Well, what a blessing, aren't you glad? Thank you, ladies, for the blessing. And I just want to take a moment and thank Angie and James, our pianist and bass player, all of our sound guys that are here to help put this on. They have been so faithful through all of this, committed, and the different groups that are coming in to sing. I'm so thankful for a church that's committed to the ministry that God's called to and being a blessing to our church family. And we're trying to use as many folk as we can that are available. And we're so thankful for that and our staff has really just stepped up to the plate. And I'm so thankful for everybody that has, during this time, helped us to minister and to continue on as a church. Somebody said, Preacher, we launched out in January. With this coming, have we taken a step back because of this upset? Absolutely not. We're ready to take a step forward. And God's done some great things through all of this. And by the time I got home today from the service, over a thousand people had viewed actually 1,200 views. Not when I say people. That's many, many more people. There was at least 1,200 views on the Facebook aspect of our outreach. And so we just believe God's working. God's doing things. And we've had people in the community that are watching and they have responded to us. And we just believe God through this is doing some great things. Don't understand it. Can't comprehend it. But you know what? I'm not discouraged. I'm encouraged at what God has done, is doing, and will do as a result of all of this. We're launching out, church, and let's just launch out together. Trust God and be ready when we come back together to hit the ground running because I believe God's ready to do some great things. Well, turn in your Bibles, II Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians 2. Now 1 and 2 Thessalonians and what we understand is the church epistles. That's from Romans all the way to the book of Jude. These are letters that are written to churches by the apostles. And of course we know the book of the Revelation is the only apocalyptic literature in the New Testament. But when you come to I and II Thessalonians, you're going to find that the apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in both of those two books in every chapter deals with some aspect of the Lord's second coming. Now we recognize and we've talked about this that when you talk about the second coming of Jesus Christ, that there's two aspects, not phases, but aspects. There is the rapture aspect where the Lord comes in the clouds. He doesn't touch down on the earth. And those who are saved go up to be with the Lord. We meet the Lord in the air. Then we know that there's going to be a time of tribulation, what the Bible calls the day of the Lord, an extended period of time that will take place. And then at the end of that tribulation period, we know that the Lord Jesus is going to come a second time. We call that the return aspect. When He comes to this earth, He will touch down on the Mount of Olives. He will set up His kingdom and rule and reign for a thousand years on the earth. And so 1 Thessalonians is the rapture aspect. 2 Thessalonians, the return aspect of the second coming. When you come to chapter 2 of 2 Thessalonians, it is the most comprehensive prophetic portion of Scripture in the epistles. And I entitled it at the top of chapter 2 in 2 Thessalonians, What's Next? What's next? And you know what? That's not so much a question as it is an exclamation. That the Lord has said, now this is what's next. You can count on it. This is what's going to happen in the earth's history. And He begins to deal with it. Let's begin reading together in verse number 1. He said, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto Him." Now that's not two separate events. That is two parts of one event, the coming of the Lord in the air and our gathering together unto Him. It's the rapture. that you be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled." Now what had happened is that somebody has written a letter claiming that the apostle Paul is saying that he had forged his name to it, that they were already in the judgment of the tribulation, that the end of the world had come. and was on the horizon and noticed they had gotten shaken up. Look at verse 2. Paul's writing to correct that and to help them. He said that you be not soon so easily or hastily or quickly shaken in mind. Listen, he had already taught them the truth and then somebody had come along and Satan is using this to shake up those early believers and he said, listen, I'm surprised that you're so soon, so quickly, shook up. has the idea of a ship on the ocean that's being tossed to and fro. And they had wavered in their faith, notice he said, or be troubled. There was a nervous anxiety. They were inwardly disturbed and panicked. I call it headline hysteria. They was looking at what was around them. They heard somebody say something that they were in the day of the Lord and the rapture had already taken place and they had been left. And to hear these believers were in the midst of the tribulation period and they were all shook up about it. You know, it sort of reminds me of where we are today. You let something happen that is a little out of the norm and somebody's going to attach some type of end-of-the-world doomsday hysteria to it and everybody gets panicked. And folks, what God's doing is saying, listen, don't be like a ship tossed to and fro that's lost its anchorage. No, He said, anchor yourself to the truth of His Word. Listen, every Christian ought to be an anchored Christian, ought to be stable. We ought to be steadfast in what we believe. Notice he says, "...neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us." As at the day of Christ is at hand, he said, listen, somebody comes along trying to tell you something new or novel, he said, don't believe it. I've said it before, I'm going to say it again. If it's new, it's probably not true. And if it's true, I can promise you it's not new. And listen, I'm thankful for the old, old story that never gets old, aren't you? Look at verse number 3, "...let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalted himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped. so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." He's the Antichrist. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you, I told you these things, I'm reminding you. Verse 6, And now ye know that what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. I want to talk to you tonight again this Sunday and Wednesday about what's next. Let's pray and ask God to help us. Father, I pray that as we look into the Word of God tonight that You would establish our hearts in Your truth. God, anchor our lives to the promises and the precepts and the truth of the Word of God. Lord, help us to have a correct understanding of biblical prophecy. Lord, help us to not Allow ourselves to get headline hysteria. Help us not to interpret the Bible by the headlines, but interpret the headlines by the Bible. And Father, to be looking for Your Son every day of our lives, looking for Your Son from heaven. And Father, I'll sure thank You for what You do for us and in us tonight. Strengthen our faith. God, establish our hearts. And God, saddle us in this moment. And I'll praise You for it. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Well, what's next, preacher? You know, you see on the Internet and you hear things written and people out in the community say, well, I'll tell you what, just another sign that He's coming. May I remind you, when we talk about this matter of what's next, We're not to be looking for viruses and pandemics and looking for signs around the world and movements here and movements there. God said we're not to be looking for signs. We're to be looking for His Son. You see, the next agenda on God's prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church, our gathering together in the air under the Lord. And the Bible says, so shall we ever be with the Lord. We've learned that that is an imminent event. That means there's no prophecy that has to be fulfilled. There's no sign that are going to be given. God said, I don't want you to be looking for signs. I want you to look for the Son. I want you to look for My Son to come. It's a picture of a bride looking for the bridegroom in that day. And listen, the bridegroom would come suddenly without warning. And you know what, friend? Jesus, when He comes, is going to come suddenly and without warning. It could happen at any moment and it will happen in a moment. That means we're to be looking for Him and rejoicing in Him. The Bible said looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. And so we find that The rapture of the church is the next event on God's prophetic calendar. We learned it doesn't mean we may not go through hard times. It doesn't mean that we may not face times of suffering or hardship or difficulty whether it be personally, maybe as a family. It may be a community. It may be a nation. It may be the world. that would go through times of trouble and difficulty and hardship. But God said, listen, that's not necessarily a sign of the end. It's not necessarily meaning that it's apocalyptic, so to speak. They throw these words around in the media and out in public and that doesn't mean that. Matter of fact, the Lord is saying, listen, you're going to face some hard times, but the good news is my grace is sufficient. I'm going to see you through. And listen, be looking for my Son because there's coming a day the generation of believers are going to be called away to forever be with the Lord without dying. Isn't that going to be a wonderful thing? Hey Christian, don't be looking for the undertaker. Be looking for the upper taker. and looking for Jesus to come. But after God's saints are taken to glory, a chain of events will be set in motion that deals with the day of the Lord. Notice what he says in verse number 3 again, "...let no man deceive you for that day." What day? The day of the Lord, the tribulation period, the millennial kingdom, the end-time events. shall not come." And he's saying, here's what's going to happen. Some things have to take place before you're in that time known as tribulation period. Now listen, good news is if you're saved you're going to escape it all. You'll be in heaven when all this takes place. For those that would be alive on the earth during that time, you're going to find that the Lord is saying to them, here's some characteristics so that you'll know where you are in My prophetic calendar and what I'm doing in the earth's history and its future. And that day refers to the day of the Lord, the time of the tribulation. And we learn, first of all, that there's going to be a time of rebellion, of worldwide apostasy, a global departure from the truth of God. Remember the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24, 24, the Olivet Discourse, For there shall arise false Christs, false messiahs, false prophets, shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. He said, Because iniquity rebound, the love of many would wax cold. And we know that that great rebellion, that wholesale departure from the truth of God will culminate and give rise to the next characteristic of that time. And we learn that not only is there rapture, not only will there be rebellion, not only will there be that, but there's going to be a revelation. And this is not the revelation of Jesus Christ. Friend, this is the revelation of the Antichrist. Look at verse number 3 again. He said, There come a falling away first, and that men of sin be revealed, unveiled. Friend, listen, Satan in every age has had someone that He has chosen so to speak. He doesn't know when the rapture is going to take place, no more than you and I know. And so if it's always been imminent, then Satan has always had somebody picked out to do his bidding that would become what we would understand as the Antichrist. Now, we don't know who it is. Do you realize if the rapture were to take place tonight that Antichrist is alive on the earth at this moment? I don't know who he is. You don't know who he is. Nobody else knows who he is and I doubt he even knows that's who he is until the time comes. He will not be revealed. First of all, the church is in heaven. The world is wholly departed from the truth of God and then a revelation of this man of sin will be revealed. We learn something here about His coming that He's going to be revealed. There's going to be a point in human history that this man is going to step on the scene. You say, Preacher, does God know who He is? Absolutely. Absolutely. And I don't believe the rapture's a hundred years from now, but if it was, then you know what? That man's probably not alive on the earth right now. We have no idea. That's why you can't begin pinning things happening in the world to the Bible. You can't do it because there is a progression of things that must take place, God says, of characteristics. in that day. And so this man of sin is going to be revealed. He's opposed to the Lord Jesus. He's Satan's offering instead of the Lord Jesus. He's in opposition to the Lord Jesus. The Bible said he's a blasphemer. Look down if you would please in verse 9. Even him who's coming is after the working, the machinations, The plan of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. Friend, listen, he's going to have a cohort, a sidekick called the false prophet. They're going to deceive the world through satanic signs and wonders. He's going to be the signs and wonders man. Going to wow the world and he's going to deceive the world. That's the strong delusion down in verse number 11. He's going to be a world dictator. He's going to fight against Israel, and He's going to seek world domination in His career of sin. He's empowered and energized by the devil himself. But friend, He's the Son of Destruction. Look at verse 3, "...that man of sin be revealed, the Son of God." You know what God's saying? Listen, His very name. It doesn't mean that He's going to be a destroyer, although He is. God names Him that because God's saying, I'm going to destroy Him. He's going to rise up against God. But friend, can I tell you, He thinks He's going up, and God said, no, in reality, you're going down. Aren't you glad God's in control? Aren't you glad that God has the last say? Aren't you glad that we're on the winning side tonight? Isn't that a blessing? And so we find that there's a revelation of the antichrist. But then I want you to notice that not only is there going to be a rapture, not only a rebellion, not only a revelation, but I want you to notice number four, there is a removal. Look again at verse number 5. He said, Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things? He said, Listen, I just want to remind you. I want to settle your heart. I want to calm your mind. I want to take away the fear and I want to build your faith, Paul says. Look at verse 6. And now you know. He said, I've shared with you what you need to know. And now you know. Anchor yourself to it. And then he goes on to say about something else we can know. And now you know, what withholdeth that He might be revealed in its time? Now the He in verse 6, if you're taking notes, is the Antichrist. But there's someone holding back the revelation. Listen, Satan would love to put that man on the scene. He would love to begin to oppose God in that fashion. But there's someone holding it all back. You say, preacher, who is it? Well, let me let you in on it. He's the Holy Spirit. Isn't that good? As a matter of fact, you're going to find it's not so much a what as it is a he. Look at verse number 7. For the mystery of iniquity, Satan's program of evil doth already at work. He's already working. Only He. Look at that. You see, the one that withholdeth is a He. It's a person who now letteth, will let, until He be taken out of the way. There is the removal of the Holy Spirit's ministry of restraining. You know what? The Holy Spirit has many ministries in our day. Now the He there we said is the third person of the Divine Trinity. the Spirit of God who's at work in our world. I thought about this this afternoon. I was studying and refreshing myself with the passage and I jotted down the ministries of the Holy Spirit. This is not exhaustive. It's just right out of the top of my head. First of all, He has a regenerating ministry. in this day. And we're going to talk about that word regeneration in the future. Now Lord willing, next Sunday if we're not here, alright, and I'm coming while I stream, I'm going to talk to you about the welcomingest word in the Bible. We're going to talk about that. And then we've got others until we come back together. But anyway, this word regeneration is going to be one of them. And Titus 3.5 tells us talks about the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Do you know when a person gets saved, the Holy Spirit births them again into the family of God? He makes them new. We're created in Christ Jesus a new creature. So He has a regenerating man. He makes us alive in the Lord. I was dead in sin, thank God. In 1984 I was made alive in the Lord Jesus. I was regenerated. He has an indwelling ministry. Matter of fact, the Lord Jesus, when He revealed the coming of the Holy Spirit in this dispensation in His ministry, He said He's with you, talking to the disciples, John 14, 17, if you want to jot that down, and He shall be in you. Do you notice the moment you get saved, the Holy Spirit, God, comes to live inside of you? God, at the moment I trusted Christ, came to live inside of me. And you know what? I've got good news. He's never left. Isn't that a blessing? He indwells me. For any of you who are saved, He indwells you. He lives in us. There is a sealing ministry in Ephesians 1 and I believe it's somewhere around 12 and 13 that He seals us. Do you know the Holy Spirit is our sealer? He sealed us to the day of redemption. He preserves us. Friend, listen. We don't believe in the heresy of the perseverance of the saints. We believe in the Bible truth of the preservation of the saints. If I had to keep myself saved one second, friend, I'd be lost. I'm glad I'm preserved under the day of redemption. I'm sealed by the Holy Spirit. By the way, you say, Preacher, now we understand God's omniscient knows all things, but from a human viewpoint, How does God know who belongs to Him and who doesn't? Because those who belong to the Lord have the Holy Spirit. The Bible said in Romans chapter 8 and verse number 9, any man that have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His, the Bible says. Don't belong to Him. There is a baptizing ministry. You say, preacher, what is that? That's where the Holy Spirit, when we're saved, baptizes us into the body of Christ and we're made one with the Lord. We're made one with one another. That's why we're separated tonight, but yet we're one. Did you know that? Isn't that a blessing? That's a ministry of the Holy Spirit. He has a filling ministry. That means as we yield our lives to Him, He controls us and enables us and lives through us to enable us to live godly in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 5.18, Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be ye filled with the Spirit. Friend, listen. Thank God we can be controlled by the Spirit of God. Let me jot this one down. He has a comforting ministry. Aren't you glad in moments like this the Spirit of God can whisper sweet peace to your heart and my heart and let us know everything's okay? Isn't that good? He comforts us. He helps us. He comes alongside of us in those moments when we're down and discouraged and we don't know where to turn and we don't know what to do. Oh, thank God He gives us songs in the night that the Spirit of God speaks to our hearts through His Word. Isn't that a blessing? He's called the Comforter in John 14, 16. Then He has a restraining ministry. What does that mean, preacher? That means the Holy Spirit right now is holding back Satan's program of evil. Do you realize that the Holy Spirit has a ministry of holding back the flood tide of sin? He's restraining what Satan might want to do. See, let me just tell you, Satan's not all-powerful. He's not all-knowing. He's not everywhere present. Friend, let me just tell you, Satan is a cheap imitation of our God. He wants to be God, but friend, he'll never be God. And he wants to counterfeit God. But friend, listen, I don't want a cheap substitute. I want what the Lord has. Don't you? And the Holy Spirit is at work restraining the mystery of iniquity, Satan's program of evil. Look at verse 6. He uses a word. And now you know, what withholdeth. That word means to hold down. It means to hold back. It means to restrain. It's in the present tense. He's right now holding back, presently restraining the progression of sin and evil and wickedness and Satan. The end to Christ cannot be revealed until the Holy Spirit's restraining ministry is removed. Isn't that amazing? He says it again in verse 7. for the mystery of iniquity doth already at work." Satan already has a scheme and a plan of evil and wickedness. Only he who now letteth will let. That's the same word as withholdeth. It's the same word. It's just said in a different way. Holding back, restraining until he be taken out of the way. And so we find that He's going to restrain and hold back until the restraining ministry ceases. That word taken out of the way literally means to be taken out of the midst. That means that the Holy Spirit will cease to operate in the same fashion that He is today. And as a result of that, the removal or the wall or the barrier will be removed and then Satan will be free to bring about his plan of evil. Friend, it's going to culminate in the destruction of the devil. Did you know that? Hey, he's living on borrowed time tonight. You're the winner, dear child of God. Hey, we're already victors. Hey, he was defeated at the cross. He's going to be burned in the lake of fire. Isn't that amazing? Friend, listen, aren't you glad that God's in charge? And so the Holy Spirit's restraining ministry takes place through the Lord's people. That's why the Bible talks about us being salt and light. You see, the Holy Spirit uses our lives to salt the earth with our influence. Now let me give you an illustration of that. You have a good testimony maybe out in the community, on the job, among friends, and maybe they're unsaved. Have you ever noticed that whenever saved people that live like saved people are out in the world, there's times that they're mocked. I understand that. Times were avoided. But have you ever noticed that, and it happened to me before, somebody will be out and maybe you'll be talking to somebody and they'll let a curse word go and they'll say, Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. Or take God's name in vain and say, I didn't mean to say that. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. Of course, they didn't misuse my name. They're talking to the wrong person. They didn't talk to God. They misused His name. And our stand against social evils like abortion. and drugs and alcohol and other things and taking a stand in our day. Do you know that as Satan works through us to stand up against what's wrong? Christian, that's why one person with God is a majority. God's the majority. We just get on His side. Did you know that? And when we do that, God's using us to restrain evil. But for end of the rapture, The saints of God are gone. Do you know at the rapture there'll be not one saved person left on planet Earth? Every saved person will be in that gathering together unto Him in the air. And when we go up, the Holy Spirit's restraining ministry through His saints will cease and Satan will unleash a wickedness and an evil on this planet that you and I don't even understand and comprehend. I'm glad I'm going to be gone, don't you? Number five is retribution. Look what goes on. Look down, if you would, please, in verse number 10. Verse 9 says, Even him who's coming is after the working of Satan. We know the man of sin will be empowered with Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders. Verse 10, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. You see, when God's truth was present, they said no. And as a result of that, once the restraining ministry of the Holy Spirit's been removed, do you know what's going to happen? Delusion will have its day. Deception will have its day. God will allow them to experience strong delusion that they should believe a lie. See, they've rejected the truth in Jesus Christ. They have. And listen, when you reject the truth, friend, all that's left for the world is a lie. and they're going to believe that lie. And as a result of that they will face the judgments of the tribulation period. I want you to hold your place with me for just a moment and I want you to look over at Revelation chapter number 6. Now we're not going to get deep into the study of the tribulation period. That's not our purpose tonight. We're just laying a basic... a basic plan, a basic look according to II Thessalonians where God talks about some characteristics of that day and to let us know we're not in that day and we're still here. The rapture hasn't taken place. And then what's coming on the world? You know what? That ought to make us love lost people. It ought to make us want to be witnesses for Christ. It ought to make us launch out as a church. Did you know that? Look at Revelation 6 and verse number 15. and the kings of the earth, you know that's the mighty people, and the great men, men of renown, and the rich men, the wealthy, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man. That makes it on down into the everyday common ordinary people, hid themselves in dens. And in the rocks of the mountains, and said, they're praying. Look, they're not praying to God. They're praying to the mountains. And the rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb the day of the Lord. For the great day, that day that Paul was writing about, is come. For it hadn't come yet, but it will come. And in this moment here in Revelation 6, it has come. And who shall be able to stand? Who's going to be able to stand against it, withstand it? Who's going to abide in that day? Friend, aren't you glad as a child of God that we won't be here? Number six, there's going to be a return. Remember that second aspect of the Lord's coming? I want you to look, if you would, please, in verse number eight. and then shall that wicked be revealed." Talking about the antichrist. He's going to be revealed after the rapture. It's going to be a great rebellion, a departure from the truth. Men will in retribution believe a lie because the removal of the Holy Spirit is taking place. It's restraining ministry. and the wicked is going to be revealed. But notice any time this man of sin, the Antichrist, is revealed in Scripture, his demise is also revealed. Notice the return of the Lord, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming. You know what you can write right there in the margin of your Bible or your notes? Armageddon. Armageddon. You see, that's when the Antichrist will meet his doom. The Lord Jesus will come in glory. All the armies of the world will be arrayed against the nation of Israel. The Lord Jesus will come from heaven and with the voice of His lips, the breath of His lips, the Bible said He'll slay the wicked. Do you know the Antichrist is going to be taken alive and cast alive into the lake of fire? Did you know that? Friend, aren't you glad that God's in charge? I want to talk to you about His coming. First of all, it's going to be visible. Look at verse 8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming. Do you know the Bible says in Revelation 1-7 every eye shall see Him. Now listen, that's the difference between the rapture and the return. At the rapture every eye is not going to be seen, only the saved. But friend, when He comes in glory, He's going to come in all the brightness of His glory. Listen, every eye. They're not going to need a TV screen. They're not going to need a Hubble telescope. They're not going to need something to see. No, friend, His glory will fill the heavens. And He's going to come in power and greatness and glory. It's going to be visible. And friend, it is victorious. Aren't you glad? It's victorious. Our Savior is the victor. Satan has fought against God from the very beginning. Have you noticed that? Friend, he's fought against God from the very beginning. But I'm going to tell you, God wins. Listen, can I just say something? It's not that somebody says, well, it looks like the devil's winning. Friend, he's never won. He has never won and he'll never win. It just looks that way because people get on his side. knowingly or unknowingly, but the reality of it is, friend, God's always one. It's just not fully taken place yet. The outcome is never in doubt. There's not a question. No. Notice the Bible says that the Lord shall consume. The best the devil can do won't be enough. The Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth. That means He'll overwhelm him in victory. He's going to destroy him in victory. Friend, we're going to be with Him. Did you know that? Hey, we're going to go up to meet Him and then we're going to come back with Him. Isn't that exciting? We're going to be at this battle. I'm not going to have to fire a shot. Matter of fact, I'm not a participant in the battle. I'm just a spectator. I'm just watching the victory unfold. I'm going to see it take place. Hey, we're going to be on the winning side. Isn't that a blessing? What a wonderful truth. He said, "...and shall destroy." That means to render inactive. What does that mean, preacher? That means not only is he going to overwhelm and destroy the Antichrist personally, he's going to abolish his kingdom and his career of sin. He's going to put everything he's done and the devil's done to an end. Do you realize that? Satan's going to be bound and eventually he's going to be burned. What a truth. Aren't you glad, dear child of God, that you're on the winning side? Now preacher, what do I need to do? Well, we're going to find when we come back that there's going to be a responsibility. We're going to look at that on Wednesday night and finish up our message on what's next. You see, we know that what's next, there's going to be a rapture and then there'll be a rebellion and a revelation and a removal. There's going to be a retribution of the judgment of God upon this earth. Friend, there's going to be a return. Jesus is coming visibly and victoriously. But yet until then, as long as you and I are on planet earth, we have a responsibility. We're to be what God wants us to be. Remember I told you last week that we need to remember the truth? Listen, any time something comes along, let's not be like that ship tossed to and fro. Let's not be up and down based on what's going on. Let's be settled Christians by remembering God's truth. Let's look for His Son. And let's rest in His promises. Can we do that? That's what He wants to do. But then as a Christian, I've got a responsibility to the world around me. I'm going to talk about that. How should I live in this day, preacher? How should I live until I'm taken up to glory? And we're going to talk about that next Wednesday because we have a responsibility. And I look forward to sharing that with you. But maybe tonight you'd say, preacher, I've rejected the Lord. I've never been saved. Friend, you know what good news is? Jesus died for you. He shed His blood so that you could be saved. The Bible said that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Those who reject the Lord will perish. Those who receive the Lord by faith, they're going to have everlasting life. Friend, you have the victory and you can have the victory in the Lord Jesus. You say, Preacher, how can I be saved tonight? You can be saved by understanding you're a sinner. You cannot save yourself. That apart from Jesus Christ and being saved, you'd spend eternity apart from God in a place called hell. I don't like to think about that. You don't like to think about that, but that's a reality. I didn't want to go to hell. That's why I got saved. And friend, maybe tonight you need to be saved. You realize that you're a sinner. Jesus paid the penalty. He died for you, paid for your sins. He rose again the third day. We're going to celebrate that in a couple of weeks. We have a living Savior. He's alive in heaven right now. He paid the price through His death, burial and resurrection for your sins. so that you can be saved. That's the gospel. That's the answer. Not doing the best you can, not being baptized, catechized, sprinkled, being religious. It's not that. It's trusting Christ. You can do that. Voice your faith to God by praying a simple prayer like this. Maybe you can make an altar right where you are. You say, Preacher, I'm not saved. Why don't you just bow your head right now and say, Dear Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner. You pray and follow me in a simple prayer like this. I know I'm a sinner. I know if I died I wouldn't go to heaven. but I believe you died for my sins and rose again. Jesus, I ask you to save me, forgive me of my sins, take me to heaven. Thank you. Did you pray that prayer? Did you mean it in your heart? You know, the Bible said, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you prayed that prayer and you trusted Christ, we'd love to help you with your faith. There's going to be a number come up on your screen where you can text us. You can also go on our website and email us and let us know so that we can help you. We want to know that you've trusted the Lord. We're not going to broadcast it out. We're not going to share your name. We're just going to help you personally and individually in your newfound faith. Christian, be settled. Be strong. Be steadfast. Be faithful. Hey, we've got a responsibility as Christians. Let's stand strong in this day, this hour. Be a people of faith and conviction. Let's let God use us in this day. Help people to see the peace that passeth understanding in our hearts and lives. It doesn't matter what happens because we're on the winning side. Friend, we have Him. Let's reach out to our community in love and faith and make a difference in the day in which we live. Let's bow our heads in prayer.