 --> 00:31:08.529 I mean, is that fair, preachers? I have literally 00:31:08.529 --> 00:31:11.609 held on to the podium because I was so dizzy 00:31:11.609 --> 00:31:14.210 that I couldn't hardly stand up and proclaim 00:31:14.210 --> 00:31:17.190 the Word of God. If you can just preach long 00:31:17.190 --> 00:31:19.970 enough until your help shows up, you can make 00:31:19.970 --> 00:31:23.289 it for the next 30 to 40, but get a grip when 00:31:23.289 --> 00:31:25.210 it starts winding down because you're about to 00:31:25.210 --> 00:31:32.019 go down. Zeal. The Lord is coming. Don't let 00:31:32.019 --> 00:31:34.619 this world, don't let these false gospels that 00:31:34.619 --> 00:31:37.440 is being talked about out there. Watch what you 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:40.720 read on that goofy Facebook stuff, would you 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:44.960 please? Just because it has a religious connotation 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:55.039 doesn't mean it's truth. Man, there's this. That's 00:31:55.039 --> 00:31:58.859 a sermon for another day. He sought the Lord 00:31:58.859 --> 00:32:00.980 immediately. Went to the house of the Lord immediately. 00:32:01.180 --> 00:32:03.599 He didn't talk to his military advisors. He didn't 00:32:03.599 --> 00:32:07.759 get the cabinet in. He went to speak to the Lord. 00:32:07.880 --> 00:32:10.660 He was a man on a mission, much like Jairus in 00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:13.640 Luke 8, much like the father with the son that 00:32:13.640 --> 00:32:16.799 the evil spirit would take on in Mark 2 or Mark 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.720 9. He went straight into the house of the Lord. 00:32:19.799 --> 00:32:22.039 He didn't consult anyone else. All other resources 00:32:22.039 --> 00:32:25.119 are secondary. He moved towards solving his problem 00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:28.000 by seeking God's help. Can I tell you, when trouble 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:31.799 comes your way, when catastrophe strikes, would 00:32:31.799 --> 00:32:38.240 you start with the Lord? Seek the Lord. He sought 00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:42.869 the Lord immediately. You will never... I love 00:32:42.869 --> 00:32:45.509 this. You will never delay victory by stopping 00:32:45.509 --> 00:32:51.009 and first asking God for help. You'll never delay 00:32:51.009 --> 00:32:53.589 your victory. Your victory is coming from him 00:32:53.589 --> 00:33:02.450 anyway. Right? Matthew 6, 33. Seek ye first the 00:33:02.450 --> 00:33:04.069 kingdom of God. You know that one. His righteousness 00:33:04.069 --> 00:33:06.470 and all these things shall be added unto you. 00:33:06.990 --> 00:33:10.289 Hebrews 13, 6, so that we may boldly say, the 00:33:10.289 --> 00:33:12.670 Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can 00:33:12.670 --> 00:33:16.329 man do to me? But Jesus would say, rather you 00:33:16.329 --> 00:33:19.170 should fear the one who can destroy both the 00:33:19.170 --> 00:33:25.250 body and the soul. Right? There's something. 00:33:25.930 --> 00:33:31.690 I've got to move on. When you bring your burdens 00:33:31.690 --> 00:33:34.920 to the Lord, he sought the Lord. He laid the 00:33:34.920 --> 00:33:36.759 whole problem out. He just went in there and 00:33:36.759 --> 00:33:39.880 just laid it all out. Here's the letter, Lord. 00:33:42.440 --> 00:33:44.640 Knowing good and well that the Lord knew what 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:50.460 was in the letter. Right? But there's something 00:33:50.460 --> 00:33:54.140 about casting our cares on the Lord. Well, if 00:33:54.140 --> 00:33:56.019 he's all -knowing, then he knows my problem. 00:33:56.079 --> 00:33:58.400 Yes, he does. But sometimes I think he really 00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:04.130 wants to know if you know. Yeah, he's got it. 00:34:05.029 --> 00:34:07.869 But he wants to hear from you and I that we understand 00:34:07.869 --> 00:34:11.050 that the only help and hope we got is him. That's 00:34:11.050 --> 00:34:15.750 faith. That's trust. That's the reason he invites 00:34:15.750 --> 00:34:18.909 us boldly to come into the throne of grace in 00:34:18.909 --> 00:34:21.690 the time of trouble, that we might find the help 00:34:21.690 --> 00:34:25.969 that we need appropriately at the moment. The 00:34:25.969 --> 00:34:27.929 Lord is good, so you cast your care on the Lord. 00:34:28.050 --> 00:34:32.119 1 Peter 5 and 7, he cares for you, right? Psalm 00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:34.860 55, 22, cast thy burden upon the Lord and he 00:34:34.860 --> 00:34:43.800 shall sustain thee. If every human source or 00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:47.019 resource of help has failed, if you've tried 00:34:47.019 --> 00:34:51.059 everything out there to do away with your problem, 00:34:51.099 --> 00:34:53.800 your trouble, and you still got it, don't let 00:34:53.800 --> 00:34:58.099 the Lord be the last resort. Start with him and 00:34:58.099 --> 00:35:04.179 you can skip all that other stuff, right? Psalm 00:35:04.179 --> 00:35:11.199 81 and 6 is sort of a different verse. It says, 00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:16.219 and I removed his shoulder from the burden. I 00:35:16.219 --> 00:35:21.639 removed his shoulder from the burden. When you 00:35:21.639 --> 00:35:24.039 think about it, that sounds a little odd, doesn't 00:35:24.039 --> 00:35:25.840 it? It's like, well, Lord, why didn't you just 00:35:25.840 --> 00:35:29.059 take the burden off his shoulder? Well, sometimes 00:35:29.059 --> 00:35:30.880 the burden remains behind, but the Lord gets 00:35:30.880 --> 00:35:38.329 you and I out from under it. Huh? Doesn't matter 00:35:38.329 --> 00:35:41.110 to me how he does it. Get me out from under it 00:35:41.110 --> 00:35:44.909 or get it off of me. The load gets light either 00:35:44.909 --> 00:35:48.570 way. But the thing about it is, is God is in 00:35:48.570 --> 00:35:50.610 control and God is in charge and he's the one 00:35:50.610 --> 00:35:53.210 who can help us. So you lay it all out. You lay 00:35:53.210 --> 00:35:56.269 your problem before the Lord. You got to be willing 00:35:56.269 --> 00:35:58.409 not only to seek the Lord's counsel, but you 00:35:58.409 --> 00:36:00.710 also got to be willing to accept the Lord's answer. 00:36:02.550 --> 00:36:05.170 Now this is where... We get in a rub sometimes 00:36:05.170 --> 00:36:07.150 because the Lord wants you to do what's right, 00:36:07.210 --> 00:36:09.269 and that ain't necessarily what you maybe want 00:36:09.269 --> 00:36:14.690 to do. We have to be willing to accept. You know, 00:36:14.710 --> 00:36:19.510 God is just as faithful when he says no as he 00:36:19.510 --> 00:36:24.010 is when he says yes. How many of you, just by 00:36:24.010 --> 00:36:26.650 a small poll real quick, you prayed for something, 00:36:26.710 --> 00:36:28.710 asked God for it, and he gave you exactly what 00:36:28.710 --> 00:36:30.909 you asked for, and about a week later you're 00:36:30.909 --> 00:36:36.090 wishing you hadn't prayed for that? Well, keep 00:36:36.090 --> 00:36:41.210 on. You will. It'll happen. You think, man, Lord, 00:36:41.349 --> 00:36:44.409 next time I ask for something you know I don't 00:36:44.409 --> 00:36:49.829 need, just say no. Just tell me no. Stand with 00:36:49.829 --> 00:36:53.130 me. I'm going to quit. He laid it all out before 00:36:53.130 --> 00:36:57.570 the Lord. We cast our burden. Take it to the 00:36:57.570 --> 00:37:01.969 Lord in prayer. Lay it all out. God's big enough 00:37:01.969 --> 00:37:07.829 to handle every... situation that can come into 00:37:07.829 --> 00:37:13.110 our life we have the invitation Jesus said come 00:37:13.110 --> 00:37:14.690 unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden 00:37:14.690 --> 00:37:18.650 I'll give you rest take my yoke upon you and 00:37:18.650 --> 00:37:21.889 learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart 00:37:21.889 --> 00:37:24.969 and you shall find rest unto your souls for my 00:37:24.969 --> 00:37:36.780 yoke is easy and my burden is light The Lord 00:37:36.780 --> 00:37:39.639 is able to either remove the burden or to remove 00:37:39.639 --> 00:37:47.199 you out from under it. The psalmist said in 77 00:37:47.199 --> 00:37:49.920 and 2, in the day of my trouble, I sought the 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:54.960 Lord. Are you seeking the Lord? 46 verses 1 and 00:37:54.960 --> 00:37:56.820 2 of the book of Psalms says, God is our refuge 00:37:56.820 --> 00:37:59.059 and strength, a very present help in trouble. 00:37:59.599 --> 00:38:05.769 Therefore, will not we fear? 32 and 7 says, thou 00:38:05.769 --> 00:38:10.489 shalt preserve me from trouble. 27, 5, in the 00:38:10.489 --> 00:38:15.590 time of trouble, he shall hide me. 37, 39, he 00:38:15.590 --> 00:38:22.289 is their strength in the time of trouble. 54 00:38:22.289 --> 00:38:27.050 and 7, for he hath delivered me out of all trouble. 00:38:29.949 --> 00:38:36.110 You search through the word of God. The scriptures 00:38:36.110 --> 00:38:39.590 deal with all manner and every matter of trouble 00:38:39.590 --> 00:38:46.570 of mankind. Give us the assurance that he's going 00:38:46.570 --> 00:38:52.409 to save us out of them. Psalm 34 and 6 says, 00:38:52.489 --> 00:38:55.050 this poor man cried and the Lord heard him and 00:38:55.050 --> 00:39:01.190 saved him out of all his trouble. He went to 00:39:01.190 --> 00:39:08.139 the house of the Lord. He laid it all out, and 00:39:08.139 --> 00:39:15.900 he prayed. Hezekiah prayed. He didn't just spread 00:39:15.900 --> 00:39:24.119 the letter and the thread out. He prayed. You 00:39:24.119 --> 00:39:25.340 know, there's a scripture that says you have 00:39:25.340 --> 00:39:29.260 not because you ask not. And it goes a little 00:39:29.260 --> 00:39:31.980 further and it says, and at times you ask amiss. 00:39:33.610 --> 00:39:36.489 What's that mean? We pray our prayer outside 00:39:36.489 --> 00:39:39.530 the will and the parameter of God's will. That's 00:39:39.530 --> 00:39:42.969 when you miss. When you pray and it's not God's 00:39:42.969 --> 00:39:49.429 will, you're not getting that. But just because 00:39:49.429 --> 00:39:51.610 trouble comes doesn't mean God's not going to 00:39:51.610 --> 00:39:56.329 help you. I'm going to read Psalm 30 and I'm 00:39:56.329 --> 00:40:03.610 going to close. It's believed to be the psalm 00:40:03.610 --> 00:40:09.010 at the dedication of David's palace. I will extol 00:40:09.010 --> 00:40:11.829 thee, O Lord, for thou hast lifted me up and 00:40:11.829 --> 00:40:17.489 hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. O Lord, 00:40:17.590 --> 00:40:21.090 my God, I cried unto thee and thou hast healed 00:40:21.090 --> 00:40:26.090 me. O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from 00:40:26.090 --> 00:40:30.429 the grave and thou hast kept me alive. That I 00:40:30.429 --> 00:40:34.469 should not go down to the pit. Sing unto the 00:40:34.469 --> 00:40:37.210 Lord, O ye saints of his. And give thanks at 00:40:37.210 --> 00:40:41.170 the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger 00:40:41.170 --> 00:40:45.010 endureth but a moment. In his favor is life. 00:40:47.150 --> 00:40:53.489 Weeping may endure for a night. But joy cometh 00:40:53.489 --> 00:40:59.659 in the morning. He said, in my prosperity, I 00:40:59.659 --> 00:41:02.420 said, when everything was going real good, I 00:41:02.420 --> 00:41:04.440 shall never be moved. Isn't that the way we are? 00:41:04.880 --> 00:41:06.840 As long as we're on top of the mountain, Lord, 00:41:07.019 --> 00:41:13.380 hallelujah, I shall not be moved. Lord, by thy 00:41:13.380 --> 00:41:16.440 favor, thou hast made my mountain to stand strong. 00:41:16.619 --> 00:41:19.840 Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. 00:41:21.159 --> 00:41:23.820 I cried to thee, O Lord, and unto the Lord I 00:41:23.820 --> 00:41:26.849 made supplication. What profit is there in my 00:41:26.849 --> 00:41:29.530 blood when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust 00:41:29.530 --> 00:41:32.170 praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? Hear, 00:41:32.369 --> 00:41:35.690 O Lord, and have mercy upon me. Lord, be thou 00:41:35.690 --> 00:41:39.989 my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning 00:41:39.989 --> 00:41:44.789 into dancing. Thou hast put off my sackcloth 00:41:44.789 --> 00:41:51.050 and girded me with gladness. To the end that 00:41:51.050 --> 00:41:55.269 my glory may sing praise to thee. And not be 00:41:55.269 --> 00:41:58.750 silent. Oh, Lord, my God, I will give thanks 00:41:58.750 --> 00:42:05.610 unto thee forever. Psalm was talking about some 00:42:05.610 --> 00:42:08.269 of his troubles, some of his trials, some of 00:42:08.269 --> 00:42:12.969 his hardships. And he said, Lord, what do you 00:42:12.969 --> 00:42:17.610 get out of it if I die? My blood can't sing. 00:42:17.889 --> 00:42:20.829 The dust ain't going to do it for you, but you 00:42:20.829 --> 00:42:25.829 raise me up and I'm going to praise you. And 00:42:25.829 --> 00:42:27.989 because you raised me up, that's where your glory 00:42:27.989 --> 00:42:30.150 is coming from. I'm going to give glory, and 00:42:30.150 --> 00:42:32.969 people are going to know that in my trouble, 00:42:33.190 --> 00:42:43.570 I cried, you answered. Living a right -side -up 00:42:43.570 --> 00:42:48.190 life in an upside -down world, it's doable. It's 00:42:48.190 --> 00:42:52.010 doable. Trouble does come. Heartaches do make 00:42:52.010 --> 00:42:56.940 it into our lives, unfortunately. Salvation, 00:42:56.940 --> 00:43:01.019 accepting Christ, does not make us immune from 00:43:01.019 --> 00:43:04.059 car breakdowns, washing machines tearing up, 00:43:04.159 --> 00:43:12.699 dryer elements going out. Doesn't make us immune 00:43:12.699 --> 00:43:14.920 to the fact that you thought everything was good 00:43:14.920 --> 00:43:16.980 at work. You go in and say, hey, we don't need 00:43:16.980 --> 00:43:25.019 you anymore. Oh, God, you forsook me. What was 00:43:25.019 --> 00:43:26.699 that emergency broadcast system used to come 00:43:26.699 --> 00:43:28.739 on when the static would come on TV at night 00:43:28.739 --> 00:43:32.139 when the TV stations cut off? Or you'd hear that, 00:43:32.219 --> 00:43:40.820 this is only a test. It's only a test. Don't 00:43:40.820 --> 00:43:45.880 panic, my Lord. TV will be right back on. Life 00:43:45.880 --> 00:43:51.039 will continue. Hold on. Don't panic. You say, 00:43:51.059 --> 00:43:52.340 well, you don't know what I'm dealing with. Well, 00:43:52.519 --> 00:43:56.269 hey, look. Look around you. We all got stuff. 00:43:58.150 --> 00:44:00.230 Your stuff ain't no bigger than my stuff, and 00:44:00.230 --> 00:44:01.909 my stuff ain't no bigger than your stuff. Your 00:44:01.909 --> 00:44:05.190 trouble ain't no different than mine. Might have 00:44:05.190 --> 00:44:07.889 a different diagnosis, may have a different prognosis, 00:44:08.090 --> 00:44:10.409 may have a different name, a different face, 00:44:10.710 --> 00:44:14.050 but it's driven by the same destructive force. 00:44:15.469 --> 00:44:18.190 So in the end, it's the same. We don't have to 00:44:18.190 --> 00:44:19.809 work with the people I work with. Tell them I'm 00:44:19.809 --> 00:44:24.559 going to pray for you and walk away. I can't 00:44:24.559 --> 00:44:27.280 believe what they said on Facebook. Delete it. 00:44:31.300 --> 00:44:39.420 Don't be a busybody. Don't be a busybody. Feeling 00:44:39.420 --> 00:44:43.099 good. I'm trying to get us to square our shoulders 00:44:43.099 --> 00:44:45.480 back and let's get on toward heaven. Because 00:44:45.480 --> 00:44:51.739 heaven's heading toward us. That day is approaching. 00:44:53.449 --> 00:44:55.369 You ain't got time dilly -dallying around with 00:44:55.369 --> 00:44:59.750 your pet sin. It's not like a pet rock you carry 00:44:59.750 --> 00:45:02.030 in your pocket. Your pet sin will take you straight 00:45:02.030 --> 00:45:06.070 to hell. Well, I just like, well, there's the 00:45:06.070 --> 00:45:08.150 problem when you start with that personal pronoun 00:45:08.150 --> 00:45:14.769 I. You, you're the problem. Well, I just like 00:45:14.769 --> 00:45:19.690 that. Well, then don't gripe when you start to 00:45:19.690 --> 00:45:27.079 feel the heat coming your way. One day, if you 00:45:27.079 --> 00:45:29.460 don't get right and live right, one of these 00:45:29.460 --> 00:45:34.599 days, when you stand before a holy, righteous 00:45:34.599 --> 00:45:39.719 God, at that great white throne judgment, when 00:45:39.719 --> 00:45:47.119 all of us are in line, one thing that you cannot 00:45:47.119 --> 00:45:53.550 say, what is today's date? The 18th? 19th? April, 00:45:53.570 --> 00:45:56.010 right? We're still in April. April 19, 2026. 00:45:57.130 --> 00:46:02.190 You're going to stand before God. If you've not 00:46:02.190 --> 00:46:07.989 made yourself right through Jesus Christ, and 00:46:07.989 --> 00:46:10.429 judgment's about to come down on you like a hammer 00:46:10.429 --> 00:46:16.750 for eternity, one thing you cannot say from today 00:46:16.750 --> 00:46:20.889 forward is, nobody ever told me. I'm telling 00:46:20.889 --> 00:46:24.769 you. Right now, if you want to go to heaven, 00:46:24.869 --> 00:46:29.730 stop your sinning, repent, accept Christ as your 00:46:29.730 --> 00:46:33.070 Lord, turn and walk away from the garbage, and 00:46:33.070 --> 00:46:36.869 let's go to heaven together. That's if you want 00:46:36.869 --> 00:46:39.969 to go. If you don't, if you're not interested 00:46:39.969 --> 00:46:43.369 in heaven because yourself, your pride, and your 00:46:43.369 --> 00:46:45.690 flesh, well, then just go right straight on to 00:46:45.690 --> 00:46:51.489 hell. You say, well, that's pretty. Blunt? Well, 00:46:51.550 --> 00:46:53.530 I've tried every other way. I just don't know 00:46:53.530 --> 00:46:57.949 how else to explain it to you. You say, well, 00:46:57.989 --> 00:47:04.150 I do not want you to burn in hell forever. This 00:47:04.150 --> 00:47:07.090 new internet, it's not new. It's been around. 00:47:07.550 --> 00:47:09.710 Every couple hundred years, it comes back around. 00:47:09.809 --> 00:47:12.610 This nihilism. Well, you're just going to burn 00:47:12.610 --> 00:47:14.349 up and it's over. Honey, that ain't what the 00:47:14.349 --> 00:47:19.650 book says. The Bible declares that the fire is 00:47:19.650 --> 00:47:24.170 never quenched. It don't ever get put out. And 00:47:24.170 --> 00:47:29.650 in torment, weeping, wailing, lashing, lashing 00:47:29.650 --> 00:47:39.690 out. Forever. Forever. Just because what you 00:47:39.690 --> 00:47:46.539 think is fun, I hope it's worth it. But when 00:47:46.539 --> 00:47:48.059 you stand there and you're about to get your 00:47:48.059 --> 00:47:52.119 sentence to eternity, you won't be able to blame 00:47:52.119 --> 00:47:57.719 Pastor Waters. Because I'm giving you invitation. 00:47:57.800 --> 00:48:01.659 You don't have to go. Jesus loves you. Believe 00:48:01.659 --> 00:48:05.320 it or not, I love you. You say, well, you sure 00:48:05.320 --> 00:48:07.659 don't sound like it. Well, tough love sometimes 00:48:07.659 --> 00:48:11.480 breaks through the crust. Sometimes you've got 00:48:11.480 --> 00:48:12.960 to have tough love. My children and I had to 00:48:12.960 --> 00:48:14.739 have tough love. And it normally started in the 00:48:14.739 --> 00:48:17.519 back and worked its way forward. But eventually 00:48:17.519 --> 00:48:23.760 it got through. I love you. Or I would not be 00:48:23.760 --> 00:48:27.880 trying so desperately to break this down where 00:48:27.880 --> 00:48:31.880 you fully understand it. Hell is a real place. 00:48:32.059 --> 00:48:37.369 Heaven is a real place. Jesus was. The Son of 00:48:37.369 --> 00:48:41.230 God is the Son of God, always will be the Son 00:48:41.230 --> 00:48:45.090 of God. God in the flesh who died to take your 00:48:45.090 --> 00:48:49.710 sin away and the punishment of it. But it's on 00:48:49.710 --> 00:48:55.369 you. It's on you, just like it was on me. That 00:48:55.369 --> 00:48:57.210 night I made that decision. I'd love to say that 00:48:57.210 --> 00:48:58.829 was the night I went back to church the next 00:48:58.829 --> 00:49:02.730 day, but no, no. The merciful hand of God spared 00:49:02.730 --> 00:49:11.239 me even further. Father I love you. Lord I love 00:49:11.239 --> 00:49:12.119 these people today.