We're going to look at Hebrews chapter 11. We've been looking at this chapter and we're going to make a pause next week. We're going to look at something different and we will come back after the new year back in the rest of Hebrews. Okay, but Hebrews chapter 11 and look at verse 13. Hebrews 11 13. See what the Lord says right there. We're looking at this fate in action. And Hebrews 11 is the whole of faith. Look at verse 13. These all die in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off. And we're persuaded of them and embrace them and confess that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country, from hence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have return. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he had prepared for them a city." shall we pray heavily father thank you lord for this passage of scripture thank you lord for faith that keep what is the engine that get us going thank you lord that sometimes we don't know where to put our next step but you're guiding us you're holding our hand you say child come this way child trust me help us lord to always trust you to believe in your word and to follow you even in the most dark times of life in Jesus name I pray amen well you may be seated so to this morning we're looking at the patriarchs but the title of the message is longing for heaven longing for heaven let me ask you a question this morning as we start our this message this might be a silly question to ask but in my job we say there's no such thing as a silly question A question is a question as a question deserves an answer. Right? All right, here goes the question. Are you longing for heaven? Amen says, yes, I am. Are you longing for heaven? Are you ready to go home to a place you've never been? That's what heaven is. We've never been there, but we read about it. It must be a beautiful place. Or are you content living here on earth? Seems like silly questions, isn't it? But that is profound questions because our answer, listen to this, reveals the condition of our hearts. You follow that? Our answer, when we speak many times, it reveals what's in our hearts. It reveals the condition of our hearts. preacher said one time everybody loves Jesus but nobody wants to go meet Jesus that means you have to die physically right unless Jesus comes first now we are now like almost like halfway to our serious fate in action we had cover eight messages or nine mass or whatever they are so far and we have eight more or whatever is to go. We are right in between. And I've said from the beginning, the purpose of this series is to help us better understand true biblical faith and how to grow in our personal faith as followers of Jesus Christ. I cannot make you follow Jesus. I cannot walk your walk. You walk your walk, I walk my walk. The only thing I can do for you and you can do for me is encourage me and pick me up when I fall down. You follow that? Your walk with the Lord is your walk and my walk is my walk. We're walking to the same goal. We're walking all the way until we get to the finish line, which leads us to heaven. But along the way is many obstacles, is many discouragements, is many headaches and pains, is many things that go on. And our job as Christians is what? To encourage one another, to edify one another, to lift each other up. And you know, when we fall, I pick you up. When I fall, pick me up, please. Because I do get discouraged too. And I'm not made out of steel. Even steel breaks. Put it on the elements of the weather and see what happens to steel. It rusts and breaks. So all of us are fragile, more fragile than we think. So it's not by mistake that the Bible says you are to ratify one another. Are you discouraged here this morning? Allow me to encourage you with the word of God. Because if I'm discouraged, please encourage me. Because sometimes I get in the dumps too. I might smile at you, but you don't know what's in the heart, right? So, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we're going to talk about them a little bit this morning. How would we call the patriarchs? or the founding fathers of the Old Testament, the other ones to whom God gave the promise concerning the land and the people of Israel. So the patriarchs all share one important aspect of faith together. All three of them demonstrated an intense longing for heaven. and should have been the longing of every Christian. The patriarchs live as strangers here on earth, far from home and country, claiming no land of their own, waiting for the land of promise. In many ways, they are the ideal example of what it means to live on earth while longing for heaven. How much time and energy do you spend thinking about heaven? Do you think about heaven 24-7? Probably not. some people say that thinking about heaven is a waste of time and whether they believe in heaven or not they maintain that because we live here on earth in the present that earth is where our focus should be let me tell you they're wrong they complain about people being so heavenly minded they are no earthly good And I would agree with them if and if only our focus on heaven distract us from our duties and responsibilities here on earth. follow that but it doesn't have to be that way and really shouldn't be that way rather than distracting us from our earthly tasks and proper focus on longing for heaven we're shaping our sense of calling and responsibility here on earth Nick listen you got saved I got saved we have become the children of the living god we are he is our heavenly father but in the meantime we still here on earth where is our duty here on earth to live for him to represent him to tell those who are lost that they need a savior it's a pastor but you don't understand nobody listened you did listen don't get so overwhelmed that people don't listen to you they don't listen to Jesus either you follow that Listen, our goal is not to save people, just tell them. Listen, every time you open your mouth and I open my mouth and we talk about Jesus, people who receive the message that comes from your lips have a choice to make. They either reject it or they receive it. There's nothing you can do about it. You follow that? So don't get overwhelmed by it, okay? Just go on rejoicing serving the Lord and tell people about Jesus. If they refuse, that's on them. Pray for them. They need your prayers. One of the ways we demonstrate our faith as Christians is by truly longing for heaven. It is not something you can fake or pretend. It's not something that you can work up on your own. But one of the key measures of your faith as a Christian is the taste that we have for heaven. well let's look at this taste for heaven from some points here this morning number one if you would like to follow the outline heaven is where all God's promise will be fulfilled look at verse 13 these all died in faith now having received the promise received the promise but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth So the first reason we should long for heaven is that heaven is where all God's promise will ultimately be fulfilled. We see this in verse 13, heaven is where all God's promise will be ultimately fulfilled. Okay so the first thing we need to figure out is this, is who are all these people? one possibility might be the four people already listening Hebrews 11 who we I commended before but I commend for their fates some are Abel, Enoch, Noah and Abraham but I don't think that's what the verse means for a number of reasons first of all verse 13 says that all these people died but if you remember Enoch didn't die in fact the outstanding fact of Enoch's life and fate was that he was taken straight to heaven without dying Secondly verse 13 says concerning this these people whoever they are that whatever they are that the time that they die not having received the promise so Noah received God's promise didn't he? Yes he did. God rescued Noah and his family from the flood as he promised. So well to whom did God promise the land of Canaan? God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants not to Abel, Enoch or Noah. So then who are these people? in verse 13. Well the immediate preceding verses speak of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and so this phrase all these people refers to the patriarchs to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and was to the patriarchs that God give the promise of the nation and the land of Israel. So this makes sense because all three of the patriarchs were still living by faith when they die. Abraham never saw that thing fulfilled but he looked forward to it and today said we should say you've been fulfilled not yet Jesus still have to come and set his millennium reign in Israel as he promised he would sit in the throne of David so they were given the promise of the land but none of them actually saw their descendants take possession of the land And at that time they died and all three still living by faith because none of them had received the things promised. In letter A on that first point, we do not receive all of God's promise while here on earth. john chapter 11 verse 25 and 26 talks about this that jesus said i am the resurrection and the life he that believe it in me though he were dead still uh yet he shall he live and whatsoever live and believe in me shall never die believe us doubt this and yet we still experience that here on earth don't we see We also receive God's promise while here on earth. And I give you this example in verse 11, chapter 11, verse 25 and 26 of John. And still, we all still experience that on earth. And Jesus said, He said, "...whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" But if you look at earth's condition, every Christian will die unless Jesus will come. God has promised us complete freedom from sickness and illness someday. yet we do not always receive healing in this life. How many Christians are suffering right now? Listen, some teaching out there that says once you become a Christian you will never get sick again. That is a lie. Once you have become a Christian you never suffer and if you suffer it's because you're living in sin. That is a lie. You can live in a sense of God's will and be suffering. Your physical body is not immune to the diseases and things of this world. You can suffer emotionally, you can suffer physically. That is a reality. How many Christians do you know who are sick right now? Some of them might be living in your home. So the reality is the promise of no sickness and no death is yet to come. Imagine living for all eternity in our experience no suffering God has promised us complete victory over sin, which we don't have right now Someday, but we still struggle with sin as long as we live in this world Why because we have a sin for nature wasn't what was not eradicated at the moment of salvation That's why you think wrong and you do wrong because it's still there and that's why praise the lord for uh first john chapter one verse nine i think i believe that uh if you confess our sin god is faithful and just forgive us of our sin you're high because god choose to leave for us to have that sinful nature with us he will be eradicated someday so we can see that god's promise is yet to come many of them will be fulfilled when we depart from this life God has promised us perfect joy and happiness one day, yet we still experience many troubles and sorrow while we live here on earth. Just because you are a Christian doesn't mean that you experience perfect health and prosperity while here on earth. You know how many Christians that I know that live, they are homeless? You know how many Christians I know that are sick? You know how many Christians that, you know too. Now I'm not the only one, you know too. We receive many wonderful blessings from God while here on earth, but we should not look for ultimate satisfaction and fulfillment here in this life. Earth is not heaven and heaven is not earth. Any theology that continues the two is not biblical balance. Follow that? Listen, heaven is not earth and earth is not heaven. You follow that? It's not. So heaven is where all God's promise will be fulfilled someday. One person write this way, the primary blessings Christianity offers do not lie in this life but in the life to come. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were still living by faith when they died because they did not receive the things promised. They only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. Listen, we know those things are coming and we look forward to it and we welcome them, don't we? What a blessing when we come to the point that is no more sickness, no more pain, no more suffering, just ultimate joy. I didn't say happiness, I said joy. You follow that? Because happiness is based on circumstances. Joy is anything that only God puts there. You can be crying and be full of joy. interesting when the angel said came and announced the birth of Jesus they said bring you glad tidings of great joy he didn't say great happiness joy if you look at the shepherds conditions were not the greatest place to be full of happiness they were just shepherds they are up in the mountains maybe cold or something you know there was no praise the lord for that he said great joy okay let it be we only glimpse the glories of heaven from a distance now this the second part of that that sentence is also important which says you only saw them that and welcome them from them paraphrasing that although they did not see the descendants take possession of the land they did see the land which their descendants would one day possess although they did not see the descendants become a mighty nation they did see the birth of their children Abraham gave birth to Isaac, Isaac gave birth to Jacob, Jacob gave birth to the 12 tribes of Israel. The promise for the future They did not see the promise fulfilled in their lifetime, but they saw them and welcomed them from a distance. See the same way we also glimpse at the glories of heaven from a distance while living here on earth. Although we do not always heal in this life, God in his goodness and grace often does heal and answer prayer, but sometimes you choose not to. We don't know why but he choose not to even the Apostle Paul asked for healing and God says my grace is sufficient for thee I Don't understand. Do you if you do come up here and explain it because I don't know how You know, sometimes God choose to heal some people and some cases he choose not to heal some people Let me see how why is it better than they want? No, it's God's choosing. I don't know. I I just can say that God's grace is sufficient for you. It did not hold the Apostle Paul back from being a missionary and a preacher of the gospel. He continued on with his pain and suffering. I'll tell you what, if that's you, I applaud you. How many people have quit? How many people have walked away from the ministry because of one little sickness? I'm not saying this in a mean way. Please, I don't say this in a mean way. Because we are human and everybody thinks different. I cannot be in your body and experience your weakness or your pains. I can't. Some people deal with pain different than others. Some people, when they have... Listen. It goes like this. I'm going to be this simple. You walk in and you hit the chair or the table with your big toe or your little toe. You know, how you react or how I react to that is totally different. You can go on for days lamenting that pain. And you can just look at it and just go on and say, ouch, that hurt. You see, because we deal with pain differently. OK. We may not know sorrow and trouble here on earth, but we will also experience God's supernatural peace and joy. We may know, I'm sorry, we may know sorrow and trouble here on earth. Look what it says in 1 Corinthians 2, 9, but as written, eyes have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God had prepared for them that love him. So we're looking towards heaven, And we read in the Bible what heaven is about. And let me tell you, it's a sweet place. It's a great place to be. It's a place we should look forward to. Isn't it? Eternal joy. Descent for nature totally eradicated. No more sorrow, no more pain. Wow. We should long for heaven. So that's point number one. Point number two, aliens on Earth. Don't set your hopes here on Earth. Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. Don't misunderstand me here, OK? Enjoy life as you have it. All right, enjoy life as you have it. Listen, I was in, I was, listen, some people, I don't know, they hate the beaches, they hate the sand, they hate the seagulls, they hate everything about it. They said, I cannot get dirty. I was like, take a chair with you if you don't want to roll in the sand. You know, but I mean, I went to, I was away and I would think I love, I love to go see, if you look at my Facebook, you saw the sunset, right? I love sunsets. It is something beautiful about it. Especially when you see them go down, that line in the end of the as far your eye can see because I don't believe in flat earth you know as far as your eyes can see and you know what and you would be enjoying the God's creation so enjoy the life that God give you so but passive I'm full of pain I understand there's got to be a hand of joy even in the midst of pain isn't it listen listen let me tell you this listen I am not made out of steel Listen, it's not, listen, I don't, I'm not for, I'm not like, not like pastor, seems like you're always smiling, everything is always good for you. That's not true. But let me tell you this, I love life. I do. Every day that God give me, I love it. And you can say, but see, look, Pastor, you're working 10 hours a day, 12 hours, it's like monotonous. Now, if you stick around with me, Listen, years ago, my sister was working. She was working with me. I worked for a season in a jewelry place. It can be very monotonous to put little stones inside little pieces and good glue. One, two, and three. Your eyes hurt. And before you know it, you can't see anymore. And my sister was going like, I can't stand these stones anymore. I was like, yeah, give it to me. one little pigeon is going to market all right you say you're silly i was like no like enjoy what you're doing but tomorrow i'm gonna do it again do it again i said you sound silly well call me silly okay so anyway we are aliens here on earth listen Enjoy the life that God gives you. Don't set your hopes here on earth because this is not our permanent home. We are heading for heaven. The moment that you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, guess what happened? You became a citizen of heaven. And even though you've never been home, you're heading there. Isn't that good? At least you know where you're going. some people live for I hope so I don't know so maybe so we know you know where we live we live we're going straight there you know exactly where we're going who's there our loved one to the parting of fate who else is there our God is there isn't that good and if you go ahead of me you'll be waiting for me there isn't that great I said if you go ahead of me see I said it oh goodness I'm just kidding with you, it's good. So the second reason we should long for heaven is because the Bible tells us as Christians we are aliens and strangers here on earth. Look at verse 13. These all died in faith not having received the promise but having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Even them they understood they were strangers and pilgrims. Listen folks that's why the world does not understand us. It's not like you're better than them. It's not like you speak different than them. It's because we are citizens of heaven. We have heaven in our hearts and mind. We look different. We think different because we have an eternal hope. They live for the here now. You know most people in America live for Friday and Saturday. They say, let's go party. It's Friday. It's Friday night. Let's go party. You know, in my job, most people live like, uh, leave like around like noontime, one o'clock. They go to prepare for the, for the weekend. And on Monday, they broke most of them. What a sad way to live, isn't it? Letter A. We do not belong here. It is easy to lose focus, folks, and to forget to which land we belong to. We all been born here, but now we are citizens of heaven. You have changed addresses in the moment of your salvation. We belong to Jesus, not to the world. actually there's a song that goes like this you can go with me okay this world is now my home i'm just a passing through my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue the angels backing me from heaven's open door and i can't feel at home in this world anymore can sing along oh lord you know i have no friend like you if heaven is now my home then lord what will i do the angels backing me from heaven's open door and i can't feel at home in this world anymore isn't that what's in our heart i mean i'm you know i'm just kind of slashing the song along the way so this song is a great reminder of who we are in jesus christ the moment you and i received jesus christ our personal savior we pretty much said goodbye to earth And hello heaven. The word translated confess right here. They confess is a word that means to agree to say that the same thing as someone else. So who are the patriarchs agreeing with right here? They are agreeing with God and what we were agreeing with God as well is that we are citizens of heaven. Listen, we are aliens. The word strangers or aliens in verse 13 means a foreigner or an outsider. Listen, five or six years ago, when I went to Portugal, even I came from there, I felt like an outsider. He said, you did? Yeah, I speak the same language, I know the culture, but I didn't feel like I belonged any longer. I felt like I was Americanized. You understand what I'm saying, right? I feel like I'm Americanized. Like, I told my wife, I said, I feel like I don't belong here. I think different. I smell different. I even talk different. What about us as citizens of heaven? Listen, we are different. Listen, I'm not saying we're better than anybody else. We're totally different. We live different. We talk different. We act different. Listen, most lost people don't go to church. Why? You have to invite them. You have to persuade them. You know what? Because it's a foreign thing to them. But not to us. We feel like we belong there. We want to be there. And when we're not there, we miss it. Am I the only one? Listen, I was away. I went to another church, but I was away Sunday. I missed you guys. Anyway, that's my own family. My home church, like I missed you guys. I was like, wow, you know, it takes like about two, three days away and you're already missing. Some of you said I missed you pastor. Thank you. It's good to be missed, isn't it? So God had called them out of the world to himself. God called us out of the world to himself. Isn't that great? So we are strangers in this world. Let it be. We can't go back. We can't go back. Abraham left the city of Ur in Mesopotamia. and came to dwell in the land of Canaan in obedience to God's call. But Abraham's family and relatives still lived back in Mesopotamia. The same was true to Isaac and Jacob. We have seen that all three admitted that they were aliens and strangers on the earth. Look at what it says in verse 14. For they that say such thing declare plainly that they seek a country. So it was in this country that they were looking for they were homesick for Mesopotamia for the land of their fathers not because but but now no because of verse 15 says look what it says Hebrews 11 15 and truly if they had been mindful of that country from hands they came out they might have might have had opportunity to to have returned The word translated mindful in this verse is a word that means to remember. It means to think back. If they had been remembering or thinking back of Massapetinian, they could have returned at any time. Abraham sent his servants back to Massapetinian to find a wife for his son Isaac, but he did not go back himself. What about us? You're a Christian now. You can't go back and say, I don't want to be a Christian anymore. You either are or you're not. You follow that? There's a very famous contemporary writer that actually wrote a book, Kiss Dating Goodbye. That's one of the most popular books that he wrote. And he said, I don't want to be a Christian anymore. Actually, I'm not a Christian anymore. My answer to him was, you either are or you're not. There's no such thing as going back and say, I don't want to be a Christian. Listen, when you were a child of God, you were a child of God forever. My mom and dad, I was born into the Barboza family. I am their child forever, even though my mom and dad's already in heaven. There's no coming and going back. Here's one thing that we can do as Christians is go back to the cesspools of sin. You see, the prodigal son did that. But you can always return home. You follow that? I saw Christians that say, oh, God will never forgive me for what I have done. And I say to those people, what kind of God do you worship or you believe and trust? He is a forgiving, merciful God. And he's there. I love the prodigal son story because it gives all of us the example. Don't matter what you have done or what you're doing right now. God is a forgiving God. Sometimes Christians go back to the old ways, to the old sinful habits. But there's never the same. Those things that used to bring you pleasure now only make you miserable. Do you know why? Because you're no longer the same person. The Spirit of God lives in you. God has made you a new creation in Christ Jesus, and you can't go back. It's like the old song says, I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus, not turning back. Not turning back. Once a Christian, always a Christian. Once a child of God, always a child of God. There's no losing of salvation in Christianity. There's no, I don't want to be a Christian anymore. Christians, you are sealed in the hands of God for eternity. Actually, go to John 10, verse 28. I want you to have this comfort in your heart this morning as we get to the end of our message. Look what it says in John chapter 10 verse 28. Look what Jesus says. And your Bible might be in red right there. It says, And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man plug them out of my hand. That's a promise. My Father which giveth them me is greater than all, and no one is able to plug them out of my Father's hand. I am, I and my Father are one. is no turning back. Let us see we can only look forward as Christians living on earth we are caught up in between we are in the world but not of the world. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob felt the same tension right here. Mesopotamia was no longer their home but they neither were the way neither was Canaan. It was the land of promise that they lived that lived there as strangers. They were looking for a home in Mesopotamia or Canaan. Look what it says back in our text in verse 16 of chapter 11. But now they desire a better country that is a heavenly where for God is not ashamed to be called their God for he had prepared for them a city listen folks there's no looking no looking back there's no I mean we can fall on our old ways but that let me tell you this we only only thing we can do is looking forward and it says that we're not ashamed you should never be ashamed to call yourself a Christian Don't be ashamed of that, no matter what the world says. I am a Christian. I live for Jesus. Yes. I had a guy in my job a couple of weeks ago in a mockery said, hey, Pastor Tony. And I said, how are you doing, my friend? Can I pray for you? You know, don't hide who you are. You've been transformed. You've been made new. We are looking for a city in heaven. That's heaven. You know what? Don't be ashamed. You know, we're always going to be in a minority here on earth. But this doesn't mean that we are less important than anybody else. So look what it says in Colossians chapter 3 verse 2. Set your affection on things above, not on things of the earth. Matthew chapter 6 verse 19 says, Lay not up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust do corrupt, neither thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. So where is your heart this morning? Is it trapped here on earth or is it set for heaven? The Apostle Paul put it this way. Listen to this. For me to live is Christ here on earth and to die is gain. He put it this way. Practically speaking he says For me to live here on earth is Jesus. But if I die, I will gain. Why? Because I will be with him. You see, Christianity is a win-win walk. You walk with the Lord here on earth, and if you die, you'll be in heaven with the Lord. I don't like to call the world die. I say we graduate to heaven. That's what we do. Now that's looking forward. Think about this. If you are an unbeliever, then that is the end of all your hopes and dreams. For all that you have lived for. Right? They live for the hope so maybe so nobody knows so. So if you are an unbeliever, when you die is the end of your dreams. Because you don't know what's expected of you on the other side. You don't know where you're going. You don't have a promise of heaven. You don't know where you're going. That's a sad way to live. Because the only thing, the hope, the only thing ends in the grave or cremation, however you do it. But it ends right there. That is the end of it. We know from the Bible it's not the end of it. But for the Christian, he dies in hope. He lives in hope. He departs in hope because there is something waiting for him is a heavenly city. and the bible says who's there how that city is made of it should give us eternal joy follow that i didn't say happiness i said joy all right now is heaven better than earth Heaven is better than earth because it is a lasting world rather than a passing world. This world is passing by. Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 verse 31, for the fashion of this world pass it away. We all know as wonderful as heaven as it is, it is only going to be a temporary place for us because we are going to where? new heaven and a new earth in God good I'll tell you what thank him every day a new heaven and an earth it is called the home of the righteous in 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 13 says nevertheless we according to his promise look for the new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness is the land of the righteous who are the righteous As a person, I'm not righteous. No, you're not. But the righteousness of Jesus is imputed in you if you are a Christian. God doesn't look out of your filthiness or my filthiness. He looks at the righteousness of his son, Jesus, in you. My unrighteousness for his righteousness. See that? On the moment of salvation, it was an exchange. God took your unrighteousness and imputed in you the righteousness of Jesus. So when God the Father looks at you, he doesn't see the rotten sinner that you are. He sees the righteousness of Jesus. That's why the new heaven and the new earth is the home of righteousness. Sin forever eradicated. I conclude with this. Heaven is better than earth because it's a place of joy rather than a place of sadness. Not that only, it is also the promise of a new heaven and a new earth for God's people for all eternity. Look what it says in Revelation chapter 21 verse 4, and God, I'm glad that word is there, shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, no crying, neither shall be any more pain for the former things. I passed away. Thank you, Lord. Ain't God good? I tell you what, from now until the end of the month, you can't do that every day. Think about something you are grateful for. Well, where are you grateful today? And tomorrow when you wake up, think about something else you are grateful for. And if you're not ashamed of it, and if you have a Facebook page, you express it there. Let people know that you love Jesus and you're grateful for the goodness that he has given you. Okay. But think about something you're grateful for. This is what I call a month of gratitude. That's why we call Thanksgiving. Don't just wait for Thanksgiving day. Be grateful every day. Let's pray. Heavily, Father. Thank you, Lord, for your mercy, for your grace, for your love, for your forgiveness. Thank you, Lord, for these dear people that took time to be here today. And I pray, Father, if there's someone here that don't know you as Lord and Savior, may today, may today they put hope and joy in their hearts. as they receive a new life in you. May they come to you today, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. If you could stand please, we are going to have a song of invitation this morning. Before we leave, thank you for your attention this morning. Let's see what song I have for you. Have thy own way, Lord. They say, Pastor, we sing this song a lot. Yes, why not? I love it. Have Thine Own Way Lord, page 485. If you have a song that you love a lot, don't you listen like 20 million times on the radio and you can never get tired of it? And every time you sing it, you sing it again. This is the one. 485, Have Thine Own Way Lord. All right. Have thy own way, Lord, have thy own way. Thou art a potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will. While I am waiting, yielded and still. This is a month of gratitude. Are you thankful for your salvation? Then thank Jesus for it. Are you thankful for your home? Then thank Jesus for it. Are you thankful for your health? Then thank Jesus for it. Thank you for your church? Thankful for your church? Then thank Jesus for it. You're not saved here this morning. What does that mean? It means if you die today, you're not going to heaven. You want to be grateful? Listen, coming to church doesn't make you a Christian. Read the Bible doesn't make you a Christian. Be religious doesn't make you a Christian. Be baptized in some church doesn't make you a Christian. You know what makes you a Christian? It's when you realize you're a sinner and you confess your sins to Jesus and you call on Him to be your Lord and Savior. That's when you receive salvation. That's when you have that joy of heaven come into your heart. That's when you become a transformed new creature. don't miss that because it might be what you need this morning you online or here we don't play church we're telling you the truth that's what the Bible teaches listen God wants you to go to his heaven but you have to do that Christian isn't that great to be a Christian isn't that great to be a child of God that's the only way we know each other is because we're Christians right come to the same church worship together God is so good Well, let's sing one more song, one more verse, we will go our way, okay? Have thy own way, Lord Have thy own way Search me and try me Master today Whiter than snow, Lord Wash me just now Touch me and All right, let's pray Heavenly Father. Thank you Lord for the blessing of being in your house this morning Thank you for my brothers and my sisters. Thank you Lord for the blessing of having the hope of heaven Thank you Lord that we live with hope in our hearts and when this life is over We're gonna be with you for all eternity Go with us Lord bless the rest of our day help us to me to be a blessing to someone today Bring us back again tonight, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. You are dismissed.