I tell you, maybe we just ought to call recess and just shout a little while tonight. Just being on the winning side, saved by His marvelous grace. Well, I just got a little simple thought on my heart tonight. I'd try to give to you. Tried to work on it a little bit this evening with the Lord's help. I won't take a lot of time to read a lot of Scripture. But I'll read just a few in the book of John, chapter number 15. And then in the book of Luke, chapter number 7. And then in the Proverbs 17. We'll just read part of the verse there to get a little thought. that seemed like the Lord's place upon their heart. I had a good time this morning there at Bay's Mountain Baptist Church. There wasn't many of us. I guess 22 or 23 maybe, if there's that many. But I'm telling you, the Lord showed up and really, I mean, I got blessed. Others said they did, but the only one I really know about is myself. I'll tell you, I know what God does for me. And so I figured if I'm getting touched and blessed, something's going to spill over on somebody. You just can't keep it to yourself. It's just going to go somewhere. And I'll tell you, they had a meal. We had a good time, a fellowship. And I thank the Lord for letting us be here tonight. I can leave right now and say it's been good being in the house of the Lord. It certainly has. It's just always good to be around God's house with God's people when God's around. Amen. Well, we'll read in the book of John first. John chapter number 15, a very familiar passage of Scripture. Begin reading in verse number 13. The Bible said, Greater love hath no man than this, Then a man lay down his life for his friends. I want you to remember that little phrase, for his friends. Then in verse number 14, he said, You are my friends. If you do whatsoever, I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Then turn back to the book of Luke chapter number 7. I'll just read one verse here. Verse number 34. The Bible said, For the Son of Man is come, eating and drinking. You say, Behold a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber. But look what he said, a friend of publicans and sinners. I'm glad he is a friend to sinners, amen. If he wasn't a friend to sinners, we'd all been in trouble because all of us was sinners at one time. We're just a sinner saved by the grace of God, amen. But look, if you look in the book of Proverbs, chapter number 17, verse number 17, he said, a friend loveth at all times. I'm glad that I've got a friend that loves me all time. Amen. Now I'm going to preach this a little bit tonight. God help me on I've got a friend. I just want to tell you a little bit about my friend. Tonight, if God will help me just for a few minutes, Brother Chad, he's telling these people here in the book of John, that greater love have no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends. And that's exactly what he done. He hadn't done it yet, but he's going to. It's just as good as done, as brother said. What he said, thank God, write it down in your book, take it to bank, because it's just going to be that way. And so here in Luke chapter number 17, these people was accusing him of going and eating and being friends out there with sinners. They said he's become a friend out to sinners. I said that's true, he certainly has. But look in Proverbs 17, he said, A friend loveth at all times. I'll tell you, there's never been a time that he didn't love me, and you too. I'll tell you, he's always loved you before you got saved, he loved you after you got saved, he loves you. He still loves you when you do good, and he loves you when we do, and probably most of the time we do more bad than we do good, but he still just loves us the same. Amen. You cannot do anything, I'll tell you, to change God's love. I'll tell you for you, He just loves us. Ain't it wonderful tonight to be loved? He just loves us tonight. And so, I thought this, I jot this down. I said, do you know my friend? My friend is Jesus. That's who I'm talking about tonight. Do you know Him? It's one thing to know of Him, but I'll tell you what a blessing it is to know Him. Amen. And so I'm thankful that I know Him tonight. I thought about this. Have you ever met my friend Jesus? I'm thankful I met Him. I met Him many years ago, but He's still my friend. And so He proved that He was a friend. And so I thought about this. Have you ever got acquainted with my friend? If you ever get acquainted with him, you'll never get unacquainted with him. He'll always be there. He'll always be. I'll tell your friend. I have that to you. My brother Saxon and I met a lot of friends. I'll tell you people, I thought of them as my friends over the years. I mentioned them and God has blessed me. Out to Mesa, about right there, is one of my dearest friends. I'll tell you, thank God. I thank God for a friend. I mentioned him as a preacher and so I thought I'd met him. But I'll tell you, I've never met anybody that's like my friend Jesus. My brother Bud, he is my greatest friend that I have. I say praise his name. I might not get too far tonight, but I said, praise God, I'm telling you that he is my greatest friend. And if you've ever met him, I tell you, he ought to be your greatest friend that you could ever take and meet. My wife, she's a friend. I praise God for everybody else. I won't let you tell me she is my friend, Brother Allen. But I'll tell you, I've got a greater friend than my wife, and that's Him. Amen. Jesus is my greatest friend that I have ever met and got acquainted with. Not only is He my greatest friend, but He is my Godless friend that I've never met. She's a godly lady. I appreciate her. I'll tell you, she gets up in the morning. I'll tell you, use the bathroom, maybe get something to drink. And she goes. And I'm peeping there on her. And she's got her Bible open. I'm reading the Bible. I say, praise God tonight for a godly wife. But I won't tell you the godliest friend I've ever met. Jesus, I know God was ever found in his mouth. I'll tell you, he never done any sin. I'll tell you, he was a godly man. I'll tell you, he took our sin upon him. Well, he's my greatest friend, he's my godliest friend, and he's my most giftiest friend that I ever had. He's such a gifted friend. I say praise God. I'm telling you, He has given me the gift of salvation. He's given me the gift of His love. I tell you, He's given us so many gifts. I'm telling you, He is a gifted friend. Amen. Well, praise the Lord. And so I thank Him for my friend. And somebody said, well, what about your friend? I'm going to tell you a little bit about my friend. I call him Jesus sometimes, but yet, Brother Chad, there's other times that I call him other things. I'll tell you, he's my friend, he's my saviour, I praise the Lord, he's my soon-coming king. I'll tell you, he's my everything. I say, hey, hey, I've never seen his face. I'll tell you face to face, but praise God, one day I will. I've seen enough of him, I've seen the face of him. I've got to know, I believe, when I see him, I know something. I'll tell you about him, praise God. And so, I thought, I thought about this, as I was reading down Proverbs, somebody said, what about you friend? He's mistaken friend. Proverbs 18 verse number 24, he said, if you want friends, you must show yourself friendly. But if there is a friend, they'll stick closer than a brother. I said, hey, he's my sticky friend. That means that he's stuck to me and he won't take and get loose. Ain't that wonderful to have a friend like that? I'm going to tell you tonight, I'll tell you, he's bonded to me and you too. He's your friend. And I thought, what a friend that we have in Jesus. I'll tell you, a stinky friend, they'll stick closer than a brother. I'll tell you, they'll never let you go. I said, hey, praise his name for being a stinky friend that he is. And so he's feisting to me. I'll tell you, he won't get loose. I mentioned sometimes we lose our good friends, but you'll never lose Jesus. I'll tell you, hallelujah, he's a sticky friend. And then I thought about this, Brother Sexton, not only is he my sticky friend, but he's my strengthening friend. I'll tell you, I'll just be honest with you tonight, I'm not a very strong person. I'll tell you, I'm weak. I'll tell you, it makes me sick of myself, Brother. I'll tell you, I'm just a weak person. But I'll tell you, I've got somebody Again, Jesus, they'll take and strengthen me when I'm weak. When I get the worst, it seems like I can't go on myself. There's just something about Him that He'll come along and just strengthen you and give you strength to go a little bit further. I forgive him. Sometimes when you go and it seems like you can't make your way again to the house of God, and it seems like you just can't stand and preach again, He always gives you enough strength. I get you back to church. I get you to stand one more time. I say praise His name. I read that in the book of Philippians chapter 4 and verse number 3. Verse 13, He said, that we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. I'm telling you, He can give you strength that you don't even know that you have. I think it is, again, 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse number 10. He said, He makes you perfect. He said, establish you, strengthen you, and settle you. I'm thankful that I've got a friend, again, Jesus, not only my stinky friend, but He is a strengthening friend. I'll tell you when we need strength, and I'll tell you those days that we just need His strength. I will praise His name, and then I thought, He's my supplying friend. I'll tell you, we're just a needy people. I'll tell you a lot of times, Brother Chad, we think we just need the material things. This won't survive. Again, the money, we can accumulate. But I will tell you, if we're saved by the grace of God, I'm telling you there's spiritual things that we need, that we can't get anywhere else. I'm telling you, we've got to come to Him, and He's able to take and supply. I'll tell you those spiritual needs that we have. I'll tell you a lost person, they need salvation. And the only one that can supply that, I'll tell you, is Jesus. As much as your pastor loves you, he can't do it. As much as the church loves you, the church can't save you. Somebody said, but wait preacher, I've been a member of a church a long time. I have too, but that didn't save me. I'll tell you, I've got a friend, the Bible said, I've been fixed it where I can take and be saved, and he is my stinking friend, he is my strengthening friend, and he is my supreme friend along this way. Amen. We ain't got to heaven yet. We need him. And then I thought about this. He's my sweetest friend that I ever had. Sometimes he just gets so sweet, I think. And I know we're not supposed to live in La Paz, Brother Sexton, but I'll tell you that Sunday morning service, I listened to the meeting you had back in September. I'll tell you that was for me. I'll tell you I needed that. I'll tell you I needed it, and I'll tell you God's not letting me forget it. I'll tell you sometimes when I hit a low spot, I'll tell you God will bring that back up, and it flowers up all over again. I put a shout on my soul. I tell you, hallelujah, how sweet that the Lord was. I tell you that Sunday morning, I say praise His name. I get God so sweet, I listen right here, I can almost smell honey. Have you ever took a lid off the jar and smelled the honey? There's just a fragrance about that honey that you can't smell anywhere else. And I'm telling you, it seems like every now and then, God just takes a lid. I'll carry off the honey bucket and just let the drips off. I'm telling you, he's the sweetest friend I've ever felt that a person could ever have. I'm thankful tonight that we got a friend. Again, Jesus, amen. You ever met my friend? Huh? I ain't run out of anything to say. I'll just let that soak in. Have you ever met my friend, Jesus? Now if God help me, after a few minutes I'll try not to get hung up. I brought a section I know sometimes on Sunday. I tell you these old bodies get tired. But ain't it a blessing to be in the house of God tonight. Ain't it a blessing to be saved. I tell you ain't it a blessing for God to stir your heart up a little bit. I give it in the Sunday night service. I know that you won't get back here. I tell you, baby, the way it's tonight, I want a blessing like it is. And so, listen, I'm gonna use God to help me, that word friend, tonight, and use those letters. I'll tell you, to carry a little bit, I explain to you about my friend, Jesus. Somebody said, well, preacher, I know him. Well, I'm glad you do. I've known him now, I listen, for over 53 years. But you know, I'm still finding out things about my friend that I never know before. And I'll tell you, it just lights me up. I'll mention it all over again. I'll tell you, if I could get saved again, I'd get saved again. It feels so good to get saved. But I won't tell you one time's enough. I'm telling you it's sufficient. But I'm telling you, we do have a friend out tonight in Healed that's a greatest friend that you'll ever meet. Have you met him? Do you know him? Are you acquainted with him? Well, praise the Lord. And so, let me give it to you real quick, and I'll take it and be done. I thought, friend, that first letter, the letter F, I thought, you know, about a lot of things. But I got to reading about my friend, again, the Word of God, and I come up with this, brother Bud, how he's faithful. I said, I've got a faithful friend. Again, Jesus, brother, when I'm not faithful, and my faith, I'll tell you, it gets weak. I'll tell you, I've got one. I met a friend of him, but he's never gotten weak. I'm telling you, he's still, but it's faithful, I'll tell you, for his children. I praise his name tonight after being faithful. I jot this down in 1 Thessalonians 3, but the Lord is faithful who shall establish you and keep you from evil. I'm glad he still Faithful, even in 2016. I'm about ready to leave. 2016, if you don't come and get us. And in red, 2017. But can I tell you, I mentioned it's 2017, get you. He'll still be faithful. Hallelujah. Thanks probably be a lot that'll fall by the wayside, preacher. But I'll tell you, I've got a friend. I mentioned he'll still be faithful. Again, 2017. He'll still be as faithful. I'm telling you, he is a faithful friend. He certainly is. And so I looked in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse number 13. He said, if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful. He said, he cannot deny himself. Even when I don't believe, he's still faithful. I said, praise his name. I deny that he is. I'll tell you, faithful friend. I want a blessing. I get asked to have confidence. Brother Chad, I get my Savior. I know Him. I listen to what I am, and who I am, and how I am. I listen and know. Sometimes I don't even have faith. I have a grain of mustard seed, but I can look to Him. And praise God, He's still faithful. Hallelujah! I for a friend, I tonight that still abides faithful, even though we don't, he still abides faithful according to the scripture. I thought about this, he's faithful to forgive. There's many times that I've had to go to Him. I've mentioned and asked Him how to take and forgive me. But I'll tell you, He's been faithful to forgive me every time that I asked Him. You say, preacher, how do you know? I looked in the precious Word of God. 1 John 1, verse number 9. If we'll confess our sins, watch this, He is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Can I tell you? I deny that he has been faithful out of take and forgive me I mention over and over and over and over and he will until it comes against me and when it comes against me we won't have to worry about that anymore I thank God we'll get a new body I like the Son of God I'll tell you we'll be like him and won't have to worry about it then but right now I'll tell you he's been faithful out of take and forgive us That's enough to shout about What if you couldn't get forgiveness? Well, praise the Lord. Tonight, I believe he's been faithful. I'll take and forgive. And so I'm thankful for that. And then I got to thinking, if he's faithful, I'll let you know, I have to forgive. I believe he's faithful. I have to be a forever friend. I'll tell you, it's not just on Sunday morning, and leave him, and then come back on Sunday. I'll tell you, pick him back up, and get him back again. I'll tell you, I'll winch him. No, sir. I'll tell you, he's faithful. He's forever faithful. to His children. That means He's an eternal friend. He's an everlasting friend. He's a friend you'll never get rid of. Somebody said, praise God, we're going to heaven. You get up there, He'll be there. I said, praise His name tonight that He is a faithful forever friend to a child of God that's saved by His marvelous grace. You've got a forever friend in Jesus if you're saved. Now, if you're not saved, you ain't got a forever friend. But if you've been saved by His marvelous grace and you've got, I'll tell you, a forever friend, again, Jesus. Well, let me hasten on. I thought about this. I'll let you not only be a faithful friend, but the second letter is R. He's a real friend. Now some folks, you think, I'll tell you it's real, but come find out it ain't real. That's what you think. But I'll tell you, I don't have to worry about Jesus. He is a real friend. That word real means true. He's a true friend. Now listen, it means genuine. I'll tell you, he's a genuine friend. I'm telling you, listen, before I got saved, I'll tell you, I wasn't a mean kid, but I'll tell you, I was just as lost as anybody else. But he saved me, and he knew what was going to be after he saved me. And I'll tell you, he's been a real friend to this little old preacher. I say, praise his name. He's genuine. I tell you he's real. I'm telling you tonight you got a real friend. I get Jesus. Amen. Real friend. Again, Jesus. And so he's real. And so that word means true. He's genuine. He's pure. He's actual. He's not false. He's not counterfeit. I tell you, them people back there in the book of Luke chapter number 7, they kind of thought, you know, that he wasn't a real friend. He said that man has gone home to be with a friend with them that's sinners. I said, praise God. I'm glad he went home with me that night. I tell you, after he saved me, Hallelujah! Praise His name tonight for a real friend. I'll tell you in Jesus. Somebody said, well preacher, how do you know He's real? He's real because He lives. He's alive tonight, and much alive. I'll tell you, they killed him and put him on the cross. Somebody said, well, he's still dead then. No. I'll tell you, them other two thieves was, but he didn't stay dead. I'm telling you, they put him in the tomb. I wrapped him in grave clothes, and I'll tell you, set watch over him, sealed that stone. But I'll tell you, on that third and appointed day, he said, you take and destroy this temple, and three days you'll come back up. And I'll tell you, they thought the material building, but he's talking about his body. And sure enough, I'll tell you, they put him on the cross. That's when he gave his life. They wrapped him in red clothes and put him in a tomb. I guess the devil thought he had him dead. But I'll tell you, on that third and appointed day, the stone was rolled back. He come out of there. Can I tell you that he's a real friend? Hell you know, preacher, because he's alive. He is. I'll tell you live. I'll watch this. The Bible says in the book of Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 31, as he said, it's a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a living God. Most people's God a dead God, but I'll tell you, I is a living God. I'll tell you, He's real because He's alive. Hallelujah! I'm telling you, you say, preacher, how do you know? Well, read! I want thus saith the Word of God. I'll tell you in the book of 2nd Timothy, 1st Timothy, chapter 4, I think it is, verse number 10. He said, For therefore we both labor, and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God. I'll tell you that's the reason why the devil hates us. We trust in the living God. The Bible said He is the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially of them that believe. And so He's a living God tonight. He's a real God. Well, praise His name for being a real God. Watch this. A real friend, I'll tell you, a real friend. I'll mention Proverbs 17, verse number 17. A real friend. He'll love you at all times. I'll tell you, I know he's real. Because he still loves me. And he's never quit loving me. And I love him. And even when I don't love him like I should, my brother, he still loves me. I cannot tell you tonight, I know he's real. Because he loves at all times. You want to hear a preacher I'm not saying? He still loves you. Hey, he loves you enough, he's already paid. He's already paid your sin. Somebody said, well I'm not saved. He loves you enough, he's already paid your sin there. Even if you don't get saved, he's still paid your sin there. I'll tell you, you won't have an excuse. I'll tell you when you stand before him one day after a while. I'll tell you, He is a real friend. Why? Because He's alive and alive forevermore. He'll never die again. I cannot tell you. And because He saved us, we're going to live forever with Him. I know that's hard for the world to understand. Brother Sexton, we've always been around where people have died. I'll tell you, you live long enough. I'll tell you, death will overtake you. But when we get up there, death's done away with. I thank God. 1 Corinthians chapter 15, he said he pulled a stinger out. I'll tell you, we might have to go by the way of death. But I'm going to tell you, it ain't going to stop us from living forever and ever and ever. I cannot tell you he's real because he's alive and he'll never die. And we're alive. And if we've been saved by the grace of God, we'll never die. Hallelujah. Praise His name tonight. We will never die. Used to sing that song back years ago, I'll never die, just be promoted. People thought we was crazy. They say, you're going to die. I've done told my wife, if I have to go by the way of the grave, I'll tell you, people start weeping and crying. I've told her, I said, don't open the casket if anything happens to me. I've done gotten my obituary rolled out. I've stuck in a cup. I'll tell you, on my dance, I tell her, I said, don't open that casket. I don't want anybody coming rubbing my forehead and messing up my hair. How can I tell you? But I said, if they said anything about me being dead, I tell them they're lying. I'm more alive than them right now. Amen. Hey, I'll tell you, and I said, take me back to the church, that's where I spent most of my life. And I said, let them sing, pray, preach, shout, and praise God against the target kings. And I said, when they take the cemetery, don't let them put that casket in. I'll tell you the way to do everybody else, I'll make them dig that hole deep, and put me in on my feet, and put my Bible in my hand on my head. I thank God for the call comes. I'm going to get a jump start on a lot of people. I said, hallelujah. She said, you're crazy. I was at the cemetery. And I said, hey, I come over here. And I called for the funeral director. And I said, you tell her something. I said, this is the way I want to be put in the ground. I said, well, you do that. She said, yes, sir. I said, I told you the word. I praise God if you're paying for it, get what you want. Amen. How can I tell you, I mentioned that friend, I'm telling you, I mentioned death might overtake us, but we're not going to take and die. If we could have been saved by the grace of God, I'm telling you we'll live. I pray more. Why? Because we got a friend. I'll tell you, a real friend that's alive tonight. That's alive. Praise God. I tell you, we might have a watch night service tonight. I tell you, we might have to tag here in a few minutes. But can I tell you, tonight I'm talking about my friend. Preacher, what kind of friend you got? He's a faithful friend. He's a real friend. But let me say this, he's an indescribable friend. Have you ever tried to describe him? I read down the book of Revelation where John, I saw him, he tried to describe him. I'll tell you, thank God for what he said. But I'll tell you, you can't describe. I'll tell you, eternal God, hallelujah, I praise his name. He's indescribable. I'll let some words, your vocabulary won't go long enough. I'll tell you to take and describe. I'll tell you, I was praying. I talked about my friend. I talked about my real friend in Jesus. I'm telling you tonight, you'll run out of words. I'd have taken time to describe. He's indescribable And I don't say a little bit about this he's indescribable because he's indestructible They've tried to do away with him, I'll tell you, all these years, and ain't done anything with him yet. I'll tell you, praise God, I believe, and I'm not a politician, but I'll tell you, I believe, last Tuesday night or whenever it was, they started counting them votes, I believe he stepped in, our friend stepped in because we prayed. I'll tell you, and asked him to step in, and I'll tell you what I was feared of, I was fearing it was going to take. I let you have it rigged. They do that, I'm telling you. And I thought, Lord, if you don't step in and count them folks, I'll tell you, they'll take it away from you. And I was laying there in the bed. I'll tell you, I was kind of wringing my hands. Somebody said, I told you, I was kind of weak in faith. But I'm telling you, he's faithful enough. I thank God for the tallying them up. I sure do. I believe God showed mercy. Haven't that to us? Why our preacher, he's indestructible. You ain't going to take and do away with him. You're not going to take and do away. I tell you with his word, it's forever settled in heaven. You ain't going to do away with it. Lord, they raised such a ruckus over taking and burning the crown. If they give it to me, I'd burn everyone they give to me. if they'd start a fire. But I will tell you, they've tried every way, every way they could to take and get rid. I tell you this, and they're getting rid of it. I praise God. I bought me another another day. My wife said, you've got too many Bibles. I don't think a preacher can have too many. I praise God. I let somebody come and get the one I got. I've got one out there in a car, two out there in a car. I said, praise God, I usually carry four with me. If they come and get one, I'll get another. And if they come and get it, I'll get another. And if they come and get it, I'll get another. Praise God. I will tell you, they'll never take and be able to do away. You know why? This Word, because He's alive. This Word is alive. I'll tell you preaching out the Koran, I've had one of them didn't do a thing to me. But I won't tell you the night I got saved, how the man of God was preaching out the word of God, how he had brought conviction upon me in such a way. I know I didn't want to take and die and go to hell. I cannot tell you how he's indestructible, how you'll never take and get rid of him, how because he's indescribable, you can't describe him. Sometimes I thought about getting a microphone going out on the street somewhere and say, could you take and describe Jesus for me? Have you ever tried to describe about getting saved? I mean, you can go just a little further, but I'm telling you, can you describe how you felt that night? Remember the night you got saved or whatever it was? I thought he's indescribable because he's indestructible. Most people you can get rid of, heard and tried. One of them shepherds, and we're getting ready to celebrate Christmas. One of them shepherds, I went out and said, you go find him and come back. The Bible said when they found him, they left a different way. Praise God. When I found him, I left a different way than you. I praise God. I'm telling you, I left a different way. And if they find him out there, they're going to leave a different way. But I won't tell you if they'll ever take it. Watch this now. I thought about this. I tell you, he's indescribable because he's indestructible. And then I thought about this. He's irresistible. You ever thought about that? I'll tell you, praise God, when that woman, Dr. Well and John chapter number four, she said, sir, give me this water. I'll never take and thirst again. I praise God, she left the water pot, went up to the city and said, hey, hey, come see a man that told me everything I ever did. Is this not the Christ? I want to tell you, she could not resist telling somebody. I'll tell you about Jesus. Have you ever tried it? I'm telling you, listen, I left out here after we ate and I'll tell you, dinner after service, I don't even know where it went on Sunday night. Yeah, our brother Brian called me. I'll tell you, we talked to Brother Raines and his wife out at the restaurant. I'll tell you on that Sunday morning that we had that good service and you can't meet him. And we sat there talking and I'll tell you, I just overjoyed. I met my wife. I was getting ready to head back to Kentucky, and I'll tell you, Brother Brian, I began to take and call, and more than know where I was at, where I was going, I come by and preach to me and my wife. I went down there and visited them, that service, but I'll tell you, I thought, I thought everybody I talked to, I'll tell you, I was telling them about that service, praise God. You say, well, why, preacher? You don't say it like that. Very often, what I want to tell you, I let some of my friends That's so sweet. That's so great. That's so godly. You cannot resist. Tell it. Somebody. I'll tell you about the goodness. Hallelujah from heaven. That's irresistible. Amen. Irresistible. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen I'm telling you, if all you got is what you get at church, I'll tell you on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, you ain't getting enough. I believe I'll say that again. If all you got is what you're getting, I'll tell you on Sunday morning and Sunday night and Wednesday night, I'll tell you, you just ain't getting enough. You just don't know my friend like I know him. I'm not saying you're not saved, but I'm telling you, you've not got acquainted with my friend like I have. I'm telling you there's something about him. I'm telling you that you just can't get away from him. Well, he won't leave you. I said, praise God. I'm telling you there's something about him that just thrills your soul. It seems like the more you get, the more you want, the more you read, the more you try to read, the more you eat, the more you want. I said there's something about it that is just irresistible. You just can't get away from it. Talking about my friend now, Jesus. Well, praise the Lord. Well, a lot I could say there. I've got to hurry about warming myself out. I thought about this. I think this is the fourth letter. I thought about that E. And I got to read some in the Bible. And I thought, Brother Bud, that E, He's an exceptional friend. So I got to looking at that word exceptional and it said unusual, unique, peculiar, special. One definition said rare. Ain't it kind of rare? You try to get people to come to church and they won't come to church and they think we're crazy because we come to church so much. Y'all probably don't have this problem down here, but up there in our neck of the woods in Kentucky where we live, they're calling Sunday night service off and saying this is family night. It ain't family night, praise God, it's God's night. I said, it ain't family day, it's God's day. He said, this is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. And so I got to looking at that exceptional friend and got to dwelling on that. And I thought, well, why? Why do I love him so much? Why? Why? I want to be with him. Sometimes brother, I'll tell you, I get kind of homesick. I asked my wife this one time, she's over there resting. I said, what would you do if I was to die? In other words, I wouldn't tell him I was going to die. But I'll tell you, she said, I'd cry. I said, don't you cry. I'll tell you, don't do that. But I thought sometimes, I'll tell you, I just get homesick. I just want to take and leave where he's at. Somebody said, preacher, I said, don't you like living? I like living. I certainly do. But I'm telling you, there's something about my exceptional friend that I just want to take and leave here and be with him. He's talking about, I met some mothers. I had a mother that went on to be with the Lord back February 2009. About 20 minutes till 7, I was over her bedside when the Lord took and carried her away. But I'm telling you, hallelujah, that's coming today. Well, that's going to be a reunion. Because our exceptional friend said, if I go away, that's it, I'll come again. And he said, if it wasn't so, I would have told you. I'm telling you, you can take and dwell upon that. I'm telling you how he's such an acceptable friend. Why, preacher? Because he took my place at Calvary. It should have been me. We deserve to die. We deserve to die and go to hell. But he was so exceptional. He said, Father, I'll step in and I'll be their sacrifice. I'll be their substitute. He became my Savior. Thank God, I'll tell you. That's the reason why. He's so special. He's exceptional. He took my place on the cross of death and said I could go free. Amen. You ever been set free? The Bible says the Son makes you free. You're free indeed. I said, praise God. I'll let your name on a bunch of rules and regulations. I'll tell you, hey, hey. Somebody said, well, look the way you have to dress. I don't have to. Praise God, I get to. Look the way you have to live. I don't have to live like that. Praise God, I get to. Look, you have to go to church. I don't have to go to church. I thank God I get to. What a blessing. That is to be in the house of God tonight. I sat in church. I'm with God's people. I thank God in the midst. And the sweet Holy Spirit. I'm telling you, I mention it's exceptional. He set me free. In other words, he saved me. What a blessing. And he keeps me. And I done told you he provides for me. He gives me what I need. Precious name. And I'll tell you, He fixed a way where I can keep myself clean in His eyes. And He's taking care of us. But one day pretty soon, He's coming to get us. I told you pastor, but I'm getting ready to tell you again. I said one day soon. He's coming to get you. Hey, I think about this a lot. My brother, Brother Sexton, I tell you for the last three Sundays I've been over in North Carolina and I thought, well, maybe the Lord will come and get us and we won't even have to go back home. I don't have to go back to Kentucky. I praise God to go home and meet the Lord. I tell you if the sound comes right now, I'll tell you I'm ready. I want to go, don't you? Somebody said preachers don't talk like that. That don't bother me. I praise God I'm ready. I tell you I want to go. You ready? You want to? And so I thought about that exceptional God. He's exceptional. Well, let me hurry. And then I thought about that end. And I got to reading there, the book of Hebrews chapter number 13. where he said he'd never leave us nor forsake us. And so I thought, he's my near friend. And so I got to look at that little word near, and it said close. The closest friend I've got here in this box of life besides my wife. Now we're close, we travel together, go to church together, we eat together, we've been together, soon be coming up on 47 years, I think, that we've been together. She gets hungry, I get hungry, I get hungry, she gets hungry, and she needs to stop, I need to stop. I tell you, she gets thirsty, I get thirsty. I tell you, we're as old as Santa is, we're just like two peas in a pod, how we've been together so long. But thank God, but I want to tell you, I bet that when When she goes to sleep, she has to have a lot of sleep. I don't have to have much. But I'll tell you, when she dozes off and goes to sleep, praise God, I'll tell you what it looks like. And the devil says, you're alone now. And I'll tell you, I get in there beside the desk. And all of a sudden, I pull that chair out. Brother Sexton had to get down beside that chair. And it seemed like the sweet Holy Ghost of God whispers in my soul and said, son, you're never alone. I said, you're never alone. Hallelujah! I'll tell you, I'll never, no never, I'll tell you Lord, He's right there. Somebody said, well how do you know? How do you know He don't leave you? Well He promised me, I'll never leave you, I'll never forsake you. I listen, thank God for the God Savior. I listen, He come inside me. He's inside me. And He said, I'll never leave you. How near can you get to that? I remember my mom, I got to be her pastor for a little while, when the Lord helped to start that church over there close to home. And I'll tell you, sometimes we'd get to singing, I'll tell you that song, that's the dearest friend I ever had. And I'll tell you, she'd get to shouting and praise God. I'll tell you, I've seen her grab ahold of my arm. I shouted a praise in God. And her legs as weak as water, she couldn't hardly stand upon them. She'd be weak, and she'd say, son, I'd like to go be with him. I'd like to go be with him. I said, hallelujah. I listened. Hey, how could you imagine being so close to him? I'll tell you, like Elijah was. Elijah was that day. And he said, you're closer to my house than you are. Come on up and be with me. Can I tell you, he's a dear friend. My friend Jesus is your nearest and dearest friend. He wants to be. I've got to tell you about that, Brother Sexton. He wants to be. That's his desire. It's to be for us what we need. Why? Well, let me give you the life story. I don't have a stopwatch on my watch. So I don't know how long I've been preaching so I'll just give you this my wife said I said put a stopwatch on it She said don't make no difference. Did you never look at it? I said well I've got one on the inside when he said it's done. It's done But I thought about this and that friend that day Of course I've already got on some of this, but I'll just give it to you. I thought about this. He's a dependable friend How many people, how many people could you think of that you know that your friends, that's so dependable, if you call them anytime, day, night, or morning, they drop whatever they're doing and come to your rescue? Somebody said there's so many people, preacher, how can he do it? That's what's exceptional about him. He can be everywhere at the same time, take care of your problem, my problem, hallelujah. He can be in church, let one of his men stand up, preach one message, and I don't care how many is in the crowd, and he can take that message and spread it out, take your every need of every person in all the crowd, and send them home rejoicing if they let him. That's how I accept it. What I'm talking about, he's a dependable friend. Dependable. Every time I've ever went to him, even the wee hours of the morning, when I couldn't call anybody. I thought about calling Brother Sexton, but I know he don't stay up as late as I do. But sometimes when I think about calling, about 1.30, 2 o'clock in the morning, and see if he's a dependable friend. But I thought even at night, when nobody else is around, my wife's asleep, I can hum myself down and call upon his name. And he's right there. Right there. Dependable. So I got to think about that word dependable. That means he's reliable. He's unfailing. He's never failed. Not a lot of times we've been in a situation where we think he's let us down. He ain't let us down. He has never let us down. He's always been dependable. Even when I think sometimes he has, he ain't let me down. He just knows what's best for us. And I'll tell you, he's dependable. Well, let me give you a little thought here. I thought he's dependable and that makes him my delight. I got to look at that word, delight. That means happy. Have you ever wondered why sometimes you just get happy and don't know why? Overjoyed. My wife, she's a shouting woman. I like to shout too. But I'll tell you, I've seen times when we left the church, I'll tell you, going home for a beating because the Lord would get in the car with us. Well, He's already in there. And I'll tell you, He's just dependable. And I'll tell you, we just get delighted. She just shouts. She acts like she's trying to beat the top of the car off. I'm just praising God and shouting. And I'll tell you, probably a lot of people see us driving down the road. I think something's wrong with us. But I'll tell you, I'm thankful that He's just dependable. I'm delighted that He's dependable. Delighted. And so I looked at the dependable, delighted. And then I thought about this. I'm delighted because he's dependable because he's delivered me so many times. Have you ever been in a situation where it seemed like right there he's took and delivered you out of the situation? Seemed like he didn't know what to say, what to do. People question you and look like he's going to speak something and get in trouble. And all of a sudden, I tell you, he just shows up and delivers you. Rescues you. Just rescues you. Now, I know people think you're crazy, but I tell you, we was coming out of North Carolina Monday, this past Monday. And we got a little late start, it was driving before we ever got to interstate. And I tell you, I looked up, there's a little white truck, run off the road, you know how dry it's been. I tell you, he was just throwing dust and dirt everywhere, car stopped, wanted to turn. My wife, she's honking, don't go on, don't go on, don't go on. I tell you, he must have overcorrected, I'm telling you, come back, cross the road. Missing two cars and ditch line on the other side. I tell you down the side of the road up in a parking lot And I'll tell you my wife. She's just just nervous. She's big, but I'm gonna tell you I just thought Lord just delivered us Lord just delivered us And I tell you I hope this ain't going out over there, but people really think I'm crazy We was going down south 75 one time And I'll tell you I looked up to my right there was a tornado I'm telling you, a big tornado funnel crowd. Funnel? Funnel crowd. Cloud. And I thought, my soul, that thing's going to swoop us up, I'll tell you, in that cloud and spin us around untelling what we're going to take it into. And my wife, I thought, sure, she didn't see it. But I'll tell you, she saw it too. And I'll tell you, we just cried out, oh God. And the next thing we know, look back, and that thing was gone. Ain't it true? No, I'm telling you, I've got a dependable friend that's able to take and deliver me, and I'm delighted. I'll tell you, when I ain't got enough sense to stay out of harm's way, that I've got a dependable friend that I'm delighted in that can take and deliver me and put me back to safety and say, son, go ahead and glorify my name. I'm telling you tonight, we have got a dependable friend, I'll tell you in Jesus. It's in Jesus. I'm delighted in that, ain't you? He's so dependable, He's lovable. Huh? He's so dependable, but He's lovable. I thought, I was thinking about that in the Song of Solomon. He's my Rose of Sharon. He's my Lily in the Valley. Did you ever get in the Valley? Now, y'all down here in Tennessee probably don't get in the valley very much because you got a lot of mountains. But I'll tell you, we spiritually up there in Kentucky, we get in the spiritual valley every now and then. But even when I get in the valley, He always puts something or somebody around me. I'll tell you, He just put a shout on your heart even what time you're in the valley. Well, I'll tell you a little bit about my friend. Do you know him tonight? Have you met him? Have you found him faithful? Have you found him real? Have you found him indescribable? Have you found him, are you listening to me now, unacceptable? He is such. Friend tonight and wants to be so real in our life If we'll let him you'll not be able to keep him here You ever seen somebody their face just a shining? Say they got we use the terminology. They got God on them Or they got God on them I Won't tell you he's such a friend that he wants to be like that to you. I that you won't be able to keep them hid, and people will know that you got Jesus in your life. They've been saved in the family of God. Exceptional. Exceptional. Indescribable. Irresistible. Such a dependable friend. Let's stand, Father. Thank you tonight for letting us be here in this service. Thank you for this church, this dear pastor and his wife, this church family, Lord, here tonight. Lord, we pray your blessings be upon them. Lord, they sure have been a blessing to us, and it's just a blessing to take and be here and be around them. Thank you tonight, Lord, for saving our soul and putting us in the family of God. Thank you for letting Jesus take our place and being our friend. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you keep my command. Lord, I'm thankful tonight that I am saved and you are my dearest friend and nearest friend. Lord, I pray tonight if there's somebody here that's Lord, that's just not sure they're saved. Maybe they realize they've never been saved. Lord, maybe there's somebody here tonight that has been saved that's not letting you be in their life the way you want them to be. Maybe, God, you'd touch them tonight in such a way. that they'll just want to come and just let you have your way in their life, that they'll know without a doubt that you're there to help them. Thank you tonight, Lord. We just pray and ask you tonight, Lord, that your blessings be made a part of their service now. Thank you for your promise that your word will not return void, but accomplish what you please. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Brother Sexton, you come. I tell you, if we play a verse or song,