All right. Stand by, everybody. Let's all stand. Grab a red hip. We'll turn to page 50. Page number 50. ♪ What a happy time, so glad tomorrow ♪ ♪ When we lay these heavy burdens down ♪ ♪ And this world so pale, no more to roam ♪ ♪ Having labored on through joy and sorrow ♪ ♪ Hoping to receive the golden crown ♪ ♪ It will all be joy in that sweet home ♪ ♪ In a little city, bringin' sun every day ♪ ♪ Where the river of love flows every mile ♪ ♪ Look upon the beauty, look upon the beauty ♪ ♪ There's not a way and happy we'll be ♪ ♪ While the ages fly by ♪ ♪ Nevermore the soul will be repining ♪ ♪ When we reach the happy resting place ♪ ♪ In this lonesome valley, in this lonesome valley ♪ ♪ No more to roam, no more to roam ♪ ♪ Yonder where the sun is always shining ♪ ♪ We shall look upon his smiling face ♪ ♪ It will all be gloomy, it will all be joyous ♪ ♪ In a beautiful city where you stop every day ♪ ♪ Where the people are fine, girls every bride ♪ ♪ Look upon the beauty, face far away and happy we'll be ♪ ♪ And happy we'll be while the ages smile ♪ Many precious loved ones will be waiting Just across the river deep and wide In this lonesome vale No more to roam Through eternity not separating Every heart will then be satisfied It will all be joy in that sweet home ♪ In a full city, sun every day ♪ ♪ Where the river of life flows every mile ♪ ♪ Looking for the beauty, looking for the beauty ♪ ♪ That makes God aware, that makes God aware ♪ ♪ Happy we'll be, happy we'll be while the ages fly ♪ Heavenly Father, Lord, we humble ourselves before you, God. We just want to tell you we love you and we thank you, Lord, for letting us be back here tonight, Lord. Thank you for the great preaching we heard this morning, Lord. I pray that you challenge our hearts tonight, Lord, in the same way, God. I pray that you just be with the choirs as we sing, Lord. Help us to lift up in the name of Jesus, God. I pray that you be pleased with us tonight, God. I pray that you please help the special singing, Lord. Please help the man of God as he preaches, Lord. Lord, he needs you in the pulpit with him, God. And Lord, I just pray that you'd breathe on this place, Lord, and you'd move in power, Lord, and conviction, Lord. I pray that you'd speak to our hearts, Lord. Please tenderize our hearts, God, and just please do a work in our hearts that we need done tonight, Lord. God, we pray that you'd just help us tonight, Lord, be with us, God, and we ask it all in Jesus' name, amen. ♪ Simple men in need of redemption ♪ ♪ Herbless, helpless in her loss ♪ ♪ But the Alpha and Omega ♪ ♪ Brought the answer to a cross ♪ ♪ And that's where one day I'll pass away ♪ ♪ No longer left us stay ♪ To this day it is a holy, perfect place ♪ God handled it all ♪ By God fixed it all ♪ And the Lamb was praised ♪ It is amazing, it is amazing ♪ My hallelujah to this day ♪ When I saw the meaning ♪ He'll see the land God made for me, all it was and is ♪ ♪ A perfect plan ♪ ♪ He saw me way back yonder in Eden, through my need and saving grace ♪ Now through the years I've found him faithful. May God trust him forever. I was looking at him, I saw the image. I still see the lamp, God handled it all. It was in his perfect plan. God handled it all. God fixed it all. His lamp was great. His lamp was great. My hallelujah to him. When I saw the beginning I was looking at Him I saw the end I still see the Lamb God handled it all It was and is the perfect plan When I saw the beginning I was looking at Him I saw the end I still see the Lamb God handled it all It was and is the perfect plan Thank you, Lord. Hey, you ain't getting no bus, man. ♪ Just try to measure east to west ♪ ♪ Or to the oceans of this day ♪ ♪ You'll find no record of my past ♪ ♪ My guilt is gone ♪ My chief accuser's lost the war ♪ The record of my sins erased ♪ It's buried deep ♪ I could not meet ♪ The what? ♪ The lost demons ♪ But God in mercy ♪ Had a plan ♪ If sons of blood ♪ Are swiftly raised Under grace, my guilt is gone. My chief accuser's lost the war. The record is clean. ♪ My city raised ♪ ♪ And it's buried deep ♪ ♪ Under grace ♪ ♪ The record of my city raised ♪ ♪ And it's buried deep ♪ Amen, amen. Who made the earth and the sun. He made all things, created man according to his plan. ♪ And he is rich in His love for you and I ♪ In sin and shame, the blessed Savior came. He lifted me on higher ground for victory. I'll see heaven, I'll see heaven. There is a God. There is a God. There is a God. And He is real. And He is real. Deep in my heart. Deep in my heart. Is love I feel. Is love I feel. When I am blessed. When I am blessed. you Well, it's a good singing choir. And I'm glad my faith one day will become sight. And it'll be real, amen. It's real now. We have to serve him by faith. through the eye of faith. I'm not like some of these guys that's seen a 10-foot Jesus at the foot of my bed. No, I'm not done there. And they ain't nothing but liars, amen. Amen. But one day we shall see him. Hang in there a minute, it'll get better. Amen. Thank God his mom will be back in a little bit. God, I'm a mama's boy and I ain't ashamed of it. I'll let everybody in the church know I'm a mama's boy. Amen. I hope all of you, hope all the mothers have had a good Mother's Day today. And I'll say I appreciate you and thank God for you, amen. And so, got ladies Bible study, men's Bible study schedule for this Tuesday. I'm assuming men gonna meet here again, is that right? So we'll do that, and then I guess something will be put on band about the ladies' bibles. It may already be on there, I don't know. It probably is, okay. They're having the Tabernacle Youth Meeting Rally from 10 to one. I plan on going and being part of that this coming Saturday. If anybody wants to go with us, we'd love for you to go. They're gonna feed us lunch, amen. I'm going for lunch, amen. Praise God. And then at four o'clock, Vanda's gonna have his first birthday party, I'm assuming here at the church, as far as, at your house, okay. Look at all the hands. The birthday party, they smoking some meatballs. I'll go ahead and make it for about 50. 25. After that, okay. Praise the Lord. Okay, we'll have our ushers to come. We'll receive our evening offer and give you the opportunity to give tonight. Amen. Okay, don't forget, Next week, the week after, the 26th is our 60th year homecoming. Amen. So we're looking forward to that and having a good day. Yes. Remember that? Then Memorial Day. Well, we've got the community cookout on the 25th, homecoming on the 26th, and Memorial Day and Caitlin's birthday is on the 27th. Amen. So we've got a lot going on that weekend for sure. Okay. So that'll be honest for you know it. Okay. All right. Well, thank you for again for being here tonight. Let's pray one for another. Everybody have a good safe week this week. So praise the Lord. I caught on praying while I'm trying to try to even it all out. Amen. Praise God. Just go, you know, basically. I pray that you continue to bless the church. I pray that you bless the special singing. I pray that we lift you up. I pray that you bless the preacher. Page 345 in the Red Hymnal. Start when we sing along so you might need a book. Oh, in this whole simple world, hardly a comfort can afford. Driving on to face temptation's door, where could I go but to the door? Where could I go? Where could I go? Seeking a refuge for my soul. Needing a refuge. ♪ And with friends I love so dear ♪ Comfort I get from God's own word ♪ And when I face the chilling hand of death Where could I go? Oh, where could I go? Seeking a refuge for my soul. Leading a friend to save me in the end. Where could I go? If he can paint a sunset in the western sky If he can make the sun to rise up in the east If he can raise up from the grave after dying on the tree, then I know Jesus can take care of me. If he can walk on the water where I am, If he can calm the raging storm when my ship is going down, then why should I worry when I have this peace? Because I know Jesus can take care of me. If he could save the Hebrew children from the fire. If he could rescue Daniel from the lion's teeth. And if for the children of Israel he could part the Red Sea, then I know Jesus can take care of me. If he can walk on the water, If he can calm the raging storm when my ship is going down Then why should I worry when I have this peace? Cause I know Jesus can take care of me Amen. Beautiful. What a sad time in heaven, the angels gathered around the throne. They couldn't stand to watch Jesus dying all alone. and brought their hearts to see the blood that he shed. They were all prepared to fly, but God turned to them and said, angels sit down. He's not gonna call. He's saving the world, becoming sin for them all. I know that you can save them, but He's not the one in need. angels sit down and let him set the captive free. What a happy time in heaven when the gates swing open wide. The church goes marching in to our home beyond the sky. As we meet our blessed Savior, all the angels form a band. They start to sing a song, but God turns to them and says, Angels sit down. This is not your song. See the smiles on their face. They've waited so long. They've been down to the fountain. And by your blood they've been redeemed. So angels sit down and let my children sing. They've been down to the fountain, and by your blood they've been redeemed. So angel, sit down and let my children sing. Well, I'm glad Jesus is willing to do it. That he's willing to die for me, amen. Bless his sweet, holy, wonderful name. Lord God, I rejoice. Salvation tonight. I'm thankful to be saved by the good grace of God. Amen. All right. We're gonna go to the book of Genesis tonight. Genesis chapter 26. I'm gonna take up some reading tonight that relates to Abraham after he's already passed away now. And I didn't actually read the text and stuff where Abraham had died, but he's gone. And Isaac, his son, is doing some things here in this chapter. And, So we're gonna preach a little bit more, just a little bit about Abraham and really deal with about Isaac a little bit tonight. But Isaac, Genesis chapter 26, and we're gonna go down to verse number 12. And the Bible says, and Isaac sowed in that land and received in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great and went forward. I like that. And grew until he became very great. For he had possession of flocks, and possession of herds, and great store of servants, and the Philistines envied him. And we do know that he got a lot of that from his father Abraham. Verse 15 says, for all the whales which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac, go from us, for thou art much mightier than we. And Isaac departed thence, and pitched his tent in the valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. And Isaac digged again in the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham his father. For the Philistines had stopped him after the death of Abraham, and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them. And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, the water is ours. and he called the name of the whale Essek, because they strove with him. And they digged another whale and strove for that also, and he called the name of it Sitna. And he removed from thence, and digged another whale, and for that they strove not, and he called the name of it Rehaboth, and he said, For now the Lord hath made the room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land. And he went up from thence to Beersheba, and the Lord appeared unto him the same night, and said, I am the God of Abraham thy father. Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and will multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. And he built an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord, and pitched his tent there, and there Isaac's servants digged a well, Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar and Ahostha, one of his friends, and Philcael, the chief captain of his army. And I said to them, wherefore come ye to me, saying, you hate me and have sent me away from you? And they said, we saw certainly that the Lord was with thee. And that's a great testimony to have, when people can see the Lord with you. And we said, let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee, that thou will do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good. and have sent thee away in peace. Thou art now the blessed of the Lord. And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. And they rose up betimes in the morning, and swore one to another, and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. And it came to pass the same day that Isaac's servants came and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water. Amen. and he called it Sheba. Therefore, the name of the city is Beersheba unto this day. I'm gonna stop reading there. Thank you for standing. You can be seated. Lord, we love you this evening. Thank you, Lord, for your goodness and mercy to us. Thank you for the good seal that's touched our heart tonight and stirred us, and Lord, I'm so thankful. Lord Jesus, you is willing to hang on that cross and die for us that we might be saved by the grace of God. Lord, truly, we owe everything that we have and are to you. And Lord, by the help and the grace of God, if you'll help us, Lord, we wanna truly give you our lives and everything about us, Lord, and we wanna lay it at your feet for you are worthy, Lord, to have us all. I pray, Lord, you'd have every part of our lives. And Lord, we ask God that you'll bless us now as we've opened your word. Help us for just a few moments of time. to preach what you've given us this evening, Lord. I pray that you'll challenge the people's hearts this evening. And Lord, again, we wanna thank you for these dear mothers tonight, Lord, and thank you for the ladies and women of the church. They're so precious and we're so thankful for them, Lord, and to have them a part of our lives. And Lord, we pray that you'll bless them this evening. I pray that you'll give them a good week. God bless us all this week. Help us to seek your face and spend much time with you and fellowship and worship you. And bless us, Lord, and we'll love you for all you do in Jesus' name. We'll humbly pray. My title's gonna be Abraham's Contribution because Abraham really left a lot behind after that he died. I'm not really gonna say, actually say a whole lot about that. There's so much in this thing about digging wells, amen. And that's what they're doing. And so I'm gonna, just to preach a little bit about don't stop digging, amen. Don't stop digging. These fellas didn't stop digging. They kept digging the wells, amen. And so as we look at this portion of Scripture, we understand that Isaac took upon himself the burden of digging wells out that had been stopped up by the Philistines. The Bible says several times that the Philistines had stopped these wells up because of envy, there's envious and jealous of Isaac. In other words, they stopped the running water. That water that they was getting out of the well, which was a type of the Spirit of God, and there's no, when you do that, there was no more refreshment for them to have, to enjoy. So can I say the Philistines, of course, are a pitcher and a type, and we know this of the world, and we know that they have stopped many refreshing well up. The adversaries of truth are doing everything they can to stop truth. And you know, I really feel sorry for some of these, what we have all around us here in Kannapolis now, raising up all these, what they call these contemporary churches and He's Alive Church and all this mess going on around us. And you know, they don't really have truth and they really don't have the real thing. Amen. And their well's been stopped up and there's been many a good Bible doctrine being clouded by the corruption of the latter times. And so what people do, they don't know God, they'll take the Bible and they'll make it say what they want it to say. And they'll twist it up and change it around. And I mean, poor stuff out there, it's absolutely unbelievable, amen. But it don't line up to doctrine. And so there. Isaac began to dig the wells out that he quickly met opposition. And he digged them out and called their names after the names that his father had called them. And this is what I would call seeking out the old paths, amen. His father had been a well digger. Abraham was a well digger and knew what it was like to get down there and get a fresh drink of cool water. And so Isaac got thirsty, of course. When you get thirsty, you go to search it, amen. That's right. And so Isaac's search led him to the valley of Gerar. But just because you may be in the valley don't mean there's no water there, amen. Water seeks the lowest place. The spirit of God looks for that old broken down, humble down saint of God that he can fill and use for his glory. So I would say don't stop digging. If you get thirsty and you begin to search just like Isaac, you'll probably have a fight on your hands. The two wells were met, he met with opposition. One was called Essex, and that meant contention. And the other one was called Sedna, which means hatred. And so there was contention and hatred about Isaac as he began to dig these wells. And although he dug these wells and found water, the herdsmen of Gerar were also thirsty and they strove over it. And so I'm glad that the kind of water that I'm talking about tonight Thank God that's enough to go around for everybody. And praise God, you can have it if you want it, amen. Isaac went on down to peace and digged another well and dug that one without opposition. And the Bible told us here that he named it Rehoboth and said, for now the Lord hath made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the land. And so we know that we cannot be fruitful without water. and so you gotta have the water of God on your life. In other words, God just cleared him off a spot and enlarged his coast, and he enjoyed the blessings of God. But he only got that third well done through what is missing in most of our lives. He didn't get it because he just played with it. He had to be determined, amen. And so you had to have determination, and that's what he had. And so you might get thirsty and start searching, but you gotta go through the battles. You're gonna have to have determination to get a drink of water in this day and time. I wanna say you may be here tonight, you may be dry and thirsty spiritually. Well, you don't have to be. Just keep digging around and God will give you some water, amen. The same thing happens to us spiritually that happened to Isaac physically. Well, the Philistines went and stopped as well as that with earth. The Bible said there in verse 15, for all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with earth. And so I'm glad that Abraham had left something behind. Abraham, after he died, left some great things of importance behind, and that was wells. And they wasn't stopped up when he died, but the Philistines come by as soon as he died and stopped them up. And so you gotta be careful with stuff like that. I've seen many a good family that seem to be spiritual. I'm thinking about one right now, I'll not call their name, but there was a group of singers, the family's son, and I mean, they hadn't touched God on them, and when their dad died, the family just fell apart. I mean, they got worldly, got carnal, I believe they even split up, they left the church as a part of, run down here, run down there, done all that. Why? Because their spiritual leader had died. And that's sad. And I would like to think that my wife and my children would have more about them than that. when something happens to me, amen, and I just fall apart. And I've seen preachers, and some of you are aware of this, what I'm about to say, we've seen preachers that we've heard, and we've known, and I mean stood for truth and stood for what's right, and they die and go off their scene, and his wife and the family just goes to the world. I don't get that, I don't understand stuff like that. My question, I'm asking myself, was they just doing it for him? Was it not their heart? Was it just playing a little game of religion just to get along? Was it not real? I'm talking about another preacher. I mean, brother, he would preach it. I mean, brother, I mean, he would lay the hammer down. Well, his wife left him. And all the stuff he'd been telling everybody to live and telling everybody how to do, he somehow got away from all that. And the children started, I mean, I've heard him blow out all kinds of sin and things about separation. Soon as his wife leaves him, everything goes, and I'm thinking, did you really have any of that in your heart to start with? Or is you just a big, arrogant, full of pride preacher trying to show off in front of everybody something you don't really have? Brother, if this thing is in your heart, it ain't gonna matter who departs out of your life, who walks away from you, brother, you're gonna stay with God and stay with the church, amen. That's right. Amen. So that went down my notes, so praise God, that will be no extra charge. And so you and I, even tonight, think about it, we owe a lot to Abraham. Amen. And so God put a well in us when he saved us and although we may not literally have the earth stopping our wells, we do have sometimes getting the world in us and it stops that wonderful flowing of the Holy Ghost working in us, amen. I've been praying all day, I said, Lord, help me to be under the influence of the Holy Spirit, amen. I wanna be under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I want Him to have right away in my soul, in my being. I want Him to be in control of what I say and how I act and react. I want Him to dominate me. And if we could just somehow bear the fruit of the Spirit, oh, what great Christians we could become. We would be flowing out the Lord Jesus. Miss Vicki would literally be living through us. If we could bear that fruit of the Spirit, look it up sometime, it's all good. It's in Galatians 5. The love, the joy, the peace, the longsuffering, the gentleness, the goodness, the faith, the meekness, and the temperance, the fruit of the Spirit. That's what we're to bear. That's the Lord Jesus working through us. Amen. And so the flesh things will come by the world and they'll do their best to stop you well up. But you gotta keep digging and keep getting that junk out, amen. That's amazing how the devil wants to put things in our minds and our hearts that are all just basically lies and they're not true. And if you're like me, sometimes you just swallow it hook, line, and seeker. And then the Lord slaps you around a little bit and says, boy, you know you ought not believe that junk. That's just a bunch of lies. That's exactly right. And so God has to help us with that. I would say if we let them, situations can stop up our wills. Storms can stop up our wills. Definitely sin will stop up our wills, amen. I can hear him say it right now as it was just yesterday, old Dr. Webb preaching about the well. There in that heart cry for revival, that great sermon he preached in 1981, the heart cry for revival there at Camp Zion. And he talked about Dave and how he said what Dave need do is get his well cleaned out. He said he got all that filth and junk and sin down in there, and he lost his joy, and he said he had to get his well cleaned out. And can I say that you and I, when you get that old sourpuss attitude about you, and you carry the wrong spirit and wrong attitude, What you need to do is get that old junk out of your heart and get your well cleaned up and cleaned out and let God fill your heart full of love and forgiveness and the peace of God, the joy of God, and you can be a pleasant person that people want to be around, amen. Oh, my friend, if you do not fight for your spiritual life, nobody else is these days, and you'll not have much of one. The Flintstones are all around us, and they're out there, they don't have no water, and they're envious of those that do, and so they're gonna throw dirt on top of our wells to keep them from working, amen. The world don't like to see a joyful Christian. The world doesn't like to see anybody walking in victory. And the devil sure don't want you to live in victory. He don't want you to go in there and punch that clock in the morning with a smile on your face. He wants you to go drag it in, a belly aching, whining, well it's morning, I gotta go back to work. God pity the person who calls themselves a Christian. That'll go in every Monday with that spirit and that attitude. After a good service on Sunday, praise God, you ought to get up and spend some time with God, get full of God, and walk in that little old workplace and punch that clock and smile real big over everybody and say, praise God, it's great to be saved! Amen. I can say a lot right there, I ain't got time. If you hate your job, you got the wrong one. If you don't love your job, there's a lot going on right there. You're either not right with God, or you don't need it. God can help you love your job. Now, I'll be honest, when I first went to work, that one place I went to work, I really didn't like it. I had to ask God to help me like it. And before I walked out of there, I was a singing full of joy, and I loved every minute of it, amen. That's right. Lord, help me do that. Lord, help me do that. See the people on your job, they need to see a real Christian. They need to see somebody with victory. And I'm bellyaching, well, they're gonna work us to death. I don't make enough money. Won't you quit bellyaching about everything? Won't you get happy in Jesus that earned the job, amen. Well, I don't know where all that come from, but that's good preaching, amen. Amen! Amen. Don't stop digging. This old world's no friend of grace anyhow, and you'll just listen. If you're gonna stay clean, sometimes you gotta be mean, amen. You're just gonna have to do it, you gotta take your stand. So if you'll recall when David was in a cave, Bible said that his soul yearned for a drink of water out of the well that was by Bethlehem. That's right, 1 Chronicles 11, 18 and the three. Talking about his mighty men, Brother Chris, break through the host of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem. That was by the gate and took it and brought it to David, but David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. Oh, the water was flowing again. Thank God we need to reopen them, amen. Them old Philistines hate keeping David from having a drink. Hey, somebody, you gotta break through the host of the Philistines and get a fresh drink of water every time. You gotta break through yourself and your feelings and your emotions and say, oh God, I need you to help me. I need a fresh drink for my soul. I'm dry, I'm parched. I need help, I need reviving, I need stirring, amen. And thank God God'll help you, amen. Well, I tell you, as you look at this church age, we understand many of God's dear people have had their wells stopped up by some old flip stand. Oh, yeah. Jesus said, John 4, 14, but whosoever drinketh this water that I shall give him shall never thirst. But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water. springing up in everlasting life. Jesus said here that the water he'd give us would be a well of springing water, springing up in everlasting life. There's some great things that can come with everlasting life, amen. Oh yeah, let me say something right quick about the well of joy. Oh listen, the joy, where's joy at? Where's joy gone? You don't mean to, but you look at people, you look at their countenances, and I'm thinking, oh my, they're not where they need to be with God. I look at people, sometimes I say, man, they're going in the wrong direction for their life. They missed God a country mile. I don't even know if they even understand how far they are away from God. But no joy there. It's all sadness. And brother, you can only play the game so long. That's right. Amen. That's right. And after a while, you get tired of planning. And what do people do? They'll walk out of the door of the house of God. They can't keep up with it. It's like they don't fit in. Why? Because they're not right with God. Amen. And that crowd will blame something at the church, something wrong with the church. Ain't nothing wrong with the church, friend. Ain't something wrong with you. Amen. Well of joy, oh the well of joy, will thou not revive us again? Why, David, that thy people may rejoice in thee, amen. Oh, we use that verse so many times, and I've heard so much about that verse, but really David is wanting to be revived so he can rejoice in God again. That's right. Oh, rejoice in who? God. Excited about the person of God and the person of Christ. Where's the joy? On the faces of God's people anymore. Oh, most of them look like they've been sucking on lemons. Me and Lily's got this thing going on now when we shake hands. And so I started going back at her, amen. We got this thing going on, amen. It might be there for a moment, but it ain't how I'm feeling on the inside. I don't know if that's how you're feeling on the inside, but it ain't how I'm feeling on the inside. Amen. That's right. Look like they've been sucking on lemons. Listen, you've heard this a thousand times. I ain't telling you nothing new. You and I ought to be the most joyous and happiest people on this earth. Hey brother, just go back a few years and remember where you was. You're going to hell without God. And if the good Holy Ghost of God had to come by your way and shook you a little live, you'd still be sitting on up here tonight going to hell without God. But thank God the good Holy Ghost come by and shook you up and you got saved by the grace of God. We ought to still be shouting the victory that we're saved, amen. That's right. Oh yeah. Listen, I know you go through difficult days. I know there gonna be times your little smile's gonna be wiped off your face, your heart's gonna be broken, and you're not gonna feel like being stirred up, you're not gonna feel like smiling, and you're not gonna have no joy. But brother, you don't have to stay that way. I'm gonna walk you right through that little tribe, that little valley, and get you on the other side, and put it back on you, amen. Don't stay that way long if you can help it, amen. It's determined I'm gonna dig a well right here in this valley. Praise God. I don't feel like it, but God, if you'll help me, I'm gonna shout anyhow. I'm gonna shout the victory. I'm gonna live in the victory in spite of what's going on in my life. Oh, God is a fountain of joy. Oh, my friend, God is a fountain of joy. There's a time when David got a lot of junk and sin as well, as I've already said, and he wrote that great psalm of repentance in Psalm 51, one of the greatest psalms he ever wrote. He said, restore unto me the joy of my salvation. Brother, he done had a man killed. He done committed adultery, got a woman with child. I mean, the king wasn't doing all this. I mean, brother, he bloated big time and he lost that joy and that sweet fellowship. Brother, he was a man after God's own heart. This man loved God. This man loved the heart of God. and the devil threw him a curve, and he fell for it. Oh, my friend, if that man being the spiritualist he can be, that can fall into sin, oh my goodness, may God help you and me this evening to keep our eyes on Jesus, and hate sin, and keep junk out of our hearts, amen. Oh God, help us. He said, I want that joy of my salvation back. I tell you, I'm preaching to the people right now. You say you're saved and you got that old long face in your life and you ain't got no joy. You ain't where you need to be with God. I love you, the church loves you, but you need to get right with God. You need to get some priorities fixed in your life and praise God, get in here and go for God, amen. And get the joy of God back in your life. Oh, thank God we don't have to keep walking that way. God can help us. He said, I want you to uphold me with that free spirit. Oh, give it back. David said, I want it back. Oh God, I know I messed up. I made a disaster out of my life. David's just saying that in Psalm 51. Oh, he said, I made a mess. Oh, he got tired of his mess. I tell you, you gotta get tired of your mess before you ever get right with God. I've done those times in my life, I just get tired of me. And I said, oh God, I need deliverance. I need you to help me get over me, amen. Oh, I tried. Oh, we should rejoice and have unbelievable joy over our salvation. Brother, we ought to shout the victory. We ought to be taking laps tonight at the Temple Baptist Church. And we just a bunch of old sinners. Praise God, God saved us, amen. And he saved us from hell and changed our lives. And he's been a working in us. Let's don't get over it so quick, amen. Oh, listen. Every now and then you ought to have a good glorified shout and fear over the fact you've been saved by the grace of God. Oh, whatever happened to the joy of serving Jesus? Oh, he said, make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence, we're singing amen. Oh, listen. Don't have that joy, you can dig out well, you can get some. That well of joy, oh, I love it, amen. I like that well of worship. Oh, that well of worship. A lot of people went ahead and just worshiped God in difficult situations. Oh, Abraham taking Isaac up out of there, had to literally kill him. He thought he was gonna kill him, amen. Abraham said to these young men, about a year of the ass, He said, I'm the land. We go yonder and worship and come again to you. Oh, he's done made up his mind. In the darkest hour of the crisis of Abraham's life, he said, I'm gonna, I've done made up my mind, I'm gonna worship God. Hey, can you imagine what character it took Brother Joe for Brother Job after he lost all of his children? I mean, all 10 of his children, all of his finances, all of his health. I mean, his wife's turned sour on him. Oh, my friend, can you imagine what character that man must have had to bow down in them ashes and begin to worship God and to praise God and love God, even though he don't understand what's going on. Oh, my friend, it's in the darkest place that any human could be, and he's there worshiping God, amen. Oh, he cleared him out of the well and made a well of worship. Right there in a difficult place of life. Oh, God just told him to sacrifice his son. Then Job arose and had rent his mantle and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground. And worship day, man. Just lost everything. These men didn't let anything come in on them, but they went ahead and worshiped God. Oh, God's been good to us. We can't worship him like we should. Maybe you got some stuff in you well tonight, and that's a hindering you. You know, I'm glad God knows everything about me. Listen, I've grown more of the fact tonight that I'm so grateful, Brother Chris, that I can hide nothing from God. That makes my life so much easier. Listen, I'd hate to be in that kind of pressure, Brother Dustin, that I serve the God that I can hide something from. Would you like to serve a God like that? I wouldn't want to serve a God like that. Oh, listen, friend, I'm not happy with everything I've ever done in my life. I'm absolutely ashamed of some things I've done. But I'll tell you, I'm glad that God knows everything about it. I'm an open book before God Almighty. My life's not an open book to you people, but it's better to be an open book to God. I'm glad God knows everything about me. I don't have to hide nothing from him. I can say, Lord, you know what's going on. You see me do this? You see me do that? You see me have this attitude? You see me how I act? You see how I reacted? God, I confessed to sin. I want you to forgive me. And thank God he just lets us keep right on walking with him. Oh, thank God for the blood of Christ. It washes us a hundred times a day. It cleanses us multiple times a day. Thank God he gave us the avenue. We confess our sin. He'll forgive us our sin. Hundreds of times a day, amen. Oh, we're sinful creatures today. I'm so thankful God's so merciful to us. Say, you can't really worship God with dirt in your heart. I don't like to see people try to worship God when they're not right with God. I have great respect for people that won't get here and try to be something they're not. I have great respect for people that know they're not right where they need to be with God, and they're not gonna try to act like they are. Listen, friend, you don't have to beat yourself up. Everybody gets that every now and then. Everybody gets defeated. Oh, my old will, it gets stopped up sometimes. There's a few times along the way, I've not been able to shout like I wanted to. I've not been able to worship like I wanted to. I just wasn't where I needed to be with God. If I did, I'd feel like I wasn't being right, wasn't doing right. Oh, but thank God he lets us come and get it cleaned out. Oh, listen, you cannot worship if your will's stopped up. Oh, you can't worship if you're dead on the inside. Psalm 115, 17, the dead praise not the Lord. Oh, that's what the Bible said. I've said don't stop digging. If you can't worship, dig it out. Get it out! Get it right! When God saved us, he put us in a well of joy and a well of worship. Ever too long, the well's been stopped up. We need to get them cleaned up, cleaned out. Thank God we just need to get thoroughly right with God. Have him confess everything we've ever done and things we ain't even done, amen. Wouldn't be a hurt, hurt, hurt with God at all, amen. Oh, listen, if you don't keep your well of worship alive, it'll die. Oh, them children need to see us worshiping. Them grandbabies need to know something about old time worship. Oh, we ought to worship because we love Christ. We ought to worship because we love our kids and our grandkids can learn. Oh, these babies need to see God on us. These babies need to see God in the church. Oh, that's one of the greatest burdens that I carry as a preacher. When I see these babies are coming up, I want to have a church that's got God in it, that's got God on it. When we come to the house of God, they can feel something. They can move, be moved by the Spirit of God, amen. Oh, yes. Oh, we gotta have it, amen. That's right. I want a church when you're not right with God, you can't shout till you get right. You don't feel right, you don't feel comfortable. I'd hate to pass through a church and I wasn't doing enough preaching where people can live like the devil, come in here and smile and shout and just be everything they are, living like the devil. I want a church, praise God, if you ain't living right, you won't feel right till you get right, amen. That's right, ain't no playing games, amen. We gotta have the power of God on the church. Oh, yes. Oh, I gotta keep digging, amen. Oh, yeah. Oh, we gotta fight against the things of the world coming in our lives. They'll stop our wells up, the well. Oh, we gotta have the well. Listen, we need the well of victory. Oh, the well of victory being stopped up in lives. People living in defeat, carrying those burdens. Not too many people around that I know of that have the real victory in their lives. Oh, we talked about a man by the name of Eliezer. He arose and smote the Philistines till his hand was weary, and his hand claimed unto the sword. And the Lord wrought a great victory that day, and the people returned to Him only to spoil. Oh, thank God for that man that just stood and fought for the victory. Oh, I'm talking about a man named Shammai. The Bible said that he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it, and slew the Philistines. And the Lord wrought a great victory. What do you say, preacher? I'm saying you gotta fight if you're gonna have victory. or the devil will run over you. That flash will get the best of you. You can't flirt with sin. You gotta hate sin and love God and keep sin out of your life and live in victory, amen. Oh, these men were fighting the flesh things to have victory. You and I are fighting this old world in our flesh and the devil to have victory tonight. Oh, the well of victory has been stopped up into so many people's lives. They're walking around defeating instead of being a blessing. They're nothing but a burden, amen. I'm just simply don't stop digging, praise God. Abraham's left the wells there. We gotta get them cleaned out, amen. Oh, if you go back to verses one through three here, the Bible said there's a famine in the land. And just like he told Abraham, Isaac's a reliving all of it. Verse two said, the Lord appeared to him and said, go not down into Egypt. Don't go down there. Well, you're in a famine, especially. It's easy to get out. It's easy to get out of the will of God. We notice here that it got Isaac out of his place. He's a family in the land. First family was in the days of Abraham, Isaac, Abimelech, Kira, Philistines of the ground. The Lord appeared to him and said, go not down to Egypt. Go on the land and I'll tell thee of. That's right, he did all that. Well, verse six said, and Isaac dwelt in Gerar. Well, Isaac is not listening to the Lord. I believe because of this event, the Lord stubbed those men in Gerar. In verses 23 and 24. I'm about done, I'm about done, I'm about done, amen. And he went up from this to Beersheba. And the Lord appeared to him at the same night and said, I am the God of Abraham, thy father. Fear not, for I am with thee. Thou bless them, multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake. Oh, as soon as they made the right steps, the Lord appears to him the same night. And if you'll just make one step toward God, he'll appear to you again. Oh, he's wanting you to be right with him. He's wanting to love you and bless you. Hey, listen, we are our own worst enemies, amen. Oh, that's exactly right. Oh, listen, things begin picking up for Isaac. This lets us know that there's immediate restoration. There can be immediate revelation. As soon as you get restored, God'll reveal what you need to do, amen. Verse 25a, the Bible said he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord. He pitched his tent there and there's Isaac's servant digged a well. He built an altar representing consecration and prayer with its recognition of the need and God's ability to meet it. That's the first step in getting your well cleaned. His servant's digged another well and the blessings keep coming, amen. Verse 32, and it came to pass the same day that Isaac's servants came and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said to him, we have found water. Oh my, we see their diligence. The Bible said the same day. I don't know how long it took to dig a well by hand, but they did it all in a day. They must have been going at it like fighting fire, amen. If you ever think about digging a well behind, it takes some effort, amen. The same day the Bible said, the reward, we have found water. Well, it might not sound like much, but when you're thirsty, it becomes a precious commodity, amen. That's right. When the well's stopped up, it can be a terrible thing. When the waters are flowing fully, it's a wonderful thing. Oh, the church, we just need to keep digging until we've got full, free, flowing power coming down right out of heaven to us tonight, amen. So the obvious lesson tonight we can glean from this chapter is this, the necessity of separation from the world. I know our flesh don't like it, but it's just the truth. There's no way we're gonna get around it from the word of God. That's exactly right. Oh, listen, although Isaac had some of the blessings of God upon him, even grew and became exceeding great, we know down in Gerard, Isaac had no joy, no peace, no influence. He found himself frustrated by the flesh things that had the reach of their jealousy. I tell you, won't hang around the world long, get involved in the world until the Holy Ghost will pull back from you and you'll lose that joy and that peace and that influence of that well. See, we gotta make choices every day. And I pray God will help us make the right choices. We gotta make the right choices. Oh yes, we gotta make the right choices. Oh, my friend. Oh, what a powerful thing choice really is. Oh, my friend, what a powerful thing the will of man really is. Praise God for water. I don't know exactly where all that come from, but it come from somewhere down the line through there. Praise God. Gotta make the right choices. One wrong choice gets you in a bad direction. You may take years to get it straightened out. So what I'm saying, I'm saying be serious when you start making choices. Make sure you pray about these things. You people getting ready to get married, I'm telling you what, if you ain't prayed much about that, you ought not even be thinking about it yet. That's right. Listen, I don't care if you got your things in the mail and off and everything else, you better pray, you better make sure you got the mind of God on this stuff. It ain't too late to say maybe I need to wait just a little bit. Ain't none of these old maids ain't man. I'm just saying. That's right. I remember somebody was talking to Alicia Moss. You know, their pastor was Andy Wells. And Lisa told somebody, was telling Caitlyn the other night, she was at a revival meeting, she said, our pastor did his best to talk us out of getting married with everything within him. He did his best to talk us not to get married. To see if they could handle it. That's right. It's just not that little old step you're taking. This is gonna affect the rest of your life. It's serious business. That's right. Talk about praying, about your choices, about your decisions. Would you not agree tonight that we can all probably save ourselves a lot of heartache and trouble and humiliation and shame if we just stop and take the time to really pray. and say, God, is this really your will for my life? And it can be. I'm not saying it's not, okay? I'm not saying it ain't the will of God. I'm just saying we better take it serious and really pray about these things. I mean, the second biggest thing after getting saved is who you gonna spend your life with. I mean, you better know that you love them. And I'm not talking about puppy love. I'm talking about the real McCoy, son. I'm talking about the real love now. Do I really love her? Does she really love me? Do I really love him? You can't go on with these little emotions and all that stuff and this must be my second message, I can't help it. Talk about praying about things. God, Isaac had trouble for a little bit. God got him straightened out of him. Pray about things, pray about your choices in life. That's right. Listen, you shouldn't feel no pressure. If you feel pressured to have to get married, you ain't doing it for the right reason. And I'm telling you right now, it won't last long. Shouldn't be nobody pressuring you to do anything about the will of God for your life. And if they are, that crowd ain't right with God. I don't care who they are. No pressure. Nope. We'll have full, free soul liberty to follow the leadership of the Holy Ghost for our lives. Oh yes. Pray, seek the Lord. If he says yes, I say hallelujah. And most of the time he will. There gonna be some times you'll say, hey, you might need to pray a little more about this. And listen, there's no shame in that. There's nothing wrong with that. Why are we as bad as folk think there's something wrong with that? There's nothing wrong with that. There's no shame in it. I would have more respect for somebody that say, preacher, that we found out this might not, we might not be ready or this just ain't the will of God. I'd have more respect for that than somebody just go through with it because they have to think they're too proud to admit that they can't. Ain't nothing wrong with that. I didn't have the counseling session, so here it is, amen. Make the right choices, amen. God can help you do that, amen. He wants you well full. Amen, I'm gonna stop. Every head bowed and every eye closed tonight.