I knew I didn't know what to preach a priest on but I knew exactly how many lights was hanging on that ceiling Amen, but thank God he got saved later on in life a man and realized what I had taken for granted all them years a man thankful for good Bible preaching growing up and If you got some that's lost in your family, just keep praying for him keep praying for him and I Just beg God a man acts 23. I want to give you just something kind of unlike like I usually preach. It's a devotional thought Just out of this text here, and I'm just taking something not giving you any doctrine anything like that just something devotional out of this and So I'll just give you a little context and we'll preach for a couple minutes, and we're gonna go eat what we got doughnuts Okay, amen. So I'll preach for just a few minutes and then we'll head over there. All right, so Paul finds himself in trouble. Once again, if you know your Bible acts chapter number 23, he's been arrested the Roman authorities have They they he's been preaching the gospel They've got him in custody and a special meeting was arranged. They were taking him to the Jews to let them try and THEIR OWN, AMEN? SO, A SPECIAL MEETING WAS ARRANGED WITH THE SANHEDRIN, WHICH WAS A GROUP OF 70 JEWISH MEN, MAYBE 71, DEPENDING ON HOW THEY COUNTED THAT HIGH PRIEST. BUT THE COUNCIL HAD THE ABILITY, THAT JEWISH COUNCIL, HAD THE ABILITY UNDERNEATH THE ROMAN POWER TO LEVY JUDGEMENT ON SOMEONE THAT BROKE THEIR LAW. THEY COULD IMPOSE CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT UP UNTO DEATH, AMEN? SO, THE COUNCIL WAS THERE, AND THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD, CLAUDIUS, BROUGHT PAUL DOWN TO STAND BEFORE THAT COUNCIL. And when he brought him down, he stayed there in case something broke loose so that he could get him out of there or whatever happened. And that's where we're at in verse number one. So look at your Bible. It says in Paul, He's basically saying, I've lived as a Jewish citizen. I've tried to do what I'm supposed to do, led by God. And what that did was that enraged the high priest because he'd been preaching Jesus, amen? Verse two, and the high priest and an ice commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Now, this is illegal, definitely unethical. We'll find out in the next verse. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou wild and whited wall, for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law. And they that stood by said, revilest thou God's high priest? Then said Paul, I wish not, brethren, that he was the high priest, for it is written, thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people. NOW, DIFFERENT THEOLOGIANS THINK DIFFERENT THINGS ABOUT THIS PART. I BELIEVE PAUL KNEW THAT THERE WAS SOME DIVISION IN THE ROOM, AMEN? JUST LIKE THERE IS USUALLY AMONGST BAPTISTS, SO HE LOOKED AT ONE OF THEM AND SAID, HEY, YOU BELIEVE THIS, WHAT YOU BELIEVE, BROTHER, AMEN? AND HE STARTED A LITTLE FIGHT, AMEN, TO GET HIMSELF OUT OF THIS PROBLEM, AMEN? SO VERSE NUMBER SIX SAYS THIS, BUT WHEN PAUL PERCEIVED THAT ONE PART WAS SADDUCEES AND THE OTHER Pharisees he cried out in the council men and brethren I'm a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee and of the hope and the resurrection of the dead I am called in question and when he had so said there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees and the multitude was divided for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection neither angel nor spirit but the Pharisees confess both and there arose a great cry and the scribes that were of the Pharisees part arose and strove saying we find no evil in this man he said hey he believes just like we do we're cool with him amen But if a spirit or angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in peace of them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and to bring him into the castle. And the night following, the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also Rome now, I found this message in my Bible reading plan. That's a lot of times how I find what I want to preach a man God will show me something in that and that and I didn't have to study to get an outline or anything like that It was like God lit that thing up for me daddy as I was reading and I just saw and the Lord spoke to me in it and I noticed a phrase that was mentioned three different times in the text tonight I don't know if any of you caught it, but there was a two-word phrase that was mentioned in that text. It was the phrase, stood by tonight. That's what we heard. So I wanna take a look at that phrase and give you just a little devotional thought tonight on that phrase stood by. And by way of introduction, I want you to notice the first use of the phrase stood by in the text. Look back at verse number two. And the high priest and an ice commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. So here's the apostle Paul. doing everything in his life that he should be for the Lord. Amen? We don't know of any sin he was in. We don't know of anything else. He's given God everything. He is serving Him probably like no man ever had or ever will. And he finds himself in a place where he probably really doesn't want to be tonight, amen? And he finds himself in this place WHERE HIS LIFE IS AT RISK ESSENTIALLY FOR DOING NOTHING EXCEPT EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. THEN HE TRIES TO HANDLE THE SITUATION POLITELY. HE SAID, MEN AND BRETHREN, I'M NOT AGAINST YOU, AMEN? AND HE TRIED TO FIX THAT, AND IN RETURN FOR THAT, HE IS in the face, amen? He got a knuckle sandwich, Brother John, is how we probably would have put it in the Bible in West Virginia, amen? But he is physically assaulted in the face for doing nothing except exactly what God had told him to do, amen? What I'm talking about tonight is physical suffering in the midst of serving Jesus without any explanation of why it's possible. possibly happening, amen? That's exactly what was happening to Paul in the text tonight, amen? I wonder if there's anybody in the room tonight that may be going through something similar in their life. You're doing everything in your life to serve God. You're studying the word of God. You're praying. You're being faithful to the house of God. But it seems like all you do in life is fight the physical ailments of life, amen? I mean, listen, sometimes, listen, we know that God will do things, allow things in our life when we ain't living right and when we're living in sin and all that stuff. And oftentimes when you go through things in your life, you begin to contemplate that thing. But could I give you a little illustration real quick? When I was a youngin' and I did something wrong, Brother John, and I was a gettin' a whoopin', you know what? My daddy knew that I was getting a whooping, and I always knew that I was getting a whooping. Say amen right there. And we lived up on a mountain, but if we had any neighbors, they also would have known that I was getting a whooping, amen? And if you're living in sin tonight, and God just keeps a whooping you, then good, amen? I hope he keeps on a thumping you until you smarten up and get right. Say amen right there. But listen, if you are under the chastising hand of a holy God, you probably well know it tonight, amen? But sometimes, sometimes, you're just gonna go through things in this life just for serving God. I believe Peter calls it Christian suffering, and I, don't worry, I ain't preaching on suffering, it's just my illustration. 2 Timothy 3 and 12, yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer, shall, that's a Bible promise, shall suffer persecution. You can't get away from it, amen. I'm sure there's those in the room that are dealing with what seems to be the enemy standing by and afflicting pain in your life. I came to tell you from West Virginia tonight, don't you quit tonight. You just stand by because help is a coming. Amen. I wrote this message before. My daddy got what he got. Amen. But right there in my outline, It says you might be the one dealing with cancer, but why don't you don't quit tonight and just stand by because help is a coming, amen. I don't know what you're dealing with, the physical ailments of life, the tangible things of life. It may be a wayward child, it may be finances, it may be health, it may be family tonight, but I came to say don't quit. Help's a coming tonight. There's folks in my church going through things just like there is this church. And man, sometimes it ain't you, it's your family. You know how that is. Young man named Johnny Talbert, he's 40 years old, submitted to preach a couple years ago. Line manager at Toyota plant making six figures. God called him to preach and about a year later, my son was sick with different IBS things. He started having to cancel appointments, lost 20, 30 pounds. His all messed up, amen. It started with his lung collapsing in the hospital, being in ICU for 13 days. And God told Johnny to quit his job, Brother John, and to begin to travel with Tyler. And when he did that, Tyler, it's like he was healed, amen. It did something in his mind. It did something for him, amen. And Johnny began praying as he preached. And Tyler was able to get up and preach with unction and power once again, amen. But it wasn't but a couple months later that Johnny got a call from the wife saying the doctors have said I've got rheumatoid arthritis and I've got other autoimmune things and I don't know what they are. But I'm in so much pain I can't hardly even make a fist. And Johnny's doing nothing but giving his entire life to God and now he's suffering to his family. All I can do is look at him and say, Johnny, don't quit. Stand by. Help's a-coming, son. Help's a-coming. By way of introduction, I want you to notice with me the second time the phrase stood by was used in the text. Verse 3, then said Paul unto him, God shalt smite thee, thou whited wall, you hypocrite, basically. For sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to law? He said, you just had me punched. That's against the law. And they that stood by said, revilest thou God's high priest? So because Paul was physically assaulted, he then made a statement of truth about the high priest, that he's a hypocrite for striking him. And all he really did was defend himself verbally. And then he's accused of breaking law again for reviling the high priest. So now there's one standing by, not only physically assaulting him, but now someone's verbally attacking and accusing him of things. Now listen, you know what the Bible says about the devil? He is the accuser of the brethren. You know that? He loves to go to God and accuse you wrongdoing. But you know what? If you're covered in the blood, that don't mean nothing. Oh foolish devil, that don't mean nothing, you're covered in the blood. I'd like to see that conversation up there. Say it don't matter. Fool, he's covered in the blood of my son, amen? He's righteous, amen? There's imputed righteousness on him. But you know what He likes to do then? He likes to come whisper to you. That would give you verses in the Bible where He'll put things in your ear and where He'll say things to you. I believe He can do that, amen? And He'll verbally attack you. You better believe He likes to whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Nothing negative that ever come into your mind comes from God, I promise you that. Amen? He's not a God of fear, is He? When them thoughts of fear come in your mind, where you think it come from? When them thoughts of doubt come in your mind, where you think it come from? When those seeds of destruction are sown in your mind, you know that didn't come from God. Somebody put that in your mind. Now I'm here to tell you, no matter what somebody's been whispering to you, no matter how bad somebody's been trying to get you to quit, don't quit. Stand by. Helps are coming tonight. when you can't go to sleep at night because the fears are strong and your faith is so weak and Satan just keeps telling you, only the bad will happen, only the bad will happen. I'm telling you, don't quit. Stand by. Helps are coming tonight. He wants you to live in fear. He wants to discourage you. He wants to dissolution you. He wants to defeat you. He wants you down, amen? I know all you preachers got stories. I know all y'all got stories, amen? But I remember a time when we was trying to do something for God up there in Ripley, and we put up a tent. We had hundreds of teenagers, and I'm telling you, the devil was throwing everything at me. I had physical things. My son was in the ICU I told you about. I had other things going on. I had the diverticulitis. stuff going on, you know what started happening, John? Piled up all that stuff and it started getting in my head. I started to be under so much stress, not even knowing it the way me and my daddy carry it, you wouldn't know it, amen, but it's like I was waking up in the middle of the night, brother Mark, and I wouldn't even remember who I was for about a minute or two. And I started praying, God, I'm losing my mind. God, help me, shield me, God, I'm losing my mind. I had to tell myself, don't quit, stand by, help's a coming. And don't forget, Satan likes to use other people as well. He'll take that carnal Christian or that one that ain't right with God, plant something in their mind, and then they'll become attacking you. Or they may not even be pragmatic and trying to hurt you with the gossip and all the slander and all that stuff, but they may not even be pragmatic, they might just be so stupid that they ain't got no discernment about them, they'll say something stupid to you. Something stupid to you. Like, I stubbed my big toe and it swelled up, oh gosh. I know somebody that stubbed a big toe one time, blood clot went all the way to the heart and he dropped dead, I'll pray for you. I'm gonna pray for you. What are you, stupid? Don't discourage people. Don't discourage people. Think about what you're saying, amen. Don't let the devil use you to make things worse for others. But aren't you glad tonight that even though the enemy may be standing by, and he may be verbally accusing you, and he may be physically assaulting you, but there's also one other standing by going on in the text tonight, amen? I liked it when I opened my Bible tonight, and there's only one verse with some red letters in it, Brother John. Here's what it said in verse number 11, And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also in Rome. Thank God there's a Savior standing by tonight. I know I said help's a coming, but the help's been there the whole time, son. Listen, I'm glad we've got a Savior that said, I'll never leave you and I'll never forsake you. And he loves you, amen, more than anything in this world. And I say, stand by, help has arrived, amen. I want you to notice just a few things that Jesus is gonna say as he stands by in the midst of your suffering or your problems, amen. Lord, we love you. Help us tonight. God, I pray for somebody to discourage, Lord, you'd help. God, I pray we just learn to worship you, walk in faith. God, eliminate fear and worry and all that. And God, have the joy that you want us to have. Father, we love you and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen, amen. I want you to notice this. First off, what's Jesus say to him? He says, be of good cheer. You know what he's saying there? Don't worry. That's Jesus saying, don't worry, amen. Now one of the hardest things to hear in the midst of your trial or in the midst of what might be the worst thing in the world, a wayward child running out to the drugs or sickness or whatever it may be tonight, sometimes one of the things you don't want to hear from somebody, especially if they ain't nobody, amen, is don't worry. Hey man, somebody at work says, oh brother, don't worry about it, it don't help you none. Hey man, somebody else, you know they don't know nothing about it, amen. They say, don't worry, it'll be all right, amen. That don't do nothing for you, amen? But can I tell you when there's one standing by that you know that died for you, and you know that saved your soul from the devil's hell, and you know that loves you, amen? And you know that speaks to you through his word on a daily basis, amen? When he's the one saying, don't worry child of God, there's something different about it tonight. That phrase, be of good cheer in your Bible, has a definition of don't be afraid, amen? Don't worry. I like how the Bible defines itself, don't you? And as I begin studies, John, I notice over and over and over, Jesus said that phrase. He said that phrase. Over in Matthew 28, Jesus had died on the cross, and they were scared to death about what was going to happen, and they were all gathered together, and they were in fear for their lives, and they were in fear because they were Jesus' people, amen, for serving God. They were in fear, amen? And in Matthew 28, 10, Jesus said unto them, be not afraid. Go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me, amen? When you're afraid to serve God, maybe in that workplace, maybe in that public school, you're afraid to head out that track, amen, maybe you're afraid to go the next step for God in your ministry and whatever it may be, Jesus Christ is standing by saying don't worry tonight, be not afraid, have courage, amen. He said the disciples in the midst of storm in Matthew 14 when they were in complete fear for their lives because of a storm 14 and 27 and Matthew says but straightway Jesus speaking them saying be of good cheer it is I be not afraid there's your King James giving you the definition of the word right there be of good cheer be not afraid When you're afraid of what's going to happen in life because of the storms you're facing and all that, maybe financial, maybe wayward children, maybe marital, maybe families, I don't know, maybe sickness. When you're afraid, you know what Jesus is standing by trying to tell you? We won't listen to him half the time. We listen to everybody else. Every negative thing we can hear, everything that'll put fear in us, you know what he's saying? He's saying, just don't worry about it. Just don't worry about it. That's hard, ain't it, for us. Just don't worry about it. That's why he's saying, be not afraid. Then later on, he said it to the woman who suffered a hemorrhage in Matthew 9, had an issue of blood 12 years, had no way to heal herself of that sickness. There was no answer. You know what he said? Daughter, be of good comfort. Same exact thing. Can I tell you, when you're afraid, your health's messed up, doctors ain't got no answers for you. Hey, man, y'all know what's going on in my family, my own immediate family. Seems like everybody in my family's had some type of something wrong with them since I've been in the ministry to where the doctors don't know what it is. They just tell you, they tell you it's the ghost diseases. Five miles, I've been diagnosed that. IBS, my kids and my wife's been diagnosed. That means they don't know the answer and they can't figure out what's messing you up. And you know what the devil do? It's probably something bad. And you know what you'll do? You'll sit there and worry and worry. You know what he's standing by saying? Be of good cheer. Don't worry. Don't worry. He said it to the palsied man in Matthew 9 who couldn't walk, had no way of even getting the help he needed, had no ability. He said, son, be of good cheer. Be of good cheer. Stand by my friend and have courage and be of good cheer. You know what that is? Don't worry. Don't worry. Don't worry. We walk through this life. Listen, I understand there's folks with strong faith and there's folks with weak faith. I understand if you do the things in that Bible, to have faith, amen, you study, you pray, you search the word of God you get close to God, your faith will increase, I understand that but there's some with strong faith and some with weak faith there's so many of us living in a manner that no matter what happens we think of the absolute most negative and we are in pure and utter fear the entire time in our lives and that's not the joy that Christ promised you and that's your fault but that's not what Christ ordained your life to be He wanted you to become Christ-like and grow in faith and not live in fear and panic and all that stuff. I remember Brock when he was a little boy, five years old, down in that basement. That's where I keep all my shoes, Brother John. And I keep all my stuff downstairs. And I'd walk my kids still. I mean, Lauren's 19. You still won't go downstairs, right? Definitely not in Fellowship Hall at the church. I haven't gone down there with her yet today. But to go downstairs in our own house where we sleep, amen? They won't go downstairs! Brock was five years old. Well, you know, I'm one of them dads. I want to make it. Brock, take your shoes down there. He ain't allowed to tell me no. None of my kids ever have told me no about anything straight to my face. But that's when he said, I want to say no, dad. I said, fine, son, I'll go with you. We walked down there. You know what? He's virtually unaffected when I'm walking right beside him. When I'm right beside him, he's, I mean, chest bowed out. I mean, there ain't nothing wrong with that boy. But you know how good daddies are. I just take a little stutter step and watch him keep on walking. And I turn around, he turns around, I see that fear in his face, and he's scared to death. You know why? He wasn't walking by his daddy no more. He wasn't walking by the one that's sitting here saying, don't worry. And I know the Bible says he'll never leave us nor forsake us. We're indwelled. I understand the pneumatology of the Bible. Amen. I understand all that. But you know, sometimes you're living life like he ain't nowhere near you when you're walking around in fear and you're worrying about everything and you're scared to death and you've got no joy and you've got no peace and you can't sleep. Amen. I'm telling you, I almost preached a message on how to take a good nap. over there when Peter was about to get killed the next day and it said he's chained up between two guards. You know what he did, John? He took a nap, amen. You know why? He had a promise from God that he's gonna die on a Roman cross. He's gonna die at an older age, amen. He knew what God had said, so he didn't have no fear in his life. God promised you peace, and he promised you power, and he promised you provision all over there in the book of Philippians tonight. Yet we live in fear. What I'm saying tonight is don't worry no matter what's going on. You're just wasting your life. Don't worry. You know what he says secondly? Keep working. Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem. Going to Jerusalem is what Paul got in trouble for in the first place, right? But here's Christ saying, hey, just keep doing what you're doing. You got in trouble for going to Jerusalem, which is what I wanted you to do. He's basically looking at him saying, good work, son. Keep up the good work. I know you're going through it. He said, I know I've caused you some trouble. I know you're suffering, but you did what you were supposed to do, and this ain't chastisement. This isn't just me leaving you out to dry. This ain't me getting you all messed up tonight. We know in Paul's ministry there was, I don't know if y'all was like me, but you read the Bible and you heroize people, which we ought to. He's my hero, not one of these modern celebrity preachers, amen. And you look at somebody like the apostle Paul, amen, and you think, man, how awesome would that have been? I bet you'd love to travel. Yeah, I bet you'd love to be in his driver, amen. I'd love to run around the Apostle Paul. You understand nearly everything Apostle Paul did, something bad was happening around him, amen. I know he saw people saved, and I know he got to be the man, had to go to the Gentiles and write a third of your New Testament, but man, I'm telling you, everywhere he went, brother, hell, we're talking beat down, shipwrecked, starving, run out of town, stoned, left for dead, amen, everybody against him, and all that. But I bet, listen, I'd say there was times got to worry a little bit and over and over and over. He didn't have the favor of the brethren, amen. He didn't have the biggest youth group. He didn't have the big youth rally, amen. I'm telling you, he served God. He kept working for God, amen. People didn't receive his message when he went places. People became enraged and wanted to kill him, amen. So even though he was doing exactly what God wanted him to do, he was still suffering. You know what Jesus stood by and said? Don't worry, just keep working. Keep doing it. . As long as we know that were in the will of god and serving god doing what god called us to do once a city we can't never look at some left for you preachers myself a person said we can never look at some levels of success Amen, I don't even claim them to be independent fundamental bachelors because how they preach what they preach but listen I can't base if I'm gonna serve God Continued on the the outcomes of every little thing in my life You understand that tonight church member do not quit on God because things get hard a man that might just mean God's getting ready to do something for you a man and you're gonna pass that blessing up a man because you're gonna quit on God and you're worrying and you're quitting on him a man just keep working and if God never gives you that promotion at work or never gives you the favor with men that you're seeking and desiring so much don't worry keep working it's hard to say but if your children run the world and don't want to serve God like you do and don't want to live for him don't worry just keep working If your health never gets any better and you have to suffer through your whole life for some ailment the doctors can't find or whatever it may be, something you got, don't worry. Just keep working. No matter what happens, y'all, keep working. Keep working. Keep working. If I've been, I know Pastor Randy's got a hundred stories to tell you. If I base my pastorate on how well things were going out there, I've been there 10 years and my crowd's smaller than it was when I got there pretty much. Amen. I'd have left in the first year when those four eldest men in the church formed a coup against me and told a bunch of lies against me. And about 20 or 30 people, we went from 100 down to, there was more than 20 or 30, we went down to about 30 or 40 people when it was all said and done. I left five years in when, when, when me and 15 men in a prayer room and both my deacons prayed about putting my son in as a youth pastor and one carnal woman that didn't even believe in eternal security, I don't even know what she's doing there, she wasn't even a member, went around and stirred up stuff because the guy that was gonna be working with Tyler got on her grandchildren four years ago. Y'all see how that stuff works in church? 30 people left because that woman, she gonna answer to God. But if I was basing what I did on them, I'd have quit. If I was basing what's happening in my family over the past 10 years, man, I'd have quit when Tyler was in the ICU. I'd have quit when Carla's mom dropped dead after she begged God to save her for 15 years. And my wife's losing her mind, punching the floor, screaming, my mother's burning in hell. I'd have quit then and said, this ain't worth it. Here's a couple times that Carla looked at me, Ronnie, and said, Jason, is this even worth it? when Tyler had that stuff going on with him, felt like he was dying, we'd keep track on all our kids' cell phones, as long as they lived in my house, past age 18, I could see everything they say, and we saw that Tyler had texted a preacher, and said, I feel like I'm losing my mind, and Carla broke down, she said, is this even worth it, Jason? Don't worry, just keep working. Don't worry, just keep working. Don't worry, just keep working. Lastly, you know what he said? Just wait. Don't worry. Be of good cheer, Paul. Keep working, for as thou hast testified to me in Jerusalem, just wait. So must thou bear witness also at Rome. See, if you know your Bible, you know back in Acts 19, you know the main thing Paul wanted to do was go to a place called Rome. He wanted to get over, he probably knew the gospel could go out to all the world from there. He had everybody against him, the Jewish, the Roman, All of them. I just read the day when they was chasing him out of Thessalonica. Bunch of carnal idiots. He had every reason to worry and quit. Every reason to worry and quit. But he didn't. Jesus stood by and said, don't worry, keep working, just wait. I don't know what you're going through tonight, but I know there's a God standing by saying don't worry, keep working, just wait. He's saying trust me, it's gonna be fine. He says it's gonna be okay. I don't like telling stories about myself and all that stuff. But when you don't want to study, brother kids, that's what you do. You tell young stories. This past year has been one of the hardest years in my life. harsh years and I know some of y'all been through hell by the acre I understand that and ain't trying to make light of your your suffering but and y'all see me I'm walking fine now but if you come to meetings and have seen me in the past year I've walked with a cane for months I basically golfing three times a year. A year and three months ago, that's the carnal side of it. But four days after the last time I golfed past Randy, I had a prayer meeting. Kevin Mann was there, Danny Buchanan, some different guys. It was a Saturday before my winter revival. And I got up there, and I'm not hyperbole in this. I'm not making this up. I exhorted on wrestling with God, Jacob. And I told my folk, my men mostly, I said, we need to pray that somebody walk out of here different at this meeting, that God do something in us and start reviving our hearts. But I started praying. We prayed for about three hours that night. And in the middle of that, for some reason, I began limping and couldn't walk. And I thought, man, this is too spooky spiritual for me, brother. I don't do this stuff. It's the golf is exactly what I said. Took me a month to get an MRI. We used a prayer camp. They prayed on me, remember, Dad, two years ago. The second one back a year and two months. I went to MRI. I got a torn labrum and a torn gluteus minus. They said, you need a full hip replacement at the age of 46. I went into depression. I started complaining, God, I'm in the midst of starting a soul winning program. God, I begged you to let me preach out, and you got me and Lauren going two and three weeks a month, and now I can't hardly even sit in a car. How come? All I want to do is serve you, and you let something like this happen. I don't want a hip replacement. Then two months later, I go to the other specialist in the same exact office, and he looked at me and said, well, you're not bone on bone, so we don't think insurance will even pay for it, so you're not going to like what I got to tell you, but you're just going to have to go to therapy. So for a month, for a year and three months, I've been gimping around. I can't run. I can't mow my grass. I can't play with my kids. I can't do any of that. And I went from going snowboarding a year and a half ago, riding dirt bikes, doing all that stuff, to hurting when I get up and go to the kitchen. And my wife looked at me one day, Randy, she's good at this stuff. I was complaining every day, saying, why is God letting this happen, man? I can't do nothing. And I was being so negative, and I was being so mean. She said, Jason, you're going to have to just figure out that God's letting this happen, and you're going to have to deal with it, and you're going to have to get over yourself. We can't get mad at God, y'all. That's right. Or get negative or angry or upset or worry because of what God's allowed. Yeah. if I could transition this without bothering my dad. October 31st, Halloween for Pete's sake. Halloween, we're at prayer camp. And I said, man, this has been a slow prayer camp. Why don't you guys really pray tonight? Thursday night, last night, why don't y'all just pray? We ain't gonna preach. We've had 12 messages this week. I just wanna pray tonight. And them men start praying. And I look back here at my daddy. And y'all seen them wild testimonies he does? Imagine a 74-year-old man praying like he testifies for over 30 minutes. And I'm sitting there up there at the pulpit watching Daddy out pray, all them men half his age, crying out, thanking God, said, glory, praise your name, just walking around that place, praising God with everything. I said, I love my Daddy. 11 days later exactly when he goes to me right after that goes to church two days a week old, 11 days later he collapses and would You gotta tell yourself, Jesus is standing by, and He's saying, don't worry, keep serving God, and just wait, just wait. I don't know what He's gonna do, but you know He ain't never been wrong. He's omnipotent, He's omnipresent, He's all power, He's never done anything wrong, and when something like this happens, you can't get mad at God, He's never been wrong. So what is He saying tonight? Don't worry. Keep working. Just wait. Just wait. Somebody help me. Will y'all help me with the chorus? I'm gonna try it. Clinton, you better jump in and help me. It will be worth it all Life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrow will erase. so gravely run the race till we see Christ. Amen. God bless you, Brother Jason. Good job preaching. Thank the Lord for those two or three lessons there. But especially that last one. Just wait on the Lord. All of my life I've tried to preach. I've been a preacher more than I've been anything else. Acts 16 31 was one of my favorite verses. I always tried to tell people, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Had it on my, when I worked in the coal mines, I had it on my hat. Acts 16, 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Well, the verse has kind of changed now. It's still 31, but it's Isaiah chapter 40. Verse 31, they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. Bound up with wings as eagles, they'll run and not be weary. They'll walk and not faint. Amen. Just waiting on the Lord. That's what we're doing. That's what the Sparks family's doing. I just go around this church. This church, you know, has been hit hard the last couple of years. But just all we can do is wait on God. There ain't nothing we can do about it. But He can do everything about it. There's nothing my God can't do. If you would like to pray, this altar is open. If you would like to come and just kneel here before we go eat donuts. Every time I think about a