We're gonna read a little more scripture than we normally read And one of them Is a verse we read just last week in Isaiah the 62nd chapter and The sixth verse I have set watchmen upon my walls Oh Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day or night. I Ye that make mention of the Lord keep not silent. Then a very familiar scripture in Ezekiel, the third chapter, and we're going to start with the 17th verse. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman under the house of Israel. hear the word of my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die, and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way. To save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand. Yea, Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity. But thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die, because thou hast not given him warning. He shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered, but his blood will I require at thy hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn that righteous man that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned. Also thou hast delivered thy soul. Now, you know, we're living in a day and a time when people don't want to hear, uh, that anything they're doing is wrong, but the Bible is given for me and you to know what God's requiring. And if you'll turn over into second Timothy, we're going to start reading at the 16th verse in the third chapter and go down into the fourth. But it says, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. I charge thee, starting with the first verse in the fourth chapter, I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. Preach the word. Be instant in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lust. shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure affliction, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry, for I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have thought a good five, I have finished my course, I've kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous God, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearance. And then the last thing in the revelations, the 22nd chapter and the 20th verse, He which testifies these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus. And I was reading this and it come to my mind and my heart today. You listen back there to Ezekiel. He making it very plain what the preacher's job to do. You and I today have to It's a crime warner. He's saying in that there. That they won't be everybody that gonna listen. And then we read here in Timothy. God it hasn't changed any from the Old Testament. He's still charging it. You preach the gospel. Why? Because it's given for a purpose. is to tell people what God's required of you and I today. Oh, God told the preacher to still stand and be bold enough to preach His word. Not back now, but I'm afraid too many are feeling like Elijah did there all along. But I thank God there's still a few that are scattered throughout the world that's standing on the Word of God, not willing to back down. Why? They know what's waiting at the end of the line. Paul was saying it's not only waiting for him, but it's all waiting for all those that's looking for the appearing of Christ again. And there in Revelation, I believe it's time for Christian people to start praying such as that. I realize we've got lost loved ones, but it seems like there's more turning their back and walking away than there is being born again today. So it's time to start praying Lord Jesus come quickly. Why? Because I've had family that turned their back and walked away. Even children, even grandchildren. What does that mean? Don't give up. You've told them the truth. There may be a time when they'll listen and come back again. But we can't compromise. God said they're blood. He gonna be required at your end. Tell them the truth. Even if they walk away, don't want nothing to do with it. Why? At the end of your life, you'll find out what God's got prepared for those that's looking for his coming again. And I believe And we're living in a day, it must be the last days because we're living in a time of a great falling away. People that was raised and taught the things of God are turning and walking away from it, trying to find something else. Why? Because their hearts are evil. They're wanting to find something that will make them feel all right in their sin rather than being repentant of it. But you and I, you can get ever denomination on the face of the earth to say you're a good fella, but if you're not living to the standards of the Bible, you're lost. And listen to this one more time there in that third chapter. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction. for instruction in righteousness. You and I, how do we know what pleases God? We find in the scripture what it takes to be acceptable in the eyes of God. And I realize a lot of preachers today, they're feeling discouraged because it seems like their messages are just falling on deaf ears. Nobody seems to want to listen. Nobody seems to want to turn and walk the way that God wants us to. Nobody's interested in that. Why? Because we're so enthused with the things of this world. And you'll find people today, oh, they're willing to go to some big concert where the music's so loud that you can't even hear yourself say. And they're willing to go. I couldn't remember driving through Baltimore when I used to have a delivery truck there. It was hot in the summertime, we didn't have air conditioning, and you had to wind the sale. away from the stadium. And when anybody on the Orioles does something great, you can hear it that far away. But when it comes to charity, we want to set a big quad. We want a preacher that'll stand and not raise his voice, because that makes me nervous. Why do you gotta be a real uncomfortable ass in hell if you don't listen to the word of God? And God said, cry loud and spare not. And it's time a few preachers got enough of the Spirit of God that they got a little excited and raised their voice. Because our people's on the road to hell. And if you really know what hell is like, you've read the Bible and you really believe it, you ought to be concerned. You ought to be upset. You ought to be disturbed. If you say you love them, Can you really love them and not warn them of the danger they're in? You and I today, with the scripture playing here, this is Paul charging Timothy, and this was the same thing that was read to me when I was being ordained, and I think it's been read about every preacher that's been ordained. I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. Preach the word, be instant, in season and out. Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. That's what the people don't want. They don't want a preacher that's going to rebuke them. They don't want a preacher that's going to just chastise them, in other words, reprove them for the things they're doing wrong. They don't want that. They want that one to tell them, you're a real good fella. But that ain't what God charged the preacher to do. We've got a responsibility to warn the people. He was telling Ezekiel just as plain as it could be. Their blood's going to be on your hands if you don't warn them. But if you warn them, and they listen, save their soul, and it delivers you. But if they don't hear you, and you still warn them, it delivers your soul. And you and I today. We need to come and realize God didn't send his word for people to play church. He wanted us to have the real thing, to be born again. And just being a member of a church is not going to do it. And I love that last part there that he said, but unto all them also that love his appearing, you and I I don't know what it's going to be like to be on that day. The Bible talked about it's a dark day before then. Well, we're living in some pretty dark times right now. When you see people that you love, that you spent time preaching to and teaching, the things of God turn and walk away and going after a false doctrine. It breaks your heart. but you can't give in. That just means dig a little deeper. Be a little sterner. Maybe you didn't communicate it strong enough. You and I today, it is, it's awful when family turns their back. It hurts when you have a daughter, son-in-law, grandson, All of these just, and several grandsons, just walk away from the things of God as if it's not important. Honey, it is deadly important. You don't know how important it is. You know, a person that gives in to the things of this world, you sell out. Christ for nothing basically. And you know we can read in the Bible and find people that didn't do right. People a lot of times they'll point at Judas and they'll talk about how awful he was to portray Christ. There are people today that Judas did not have all the Bible we've got. He walked with Christ, but he still did not have all the Bible that we've got. And people that's walking away, they're portraying Christ just as bad as Judas did. And it's going to cost them their life if they don't turn and come back to the Lord. You and I today, as preachers, you know, you can't surrender one little bit. for a friend, a loved one, a family member, you can't back up on one little bit. Because you know, if you do, you become guilty of it all. And you and I today, I love the word of God. Though so many times reading it, it hurt because it hit me. I had to see where I needed to change. But when we see it get over, I was thinking of this as this message come to me about the ball team there in Baltimore, how that people would yell so loud so far. And yet people, a preacher that raises his voice, they don't want to go in here because it makes them feel uncomfortable. Well, buddy, you better find another place somewhere or another to get yourself right with God because you're right now living in the quietest world you're ever going to be in. Cause in hell it gonna be screamin' and hollerin' but not from pain. But I just was thinkin' about what it would be like to hear God say in the end to the joys of the Lord. And seein' those gates open and you walkin' into that city. I don't know about you, I'm not gonna be quiet at all. This voice I got now, it ain't gonna scream out at all. But it's going to be multitudes and multitudes of people that went through this life and helped their integrity with God. And we're gonna have something to rejoice about for all of eternity. And you know, I can't imagine the feeling, oh, you know, sometimes you think about it and here you sort of think, well, it must feel like, When I was shouting here, I was shouting there. No, that day's gonna be feeling far greater than anything we've ever experienced here in this life. And you and I, to look on the face of the father and the son, I can't imagine what kind of joy and happiness we're going to be feeling at that moment. So that's something I'm striving to experience. I want to experience it. I'm not willing for a friend, a family member, or nobody else to back up one bit on the word of God. If you can take the Bible and show me where I'm wrong, I've said this for decades. I'll thank God for you and I'll hug your neck. But you know, I've never had a person come to me. Without, put that challenge out, I've never had a person come to me yet. I've had a lot say, well, you know, I just don't see it the way he sees it. But that, that don't have nothing to do with it. It ain't the way we see it, it's the way God wrote it. and he sent it and me and you are gonna have to be judged by while we get some song to sing, I beg you, please. Not only is this a charge to preachers, but I think this is a charge to every Christian for you and I to stand firm on the word of God. Just like what Braden was saying here, people you work with, they're looking at you Are they seeing a Christian or are they seeing a church member? There's a difference. The world's got a lot of church members, but the Bible said there's just a few that's going to heaven. You and I today, hunger and desire to be one of those few. He said, if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, you shall be filled. And if you are, you're gonna look different to the world. Your speech is going to be different. Your thoughts are going to be different. They're going to take notice. You ain't the same as everybody else. And that's something to be proud of. Because most of the people I meet in the world, I'd be ashamed to have them. I've got some family right now. I said, I wish I could take back the Hensley name because they're an embarrassment. But I can't. But once we get to heaven, whether they was family or not, we're not going to be remembering them anymore. If they don't make it when we walk into that holy city, we will never think of them again. You and I today, God's blessed us. with blessings here above measure, but that's just a taste of what he's got in store. While we stand and sing, please, make sure that you're the witness God wants you to be. Don't back up one bit. Make sure those that you come in contact with, they notice you're different. You hunger, you thirst for different things than what they do. each and every one of us today. God's got a great responsibility for us. Live your life. Live, listen to this, live your life to where you can pray. That 20th verse there, the 22nd chapter of Revelation, Lord Jesus, come quickly. If you're right with God, that's something you can pray because you know if he does, It's all right with you and each and every one of us. Time here is growing short. Make sure that each and every day you live, you live it for God. Anyone got a word, anything on their heart before we close?