here you pray for brother Charlie this morning Lord use him to help us praise the Lord I appreciate y'all today We're back again. Amen. I've enjoyed what I've heard today. More than that, I've enjoyed what I felt. Amen. Amen. I thought about so much. You know, I've always said, Brother Lee, you know, if the Lord, I'd rather hear somebody get up here and beat on a pot with a wood spoon in the spirit of the Lord to have all the talent in the world. Be so proud that the Holy Ghost don't even abide. Amen. I'd rather just have what God means for us to have and have what we think everybody else ought to think we have or to have. Amen. It takes the Holy Ghost, it takes the spirit of God dwelling in a man or a woman to make a difference, don't it? I was thinking about those songs that, you know, I'm glad he knew me, he knew my name. I just love the love of God and how that it brings peace and joy in our lives when everything's going to hell around you. Amen. You can lean on the Lord. Amen. Amen. I've read about a few men in the Word of God and the Old Testament knew alike. Seemed like everything was going to hell around them. Some was in jail. Some was on boats. Some was being stoned. Some was being whipped. But they had peace. Amen. John went down to the chop block with peace. Amen. Lift his head left a testimony prepared the way of the Lord come before Jesus Amen laid it all down and thought is a joy. Amen. Thank God we can have that joy today Praise the Lord today. I don't I wouldn't even have to preach really y'all Hey, man, just had a good time. Hey, man, but the Lord give us his salt for this church, I guess and maybe somebody here but over in the book of St. Luke this morning, chapter number 19. A few verses here. Man, I've really probably... I've eaten on this and chewed on this for weeks, I guess. And, you know, let me say I thank God for my family coming with me today. You know, the devil tried to attach himself to us. Amen, tried to hinder in everything we do coming over. I mean, just had a hard time. I got so far over here and had to turn around and go back and get my clothes. And I mean, just the devil, I mean, just tried to attach himself. But we pressed through and we got here. And I'm so thankful, amen, for a place that we could come and feel the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost dwelling. Don't ever take that for granted. Amen. Always mind the Lord. I've said that like that brother said back there. Your testimony means so much to somebody maybe sitting behind you or in front of you. Don't ever fail. Amen. The Holy Spirit must anoint you. Hey, listen today. Don't get tired of somebody sharing their testimony, where God brought them from. Amen. But you've got to realize today that God's given us all something that we can put on this thing, that we can add to this thing. And the Bible said that every joint will supply, right? Amen. I want to supply what God's let me. Amen. So if you'll flip by this morning over in the book of Luke chapter number 19 verse number 1. I'm gonna wet my tonsils a minute Now, the Bible said, And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich. And he sought to see Jesus, who he was, and could not for the prayers, because he was a little of stature. He ran before and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, or hurry, and come down, for today I must abide at thy house. And he made haste and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner. And Jaccha stood and said unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I have given to the poor, and I have taken, he said, if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, accusation, I restore to him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, this day is salvation come to this house for as much as is as also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost or was lost. And that's how we read this morning that I've been thinking about this and chomping on this for a while and just over and over in my mind. Just trying to maybe get a hold of something in this passage of scripture today. But I begin to look at that little sycamore tree and the characteristics of that sycamore tree. And I've often wondered, you know, wonder what God the Lord saw when He come down there that day, Brother Lee, and He looks up in that sycamore tree, and he sees a little bitty man of stature. I don't think he was looking at how short Zacchaeus was, and I just don't think that even cared if he was rich, but he knew all these things. But old Zacchaeus, here he was, amen. and hear it about a man named Jesus. I'm going to take my time if I can today. Amen. Now listen, the Bible said, old Zacchaeus, amen, went down and looked up at that sycamore tree and began to climb. I begin to, I may be wondering by mind just what the Lord saw when he gazed up in that tree at that man hanging off a limb. I don't know what he looked like, Amen, but listen, that man had a desire to see who Jesus was. I thank God today when we get a desire, amen, to see who the Lord is. Amen, we'll go to whatever extent, whatever extreme it may call. Amen, for us to see Him. But I begin to look at that characteristic of a sycamore tree. Hey man, now listen, I want you to see how spiritually what I see. Hey man, looking at a sycamore tree. Hey man, did you know that, hey man, with that big old sycamore tree so tall, seven and a hundred foot tall, a real strong tree, sometimes my friend, there's a blight or fungus that attaches itself to it. That's why it's called ugly. Hey man, that old tree's ugly. It's kind of maroon like. Hey man, like a camouflage. It's losing its bark. Hey man, it's losing. But when that fungus attaches itself, it begins to eat the hardwood of that thing. And it begins to holler out And though it looks strong I'd say it's weak A man still able to stand But my friend left, son I wonder if the Lord saw the man A man that life had wore him out Life had touched his self, I tell him today. And life had taught this man. And his money ain't doing him no good. And his strength and his power had failed him. He was a leader. He was a head chief tax collector. but he had a desire in his heart a king never had to see God. Sometimes that's the way I feel. No matter what stature you are, how high you are on the thing of a society, you need God. Amen. Life attaches itself. and begin to pull at this man. When the Lord looked up in the air, he saw a man. Amen, here he was. A chief, a tax collector. He had people under him. He was a leader in his rich. My friend, but listen to me today. The brother said it this morning. Money don't make you happy. Power don't make you happy. Hey man, listen. But having peace in your heart this morning, that's what makes you happy. Amen. And the rest is bonuses, brother. You're looking at a man. He knew the Word of God. He'd run the Scripture. Brother, he went back in the law. He knew exactly if he took from somebody one lamb he had to restore him for. He looked up to David. When David stole, amen, And the wife there, thank God he said, hey! And David set out to restore him forth. He'd read the Bible. He knew the scripture. But he was still empty. He was still hollow. He was still weak. He needed the Lord! He knew the scripture. Are you with me today? He knew the scripture, and yet he's weak. He knew the law, and yet he's weak. Hey man, listen, don't tell me. I've been to the Lord so low. Life stripped away at me. How's it you today? I mean, listen, he'll make you weak. Hey, listen, he'll reveal who you are. He'll reveal just how weak you are. Hear me today of the characteristics of this sycamore tree. Identity with man. Amen. Man without God. That's what it is, brother. It's man without God. He's all these things who listen to me as great as that tree was. Amen. There's some characteristics about that thing that fits right with a man. Hear me today. He's weak. Listen to me. He may have been attacked by the world. Nothing he's done is working. But he says, hey, I've heard about this man called Jesus. There's a press. Physically, I'm not able to listen to get around them. Amen, like the little lady there. Amen, the crowd. I went 12 years. I dealt with the issue of blood. I pressed through the crowd. I had to get a hold of the hem of the garment. But she'd spent all she had. Amen, she'd went to every doctor. Wasn't nobody able to help her. But she said, I heard about a man. Oh, glory! I could just get to him and touch him. It's like as if I could just see him. Thank God today there's comfort in the presence of God. Amen. Now listen, those sycamore trees, they'll begin to get hollow. And there's every burden. And they'll go in and nest in animals. Amen. And I thought about that boy been talked about. Amen to scripture and the story that went out to sow what he say, that some fell among the wayside and the fowls of the air. I come and divide it and tuck it away. What is the seed? It's the Word of God. Amen. There's some people, brother, at the Word of God. Amen. When it's preached, it goes in one ear and out the other. And the devil takes it. And they say, well, I'll get it next time. Amen. But that's the way it goes. Zach is beginning again. Amen. I took away the need of God. It's here, the truth. And brother, it put it off another day, another time, another meeting. Amen. But there was a day, my brother, amen, he could not resist. Brother, all that haunt us, all them old bad spirits that was in him, all that bitterness, all that itchiness, all that darkness, met the Son of God, met the light. Thank God, met life. Hey man, listen to me today. When we meet the Lord, it don't matter how the world looks upon us. We may seem weak, but brother, we're strong. He said in our weakness, He's made strong. That's more than my friend. We depend upon the Lord. Seek the Lord. He is our strength. We don't need the opinion. of the world. Amen. It don't dictate us. The Spirit of God does. So sometimes we're just like that sycamore tree. Ain't we? Boy, we look strong. But look at us. Time tears at us. I always told people where I pastored, Brother Lee, I said, if you just give people time, they'll reveal to you their self, who they are, what their intentions are. We're just like that sycamore tree. Time tells on us. I don't know nobody here, him except Lee and his family. Hear me today. But if you ain't real careful, time's gonna tell on you. You seem so full. You seem so strong. But when the Lord looks up your tree, when God looks on your victory, and he sees no fruit, though your leaves look good, though they're green and plush, amen, there ain't no fruit. There ain't but one problem with that. Has the fruit come before the leaves? Hey man, listen to me today. Hey man, there's something else you need to know about these trees. They're planted in populated areas. Hey man, you know what? Time will always tell. You know why they did? They're able to withstand pollution. They're able to withstand the saltiness. Amen. The air. The intoxicant. They're able to stand. They may say, what are you saying? If you've got the Lord, you'll be able to stand. No matter what you look like. No matter what the world think, you'll stand. Better you be like a white oak. Thank God you have a root that's deep, and you'll bear the fruit of the root you're hooked to today. Amen. They're planted along the wayside, but they're growing. Jesus, souls active. Amen. Are you with me? Amen, Saul's accused for who he was. Amen. He said, but make haste and come down. Oh, hurry. Saul, come on, I'm going home with you. Ain't you glad when you was hollered, when you felt like nobody loved you? Amen, the world. Amen, it poured it too. It poured. Seemed like all the goodness from you. Darkness. You had all them old evil spirits. All them bad thoughts, all that weakness. Amen. But He still said, make haste and come on. And He remembers the night that you got born again. He knew who you are before He called you. He knew your weakness before He called you. He knew what you wrestle with before he called you, but he said, make haste. Hurry. Hurry. Come on down. Valdez, North Carolina, 1989, in a cottage prayer meeting. The Lord looked at me and said, make haste. Oh. I don't care if you're 13. Make haste. I don't care if you don't know a lot. Make haste. I don't care, brother, that you got mad at your dad. Make haste. I'm going to show you what your dad was right about. Thank God. Hey, if you'll stand for the truth, somebody gonna get mad at you. Hey man, but you know what you gotta do? You gotta slam it down and drive, and stomp it to the floor, and put it to the, hey listen, open her wide open, and go for God! No, he lied for get a hold of a man, that's what he saw. He saw a man. His life, I mean, he'd benefited. He didn't have to worry about what he was going to eat. Oh, listen, just like the rich man there, he didn't have to worry about what he was going to eat. Farts hundreds every day. But there's an opportunity in his life, how to show love and compassion. So an old boy laid out there at his gate full of swords, and the dogs would lick him. Oh, that ain't so bad. I read about a queen that the dogs wouldn't even lick her. Oh, Lord, have mercy. I mean, so God so despised that woman. You hear me? I want to be in relationship with Christ. Don't you? I've told people for years, the only way you'll grow in Christ is be honest with Him. Amen. Be open with Him. Be who you are. Amen. Pray when you need to pray. Confess when you need to confess. Go to your brothers and sisters and help them. I'm telling you today. Let's don't put our foot on somebody's neck. Amen. But let's help them. I'm telling you today. We get in this shape. Life gets a hold of us. Rips us brother, listen. We feel empty inside. Hey man, a lot of people see our smile. But brother, they don't know the war fire that we're going through in our mind. I want you to know something today. If you've been going through that war fire, you are to lay it on the altar today. You are not taking home with you. The longer you carry it, the heavier it gets. Amen. Amen. Nozickus is full of feelings. He'd heard about this man. Evidently, he had a desire. Did he not? Oh, listen. I don't care who you are, rich, poor, old, young, you get tired of life you're living without Christ, you'll find a way. Like that brother right there, was it 10 years? Hey man, 10 years, he wanted to be saved. He desired to be drawn. But God wouldn't do it. Why do we put ourselves in that position? I mean, He could tell you. I mean, I've been there and hit in this two years. Back slid on God. I was in a bad shape. Didn't think I was going to ever get back. Nothing dealt with me and I had no feelings. I was dark, and the longer I went, amen, the colder I got. The farther away from home I got, and the more content I was in bonding, amen. But you know what? There's an old man of God that showed up in my driveway one day. You know what he told me? He got me, buddy. He said, I love you just like I used to. He said, I wouldn't think no more or less of you. You just come on back, get yourself right. I love you the same. There was something about it. The love of God! It don't change! He loves you more now than ever! He loves you today! Amen. Amen. You know, there's another thing. Moving on, Brother Lee. You know that old boy that had all them troubles? and all that blight attack it and all. Oh, listen, it roots me. You know, that's another thing, it's characteristics of them, ain't it? Its roots is right above the ground. It cumbers up things. Oh, have you ever felt like you cumbered up things? You ever feel like you'd just be more workable if you wasn't here at all than you would if you was here? You feel like you're just taking up that space in the house of God? That's the biggest lie the devil's ever got you to believe. If you believe that today, every one of you today, you're in the best place you'll ever be on this day. And if you had it again tomorrow, if you chose to come to the house of God, that's the best choice. Amen. Let me tell you something. There ought not be no covered up space in the church. Amen. Let your roots grow. Amen. Listen. Listen. And settle down. Amen. Grow in the Lord. Get under the Word. Strengthen yourself. Encourage yourself. If you do that, you'll be able to fight a fight. You'll be able to war. Amen. Amen. Praise brother. Another characteristic of that sycamore trees is it locks the sun. Hippy. Come on. Hit like sunshine. You know a characteristic, now we're changing gears. You know what? We might have identified in the first few parts there. But can I say when we got our heart right, and we got it where it needs to be, we desire the presence of the sun. The S-O-N. We desire the presence of the Son. We don't like dead, dry, cold up meetings. We don't like just being in a forum in fashion, do we? I mean, but we've got the characteristic of a child of God. We desire it. Hey man, you remember the prayer of Jabez? It was just a short prayer. He said, I just desire God. That's in larger code. Go on down through there. He desired God's protection. He desired God's presence in his life for his people. And you know what? You don't ever hear much about him. But I heard one thing right. God heard him. Thank God. You might not feel like much. You might feel like you're cumbering up this place, but I want you to know the power of a perpetuatious man availeth mine. You keep praying. You keep fighting. You keep pushing. Hey, God, take your strength in the Lord. Fill yourself with His Word. He'll strengthen you today. Amen. Oh, this man. Zaccheaus, I heard his story all through Sunday school. Growing up, and every time I thought about him, I thought about that sycamore tree. Amen, but now when I think about the sycamore tree, I think about Zaccheaus. I just want to realize today, amen, he didn't let his disability. I'm going to tell you something today. Amen. I'm going to say this spiritually. I speak and there's a lot of people in the house of God today that thinks they're spiritually disabled. And maybe you might be, but my friend, there's a way to get you to God. There's a way. Amen. David was sitting one day at the table. He looked over at Zeba. He looked back at them boys eating dinner with him. He said, there's not anyone left in the household of Saul that I might show kindness to. He remembered that vow he made with Jonathan out there. When old Jonathan was giving him a heads up, I want you to know you are not forgetting somebody that prayed for you. You are not forgetting somebody that fought for you. You are not forgetting somebody that stood in the gap for you and put their self on the line for you. David said, I remember. And old Zeba stood up and said, hey, I know where there's a man. He's down in Lodebar. And his name is Mephibosheth. And he's lame on his feet. Oh, David said, hey. I could care less. I tell him to come home. I give him a letter. I invite him to the table. I praise the Lord. I'm thankful today. You may be spiritually in need and handicapped, but there's room at the table for you. They desire the presence of the Son. Amen. There's a place for you at the table of the Lord. And he said, you go get that boy. Amen. And I don't read where they brought him, but they went and told him, hey, the king desires your presence. No, I won't know if even my famous chef even knew what was going on. But I want you to know something. You may not know what's going on half the time. Can I give you good news? On a hill called Calvary, Jesus, my Lord, suffered for me, suffered for you, carried the cross all the way. my sins to atone. You know what? They dropped Him in that hole. On that day at cross, they dropped it down in the ground. Hey, in all this suffering, He took the hand of His Father and the hand of humankind. And he brought them together and became that covenant. Amen. That we would need to get in. He became that sacrifice. Amen. And Brother Lee, when he got up on the third day, he arose. Brother, he went in the prayer, didn't he? He said, Daddy, I'm home. And yeah, don't forget this. He threw the blood upon the mercy seat, and a sweet smelling savor, I'd say, rose up out of heaven. And even the angels wrote a new song. Thank God been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. That's why you can sing a new song. But I want you to know, hey, there's a place for you. Amen. There's a place for you. Don't we have some of these characteristics? We ought to have them all. I want you to know, at the times that you feel broken, God's going to use you the most. Why's that? He gets us out of the way. He gets our opinion out of the way, our feelings out of the way. The way we look out of the way. I like that. Brother, you unducked your shirt. Just loosening it right up. You know, we come to church sometimes, we worry about what everybody's looking like. The Holy Ghost wanting to move. We're worried about what somebody's chewing. Or it's a perfume. Or a good smell of cologne somebody's wearing. When the Holy Ghost is wanting to move in somebody's life, He said, come on. He said, come unto me all ye. How the labor and heavy laden. I'll give you rest. I want you to know, he said all A-double-L. That meant the preacher. That meant the deacon. That meant the song leader. That meant that head chief Christian we got. Hey, we need to be at the feet of Jesus. We need not quit praying. This is the greatest weapon that God ever gave us is prayer. going into the holies of Holy. Oh yeah, by the way, when Jesus died, give up to go, committed his spirit back to his father, guess what happened? The father ripped the veil, brother. Listen, and you know what he did? He opened up a holy of holy and said, oh, Charlie can go in now. Oh, Lee can go in now. We don't need that priest down there no more. They can finally take a break, amen. Now we have our priest in the heavens. His name's Christ. What did he do? Well, I'll tell you what he did. He wrote out a will for me and you. While he was here, he jotted you down on it, brother. Now, as long as he's alive, That testament could not be fulfilled. But the testator wrote your name on this testament. Thank God! Ain't you glad that that testator, Amen, wrote you down in his testament? Let me put this in other words. He left you a wheel. Wow, glory! How many loves that today? How many knows that's in the word of God? He left you a wheel today. No matter your age, no matter your capability, He wrote you in the wheel. When Jesus looked up there, He said, I'm going to put this boy in my wheel. No, he's an old tax collector. He was the IRS of that day, if you will. Wounded every penny they could get. He was the chief collector. He was the chief, buddy. He's a leader now. Oh, he had a lot of power in his words. But he realized one day he didn't have so much power in him. And you know what, because of that, that desire, he sought out one of the tallest trees. He took a chance. That old tree could have been hollered out, but he took the chance. You hear me? You know what, Jesus, he don't take a chance on you. He chooses you. He gives you the capability in Him. He gives you the tools to work with in the Word of God. And if you fail, it's not His fault. That day, you can read and read and read about these trees. I'm just trying to apply it spiritually to me and you. That day, this man was willing to do what it took. He had a desire. Didn't he? Be where the master was. Somebody come to the piano, will you? I don't know, sister, yeah, if you'll come, honey. I'm impressed. I'm gonna tell you what Jesus did. You know, they're gnawing at them sick of more trees, having fruits on them when they drop. I mean, they're poisonous now. You can't eat them. Really no good are they? I mean like that? But they make a mess. You know what Jesus did? Some of you are going to get this now. He pressed through your mess to get to you. Through all your deficiencies and mine, He pressed through what He knew about us. And what other people perceived to know the truth about me and you. He didn't care if you was a drunkard. He didn't care if you was a pothead or a cokehead or a harlot or a whoremonger. You hear me? He didn't care if you lied, cheated, and steal. He pressed through your mess to get to you. You know what he did? I don't know if he did or not, Lee, but wouldn't that be something, Jesus, going down there, kicking them old fruits out of the way, them old helicopters, just kicking them out of the way, just taking his time, Lee. He already knew he was there. He looked up there in that tree and he said, hey, come down, make haste. I say this today, church, make haste. Make haste. Can I say this today? I'm going to say this. Me and Lee, as far as vocally speaking on the phone, we don't do that that much. We text more than anything. He'll see me preaching. I'll listen to it. I'll send him one other day. I'm gonna tell you something today. I've not had too many friends as faithful. I've had some that's changed the way they believed. When their kids got old enough to do it, they changed what they preached. Lee, I ain't going to. My girls are sitting back there today. They know the word no more than any word in their vocabulary. They've heard it from me. I listened today, and I've heard the word no from God a lot more than I've heard yes. I'm going to tell you why. It's because He loves me. It's because He's looking out for me. I'm going to tell you something today. You may add some of these characteristics, no doubt you do today, because I do at times, don't you? But you know what? We've got a place to restore. We got a place to come to renew and to refresh. You have a preacher that preaches the word, the gospel. Folks, I'm going to tell you something today. A lot of them went to memos and the internet to get their messages. Not inspired, not inspired, not inspired. I'd rather get up here and stumble around for the Lord as to depend on my old self. I want to tell you what I did for myself. I got myself in a mess. That's what I've done. But every time I follow the Lord, He's always made a way. Hey, if you'd like to pray, you ought to come. A time of restoring. A time, listen, of healing. You know, Matt, listen. Yeah, you struggle at times. My friend, God's made a way. God's made a way. He's already prepared for you a blessing today if you'll mind him. Do what he asks. Worst thing we can do is get so religious we don't have to pray no more. Preacher, I'll wait till the right time. There ain't one really. You need to pray without ceasing. You hear me? I've done the best I could today. I've had a wonderful time in the house of the Lord. If you need to pray, You ought to come. I preached to my family as well as you this morning. I preached to myself for several weeks this message, several days. If you'd come, God would help you. If you'd come, God would help you today. We're weak. We cumber up a lot, but God still loves us. Who's willing to press through a mess to help us today? If you'll do it. There's one more characteristic I'll share with you before I sit down. As weak as that tree is, and it gets, As messy as it looks, it still has a desire to live. No matter how weak we are, we know it, we gotta have a desire to live. Money, money wasn't Jackie's problem. Having friends really wasn't his problem. Being lonely wasn't his problem, but he was lonely. He was hollow. A man without no identity inside knew he was missing something. Did he not? If we get to that point, we are to pray. Ask God to help us. We feel ourselves slipping. One of the most dangerous things you can do is carry what you brought today back with you. Amen. The Romans had a really a ruthless way of killing people. They was known for creative ways, torture, killing. A man that would been put to death or a lady that's gonna be put to death, they had a way to make them suffer. They take the dead corpse of a person, strap it to that criminal's back, and make them wear it. You look it up, read about it. You won't read it in here, but you'll study the history of things, and I'm gonna show you something. They tie it to that man or that woman or that criminal convicted to die. And that old body, which they was carrying around, would begin to break down. And that body would excrete juices that would get in their flesh. And then it would contaminate their blood. And they'd die a slow, painful death. I want you to know something today. When we carry something too long, all we're doing is carrying our death sentence. You know what? Hey, God's made a way. He said, come unto me. He said, lay aside every weight and the sin. Every weight. That's so easy beset us. That thing you're carrying, well preacher, I can deal with it. See, you've already got the wrong idea. You can't deal with it. That's why he put it in the scripture for us to come to him. Let me ask you something. If you was on the street hungry, you know mom and dad had plenty to eat at home, and they didn't care a bit for you coming to eat supper with them. Wouldn't you go eat? Why, sure we would. Can I say something today, and I'm sitting down? You're carrying what you're carrying, and God said, I made a way for you. Why stay out in the street? Why stay on the outside looking in? and he's already made a way. God bless you. I've enjoyed myself. Amen. God bless you, Lord. Amen, love you. That doesn't hook me. Praise the Lord. Amen. Appreciate the message this morning. Appreciate that the Lord is laying on the brother's heart.