If you would, turn in your Bibles tonight to Isaiah chapter 5. Isaiah chapter 5. Can you hear me? You're supposed to move up front later when you get that way. How about it? Is it better? Okay. Don't I have it on? All right. I know I'm not too technical. Well, let's see. Isaiah chapter 5, and when you find your place there, and verse 16, we'll begin reading if you will stand for the reading of the word of God, as we usually do here. Isaiah chapter 5 verse 16, But the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat. You pray for me now, and be seated and pray for me. I'll try to bring some thoughts on the manner of sheep. Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for your mercy once again today. Thank you for salvation through the shed blood of the precious Lamb of God. I plead that blood right now, Lord. I need your help and I know that. I'm thankful Lord you saved me a long time ago and called us to preach. Thankful Lord how you've used us down through the years. Lord, I need you Lord. I feel that I'm I'm just incapable of doing anything. And I know, Lord, that I can't. And I plead the name of Jesus Christ. God, fill us and use us, doing us in thy servant as you've done before. And, Lord, I pray for my pastor tonight. God bless him where he is. If he's preaching, I pray you fill him and use him. I pray, Lord, you'd help him tonight and his family. Lord, thank you for this place. Thank you for meeting with us many times here. Lord, I pray and plead the blood that this place would continually be a place, Lord, that you would bless your children. And I'm thankful for it. Help us tonight in Jesus' holy name. Amen. Amen. Amen. In chapter 5 of Isaiah, there are six woes that are given. And the second woe is in verse 11. Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning. that they may follow strong drink that continue until night, till wine inflame them." Now, I'm not preaching on that tonight, amen, but this is the woe, and God issues out a judgment on these people at this time, and he says in verse 16, as we read, the Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, amen, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. And then he says these words, then shall the lambs feed after their manner. Amen. After the judgment of God is passed on a folk. Amen. And when he starts to call out your number, amen, for judgment, you're not going to stop him. Amen. And he delivers judgment many times on the children of Israel, as we know in the Old Testament. Amen. Well, listen. There's coming a day when all of those who've risen up against Israel will find that wrath of God on their behalf. Amen. But I want to try to focus now on this phrase in verse 17. Then shall the lambs feed after their manner. Thank God, when all hell seems to be breaking loose in our lives and in our country and over the world, no matter what is happening in our lives, thank God we can still be sheep. Amen. And we can do the manner of sheep. Amen. We'll feed after the manner of sheep. I believe that the sheep feed in their pastures in peace. Amen. Thank God. And I'll turn to Psalm 23 if you want to. And he said in verse 2, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters. Amen. Now, thank God that this green pastures I believe right here is speaking of pastures of plenty. Amen. There's always enough for the children of God. That God the shepherd always provides for his sheep. Amen. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. That's pastures of plenty. Amen. And I believe in this context, it's speaking of a flourishing place. flourishing pastures, flourishing places, amen, with good, green, tender grass for his sheep. Thank God. Amen. He always provides. The shepherd provides for his sheep. Amen. The Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, always provides for his sheep. Amen. Philippians 4.19, But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Hallelujah. That's a good place. Amen. Riches in glory. That means He has pastures of plenty for us. Amen. Thank God for that. Ephesians chapter 3 and verse 20 says, Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us. Hallelujah. Thank God he's able, amen, to provide for his sheep tonight. I'm thankful for that. Praise the Lord. Amen. And again, in Psalm chapter 23, verse 2, he says, He leadeth me beside the still waters. Thank God there is a Peacefulness here, I believe in this verse, to lie down means that there's a place of rest. Amen? He maketh me to lie down. I don't believe He's forcing the lambs to lie down. Thank God, I just believe He led them to a place. Amen? And they felt that they were at rest and at peace and had no worries. Amen? And they lay down. Thank God Jesus Christ is our peace. Amen? He said, my peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, but my peace I give. Amen. In John chapter 14 and verse 27. And then he said, he leadeth me beside still waters. I believe that speaks of contentment, Brother Darnell. Amen. He leads me beside the still waters. Thank God. I'm going to turn over to First Timothy. First Timothy. Amen. See what the Lord had to say about that. 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 6. But godliness with contentment is great gain. Amen. Thank God. If you are living godly and you have contentment in your life, brother, you're gaining. Hallelujah. You may think you're losing sometimes. You may think you're on the losing end, but you're gaining. Hallelujah. Thank God. Amen. Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we've brought nothing into this world, and it's certain we can carry nothing out. Amen. Having food and raiment, let us be there with content. Amen. Thank God. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 5. Let your conversation be without covetousness. That means don't think you've got to have what somebody else has. Amen. And don't set out even to try to get it. Amen. Be content with such things as you have, for He has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Thank God tonight. I believe there are pastures of plenty for us. Amen. I believe that it's the flourishing places that God takes us to. Amen. I believe that we can have peace in our heart and our life. Amen. And we can lay down and rest. Hallelujah. And I believe that we can have contentment by the still waters, Brother Barnhill. Amen. Thank God for that. Next, I want you to see that in this feeding in the manner of sheep, that it's in the presence of enemies. In verse 5, thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Amen. And thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Praise the Lord. He has picked you a table right in the presence of the world, friend. Amen? No matter if hell's falling around you, God will still give you a table right there where you are when you're having your little pity party. Amen? And wondering what's going to happen next. Thank God He'll give you a table right there. In the presence of enemies, thank the Lord. That means in our situation, in the presence of the world. And you'll see, amen, the blessings of God pouring out to you. Thou anointest my head with oil." Now, David remembered, amen. He was anointed by Samuel in 1 Samuel chapter 16 to be the king of Israel someday. Amen. That anointing was a setting apart for a particular purpose, amen. And that anointing was a fulfilling in his heart. The Word of God said there that he from that fort went about when the Spirit of God was on him. Amen. And today, We're not anointed like that, but we need the fullness of the Holy Ghost. We need to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Amen. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 18, And be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. Thank God. If you're filled with the Spirit, then the world outside will see that's something different about us. Amen. Hallelujah. And our cup will be running over in spite of everything. Amen. Thank God they'll say, what in the world's wrong with that boy? Look at that Frank out there. He looks like he's happy and peaceful. Amen. He's working his head off. But thank God something's wrong. Something's wrong. Somebody ain't supposed to be like that. Thank God God's children, God's sheep are like that. Amen. Praise the Lord. Amen. We the sheep feed. Amen. Those sheep fed. on that good, clean grass, that tender grass, amen, and plenty. But we have this blessed Word of God to feed on, amen. God's provided us something to feed on, amen. In Luke chapter 8 and verse 11, in chapter 8, he's speaking about the parable of the sower. And he said, now the parable is this. The seed is the Word of God, amen. In John chapter 8 and verse 35, Jesus said, I am the bread of life. Amen. In John chapter 1 and verse 1, in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. Amen. Thank God Jesus Christ is that living word. And the things that we plant, the seed that we plant brings forth things that will produce bread. Amen. Thank God that if we eat all of that, we can grind it up and make it into bread. And that's what they did in that time. Amen. And thank God the bread that He's provided for us. The Lord Jesus Christ is the living Word. He's the living bread. So thank God this Holy Word of God, this King James Bible, is the bread of life for us today. Praise the Lord. Amen. And He'll provide a table. Thank God right out of that book. Just for you. Amen. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. I believe it's the manner of sheep. to feed in their pastures in peace. It's the manner for the sheep now to feed on this blessed word of God. Amen. Thank God. I believe that also it's the manner of sheep to frolic in the fold. Now, frolic is a word that not many people use today. Amen. But it simply means to make merry, to play in a lighthearted way. It means to be glad. And it means being joyful. Hallelujah. Amen. Joyful. Sheep should be joyful. And I believe they can frolic in the fold. The fold is a place concerning sheep. Amen. It's a place where they gather sheep together. Amen. This house of God is a place where sheep gather together. Amen. And the sheep, when they gather together in the house of God, ought to have joy in their hearts. Amen. They ought to be willing and able and will praise the Lord. Amen. In the house of God. Thank God. We ought to be that, brother. Amen. Philippians chapter 4 verse 4 said, Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 8, Whom having not seen ye love, and whom now ye see him not yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory." Hallelujah. Hey, when we come to the house of God and the fold is all together here, amen, and we're joined together as God's sheep, we need to be joyful, amen. We need to be willing to praise the Lord. Amen. Well, Psalm 16 and verse 11. Thou wilt show me the path of life, and thy presence is fullness of joy. At thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Amen. Psalm chapter 111, verse 1. Praise you, the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright. Amen. That's where we are tonight. And in the congregation, thank God, we can praise the Lord. Amen. Also, he said in Psalm 150, praise ye the Lord, praise God and His sanctuary. That's where we are tonight. Amen. Praise Him and the firmament of His power. Amen. When we get together in the house of God, we ought to be willing and able and praise the Lord. Thank God. I believe it's the manner of sheep to be thankful to their shepherd, a man who provides everything for them. Thank God, the child of God today. I believe it's his manner to be thankful to our good shepherd, our great shepherd, who supplies all of our needs and provides salvation. Amen. How are you going to be saved? There's no other way but through the blood of Jesus Christ. Thank God the same way that for many years now, amen, after Jesus died on the cross, when He died there, He provided the way. Hallelujah. And there's only one way still. It's still through Jesus' blood. Hallelujah. And because of that, we can follow the shepherd. It's the manner of sheep to follow their shepherd. Amen. Amen in that Old Testament and right now in certain parts of the world. The sheep don't go by themselves. They follow the shepherd. He leads them, amen, to those pastures of green. He leads them to those still waters. He leads them everywhere that they need to go. And the shepherd knows where they need to go. Hallelujah. He knows where we need to go. Amen. John chapter 10, verse 27, Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them. Hallelujah. And they follow Me. Amen. If we're saved tonight, we ought to be on a path following Christ. Amen. We ought to be where He wants us to be. Right in that path He's put us in. And follow Him. Hallelujah. Now, following means we're in the same way with Him. Amen. Thank God. Anytime that we were following somebody else through the woods, we were together. Amen. We're in the same way. and whatever path that we were following, we didn't want to get too far behind the other. Amen. Amen. We follow. He leads. We follow. Amen. He's already gone before us. Amen. Thank God He has. He's made a way for us. He's left us an example to follow. In 1 Peter chapter 2 and verse 21, For even here unto were ye called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps. Amen. Praise the Lord. He's left us examples. Amen. Let's look in verse 20 and go from there. For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently? But if when you do well and suffer for it, you take it patiently, then this is acceptable with God. Amen. Hallelujah. He's left us away. That's what Jesus did. Amen. He did no wrong. Amen. He did no wrong against that Roman crowd nor against those scribes and Pharisees and hypocrites. Amen. He did no wrong against them. But he was buffeted and he took that that they did on him for us. Amen. And the Word of God says without rearing back, without speaking back. Verse 22, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, reviled not again. Amen. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. Amen. If they were doing that to me, I'd be saying something, amen. I'd be trying to do something to get back at them. But Jesus did not get back at them. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. Amen. And He reviled not again. But He took back, amen, for us. Now, this is an example of suffering that He's left for us, amen. in times that we think we're suffering and we may not be, we ought to take it with ease. Amen. Not with disgust and trying to complain about everything. I don't know about you, but once in a while I get in a complaining mood. God, and I realize that I fought. I said, Lord, I don't want to be a complainer. And I cry out for mercy and repent of that thing. because he did not complain on his road to Calvary. He did not complain, amen, or try to pay them back. He just paid the price, brother. Hallelujah. He left us an example to follow in suffering. He left us an example to follow in servitude, amen. John chapter 13. John chapter 13 is a chapter that's just expressly for showing an example of being a servant. Amen. For Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. In verse 14, He said, If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you. Amen. He wasn't establishing an ordinance here. Amen. We don't do that as an ordinance in the church, the Baptist church now. But I don't think it would hurt somebody once in a while to wash somebody's feet. Amen. And I'm not promoting that. Amen. Brother Dan said we ought to start something around here. No, I'm not doing that. Brother Edward, he's the pastor, amen. Philippians chapter 2, Paul said some very deep things to the Philippians. He said, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfill you my joy that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory. Amen. But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Amen. Servitude. I should be willing to do whatever I can to help you if you have a need. Amen. Brother Ron, if I'm right with the Lord, I feel like you are higher than me. And I should esteem myself lower than you. Amen. Same with you, Josiah. Amen. And if you needed my help, I should be willing to do whatever I could to help you. And that's servitude. Amen. Put them above you. And I believe he left us an example of selflessness. Selflessness, Brother Darnell. Oh my. John Chapter 10 again. The Good Shepherd chapter. He said in verse 11, I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. In verse 15, as a father knoweth me even so, I know I the Father and I lay down my life for the sheep. Selflessness. Willing to give all for sinners. Like me. 1 John chapter 3. John picks this up. Amen. He learned something. He learned something from Christ. Amen. And verse 16, 1 John 3, 16, Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Amen. I should be willing to do whatever I could for you. Amen. If it meant laying down my life so you would be spared. Amen. That's brotherly love. That's selflessness that Jesus Christ, the Lord, left us an example to follow. Brother, those things are hard to imagine, aren't they? Amen. It's easier to say, but it's hard to set it in your heart and mind that this is right. But Jesus was always right. Amen. He left us an example to follow Him in seeking the will of God the Father. Amen. John 6, verse 38, Jesus said, For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me. He was always telling folk, I came to do the will of the Father. Amen. I came to do the will of the Father. and remembering Gethsemane as he prayed, not my will, but thine be done. Amen. And this is an example for us to follow. I shouldn't just sit out on my own to do something. Even in the name of the Lord or the church or whatever, it must be the will of God, not our will. Amen. It's not what we want. It's God's will for our lives. And to follow Him wherever He says to go, do whatever He says to do, but it must be God. Amen. Amen. And we should do that. Jesus left us an example to do the will of the Lord. Now He leads us. Now He leads us by the Holy Ghost. Amen. John chapter 14. John chapter 14, a good chapter on the Holy Ghost. Amen. In verse 16, he said, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Thank God he's in us. He never leaves us. He will never leave us comfortless. Amen. But in verse 26, the comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I said unto you. Amen. We're to be led of the Holy Ghost. Amen. And verse chapter 16, verse 13, howbeit when he the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. Whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. Amen. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine and show it unto you. If what I'm doing for the Lord, so to speak, if what I'm doing in this religious realm of things, is not glorifying Christ, that I'm not being led by the Holy Ghost. Amen. And I'm not bringing glory to Him. I'm out of the will of God. Amen. Whatever we're doing in our life, even in the job that we have out there, if we're doing it just to make it look good before the boss, that's wrong. It should be our lives are given to Him. Amen. When He saved us, we gave Him our life. Amen. We gave Him all. And if He ever brings you to that point where you must surrender everything to Him and cry out, fill me, O Holy Ghost, and take my life and let it be for Thee, then everywhere that we go should be for Jesus Christ. honor and glory and not ours. Amen. God help me. I want to be that. Amen. I want to be that kind of a man led by the Holy Spirit and that what I do in life. So often it's not that way, brethren. We stand at the judgment seat of Christ and those works to burn up because what we did was not from the heart. It was so people could see us. And our heart wasn't in it. And all of that will burn up. God help there to be something that will honor Christ at the judgment seat of Christ. God help there to be something that we can cast before Him who is worthy and not us. Amen. We need to be led by the Spirit of God in all of our life and count for him. Amen. He leads us along. Psalm 23, verse 2, he leadeth me beside still waters. And verse 3, he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness. Psalm 25, verse 5, he lead me in thy truth and teach me. In Psalm 27, verse 11, the psalmist said, lead me in a plain path. Lord, help me see. Help me see. So often I can't understand where I'm going. I need to see. Lord, help me. Lead me in a plain path. Amen. Psalm 139. There's some things he says in that psalm that just throw you a loop. Amen. Amen? But let me read a little bit here, beginning with verse 7. Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the outermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me. and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shineth as the day. The darkness and the light are both alike to thee." Thank God there is no place. There is no place, Brother Larry, that we can go. There's no place, Brother Jeff. There's no place, Brother David. There's no place, brethren and sisters, that we can go where God doesn't know we're there and that He won't be with us. Amen. He will be with us. Thank God. Amen. We can know and be assured in that fact that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Amen. I believe it's the The manner of sheep to follow the shepherd. I believe it's the manner of sheep to follow on with him. Amen. Hosea chapter 6 verse 3 says, then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Paul said in Philippians chapter 3 verse 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death. If that's what it took to bring glory to Christ, that's what Paul was willing to do. Amen. Amen. We need to know Him. Not just say, I'm saved. I know He's my Savior. But to follow on. Keep on. Get closer. Get higher. Get deeper with the Lord. And we can know His very breath as John laid his head on his bosom. He knew his breath. He knew his heartbeat. The children of God, the sheep of the Lord, we need to know Him fully and completely. Amen. I hope these words have been a help to you tonight. Be an encouragement. No matter what's going on in our country, God's still on the throne. The Good Shepherd is still good to us. The Great Shepherd is still great. to us, amen, and provides for us. Hallelujah. It's good to be a child of God, ain't it? Hallelujah. It's good to be inside the fold, amen. I'm thankful that we can gather inside the fold and be thankful to the Shepherd and praise Him and worship Him and adore Him with our heart. Hallelujah. Let's be ready Sunday morning. Hallelujah. Come inside the house of God in the fold with all the sheep. And let us worship our Lord, our Savior, our Shepherd, and love Him. Amen. And let us not be lazy and shy about following the undershepherd that is put here. Amen. The Good Shepherd has given us a good undershepherd. And he's led of the Spirit of God. I've been in this thing a long time. Friend, our pastor is led by the Holy Ghost. And we ought to follow him and help him and pray for him that that would continue. Amen. He would continue to bless us. Amen. Hallelujah. Brother Jeff, pray for us and we'll be dismissed.