WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.319 One more time, give the Lord praise in his house. 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:06.580 Amen. Let these young people know how much you 00:00:06.580 --> 00:00:09.779 appreciate their service in the house of the 00:00:09.779 --> 00:00:14.740 Lord this morning. Hallelujah. God is so good. 00:00:14.839 --> 00:00:19.019 Amen. Amen. You can be seated for just a few 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:30.820 moments. We need to honor. Our fathers today 00:00:30.820 --> 00:00:33.159 who are no longer with us, our deceased fathers, 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:41.899 we need to revere them as well today. Amen. I 00:00:41.899 --> 00:00:44.500 hope and pray if your father is still living, 00:00:44.700 --> 00:00:52.880 where at all possible, and if you can, wish him 00:00:52.880 --> 00:00:57.399 happy Father's Day. There wouldn't be no better 00:00:57.399 --> 00:01:00.490 day than to... relationship than on this day 00:01:00.490 --> 00:01:07.870 if there is a breach there. Amen. And you work 00:01:07.870 --> 00:01:11.709 through the rest of it. Sometimes you have to 00:01:11.709 --> 00:01:17.709 work through some things, right? I'll be talking 00:01:17.709 --> 00:01:27.209 to mine later on today. So thankful for our Heavenly 00:01:27.209 --> 00:01:32.590 Father who knows us and loves us. Amen. So if 00:01:32.590 --> 00:01:34.810 you're here today and your father is no longer 00:01:34.810 --> 00:01:37.150 living, would you just stand today so we can 00:01:37.150 --> 00:01:39.329 honor you with a moment of silence? And then 00:01:39.329 --> 00:01:52.150 I'm going to pray over you. Let's bow our heads 00:01:52.150 --> 00:02:17.629 for just a moment. Heavenly Father, I come before 00:02:17.629 --> 00:02:22.849 you now and before this host. These who are standing 00:02:22.849 --> 00:02:27.409 in your presence today, I ask, God, that you 00:02:27.409 --> 00:02:32.129 comfort them with peace that passes all understanding. 00:02:34.430 --> 00:02:37.870 And I pray, Father, in those just few brief moments 00:02:37.870 --> 00:02:41.490 of silence that you reminded them of something 00:02:41.490 --> 00:02:49.020 good. Of a joyful memory. A happy thought. For 00:02:49.020 --> 00:02:51.819 some it is fresh and new. This absence. And I 00:02:51.819 --> 00:02:56.060 pray for their comfort. Peace in their heart. 00:02:56.219 --> 00:03:01.199 Resolve today almighty God. May this day be a 00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:05.740 day. Possibly filled with warm tears. But I pray 00:03:05.740 --> 00:03:08.280 God. That you are able. And I know you are able. 00:03:10.509 --> 00:03:13.030 To restore joy in their heart and in their spirit. 00:03:16.150 --> 00:03:22.030 It is the oil of joy. For a spirit of heaviness. 00:03:24.150 --> 00:03:26.409 Lord, I'll praise you for touching your children. 00:03:30.189 --> 00:03:35.789 Amen and amen. Amen. Thank you. The rest, if 00:03:35.789 --> 00:03:38.289 you would, stand with us. with your Bibles, and 00:03:38.289 --> 00:03:46.169 let's turn to Psalm 37 for just a minute. Psalm 00:03:46.169 --> 00:03:49.310 37. The Lord's good, isn't he? Give him one more 00:03:49.310 --> 00:03:55.830 praise while everybody's turning there. Amen. 00:03:57.210 --> 00:04:01.370 Psalm 37, looking at verse 23. When I read this, 00:04:01.409 --> 00:04:04.050 you're going to remember it. It's very familiar. 00:04:04.629 --> 00:04:08.539 The steps of a good man. are ordered by the Lord, 00:04:08.620 --> 00:04:14.360 and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, 00:04:14.740 --> 00:04:18.379 he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord 00:04:18.379 --> 00:04:22.660 upholdeth him with his hand. I've been young 00:04:22.660 --> 00:04:26.240 and now am old, yet have I not seen the righteous 00:04:26.240 --> 00:04:32.740 forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever 00:04:32.740 --> 00:04:37.470 merciful and lendeth. And his seed is blessed. 00:04:38.930 --> 00:04:45.389 Depart from evil and do good and dwell forevermore. 00:04:46.529 --> 00:04:48.750 Simple thought this morning. Just for a little 00:04:48.750 --> 00:04:51.430 while. What time is it? I'll try to. Okay, we 00:04:51.430 --> 00:04:55.970 got time. Simple thought today. Simple. Keep 00:04:55.970 --> 00:05:01.269 walking the line. Just keep walking the line. 00:05:01.990 --> 00:05:04.550 Or my southern vernacular, just keep walking 00:05:04.550 --> 00:05:07.319 the line. We'll drop the G and just leave the 00:05:07.319 --> 00:05:12.639 N. Walking. Walking the line. I'll pray for you 00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:14.220 if you pray for me. You say, we've prayed awful 00:05:14.220 --> 00:05:17.019 lot. We've not prayed near enough. So let's pray 00:05:17.019 --> 00:05:23.139 one more time. Father, I love you. On this Father's 00:05:23.139 --> 00:05:26.699 Day, earthly, we glorify you who are in heaven. 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:31.980 Our heavenly Father, we praise you today. Honor 00:05:31.980 --> 00:05:36.000 you this day. And I... Trust, Lord, you have 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:38.439 been blessed with the worship of your people. 00:05:39.699 --> 00:05:43.639 For we magnify you. Now help me, Lord, be expedient. 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:47.759 And we that have ears to hear, may we hear and 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.100 allow the Spirit to speak into our life today. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:54.540 In Jesus' lovely name. The church said amen and 00:05:54.540 --> 00:05:57.600 amen. You can be seated. I may have reminded 00:05:57.600 --> 00:05:59.800 you of some things in the past for Father's Day, 00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:06.720 but I think it bears some repetition. to deal 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.040 with men, certain men, not all men, but some 00:06:10.040 --> 00:06:14.860 men, it actually requires a thesaurus to do that, 00:06:14.939 --> 00:06:18.519 to understand. Men, we scratch our heads when 00:06:18.519 --> 00:06:21.220 we think about trying to understand women and 00:06:21.220 --> 00:06:24.420 understand our wives. We do, we scratch our heads, 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:27.560 but can you imagine what they think about some 00:06:27.560 --> 00:06:38.189 of the ideas you and I have? And sometimes we 00:06:38.189 --> 00:06:43.370 don't always say what we mean, you know. And 00:06:43.370 --> 00:06:45.790 for a quick run through a little bit of the source, 00:06:45.910 --> 00:06:47.730 if you're hearing some of these statements, then 00:06:47.730 --> 00:06:51.050 there's something else behind it. When a man 00:06:51.050 --> 00:06:55.449 says, it would take me too long to explain, that 00:06:55.449 --> 00:07:00.310 means he has no idea what he's doing. and he's 00:07:00.310 --> 00:07:02.689 got the washer torn and strung out all over the 00:07:02.689 --> 00:07:05.329 laundry room, and he's just hoping he can figure 00:07:05.329 --> 00:07:08.970 out how to put it back together. I just don't 00:07:08.970 --> 00:07:10.649 have time to explain. That means he's scratching 00:07:10.649 --> 00:07:12.649 his head trying to find all the parts and get 00:07:12.649 --> 00:07:16.189 this thing back together. When a man says, take 00:07:16.189 --> 00:07:18.509 a break, honey, and you're working too hard, 00:07:18.589 --> 00:07:22.329 what he actually means is, I can't hear the TV 00:07:22.329 --> 00:07:24.250 over at Stupid Vacuum Cleaner. Would you turn 00:07:24.250 --> 00:07:30.000 that thing off? That's what he means. That's 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:33.180 exactly what I mean. Cut that thing off. I'm 00:07:33.180 --> 00:07:39.879 going to throw the breaker. When a man says, 00:07:40.079 --> 00:07:44.759 that's interesting, babe, what it means is, are 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:49.720 you still talking? Would you hush just for a 00:07:49.720 --> 00:07:59.879 minute? Remember. Women are required 25 ,000 00:07:59.879 --> 00:08:03.879 words a day just to cope. Proven fact. Men only 00:08:03.879 --> 00:08:08.639 require about 10 ,000. And by the time he gets 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:12.759 home from work, he's done. And you only got half 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:18.699 your day in. That's pretty good. When a man says 00:08:18.699 --> 00:08:22.220 it's just a guy thing, it's a man thing. Now, 00:08:22.220 --> 00:08:25.600 here's a good one. That means there's no rational 00:08:25.600 --> 00:08:28.889 thought. pattern connected with what he's doing 00:08:28.889 --> 00:08:34.429 and you have no chance at all making it logical. 00:08:34.649 --> 00:08:40.870 It's just a man thing. You're laughing because 00:08:40.870 --> 00:08:46.710 half of this is true. When a man says can I help 00:08:46.710 --> 00:08:50.649 you with supper? What he's actually saying is 00:08:50.649 --> 00:08:55.649 why is it not on the table yet? What's the hold 00:08:55.649 --> 00:09:06.500 up? Where's it at? When a man says, sure, baby, 00:09:06.620 --> 00:09:10.480 yes, darling, he means absolutely nothing. It's 00:09:10.480 --> 00:09:14.639 a conditioned response. Don't read anything into 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:25.389 that. If your man's in the shop working on a 00:09:25.389 --> 00:09:27.549 project you've asked him to do and he comes up 00:09:27.549 --> 00:09:29.889 with a towel wrapped around his finger and it's 00:09:29.889 --> 00:09:31.830 dripping blood and he says, ah, it's just a scratch, 00:09:31.909 --> 00:09:33.690 what he's saying is call the ambulance or get 00:09:33.690 --> 00:09:36.870 me to the emergency room. Right after you go 00:09:36.870 --> 00:09:38.549 back to the table saw and pick up the end of 00:09:38.549 --> 00:09:46.889 my finger. Ah, it's just a scratch. He had a 00:09:46.889 --> 00:09:50.269 finger laying on it. Yeah, that's the way we 00:09:50.269 --> 00:09:54.750 do. When a man says, I can't find it, what it 00:09:54.750 --> 00:09:56.929 means is he actually didn't open up his eyes 00:09:56.929 --> 00:09:58.610 and he didn't follow your instructions or where 00:09:58.610 --> 00:10:01.690 you told him it was laying to start with. And 00:10:01.690 --> 00:10:03.690 what he means is, why didn't you bring it to 00:10:03.690 --> 00:10:05.710 me when I asked where it was at? That's what 00:10:05.710 --> 00:10:11.769 we mean. Learn to function in the vocabulary. 00:10:16.420 --> 00:10:18.399 Oh, here's a good one. When a man says, I heard 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:20.419 you, that means nothing. He says, I don't have 00:10:20.419 --> 00:10:23.220 the foggiest idea of what you just said, and 00:10:23.220 --> 00:10:25.779 I'm going to fake it until I make it, or you 00:10:25.779 --> 00:10:29.840 tell me again. Because we are not going to admit 00:10:29.840 --> 00:10:37.379 that we didn't hear what you said. Oh, I'm going 00:10:37.379 --> 00:10:39.399 to preach. I'm just lightening you up before 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:43.549 we get there. When you're at the store trying 00:10:43.549 --> 00:10:45.610 on clothes and you come out and say, how's this 00:10:45.610 --> 00:10:47.210 looking? He says, that's great. That's terrific. 00:10:47.389 --> 00:10:49.629 What he's saying is do not try on another one. 00:10:50.129 --> 00:10:55.909 Get one of the four and let's go. Or at least 00:10:55.909 --> 00:10:59.350 that's what I'm saying when I go. After four, 00:10:59.429 --> 00:11:01.929 that's enough. We ain't buying but one anyway. 00:11:04.690 --> 00:11:07.470 When a man says, I'm not lost, I know exactly 00:11:07.470 --> 00:11:11.350 where I am. You're liable to never be seen alive 00:11:11.350 --> 00:11:26.190 again. Funny fact, true fact, over the years 00:11:26.190 --> 00:11:28.970 as we would travel to larger cities, I don't 00:11:28.970 --> 00:11:31.830 do well in large cities. That's probably pretty 00:11:31.830 --> 00:11:34.669 obvious, especially driving, I don't do well. 00:11:34.769 --> 00:11:36.830 And believe it or not, men, I would surrender 00:11:36.830 --> 00:11:40.750 the wheel to Sister Kathy. at General Assemblies 00:11:40.750 --> 00:11:45.350 in the larger cities. She had a built -in GPS. 00:11:46.389 --> 00:11:49.250 Don't ask me how. It boggles my mind to this 00:11:49.250 --> 00:11:52.850 day. I could go in doing the registration, get 00:11:52.850 --> 00:11:54.690 ready to do business meeting. If we decided to 00:11:54.690 --> 00:11:57.110 go anywhere that evening to try to eat, she already 00:11:57.110 --> 00:11:59.610 had it pegged out. There wasn't no hunting, no 00:11:59.610 --> 00:12:03.809 GPS, no Siri on the phone. We showed up. She 00:12:03.809 --> 00:12:07.629 could get you anywhere at any time. And I don't 00:12:07.629 --> 00:12:10.279 care to admit that. Because I don't want to drive 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:18.379 in the city anyway. Keep walking the line. Oftentimes 00:12:18.379 --> 00:12:23.320 with these Father's Day messages, just like from 00:12:23.320 --> 00:12:28.000 time to time for Mother's Day, we can lean a 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.200 little bit too harshly. We can get too heavy 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:33.919 with what we're going to preach and what we're 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:37.720 going to bring out. sometimes we see it as moments 00:12:37.720 --> 00:12:43.519 to correct everything in life. And that's not 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:46.860 necessarily, as I've grown older, exactly what 00:12:46.860 --> 00:12:51.460 today's about. Today is about reminding men of 00:12:51.460 --> 00:12:54.559 God that we have to continue to walk the line. 00:12:55.820 --> 00:13:00.100 Today is a reminder for all of us. That we all 00:13:00.100 --> 00:13:02.860 must continue to walk the line, the line that 00:13:02.860 --> 00:13:05.779 is laid before us. And that line being the steps 00:13:05.779 --> 00:13:09.340 of a good man, a good woman, a good person, a 00:13:09.340 --> 00:13:12.480 child of God. Our steps are laid, they are established 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:16.559 before us and they are established by the Lord. 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:19.639 You can go back to Psalm 1 and begin to read 00:13:19.639 --> 00:13:22.220 how the line is looked. Blessed is the man who 00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:24.440 walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, sits 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:26.779 in the seat of the scorner, or stands in the 00:13:26.779 --> 00:13:29.379 way of the sinner, right? There's a line. There's 00:13:29.379 --> 00:13:32.080 a progress. There's a pathway for you and I to 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:35.840 walk out. And it behooves us to stay on the line, 00:13:35.940 --> 00:13:38.940 to stay within the boundaries. And for us to 00:13:38.940 --> 00:13:42.669 be men of God, we must keep... Walking the line. 00:13:42.850 --> 00:13:45.710 Those steps, they're ordered. They're ordered 00:13:45.710 --> 00:13:49.389 by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way. Though 00:13:49.389 --> 00:13:52.129 he fall. Listen, isn't this powerful? Though 00:13:52.129 --> 00:13:55.370 he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for 00:13:55.370 --> 00:13:58.610 the Lord upholds him with his hand. Oh, look, 00:13:58.669 --> 00:14:00.769 men, sometimes we can get the wrong impression 00:14:00.769 --> 00:14:03.570 about that we are to be perfect in life, and 00:14:03.570 --> 00:14:05.690 that ought to be in the thesaurus as well, because 00:14:05.690 --> 00:14:08.169 your wife will tell you, no, honey, you're not 00:14:08.169 --> 00:14:13.399 perfect. Amen. We have built -in humblers if 00:14:13.399 --> 00:14:16.419 you are married. We are humbled by those who 00:14:16.419 --> 00:14:19.879 are the closest to us because we too become one. 00:14:20.700 --> 00:14:24.370 Amen. And we are directed to continue to walk 00:14:24.370 --> 00:14:29.090 the line. And to be a man of God, a father, if 00:14:29.090 --> 00:14:32.190 you will, prerequisites to being a good father, 00:14:32.309 --> 00:14:35.970 you first must be a good man, functioning as 00:14:35.970 --> 00:14:39.049 a man, taking responsibility as a man, thinking 00:14:39.049 --> 00:14:42.289 like a man, acting like a man, behaving, working, 00:14:42.450 --> 00:14:45.570 and all the prerequisites of being a good father 00:14:45.570 --> 00:14:49.570 fall in line with staying on the course and staying 00:14:49.570 --> 00:14:53.259 within the boundaries and to keep and to continue 00:14:53.259 --> 00:14:56.080 to walk in the established way that the Lord 00:14:56.080 --> 00:14:59.580 has given to us all. Amen. You'll not be a good 00:14:59.580 --> 00:15:02.820 father until you are a good man. It has been 00:15:02.820 --> 00:15:06.059 said before. Girls, ladies, if you want to see 00:15:06.059 --> 00:15:08.820 what kind of boy that you're dating, go home 00:15:08.820 --> 00:15:11.240 for supper and watch and see how he treats his 00:15:11.240 --> 00:15:13.700 mother. If he acts like a heathen to his mama, 00:15:13.860 --> 00:15:17.750 get up. Dismiss yourself, excuse yourself, call 00:15:17.750 --> 00:15:20.049 home and let them come pick you up and take you 00:15:20.049 --> 00:15:30.750 home. That is not where you want to be. Today 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:33.909 in our society and culture, fatherhood is often 00:15:33.909 --> 00:15:37.830 diminished. In so many different ways, I begin 00:15:37.830 --> 00:15:41.009 to think about growing up and watching some of 00:15:41.009 --> 00:15:44.470 those My Three Sons. I know that's way over some 00:15:44.470 --> 00:15:47.870 of you's head, and watching some of those different 00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:52.470 programs, and now you get Al Bundy. You know, 00:15:52.490 --> 00:15:55.379 stuff like that. what fatherhood has become. 00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:58.159 The role is being diminished, but I think there's 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:01.600 still a role for the man of God to be father, 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:05.139 husband, amen, and a good son within his home. 00:16:05.320 --> 00:16:09.200 And we thank God today that our nation is trying 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:11.620 to make another turn back toward. I'm not going 00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:14.240 to go through all the statistics and give you 00:16:14.240 --> 00:16:16.480 those things. You just look up the condition 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:20.360 of fatherhood in America. It is improving somewhat 00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:24.330 over the last few decades. a good thing. And 00:16:24.330 --> 00:16:27.269 I thank God that in this house today, we have 00:16:27.269 --> 00:16:29.990 some men who are endeavoring to keep walking 00:16:29.990 --> 00:16:34.169 the line. We have men's men. Amen? We have men 00:16:34.169 --> 00:16:36.490 that our young boys and our young men who are 00:16:36.490 --> 00:16:39.649 growing up can look at and want to emulate their 00:16:39.649 --> 00:16:42.610 life after. Right in this very room. You need 00:16:42.610 --> 00:16:45.269 a godly role model to see and worship? Right 00:16:45.269 --> 00:16:48.029 here's a good place to find you one. Amen? You 00:16:48.029 --> 00:16:51.590 can find men of all trade, all craft, all character 00:16:51.590 --> 00:16:56.059 in this who are keeping their feet on the line 00:16:56.059 --> 00:16:59.600 and walking out the established pathway that 00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:02.679 God has given for them to walk. And we get our 00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:07.160 first example from God himself, God as our father. 00:17:07.339 --> 00:17:10.380 Look what the psalmist said in 68 and 5. A father 00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:13.920 of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God. 00:17:14.250 --> 00:17:18.089 Aren't you glad that God is our example and we 00:17:18.089 --> 00:17:20.769 have a heavenly father? I am so glad that he 00:17:20.769 --> 00:17:23.789 decided to reveal himself to all of humanity 00:17:23.789 --> 00:17:26.910 through the role and the figure and the character 00:17:26.910 --> 00:17:30.509 of a heavenly father. Amen. And we have all kind 00:17:30.509 --> 00:17:33.369 of instructions on how he reveals that character 00:17:33.369 --> 00:17:37.170 to us in Psalm 103, 13. As a father hath compassion 00:17:37.170 --> 00:17:40.250 on his children, so the Lord hath compassion 00:17:40.250 --> 00:17:45.549 on those who fear him. Isaiah 63. You, O Lord, 00:17:45.750 --> 00:17:48.869 are our Father. Our Redeemer from everlasting 00:17:48.869 --> 00:17:52.589 is your name. My, my, my. We have that wonder, 00:17:52.690 --> 00:17:55.950 that character that we are to look toward in 00:17:55.950 --> 00:17:58.930 our life. In Matthew 7, 9 through 11, Jesus said 00:17:58.930 --> 00:18:02.130 this. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, 00:18:02.329 --> 00:18:05.289 will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, 00:18:05.390 --> 00:18:08.410 will give him a snake? If you then, though you 00:18:08.410 --> 00:18:11.210 are evil, know how to give good gifts to your 00:18:11.210 --> 00:18:15.430 children, will your Father in heaven give good 00:18:15.430 --> 00:18:18.450 gifts to those who ask him. I don't know about 00:18:18.450 --> 00:18:21.670 you, but I'm glad my Abba Father who is in heaven 00:18:21.670 --> 00:18:25.150 understands the needs that I have, amen, and 00:18:25.150 --> 00:18:28.650 he supplies every need that is concerning me. 00:18:28.849 --> 00:18:31.730 I am so grateful that the heavenly Father looks 00:18:31.730 --> 00:18:34.829 down from a throne, but he looks down with eyes 00:18:34.829 --> 00:18:37.789 filled with compassion toward his children. Oh, 00:18:37.829 --> 00:18:40.430 don't get me wrong. He is not a God to just let 00:18:40.430 --> 00:18:42.680 you get by with everything. For whom the father 00:18:42.680 --> 00:18:45.640 loveth that son that he loveth, he chasteneth. 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:48.599 What does chasteneth mean? It means he punishes, 00:18:48.599 --> 00:18:51.359 he corrects, he brings into alignment. He not 00:18:51.359 --> 00:18:54.079 only gives me what I need, but sometimes he gives 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:56.519 me what I don't want. Amen. I don't know of a 00:18:56.519 --> 00:19:01.099 child that relishes and thrills and has overjoyed 00:19:01.099 --> 00:19:04.079 in the fact of correction. Why? Because it's 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:06.299 human nature. We think we know it all already. 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:08.759 We think we've got it all going our way and we 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:11.019 don't need it. But when correction comes our 00:19:11.019 --> 00:19:13.740 way, That is one of the most loving things you 00:19:13.740 --> 00:19:16.519 as a father can do. Don't let your cheering be 00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:19.240 heathens. Come on, somebody. We are to correct 00:19:19.240 --> 00:19:21.680 them. We look on them with compassion and we 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:24.140 line them up. Amen. That's the way the father 00:19:24.140 --> 00:19:27.740 does you and I. And I am so grateful that our 00:19:27.740 --> 00:19:30.859 heavenly father looks down with eyes of compassion 00:19:30.859 --> 00:19:33.900 toward us. And those eyes of compassion are love. 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:36.440 And they bring provision when we need it. They 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:38.740 bring protection when they need it. And they 00:19:38.740 --> 00:19:41.380 also, those loving eyes. bring about correction 00:19:41.380 --> 00:19:44.700 when it is required. Why? Because he loves us. 00:19:44.819 --> 00:19:47.819 And I am so thankful that he loves me. Amen. 00:19:47.880 --> 00:19:50.000 Aren't you glad that the Lord loves you? Our 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:53.599 heavenly father enables us to continue walking 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:57.779 the line that he's laid in John 20 and 17. After 00:19:57.779 --> 00:20:00.640 he rose from the dead, Jesus would tell Mary 00:20:00.640 --> 00:20:03.200 to go to his disciples and tell them that he 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.599 was a living and that he was well and that he 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:07.880 was going to meet them. He says, I am returning 00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:11.869 to my father. your Father, to my God, and to 00:20:11.869 --> 00:20:15.130 your God. And I want you to tell them I will 00:20:15.130 --> 00:20:19.170 meet them in town a little later on today. I'm 00:20:19.170 --> 00:20:22.690 so glad that the Father has mentioned over and 00:20:22.690 --> 00:20:27.170 over and over and over and over and over and 00:20:27.170 --> 00:20:30.170 over and how that his love is extended earthward 00:20:30.170 --> 00:20:33.210 to those who call upon him and those who are 00:20:33.210 --> 00:20:36.089 his. Amen. I have been grafted in. I've been 00:20:36.089 --> 00:20:40.730 adopted in whereby I do. cry and I use that term 00:20:40.730 --> 00:20:44.349 Abba. Daddy I love you. When I'm sitting here 00:20:44.349 --> 00:20:46.289 this morning in this sanctuary thinking about 00:20:46.289 --> 00:20:48.809 if the highest place that I reach is at his feet 00:20:48.809 --> 00:20:51.390 I'm thinking my Lord there is no higher place 00:20:51.390 --> 00:20:54.369 because his feet are above any and everything 00:20:54.369 --> 00:20:57.329 in existence. His feet is above it all and if 00:20:57.329 --> 00:20:59.690 I could just get there then I've acquired it 00:20:59.690 --> 00:21:03.509 all. He is my heavenly father. I know this morning 00:21:03.509 --> 00:21:05.769 that there may be some under the sound of my 00:21:05.769 --> 00:21:08.980 voice that have not had a very pleasant earthly 00:21:08.980 --> 00:21:12.079 experience with an earthly father. But I'm here 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:14.460 to tell you today, your heavenly father can touch 00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:17.480 your heart. Amen. The heavenly father can relieve 00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:20.339 you of that stress and that pain and that hurt. 00:21:20.460 --> 00:21:23.940 And somehow, oh, don't ask me how. I can't explain 00:21:23.940 --> 00:21:26.940 how. But somehow in the depths of all of that 00:21:26.940 --> 00:21:29.920 hurt and all of that pain, the grace of his compassion, 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:33.240 his love will flood in. And it won't seem to 00:21:33.240 --> 00:21:36.099 matter so much anymore because you know that 00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:39.140 your heavenly father has never failed you. He's 00:21:39.140 --> 00:21:41.720 never forsaken you. He's never hurt you, abused 00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:44.079 you. He's never left you alone, but he's always 00:21:44.079 --> 00:21:52.140 been there for you. Amen. God is our Father. 00:21:52.960 --> 00:21:57.579 So if God is our Father, then what is man? Psalm 00:21:57.579 --> 00:22:00.039 8 and 4 ask the same question. What is man that 00:22:00.039 --> 00:22:03.359 thou art mindful of him and the son of man that 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:08.240 thou visitest him? Again, in 34 and 6, the psalmist 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:11.039 says, this poor man, we see all manner of conditions 00:22:11.039 --> 00:22:15.680 of man. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:18.859 him, and he saved him out of all of his trouble. 00:22:20.539 --> 00:22:22.980 Speaking of man, Job would put this condition 00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:26.460 upon man in 14 and 1. Man that is born of woman 00:22:26.460 --> 00:22:31.380 is of a few days and full of trouble. What is 00:22:31.380 --> 00:22:33.519 man? Man is formed from the dust of the earth. 00:22:34.310 --> 00:22:36.329 In the beginning, God created the heavens and 00:22:36.329 --> 00:22:39.410 the earth, and he created man. He formed him 00:22:39.410 --> 00:22:43.410 in his likeness, in his image, and he breathed 00:22:43.410 --> 00:22:46.769 life into him, and he became a living soul. Not 00:22:46.769 --> 00:22:49.490 just a living body. Not just a living tabernacle. 00:22:49.509 --> 00:22:53.589 He became a living soul. A man created in the 00:22:53.589 --> 00:22:57.170 likeness of him. A man, body, soul, mind. Here 00:22:57.170 --> 00:23:00.210 we are, Father, Spirit, Son. We are made in that 00:23:00.210 --> 00:23:04.750 triune image of God. We're made in his likeness. 00:23:04.750 --> 00:23:07.910 And thank God, after the fall, he sent his son. 00:23:07.950 --> 00:23:10.650 so that we could be transformed into his image. 00:23:10.710 --> 00:23:14.609 Hallelujah. Amen. What is man that thou art mindful 00:23:14.609 --> 00:23:18.730 of him? Well, man sometimes is too big for his 00:23:18.730 --> 00:23:26.650 own britches. See, if you go back and think about 00:23:26.650 --> 00:23:30.789 that thesaurus just a little bit, has nothing 00:23:30.789 --> 00:23:33.609 to do with the definition, has all to do with 00:23:33.609 --> 00:23:37.910 the inadequacy. It's in my mind trying to get 00:23:37.910 --> 00:23:43.589 it out of my mouth. The shortcomings of the man. 00:23:45.869 --> 00:23:47.829 He has to fake it to make it because he wasn't 00:23:47.829 --> 00:23:54.329 listening to start with. Follow me? The reason 00:23:54.329 --> 00:23:56.009 he's off in a ditch and nobody knows where he's 00:23:56.009 --> 00:23:57.789 at and there's no cell service is because he 00:23:57.789 --> 00:23:59.849 was lost and didn't know the road turned where 00:23:59.849 --> 00:24:03.849 it turned because he was too prideful to stop 00:24:03.849 --> 00:24:07.029 and ask somebody. Are you following me? What 00:24:07.029 --> 00:24:16.089 is man? Man's a fallen creature. Dominated by 00:24:16.089 --> 00:24:20.589 the effects of sin. But yet being wooed by the 00:24:20.589 --> 00:24:24.549 effects of a heavenly father to deliver him from 00:24:24.549 --> 00:24:29.890 his own condition. That's what man is. Again, 00:24:29.950 --> 00:24:32.930 37, 23, our text this morning. The steps of a... 00:24:33.369 --> 00:24:36.130 Good men are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth 00:24:36.130 --> 00:24:38.390 in his way. 84 and 12, the psalmist says, O Lord 00:24:38.390 --> 00:24:41.829 of hosts, blessed is the man that trusts in thee. 00:24:42.029 --> 00:24:44.369 You go back to the first few verses of Psalm 00:24:44.369 --> 00:24:48.059 37, and it's powerful. Because there's trust 00:24:48.059 --> 00:24:51.220 mentioned. There's committing mentioned. And 00:24:51.220 --> 00:24:54.359 there's rest mentioned. And committing our way 00:24:54.359 --> 00:24:56.599 to the Lord. All these things are mentioned. 00:24:56.740 --> 00:24:59.420 It's part of the pathway. It's keeping on the 00:24:59.420 --> 00:25:01.859 line. It's staying within the parameters and 00:25:01.859 --> 00:25:04.059 the boundaries that God has laid up for us. All 00:25:04.059 --> 00:25:07.299 of 37 is simply about when King David had now 00:25:07.299 --> 00:25:10.539 gotten older, it's just a psalm of wisdom. When 00:25:10.539 --> 00:25:12.799 he looks back and he has a reflective moment 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:16.490 over how good God has been to him. Now he was 00:25:16.490 --> 00:25:18.990 young, now he's old. And all of that span of 00:25:18.990 --> 00:25:21.809 time and all of his life, maybe nearing 70 years 00:25:21.809 --> 00:25:24.609 old, the king has finally understood that if 00:25:24.609 --> 00:25:27.710 I commit my way, if I trust the Lord, amen, if 00:25:27.710 --> 00:25:31.029 I have fear or revere and reverence for the Lord, 00:25:31.089 --> 00:25:34.250 amen, then the Lord's going to be on my side. 00:25:34.430 --> 00:25:36.490 And then we get further on in here and he says, 00:25:36.569 --> 00:25:39.690 blessed is that man, amen. Let that man for his 00:25:39.690 --> 00:25:42.430 steps are ordered. David looks back and he sees 00:25:42.430 --> 00:25:45.900 the plan of God for his very life. him by a bear, 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:48.680 when he led him by a lion. Come on, somebody. 00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:51.440 He led him all the way to the valley of Elah, 00:25:51.460 --> 00:25:55.380 where there he met the giant Goliath. His steps 00:25:55.380 --> 00:25:58.279 were ordered. It was all a preparatory path for 00:25:58.279 --> 00:26:00.640 his. Stop looking at your trouble. Stop looking 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:03.420 at your rejection as something to take you down, 00:26:03.539 --> 00:26:06.180 but start looking at how God can raise you up 00:26:06.180 --> 00:26:09.339 and how the Lord of heaven is preparing you for 00:26:09.339 --> 00:26:12.559 the pathway. It's not all hardship, ache, and 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:15.420 woe. There's some things and valuable lessons 00:26:15.420 --> 00:26:19.619 learned in the process. of walking through. It 00:26:19.619 --> 00:26:22.759 would only be after he took the lion. When Goliath 00:26:22.759 --> 00:26:26.059 is out there in the valley, Saul is trying to 00:26:26.059 --> 00:26:29.079 put armor on him that he cannot wear, that he 00:26:29.079 --> 00:26:31.619 had not proven. He's trying to send him out in 00:26:31.619 --> 00:26:33.859 a way that he's not been prepped and his steps 00:26:33.859 --> 00:26:36.200 had not been ordered. And he said, look here, 00:26:36.339 --> 00:26:39.099 when the lion come after my father's sheep, I 00:26:39.099 --> 00:26:42.119 delivered the lamb from the lion and would have 00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:46.480 been well enough to leave him alive. But he roared 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:50.039 up, he reared. and he come at me and I took him 00:26:50.039 --> 00:26:54.480 by the beard and I slew him. My God in heaven. 00:26:54.559 --> 00:26:58.079 If he can take the lion, he realizes that God 00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:00.819 who had ordered his step was able to empower 00:27:00.819 --> 00:27:04.059 him, enable him, that he take the sling of his 00:27:04.059 --> 00:27:07.119 preparation and take the giant out of his life. 00:27:07.180 --> 00:27:12.200 What is the sling of your preparation? Hallelujah. 00:27:13.210 --> 00:27:15.470 Steps are ordered. Young men, start looking at 00:27:15.470 --> 00:27:18.369 what God is doing and speaking and leading into 00:27:18.369 --> 00:27:23.970 your life. Start looking and being aware. Well, 00:27:23.970 --> 00:27:28.029 I'm just a kid. So was David when he was anointed. 00:27:29.849 --> 00:27:32.170 Hey, you don't have to wait until you're 30 to 00:27:32.170 --> 00:27:38.509 get anointed. You can be anointed and then walk 00:27:38.509 --> 00:27:41.819 through the preparation in that anointing. And 00:27:41.819 --> 00:27:46.200 time will set you in your place. But we want 00:27:46.200 --> 00:27:52.900 it all. What is man? Thou art mindful of him. 00:27:55.460 --> 00:27:59.579 Blessed is the man that trusts in thee. That's 00:27:59.579 --> 00:28:04.019 Psalm 91. Prayer by the man of God. Lord, thou 00:28:04.019 --> 00:28:06.940 hast been our dwelling place in all generations. 00:28:11.950 --> 00:28:15.930 It's in that secret place of the Most High where 00:28:15.930 --> 00:28:21.450 we must learn to abide. It's in that secret hiding 00:28:21.450 --> 00:28:25.210 place within God Himself that you'll see your 00:28:25.210 --> 00:28:27.970 pathway laid out before you and you walk if you 00:28:27.970 --> 00:28:34.029 keep on the line. If we keep walking the line, 00:28:34.130 --> 00:28:35.990 God is your Heavenly Father. He knows where you 00:28:35.990 --> 00:28:41.349 are at all times. What are you? We are made in 00:28:41.349 --> 00:28:44.069 the likeness and image of God, but fallen because 00:28:44.069 --> 00:28:48.089 of sin. Now our need for him is greater than 00:28:48.089 --> 00:28:52.930 it has ever been. Because you think you know 00:28:52.930 --> 00:29:00.289 what's best for you. Huh. Look where that gets 00:29:00.289 --> 00:29:04.210 us sometimes. Look where that leaves us surrendering 00:29:04.210 --> 00:29:09.109 sometimes. So you've got God as your father. 00:29:11.079 --> 00:29:15.059 Just a small description of what man is. So if 00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:17.920 God's a father, then what kind of man is God 00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:22.099 looking for? I think he's looking for a few of 00:29:22.099 --> 00:29:26.420 those good men. For the steps of a good man. 00:29:26.579 --> 00:29:30.579 I think he's looking for a few good men. Right? 00:29:31.299 --> 00:29:36.299 Don't you? Men who have learned to lean on God. 00:29:36.359 --> 00:29:40.960 Look. Young men. You need to hear you, Pastor. 00:29:41.220 --> 00:29:44.799 I want you to listen good today. Learn at an 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:50.380 early age to lean on and trust the Lord. Learn 00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:55.839 early. Good men take their families to church. 00:29:57.440 --> 00:30:02.420 In our culture today, there's so much trying 00:30:02.420 --> 00:30:07.140 to divide and take away. My mind just simply 00:30:07.140 --> 00:30:09.700 goes back just from the past. A few weekends 00:30:09.700 --> 00:30:12.779 running around with the grandsons, the ball field 00:30:12.779 --> 00:30:15.460 after ball field after ball field. Back in the 00:30:15.460 --> 00:30:18.559 day, there was no such thing as a practice of 00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:22.480 any kind on a Wednesday evening. None. Practice. 00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:25.619 Let alone anything else. That just didn't happen. 00:30:27.740 --> 00:30:34.180 And Sunday was absolute taboo. No. Get the holy 00:30:34.180 --> 00:30:36.920 water, find something. You're doing what on Sunday? 00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:42.900 But all of the compromise of the age is crept 00:30:42.900 --> 00:30:46.500 in and the church no longer sees this as priority. 00:30:48.700 --> 00:30:52.980 You must be careful. Your seven and eight year 00:30:52.980 --> 00:30:55.940 old at this moment is not preparing for the FIFA 00:30:55.940 --> 00:31:12.519 World Cup. That's pretty good right there. God 00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:17.220 is looking for some good men who demonstrate 00:31:17.220 --> 00:31:19.319 the priority and who will put their trust in 00:31:19.319 --> 00:31:22.660 him. Proverbs 3 and 5, trust in the Lord with 00:31:22.660 --> 00:31:25.059 all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding. 00:31:25.099 --> 00:31:28.359 That's where we start getting in trouble. In 00:31:28.359 --> 00:31:31.319 all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct 00:31:31.319 --> 00:31:35.579 your paths. Okay, let me just back up. Fathers, 00:31:35.660 --> 00:31:38.680 I know I hit us hard with soccer and baseball, 00:31:38.839 --> 00:31:41.579 but mamas. These little dance things that you're 00:31:41.579 --> 00:31:45.799 taking your youngins to. Cheer camps and yada, 00:31:45.799 --> 00:31:51.519 yada, yada all weekend. Careful. Well, we can 00:31:51.519 --> 00:32:01.660 do a devotion. You can, but do you? We can do 00:32:01.660 --> 00:32:06.289 a lot of things, but will we? Well, no, you overslept 00:32:06.289 --> 00:32:08.369 30 minutes in the hotel. It wasn't your bed, 00:32:08.430 --> 00:32:11.309 and you finally got to sleep. They don't want 00:32:11.309 --> 00:32:12.869 to get out of the bed. You've got to get them 00:32:12.869 --> 00:32:15.450 ready. You've got to get all this stuff on. And 00:32:15.450 --> 00:32:17.329 you're fussing and fighting and screaming and 00:32:17.329 --> 00:32:23.130 hollering, and there is no devotion. Amen, pastor. 00:32:23.430 --> 00:32:26.309 Preach to us. Help us walk the line. I think 00:32:26.309 --> 00:32:34.240 I will today. See, I wanted to go all morning 00:32:34.240 --> 00:32:35.880 and not have to meddle, but I just couldn't have 00:32:35.880 --> 00:32:39.160 it. You know why? Because I want your little 00:32:39.160 --> 00:32:43.759 children to understand what the priorities are. 00:32:44.559 --> 00:32:50.440 And the priority is God, family, and then everything 00:32:50.440 --> 00:32:58.720 else. Everything else follows God. Something 00:32:58.720 --> 00:33:05.039 we must remind ourselves. Lean not to your own 00:33:05.039 --> 00:33:07.000 understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, 00:33:07.079 --> 00:33:10.539 and he shall direct your paths. Understand something 00:33:10.539 --> 00:33:17.180 today. The Lord doesn't need a man. The Lord 00:33:17.180 --> 00:33:25.000 doesn't need man. He sought man. We don't complete 00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:30.220 God. God completes us. You've seen those people 00:33:30.220 --> 00:33:33.839 that think they're God's gift, right? Those are 00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:35.740 the people I'd like to buy for what they're worth 00:33:35.740 --> 00:33:37.160 and sell them for what they think they were. 00:33:38.819 --> 00:33:53.299 Make a little on the side. Yeah. At a funeral 00:33:53.299 --> 00:33:55.480 last week, and one of the songs in the funeral 00:33:55.480 --> 00:33:59.359 was, he came looking for me. He came looking 00:33:59.359 --> 00:34:06.039 for me. When I saw no way out, he came looking 00:34:06.039 --> 00:34:11.420 for me. He seeks you and I out. He sought us 00:34:11.420 --> 00:34:15.420 out. How do you know? Genesis 3, 9. And the Lord 00:34:15.420 --> 00:34:19.880 God called unto Adam and said unto him, Where 00:34:19.880 --> 00:34:29.099 art thou? He sought him out. Is it just me or 00:34:29.099 --> 00:34:32.119 just... Did it just seem like we took two breaths 00:34:32.119 --> 00:34:36.059 and 30 minutes had passed? Or is it seeming like 00:34:36.059 --> 00:34:42.519 an eternity where you're at? I've been trying 00:34:42.519 --> 00:34:44.659 to condition myself to shorten, but it ain't 00:34:44.659 --> 00:34:53.539 working. Luke 19 and 10, for the Son of Man has 00:34:53.539 --> 00:34:57.719 come to seek and to save that which was lost. 00:34:59.210 --> 00:35:05.670 He'd come looking for you. He's looking for someone 00:35:05.670 --> 00:35:12.730 who will stand in a gap. Ezekiel 22 and 30, the 00:35:12.730 --> 00:35:15.230 Lord says through the prophet, I sought for a 00:35:15.230 --> 00:35:20.949 man among them. Talking about his nation, Israel, 00:35:21.130 --> 00:35:25.909 his chosen. I sought for a man among them. That 00:35:25.909 --> 00:35:28.369 should make up the hedge and stand in the gap 00:35:28.369 --> 00:35:33.670 before me that I should not destroy it. Some 00:35:33.670 --> 00:35:37.429 of the saddest words recorded in scripture. But 00:35:37.429 --> 00:35:49.010 I found none. Isn't that sad? The Lord says, 00:35:49.090 --> 00:35:51.329 I really don't want to destroy it. I do not want 00:35:51.329 --> 00:35:56.900 to release my wrath upon you. And I looked. For 00:35:56.900 --> 00:36:00.980 someone to make up the hedge. You've seen hedgerows 00:36:00.980 --> 00:36:04.480 that's got gaps in them. He's looking for somebody 00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:12.579 to plug the gap. To raise up a standard. To fill 00:36:12.579 --> 00:36:15.639 it in. To seek me that I might not destroy it. 00:36:15.679 --> 00:36:23.360 But I couldn't find anybody. Scripture says when 00:36:23.360 --> 00:36:26.750 the Lord returns shall he find faith. Upon the 00:36:26.750 --> 00:36:30.409 earth, God is seeking for some good men with 00:36:30.409 --> 00:36:34.329 characteristics that follow shape. The characteristics 00:36:34.329 --> 00:36:39.769 of a Noah who by faith saved his family. Of a 00:36:39.769 --> 00:36:42.630 resolve of a Joshua. No matter what everyone 00:36:42.630 --> 00:36:46.130 else does, as for me and my house, we're going 00:36:46.130 --> 00:36:49.349 to serve the Lord. That has the compassion and 00:36:49.349 --> 00:36:52.449 the love of a prodigal father. When I see them 00:36:52.449 --> 00:37:01.239 returning from afar, I run to meet. Characteristics. 00:37:01.239 --> 00:37:06.079 Characteristics. We're in a culture. Understand, 00:37:06.280 --> 00:37:11.059 Uncle Sam wants you. Let me see them. The few, 00:37:11.099 --> 00:37:17.780 the proud, the Marines. Semper Fi. Hoorah! God's 00:37:17.780 --> 00:37:19.539 not looking just mainly for a sharp -dressed 00:37:19.539 --> 00:37:37.880 man. He's had a flashback of years ago. That's 00:37:37.880 --> 00:37:42.940 not necessarily what God's looking for. Unless 00:37:42.940 --> 00:37:49.800 he has on the right clothing. If he's clothed 00:37:49.800 --> 00:37:52.300 with the armor that he has provided, that's the 00:37:52.300 --> 00:37:56.739 man he's looking for. Sharply dressed in fine, 00:37:56.760 --> 00:38:00.579 polished armor. With a shield of faith radiating, 00:38:00.599 --> 00:38:02.760 ready to quench the fiery darts of the enemy. 00:38:02.880 --> 00:38:07.400 And a polished sword, not a rusty. but a polished, 00:38:07.480 --> 00:38:10.880 not a tarnished, but a polished, sharpened sword 00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:14.739 in his hand. Matthew 6, 25, Therefore I say unto 00:38:14.739 --> 00:38:16.699 you, take no thought for your life, what you 00:38:16.699 --> 00:38:19.119 shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for 00:38:19.119 --> 00:38:21.380 your body what you shall put on it. It's not 00:38:21.380 --> 00:38:24.719 life more than meat and the body than raiment. 00:38:26.159 --> 00:38:29.179 Try your best not to be overwhelmed and caught 00:38:29.179 --> 00:38:39.440 up with the things of this world. God's not looking 00:38:39.440 --> 00:38:41.679 necessarily for an old spice man either coming 00:38:41.679 --> 00:38:45.460 in from the sea. But he's looking for some men 00:38:45.460 --> 00:38:48.460 who seek him out and are anointed by his spirit. 00:38:49.219 --> 00:38:52.099 That's who he's looking for. That's who he desires. 00:38:53.719 --> 00:38:56.519 1 Samuel 16, 13, Samuel took the horn of oil 00:38:56.519 --> 00:38:58.639 and anointed him in the midst of his brethren. 00:38:58.699 --> 00:39:01.179 And the spirit of the Lord came upon David from 00:39:01.179 --> 00:39:03.920 that day forward. So Samuel rose and went to 00:39:03.920 --> 00:39:10.710 Ramah. And that anointing that comes, according 00:39:10.710 --> 00:39:14.190 to the 133 and 2 Psalms, it says, it is like 00:39:14.190 --> 00:39:17.650 the precious ointment upon the head. It ran down 00:39:17.650 --> 00:39:21.489 upon the beard, even Aaron's beard. It went down 00:39:21.489 --> 00:39:24.869 to the skirts of his garment and would puddle 00:39:24.869 --> 00:39:33.349 upon the ground. We must keep walking the line. 00:39:37.739 --> 00:39:44.099 To be men of faith. To be men of power. To be 00:39:44.099 --> 00:39:49.019 men of God. How does that work for everyone else? 00:39:49.039 --> 00:39:56.139 That we be people of faith. That we be people 00:39:56.139 --> 00:40:01.340 of God. Who walk in the power of God. It applies 00:40:01.340 --> 00:40:05.730 to us all. But today I just kindly single us 00:40:05.730 --> 00:40:09.369 out, men, that we be those in whom God is looking 00:40:09.369 --> 00:40:15.449 for. That we are dressed. That we are prepared. 00:40:16.769 --> 00:40:19.710 That we put on the garments of the new man, Colossians 00:40:19.710 --> 00:40:24.050 3 and 10. Put on the new man which is renewed 00:40:24.050 --> 00:40:26.590 in knowledge after the image of him that created 00:40:26.590 --> 00:40:30.730 him. And that we take on this newness of life. 00:40:31.650 --> 00:40:35.969 And we keep walking the line. We continue to 00:40:35.969 --> 00:40:53.130 live out our faith daily. Stand with me. I'd 00:40:53.130 --> 00:40:57.369 like for every man or young man in the room to 00:40:57.369 --> 00:41:01.610 just come and stand in this altar. Grab them 00:41:01.610 --> 00:41:03.429 little ones, whether they'll stand still or not, 00:41:03.530 --> 00:41:06.409 it don't matter. Let them squirm, but get them 00:41:06.409 --> 00:41:08.210 down here. You need to practice bringing them, 00:41:08.289 --> 00:41:14.889 Dad. Put a hand on the shoulder. Teach them how 00:41:14.889 --> 00:41:17.050 to react and respond. Teach them how to be in 00:41:17.050 --> 00:41:20.449 the altar of the Lord. Teach them about God's 00:41:20.449 --> 00:41:30.590 presence. Amen? Teach them. Instruct them. Because 00:41:30.590 --> 00:41:47.769 our Father... Who created us. Men. Adam tried 00:41:47.769 --> 00:41:58.150 to lay the blame off on Eve in the garden. I 00:41:58.150 --> 00:42:01.190 read to you there in 3 and 9 where God comes 00:42:01.190 --> 00:42:05.869 in the cool of the day and he says, Adam, where 00:42:05.869 --> 00:42:11.969 are you? And from behind the bushes. Over here, 00:42:11.969 --> 00:42:24.449 Lord. We're naked. Who told you? You were naked. 00:42:27.670 --> 00:42:30.829 Isn't it amazing what sin does and how it affects 00:42:30.829 --> 00:42:41.760 the reality of humanity? The innocence. How sin 00:42:41.760 --> 00:42:47.440 corrupts it. And then Adam chimes in like he's 00:42:47.440 --> 00:42:51.800 going to get out of responsibility. Well, that 00:42:51.800 --> 00:43:02.940 woman you gave me. Men, that won't fly. You the 00:43:02.940 --> 00:43:06.070 man. Now I'm just going to single us out. Young 00:43:06.070 --> 00:43:08.170 men, hear Pastor Good. You're going to grow up 00:43:08.170 --> 00:43:14.289 to be the man. If you marry and you have a wife, 00:43:14.489 --> 00:43:17.969 she becomes your responsibility. You're not hers. 00:43:23.869 --> 00:43:25.670 You won't be able to stand in front of God one 00:43:25.670 --> 00:43:27.510 day and say, well, she knows a little bit more 00:43:27.510 --> 00:43:29.650 about this than I do. The moment you come into 00:43:29.650 --> 00:43:32.750 the light, the responsibility shifts from her 00:43:32.750 --> 00:43:37.170 to you. Right then, you become the priest of 00:43:37.170 --> 00:43:44.230 your home. It's hardcore, I know. Buck stops 00:43:44.230 --> 00:43:51.750 with you. When these young 'uns, they carrying 00:43:51.750 --> 00:43:55.409 on raising the dickens. You can't just scratch 00:43:55.409 --> 00:43:57.929 your head. You go get them and scratch their 00:43:57.929 --> 00:44:02.050 rear end. Get hooked up. I'm not telling you 00:44:02.050 --> 00:44:05.380 to abuse your tail. I'm not telling you abuse 00:44:05.380 --> 00:44:07.639 them. I think it's abuse if you don't correct 00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:14.159 them. You can try taking the game, boy. You can 00:44:14.159 --> 00:44:17.739 try doing all that stuff, but sometimes that 00:44:17.739 --> 00:44:22.300 just don't get it. What are you saying? Go to 00:44:22.300 --> 00:44:27.880 the source of the situation. You can't look. 00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:30.440 When you stand before God, men, one day when 00:44:30.440 --> 00:44:33.480 we stand before a holy God, We're going to stand 00:44:33.480 --> 00:44:37.539 there and we're going to give an account. And 00:44:37.539 --> 00:44:39.659 you can't look over and say, well, hurt, no, 00:44:39.780 --> 00:44:42.679 no, no, no, no. When I saved you, you come into 00:44:42.679 --> 00:44:45.420 the light. Well, she knows more about the Bible 00:44:45.420 --> 00:44:47.159 than I do. Then get in it and read it and take 00:44:47.159 --> 00:44:53.420 over Bible study. It's on you. It's not her now. 00:44:53.519 --> 00:44:55.900 It's on you. It's the divine order established 00:44:55.900 --> 00:45:05.110 by God himself. It's on us. Now, when these fellas 00:45:05.110 --> 00:45:07.469 get to the age of some of these around here, 00:45:07.650 --> 00:45:11.369 when they start turning into these boys over 00:45:11.369 --> 00:45:17.929 here, what you've instructed them, instilled 00:45:17.929 --> 00:45:20.789 in them, they become responsible for themselves. 00:45:22.750 --> 00:45:25.489 They're going to stand before God for themselves. 00:45:27.710 --> 00:45:33.710 Come here, Brendan. Come here, Lauren. See, for 00:45:33.710 --> 00:45:36.750 a while, this big old boy right here, big old 00:45:36.750 --> 00:45:39.550 boy, a little taller than his daddy, but I think 00:45:39.550 --> 00:45:41.090 his daddy still got him. I know he thinks he 00:45:41.090 --> 00:45:44.530 can take him, and he can in a few years, but 00:45:44.530 --> 00:45:48.530 probably not right now. But see, he's no longer 00:45:48.530 --> 00:45:55.110 his responsibility. He's done his job. He's surrendered 00:45:55.110 --> 00:45:59.590 his life to the Lord. He's a grown man now, so 00:45:59.590 --> 00:46:03.280 he's giving account for Brendan. And then Brendan, 00:46:03.400 --> 00:46:10.380 somehow, it had to be God. If you don't believe 00:46:10.380 --> 00:46:11.800 in a miracle work of God, look at this young 00:46:11.800 --> 00:46:22.219 lady standing beside that. He's a good God. So 00:46:22.219 --> 00:46:28.099 now, right here becomes his responsibility. He's 00:46:28.099 --> 00:46:30.309 got a home. I've been in his home. Anointed the 00:46:30.309 --> 00:46:32.989 doorposts and lentils in every room. Asked God 00:46:32.989 --> 00:46:36.550 to be God over his house. That's a good start, 00:46:36.670 --> 00:46:41.710 isn't it? So now he's responsible. He cannot 00:46:41.710 --> 00:46:43.750 stand before God one day and say, well, that 00:46:43.750 --> 00:46:47.429 petite little woman you gave me, me at 225 and 00:46:47.429 --> 00:46:49.489 probably, what are you pressing, three? Yeah, 00:46:49.510 --> 00:46:54.369 315 pounds he's pressing. You actually think 00:46:54.369 --> 00:46:58.969 God's going to take that? Her, she did what to 00:46:58.969 --> 00:47:05.880 you? She forced you to do what? Man? You follow 00:47:05.880 --> 00:47:14.280 me? Thank you. Just an illustration that we understand 00:47:14.280 --> 00:47:18.579 the importance of our role. Some of you standing 00:47:18.579 --> 00:47:23.340 here are stepfathers. You've stepped into a role 00:47:23.340 --> 00:47:27.940 that you've never stepped into before. It's one 00:47:27.940 --> 00:47:32.309 thing to step into that role. When there's diapers 00:47:32.309 --> 00:47:36.849 involved. Because you can step in there and begin 00:47:36.849 --> 00:47:41.090 part of the formation. But when you step in there 00:47:41.090 --> 00:47:48.389 this age, that's a little different story. Requires 00:47:48.389 --> 00:47:50.510 more patience and grace from the Lord, doesn't 00:47:50.510 --> 00:47:54.809 it? Doesn't it? Takes more patience and instruction. 00:47:54.869 --> 00:47:57.849 So if you're... setting them down and you're 00:47:57.849 --> 00:47:59.570 trying to instruct with it. Well, let's see what 00:47:59.570 --> 00:48:06.869 the Lord says about our family right here. The 00:48:06.869 --> 00:48:12.409 steps of a good man. Keep walking the line. Look, 00:48:13.289 --> 00:48:15.750 guys, it's us. It's me and you right here. Y 00:48:15.750 --> 00:48:18.889 'all know how I am. It's just us today. We got 00:48:18.889 --> 00:48:22.510 to keep on the line. You can't let the frustrations 00:48:22.510 --> 00:48:25.670 and the aggravations of griping and fussing and 00:48:26.170 --> 00:48:28.730 and aggravating and all that stuff get you off 00:48:28.730 --> 00:48:38.590 the line? We've got to keep on the line. Somehow 00:48:38.590 --> 00:48:40.510 we've got to find the compassion of the Heavenly 00:48:40.510 --> 00:48:44.969 Father that has compassion on us and pass it 00:48:44.969 --> 00:48:50.250 on. Well, you just don't know. No, I don't, but 00:48:50.250 --> 00:48:54.329 He does. God, your Heavenly Father, knows it. 00:48:54.519 --> 00:48:57.760 Oh, exactly where you are. And if, let's just 00:48:57.760 --> 00:49:00.639 take this scenario. If your steps are ordered, 00:49:00.780 --> 00:49:03.659 are you not standing where he'd already printed 00:49:03.659 --> 00:49:06.639 out your path? Then why are you griping about 00:49:06.639 --> 00:49:09.659 it? We can't gripe. If we are where we are, our 00:49:09.659 --> 00:49:17.400 steps are established by the Lord. So, the best 00:49:17.400 --> 00:49:19.380 thing we can do is be the best man we can be 00:49:19.380 --> 00:49:25.769 while we're on the line. And trust me, that ain't 00:49:25.769 --> 00:49:29.590 always easy. And you can't pass the buck. It's 00:49:29.590 --> 00:49:32.389 like being senior pastor of a church. Everything 00:49:32.389 --> 00:49:37.809 that happens below lands right here. Doesn't 00:49:37.809 --> 00:49:39.829 matter what it is. Doesn't matter who does it. 00:49:40.570 --> 00:49:44.309 It always runs to here and has to be dealt with. 00:49:44.369 --> 00:49:46.889 That's the way it is in your home. You're dad. 00:49:49.690 --> 00:49:53.300 You're the priest of your home. Stand firm. You 00:49:53.300 --> 00:49:55.019 get in the Word the best you can. Well, I don't 00:49:55.019 --> 00:49:57.219 understand it all. Well, that makes all of us. 00:49:58.280 --> 00:50:00.340 I don't understand it all either. Don't you think 00:50:00.340 --> 00:50:01.860 there's some of this stuff I read and scratch 00:50:01.860 --> 00:50:06.800 my head? That's why they call it study. You've 00:50:06.800 --> 00:50:08.420 got to study through it. You've got to study 00:50:08.420 --> 00:50:14.039 into it. And then when those who are under your 00:50:14.039 --> 00:50:17.300 protection want to get outside the boundaries 00:50:17.300 --> 00:50:21.219 and get offline, you say, no, that ain't what 00:50:21.219 --> 00:50:23.650 we're going to do. Why? Because that ain't what 00:50:23.650 --> 00:50:27.250 the book says. Now, I know we are the world's 00:50:27.250 --> 00:50:29.829 worst about reading instructions, but this is 00:50:29.829 --> 00:50:33.530 the book you can't afford not to read. I'm like 00:50:33.530 --> 00:50:36.710 you. Swing sets, give me the picture on the box 00:50:36.710 --> 00:50:40.010 and a bag of screws, and they'll be swinging 00:50:40.010 --> 00:50:41.949 by dark. It may not be correct, but they'll be 00:50:41.949 --> 00:50:44.969 swinging, and it'll be safe enough. But I can't 00:50:44.969 --> 00:50:49.190 do that with this, right? I do have an image 00:50:49.190 --> 00:50:53.699 to look at. That's Christ himself. But I don't 00:50:53.699 --> 00:50:57.960 have the parts to do that. Woo! You know that, 00:50:58.019 --> 00:51:03.900 what's that say? Some assembly required. Batteries 00:51:03.900 --> 00:51:08.260 not included. That's the way some of that is. 00:51:08.360 --> 00:51:12.380 It's just not included. Father, I love you today. 00:51:12.539 --> 00:51:15.079 I could go on. I feel so driven in my heart today, 00:51:15.179 --> 00:51:18.760 Lord. Oh, for those who are standing in this 00:51:18.760 --> 00:51:21.340 altar for men of God. Their families are here 00:51:21.340 --> 00:51:26.539 with them. My Lord, those behind this crowd, 00:51:26.619 --> 00:51:28.039 would you stretch your hands this way and let's 00:51:28.039 --> 00:51:31.360 pray. Heavenly Father, I know that we're living 00:51:31.360 --> 00:51:34.119 in a day when the role of man, just being men, 00:51:34.260 --> 00:51:36.440 is under attack, let alone being fathers and 00:51:36.440 --> 00:51:39.500 husbands and being men of God, men of faith, 00:51:39.659 --> 00:51:42.800 being able and willing to stand and talk about 00:51:42.800 --> 00:51:45.780 you out loud to anybody. I know it's all under 00:51:45.780 --> 00:51:49.139 attack today, but Lord, man, what an altar full 00:51:49.139 --> 00:51:52.429 of men today. This is beautiful. What an altar 00:51:52.429 --> 00:51:56.170 full of men today. For youngest to the eldest 00:51:56.170 --> 00:51:58.289 in this room, Lord, help us keep on the line. 00:51:58.909 --> 00:52:01.250 May we instruct those who are beneath us and 00:52:01.250 --> 00:52:04.449 growing. May they see as an example how we stay 00:52:04.449 --> 00:52:07.010 on the line. They come into this church, they'll 00:52:07.010 --> 00:52:10.010 see big men, muscle men. They'll see little men, 00:52:10.170 --> 00:52:12.909 skinny men, fat men, tall men, short men. They'll 00:52:12.909 --> 00:52:15.789 see all kind of men, men with hair on top, men 00:52:15.789 --> 00:52:18.829 with no hair on top of their head. But they'll 00:52:18.829 --> 00:52:21.409 see them with extended hands and extended hearts, 00:52:21.590 --> 00:52:24.550 hopefully see warm tears flowing down their cheek 00:52:24.550 --> 00:52:27.849 as they worship you, Heavenly Father, that they 00:52:27.849 --> 00:52:31.269 know it's okay to do that. It's okay to do that. 00:52:31.429 --> 00:52:34.590 It's okay to worship. It's okay to be a Christian. 00:52:34.889 --> 00:52:38.010 It's okay to be a child of God. No matter what 00:52:38.010 --> 00:52:40.170 culture demands, no matter what culture says, 00:52:40.329 --> 00:52:44.369 it's pleasing to you. Lord, I pray over every 00:52:44.369 --> 00:52:47.150 young ear in this house, every young man, every 00:52:47.150 --> 00:52:54.210 boy, every teenager. I ask God that their ears 00:52:54.210 --> 00:53:00.750 be open and their eyes be longing to you. May 00:53:00.750 --> 00:53:03.010 it be said after I'm dead and buried and gone, 00:53:03.110 --> 00:53:05.130 if you've not come after them, may they remember 00:53:05.130 --> 00:53:08.090 this morning when they heard Pastor Waters get 00:53:08.090 --> 00:53:13.719 up and preach, keep on the line. Keep walking 00:53:13.719 --> 00:53:16.000 the line when their lives get hard, when their 00:53:16.000 --> 00:53:18.599 lives get difficult. May they hear the echo of 00:53:18.599 --> 00:53:21.880 my voice. I lift it loudly, Lord. Keep walking 00:53:21.880 --> 00:53:27.639 the line. Seek God as he seeks after you. Long 00:53:27.639 --> 00:53:32.340 to be in his heart, beyond his hands. Know God. 00:53:33.079 --> 00:53:36.860 Know him. Have relationship with him. Lead your 00:53:36.860 --> 00:53:42.460 families. Love your wives. Love your children. 00:53:43.440 --> 00:53:46.760 Honor them with correction and discipline. Honor 00:53:46.760 --> 00:53:54.099 them. Teach them in the way. Help us, Lord, to 00:53:54.099 --> 00:53:59.920 be men of God, men of faith, men of power. My 00:53:59.920 --> 00:54:04.539 Lord, I feel this today. Hallelujah. Give the 00:54:04.539 --> 00:54:11.639 Lord good praise in his house, would you? Amen. 00:54:11.719 --> 00:54:13.460 You can be seated real quick. Pastor Brian's 00:54:13.460 --> 00:54:14.079 going to come and draw.