And I just started. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I expect you to have a lot of fun playing. It's not quite as hard as it looks, but it's a lot of fun, isn't it? It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun. It's It's like, you can't breathe, so you gotta do that every time. Yeah, that's... Brother Sanders put it, so you gotta do that every time. Yeah, and that means, you can't breathe. And here, I enjoy it. It's like, you can't breathe, so you gotta do that every time. Yeah, you can't breathe. to see. Good evening. Stand with us please. We'll sing Glory to His Name. Down at the cross where my Savior died, Down where for cleansing from sin I cried, There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to His name! Glory to His name! Glory to His name! There to my heart was the blood of life. Glory to His name! I am so wondrously saved from sin. Jesus so sweetly abides within. There at the cross where He took me in. Glory to His name! Glory to His name! Glory to His name! There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to His name! Come to this fountain so rich and sweet. Cast thy poor soul at the Savior's feet. Plunge in today and be made complete. Glory to His name! Glory to His name! Glory to His name! There to my heart was the blood applied. Glory to His name! Welcome this evening to Liberty Baptist Church, and let's pray. Lord, we do thank you, Lord, for the wonderful privilege it is to be in church this evening. Lord, we just ask that tonight that you might be honored and glorified, that Lord, that the preaching, the singing, the fellowship, that it might be a blessing to each and every one of us. And Lord, we will thank you for it. In your precious name, we ask it. Amen. Amen. Be seated, please. When your world is crashing in And you don't know what to do You can call on God, He will see you through There is no way we can lose Knowing we can trust him in all we say and do. All is well. All is well. When storms come, we can say, all is well. God is still God. His strength will never fail. All is well. All is well. Hold on to the promise that is forever true. Cast your care on Him because He cares for you. Time and again He has proved His grace is sufficient, His mercy's ever new. When storms come, we can say, all is well. God is still God. His strength will never fail. All is well. All is well. All is well. All is well. When storms come, we can say, all is well. God is still God. His strength will never fail. All is well. All is well. God is still God. His strength will never fail. All is well. All is well. All is well. All right, stand again please as we sing Nearer Still Nearer. Nearer, still nearer, close to thy heart. Draw me, my Savior, so precious thou art. Fold me, oh, fold me close to thy breast. Shelter me safe in that haven of rest. Shelter me safe in that haven of rest. Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring, Not as an offering to Jesus my King. Only my sinful, now contrite heart Grant me the cleansing thy blood doth impart Grant me the cleansing thy blood doth impart Nearer, still nearer While life shall last, till safe in the glory my anchories cast, through endless ages ever to be. Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee. Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee. All right, you may be seated for just a moment. I'm looking around for any visitors. I don't think we have any visitors here this evening that are visiting with us for the first time, but just a few announcements. What a blessing it was to have Brother Nichols preaching this morning and, you know, healing up, getting better all the time. Continue to pray. for him, and I sure was glad to hear that message this morning. Continue to pray for those that are recovering. The Taylors, Ms. Garcia, as well as to let the Lord to give help to Brother Block and his people that he has with him on the senior trip, that they might come back safely and might have a good time. And I'm looking forward to hearing some preaching this evening from Brother Suttmeier. And for those of you that can make it, we're looking forward on Tuesday evening at seven o'clock. Tuesday evening at seven will be our midweek service. We will not have a service on Wednesday, but Tuesday for the graduation and Brother Ross will be speaking. And it's always a blessing when we have him. Of course, we got it up here on the monitors as well. Looking forward to see some graduates graduate and give them a challenge as well as a fellowship with some folks and to see Brother Nichols. I mean, to see Brother Ross and get to hear him preach. That'll be good. So you want to be here if you can for that. Thank you for being here this evening. All right, stand again, please. Just When I Need Him Most. Just when I need him, Jesus is near. Just when I Just when I feel ready to help me, ready to cheer, just when I need him most. Just when I need him most, just when I need him most, Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, just when I need him most. Just when I need Him, Jesus is true Never forsaking all the way through Giving for burdens, pleasures anew Just when I need Him most Just when I need Him most, Just when I need Him most, Jesus is near to comfort and cheer. Just when I need Him most, Just when I need Him, He is my all. Answering when upon Him I call, Tenderly watching, lest I should fall, Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him most. Just when I need Him most. Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, Just when I need Him most. Okay, well let's do that then. I'm flexible. At least in that one area. All right, dwelling in Beulah Land. Far away the noise of strife upon my ear is falling. Then I know the sins of earth be set on every hand. Doubt and fear and the things of earth in vain to me are calling. None of these shall move me from Beulah Land. I'm living on the mountain. underneath the cloudless sky. I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry. Oh yes, I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, for I am dwelling in Beulah Land. Far below the storm of doubt upon the world is beating. Sons of men in battle on the enemy withstand. Saved by my whip in the castle of God's Word retreating. Nothing then can reach me. Tis beautiful land. I'm living on the mountain. underneath the cloudless sky. I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry. Oh yes, I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, for I am dwelling in Beulah Land. Viewing here the works of God I see in contemplation. Hearing now His blessed voice, I see the way He planned. Dwelling in the spirit here, I learn a full salvation. Gladly will I tarry in Beulah land. I'm living on the mountain, Underneath the cloudless sky. I'm drinking at the fountain, That never shall run dry. Oh yes, I'm feasting on the manna From a bountiful supply, for I am dwelling In Beulah Land I'm living on a mountain Underneath the cloudless sky I'm drinking at the fountain that never shall run dry. Oh yes, I'm feasting on the manna from a bountiful supply, for I am dwelling in Beulah Land. Amen. Time measured out my days Life carried me along In my soul I yearned to follow God, but knew I'd never be so strong. I looked hard at this world to see where heaven could be gained. Just then where I began Where human effort is all in vain Were it not for grace I can't tell you where I'd be Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere With my salvation up to me I know how that would go The battles I would face Forever running, but losing the race, were it not for grace. So here is all my praise, expressed with all my heart. Offered to the friend who took my place, and ran a course I could not start, and when he saw in full just how much his love would cost. He still went the final mile Between me and heaven So I would not be lost Were it not for grace I can't tell you where I'd be Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere With my salvation up to me I know how that would go the battles I would face. Forever running, but losing the race, were it not for grace. Forever running, but losing the race, were it not for grace. Amen. Well, this evening we have Brother Suttmeier preaching for us, and I think probably about everyone here knows him. Missionary in Mexico with his family for several years. And we're looking forward to hearing what he has to say this evening as he preaches. Amen. Yes, sir. It's a real blessing to be here tonight, and God is good. And it's a blessing that the church doors are open. Real blessing. We just opened our church doors on Wednesday and down there in Mexico City and some churches aren't able to open their doors yet. Brother Wynn has not been able to have services yet either. But Wednesday we had our first service and we had a visitor that night and that visitor got saved. It's a real blessing. Amen. I get excited when people get saved. And it's a real blessing. Even during the quarantine time, we had people get saved. It's a real blessing. And some of our people that were may be faltering in their Christian walk, and has gotten a stronger Christian walk during the time. And also some people that were doing all right are falling back, but God's good, amen? And it's a trial of our faith, amen? All this stuff that's going on here. And please pray for brother Efrain, Hernando Sanchez, he is, A pastor there in Mexico City, actually there out of our church, Brother Efrain and his wife Gloria, she passed away yesterday morning at 5 o'clock in the morning and they had already buried her by the afternoon. And that's just the way things are going there right now. in Mexico City, but she had cancer and the Lord decided to take her home. And that's one lady there that I believe whenever she got to heaven, she heard these words, well done thou good and faithful servant. Really just brother Efrain, he pastors two churches and just a tremendous servant of the Lord. and just keep him in your prayers, please. And she was, I mean, she was at his side every moment and has always been, but she's been battling with this cancer now for over a year. And the Lord decided to take her home yesterday morning. So just keep them in your prayers. We have been really blessed. And even during the time of the quarantine, Natalie was able to come home to be with us. She was there in college in California, and they were just getting ready to shut everything down at midnight, and she got a flight out at 1130 at night and made it there to Mexico City. I went to pick her up. I mean, their plane got in at like 3.30 or 4 o'clock in the morning, so I went to pick her up. We got to have her home with us for a while. It was a real blessing to do that. And so Tuesday night, Melanie's graduating, so we're happy about that, about her and Samuel. And I was talking to Samuel earlier and he said, I told him, I said, when I graduated from high school, you know, some people graduated with honors. It was just an honor to graduate, amen. So, a real blessing. And Patty, she's the ultimate missionary wife. We were on our way to an appointment and Melanie was with us and we were talking. And so, Patty, we're talking and we're discussing what are we gonna do with, you know, the church, the services, we're gonna have our services or, you know, all this. And because they're really hard on the churches that are having services. A friend of ours had, they just had a cleaning day and the neighbors reported them and said they had 70 people in their service. and there was a cleaning day, it wasn't even Sunday, and the police showed up, there were only 10 people there and they were cleaning, they were sanitizing the church and getting it ready for the services, but they showed up in SWAT gear and everything else and it's really crazy. And one pastor, they had their service and during the quarantine and They fined the church $30,000 and they put the pastor in jail for three days. So we're having a conversation and we're on our way to an appointment and Patty says, you know, we can't afford for you to go to jail right now. Melanie's graduating and, you know, it was just such a normal conversation. I mean, it just wasn't like, we can't have you go to jail. No, honey, it's just not convenient for you to go to jail right now if we're gonna have services. So she's the ultimate missionary wife there, amen. and a real blessing. And also God blessed us with a new vehicle. It's newer. It's new to us. And we had been looking for another vehicle. Our other one, it just started costing us a lot of money to just things were going out. and everything. And so I said, well, I think it's time for us to get a newer vehicle. And so I was looking at vehicles during this time, the quarantine time, and not very many places were open actually to even see and look at vehicles and maybe even test drive them. And we were able to see a few of them. And the Lord, this was the nicest one that we had seen. It's a 2015. And the Lord really blessed us. We were able to purchase it right at the exchange rate where it was the best in our favor, the highest we seen it in our favor. And normally the interest or the exchange rate there is around 18 to one or so, 18 pesos to the dollar. And at that time, I believe it was 23 pesos to the dollar. So we saved about $10,000 on that thing. It was just a real amazing, God was good. And then we sold the truck there. So we ended up actually paying for our truck about $16,000. So it was a real blessing. and God was good, God is good, amen? So, and he knew our need for sure, and I almost bought a Ford, and I thought, man, no, Lord, don't let us do that, please. I mean, you may love a Ford, you know, Ford, they just figured out what was wrong with it, and they circled it right on the front grill there, so. But anyway, I like to take the cross with me, amen? Chevy, that's got the cross in front, so amen. So praise the Lord. And also, I know how to work on a Chevy, and so it's a blessing. It was just the Lord that did that, and God's good, amen? And it's real good. Brother Hector, he saw me this morning, and I had my cubre bocas, or face mask on, and he said, is that shot glasses on there? I said, no, that's coffee, Hector. I mean, look where his mind is at, you know? And he and his mom pulled up at the taqueria Jalisco yesterday, and I went up to the window. I said, no, they went to the drive-thru. I opened the window. I said, there's no more tacos here. And so, but anyway, I told him I don't wear my shot glass when, unless it's Saturday night. So anyway. But I'm just kidding about that. Hey, I did tell him that but But I don't really have one that has shot glasses on it. Just coffee. Okay, so But anyway, I hope he'll get his mind in the right place tonight at least so but anyway, we're praying for you brother Hector and your family and It's a real We are praying for everyone during the time when Brother Perry, he's doing much better than all of us right now. He's more alive than any one of us right now. But we're praying for everyone here during that time and we still continue to pray. Amen. But anyway, here we're gonna go here to Judges chapter number 13. Thank you for coming tonight and a real blessing to see you. Good to see Brother Nichols up here preaching this morning and a real good message and something that we can all use, amen. And hopefully, now this will be nothing in comparison to Brother Nichols, but hopefully it'll be a blessing to you. I put as a title here, Dangerous Curves, Careless Christians and Broken Lives. Let's see here, Judges chapter number 13, and if you would please stand for the reading of God's word. Judges chapter number 13 and verse number 24, and we'll read down through chapter 14 verse number 4. The Bible says here, And the woman bare a son and called his name Samson. And the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began... Okay, this was a blessed family. This is a good family here. They had God's blessings on their lives. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Sorah and Eshter. And Samson went down to Timnath and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up and told his father and his mother and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. Now, therefore, get her to me, get her for me to wife. It's not very good situation there. He's telling his mom and dad what they need to do. Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren or among all my people? that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines. And Samson said unto his father, get her for me, for she pleases me well. But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord that he sought an occasion against the Philistines for a time, for at that time, the Philistines had dominion over Israel. Let's pray. Thank you, Lord, A good morning this morning. Thank you for your goodness. Thank you that we're able to be here together, have fellowship, talk and sing together, hear your word together. And thank you for your goodness, Lord. I pray and ask, Heavenly Father, that you would be with us tonight. Use me tonight. Please fill me with your power. Help me to preach your word. And I pray that, Lord, that souls would be stirred and hearts would be moved to be closer to you tonight, Heavenly Father. I pray that you'd give me grace. Give us all your grace. And don't let us leave this place the same that we came here. Don't let us go back home and be the same that we were when we left today. I pray that you'd help us now. In your precious name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. When I was a teenager, junior in high school, 1986. Don't worry, kids, we still had colored pictures back then. OK. And but when I was a junior, I wasn't very smart. And I told my parents that I was doing something else, but I had other plans for that night. And my friend Rob and I, when we got together, we always had a lot of fun. And and well, I call it we we thought it was fun at the time. But anyway, we had plans to there were there were some girls that were in this horse club. And so we he he said, Nick, let's let's throw rocks on top of that horse barn tonight. You know, when they're really good in the sleep, you know, so it had to be around one or two in the morning. And so anyway, we were talking about our plans, and then we had some other friends that heard about our plans. They heard us talking about them, so they wanted to join in on the fun with us. And so these guys were older, and they were, I mean, they were a different breed. And so, I mean, we were honoring, but these guys were mean, you know? And well, anyway, Rob and I, we all drove up there and the older guys, they wanted in on the fun with us. So the one guy had a Trans Am. I don't know if you remember those, but man, they're a powerful car, very well on curves and all that. Well, so we drove up the hill behind those barns where the horse barns were, and the horse club people were sleeping in the barns. Rob and I, we were grabbing these rocks and we were throwing them down there on the roof. You know, you could hear this, boom, boom, boom, boom, landing on the roof. And, you know, that scares the daylights out of everybody. So, you know, we're having fun. Well, these other guys, they're grabbing these big rocks and they're throwing them down on the roof. Well, these are 10 roofs. So these rocks were going straight through the roof. And we were really up high there. They were making holes in the roof and we're like, oh man, we did not plan on doing this. And our trouble just escalated right there when that happened. You know, we were just little rocks throwing on top of that thing. All of a sudden they're going through. There are horses under there. There are people under there. You don't know where those rocks are hitting. And so the people come running out of that barn, we saw them down there, and they looked up trying to find out where we were up on the hill behind the place, and they were mad. So we took off, we went and got in the car. Well, Randy, the guy that was driving the Trans Am, You know, he's all hyped up now and excited. The adrenaline's running. So we go running down that or we're driving down that hill. And I mean, the people from the club there, the adults got in vehicles and they were chasing after us. Well, that was the wrong thing to do with this guy because he ended up driving. I mean, down these back roads and they were they were cinder roads, but man, he was driving between 80 and 100 mile an hour down these little roads. I mean, there's curves everywhere and all that. And the people that were chasing us decided, well, one thing was we had too many people in the car. We had two people in the front seat and I think we had like four or five of us in the back seat. And so the car is overweighted and it's not gonna handle the curves like it would if it was just normal. So I think the people decided they're going to kill themselves if we keep chasing them. So they stopped chasing us. Well, they stopped chasing us, but he still kept going like a like a madman driving. And we were driving, going, I mean, we were hitting speeds between 80 and 100 mile an hour. And it was just he was just going crazy. Well, we came up on a curve, and we were doing about 80 mile an hour. And I remember it because I'm sitting in the middle, in the back, and I saw the speedometer there, and I thought, we are going to die. He did not hit the brakes going into this thing, and just before it, and we were already on top of it by the time we realized it, and he lost control of the car. All eyes were focused on a house. We were sliding right towards a house there. We spun off of the curve and we're headed sideways for a house. And we're just like, we are gonna die, all of us in this car. And miraculously, we did not even see it, but there was a tree and the back end of the Trans Am clipped that tree. and sent us spinning away from the house, and we ended up hitting another tree. I mean, there was dust and smoke all over the place. We got out of the car, not a scratch on myself and my friend Rob. And I mean, I wasn't even saved yet. This is before salvation. And I believe that it was one of the times when God had his hand over me because he knew on July 11th, 1993, I would trust Jesus as my savior. So I think he had mercy on me that night. But we got out of there because we were minors and the people in the house, they came out trying to figure out what in the world's going on. I mean, it went from bad to worse this night for us. And when we left the accident there, I mean, the mangled car, it was broken. And I mean, we didn't have a scratch on us. We took off on foot. And look what the Bible says about this situation. Proverbs chapter number 13, the Bible says here, in Proverbs chapter number 13 and verse number 20. The Bible says, he that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. shall be destroyed. And I mean, if that doesn't hit the head on the nail on this one, that was our situation there. And I'm thankful that we lived through that. And I can tell you the story right now, but it was a real foolish thing to get into that car with those people. It was a foolish thing to join up with these guys that really, we didn't know very well at all, but boy, I'm glad that we made it through there. But let me tell you this, dangerous curves, careless Christians, and broken lives. Taking curves carelessly will lead to disaster or destruction. When you come up to curves, I mean, you can't avoid a curve, you just, you gotta take the curve, you gotta go around it, but you gotta be careful when you're going around the curves. when you approach it, I mean, it's just like, well, you gotta go that way. And so whether it's a curve or not, you gotta take that curve. Now, if you go into that curve not thinking, if you go into that curve and you're going too fast, I mean, sudden destruction could be right around the corner for you. And Samson, You see, he was careless in his life. He was careless about God's instructions. He was careless towards his parents. He was careless in not honoring them. As a matter of fact, he was trying to push them and tell them what to do. And he was not entering into his life at a very good... He was entering in at a dangerous speed because this life that we live in has a lot of curves in it. And we've got to be careful about certain curves that we come up to. He was a Nazarite. Samson was careless about his calling and about his responsibilities and his relationship with God. Look what it says over here in Numbers 6. Numbers 6. Let's start here, verse number 6. Number 6 in verse number 6. And if you want to read the whole thing here, I mean, these are actually some of the requirements of the priest back in the book of Deuteronomy also. But here it says here, Numbers chapter six, verse number six, all the days that he separated himself unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead body. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, or for his brother, or for his sister, when they die, because the consecration of his God is upon his head. All the days of his separation he is Holy unto the Lord. And you know what? That's who we are, too. We're holy unto the Lord. God says, Be ye holy, for I am holy. And he says it several times in the Bible. And we're supposed to be separate. Be ye separate, saith the Lord. Don't mix in with the world. Be apart from the world. Separate yourself from the world. But Samson... He didn't take this. I mean, he went up to dead animals. He took honey out of the dead lion that he killed. And they went by a few days later after he killed it. And then there was a honey in that lion and he touched it. He got the honey out of it. just a disregard for God's word. Let me say this. That's careless Christianity right there. Just being careless. God says something and we just disregard what he says. That's carelessness right there. And so anyway, And then he touched that dead animal and the Jews were not supposed to be contaminated with touching dead animals. And so that thing that he touched was contaminated. Then he gives it to his mom and dad and doesn't tell them, oh, this is from a dead lion over there. They didn't know. They had no idea. So he caused a lot of trouble there just by being careless. If we go into curves in our lives, we go into situations in our lives, and we're being careless, I'll tell you this, it could end in broken. It could end in disaster. It could end in destruction in our lives. He was a Nazarite. He had a special calling on his life. And let me say this, that if you're a Christian here, if you're saved, you know what? God made us kings and priests. Look what the Bible says over here in Revelation. I almost threw out Apocalypses, but if you're Spanish, then you know what chapter we're going to. Revelation chapter number 1, and the Bible says here in verse number 5, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever." You see, at the time when Samson was doing all this stuff, the Philistines had dominion over the Jewish people at that time. and it wasn't a very easy time for them. And you know what? It doesn't matter whether it's easy times for us or not, we don't need to be careless with the things of God. During this time of the coronavirus, and we're still in it, we're not out of the woods here, and during this time we don't need to be careless about our duties with the Lord. We don't need to be careless with our prayer life and our Bible reading and our church attendance. We don't need to be careless about these kind of things because there are curves coming up in our lives that we need to be thinking straight. We need to be cautious about what's going on. He was supposed to be consecrated unto the Lord. And by the way, so are we. We were bought with a price. The Bible says that If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things become new. We're supposed to be that new creature. That's what happens when we get saved, a new creature. We live in a day when Christians rejoice when others are weeping, and we weep when others are rejoicing. Are you with me? That's not God's plan. We're supposed to rejoice with those who rejoice. And we're supposed to weep with those who weep. And some dangerous curves here on this earth. Dead Man's Curve, it's a famous curve in California. I actually drove on that curve on Interstate 5. And they call it Dead Man's Curve because so many people had died taking that curve too fast. They died being careless and reckless, going into that curve and lost control of their vehicle. Not only did they lose their lives, but they caused other people to lose their lives as well and be damaged and broken. And that's what happens when Christians become careless. not only affects you, not only affects us, but it affects the people that are around us when we're going into these curves as well. You can take other people out and hurt other people. And this curve, there's also, they also have a dead man's, the original one, I guess, is in California. And then they also have one in Cleveland, Ohio. That's where I'm from. Never heard, never knew that. But if I did, I would have went to try it out, you know, and see what it was like. But the curve there in California that they call dead man's curve, it really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. But I can see how people would have accidents there if they were careless. One of the biggest, and there's another one in Colorado. There are several different places, these dead man's curves, because a lot of people were destroyed on these curves. A lot of people lost their lives on these curves. Vehicles and damage that was caused, a lot of it was on these curves specifically. And that's why they called it the dead man's curve. Well, let me tell you one of the biggest curves and causes a lot of damage in a Christian's life. And we got to be careful going into this curve. It's the curve of comparing, the curve of comparison, or should I say covetousness. Look what the Bible says in Hebrews chapter number 13 and verse number Hebrews 13, 5. Well, you know, we're supposed to be content with what we have. Amen? Be content with what we have. But you know what? What happens is we get our eyes on what other people have and what we don't have. And that is covetousness. Look what the Bible says here in Hebrews chapter number 3, 13 and verse number 5. Let your conversation be without... What was that? covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have. For he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." You see, we gotta be happy with the wife and the children that God gave us. Can't look and say, well, look what they have over there. Wish I had something like that. No, be happy with what we have, amen? You can't look and say, well, look at the pension plan of this person and what they're doing, how much they're making or whatever's going on. You know, we can't look around like that. We gotta keep looking up. We gotta keep looking at the Lord, amen? And you know what? When other Christians are being blessed, I love it. Amen. And you know, in Mexico, people are afraid to tell their blessings because people get mad at them. I mean, hateful, mean. And so when we got this truck, when we got our other truck, we were on our first furlough in 2008. And we had that truck for 12 years. God was so good with us to give us that truck. I mean, we had 250,000 miles on that thing. The guy that came and bought it, I mean, it drives real good, had good tires on it, brand new shocks on the back. And so thanks to James helping me put those things on in December, amen? But anyway, he said, I just want to hear it run. It had a 2015 engine in there. He got in it. He saw that it was clean on the inside. He started it up. He says, I got the money here. I want to buy it now. And so he bought it right then. I mean, the first time he drove it was driving off. And I mean, that was hard to see that that was the best vehicle we had ever owned. Amen. And but anyway, we had a man in our church when I first got that thing and we drove down to Mexico with it. And and first day that it was outside. I mean, I parked it outside on the street there. The first day that it was out there, someone took a key to it. And that was the other one, okay? So a man in our church said, he said, pastor, it would be good idea if you waited till your neighbors got used to seeing the truck and then put it out there. I said, really? He said, that's just the way it is. And I was like, wow, that really got me there. And one time a family came up to me, they said, pastor, I said, is this a new car here? I mean, it was new for them. And they're like, oh yeah, yeah, we just got this. And I said, wow, praise the Lord, that's new, that's a blessing. They're like, shh, shh, shh, shh. Man, people are gonna hear that. And they're gonna, I mean, a lot of covetousness going on. You know, if it's not mine, wow, you know? And I mean, really, really, really, it's a real situation there. And so anyway, but you and I, we have to be very careful about covetousness. We have to be very careful about this curve because we can come up on it way too fast. And let me tell you, it'll destroy you. It'll destroy you. You know what comparing does? It destroys. It'll destroy contentment. It'll destroy contentment. Samson didn't want a Christian girl. He didn't want the girl from a church. He wanted one from the world. The way she dressed, and the way she put on her makeup, and the way she kept her hair, and the shorts that she wore. I don't know how they dressed over there with the Philistines, but I know that it wasn't right for him to go out and look for some unsaved person to get married, amen? We're supposed to be marrying another Christian. Are you with me? And it would be a lot wiser to marry a Christian that's going in the same direction you are, amen, that we are. But kids, they look out there, they say, Oh, but he's so cute and she's so beautiful and all this, and they're not even saved. That's being careless. And it'll bring destruction real fast in your life. Contentment, just to be content with what God provides us with, amen? It will destroy, comparing will destroy commitment in our lives. You know, a disregard for God's will in our lives. When we're not content, when we're comparing and covetous, what happens is we'll have a disregard for God's will because we'll see someone else has it better over here and this grass is greener over there. Let me tell you this, the grass is never greener anywhere else. Amen? And if the grass isn't green, you know what you gotta do? You gotta water it. You gotta work it. You gotta fertilize it. You gotta get it green. Amen? And then everybody will want your grass. Amen? But anyway, a disregard for God's will. Samson had a disregard for God's will. He wasn't focused on what God's will was. He wanted it his way. He wanted things his way. and also comparing, it'll destroy covetousness. It will destroy character. You know, Samson, he was out of control. He was disrespectful to his parents and God's word. He had a bad temper and you know what? Comparing covetousness, you know, that's a dangerous curve because when we get to the curve of character, and we're covetous, you know, it'll be destroyed. You won't be careful going into this because you need character to read your Bible every day. You need character to pray every single day. We need character to give our tithes and offerings and be faithful to the Lord. Amen? Sometimes giving the tithe and the offering, you think, man, all these bills that are coming in and everything's going on, it just doesn't seem like it would be fair that we would give our tithes and offerings. Honor God. Character will honor God even when it's tough. You know, our people there in Mexico City, I mean, the ones that were the faithful givers, it was a blessing to see during this time. I mean, now we're just starting to open up some of the businesses and some people are just now starting to go back to work. But the people that were faithful going into the tithing, they were faithful in giving their offerings, going into this, they went through it just fine. God provided for them. It might've been a little bit tighter than normal, but you know what? God blessed them. And I could see that. And we're talking people that average $100, $100 or $70 a week. That's their average income. And I mean, and God blesses and multiplies and blesses them. And it doesn't matter whether we're going through a crisis or not. We need character to keep on doing what we're supposed to do. Don't stop sowing in and all that during the crisis. You gotta keep on going, sowing in, amen? Don't throw in the towel. I'm sorry, I got this ever since my missions trip to China. I got a little cough there, so don't worry about that. Perfectly normal, that's what the guy at customs told me anyways. Anyway, no, my allergies are killing me. So I did take some allergy medicine and everything. So I'm not doing as bad as I normally would be, okay? But I really didn't go to China, okay? So some of you are getting ready to get up and leave now. So look, sooner or later, listen, sooner or later, our sin will catch up with us. this is gonna catch up to us. And not being content, lose our commitment and our character, soon that will get up, that will catch up to us. and a lack of commitment, a lack of contentment, and a lack of character. Look what happened over here in Judges. We'll just go back over here for just a second here. Judges chapter number 16 and the verse number 20. Oh, we think it's the same. It's going to be the same. It's, it's, it's, you know, we'll get through it. It'll be good. I don't need to read my Bible. I don't need to be faithful. God's will. We could just put that on hold for a little bit. And, oh, you know, God, what God says to do, stay away from the world, be separated and, and all that kind of stuff. Look what happens. Judges 16, verse number 20, and he said, And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as other times before and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord had departed from him. You know how he ended his life? They plucked his eyes out. They tortured him. They beat him. They put him on display and mocked him. They put him up in front of their dinners when they had all their rich friends around and they just mocked God because of this man. You know, that's what happens when our sins catch up with us. when we're not committed to doing God's will, when we're not content with what God gives us, and when our character is just out the window, that will happen to us. We'll think, oh, it's just like other times. But let me say this, it's not like other times. One day you'll wake up and God's presence will not be over your life and His blessings. Samson was a broken vessel, a vessel of dishonor, what the Bible calls a vessel of dishonor. Look at Romans 9.20. The Bible says here, Romans 9.20. The Bible says here, Romans 9.20. The Bible says here, But, O man, who art thou that replyest against God? Shall the thing form say to him that formed him? Let me read that over again. Shall the thing form say to him that formed it? Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction? and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory. You see, a broken vessel or a vessel of dishonor is a vessel that could not retain water. It would not hold water. There's leaks in it and it won't hold water. And for us, that just means that it just can't hold God's truth. It won't retain God's truth. A vessel of honor was a vessel of mercy. The Jews would put a vessel of water in front of their door as a gesture, as an act of kindness and mercy to strangers and Gentiles that would walk through and come through town. You see, they were very limited on what they could do, really, because the Jews would not include them in their worshiping or anything. These Gentiles, they had it rough whenever they would come to a Jewish city and there's no water, they can't go to the well, they can't use that well because, well, that's Jacob's well over there, you can't go there. Well, that's for us. You can't use that. Well, you know, over there in the desert, it's hot. And they would walk by and there would be a vessel with water in it. And that vessel was to show mercy unto those people that would come through. And that's just a picture of Jesus Himself, because He's a vessel with the living water, amen? And you drink from this well, you'll never thirst again, amen? And what mercy He had over us. But this vessel of honor was for strangers and foreigners, and it was hot, and when they saw that, they're just like, wow. They could go up and they could drink that water free of charge, and it would be refreshing to them. It would meet their needs and it would help them. And a vessel of dishonor was that same type of vessel, but it was broken and it would not hold water and it would leak out. And if you put water in it and set it on the porch, all the water would just run through. And it couldn't be used as a vessel of mercy because there would be nothing in there to offer to somebody. There would be nothing there. So it was called a vessel of dishonor. And so a vessel of dishonor, if it wouldn't hold water, what the people would do, the owner, they would take it back to the potter and they'd say, fix this vessel, please. Try to fix it. So the potter, he would patch it up and do the best that he could. And then they would try to use it again, and then they'd have to take it back if it was leaking again, and take it back, and take it back. But after several times of trying to take it back to the potter, what would happen is that potter would say, you know, this is a vessel of wrath. We cannot use this vessel. It has to be broken completely. So the potter would take the vessel out to the potter's field, and he would strike it, and it would bust all into a hundred pieces, never to ever be tried to put back together again. You see, that's what happened to Samson. He was completely broken. He couldn't retain God's word by following God's word or following God's will. You see, he kept leaking. He didn't have any mercy. He didn't have it within him. See, he grew up in a good Christian home and he had it all. I mean, God's blessings were over that family and his life as well, but he got negligent. He got careless in his walk with the Lord and just thought, it's gonna be the same, it's gonna be the same. And then when that building crushed him there, you see, he became a vessel of wrath. But whether you're a vessel of honor, a vessel of dishonor, God's gonna get the glory out of your life. Whether we like it or not, God will get the glory out of our lives. You see, whenever the potter decided that there's nothing more, and you know what? The potter is a picture of God. Well, keeps coming back and coming back and coming back and saying, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but just never gets right. Never gets fixed, that heart, that whatever it is inside there, just never gets right. You see, well, God will take that, the potter, would take and say, okay, can't be used ever again. Out to the potter's field. And the potter's field is where Judas hung himself. Right there's where the wicked priest took the 30 pieces of silver that Judas threw back at him and said, this I can't, I'm condemned, I can't do this. This is money for innocent blood. And he gave it back to the priest. And the priest got that money up and they said, well, we can't put it in the offering. That would not be right. because it's blood money from innocent blood. We can't put that in the offering. I mean, let alone crucify Jesus on the cross, but I mean, we can't, I mean, we gotta follow the law. And so they bought a piece of property out at the potter's field and they buried that blood money out there. And they called it, they called it the field of blood. And that's the same place where Judas went out and hung himself. Look at this. It says over here in Matthew chapter number 27, just to go through these verses here real quick, and then we'll finish up here. And the Bible says here in Matthew chapter number 27 and verse number three, Matthew 27 and verse number three, I don't know, I just enjoyed looking this stuff up here and studying this. Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself and brought again the 30 pieces of silver to the priests and elders saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, what is that to us? That's what the world does whenever you get used up. And then they say, you're not needed anymore. See thou that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. And the chief priest took the silver pieces and said, it is not lawful for to put them into the treasury because it is the price of blood. and they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field to bury strangers in. Wherefore, that field was called the field of blood unto this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, and they took the 30 pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value, and gave them for the potter's field, and the Lord appointed me." Look over here in Acts. We'll just finish up with these verses right here. Acts 1.16. The Bible says here, Acts 1.16, Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry. Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem, insomuch that the field is called in their proper tongue, Esel Dahma, and is to say, that is to say, the field of blood. You see, the field of blood, Do you know why so many churches are closing their doors today? Do you know why so many churches are dying today? It's because too many vessels of dishonor in the Christians. We can't blame the government for all this stuff that's going on, it's us. It's us, we're not on our knees, we're not begging God for revival. Oh, if we could just have revival one more time. If we would just be a vessel of honor and show mercy into this world that's full of sin and strife, if we could just be that vessel for God, and God would send revival one more time. to this place. I mean, we've got the right man in the White House. I mean, how much more could we, what more could we ask for? That he's in on our side to pray and beg God for one more chance that we could see revival in this country. I think we're on the verge of seeing something happen here in this world, but we can't blame the government. Christians don't want to be vessels of honor anymore. People don't want to be used of God anymore. People don't get excited about souls getting saved. And I mean, I mean, it's just like old hat now. I mean, oh, wow, they got saved. You know, another person got saved. Oh, all heaven is rejoicing over one man who repents one sinner. If Christians would decide to be vessels of honor again, we would see revival like we've never seen before. But God says in Genesis, and you know, he said, when the last days are here, it'll be like the days of Noah. If we're not like the days of Noah, I'm telling you, we're just like the days of Noah. And God said this, my spirit shall not always strive with man. just like in the days of Noah when he got fed up with it. You know, if just one more soul would walk down the aisle, it would be worth every struggle. It would be worth every mile. So preachers keep preaching, singers go sing, and laymen keep sharing that Jesus is King. That's what we need to do. We need to come and ask God to heal us completely. That we'll be that vessel of honor and that we'd be used of God. And we'd put everything else off to the side and just focus on what his exact will for our life is. Get back to our prayer closets. Get back on our knees. Get back to opening our Bibles and reading and studying God's Word. And not just learning principles. Get to know the author of the Bible. Who is God? Who is this man? When I don't deserve anything, when I deserve to be crushed, He blessed me. I want to be that man. Oh, Christians, if we just say to God, I'm not holding water like I used to. It's just not like it used to be. But God, if you'll give me a chance, if you'll just give me one more chance, I want to be that vessel of honor. Revival will be right in front of that. If we just imagine if everyone in this auditorium today decided, I want to be that vessel of honor. I'm not going to be distracted. I'm not going to go into these dangerous curves recklessly again. I'm not going to be reckless with my Bible and my being faithful to the Lord and witnessing to people. I've been reckless about it. But you know what, God, I'm not retaining the water like I need to be. I'm not that vessel of mercy anymore like I used to be. But God, please have mercy over me and fix me up. Help me. We would see revival. We would turn this place upside down. Oh, if everyone in America would get that vision. people in Mexico and Africa. It doesn't matter where you're from. It doesn't matter where you go. If people would just, God's people would humble themselves and seek his face and turn from their wicked ways. Then, then will he hear from heaven and will heal their land. You know what? He'll heal their vessels. He'll heal those and fix them up. Let's pray. Thank you, Lord, for a good, good day. Thank you for being so good to us. Help us. Hello, friend. I'm Brother Nichols. I'm the pastor of Liberty Baptist Church here in San Antonio. We're located at 7421 Marbock Road, and I wanted to give you my personal invitation to come and be with us and visit us during any of the services we have. Our Sunday school is at 945 on Sunday morning. It's followed immediately at 1050 by the Sunday morning preaching service. Then at 7 o'clock on Sunday night, we have the evening and then at 7.30 on Wednesday night, our midweek Bible study, and we invite you to come and be with us for any of these services that you can. We sing the old hymns, the old gospel songs, we major on the teaching and the preaching of the 1611 King James Bible, and we'd love to have you come and visit with us. But whether you can visit with us or not, the most important thing is to know that you're saved and that your sins are forgiven and that you're going to heaven. So let me, if I might, just share the gospel, a quick, simple presentation of the gospel message. The Bible teaches, first of all, that all of us are sinners. Romans chapter three and verse 23 says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. All of us, every human being, is a sinner. That's me, that's you, that's every one of us, dear friend. And the Bible teaches that because we're sinners, we owe the penalty of sin. Romans 6.23 says, for the wages of sin is death. That includes physical death, and it also includes what Revelation chapter 20, verses 14 and 15 refer to as the second death, which is the lake of fire. It means that if I have to pay the penalty for my own sin, I'll have to die and spend eternity in this terrible place called the Lake of Fire, paying on my sin debt. But the good news of the Gospel is that though I'm a sinner and owe this sin debt, that sin debt was paid for me and for you, dear friend, by the Lord Jesus Christ when He shed His blood and died on Calvary's cross. In Romans 6.23, the same verse that says, for the wages of sin is death, goes on and says, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. So, eternal life, salvation, heaven, is a gift from God. It's something that God gives to us freely. We cannot earn it, we cannot be good enough to deserve it, we cannot do anything for it, But God gives it to us freely, eternal life, through, the scripture said, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now the reason that God can give us this gift of eternal life through the Lord Jesus is because the Lord Jesus paid our sin debt for us when He died on Calvary's cross. Romans chapter 5 and verse 8 says, but God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You see, I'm a sinner. I owe the wages of sin, which is death. Jesus was not a sinner, therefore he did not owe the penalty for sin, death, but he died anyway. And in dying, he paid the debt that he did not owe, but the debt that I owe, that you owe, that all of us as human beings owe because we're sinners, Jesus. paid the debt for us. Then three days later, he arose from the dead proving that he has the power of life and he said in John 14, 19, because I live, ye shall live also. So understanding these things that you're a sinner, that as a sinner you owe the sin debt, that Jesus paid that debt for you. Romans 10.13 says, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. When I was 18 years old, I called upon the name of the Lord. I came as a sinner to the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer calling upon His name and asked Him to be my Savior and to give me His gift of eternal life, and dear friend, when I asked, he, in response to my asking, did just as he promised he would do. He saved me and gave me eternal life. If you've never called upon the Lord Jesus and asked him for this free gift of salvation, I encourage you right now to bow your head and open your heart's door and let Jesus come in and ask Him to be your Savior and to give you salvation and eternal life. He promised that He would, that He'd save those who call upon His name, and if you've never called, I hope that you will right now. Trust Him as your Savior. Again, Liberty Baptist Church is located at 7421 Marbock Road, and we hope that you can come and visit with us. I hope to see you in church soon. you