There was another one of them dates. June, what was it, Preacher? June the 9th, 1969. My, my. I met you last night. I wish to goodness I had a date. I didn't say I didn't have a day. I just don't have a date. There's a difference, amen? I got a day. I just don't have a date. I don't even know the date that I announced my call to preach. The church I was in was my wife's home church where she grew up. I ended up pastoring there for a little over 10 years. And I went to the secretary. I thought if anybody knows, she'd know. She was there. And I went to her and I said, you mind looking back through the books? See, if you wrote down the night that I announced my call to preach, I didn't know if she had or not. She said, I'll sure look. About two weeks later, she came back. She said, Preacher, I'm sorry. I can't find it anywhere. I said, that's all right. I kindly figured that. Shortly thereafter, I was talking to the Lord about it, and I said, Lord, I don't know the date that I got saved. I said, I don't even know the date that I announced my call to preach. I said, Lord, nobody wrote it down. And he said, I did. It's recorded, amen. And I don't have a date, but I got a day. And if you don't have a day, it's one thing not to have a date. If you don't have a day, there's not a time that you can go back to. Maybe today could be your date. Amen. Some young person gets saved or something, I tell them or I tell mama, I tell somebody, write it down. Put it down. There's gonna come a time when you're gonna need to go back to that day. Might be several times you're gonna need to go back to that day. You're probably gonna have to take the devil back there a time or two. Get him off your back, maybe. If you don't have a day, maybe today's the day. That'd be good, wouldn't it? He's still in the saving business. Well, I'm glad he is. Have your Bibles tonight. Go ahead and turn with us, you would, book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter number 11 tonight. Hebrews chapter number 11. Let me just mention while you're turning, preacher, thank you so much for the privilege. Let me come be a part of this meeting. It sure is a blessing to be here. It's always a blessing to get to come to Ridgeview and so thankful what the Lord's doing here. I wanna encourage you people, please listen to me. If you ain't careful, you're gonna take for granted what you've got at your church. I promise you, it's not like this everywhere. Matter of fact, it's not like this in many places at all. So don't take for granted what the Lord's doing here, amen. And the preacher's talking before service. I'm thankful for you young people. What a blessing they are. Not just to be a part of the church, but they're highly involved in everything that goes on here. That's very impressive. And I wanna say to the young people, don't quit. Don't stop. Get even more involved if you can. Look for ways to be involved. It ain't just the teenagers. I've watched the little ones. Even the younger ones come around, make it a point to shake the visitors' hands. What a blessing that is. Thank you. Thank you so much for what you're doing. And I know that these young people have been taught and they've been trained well. So I wanna commend the parents, the Sunday school teachers, the pastor. Thank you for investing in these kids, amen. And I'll tell you, don't stop. Don't slack up. We need them now more than ever, amen. Believe that. Hebrews chapter number 11. If you found your place and if you're able to, and want to, let's stand just for a moment as we read a few verses of scripture. Hebrews chapter number 11, go over to verse number 24. Hebrews chapter number 11, again in verse number 24. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Esteem in the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea, as by dry land, which the Egyptians assayed to do, were drowned. Let's pray. I just wanna thank you again for the privilege that you let us come and be here. Thank you for everything that's already been said and done. Lord, the singing's just been a blessing, tremendous. Lord, thank you for it. Lord, thank you for the church. Thank you for this dear pastor and his people. Thank you, Lord, for what you're doing here. Thank you, Lord, for their reach around this world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray now as we've come to this time of service, would you just once again speak to our hearts as we look into the word of God. You know the need, you know where each one of us stand. Lord, there's nothing, absolutely nothing hid from you. Lord, you know the condition of every heart that's here tonight. And if there's some here tonight that's not saved, Lord, maybe, just maybe today would be the day. This day could be their day. Lord, I pray that you'd deal with their heart, draw them to you. Pray they'd respond. Pray, Lord, they'd make you, Lord, their savior before it's everlasting too late. We wanna ask you, Lord, if you will, just one more time, God, would you please touch me and anoint me afresh, give me liberty, fill me the Holy Ghost now, Lord, and help me to preach. And whatever you do, we'll try our best once again to thank you and praise you, give you the glory for anything done, Lord, for it's in Jesus' precious name that we pray, and amen. Thank you, you can be seated. Hebrews chapter number 11, thank you, brother. Here, beginning in verse number 24, we read the great hall of fame of faith account of a man by the name of Moses. We mentioned Moses a little bit last night. We preached a little bit on the Passover, and thank the Lord that God found somebody that was leadership material, amen, and somebody that was usable, and God used him mightily. And I'm sure that you're very familiar and aware of the life, the upbringing of Moses and how that he was a Hebrew baby born there in the time of Moses. slavery, the time when God's people were serving as slaves down in the land of Egypt. You remember how that Pharaoh had made that decree. He first talked to the midwives and tried to have an agreement with the midwives that they would kill all the baby boys that were born. and that didn't work, and finally just made decree that any baby boy that was born was to be cast into the river, and y'all remember how that Moses' mother, her name's Jochebed, we find that when Moses was born, she saw that he was a goodly child. She hid him for three months, and then when she could no longer hide him, made that ark of bulrushes and daubed it with slime and pitch and put the child therein and laid him down in the river's brink. You remember how that Pharaoh's daughter and a few ladies with her came down next to the river and they saw that little basket there in the river and they fetched him out. And when she pulled him out of the river and I guess raised up that covering over that basket and saw the little Hebrew baby boy, God began to work in her heart and put a love there for that child and about that time Moses' sister comes running out and wanted to know if she'd have her to go find one of the Hebrew women to nurse him for. She said, yeah, go get one, tell them I'll pay their wages. She went and got the baby's mama. and Jochebed got to take Moses and nurse him. I don't know for sure, but I'm told in those days it wouldn't have been anything for a child to nurse up to five years, maybe even longer. So there was a good period of time that Jochebed, Amram, got to have their baby at home. but then shortly thereafter it came time for Moses to go over to the palace and be raised as an Egyptian, to be brought up with the thought in mind that he could be the next Pharaoh. to be trained, to be taught in the Egyptian schools, to learn the heritage, to learn the history, to practice the heritage of being an Egyptian, a proud, powerful, mighty Egyptian. And it came to pass, though, sometime in there, y'all remember the story how that he saw one of those Hebrew slaves being punished by one of those soldiers and something swelled up in Moses and he slew that Egyptian soldier. Y'all remember all that, don't you? And somewhere in there, I'm not real sure if I can pinpoint exactly where it happens, but there came a time when Moses decided he chose to be a Hebrew instead of Egyptian. He refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. Refused. My, what a decision Moses made. It was the decision of a lifetime. It was the choice of a lifetime. I'm not real clear what the statement means when it was come to years. I've done some studying and reading and different writers have some different ideals. I don't know if it just simply means that when it came time for Moses to make up his own mind for himself, That's possibly what it means. I don't know if there's a certain time in his life that he came to age-wise. I'm not real clear what that means, but there come a time in Moses' life when he had the choice to make. Nobody was gonna make it for him. Nobody could make it for him. It was gonna be his decision. It was gonna be his choice of who he was going to be. I wanna ask you, have you decided yet who you're gonna be? That's a good question for the young people, but there's some older people that needs to go ahead and make up their mind, too. Now, in this day and time, the differences were so far apart. I'm talking about from being an Egyptian to being a Hebrew. and to choose one side or the other meant that there's not gonna be no straddling the fence. The differences are too far great. There's no way that he can play both sides and get by because the differences were so widespread. In this day and time, I'm ashamed to say, but most people can straddle the fence and play both sides and get by with it because there's not much difference between the two. Amen, I mean, you can't hardly tell the difference between the church crowd and the worldly crowd. You can't tell the difference anymore. I mean, I don't know if we've got so much church in the world or whether we got so much world in the church. I believe that's probably right, what do y'all think? And you can literally ride the fence now and get by. You can have the best of both worlds. You can come in church on Sunday and play the part. might even get a little goose bump out of it, maybe a little blessing along the way and have your emotions stirred and maybe even have a religious experience and feel real good about yourself. While you then go back out into the world on Monday and you still laugh and tell the same old jokes that you used to tell and nothing's really different out there in the world, you can about straddle the fence now and get by. I mean, a decision had to be made. What are you gonna be? Who you gonna be? And when it came to pass, when Moses was come to years, he made up his mind. He chose. He chose. Somebody tonight probably needs to choose, decide whose side you're gonna be on. Who you gonna be? I'm gonna give you about four things tonight real quickly as we think about this decision that Moses made, the choice that Moses made. As I thought about this, the choice had something to do with his identification. He refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. but choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God. Moses said, am I gonna continue down this path and be an Egyptian? Or am I gonna deny the Egyptian way, the Egyptian heritage, my Egyptian position? Am I gonna deny that and be identified as a Hebrew? I don't know that we can grasp just how big a decision Moses made when he made that choice. It had something to do with his identification. Let me say tonight, some of us need to choose who we're gonna be identified as, or who we're gonna be identified with. It's important that we choose sides. Well, preacher, I'm getting by pretty good on the, I'm sometimes a Christian, sometimes maybe not so much a Christian, and it's getting me by pretty good. Well, it'll probably help you get by all right down here. There's gonna come a day when it's gonna be real clear who you was or what you was. It's gonna be real clear. You won't be able to straddle the fence then. You won't be able to play both sides. Matter of fact, it reminds me. Several years ago in China, the emperor of China had his own band, his own orchestra. He really enjoyed the music. and he took good care of the members of the orchestra. Matter of fact, he had a special place for them to stay in the palace. I mean, sometimes he'd even let them eat from the emperor's table, eat the same food the emperor got to eat. I mean, sleep in some of the nicest beds just like the emperor got to sleep in. Took real good care of his orchestra. And I mean it, listen, if you got a position in the orchestra, your life was set. You was gonna be well taken care of. And so everybody longed to have a position in the orchestra. I mean, some of them would work at it, try to learn an instrument, whatever they could do to get to be a part of the emperor's orchestra. There's one old boy, I don't know for sure how he did it, he ended up some kind of trickery, I guess. He ended up getting to be a part of the orchestra. He got issued the uniform, he got an instrument, everything. And then when the orchestra would come out and perform, He had a position and he would take that instrument. I don't know for sure. I guess it was a horn of some sort. He'd put it up to his lips and he played the part so good. And he was enjoying it, man. He got to eat good. He slept good. He had about anything he wanted. That's getting to be a part of that orchestra. Until the day came, unexpectedly, The emperor decided that he wanted to hear a performance from every individual by themselves. The word was announced that the emperor's gonna call them out one by one, and they're gonna have to stand before the emperor by themselves and play their instruments. He thought of everything he could do. He tried to play sick. He tried this, he tried that, until he was the last one. Everybody else had stood before the emperor except him. It came time for his solo. One of these days, you may be playing the part well, but it's gonna come time for your solo. God's gonna demand that one by one we stand before him and it'll be time for our supper. You may get by playing the part for now, but the line will soon be drawn. And you'll have to identify one way or the other. I thought about that identification. Can I say this this way? Y'all are my crowd. I hope that don't bother you. Preacher, we don't want you associating with us, I'm sorry, y'all are just kinda, y'all are my crowd. Y'all are my kind of people. And I like to identify with this kind of crowd, amen? So go ahead and tag me, if you will, as one of them. Oh, preacher, you're one, I am one of them. Amen? I got to thinking it's Acts chapter number 11. The Bible said they were first called Christians at Antioch. Y'all remember that? At Antioch was when they was first identified, when they was first tagged as being a Christian. By the way, when they tagged them as a Christian there in Antioch, that was not a compliment. That was a slang term to identify that Jesus crowd. It was a mockery, if you will, to be identified as a Christian. But let me go on record now and say it might have been intended to be a mockery, it might have been intended as something negative, but you go ahead and write me down I am proud to be a old-fashioned, go ahead and put that tag on there first, an old-fashioned Christian. I know that word's been drug through the mud and it don't mean much anymore, I understand that, but it's still a Bible term, a Bible identification of a follower of Christ. Amen. I am proud, oh help us Lord, Let's quit dragging it through the muck and the mire of this world. And let's get that term, let's get that identification back to a holy position once again, even in these last days that we're living in. And let's be proud to be identified as a Christian, amen. I looked it up and I, I do a lot of studies of different places, usually missions related, trying to find places that need missionaries and things of that nature. And I try to do a little study on every location. And I always look it up and I try to find out what the prominent religion is in those locations. And it's always usually broke down. You can go to Google and find some of this stuff. It's broke down in percentages. Now some places it might be something like 65% Muslim. Something like that. And I got to doing a little study on what those terms meant and all that. And I got to noticing that I never did see any percentage of Catholics. Never said 75% Catholic. I kept seeing Christian. 75% Christian. And you know what they've done? They've thrown a whole bunch of different stuff in the category of Christian. The Baptists are in there, in that Christian category, along with the Catholics. along with the Jehovah Witnesses, along with the Mormons. It's just a hodgepodge of different kind of religions, and they just call them Christian. If Christ has got something to do with it, I guess you fall under the category of Christian. I'm telling you, friend, that term should mean so much more than what the world has brought it down to. I am proud, I don't mean this arrogantly, but I'm proud to be identified as a Christian. You can throw some other tags on me, I don't mind. Fundamentalist, I'm okay with that, amen. You might even throw a tag on me that's dogmatic, and I'll go ahead and agree with you on some of them, amen. About everybody's tagged me as a hillbilly, and I'm okay with that one too, all right. But I'm telling you, I am honored, I am proud to be called a Christian, amen. I mean a follower, if you will, of the Lord Jesus Christ. Identified with Christ. I'm afraid that Christ would be embarrassed to be identified with some of us. But I'm honored to be identified with Christ. The decision that Moses made had something to do with his identification. Am I gonna be an Egyptian? Or am I gonna be a Hebrew? One or the other. He had to choose. By the way, anytime you see Egypt in the Bible, it's usually a type or picture of the world. His choice had something to do with his identification. His choice had something to do with his affiliation. Who's he gonna be affiliated with? That's different than identification. Identifications, who you're identified as. Affiliations, who you hang around with. Amen. I know we focusing on souls and salvation. I'm trying my best to get there. But I got to thinking, man, it's real important who we affiliate with. I'm not only just liking to be identified with y'all, I don't mind being affiliated with y'all. As long as y'all don't mind being affiliated. I try not to embarrass you, amen. I sure try not to bring no shame and reproach on you. Oh, did you hear who Brother Sexton had in? He had that Chris Peller. I hope that don't hurt y'all. But I like to be affiliated with that crowd. Amen. Who's he gonna be affiliated with? He gonna wear them loyal robes of the Egyptians? He gonna adorn that wonderful attire? Or is he gonna be affiliated with the lowly? Is he gonna be affiliated with them slaves, them Hebrew? No telling what all kind of names they had for them. Amen. Which one's he gonna be affiliated with? He said, I'll go ahead and be affiliated with those slaves. I'll go ahead and be affiliated with the lowly crowd down yonder in Goshen, amen. His choice had something to do with his identification, his affiliation. Let me say this, his choice had something to do with his gratification. You've learned this long before I did, I'm sure, preacher. But it's especially important when I was pastoring. Still important now. I learned a great lesson. I still have trouble with it, but I have learned the lesson. People's only gonna do what they want to do. You can beg, you can plead, you can shame people, you can do whatever you want to, to try to get them to do what you wanna do. But the bottom line, I have learned this, the bottom line, people's only gonna do what they want to do. You can't twist arms. You might get them a little ways down the road, but as soon as you let go of that arm, they're gonna go right back to what they want. Amen? People's only gonna do what they want to do. And you know why Moses made the choice that he made? It's because that's what he wanted. He didn't want to be an Egyptian. He wanted to be a Hebrew. Amen? He didn't care about the palaces. He cared about the people, amen. I'm telling you, friend, you're gonna do what you want to do. Oh, help us, Lord. I pray that somehow it be our desire to be a child of God, to be what God would have us to be, to do what God wants us to do. If that just be our people's desire, we wouldn't have to beg, we wouldn't have to plead, we would be there, we would do, we would help, we would worship, we would do all those things if we really wanted to. If we really wanted to. His choice had something to do with his identification, his affiliation, his gratification. His choice had everything to do with his destination. Man, when he made that choice. Y'all notice where we read the text from? Hebrews 11. Y'all know what that is, don't that, what we call it, what the chapter's been tagged? The hall of fame of faith. Faith's hall, He's in Hebrews chapter number 11. Hey, I got news for you. He'd never made it to Hebrews 11 if he chose something else. He wouldn't be there. He would never have the opportunity to lead God's people across dry ground when God parted the waters. He wouldn't have got to be there. Wouldn't have got to be a part of that had he chose the other way. Oh, get a hold of this. He wouldn't have got to stand on the Mount of Transfiguration with the Lord Jesus and Elijah. He wouldn't have been there had he had chosen anything else. And y'all probably have a pretty good idea where Moses is tonight, don't you? He ain't in a grave. No. He's somewhere wherever the Lord is. And I tell you, had he not made that choice that day, he'd never got to be where the Lord is. Amen. Preacher done told us June 6th, June 9th, 1969, he made a choice. He'd never be here tonight. in the position or the place he is had he not have made that choice that day. Amen. But ultimately, greater than that, he'd never get to be in heaven had he not have made that choice that day. Amen. 1979 was my year. Gosh, I wish I had that date. I think it was a Thursday night, an old-fashioned cottage prayer meeting. Mamaw's living room, down next to the old wood stove that sat out in the middle of the floor. Probably about 80 degrees in there at night. Amen. I remember well the preacher, Brother Ray Stewart. He's in heaven now. Brother Ray stood there beside that old wood stove with an old black leather King James Bible preaching Christ, him crucified, risen and coming again. Little nine-year-old boy lost without God was faced with a decision that night. Hey, I remember my little heart beating out of my chest. I remember a lump got right there in my throat. I didn't think I was ever gonna be able to swallow or breathe, but thanks be unto God, I chose, I made a choice that night, and I knelt down beside that old wood stove, and I said, Lord, I'm like you, preacher, I don't remember exactly how I prayed, it's just something like, Lord, save me. I don't know what all happened that night, I still hadn't got a hold of everything. Amen, but I made a choice to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ, and because of the choice I made on that Thursday night in 1979, I ain't there yet, friend, but here in a little while, I'm going where Jesus is. Hey, thank God I made the right choice, amen. You ever made that choice? It's your choice to make. Pastor can't make it for you. Mama and daddy can't make it for you. There's some mamas and daddies. There's some mamas and papas praying for some of y'all. Hoping that you're gonna make the right choice. Amen. Boy, ain't you glad there's a praying mama somewhere. A praying mama somewhere. Hey, some of you probably would have never made that choice if it hadn't been for a praying mama or a praying mama. Amen! They're praying for you, hoping you'll make the right choice, but they can't make it for you. Chores. You're gonna have to decide. Who you gonna be identified with? Who do you wanna affiliate with? What do you want to do? It's all gonna decide where you end up. when this thing's over with. It's heaven or hell. And I know people says and tries to blame God and they say, I can't believe God's gonna send anybody to hell. He don't. He's not sent one yet to hell. It's your choice. If you end up in hell, it'd be because that was your choice. You rejected the Lamb of God. You chose to go the opposite way. It was your choice. You can't blame it on how you was raised. This generation today tries to blame everything on how they was raised. Their minds are warped because how they's raised. Their males want to be females and they're trying to say it's because how they's raised. I'll tell you it's your choice, friend. It's your choice. You choose. It's gonna be up to you. You wanna go to heaven? It's your choice. He's never made nobody go to heaven. He's never made anybody accept Christ. There sure have been many made that wish they had of. But he's never made one do it. His choice. Let's think about this. I gotta hurry. Let's think about this. Not only his choice, let's think about his challenge. My goodness. I can't comprehend this. He's in line to be the next Pharaoh. Preacher, you help me. I think in that day, Egypt was probably the most powerful country in the world. I believe that's right. Most powerful. And he was in line to be ruler of the most powerful country in the world. Everything that would come with that position is gonna be his. I can't imagine the riches, the treasures in Egypt. Let's be honest. Money has a whole lot to do with a lot of our choices. It does. And I'm not gonna deny it. We have to have it. To get by in this world. The Lord even said, render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's. Came time to pay taxes. He said, go fishing. They went and fished and caught that fish. It had the coin in its mouth. He knew, he knows we're gonna have money. We got to. Money has a big bearing on a lot of choices that we make. How much the job gonna pay? What are you going to take in college? How bright's the future in that area that you're interested in? Can you make a good living? Can you make a decent living? Can you be rich? I mean, it really has a whole lot to do with the decisions that we make. We've got some that's trying to be the best ballplayers that they can possibly be, hoping that they're gonna hit it big one day, and they'll be drafted, and they'll get the scholarships, and they'll get the contracts, and they'll be the stars on the field or on the court, and they're gonna make millions, and hey, it ain't just the kids dreaming that. There's a lot of parents dreaming that for their kids. We've got parents more interested in their kids being sports stars than they are them being saved. Can't afford to send them to a Bible camp during the summer, but they sure can't afford to get them to a football camp. Preacher, this ain't my notes. I don't know why we running rabbits like this, but I'm just saying money has a whole lot to do with the decisions we make. And that's something about our flesh, mine and yours. We all would like to have a little bit more. We would. Like to have some more. It's major how it weighs on our decisions. I've seen good families walk away from the will of God, a great church, all because the paycheck's gonna be a little bit bigger. You say, preacher, I can't afford not to go. Oh my, you better examine it real good. You may can't afford to go. The price may end up costing you more by going than it would if you stayed. Take youngins out of a good solid church, a Bible preaching church, people that's gonna love them and pray for them, take them off somewhere where they ain't got a chance in the world hardly. You better be careful. Money weighs heavy on the choices that we make. And Moses was faced with having everything he could ever dream of. It's gonna be his. Y'all can't tell me that wasn't... Moses, I hope it's tough on you. Elijah was a man subject, like passions as we are. If Elijah was, I believe Moses was. There've only been one God-man, that's the Lord Jesus. Everybody else had flesh. Surely those things crossed Moses' mind. My, what an opportunity he had. You know what bothers me? It's a wonder, if it'd been this day and time, Moses would have probably said something like this. Well, I'm going to take the position. Maybe I can do more for God in that position than I can make a good excuse for you. I'm going to go ahead and take the position. If I've got more money, maybe I can give more to missions. Go ahead and try to make every excuse you can, but I'm telling you what you're gonna do, you're gonna walk away from the will of God if you ain't real careful. I don't know why I'm preaching like this. Maybe there's a big decision somebody's gonna have to make. Money has a whole lot to do with it. He could have everything. Power. He was about to be the most powerful man in the world. Man, wonder that didn't make him sigh. Well, I can do more for God in that position. No. Believe I'll junk all that and just be a slave. My goodness. The position, the power, the pleasure. Y'all know your flesh likes pleasure. Y'all know that, don't you? Mine does too. Wished it didn't, but it does. And I don't think that's something you outgrow. I've heard older preachers testify that they still have some of them same desires that they used to have when they was a teenager. Pleasure. He could have any pleasure he wanted as being Pharaoh of Egypt. I'm going to go ahead and say it. Young people, don't let this offend you. I hope this don't hurt nobody. He could have any woman he wanted. He's Pharaoh. He's going to be Pharaoh. He can pick and choose, not just one or two. He could have hundreds of women surrounding him at his beckoning call. He's flesh and blood. You can't tell me that didn't have to cross his mind. Position, power, pleasure, popularity. He's going to be it. He junked it all. Don't miss this. Verse 26. I don't know if you write in your Bible, but if you do, you ought to underline this. esteeming the reproach of Christ. Greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. Oh my soul. Now there's a lot in this I can't explain. I've not got there yet, okay. Probably a little bit too deep for me. Christ hadn't been born yet. Y'all do know that, don't you? But esteem and reproach of Christ, greater riches. There's another key right here. He endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Moses got on a different level, friend, somewhere in there. And when he esteemed the reproach of Christ, greater riches, he said, I don't need the position. I don't need the power. I don't need the pleasure. I don't want it. I want Jesus. Best decision you'll ever make is to want Jesus more than anything else that this world has to offer. Amen. Hmm, the challenge, the choice, the consequences. We looked at the positive side. Let's look at the negative side. Listen to what it said, by faith, Moses, when he was coming to Jerusalem, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God. What's this choice going to cost me? Not just the treasures of Egypt. Not just the position of the most powerful man in the world. I'm going to have to suffer affliction. You know how he was able to do that? Because he knew that pleasure was just for a season. Hey, if the pleasure is just for a season, the suffering is just for a season. You please get a hold of that. That will help you right there. If the pleasures of this world, if the pleasures of sin is just first season, that means the suffering is just first season. Amen? What's on our chonderhead is way worth more than all this world's got to offer. What's on our shoulder ahead is way worth more than all that Egypt had, way worth the position, way worth more than the power, way worth more than the pleasure. I'm trying to tell you, get a hold of the choice that Moses made, and you make the same choice. I'm telling you, friend, it may look like a Christian is on the losing side right now, but stick around. Watch us in a little while. Amen. We're the ones that's gonna be on top. How, preacher? Because of the Lord Jesus Christ is gonna take us there, amen. Amen. I'd rather be an old-time Christian than anything I know, amen. May not look too good to you right now, but stick around. Stick around. Everybody will wish one day they was an old time Christian. It's gonna happen. All of them, they some people in high power, in big positions. They got a lot of money and a lot of things. One day they'd give anything if they could have traded all of that in and been a pauper in this world to have heaven and all that Jesus has to offer. They'll wish they could trade. They'll wish they could trade. Hey, God's so good to us, he'll let us have a lot of things and have heaven too, ain't that a blessing? I tell you, he spoiled this generation. He's let us have a lot of stuff plus heaven. Ain't God good to us? Preacher, we don't even really have to suffer as Christians. In this congregation, unless there's a missionary that's been outside or different places, or maybe you grew up in a different place, there's probably nobody in here tonight that has suffered for being a Christian. I haven't. No, friend. Best decision I ever made. Not just accept Christ, but to serve Christ. It's paid off for me. and the best is still yet to come. I got this, I get to travel, I get to meet people, I get the Holy Ghost, amen, and I'm gonna get heaven too. Ain't nobody that feels sorry for me, amen. God's been way too good to me. I wouldn't take nothing for it. I wouldn't take nothing for it. The consequences of his choice was evident. He's gonna have to suffer affliction with the people of God. The choices, the consequences was endured. That's why I say it. He endured. He had to put up with some things. How was he able to endure? Seeing him who's invisible. I wish that if I get, I don't wanna run this trail, I won't get off of it, but let me mention it. Moses stood before God, or God stood before Moses. He said, can I see your glory? Y'all remember that? Can I see your glory? God said, there's a place by me. God put him in that cleft of the rock. Oh, there's some preaching right there. That rock's typing a picture of Christ. You know what a cleft means? A wound. a hewn out place, a hole, if you will. God put him in that wound of the rock and said, I'll pass by and you'll get to see my glory. You wanna see God's glory? Look at Jesus. That's his glory. Oh, I can't preach that. He endured. as seeing him who's invisible. You get your eyes fixed on him and you can endure the suffering with the afflictions of God's people. Amen. You can, you can. I gotta hurry. The consequences, it's evidence, it endured. The consequences of what he made, the choice he made was eternal. Amen. There's somebody tonight probably gonna make a choice. That's not just gonna have an effect over the next few days, the next few weeks, or maybe not even the next few months or years. There could be somebody tonight that makes a choice that's gonna affect eternity. You're gonna make an eternal choice tonight. Man, that puts a lot of weight on it, don't it? That's a pretty big choice. I'm gonna throw this out and quit. Then I thought about his consideration. Why, what do you think that would lead Moses to make such a choice? I mean, the world would look at Moses and say that he is an idiot. I hope that's not a bad word. I would say a couple other words, they might be bad too. But Moses made, he threw it all away. I don't have time to get into another story. William Borden, study the life of William Borden. People said he was an idiot. He's throwing it all away to be a missionary. William Borden made three entries into his Bible before he died. He said, no retreat. Oh, help me. Y'all remember the three? Last one was no regrets. I can't remember what that second one was right off the top of my head. No regrets. Gave up the boredom riches to be a missionary. World said he's crazy. I think he made a pretty good decision. What about you? I don't know where you stand tonight, but if you're not saved, We may not look like much to you. Matter of fact, if you start looking at us real good, I've bragged on the church, and I'll do it again. Preach you got one of the best churches in the country. To God be the glory. I believe that. But if you're lost and you're here, maybe you're just a visitor, I don't know. But if you look hard enough, you're gonna find some faults in here. You look at the people, some of the finest people around, but if you look at them hard enough, you're gonna see some faults, they're gonna make some mistakes, and we really may not look like much to you. I'm telling you this, it'd be the best thing you ever did if you junked the world and all it has to offer tonight. I'd just soon be identified with that crowd. Amen. I just soon affiliate myself with that crowd. It'll have an effect on your eternal destination if you'll come to Christ. Don't look at us, look at him. Look at him. We'll let you down, but he won't never let you down. What do you reckon had Barron's on old Moses to make such a choice? I could say several things, but there's one I just can't get off my mind. I'll mention it and I'll quit. What little time Jochebed had him. It could have been five years or so that she nursed him. And then who's to say, there's a good chance Moses got to go back by and see her some, don't you guess? I don't see why not. I mean, she's the one that's nursed him and pretty much raised him from an infant. Not to mention, that's his real mama. I kinda believe that he'd get to go back by and see her some. But whatever time she had with him. Amram's not mentioned a whole lot. I believe it's because he's a slave. He's working in the muck and the mire from daylight to dark. But that time with Mama, I wanna help somebody right here. That time with Mama was so important. Mama was able to put something in him in what little time she had him that all the schools of Egypt couldn't get out of him. Oh. This generation is so addicted to cell phones and televisions. Ain't no quality time with children no more. They're either in front of a DVD player or a video game or that cell phone screen. I want to give you a little advice. put them phones down a little bit and get some quality time with your kids, turn the TVs off, get a Bible out, open it up, listen. You say, preacher, that's why we send them to Sunday school. I don't know if Sunday school's gonna be enough. Amen. And I'm not really preaching against it, but if they're going to public school, you know they ain't getting nothing there. Amen. Moses didn't get nothing in the schools of Egypt that helped him make up his mind that day. Got nothing to help him make up his mind that day. They ain't gonna get it at the public school how important it is for mamas to sit down with their babies and tell them about Jesus. Tell them who He is. Tell them how sweet He is. Tell them how good it is to be saved. Amen. I'm telling you, it cannot be replaced. Cannot be. Gonna have a whole lot to do with what kind of decision your boy and your girl makes somewhere down the road. I can't help but believe Jochebed. Probably some other factors. I just can't help but believe Jochebed sure had a whole lot to do with that decision. Refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. She ain't my mama. I'm not an Egyptian. I don't want the throne. I don't need the riches. Pleasures of sins just for a season. Give me Jesus. Something ran up my back. Give me Jesus. Amen. You can have the world. Give me Jesus, thank God. I don't want to trade him for nothing. Give me Jesus tonight. Give me Jesus. Best decision I ever made. Somebody needs to make a choice tonight. I don't know who you are, but you need to decide. Nobody can make you. I hope we've whet your appetite. I hope somebody in your life is close enough to Jesus to make you want what they got. I hope you got somebody like that. Help us to be the salt of the earth. Right, church? We ought to whet the appetite of our youngins. They ought to grow up saying, I want what my mama's got. I want what my daddy's got. I want what my mama's got. But I'm afraid a lot of times in this day and time, I don't want what daddy's got. Oh, help us Lord, I'm trying my best to quit. Somebody needs to make up their mind tonight. Who you gonna be? What do you want? Who you gonna identify as? Who do you want to affiliate with? Where do you want to go when you die? Decision. Choice is yours. Heads are bowed, and eyes are closed. They're going to come get us all. By faith, when Moses was come to years, refused, Pretty strong word. Refused to be called the son of the Pharaoh's daughter. Oh, esteeming the reproach of Christ, greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt. The choice is yours. What do you want? God's done everything he can do. to save you. I know He's got to draw you. But He's done and gave Jesus. Jesus already went to Calvary. Jesus gave everything so He could save you. Gave His life, gave His blood to save you. The choice is now yours. You want Him? He sure did want you. You wanna be a Christian? You wanna be saved? Be careful about using that term Christian. You wanna be saved? Do you wanna go to heaven when you die? The choice is yours. Nobody can make it for you. I'm gonna do it again tonight. I wonder if they'd be one. Won't there be one just slip up a hand? Again, ain't nobody looking but me. Won't there be one just slip up your hand and say, Preacher, I'm not saved. I've not made that choice yet. Preacher, would you please pray for me? I know I need to be saved. I want to thank you. I want you to slip up your hand. Let me see that. I just want to pray for you. I see that hand. Thank you so much. I see that hand. Thank you so much. Appreciate your honesty. I want to thank you for being another preacher I'm not saved. I guess if you look back, it looks like I've chosen the world. There's still a chance to change your mind. By the way, you know, That's really what repentance is. Change your mind. Change your direction. You don't have to choose the world no more. You can choose Christ now. I want to thank me one more. Slip up your hands and say, preacher, please pray for me. If I die right now with the choices I've made this far, I won't get to go to heaven. Anybody, right quick, just slip up. I just want to pray for you. Anybody else? Anybody else? Anybody else, right quick? I've got to ask this. Will y'all bear with me just a moment? I really need to ask this. Hey, some of you chose Jesus. You remember when you did. Yeah, you made the right decision. But since then, You've kindly drug that name down through some mud holes of this world. The way you've been living recently, you're still dragging the name of Christ down. And you know you ought not do that. Or if God spoke to your heart tonight and says, it's time to start trying to live up to the name, I'll go ahead and tell you, you can't live up to the name. You have to let Christ live up to His name through you. It's the only way it'll work. I wonder if the Lord is speaking to somebody that's saved. It's time to start trying to live up to the name. I wonder if you'd just slip up and say, Preacher, that's me. I've not been living like I should, and I just need your prayers. Would you let me pray for you? Anybody, right quick, just be honest. Just be real and honest, just for a moment. Preacher, thank you so much, I know. Wouldn't there be one more? Preacher, please pray for me. I've just not been living the way that Christ would be pleased with. God spoke to my heart tonight. Preacher, would you help me pray? Anybody else right quick? There was one honest. I want there to be one more. Preacher, please pray for me. I'm glad I'm saved. I really am. Preacher, my life is just not what it needs to be tonight. Someone else right quick. Right quick. Oh, Father in heaven, you know the hearts tonight. You know what's needed. You know where we all stand with you, God. Nothing's hid. Working hearts tonight. You've helped us all week, and you've helped us again tonight. Lord, I pray, God, you do something that hearts your people now. Lord, for those that's not saved, draw them to you, Lord. When the time comes, might be tonight, I don't know. When the time comes, as it did with Moses, I pray they'll make the right choice. They'll choose Jesus. Choose Jesus. You've done chosen them. I pray they'll choose you. Have your way now, Lord. Please do what only God could do. We'll thank and praise you for what's done in Jesus' name. Let's stand. You mind the Lord tonight.