I really do appreciate him, but it's been a great meeting. Listen, it don't get no better. Y'all might as well laugh a little bit. And it's good to be saved and good to be redeemed tonight. Amen? And be on your way to heaven. I appreciate the meeting. Appreciate the touch of God that's been in this place. Every preacher that has preached and what God has done, and we give Him the glory for it. 1 Thessalonians chapter number 2 and verse number 13. The Bible said, For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectively worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus. For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us. And they please not God, and are contrary to all men. Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sins all way. For the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost. But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoring the more abundantly to see your face with great desire. Wherefore, we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? Ye are our glory and joy. Let's bow for prayer, then you can be seated. Our precious Heavenly Father, God, as we bow in your presence once again tonight, as we come to the throne of grace and mercy, we do come in Jesus' name. Lord, we want to thank you, dear God, for this place. We want to thank you for Brother Morgan. Thank you for the burden that you put on his heart. and for what you've done these days. And I pray now, God, that you'll bless the reading of thy word. May we not say or do anything that would quench or grieve the Holy Spirit in any way, but, O God, I pray that you would be lifted up in our midst tonight. Help us, Lord, to see no man save Jesus only, and we'll give you the glory and the honor for everything that'll be said and done, for we do love you. We ask in Jesus' name, we do pray. Amen, amen. You can be seated tonight. Let me just use it. All right, if you'll look with me tonight here in 1 Thessalonians chapter number 2, the Apostle Paul here, I just want to mention a thing or two and then give you the burden that's on our heart. We find in this chapter here that Paul talks to the church of Thessalonica about two different trips in verses 1 through 10. He talks about a past trip. He talks about a time when he came and a time that whenever he was meeting with this church and whenever he was helping them and instructing them. And then in our text tonight, the apostle talks about a planned trip that he has made. He talks about this trip that is to come. And Paul is going to mention some things about this in our text here. But when we come to this passage of Scripture, I think it would do justice tonight just to remind us the church that Paul is talking to. You see, Paul is responsible for reaching out and winning these young converts to God. In fact, if you go back to chapter number one, you see Paul as the missionary in the early verses of this chapter here, as Paul wins these converts to the Lord. But Paul and this early church goes under great persecution. And then you find Paul as not only the missionary, but in chapter two, you see Paul as the pastor. For Paul is encouraging them, he is instructing them, he has discipled them, he's done the responsibility of a shepherd in bringing them along. So as he talks to this church here, as they went under great persecution, they've experienced a persecution both from the Jews and from the Gentiles. When we come to this text here tonight, we've seen Paul as a missionary, we've seen him as an evangelist, we've seen him as a pastor, But in our text tonight, Paul is seen as a soldier, amen? Paul is a veteran here, and what this veteran is doing is he is encouraging this young converts and this young church to press on for the glory of God, amen? Well, when you come to verse number 17, Paul said, But we, brethren, notice this, being taken from you for a short time, now watch this, in presence, but not in heart. Amen? In other words, Paul said, I want to make something known here. He said, I've been taken from you in presence, but he said, I've not been taken from you in heart. You see, Paul was in the heat of the battle, amen? And this young church was in the heat of the battle. And Paul wanted them to realize something that we all need to realize tonight, that even though he's in the heat of the battle, Paul said, I may not be there in presence. He said, but I want you to know I'm there in heart, amen? In other words, Paul had not lost heart in the heat of the battle. Amen. I want to preach on that subject a few minutes tonight on how to keep heart in the heat of the battle. Amen. I tell you, friend, if there's ever been a time when the heat's been turned up on the church in this country, it's the hour we're living in tonight. Amen. We know the battle's raging. We knew the battle was coming. It shouldn't surprise us that we find ourself in a battle. But I'll tell you what I want to do tonight by the grace of God. I want to encourage every child of God. I want to encourage every preacher. I want to encourage every singer. I want to encourage every testifier tonight. Don't just stay in the battle, but don't lose heart in what you're doing tonight. Listen, this wasn't Paul's first battle, and it wouldn't be Paul's last battle, but Paul kept his heart in what he was doing. Amen. You say, Brother Gravely, how in the world could he do that? Well, if you look at verse number 17, you see that Paul kept his eye on the cause. Amen? He's noticed what he said in verse 13. He said, for this cause. Amen? You see, Paul is reminding them as he has reminded himself that what he is doing tonight is not without a cause. Amen? I tell you why we've been here this week. The preaching that's been done this week. The singing that's been done this week. The church where you pastor. The church where you're a member at. I remind you, child of God. I remind you, Father. I remind you, Mother, that what you're doing is not without a cause. In fact, it is the greatest cause that's taking place around this world. Amen. David said, is there not a cause? And I want to tell you there's as much a cause tonight as there was the other night. And I remind you where David sat that he was about to step on the battlefield. He was about to face a giant. I tell you, we're all in a paddle. We're all facing giants tonight, but there's a cause. Amen. Paul didn't lose heart because he kept his eye on the cause. Paul didn't lose heart, look at verse number 18, because he kept his eye on the conflict. Amen? He said, wherefore, when we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again, but notice this, Satan hindered us. You see, when you've got your eye on the conflict, you know who the enemy is. The enemy is not another preacher. Somebody say amen. The enemy is not some preacher you don't like the way he does things. I don't have to agree with everybody. I don't have to accept everybody. But God knows I don't have to attack them. Amen. I'm telling you, let them plow their row. I'll plow mine, you plow yours. We'll all get to the end of it one of these days. And we're all gonna reap what we sow. But I wanna know who the enemy is tonight. It's not some church member sitting on the other side of the church. It's not somebody in the choir. It's not some Sunday school teacher you're mad at. It's not some preacher you got sideways with. I'm telling you, the enemy is the devil tonight. If you got problems with anybody other than the devil, You got a bigger problem than you know you got tonight. You say, but preacher, somebody did me wrong. Oh, we've all been done wrong. Can I get a witness right there? If you haven't been done wrong, listen, you just got saved, hallelujah. And I'm telling you, if you serve God long enough and you live for God long enough, hey friend, we're in a paddle. We're gonna have disappointments, we're gonna get let down, and we're gonna let people down, and we're gonna disappoint people because we're made of the same stuff they are, but you gotta keep your eye on the enemy, and the enemy is the devil, hallelujah. Paul never lost sight of that. He had his eye on the conflict. Notice in verse number 19, he had his eye on the crown. Amen. He said, for what is our hope or joy or crown? Of rejoicing. You know why Paul could encourage them in the fire when he was going through the fire? I'm going to tell you why. Because Paul had his eye on the crown. And can I tell you, he didn't just have his eye on the crown here, but when it came time to die, and when it came time for Paul to lay his head on the chopping block, he said, I've fought a good fight, I've finished my course, I've kept the faith, and here it comes. He said, henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. Amen. Paul talks about a crown of rejoicing in this text, and then he talks about a crown of righteousness in the next text. Amen? I'm telling you, Paul served God with his eye on the crown. Child of God, don't put your eyes on this world. Don't live for this world. Don't get adjusted in this world. We're just strangers and pilgrims. We're just passing through. I'm telling you, friend, put your eyes. on another horizon. I realize, lay up your treasures in heaven. Make your decisions based on the future of eternity, not on the future of this world. Amen. You know why people work double overtime and enjoy it, but they won't show up Saturday for visitation? They got their eyes on this world, and they're not laying up anything on the other world. Amen? Isn't that right? You know why they'll show up an hour early for work and go to the break room and smoke a pack of cigarettes before work, but they'll come in dragging late for Sunday school, or won't even show up at all, or don't come to church on Wednesday night? They don't have their eyes on the crown. I'm telling you, listen, it's gonna be worth every mile. It's gonna be worth every trial. It's gonna be worth every heartache. It's gonna be worth every headache. And when we see Jesus, amen. Woo! Woo! One look at His face, one look at our Savior, it'll be worth it all. Hallelujah. Paul had his eye on the crown. And then I like this in verse 19, Paul had his eye on the coming of Jesus Christ. How many of y'all believe he's coming tonight? Brother, I'm telling you, Christ is coming. The Bible tells us that over and over. Jesus said it Himself in John 14 in verse number 1. He said, let not your heart be troubled if you believe in God. And I want to raise my hand and say I do. Amen. He said, believe also in me. He said, in my Father's house were many mansions. If it were not so, He said, I would have told you. And then he said, I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there you may be also. Hebrews 10 and verse 37 said, in yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and it will not tarry. Amen. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 51, Paul said, behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, the twinkle of the eye of the last trump. He said, for the trumpet shall sound. And thank God He said it, we shall be changed. And this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption. So when this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption, then shall be brought the past the same that's written. Amen. O death, where is thy stink? Hadn't death stung us so many times at that grave, but on resurrection morning, we'll look death right in the eyes and say, oh, death, where is thy sting? Oh, grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, amen. He's coming. You got your eyes on the coming of Christ. Then I'll tell you tonight, Paul had his eye on the church, didn't he? Because he said in verse number 19, Are not even ye the church in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ? Look what he said in verse 24. Ye are our glory and joy. I'm gonna tell you, listen, I get nervous about people that don't love the church. Don't you say they're right with God. I get nervous about people that want to have ministries outside the church, amen. I'm not pumping no money into it or you. I wouldn't give a plug nickel with a whole board out the middle of it, amen, for somebody to try to do something outside the bounds of the church, amen. The Bible said Christ loved the church and he gave himself for it, amen. When he comes back, he's not coming back for a campus. He's not coming back for a fellowship. He's not coming back for a tabernacle. I'll tell you what he's coming back for. He's coming back for the church, amen. And the day I got saved, I didn't join a campus. Somebody say amen. I joined, amen, the church of the living God. That's his bride, and he's coming for the bride. Hallelujah. We got to keep our eyes on the church these days because people are wanting to have less of it rather than more of it. That's what Paul had his eye on. But in this same text tonight, Paul gives these young converts four things that'll help them not to lose heart in the heat of the battle. There may be someone here tonight, you're here, but you're really not here. There may be some pastor, burnout, tired, ready to resign. They may be some missionary, you're in survival mode. I know it's a strange time in this country, but you may be here tonight and say, well, Brother Gravely, I don't have the meetings I used to have. Listen, you may not have the meetings you used to have or thought you would have, but you don't have to lose heart. The same God that was on the throne in March is still on the throne tonight in September. Amen. He may have turned our world upside down. He may have messed all of our schedules up. I tell you everything is running right on heaven's schedule right now. Nothing is taking God by surprise. He knows the end before the beginning. He knows what's gonna happen, my friend. You may be here tonight and say, preacher, I've had cancellation after cancellation. You may be some church member discouraged when you church tonight. I'm just here to tell you, you don't have to lose heart, amen? And Paul gives these young converts four things that will help you no matter how bad it is or it may get. You don't have to lose heart. I wanna tell you tonight, I don't wanna just die on the battlefield. I want to die with glory in my soul. Don't you want to go out that way? I don't want to just cross the finish line. I want to cross it and hear Him say, well done. Four quick things and I'm through. I want to say the first thing Paul gives them in verse number 13 is the Bible. Look what he said in verse 13, for this cause also thank we God. Notice this without ceasing. Because when you receive the word of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth. Notice this, the word of God. Amen. You see, Paul talks about the Bible in this text. And he talks about the Bible in two particular areas. He talks about this church's attitude toward the men that preach the Bible and their attitude toward the message of the Bible. I want to tell you tonight, how you treat your Bible is how you're going to treat Jesus Christ. Amen? If you ignore your Bible, then you're going to ignore Him. If you don't read your Bible and listen to your Bible, then you're not going to listen to Him. If you're not sensitive, if you're not hungry for your Bible, then you can't be hungry for Him. And the reason we have such a weak and anemic Christian society today is because they think coming to church and hearing good preaching is enough. But I'm telling you tonight, I don't care if John the Baptist was your pastor, it's not enough. You gotta get in the book, amen? You gotta get off of Facebook and get in the book, amen? Stick your face in this book and let God feed your soul. If half the people today that goes to church was half as dedicated to their Bible as they were social media, we could have revival, amen. Isn't that right? Now if you're mad, it's cause you're guilty. I'm talking about that book, amen. The psalmist said, the words of the Lord are pure words of silver tried in the furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord. Thou shalt preserve them. Hey, the Bible said in Hebrews 4 in verse number 12, for the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder soul and spirit. and the joints and marrow, and as a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. Jesus said in Matthew 24 and verse number 35, that heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words, but my words, but my words shall not pass away. Hallelujah. The psalmist said in Psalms 100 in verse number 4, enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. And he said be thankful to him for three good reasons, amen. Number one, for the Lord is good. Can I get an amen right there? He don't have to be good to me to be good. The Lord is good. Number two, his mercy is everlasting. Don't you thank God that mercy didn't run out before we got here. Don't you think, God, that mercy wasn't just for one generation or for one denomination or for one nation? I'm telling you, listen, His mercy is everlasting. But that third reason is because His truth endureth to all generations. I'm going to tell you, we ought to kiss our Bible. We ought to love our Bible. Men and women died for the Bible. Surely, if they died for it, we can read it. It's not a sacrifice to read the Bible. So, but I'm a busy preacher. I have to get up early in the morning. I don't care if you get up at 4.30 in the morning to go to work. You ought to get up, amen, at 3.30 and read your Bible. You say, but oh, you don't know what a sacrifice that is. Hey, listen, we don't know what sacrifice is in this nation, amen. There ain't nobody's head being put on a chalk block around here. There ain't nobody being burned at the stake because they want to denounce Christ in that book. We don't know what it is. It's not a sacrifice. It's a privilege, amen. And we ought to memorize it, and we ought to study to show ourselves approved unto God. We ought to read it, amen. We ought to practice it. We ought to live by it, amen. We ought to pass it down to our children. We ought to hunger for it. We ought to thirst for the Bible. Hallelujah. I wouldn't ask you to raise your hand tonight, but when's the last time you read through the Word of God? You'll read a romance novel from cover to cover. Lord, I don't even know where that came from, but I'm glad I've thought of it. You'll read that filthy mess, but won't read a Bible. I mean, listen, you'll read a car magazine. God help you if you do, because there's a whole lot in there that don't need to be looked at. Somebody say amen. It's amazing how people can read, but when it comes to the Bible, when it comes to the Bible, I want to tell you something. That book tonight, this Bible, is the only thing that's gonna help you when the battle's raging for you. I thank God for good singing. I thank God for good friends. I thank God for so many things that he gives, but I'm gonna tell you something. If you've ever walked through the valley of despair, if you've ever walked deep in that valley and wondered where God was, I'm gonna tell you what, I'll see you to the end of that valley. It won't be, listen, it won't be a lightning bolt. It won't be some big bright light, but I'll tell you what the psalmist said, he said, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my pathway. I'll tell you, God may not, listen, raise a son to let you see over the next hilltop, but I'll tell you what he will do. If you'll open that Bible, he'll put just enough light in your path to take one more step in the right direction. And if you'll stay in it, amen, he said, the entrance of thy word giveth light, amen. He said, it's sweeter than honey out of the comb, amen. Thank God, he said, the words of the Lord are pure words, and therefore thy servant loveth it. How many love the Bible tonight? Say amen. I'm talking about God. We'll give you this book. It'll help you in the heat of battle. When the devil's cranked everything up, it's the sword of the Spirit. It's a weapon of offense. It'll help you when the battle's raging for you. I can't tell you the times my heart was in despair. I remember one night in particular. I won't go into it, but just to make a long story very short, I fell on my knees. I thought I had reached the very end, saved, serving God. But when a valley sometimes lingers so long and you can't find your way out, I remember that night I got on my knees and this is what ran through my mind, Brother John, I'm in a vice and I can't get out. And God used it, but I'll tell you, I fell on my knees that night, and when my knees hit the floor, the Holy Ghost gave me one verse. You wanna know how powerful the Bible is? I'm telling you, when you think your life's hanging by a thread, and when it seems like all of hell's got their hands around your throat, God don't have to, He don't have to dump a chapter. He don't have to have a theological discussion. He don't have to sit down and give you all the doctrines of this book. I'll tell you all he's gotta do is hang one little verse on your heart and it's powerful enough to push all the hell back. It's powerful enough to put light in a dark place. It's powerful enough to move the storm clouds back. I'm telling you when my knees hit that floor before I could even say oh God, he said thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. My friend, thank God. I thank God for my Bible. I'm glad I got a book. I'm glad I got that book. I'm glad, thank God, for the Word of God tonight, amen. Secondly, not only did he give them the Bible, Paul knew it wouldn't be his Word that would see them through. Secondly, in verse number 14, notice, he gave them the brethren. Look what he said here. For ye brethren, became followers of the churches of God. I'm going to tell you, it had to be refreshing to young converts in the fire to be called a brother. I don't want to be called a doctor. Nowadays, everybody's a doctor. You know that? You can buy them down there at Walmart for $9.99. And I don't want to be called theologian. I'll tell you the greatest thing that I ever heard after I got saved was when somebody called me brother. You say, what's so great about that? That goes beyond education, friend. That's got something to do with relationship. Amen. That means I'm not just a member. That means I'm in the family. Hallelujah. See, I once was on the outside, but when you call me brother, it means I'm on the inside. I once was walking in darkness, but when you call me brother, it means I've stepped in the light. Amen. I once was going down, but when you say brother, it lets me know I'm going up. And Paul had one word. That would help them in the hard times not to lose heart. You're not in this thing by yourself. You're not fighting alone. Listen, you're a brethren. You're a part of the family of God. Can I tell you tonight, we need each other, amen. I've never seen a time, and listen, I'm not ecumenical, and I'm not for compromise. I'm not talking about dropping standards. Y'all know that, don't you? I'm not talking about, listen, rolling over and giving and blending and mixing things. Wait, we're against every bit of that, aren't we? Somebody say amen. But can I tell you something? Listen, the Bible teaches separation, but it don't teach segregation, amen? And isolation. We're in this thing together, amen? I'm glad there's some people standing side-by-side us tonight, and we're pulling in the same direction, and we need each other, hallelujah. We don't see each other that much sometimes. But you know what? If you're a brother, when you see the other, when a brother sees the other, It's the best I got on poems. There's an instant connection. I was talking to a guy this week, and he told me, he said, you know, he didn't know. He said, I reckon all the camp meetings have canceled. And then he made this statement. He said, nobody's crazy enough to have a camp meeting right now. I said, well, actually, I do know one guy. He said, really? He said, where at? I said, he's up in Michigan. You wouldn't know him. Amen. I'm going to tell you something. Don't you thank God for brother John Morgan. Don't you think, God, that God put it on his heart to have a Mount Carmel Baptist camp meeting, amen? Hey, don't think he hadn't fought hell by the acre. I'm telling you, listen, don't think the devil's gonna roll over and let you have a camp meeting and people get saved and right and people get encouraged and him not raise his ugly head up. But I'll tell you something, God's big enough to do what he said he's gonna do. He's big enough to take care of me. He's big enough to take care of you. He's big enough to take care of all of us. I'm talking about thank God, he will take care of you, amen. I say preacher, preach on, amen. I say singers, sing on. I say prayers, pray on. I say testifiers, get up one more time and testify on. Don't you lose heart, don't you lose heart, don't you lose heart. You stay with it in the heat of the battle, amen. You say, well preacher, why? Because when we come back next year, we wanna see your face. We need each other. I need Brother Tim Gittins, don't you? I passed by his church the other night, it was probably about 12.30, is that right? 12.30 in the morning? Me and my wife was coming back from a meeting. She said, well, Brother Tim, the lights are on in his church. That's five or seven or 10. I don't know how many. I just, you know, it's hard to see when you're driving 85 miles an hour, you know, to get home. My wife was smoking too, so you know all that was in there. This ain't on the internet, is it? Oh, Lord. She never listens to me preach. She'll probably listen tonight. We passed by and she said, wonder what they're doing? I said, well, they're probably having some yoga class or something, you know, down there. I said, no, I don't know what they're doing. I said, I mean, I might be praying for this nation. We need each other, don't we? I need brother Chris Simpson, don't you? Hey man, we started out together, didn't we, brother Chris? That's a joke for those of you who don't know. He's actually 10 years older than me. But you know, we need each other tonight. Hey, missionary, we need you. You know how many casualties there are in missionaries? If you're a missionary, you know. Hey, church member, we need you. You say, well, I can't sing or teach or play or preach. No, but I'll tell you what, you can work a 40-hour week. You can raise a godly family with separation of standards and still be alive in a dark world. You can come fill a pew, and you can put your tithes in, and you can keep the work of God going, and you can keep missionaries on the road. Hey, preachers can't do it without people, isn't that right? It takes them 40-hour week people, amen? to keep things going. I tell you, some of the greatest Christian men I ever met, and women, listen, they never had a title, they never, nobody knew their name, but they were steadfast and unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. You could go there year in and year out, and they'd always be there in their place. I'm telling you, those are precious people. I'll take them any day. I'm talking about, friend, you want to make it, you want to keep heart, you keep your friends in the ministry. I worry about these guys that want to just cut cord so quick. And they want to waste God's people's time and everybody else's preaching about some preacher that none of us knows what they're talking about. I thought if you had all in your heart with a brother, you'd pick the phone up and call him. Y'all still with me, aren't you? You go to them, amen. You don't sit on the other side of the church mad at them for 30 years and not shake their hand and get in the choir and shout. I'm telling you, listen, if you shout in the choir and you can't shake somebody's hand in the church, there's only one thing I have to say about that. That's a hypocrite, amen. I'm telling you, don't tell me God's that good in the singing. But listen, he won't give you enough grace and enough grit, amen, to extend your hand and fellowship to a brother, amen. He gave them the brethren, and then he gave them the Bible, and then let me say this tonight, he gave them the battle. Because if you look at verse number 15 down to verse number 17, 18, you've got to remember, I'm not going to read all these verses, but you've got to remember this. Paul is talking to young Christians, and he's trying to encourage them not to lose heart, but to stay with it. So he gives them the word of God, the Bible. He tells them you're not in this thing by yourself. He gives them the brethren. But then, Brother John, he brings up the battle. When Paul doesn't cut no corners about the battle, he tells them in verse number 15 that they killed the Lord Jesus as our captain. and their prophets, and they persecuted us, and they pleased not God, and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up their sin ways. Always, for the wrath has come upon them, even to the uttermost, and he drops down here, and he tells them in verse 18, Paul says, even I would have come to you once and again, but Satan hindered us. Paul says this is a pretty bad battle. They killed Jesus, killed the prophets of the Old Testament, You say, Preacher, that don't sound encouraging. I read that and I thought that don't sound encouraging to me, Paul. But then I thought about two things, two blessings about this battle. Number one, it's a blessing just to be in it. How many of y'all tonight? with all the casualties, with all the compromise, and with all the critics that are going on around this nation. I'm talking about in the church world. I'm even talking about in our realm. How many of you are glad every one of us can look back through a youth group and see many that are gone? We can see preachers that have fallen. We can see singers that are no longer on the platform. We can see others that have changed course. They've changed everything. They've went in a different direction. Hey, but how many of us tonight I can raise our hand and say, thank you, God. I'm still in this thing. Amen. I'm telling you, I'm not in this thing by myself and neither are you. But after 32 years of being saved, I hadn't finished a whole lot of what I started. But there's one thing I plan on finishing tonight. By the grace of God, I want to stay in the battle, don't you? Amen. I remember when I wasn't in the battle. I'm glad I'm in it tonight. Hey, preacher. You don't have to be the best preacher. Who cares? If you're a God called preacher, you're in the battle. We're not in competition. Just preach. Just preach. If the other God gives you a pulpit or a street corner, go preach. Every preacher here in my generation knows what I'm talking about. When we started preaching, we didn't have no place to go preach, but we was dying to preach. It doesn't matter if it's a jailhouse, if it's a nursing home, if it's a street corner. Just give me some place to take a text and deliver a burden and preach with a touch. I'm telling you tonight, friend, quit waiting for the calls. Quit waiting for your face to be on some poster. Find the will of God. Follow the will of God. Finish the will of God. Get you a field and get in it and plow and preach for the glory of God. I'll tell you another blessing in this battle is not only that you're in it, but that you're on the right side. How many of y'all glad you're on the right side tonight? I remember when I was on the wrong side, don't you? I remember when I fought for a loser, amen? I remember when I fought for a world that was already defeated. I remember when I fought on the side of death and darkness. But thank God we're on the winning side tonight. I don't care how bad it gets. I don't care how dark it gets. I don't care how many casualties there are. You mark it down. We are going to win, amen. We're gonna win. Whether you got five next Sunday or 50, you're going to win. Whether you got a house full or a handful, whether they're happy or whether they're mad, you're going to win. You ought to go in there and preach Sunday. You say, well, preacher, I got somebody mad. You know what you ought to do? You ought to go in there and preach, amen. And listen, you ought to ask God to fill you with the Holy Ghost. You ought to pray the power of God, amen, and get a burden and a message on your heart and turn loose and preach with the touch of God. I'm talking about why? Because you're in the battle. It doesn't matter how many is on the board. It doesn't matter who knows your name. It doesn't matter about a pat on the back. It doesn't matter about a paycheck. Just that you're in this thing. Amen. He gave him the battle. And then I close with this. Paul gave him one last thing to help him not to lose heart. You know, it's the greatest thing. He gave him the blessed hope. Paul points them to the book. He said, look at that. Look at the book. It'll help you not to lose heart. Then Paul points them to the brethren. Keep your eyes on each other. Encourage each other. Pray for each other. Then he says, I put your eyes on the battle. Thank God you're still in this thing in 2020. And then he said, but last and most of all, he said, I want to put your eyes on the one that'll never fail you. He said in verse number 19, for what is our hope or joy, a crown of rejoicing, are not even ye in the presence, in the presence. I'm going to tell you something what'll make the battle worth fighting is when you get in his presence. And you don't got to wait till you get to heaven to get in his presence. Amen. You can get in His presence tonight before you pillow your head. You can get in His presence in a good church service. That's what Brother John was saying. Brethren, we met to worship tonight. I'm telling you when the high winds of heaven blows through, you know what you ought to do? Listen, don't wonder what's going on or what's going to happen next. When the wind starts blowing, just step right out in the middle of it and feel it breeze across your soul, amen? Just get in on it, amen? If you'll get in the direction the wind's going, it'll push you further than you'll ever be able to go yourself. I'm talking about, friend, thank God for the day the wind blew in my life and blew in your life. Oh, but hey, friend, he's coming. Hallelujah. Don't you want to be on the front line? I think when we go to church, we all never sit in church and not say amen and raise our hand. Isn't that right? You ought to raise your hand 30 times every sermon. Amen. I don't care for the deadest sermon you ever heard in your life. Listen, bless the Lord. The Bible said, bless the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the Lord, all you people of the Lord, Psalms 134. I mean, hey, if you got a hand you can raise. You ought to raise it while a man of God's preaching. Raise it while the singers are singing. Raise it in the house of God. You're not raising it because you're worthy, but you're raising it because he's worthy. And thank God he is worthy. And we ought to lift our hands and magnify the Lord. You know why? Because when He comes, I want Him to find me active in the battle. The blessed hope, I'll say this and be done. We all know people that have lost heart. Let's face it tonight, not everybody is an apostle, Paul. Some are a Demas. Some are a John Mark. Thank God he got right. There's casualties in this tonight. But I want to tell you something. You can look from Genesis to Revelation, and you'll find fault with men because that's who they are. They're men. And even at the very best of them, you can find things. But there's one man in that book, no matter what he faced, He never lost heart. He stepped on the scene in a little manger in Bethlehem. And then in the synagogue as a little boy, teaching in the temple. By the time he got to the River Jordan and was baptized by John, heaven rolled back and announced that God was well pleased. He was well pleased with what he had done. He was well pleased with what he was doing. And he'd be well pleased with what he was going to do. I'm going to tell you, friend, Jesus never lost heart one time. In fact, all the way to the very end, listen, the closer he got to Calvary, the smaller the crowd got. and even His own disciples, many of them had fled and forsaken Him and suspended between heaven and hell and dying like a criminal between two thieves with His arms stretched out wide, drawing His last breaths before slipping into eternity. You know what Jesus did on the cross that day? He did not lose heart, but He gave His heart, amen? He gave every ounce. of His heart at Calvary for you and me. And friend, that's how I want to go. I want to go with a heart full of serving God. Amen. Don't you tonight? It ain't enough to just be in it. Preachers are starving to death for people that'll put their heart back in it. Don't just teach Sunday school. Put your heart in it. Let's get up there and lead the choir. You know, I don't even care if you got talent. If you don't have heart, your talent's no good. Get up there and just sing. Teenager, don't you just sing and go through the motions? Put your heart in it. A man of God ought to never have to beg a youth choir again to sing with all their heart. You ought to raise a rafter and shake all hell when you sing because you're giving God the best years of your life. It ain't enough to just fill the choir and fill the pulpit. Man of God, get up and preach Sunday with tears dripping off your chin, with all the heaven in your soul, with my friend, a fear of hell and trembling for sinners. Preach, amen, with a burden. Throw your outline in the trash can if it's robbing you of the power of God. Fill the pulpit with a text and fear in your soul that if God don't touch you, nothing will happen. Heavenly Father, help us. God, help us not to lose heart in these days.