Go with me back to Psalm 49. Psalm 49. I want to read this Psalm again. And then I want to show you what brought me to this psalm. And then I want to tell you something. I have a message, I very much believe I have a message, but I more so want to tell you something than preach to you. Let's see if we can really enter into what this is saying. Psalm 49 verse one, it says, hear this, all ye people give ear. all ye inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding. I will incline mine ear to a parable. I will open my dark saying upon the harp. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about, when that last day comes and all of this sin that's been following me, when I stop and it all catches up and engulfs me. Verse six, they that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. For the redemption of their soul is precious, and that means costly, so costly it's a price they cannot pay, and it ceaseth forever. And you'll notice that verse eight is in parentheses. That means it's a statement that was inserted into the middle of a complete thought. Let's read verse seven and then verse nine. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him that he should still live forever and not see corruption. For he seeth that wise men die, Likewise, the fool and the brutish person perish and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue forever and their dwelling places to all generations. Just, you know, son to grandson to great grandson. The end of verse 11 says, they call their lands after their own names. They name their farms and all those. And this is the mindset of man. This is the mindset of man. Verse 12 says, nevertheless, man being in honor, even though he was honored in this life here on earth, he was successful. He was respected. Nevertheless, man being in honor, Abide if not, there's going to come a point when he is just not just no longer. He is like the beasts that perish. This their way is folly. Yet their posterity, their children after them approve their sayings, they. Believe their ways and follow their ways and and do the same things. Verse 14 like sheep they are laid in the grave. Death shall feed on them, and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me. Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased, For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived, he blessed his soul, and men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers. They shall never see light. Man that is in honor, man that is honored in this world, honored in this life, and understandeth not these things is like the beasts that perish. Now, what brought me to Psalm 49 was verse 15. It says, but God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave. for he shall receive me." This is one of the glorious but God verses in the scripture. But God will redeem my soul from the power, that means the hand of the grave, that means hell. The power or the hand of hell, God will redeem my soul from that. Those two words, but God, that is the foundation of salvation. But God, I love those two words, but God, this is man. The scripture constantly declares, constantly exposes man. This is man. This is what man is. This is what man does. This is man's consequence for it. This is man's condemnation. This is man's end. But God. But God. Not but I. But God. That is music to a child of God's ears. But God. Oh, I love that so much. But God. I came here to Psalm 49 because I was searching. I was looking up these verses that had those two words in it. But God. And all of them are glorious. There's. There are many of them. They're all glorious, but. This one says, but God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave. How can God redeem our souls from the power of the grave? We're all we're all going to die. We all have an end. Every man is going to return to the dust from dust. We came into dust. We're going to return. And it's because of our sin. If it was not for our sin, we would not die. Where no sin is, there's no death. How can God redeem our souls from the power of hell, that hold on hell because of our sin? The answer is Christ. The answer is in Christ, only in Christ. How can God redeem us? Only in Christ. It says in verse 15, for he shall receive me. How can God receive sinners such as we are? Only in Christ. Only in the Lord Jesus Christ. But God, those two words can translate to in Christ. But in Christ, this is man in himself. Oh, but in Christ. In Christ, everything changes. In Christ, everything is new. Everything's new. Everything's brand new. Every time you see those two words, but God, there is good news for sinners such as we are. that follow those two words every time. Good news in Christ. Let me just show you a few of them here. Okay. This is what I was looking up. Some of the verses turn over to Psalm 73. Psalm 73, verse 26, it says, My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. How? Where? In Christ. In the Lord Jesus Christ, my flesh and my heart faileth, but Christ is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. He is my rock as my center margin says. My rock and my portion forever. He's my rock. and my portion forever. That means I get him. What's my portion? That's what I get. What do I get? I get him forever. That's glorious news. Turn over to Romans five. Romans 5 verse 6, it says, for when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man, some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. But God, who did Christ die for? Well, he died for good people. Nope, there's none good but God. Well, he died for righteous people. Nope, he didn't come to call the righteous. Who did he die for? He died for ungodly sinners. But God, he commended his love to us in that while we were yet sinners, weak, ungodly sinners, but God, that puts the credit where it's due. That puts the glory where it's due. Turn over to first Corinthians chapter one. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 26. For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nothing things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Foolish, weak, base, that means lowly, despised, that last one's my favorite, not. That's what we are, not. That was us, not. But God. Thank God. But God. That's just so pleasant. That's so relieving to think about it. Turn over to 1 Corinthians 10. Verse 13 says, There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it. What is that way? Christ is that way, but God. One more, all right? We can't do this without going to Ephesians 2. You gotta go to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2, verse 1, it says, and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others, but God. who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace, you are saved. Dead, bound, disobedient, full of lust and the desires of the flesh and the mind, children of wrath, just like everybody else but God. But God, that's our hope. That's our hope. But God, that is our only foundation we have to stand on. But God, in Christ, he saved us. That's it. Now, in thinking about all this for a while, in thinking about what Psalm 49 was talking about. Yesterday morning, while I was studying this, I prepared this message, most of this message yesterday morning, and I got to thinking about what Psalm 49 is talking about, and I had a very burdening moment thinking about our children. At a very burdening moment, thinking about our children. And then some of us received some news yesterday afternoon that confirmed to me this burden for our children and for all of us. There is a very sweet teenage girl at Dobbins Bennett High School who some of you teenagers are acquainted with, friends with, who her mother, she's a very kind, very sweet 40-something-year-old woman. She went to bed Monday night, and she didn't wake up Tuesday morning. And it has sent shock to many of the kids at the school, And it sent shock to those of us who know her. She was in our home one time, just precious, just a sweet, sweet, kind woman. And she has three daughters, and two of her three daughters, the youngest one that I'm talking about from the high school, And then her older sister, they kept our nursery for us for our conference last September. And they're just two sweethearts. We talk about it all the time. That's a sweetheart of a girl. And my heart is broken for them. I mean, my heart is really broken for them. I know what it feels like. I know what they're going through, and some of you do, too. Some of you do, too. And our hearts are broken for them. And this just proves it. You know, when my mother passed away, I had 11 months to process this. And this was just, and it proves this burdening point. I had a deep burden over some things and I wrote some things in these notes. And then when I received this news yesterday afternoon, it just confirmed to me this deep, deep burden that our days are numbered. Our days are numbered. There is an end coming. And there is only one thing that is going to matter and is going to have any value in that end. If you have any recollection of what Psalm 49 just said, all of that is going to have no value in the end. There was only one redeeming factor to the whole psalm. But God is going to redeem my soul and receive me. That's the only redeeming factor to this. There's an end coming and there's only one thing that matters and is going to have any value, and that's whether or not we are in the Lord Jesus Christ. David was saying there in Psalm 49, we can make all the money we want to make, and we do need to make money. We've got bills to pay, and we have a gospel to support. And we need to go out and work. We can go make all the money we want to make, and we can go have all the fame we want to have. It's more easy to be famous right now than it ever has been in the history of the world. You can go get all the fame you want to get. None of that is coming with us. We can be as honored as men and women appear to be honored in this world. None of that is coming with us. None of that will have any value because none of that can redeem a soul. None of that can redeem a soul. And in the end, we're going to see that we only have one need. We only have one need. We need for the Lord our God to redeem our souls and to receive us to glory. That's what we need. That's the only thing we need. And I wish I had the ability to impress this on all of us, how life and death critical this is. I was young once. And when you're young, none of this means anything. It doesn't mean anything to you. It goes in one ear and out the other. I got plenty of time for that stuff later. There may not be a later. I wish that I had the ability and, and this is for all of us, but I really was thinking about our young people. I'm, you know, you teenagers. Especially, I don't care how old you are, really, but we only have one need. We need for our Lord Jesus Christ to redeem our souls from all of our sin. We need Him to pay the price for all of this sin against Him. If I could only convey to you, and when I say you, I'm putting me at the top of the list, okay? I'm a you. But if I could only convey to you how much sin we have committed against God and we don't know. Us adults, we don't know. We can't fathom how much sin we've committed against God. While we all walk around thinking, I'm not that bad. Oh, yes, I am. We have so much sin. It's all sin. We've sinned against God. We've sinned against each other. We've sinned against ourselves. We sin, we sin, we sin. And we need for him to redeem our souls. That means we need for him to buy back. That's what redemption is. When you go to Walmart, there's only one way they're going to let you leave with that stuff. You have to redeem it. That means you got to pay the price for it. And that's what we need for Him to do. We need for Him to buy back our souls that have been sold into the captivity of our sin. We need for Him to make the payment to buy us back and receive us to glory with Him. That's our one and only need. And what burdens me and what breaks my heart is not every person that hears this declaration of this one and only need that we have, not every person who hears this will have a desire for that need to be met. I just, I gut-wrenchingly, like from the bottom ringing of my soul, declare this and it breaks my heart to just think that people are going to hear this. A lot of children are going to hear this message and they're not going to have a desire for this need to be met. This applies to adults just as much as it does to children, but I have a special burden for you children. And it's for this reason. And I want you children to listen. I know I'm saying children, you teenagers, you kids, whatever you want to be called, you young adults, you old adults. But I'm really focusing on you young people right now. And here's the reason why. Just because children grow up under the true gospel, I believe you children know we're preaching the truth. I believe you know that there are lies out there, and not every church building preaches the truth. I believe you all know that the truth is hard to find. And I believe you all believe I'm telling the truth. But just because children grow up under the true gospel, that does not necessarily mean they grow up believing that true gospel. They may know that true gospel. But that does not necessarily mean they will end up believing that true gospel and seeing their need of that true gospel. And it's sad to say, but quite often we grow up. I'm amazed that the Lord kept me. Because I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee as a musician, and I had one desire. To me, there was one thing needful. I was going to make it in the music business. And I cannot believe the Lord spared me from that and here I stand. Often we grow up and can't wait to leave mom and dad's house and we go out into the world and this world entices us. And we see our need of this world. If you want to know what a need is for Christ, just look at how you naturally feel about this world. You want it. You need it. You'll do whatever you got to do to have it. And you want more, more. Well, If God in mercy will take His Spirit and cause His Spirit to turn that focus and that attention to Jesus Christ, I want Him. I need Him. I'll do anything to have Him. More, more about the Lord Jesus. Tell me more. Oh, that's salvation, but that's not natural to man. That's not natural to us at all. We get out of this world and we see our need for this world rather than our need for Christ. And we end up leaving this gospel of our only true need. And we never look back. And then the end comes. There is an appointed end for every soul here. For some, it's old age. For some, it's young age. And there's no spare time. There's no spare time. There may not be a tomorrow. Honestly, I understand, you know, teenagers, you're so focused on college, career, marriage, and children. I understand thinking, I'll, I'll worry about that later, but again, there may not be a later. How many people do we know? How many people do we know who grew up under the gospel? And they left it and never came back. How many people? I don't want that to be you, you, you, you, you, y'all. I don't want that to be me. I don't want that to be us. I don't want that to be us. There's only one thing needful. There's only one thing needful. And I pray God would cause us to see it and need it right now. Right now, turn with me to Ecclesiastes chapter 12. It's before Isaiah. It's a couple of books. It's between the Psalms and Isaiah. Ecclesiastes chapter 12. Ecclesiastes 12 verse 1, it says, remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. That's the evil days. When those days come where you finally get to that place where you say, I just don't I don't need that. What he's saying is remember now that creator he's saying call on the Lord God right now. Right now. I'm doing it right now. I'm doing it right now. Lord. Have mercy on me. Save me. Call on the Lord right now before the day comes that you say, go to worship God. I don't have any desire to do that. I don't want to do that. I got better things to do. Oh, let's call on the Lord right now in sincerity. This is what I want all of us to understand, young or old. I don't care if you're 75 like Abraham was. Today is as young as you're ever going to be. Right now is the only youth you have left. And what I want us to understand is we are gathered together right now to worship God. We're here to worship God. We're here to cry out to Him. That's why we're here on a Wednesday night. We're here to seek these eternal matters. We're not here for fun and games. We're not here for social clubs and feel-good-about-ourself clubs and better-ourself clubs. We have the YMCA for that. And in the end, the YMCA is not gonna do anything for us. We have one great need, one great need for all of eternity. This life is this fast. Eternity never ends. We have one great need. We need the blood and righteousness of the Lamb of God. We need him to redeem our souls and receive us to him to glory. Real soon, every person here is gonna understand the seriousness of that need. When that moment comes, every person here will understand the seriousness of that. Kids, listen, adults and kids, this world is nothing. Eternity is forever, and we only have one great need. One great need. We need Jesus Christ to redeem our souls and receive us to glory. So let me leave us with this, all right? Let's all cry out to God for mercy. Right now. And let's all cry out to God for redemption right now. And let's all cry out to God for acceptance in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ right now. And if we are not old enough to understand what any of that means, then ask God to forgive you. We understand what forgiveness is. Lord, forgive me. Forgive me." Our Lord prayed, Father, forgive them. We need forgiveness in the Lord Jesus Christ. If we cry this, if we cry this in sincerity, It will not be the cause of our salvation. Our salvation is not in our hands and it's not our decision and it's not our doing that causes our salvation. But if we cry this, it will be the evidence of our salvation. If we cry this in sincerity, no man or woman can truly cry to God for mercy in sincerity without God Almighty putting that cry in them. It can't be done. Man can't do it on his own. Men and women in false religion do not cry out to God for mercy. They don't. Mercy may be some lip service, but they don't cry out to God for mercy. They cry out for worldly events. They cry out for jobs, they cry out for relationships, they cry out for healing from sickness, they cry out for everything that pertains to the flesh. But a true cry for mercy, I need mercy. I need mercy, a true cry for redemption and acceptance in Christ. Only God can put that there. So I pray that God has put it there for all of us. And if he has, I want to encourage us to cry right now. Cry right now. Time is short. This is too important. Cry to the Lord right now. Come to Christ. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ. And let's do it with this hope and this belief in our heart. I'll close with this. Go to John 6. Cry to the Lord, come to the Lord, and let's do it with this hope in our hearts. John 6 verse 37 says, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. It does not matter if you are young, old, rich, or poor. David said, hear this, all ye people, young, old, rich, poor, it does not matter. He said, if you come to him, every soul that comes to him, he will not cast you out. He will not cast you out. Every soul that comes for redemption, for acceptance, is going to get it. Every soul. Come. Silence gets attention. Don't waste this time. Don't waste this time. Don't sit here zoning out in the pews. Don't waste this time. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will in no wise cast you out. All right, let's all stand together.