And God said, live every day like it's your last, and one day it will be. Every time you wake up alive, it's a great day. Thinking about Brother Willie and Sister Helen, and it grieves us, it hurts our heart, because we love them and care for them. We're gonna miss them. And just like anybody else in here, if my wife would have died, we'd have missed her. You wouldn't have missed her as much as me, but you'd have missed her. And he says, I say that you should sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. And that is one great thing. I don't know if you've ever been in a position in your life where you'd lost hope. But boy, that is an empty, sinking feeling. So one guy said, there's a banner over hell that says, all who enter here abandon hope. Permanent, forever. You know, you can have two twin brothers. One of them gets saved and one of them not. And those two guys can live almost parallel lives. It doesn't seem to matter much whether the guy is saved or lost. You ever notice that? I mean, it's not like the guy that's lost, you know, every bad thing in the world happens to him. The guy that's saved, every good thing in the world happens to him. You can't hardly tell them apart. It's almost like God says about the wheat and the tares. Just let them grow together. When it comes harvest time, something's going to happen, and they're going to be different. And one time, years ago, we lost a good friend like that. I was sitting there at that funeral, got thinking about it, and realized how different we view death from what God does. He's as precious in the sight of the Lord of the death of his saints. How come? Because he bought them with his own blood. He paid a price for them. He loved them. And they get to come home and he gets to present them to his father, a glorious church. He says, hey dad, that's for you. And he gets every one of them like that. He said, precious in the sight of the Lord are the death of his saints. Precious has an emotional value like a precious child and precious has a value monetarily like precious stones. And both of those things are in there because he loves us and he bought us with a price. So we look at it from, this is gonna be sorrowful and hurtful to us. Not to him. Feel sorry, but just feel sorry for yourself. I guarantee you there's not one person that died and went up there with their father that if you gave him a chance would come back. Let alone when you're suffering and going through a rough time. Look, Paul went up there to the third heaven. You think he wanted to come back? He said, man, this is great, this is great. Yeah, well, don't get used to it. Oh man, come on, God. He said, it's needful, it's needful to go back down there. Back down there with those guys? Well, they hate me. Hey, just a couple days leave, that's all you get here. Anyway, pray for him and Sister Helen both. I can tell you this right now, I know for a fact Sister Helen's ready to go and she wants to go. I know it. And the only reason that she hesitates is because she doesn't want to hurt her family. Now you think about that. She's not thinking about her pain or her suffering as much as she is theirs that late in life. Those are two of the sweetest people in this church. They really are. They're like nobody else here. Like I said before, I don't know what that says for the rest of us. Anyway, let's get into this. Now, Psalm 145, Psalm 145. Some good stuff in there. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another and shall declare thy mighty acts. Now, let me ask you this. Are you getting kind of tired of this stuff? This is getting a little boring to you, kind of like, well, when are we gonna move on? When we're gonna start getting into something fresh and new and different, if that's how you feel about it, you gotta think, first of all, nobody in heaven is bored with this stuff. And it hadn't been three years, it's been eternity. They're still excited about it, why? Because you have an exciting God. There's nothing boring about God. I mean, it's absolutely new. Constant, it's just new and fresh and different all the time. And they're excited up there. Some of them guys going around just singing, holy, holy, holy. So what are we gonna do today? Well, we're gonna live forever. So what about tonight? It ain't gonna be no night. It's just gonna be day, constantly. How come? Well, we don't wanna waste any of it. We wanna enjoy it all. Anyway, their attention's on their Creator. There's no question about it. Now you might be, if you get a little bored, you might be like a little kid going on vacation. You know, you get up there in the Smoky Mountains in the fall, you're on vacation, you're driving along looking at some of the most incredible sights that God ever created by changing those colors and stuff like He has, and paint those mountains up there like nobody can capture on canvas. The stuff is just mind-boggling. And the little kid's in the back seat saying, are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Man, here is all this incredible stuff, brand new, different in the kitchen. Are we there yet? It's like my son and my daughter had an airplane. When I'd go out there and take my kids with me, you know, and I'd put them in the back end of that airplane and strap them in, we'd take off. We'd get up a thousand feet. Okay, you can take your seatbelts off. They'd pop those seatbelts off, pull their Legos out and their toys and get down on the floor of that airplane. Just start playing with her toys. I said, man, you guys are missing it. Oh, we saw this before. You know what that is? Their attention is so much on themselves, if it doesn't interest them, they're bored to death. If this is boring, it's because your attention's on yourself. And that's the truth. You'd be just like that kid. Are we there yet? You got to move on in life. There's more things to life, you know, than just the ride. You can enjoy it on the way. He gave us all things ritually to enjoy. And when your mind gets stuck on those few little things that interest you, boy, you got a narrow point of view. You're going to miss most of your life doing that. Anyway, let's go back over to Genesis 1, 23 and 24. We're gonna talk about the largest of God's beasts. Not the largest animal, but the largest one that walks on the ground. It says in verse 24, God said, let the earth bring forth a living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after his kind, and it was so. God made the beasts of the earth after his kind and cattle after their kind and everything that creepeth upon the earth after his kind and God saw that it was good. And last week, we took a look at that lowly worm. That's some of those biblical passages that are kind of like a mystery. How does that work? The only thing I can tell you is that it seems to me like your soul takes on the shape of your body. If you're as big as PJ, you know, or as small as Mrs. Miller, your soul takes on that shape. And without that human form to hold that shape, And especially if it's subjected to great heat, that thing will actually change and lose its shape and just convert back into that worm shape. That's what they call the final state of the wicked doctrinally. You say, was all of this stuff true? I don't know, but it suggests that. You say, well, why would you talk about something you don't know anything about? Don't you understand? If he explained everything in detail, like John said, the world couldn't contain the books if he was to try to explain it in writing. And if God chooses this one little old book and puts that much stuff in there about it, if it's important to him, it ought to be important to us. And the way that stuff actually works, come April 15th, some of you are going to be slaving over your taxes. You're going to be sitting there at a table crunching out those numbers. I remember my mother doing that stuff back when I was a little kid. And it was horrible times. They'd wait till the last minute. They were some of the best procrastinators I ever met in my life. They'd suffer over that thing. I didn't care what they were doing. You know why? Because I'm a child. Because I'm interested in self. I don't care what they're interested in. I'm just all about me. We've got to lose this mentality as a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things. You're supposed to grow in grace. You're supposed to become a mature Christian. And a mature Christian loses that focus on self. They start to gain an appreciation for everything else around them, an appreciation for others. That's what's supposed to happen. And when you do that, one of the first things you should appreciate is the one that created you. And so if he talks about a worm and he references that stuff, it should be important. You may not have all the answers. I mean, I'll give you a curious verse. I asked my wife this morning, I said, man, I wonder what this verse means. I've been struggling with this thing for a while. She said, why would you struggle about it? Because if it's important to God, it ought to be important to me. He says that that Laodicean church, I counsel thee to buy of me. How do you buy something from God? What do you have that he'd be interested in swapping for? That's one of them verses, isn't it? You know who he wrote it to, don't you? Wrote it to us. He wrote it to us. He said, man, what does that mean, Lord? He said, you're not ready yet. If I showed you, you'd probably go, whoa, that's too much. He said, I have many things to say unto thee, but right now you can't handle it. That's a contemporary translation there. Anyway, moving along here. What are we looking at? We're talking about the largest beast, an elephant. These things live 60 to 70 years. They grow up to around 11,000 pounds. The biggest one was 26,000 pounds. And that rascal was killed in Angola in 1956. 14 feet high at the shoulders. You say, how high is 14 feet high? Well, back there from that horse, that scene was just about 14 feet high. Now, you can't even imagine an animal that big at his shoulders. You say, wow, that is big. Yeah, it is. That door is probably a 6'8 door. You double that, it goes right up to the ceiling. That's about 14 feet. Can you imagine an elephant that big walking around? But anyway, there's three different elephants. There's two of them in Africa. One's a bush, and one's a forest elephant. And the other one's in India, or an Asian elephant. And those ears have something special about them. That elephant doesn't have any sweat glands. So how does that thing keep cool without sweat glands? You got big heat exchangers. For those in industry, you know what a heat exchanger is. It's basically your radiator on your car. And it gets rid of the heat. And your water circulates through that, and the air blows on it, and it cools it off. Some of those ears, you got vessels in them an inch in diameter. You know how much water you can get through an inch pipe? They got these big old ears and they start fanning them. You say, oh, they're fanning themselves. No, they're not. They're moving the air around their ears. That's what they're interested in, cooling off that heat exchanger. They cool themselves down with it. They got a trunk weighs 300 pounds. That's things like a snorkel. You say a snorkel? Oh, yeah. They can go underwater and they're almost amphibious. They've swam up to 30 miles over a six-hour period underwater with nothing but their trunks sticking out of the water, going down a river, I guess. You imagine that? He said, I never heard none of this stuff. That's because they're interested in teaching you anything to disprove God. They want to try to prove to you that those critters evolved from something else. When in fact, everything God made was unique, and there's nothing like it on the face of this earth, and there's nothing to cross over. I don't care what they tell you. We'll talk about that next week, some of the stuff where they've changed the truth of God into a lie. But anyway, these rascals could swim underwater. They got six muscle groups in this trunk, but they've got over 100,000 muscle units. Now this thing's nothing but just a big old muscle, you know, hole in the middle. Imagine something like that where you can just move it any direction you want to move it. You talk about a multitasking tool. They can pick up to 500 pounds. And then it's so sensitive and so much in control, they can take a peanut out of a little kid's hand. Carry that thing around, you know, be gentle with it. They drink with it, hold several gallons of water. They've got excellent smell. I guess if I had a nose that long, I would too, maybe. But they got excellent smell. I mean, I can't imagine sucking up water in my nose. I get a little water up my nose, it starts burning like crazy. You say, well, that's in your sinuses. You see, God made us different. We don't have to swim around underwater. Anyway, their feet are really unusual. They walk around on their tiptoes. Actually, the bones in their feet are pointing straight down, just like they're walking around on their tiptoes. You say, man, doesn't that hurt? Well, God created a special fibrous pad around each one of those things so that it cushions those toes going down like that. Some real unusual things about that elephant and the way they walk. They're supporting a lot of weight. Well, it comes down to weight per square inch. You take these big old tractors, bulldozers, front-end loaders, and excavators, you know how they rate those things? They rate them based on how much weight per square inch that thing's pushing on the ground. You can take an 80,000 pound piece of equipment, it won't put as much weight on that ground as one of your cars do. 80,000 pounds, how come? Because it's got so much track surface, it's actually lighter than your footprint walking on that same ground. It'll go across stuff you'd sink into just walking on it. God had to figure all that stuff out. How long did it take him? Well, less time than that. Like I said, we always underestimate him and overestimate ourselves. We just do. I said, man, God, I don't understand. How long did it take you to figure this stuff out? He said, it's not a matter of figuring it out for me. It's just a matter of doing it. Don't you get it? It's all there all at once, the whole thing, anytime you want it. There it is. So it creates these feet, and they're really unusual. Because first of all, when you walk, you walk heel to toe. You ever watch how it works in the sand? You ever try running in the sand? You know why it's so hard? It's because when your foot hits that sand, you start sinking in. And then you go like this, and you dig it out, you know, and flip some more sand out of the way, you know, as you're walking through. You know what an elephant does? God designed that critter with a special joint down by his foot so that it's like a knee joint right above his foot, and about that far up, it bends backwards. And when that rascal takes a step, he doesn't step like this, he walks out like this, and that foot comes straight down flat, and that knee bends back like that. So when he's sitting his foot down, he's sitting down with maximum amount of square inches for the amount of ground that he's covering. You ever get stuck in the mud? You ever walk in the mud and lose your shoes? You ever lose a shoe? I'll tell you, one of the hardest things to get out of the mud is one of them stupid flip-flops. You get that thing stuck down in there, you gotta go after it with your hand. You know how come their feet don't get stuck in the mud? Because they walk around in the mud a lot, and those rascals sink. The reason why is because when that foot puts a little pressure on it, it spreads out. You watch one of them walk, and that old foot will be kind of straight down. When they put weight on it, it flares out. When it does that, it makes a bigger hole, which leaves an air gap around the thing. And then when they go to lift the foot up, it shrinks back down, so it's actually smaller coming out than when it went in. Not only that, the foot's rounded on the bottom, so the air just flows right around it, comes right on out. You say, what's all this stuff about? This is about a great creator that figured all this stuff out well in advance, designed it, and when he got all done with it, he said, now, that's good, I like it. Where is that? That's the one we're gonna go see. These things also have a tremendous amount of memory. They live in groups, you know, little social groups. They help take care of each other's young, and they kind of watch out for each other, and all this other stuff. But they have this tremendous memory. You say, where'd they figure it out that elephants have a great memory? Well, you have one of those critters die, and the whole group gets around them. And they get this sad look on their face, and they all get quiet, kind of like a funeral service. Everybody's depressed. Couple years later, those rascals walking around, and they come back by where one of those elephants died, and they'll go over there by those bones or by that spot, and they'll all get sober. They get that sad look on their face, and they just grieve a little bit more. It's about like us. How come? Because the same one that made them made us. That's how it comes. We have no idea what these animals feel. You realize that? What would your dog tell you if he could tell you? Some of them would say, what else can I do for you? Other ones would say, I want more steak. Some of them would say, let's go outside and play Frisbee. You realize that one spot in the Bible where he had Balaam's ass speak? You know what that animal said? That animal said what was in his heart and on his mind. You think about that. Those critters talking to Adam and Eve in the garden, no big surprise. Something happened from the time they fell, something happened to those animals. Some things changed, and it changed drastically. What happened? The Lord broke up that communication and said, okay, from now on, I'm gonna put the fear of dread and man in you animals out there, and you're gonna break this fellowship that you used to have. Things are gonna be a lot different. They're not gonna be different for the better. Will be later on, but not right now. Anyway, last week I was sitting there in my living room, and I looked out the window. My wife and I saw this cardinal sitting on a handrail, bright red, you know, that little old top knot on him, and I'm looking at that thing. And all of a sudden, I realized the one that made me made that one. And maybe, just maybe, I get up there and say, Lord, I'd like to see you make one. He goes, and there it is. Completely full grown and talking like a parakeet or something, you know, talking to you. You say, you think that can happen? Listen, I hath not seen neither ear heard, neither hath it entered into the hearts of man what God prepared for them that love him. I got a pretty good imagination that God says, you ain't even close. You think you're getting close? You're not even close. Why? Because you underestimate me. You have no idea what I've got planned for you guys. You have no idea. And how good it's going to be. But can you imagine, honestly, try to envision this. You get up there with God and he just starts making stuff. Just making it. You're just watching him make this stuff. making live critters and stuff, just making it. What are you doing that for, God? I'm just having fun. You know, God's never been interested in us impressing him. He's never been interested in us impressing him. What can you do to impress God? I mean, I'm broad-minded. And yet we have this tendency to feel in our heart because it's natural to a man that, oh, God will approve of this. He'll like this or he'll like that. And if I just do these things and I'll have his favor. How many times you ever get in a bind and you start thinking, well, God, it must be because I did something wrong. You do something wrong every minute of every day. You have never yet loved the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, not at one time in your life have you ever done that. And he that's guilty in one is guilty in all. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. All of our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. There is none that seeketh God. So when you get down to that level, you say, well, what am I here for? You're here for his pleasure. You're not here for yours, you're here for his. You know, you go into a restaurant and here comes a waitress, she comes along, you know, I'll be serving you, and I'm gonna smile and do everything I can to get the biggest tip I can get. You say, do they think that? They're selling themselves and the minute they walk up to that table. I mean, some of them make a lot more money on those tips than they make getting paid by the hour. They don't get very many customers at a night, but they try to get what they can get. But she's not there for you, she's there for her. I mean, how many of you go to work if you weren't getting paid? Well, you're not there for your boss. Well, God didn't create us to be employees. What did he create us for? He created us for his pleasure. I mean, how many times do you see a boss getting pure pleasure out of hiring people unless he's interested in some kind of control? And if God wants to control, he can control all he wants. But we're here for his pleasure, not for ours. When he makes something like this elephant, and when he makes these worms, and he makes that crazy little old gecko, and a bunch of these other critters that he makes, you know, that bird and all the rest of that other stuff we've been talking about, what's he trying to say? Is he just saying, hey, that's mine, you don't have to pay any attention to it? When I make the lilies of the field, when I make those sparrows, when I make these trees out here that are all mine, by the way, what's he trying to show you? Is he just giving you a comfortable place to live? Or is it just, you know, his backyard where he's just kind of enjoying going out in the backyard once in a while, walking around or taking a look at his creation and, oh, this is nice. He's trying to impress you. That's what he's trying to do. I mean, what do you think he did some of the stuff he did for Israel? Part in the Red Sea, you know, cloud in the daytime, pillar of fire at night. What about that Jordan River? What about taking down the walls of Jericho? What do you think he's trying to show those people? You think he's trying to show them that I can do this? Well, they already know he can do it. What can God do? Is there anything God can't do? Sure, there's one thing God can't do. He can't fail. You say, well, he sure messed up with Adam and Eve. That wasn't failure. He had that thing planned before the foundation of the earth. He was predestinated before that. Why? For the glory of God. He's got purpose in everything he does. There may be more things God can do, but when it comes right down to it, anything he does, he does on purpose. If he doesn't do it, it's because he doesn't want to do it. I don't know that he's limited by anything. I think he limits himself. He says, is God a man that he should lie? Let God be true and every man a liar? How come? Because he's got more self-control than we've got. And when he speaks, it becomes absolute law. You can trust him. You can count on him. Why? Because he doesn't change from one day to the next like we do. Don't you wake up sometimes and you're having a good day, and other times you wake up and you're having a bad day? Like that old phrase says, if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. That works for just about anybody in a family. You can have one kid waking up, you know, in a bad mood, and that's everybody's day up. So what's this about? It's about God. It's about His greatness. When was the last time you were impressed, not by the sunset or the sunrise or the trees or the flowers or those critters that He makes, when were you impressed last time because of who He is that made them, rather than just because of how pretty it was or how unusual it was? Well, then you missed the point. Because that is the point. The children of Israel missed the point totally and completely. They didn't realize why He had done what He did the way He did it. He desires for us to be impressed by Him. And if we're impressed by Him, then it's accomplished His purpose. Let's close in prayer this morning. Our Heavenly Father, again, we thank You so much for this great day that You've made. Thank you, Lord, for the confidence and the peace that we have and just the surety and the hope that we have that one day we are gonna meet you. And Lord, when we meet you, there's no question about it, we're going to be impressed. I pray that you'd have your Holy Spirit minister to us. Open our blinded eyes, Lord, our stubborn will, get our attention off of ourselves. I pray that you would draw our attention to you and the things that you've made and the abilities that you have and the pure genius that you have in creating all of these things. We can't even begin to touch the surface, Lord, in these few minutes on a Sunday morning, but I know that your Holy Spirit can use these things to draw our attention and our affections toward you. Help us to appreciate you more for not only the things that you do, but for who you truly are. We do ask that you'd be with Brother Willie, be with Sister Helen. We ask God for their benefit, that you would keep them from suffering any longer. The longer they live, the more it's gonna be. It's a matter of pain and suffering. We ask that you would take them home, even today. Minister to their families, open eyes and understanding how fragile man is and how temporary this life is. how important what we do about you is. Stir their hearts in these directions. Convict them of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come. Comfort those that are your children. In Jesus' name, amen.