Thank you for the opportunity that we have, though small in number. As I was relating earlier, we've preached in many old Baptist churches where there wasn't very many people there. And as the brothers said, where two or three are gathered, the Lord said he's in the midst. And the important matter is our attitude, I think, as we look at the situation. We always wish there was a house full. I'd rather preach to 100 or 200 as we did at the Florida Fellowship meeting recently as to a handful, but I love the opportunity to preach to God's people regardless of the number. Reminded of what one older elder said up in our part of the country when they said, well, how many how many members do you have at your church? And he said, well, we don't count them, we weigh them. And so that's important to be weighed spiritually. I think that rather than the number of folks, you can have a house full and count large numbers, but it's actually when you begin to weigh their interest and their belief in the truth. The Lord said, they that worship must worship in spirit and in truth. I'd like to go to the book of Isaiah this evening for a little while. Isaiah chapter 26. There's a scripture there that my mind has been on of late. It's a very encouraging portion of scripture. Actually, I find much encouragement, not only in all the Bible, but especially in the prophet Isaiah. But in the 26th chapter of Isaiah, we read these words in verse one. In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city. Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. As I say in the reading of this scripture, and I'm sure if you, as you've read it or heard it read tonight, it's a scripture that has an encouraging sound to it. And he starts out speaking of that day. Many times this expression is used in the prophet Isaiah in that day. Isaiah, hundreds of years before Christ, looked forward to Christ that was promised to come into the world. And the Jews had this promise of the Messiah that was to come and the work that he would do. For example, in the 25th chapter, right before this, he said in verse nine, It shall be said in that day, lo, this is our God. We have waited for him. He will save us. This is what was spoken of the prophet back there to. of the day of Christ. So when he uses the expression in that day, he's referring to the things that will begin to happen in the day of Christ. That's the time when the long-promised and long-awaited Messiah came into the world and he saved his people from their sins. As in the first chapter of Matthew, familiar verse to you folks here tonight, you good primitive Baptists, Thou shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. That's the reason he came into this world the first time. And I believe he accomplished that. That's the reason that I joined the old Baptists almost 30 years ago. And that's been my hope ever since in Christ and that he, just as the prophet prophesied here, it shall be said in that day, lo, this is our God. We have waited for him. He will save us. This is the Lord. That's who Jesus was. was Jehovah God that was manifested in human form and flesh. We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. And he comes on into this 26th chapter. In that day shall this song be sung. A song is something that was done in a way of rejoicing. This day that he's talking about is no longer a day of sorrow or a day of waiting, but now the Savior's come. And not only so, I believe that in the day of Christ that he established the gospel church and his gospel went forth to the Gentile peoples as it had not done before. And he speaks of the church here, I believe, when he says, we have a strong city. This is an encouragement, I believe, to God's people in the church, whether many or whether few in number, that the Lord is with us as we uphold his truth, as we trust in the Lord. He says we have a strong city. Salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks, the ancient cities, great wall cities for defense. And sometimes from the reading that I've done, many of those walls were 20 to 30 feet thick. to withstand the onslaught from the enemy and the ramming of the walls and to try to overcome the city. But in this case, we're speaking of the Lord's work in the church, that the Lord is in this matter. And so we have a strong city. Now, the part that I wanna get to tonight, rather than dwelling on verses one and two, are verses three and four, especially verse three. Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Thou will keep him in perfect peace. There are a lot of people that are concerned about peace. There are a lot of people that want peace in their heart, peace in their soul. There's a lot of distress in this world. There's a lot of trouble in this world. I don't have to stand here and tell you that. We live in a world of sin and of sorrow, and there's a lot to upset us. You know, if we began to complain, as I frequently do, we could make a long list of things before very long. But tonight, I want to tell you that our strength is in the Lord, and we can have peace in the Lord. And the prescription for that is right here. Now, I'm not against legitimate use of medicine and so forth, but some people find a prescription for peace in other ways. They maybe want a medication or some sort to relax them, or maybe a beverage of sorts to take their mind off of troubles and things like that. Many times those situations, those things that people employ as substitutes for the real peace that we're reading to you about are things that further complicate the situation. And I will just say at this point in time, not to get off my subject or my text, but anything that we do to go contrary to the word of God will complicate things. He says, thou will keep him in perfect peace. The word perfect does not refer to the degree of peace in this scripture. The word perfect is used here to differentiate this peace that he's talking about from any number of substitutes that people may have. In other words, anything that other than what's in this text of scripture that people would turn to to find peace in their heart and peace in their soul is something that's imperfect. So perfect is here put for solid, lasting real peace. That's what the, how the word perfect is used here. I don't believe that he's, that it's referring to degrees of peace. Now we may have a degree of peace and satisfaction depending on how we do what's in this scripture. But I believe that the word perfect here is put for that peace that Jesus himself spoke of, in the world you shall have tribulation, but in me you have peace. Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, stayed or fixed on God, stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. So the prescription, as I've said, for peace is right here. Now you, you all stay with me tonight. Perfect peace. In other words, if you want the real thing, here's how it is. To keep your mind fixed on God rather than on circumstances. Most of the time, we dwell on circumstances. Sometimes we have better circumstances than others, it seems. Sometimes things are really going bad. You know, I was sick this week for a few days. I don't even know if I'll be able to make the trip or not. But you know, I was really down and out being sick. And sometimes circumstances get worse or sometimes they improve a little bit. But you know, the thing about it is we can always look at circumstances and find something to feel like things are not going right if we want to dwell on circumstances. But the prescription that the Lord gives here is to keep our minds stayed on him, fixed on him. Just like when Peter was sinking in the water, he began to walk on the water. And then he took his eyes off the Lord and began to sink. We're not to look at circumstances so much as we're to look at the Lord. Now I'm not saying that we're immune to those things or that we're to be oblivious to the things that are going around about us, but what I'm saying is and what the Lord is saying in this scripture is that we can have real peace in our heart when we begin in the midst of troubles to think on God. Have you ever tried that? Have you ever began to take the scriptures and when you were confused, when it seemed like there was confusion all about you or trouble or sickness or church trouble or family trouble or questions of life that come up, have you ever began to take the scripture and to read of the Lord and began to focus on the Lord? And I believe that you began to see some light in that. Has that been your experience? Have you tried that? If not, we need to do more of that. And here it is, the first script, thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, fixed on God. When things seem like they're not going so well, we need to think on God. Now there are a lot of people who don't even believe in God. That's a sad state to be in. The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. You've probably heard this before, but we are coming up on National Atheist Day, April the 1st. That's April Fool's Day. The fool has said in his heart, and certainly to look at all of the, and again, I don't wanna get off the subject here, but to look at all the evidence that God has left in this old world for his existence to see the design and the beauty in nature, to know that it's God's creation. I've been trained in the university in science and I've had a good, pretty good dose of it along the way. But friends, I've not heard too many folks at the university tell me that this Natural world bears witness to the truth of Creator God. But it certainly does. Behold the lilies. There's so much to see. Look at the starry sky. Look at our universe. All of these things and the order in creation and on a cellular level and the biochemical changes that take place, all of these things cannot be by accident, friends. They all declare a glorious master designer. If I had time, I'd preach on that a little while, but here he says, thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. The Hebrew writer said in the 11th chapter in verse six, part of that verse is, he that cometh to God must believe that he is. There are times when God's children, we can get into stress and maybe the death of a loved one, circumstances in our lives, and we may even say, is there a God? If you want peace in your soul, dear friends, tonight, you must first Keep your mind on state on God as the existing God. In other words, you must believe that he is. He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. That's what the Hebrew writer said. You must believe that he is. You believe in God? I know you do. But there are those times and even our best state of belief is mixed with unbelief in this world. I'll tell you, if it took the sinner's belief to lead you to heaven, friends, I'll tell you, we'd all be gone. As the one brother in scripture said, Lord, I believe help thou my unbelief. But we must keep our mind stayed on God as truly the God that exists. Now, regardless of what we have in our mind, Regardless of our thinking, I want to tell you tonight, God does exist. God is the creator. God is on the throne. But this scripture deals with us, our attitude. Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. To see God as an existing God, and then to keep our minds stayed on God as a caring God. I want to talk about some of the things, the ways that we can think about God tonight to keep our minds stayed on God as existing God. But not only does God exist way out yonder somewhere, but God is involved in this whole world. I'm not saying that everything that happens in this world that God causes to happen, nor does God take pleasure in all the things that he suffers to be in this world. There are many things that God suffers. You know what the word suffering refers to? If someone's sick, they're suffering. They're not enjoying that. They're not taking pleasure in that. See, well, there are things that God's, the Bible where God suffers things to be. God takes no pleasure in sin. We've got to be careful in that realm. It's easy to get mixed up with that kind of thinking. But even though that's not the case, the point I was starting to make is that God cares for his people. God cares for his children. And to have perfect peace, to have the real thing is what this is talking about, if you in time of trouble, distress, questions, confusion, whatever it may be, dear friends, say, well, that's not my case tonight. Maybe it is. Maybe it will be down the road. You know, a lot of preaching is preventive maintenance. The first car I ever got, I blew the engine up because I never would change the oil. My daddy said, you put oil in your car, well, I'll get to it. I was young and foolish. Now I'm old and maybe foolish. A lot of preaching is preventive maintenance, you know? Maybe I'll say something that'll help you tonight, encourage you tonight. Maybe I'll say something to help you tomorrow, or next week, or next year. And you can say, well, that preacher from up in the frozen land of Indiana that came to visit, I don't remember his name, but I remember what he talked about, and that's good. Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. Keep your mind fixed on God as a caring God. He cares, cast the scripture, casting all your care on him, for he cares for you. He cares. It's only in our unbelief, it's only in our lack of wisdom that we think God doesn't care for his people. You ever get in that state where you say, does God, you know, the almighty God, does he really care? The scriptures declares, he cast all your cares on him for he careth for you. Isaiah 49 in this same book of Isaiah, he says here. Can a woman forget her sucking child? Verse 15, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb. Yea, they may forget, yet I will not forget thee. You know, you read this very thing happening in our nation. It's sad in the newspapers, mothers put their infants, just, you know, mistreat them or have a little one, put them in the dumpster. All of these, you know, that what the Lord tells, yes, there is, Or there are cases where people forsake the natural affection. It's natural affection, the typical arrangement of things that we see that the mother cares for the little one. But there are exceptions to that. But the Lord said, and the part I want, yet I'll not forget thee. You believe that tonight? Small in number meeting here at Mount Olive Church, so I don't believe the Lord's gonna forget you. In troubles and difficulties of life, I don't believe the Lord's going to forget his people. Not in this world, nor in the world to come. Every one of God's people will be gathered safely home to glory. We believe that. But even in this world, I don't believe the care of God is ever diminished for his people. Cast all your care on. Now, how are we gonna have peace in our heart? It's by keeping our mind fixed on God as a caring God. The Psalmist said, when my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up. I believe that God cares for his people. You know, sometimes we reason as little children, we are God's children in a spiritual sense, but sometimes we're children, we're more like children in a natural sense. When our free children were little and other parents can bear testimony to this, when they start to get up where they can get around on their own and you tell them what you want them to do or not to play in the road or not to get close to something that's dangerous, they don't understand that. And the little ones tend to question the parent. That came very forcibly to me in raising children to see how that played out in real life. But yet we, now how much, the little child is a few years of hopefully being away from having some of the wisdom that the parent does, or knowing and understanding some of the dangers that the parent does. But how far are we away from the understanding and the wisdom of Almighty God? That's a bigger gap there, wouldn't you say? There's a bigger gap, a lot bigger gap between our understanding and that of the Lord. His ways are not our ways, as Isaiah writes. His thoughts are high above our thoughts. But yet we act the way that our little children act sometimes and say, question things. You know, children can get mad at their parents. They don't understand why something's best for them or why something has to be that way or whatever. But I think that the application I'm making of this is that God cares for his children, and when we don't realize his care, when we doubt that, we're not gonna have this peace that he's talking about. We've got to keep our mind fixed on God as a caring God, and not lean on our own understanding. The scripture says, in all thy ways acknowledge him. The scripture says in the Proverbs in the third chapter, trust in the Lord, and that's the same agreement with this scripture. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. That's one of the worst things that come between us and having peace that this text is talking about, is when we lean on our own understanding. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. God will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee as an existing God, the existing God. There's none other than God. A lot of people have the idea that the devil and God are kind of battling it out. that they're almost on equal ground. Have you ever heard that, those sorts of ideas, you know, that just see who comes out on top? And I heard a man on the television playing his guitar once singing about outrunning the devil and all of that. They present this matter of of not only the things of this world, but of the eternal salvation of God's people as just a battle between God and Satan to see who's gonna come out on top. It's not that way. The scripture says in Genesis 17, one, that he's the almighty God. Power belongeth unto the Lord, the psalmist said. And you see, many scriptures we can go to. God is absolutely an all-powerful God. But in our mind, we don't keep our mind stayed or fixed on that thought like we should that God is an all-powerful God. I'd hate to believe in no God at all. I'd hate to believe in God that didn't have all power, wouldn't you? But sometimes we think like that. Now I'm talking, I may not, I may be way off base. Maybe you folks never have any of those thoughts or, but maybe it's just me. Now we'll keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee as the all powerful God. The text says, trust ye in the Lord forever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. He is the everlasting, eternal, all-powerful God, and we're to keep, if we want peace in our soul, we've got to keep our mind stayed on that fact. We've got to keep our mind on God as an all-powerful God, as an everlasting God, one that cares for His people. Just like when Jesus had the power to calm a storm there. We've got to keep our mind state on the Lord that the same God that spoke to the winds and waves and calm the stormy seas there can also speak calm in our hearts. That's a wonderful thought. When we begin to keep our minds stayed on the Lord, when you're tossed to and fro in the storms of life, when trouble comes, when sickness comes, when difficulty, when confusion, turf trouble, whatever it may be, keep our minds stayed on God for who he is. You see, there's a lot involved with this text. To see God for who he is, as a caring and all powerful God. Not only so, but seeing God as a wise God. All wise. The scripture says in Christ who is the very God that I've read to you about in the 25th chapter. Contrary to what the Watchtower Magazine folks say, when they come bringing those to your door, they deny that Jesus is the very God. But Jesus Christ is the very Jehovah God that was manifest in human flesh. The scripture says, great is the mystery of godliness. It's the same thing I've already talked about. The reason these folks deny the deity of Christ, that he is the very God manifest in human flesh, is because they're leaning on their own understanding. They're saying, how can three be one and one three? And all of the reasoning that they go through to just deny the word of God. Well, if you, in all of your reasoning or they, or if I do it, if we deny the scripture in our reasoning, we're leaning on our own understanding. But here there's peace for God's people. Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee as the all wise God, not only almighty, but all wise. As I say, I'm not saying, and I don't believe I've got time to preach this out like I'd really like to, because I don't want to confuse anyone, but I'm saying that God suffers things to be in this world for some wise purpose within himself. I don't believe he takes pleasure in sin. I don't believe he causes sin. I don't believe that every child molester out here is secretly doing good for that child, you know, ultimate good for the child and those sorts of ideas. I don't believe that. I don't want you to think that I believe those sorts of things. I don't want you to think that I'm an absoluter or that I'm even close to it. But I want you to believe tonight that God's on the throne. They're extreme views. You can go to extremes this direction, you can go to extremes in that direction and every which direction. But the truth of the Bible is that God suffers things to be in this world. And the reason he suffers it because he's on the throne. He's still the King of kings and Lord of lords. Didn't they? They cried out, Hosanna. The Lord said, they exalted him when he came into Jerusalem there at that time, and they threw down the palm branches. You know, I believe we commemorate the Lord's resurrection every first day of the week. That's the reason the church meets on the first day of the week, is to commemorate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, back to my subject, he's still the king of kings and Lord of lords. Isn't that what Timothy wrote over there where he said, Jesus Christ, he's the king of kings and Lord of lords. You know, to see God like that, as the God of all wisdom, as the God that's still on the throne, as the God that has all power, a God that cares for his people, irregardless of the questions that we have about the events of life and so forth. We're never going to unravel all of that. When I was in Bible college back there with the missionary Baptist, can I say that? Before I ever joined the Primitive Baptist, I got to reading Arthur A.W. Pink and his writings. I don't know if you've ever, you probably heard of those writings, but I got to reading those books and pretty soon I thought, I used to have bright yellow socks when I was a young man. And I put on bright yellow socks and I began to get to the point where I thought, well, if I got up in the morning and I put those yellow socks on it, that was fixed and ordained to the Lord before the foundation of the world. That's where reading that'll get you, rather than reading the Bible and getting a balanced view of things. All the writings of men, you don't get a very balanced view in the writings of men, generally speaking. There's some good old Baptist writings, which I can highly recommend to you, but the book I recommend to you is the Word of God, not the confessions of men or the writings of men, although there have been some good scriptural writings done by old Baptist preachers but yet they're not inspired. The only inspired book is the Holy Scriptures upon which we can depend. And so what I'm trying to tell you is tonight in time of trouble, whatever may be troubling you tonight, you say, I don't have any troubles, just wait a little while. Whatever, sound like the tape reversing there. Whatever besets us in this world, whatever may come upon you, whatever may stop you in your tracks and say, is it all real? What about the death of a loved one? There's nothing that seems more final There's nothing colder, there's nothing that will shake the faith of one of God's little children than to see the apparent defeat in death of a loved one. Why? All of these questions that men have. I heard of, you say, well, we're strong old Baptists. Well, I know that. But I heard of a man just recently in another state that he had been doing some reading, not in the Bible, but he'd been doing some reading and he'd endured some problems and he decided that there wasn't anything to it. Nothing to religion and God and all of that. He'd been around the old Baptist, been a member for a long time. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. There's nothing that seems so final as death. But to see God now as a promising God, One, a God that is not only one that's on the throne, one that has all power, that God that truly exists, a God that cares for His children, but a God that's promised some things to His children. You see, rather than looking at circumstances like trouble or death, Look at God who promised. And the scripture says to be absent from the body. When the body lays down in death, the spirit goes to be with God who gave it. I want you to focus, if you want peace in times of trouble, peace in times of difficulty, focus on God as a God of promise. The next time you begin, think upon God as a promising God. What's he promised? Well, there's a book of things God has promised. Look in the 55th Psalm. 55th. And verse 22, cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee. What about that? You believe that? We can have peace in our soul, friends. I'm trying to equip you and God in this scripture that will keep him in perfect peace, the real thing, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. I'm trying to bring forth the scripture tonight to equip you to live in this world in a state of peace in your soul. And that's a hard thing in this world. But the prescription, the recipe, whatever you want to call it, is in the scripture. Cast your burden upon the Lord, he shall sustain thee. That's a promise. Look at God the next time that you feel like things are going wrong all around you, the next time you have overwhelming questions or burdens of life. Try to begin to think on God as a promising God. A God that can help you, that's promised to help you. He said, cast your burden and he will sustain you. What about that? Folks say there's no help. I'm so down. I'm really down and out. I'm depressed. I need some medication. You know, there wouldn't be near as much trouble in our society if people followed the word of God. In cases of depression, whatever. You know, this medication, and I take some medicine, and there's legitimate, I'm not one of these, you don't, you'd be saying, well, Brother Meeks is some kind of strange fellow that doesn't believe you need to take any medicine, you know, if you're sick or whatever, and antibiotic and things like that. But you know, I just have to wonder if our society, if we followed the scriptures, if there'd be so much of that. You know, there's been such a streak of autism, hasn't there? And what is it, ADHD, attention deficit hyperactive disorder? Mostly in little boys. You know, the boys, though, they tend to be a little wilder, you know. I was a little more that way. And, you know, and the old elder told us of our youngest son said, you need a bigger paddle. And really, if you study the scripture, That's God's way and I hope you agree with me because I can prove it to you by the Bible tonight that the thing to do is not Medicaid the kid when you think he's a little hyper in school and the school teacher would like him to be more calm and not interrupt the class and they can't spank him anymore at schools and they've ruled God out of the schools and everything. You see, you see, well, no, maybe you don't. I think you do. But a lot of people don't see what those policies have gotten us. Rather than a utopia, they, Well, the schools are far from a utopia. They were in pretty decent order when I was younger and when I went to the principal and they broke a big board on my butt. Excuse me, I don't want to be too straightforward. But I believe that the Bible teaches in punishment and discipline for children. Now, I didn't want to get off my subject, but you caused me to. Medicaid, Medicaid and, you know, depression. But the scripture said that will keep him in perfect peace whose mind, yeah, the best we can do. Again, this is not, you know, I don't want you to say, well, I've got to strive for this until there's no, you know, because it says perfect peace. But no, the reason you use the word perfect is because it's talking about the real thing. But we are to strive to have real peace in our soul. And the prescription for it is here to keep our mind stayed on God. Begin to consider God as a promising God. The scripture says that he's given us great and precious promises. You've read that? Over in the book of Peter where he said, exceeding great and precious promises. The great refers to the importance. The promise, the things God's promised, the reason you have to keep your mind on God in time of trouble or time of distress or question, whatever it may be. The reason you need to keep your mind on God as a God of promise is because He's promised some important things. One, I read to you. And he's promised not only for time of eternity, in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. Think on that a while. And see, that won't make things seem a little better. I've done that many times, to begin to think on God and the things that God has promised, both for now and for eternity. I will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. I don't know what time I'll start it. Don't know what time you're used to going to on Saturday night. Precious, when he said exceeding great and precious promises, the great part refers to the importance. The precious refers to the value of the promises. I might promise you something and someone else might promise you something. It'd be a little value, really, even if they could come through on their promise, which men fail to do. But there's no shortage of God's faithfulness to do what he promised. But the promises of God, the reason we need to think on God and meditate in our minds about God as a promising God, a God of promise, is because His promises are of value. And you begin to think on those things, then that's gonna do you some good, to think on the God of promise, because His promises are not only important, But they're of value. They're precious. Something that's precious. Precious jewels. Precious medals. You know, those are things that men consider to be of value. The promises of God and to see Him in that light, it's something that's precious to you. It's like that pearl of great price that the scripture mentions in other places. So to see God, to keep your mind fixed on God as, yes, he exists, he's a caring God, he's an all-powerful God, he is a God of promise, he's a wise God, one that has all wisdom. Wisdom, true wisdom springs from God. As a faithful God, not only is He promised, but He's faithful. He's faithful to do what He's promised. He's faithful to sustain His people in time of trouble right here in this world. Yes, He is. And He's faithful to save His people in eternity. Even when we're not faithful. What's the scripture say? If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful. He cannot deny himself. He's a God that's promised to save his people. He chose them in Christ before the foundation of the world. And they'll all be saved in heaven without the loss of one. And that's regardless of their circumstances here in this world. If I change my doctrine and start preaching that somehow eternal salvation is inseparably connected with the circumstances of God's children, that there's an inseparable connection, you just get rid of me right away. I mean, I hope the old Baptist say, nope, mark that one off the list. The Lord might have blessed him in days past, but you mark him off the list. Because I'm preaching to you a God that has purpose to save his people regardless of their circumstances in this world. For what if some believe not, shall their own belief make the faithfulness of God of none effect? You can read that in a Roman letter, God forbid. If we believe not yet he about is faithful, what happened? Even in the times of the apostles, there were some that came preaching false doctrine and overthrew the faith of some. And the scripture said, nevertheless, and this was a verse of scripture that comforted me when I came to the old Baptist and it's still just as good for me today. Nevertheless, even if the faith of God's children is overthrown, even if they're in unbelief, even if they're in a heathen religion, captivated by that. You know, I was recently at a family gathering, and they began to talk about how they were gonna send missionaries, and they were having a special dinner at their church, and they were gonna send missionaries. They needed to get the missionaries out, get the gospel out, and so forth, to get to these heathen peoples in various areas. I just sat there. I think they pretty much know what I believe. We've been over it before with my family. My wife and I are the only ones of our family out of our siblings that are primitive Baptist. But I sat there and I thought, I've got something better. I've got something better than that. The God that I believe to worship tonight is not bound by whether the preacher can get there. His work is not inseparably connected with the work of the preacher. You know, I believe in preaching the gospel. I believe in talking to God's people and trying to convert as many of them to the truth. There were people in Jesus' day that were trying to hinder them from being converted to the truth. Jesus said, them that are entering in, you hinder. Yeah, they hindered them. Many of them wouldn't enter in. You remember reading that in the scripture? But I'll tell you, they had a heart where they could have entered in because Jesus said, them that are entering in, you hinder. Many of God's people will live and die in the deceptions of the religious world, whether they're Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Muslim, whatever it may be. But you see, the purpose of God and the promise of God is not in them. It's not in separately connected with the preacher. It is in Christ. I know you believe that. I just want to preach it again tonight. Just allow me, humor me for a minute. I know I'm about to go over the time, I guess, but I just want you to know that I believe in a God and it's his salvation the scripture speaks of, and I want to magnify his name and tell you that regardless of whether I'm in unbelief, whether I'm deceived by the religions of men, by the slight and cunning craftiness of men whereby they lie and wait and deceive. If it couldn't happen to God's children, then why be worried about it? The Hebrew writer said in the third chapter, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, that's none other than a child of God. That's how I would describe a child of God. If somebody said, well, can you tell me a little bit about a child of God that's born again? I'll say, yeah, it sounds like that would be someone that is one of the holy brethren that's a partaker of the heavenly calling. And he goes on down in that 12th verse and he says, take heed lest there be in any of you. That's not some false professor happened to be among them. You're not gonna do them any good anyway. But that's God's people. Take heed lest there be in any of you. Right here, Brother Doug, just like the Apostle Paul said, I fear lest after I preach to others I myself should become a castaway. Enough on that. Many other... But the way I got on to that was talking about the promises of God. And He's promised... He's chosen His people, given them to Christ in the everlasting covenant before the foundation of the world. That's what we as Old Baptists believe. We don't believe! that unless I, as one brother told me a few years ago, a prominent minister among our people, told me, he said, well, yes, I've been witnessing to a young man in our area, this was up in Ohio, he said, I've been witnessing, he sat across the table, he said, I've been witnessing to a young man in our area And he said, yes, if he never comes to believe on Christ, I don't believe that he'll be in heaven. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I believe there'll be multitudes in heaven that have not believed the true gospel of grace. There's only one gospel and you either believe in it or not. And I'm not talking about a gospel, a false gospel that names Christ, you know, but doesn't declare his finished work. I'm talking about the true gospel. And there's very few God's children that'll come to embrace the gospel. as it is in the New Testament. But God has promised their salvation. Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands assured. Having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. And you know, let me just close with this. When things begin to get hectic in your life and begin to get unruly, and you start to get unruly because of looking at all the circumstances and everything, See God and keep your mind fixed on God in all the things that describe Him that I've tried to talk to you about tonight. His faithfulness, His love, His care, His promises, and then too, as a returning God. This world's not all of it. There are many of God's children that are in awful shape. My heart goes out to so many of God's people. When I was sick this week, you know, I got to feel a little better. I had to pray and say, God bless the sick. God bless the suffering. We don't consider what other people sometimes have to go through. We all look pretty healthy here tonight, pretty good shape. We may have other difficulties. I don't know all your troubles. I know we live in a world of trouble, a sin-pursed earth. But this world's not all of it. As we saw the green grass, I began to think about the flowers, began to think about how that's a picture of the resurrection. And I believe that tonight. I believe the Bible teaches, and even though there are many agnostics and atheists and those that deny the resurrection of the dead, I believe that God has promised that as well. And I think it does us good to keep our mind fixed on God as the returning God, one that will return one day and raise the dead. That's a fact. It's a fact whether you believe it or not. It's a fact whether I believe it or not. Whether our faith has been overthrown by the modern philosophies of men who think that it's a thing incredible that God should raise the dead. But there were those, I'm quoting scripture there, there are those that were in Paul's day that thought the same thing. And even back there in the days of Job, questions have always been among men. People die, that's it. No. The body's laid to rest in the grave. If a man dies, shall he live again? That's what Job asked. I believe we have a hope of a better day. I wish the house were full tonight so I could preach it to all of them. But you here tonight, you're getting the benefit of it now. You're getting the benefit. If you'll take what I'm trying to tell you tonight, because it's not Brother Doug's word, I believe it, but it's God's word, you can have the benefit and the blessing and the peace. He shall keep in perfect peace. whose mind and state only think about God as a returning God and how he's going to deliver his people. And one of these days, loved ones that have gone on, I know more people dead than I do alive. I'm getting old. I know a lot of people living, but I think I know more people that I've been closer to that are dead now. No wonder That the soul back there, we read of the soul of the one that died there in Genesis 49, you can read that, where he says that he gathered his feet up in his bed and he was gathered home to his people. But I believe that the bodies will be raised from the dead. There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both just and unjust. I believe we have the promise of the resurrection of the dead and of eternal heaven. This earth is for a little while, but we believe in an eternity with the eternal God, the everlasting God. And that's something for you to think on. I will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. for he trusteth in thee. I want to encourage each one of you, and I don't say this just to have something to say, but I really want to encourage you tonight. I drove this way, and if just one person can get something, maybe we all can, but if just one person can get something and be helped by the things that I preach, and it's worth it all because I'm preaching to you about great things, precious, valuable things, and things that'll help us in this old world. And we have the hope of eternity. I'll take, may the Lord bless you and pray for me and that we'll be able to stand before you, the Lord willing, in the morning and preach again. So easy, I know, my struggles are so easy to focus on circumstances and look horizontally instead of looking to Christ. Brother Doug, what's the scripture called? I think it's called, keep these things in memory lest we should let them slip. Yeah, it's in the Hebrews 2. Hebrews 2. In the second chapter. That's the God's people, so I mean, we are admonished many times to keep these things in memory. So she didn't take it seriously. And y'all make no appropriation. So which song in the chorus has that verse about we'll keep him in perfect peace? I can't place it. I can't either. Which one is that? We'll keep him in perfect peace. Your time is up. The Lord has been so good to me. I want to sing His praise. I want to glorify his name, all my remaining years. has been so good to me, I will long in the end. And every day, wherever I be, I will his truth defend. follow in his steps and show my love this way. I want to lift his banner up each fair or cloudy day. The Lord has good to me, I belong in the end. And every day, wherever I be, I would his truth defend. I want to be I'll hear on earth thy say, and meet them on the golden shore, on that eater. The Lord has been so good to me. I will on Him depend. And every day, wherever I be, I will His truth depend. Lord Jesus, will Thou mercy show, and save me by Thy grace, that I may win this life endured? Look on Thy love, The war has been so good to me, I will on it defend. And every day, wherever I be, I would, it's true, defend. ♪ And in the land of endless bliss ♪ ♪ Where all the praise is thine ♪ ♪ Thou humble place at thy dear feet mayst forsin' be ♪ has been so good to me, I will on him depend. And every day, wherever I be, I will his good depend. Dear Lord, Heavenly Father, we bow before Thee and confess our unworthiness. We pray that You forgive us of many times of sin and unbelief. We pray that we continue to keep our mind fixed on Thee, stay on Thee. We might trust in Thee with all our heart. True love to our own life.